# Recreating MTV **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 16, 2009, 7:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recreating-mtv/481575 "2009-01-16T07:50:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![SSG\_Schwartz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@SSG\_Schwartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SSG_Schwartz)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2009, 7:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recreating-mtv/481575/1 "2009-01-16T07:50:27Z")
For those of you who remember Martha Quinn as someone other than a Mojo Nixon lyric, for those who know who Nina Blackwood and JJ Jackson are, the world needs your help. The MTV database has crashed, can you contribute your 80’s video’s and commentary? I will start. _Screen goes blank:_ [Video killed the Radio Star](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iwuy4hHO3YQ&feature=related) plays followed by… [You better Run](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rz1RiIp-9mU)by Pat Benatar. What comes next? SSG Schwartz ---
**Author:** ![Brown\_Eyed\_Girl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/brown_eyed_girl/32/3574_2.png) [@Brown\_Eyed\_Girl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brown_Eyed_Girl)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2009, 8:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recreating-mtv/481575/2 "2009-01-16T08:13:15Z")
> [@SSG\_Schwartz](#): > > For those of you who remember Martha Quinn as someone other than a Mojo Nixon lyric, for those who know who Nina Blackwood and JJ Jackson are, the world needs your help. The MTV database has crashed, can you contribute your 80’s video’s and commentary? > > I will start. > > _Screen goes blank:_ > > [Video killed the Radio Star](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iwuy4hHO3YQ&feature=related) plays followed by… > > [You better Run](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rz1RiIp-9mU)by Pat Benatar. > > What comes next? > > SSG Schwartz [I Ran](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uUjIA3Rt7gk) by Flock of Seagulls followed by… [Goody Two Shoes](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y3g5G0PFuXQ) by Adam & the Ants ---
**Author:** ![Cuckoorex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ad7895/32.png) [@Cuckoorex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cuckoorex)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2009, 8:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recreating-mtv/481575/3 "2009-01-16T08:26:02Z")
Was Bow Wow Wow’s _[I Want Candy](http://de.youtube.com/watch?v=KNHcaIJETZo&fmt=18)_ playing that first day? Nevermind, Bow Wow Wow was partially formed by former members of Adam and the Ants, so it couldn’t be… ---
**Author:** ![SSG\_Schwartz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@SSG\_Schwartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SSG_Schwartz)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2009, 8:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recreating-mtv/481575/4 "2009-01-16T08:34:08Z")
This post is not in the play rotation. I am Mark Goodman, and we thank you all who have demanded your MTV. If you don’t get MTV call your cable company. If you do, post your favorite 70’s videos. Next up is what will be a big hit for Gary Newman [CARS](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PLKFEq6Zu14&feature=related) SSG Schwartz ---
**Author:** ![TWDuke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e495f1/32.png) [@TWDuke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TWDuke)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2009, 8:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recreating-mtv/481575/5 "2009-01-16T08:45:13Z")
> [@SSG\_Schwartz](#): > > _Screen goes blank:_ > > [Video killed the Radio Star](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iwuy4hHO3YQ&feature=related) plays followed by… > > [You better Run](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rz1RiIp-9mU)by Pat Benatar. How could you leave out the [astronaut](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=182oUgBfoLE)? Reboot! ---
**Author:** ![SSG\_Schwartz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@SSG\_Schwartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SSG_Schwartz)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2009, 9:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recreating-mtv/481575/6 "2009-01-16T09:04:19Z")
Time for a commercial break: [Nientnedo Duck Hunt](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JViwhjWSqJc&feature=related) SSG Schwartz ---
**Author:** ![TWDuke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e495f1/32.png) [@TWDuke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TWDuke)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2009, 9:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recreating-mtv/481575/7 "2009-01-16T09:33:54Z")
More complete moon landing sequence, first couple of videos, and the Police yelling at us: [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9yPsPqCpeBQ&feature=related](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9yPsPqCpeBQ&feature=related) And the best videos of 1980: [Ashes to Ashes](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_NlhG7VhnUs) and [Fashion](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2oudKFDpUlQ). ---
**Author:** ![Oswald\_Bastable](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/oswald_bastable/32/214_2.png) [@Oswald\_Bastable](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oswald_Bastable)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2009, 12:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recreating-mtv/481575/8 "2009-01-16T12:34:41Z")
> [@Cuckoorex](#): > > Was Bow Wow Wow’s _[I Want Candy](http://de.youtube.com/watch?v=KNHcaIJETZo&fmt=18)_ playing that first day? > > Nevermind, Bow Wow Wow was partially formed by former members of Adam and the Ants, so it couldn’t be… Actually Bow Wow Wow were formed from Adam’s previous Ants (Malcolm McLaran lured them away with promise of unprecedented chart success). The Adam and the Ants who had all the pop hits comprised of completely different Ants (and had far more chart success than BWW ever accomplished). OB ---
**Author:** ![JpnDude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/838e76/32.png) [@JpnDude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JpnDude)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2009, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recreating-mtv/481575/9 "2009-01-16T23:43:11Z")
We’ll need to have an introduction of all the VJ’s… [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NKZxKI0E-wY](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NKZxKI0E-wY) ---
**Author:** ![NDP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ndp/32/55_2.png) [@NDP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NDP)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2009, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recreating-mtv/481575/10 "2009-01-17T00:29:25Z")
[Once in a Lifetime](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sowRYJCzbOk)by Talking Heads. (I’m sure if they played this on the first day.) ---
**Author:** ![ShermanAter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b4bc9f/32.png) [@ShermanAter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShermanAter)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2009, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recreating-mtv/481575/11 "2009-01-17T01:11:58Z")
[![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/arUqoKjU3D4/hqdefault.jpg "Human League - "Don't You Want Me"") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=arUqoKjU3D4) “Don’t You Want Me Baby?” by the Human League was always in the rotation. ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2009, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recreating-mtv/481575/12 "2009-01-17T01:24:04Z")
4th video shown on MTV: The Who’s last single, [You’d Better You Bet](http://www.mtvmusic.com/who/videos/99378/you_better_you_bet.jhtml). Martha Q was cute as a button! ---
**Author:** ![Nutty\_Bunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/d07c76/32.png) [@Nutty\_Bunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nutty_Bunny)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2009, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recreating-mtv/481575/13 "2009-01-17T02:46:43Z")
There’s gotta be some Rod Stewart in there somewhere. I remember seeing a lot of him in the early days. “Tonight’s the Night” and “Do Ya Think I’m Sexy”. Or Hall and Oates in a video that was basically them and their band performing in front of a black background. There were 3 or 4 of those…take your pick. I also remember Styx’s “Too Much Time on My Hands” and 38 Special in the early days. There were also those “intermissions” that filled time with instrumental music and shots of scenery or whatever. I hated those. > [@SSG Schwartz](#): > > Time for a commercial break: > > Nientnedo Duck Hunt If it was 1981, it was more like [this](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=juH2qHYX9aI). ---
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2009, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recreating-mtv/481575/14 "2009-01-17T03:12:11Z")
> [@Nutty\_Bunny](#): > > There were also those “intermissions” that filled time with instrumental music and shots of scenery or whatever. I hated those. Really? They were often more inventive and interesting than the videos. They were supposed to be filled in with locally inserted commercials, which didn’t happen a lot of the time in the early days. My wife taped quite a few of them at the time, and I might put some of them up on YouTube. The rest of the first ten videos were pretty simple live videos, or sound stage lipsync numbers. But #8 [was at least trying something different](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HrGoDFP-LMg). ---
**Author:** ![furt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/439d5e/32.png) [@furt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/furt)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2009, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recreating-mtv/481575/15 "2009-01-17T03:16:56Z")
We didn’t get MTV until 1982, when [You Got Lucky](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZTAhZKP5wCY) was the first video I saw. Watching it just now, I felt very, very old. If you can do better than me, go. ---
**Author:** ![Nutty\_Bunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/d07c76/32.png) [@Nutty\_Bunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nutty_Bunny)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2009, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recreating-mtv/481575/16 "2009-01-17T03:35:20Z")
> [@gaffa](#): > > Really? They were often more inventive and interesting than the videos. They were supposed to be filled in with locally inserted commercials, which didn’t happen a lot of the time in the early days. My wife taped quite a few of them at the time, and I might put some of them up on YouTube. I was 11 years old in 1981. I wanted videos from recording artists, not filler. The rest of the first ten videos were pretty simple live videos, or sound stage lipsync numbers. But #8 [was at least trying something different](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HrGoDFP-LMg). [/QUOTE] That’s what I love about early MTV. There are so many bands/singers I would never have heard of if it weren’t for the lack of videos they had in the first few years. How would I have heard of Todd Rundgren if not for early MTV? ---
**Author:** ![Brown\_Eyed\_Girl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/brown_eyed_girl/32/3574_2.png) [@Brown\_Eyed\_Girl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brown_Eyed_Girl)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2009, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recreating-mtv/481575/17 "2009-01-17T04:49:34Z")
> [@gaffa](#): > > Really? They were often more inventive and interesting than the videos. They were supposed to be filled in with locally inserted commercials, which didn’t happen a lot of the time in the early days. My wife taped quite a few of them at the time, and I might put some of them up on YouTube. I would love to see those. > [@](#): > > The rest of the first ten videos were pretty simple live videos, or sound stage lipsync numbers. But #8 [was at least trying something different](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HrGoDFP-LMg). God, that was pure awful. I’ll stick with [this TR](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kB7IsMnbC88). At least it’s fun. ---
**Author:** ![SSG\_Schwartz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@SSG\_Schwartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SSG_Schwartz)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2009, 5:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recreating-mtv/481575/18 "2009-01-17T05:23:43Z")
Awesome memories all. I love that song, **BEG**. Alas, time for another commercial. This half hour is sponsored by the party game [Simon electronic.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K0OgOsaXLHc) SSG Schwartz ---
**Author:** ![Koxinga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/4af34b/32.png) [@Koxinga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Koxinga)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2009, 5:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recreating-mtv/481575/19 "2009-01-17T05:32:50Z")
> [@NDP](#): > > [Once in a Lifetime](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sowRYJCzbOk)by Talking Heads. > > (I’m sure if they played this on the first day.) I remember watching that one on SCTV, before my house got MTV. Not sure if it actually predated MTV itself, though. ---
**Author:** ![GargoyleWB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gargoylewb/32/199_2.png) [@GargoyleWB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GargoyleWB)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2009, 6:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recreating-mtv/481575/20 "2009-01-17T06:02:47Z")
This sucks, I’m switching to **Night Flight**. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recreating-mtv/481575.md?page=2)