Overview
In the early 1980s, the massive deregulation of television broadcasting led to an expansion of cable TV services throughout the United States. These cable providers carried a number of specialized channels for their subscribers. On August 1, 1981, Warner Communications and the American Express Company launched MTV, the first 24-hour music video cable channel. By 1983, MTV had expanded from 2.5 million initial subscribers to 17 million, making it the fastest growing cable channel in history. Airing videos on MTV was a way for artists and record companies to promote their music. By 1983, nearly all of the albums on the Billboard albums chart had at least one song in heavy rotation on MTV. MTV became the new way to advertise music to consumers.
Objectives
- Recall the development of MTV during the 1980s
- Examine the significance of the Second British Invasion as it related to MTV
- Examine the role Michael Jackson played in eliminating the color lines on MTV
- Recall how Madonna pushed musical and visual boundaries in her music and videos
Conclusion
Within a year of its launch, MTV was the primary means of promoting new music and artists. The heavy play of British artists led to a Second British Invasion of sorts, helping promote bands such as Duran Duran and the Eurythmics. Michael Jackson, who had outsold every other recording artist in history with his Thriller album, was only able to break into MTV after his label threatened to pull all of their music from the station. Madonna used music videos as a way to generate both controversy and record sales. MTV quickly became a powerful new medium for artists and labels to promote themselves.
“Michael Jackson was one of popular culture's greatest artists. Nobody danced better. Few sang more compellingly. No one understood more about stage spectacles or music videos. He was an innovator. His reach was global.”
