But MTV’s heyday had to start somewhere and, fittingly, it began with “The video killed the radio star” by the Buggles, released a few years earlier. When it launched in the summer of 1981, the television network chose the perfect song to launch its music reign and usher in the video era. Most people know that the Buggles were the first band to have a video on MTV, but what songs followed that iconic opener?

The end of the Buggles’ song was quickly followed by the music video for Pat Benatar’s “You Better Run.” The 1966 track was over ten years old at the time, so it was an interesting choice to follow. The video shows Benatar performing the track with his band, donning a black and white striped shirt and staring boldly into the camera. It wasn’t necessarily an innovative video, but it’s a rocker nonetheless.

A more recent track by Rod Stewart, ‘She Won’t Dance With Me’, followed Benatar’s clip before the channel devoted a few moments to a group of rockers from across the Atlantic, The Who. “You Better You Bet” was the fourth music video released by MTV, a track released just months before MTV’s launch.

From there, the channel continued to air music videos from some of the biggest names of the era, from Cliff Richard’s “We Don’t Talk Anymore” to The Pretenders’ “Brass in Pocket.” Ph.D, Todd Rundgren, REO Speedwagon and Styx also managed to force their way into the top ten music videos released by MTV, each becoming a part of music video history.

After this initial launch, MTV found success, attracting audiences with a new visual way to interact with their favorite musicians. It has become a reliable source of marketing for artists, while enriching their visual talent and a reliable source of entertainment for audiences. Surely it will never go out of style?

Of course, with the introduction of social media and short-form video content, music videos have since lost all interest of the public and the artists. Attention spans have shortened – why watch a three-minute video when you could scroll through ten TikToks simultaneously? But even though interest in the medium has waned, music videos remain an interesting endeavor, a way to improve your artistry and capture a moment visually as well as sonically.

The first 10 clips broadcast on MTV:

1. The Buggles – “Video killed radio star”
2. Pat Benatar – “You Better Run”
3. Rod Stewart – “She Won’t Dance With Me”
4. The Who – “You Better Bet”
5. Ph.D – “Little Susie is on top”
6. Cliff Richard – “We Don’t Talk Anymore”
7. The Pretenders – “Brass in Pocket”
8. Todd Rundgren – “Time Heals”
9. REO Speedwagon – “Take flight”
10. Styx – “Rockin’ Heaven”

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