MTV's first songs: the whole playlist of the first day

On 1 August 1981, MTV Music Television opened the doors to the holy of holies for listeners and viewers of all ages! John Lack, one of the creators of the channel, pronounced: "Ladies and gentlemen, rock and roll!"

The first 25 clips from 116 music videos!

1. The Buggles - Video Killed the Radio Star

• Album: English Garden
• Year of release: 1979
• Genre: rock

This track is from the debut album The Age of Plastic Jeff Downs and Trevor Horn, a duo better known as The Buggles,was number one in the British music charts. The song was recorded in 1979, and in 1980 both musicians became members of a rock band Yes. Their creative careers would later diverge: Horne would co-create the The Art of Noise, and Downs decides to start his own band. Asia. Afterwards, as an acclaimed producer, Trevor Horn would go on to collaborate with popular artists such as PetShop Boys, Frankie Goes toHollywood, ABCand in 1994, together with Sealwill win a Grammy for the song Kiss From a Rose.

"They believed your second symphony. Rewritten by machines and the latest technology, now I understand the problems you see." - The Buggles, Video Killed the Radio Star.

2. Pat Benatar - You Better Run

• Album: Roadie Soundtrack
• Year: 1980
• Genre: Rock

The next video, broadcast on the channel, was Pat Benatar's remake of the band's song Young Rascals. It is noteworthy that You Better Run was the second clip shown on MTV since Benatar's album too. Crimes of Passion, released in 1980, this song was number two. The track was included in the soundtrack compilation for the film Roadie, starring Mith Lowe, where it was also number two on the list.

"Most singers say, 'If you hurt me, I'll die...'. I claim, 'If you hurt me, I'll kick your arse'." -Pat Benatar.

3. Rod Stewart - She Won't Dance With Me

• Album: Foolish Behaviour
• Year: 1980
• Genre: Pop

The song was co-written by Stewart and Georgy Ben Jore. It was included on the album Foolish Behaviour, released by Stewart in 1980, following the album Blondes Have More Fun. However, unlike the hit that preceded it. DaYa Think I'm Sexy? composition She Won't Dance With Me written not in disco but in the genre of incendiary rock.

"What I do is entirely my father's fault, as he was the one who bought me a guitar when I was a kid for some unknown reason." - Rod Stewart.

4. The Who - You Better You Bet

• Album: Face Dances
• Year: 1981
• Genre: classic rock

Video for this energetic track from the 1981 album Face Dances, presented in black and white colours. Kenny Jones replaced the band's deceased drummer Keith Moon, and John "Rabbit" Bandrick added a piano sound. On the US charts. You Better You Bet managed to reach number 18, while in the UK the song was honoured with a 9th position, entering the top ten.

"I have terrible hearing problems. Unwittingly, I helped invent and develop a style of music that makes its authors deaf." - Pete Townshend.

5. Ph.D. - Little Suzi's on the Up

• Album: Ph.D.
• Year: 1981
• Genre: pop

Simon Phillips, Tony Hymas and Jim Diamond founded the band Ph.D.,the name of which was derived by adding the first letters of their surnames. Later, a cover version of this song would be released by a hard rock band Tesla. The clip features a ballroom dancing competition, with references to the TV show Dancing With The Stars и Strictly Come Dancing. In the late '70s, before the creation Ph.D.Phillips and Hymas were in a British rock band. JeffBeck Group. Ironically, it was Phillips who replaced the band's drummer The Who Kenny Jones during their reunion tour of North America and England in 1989. Jim Diamond's song I Should Have Known Betterreleased in 1984, became a massive hit in the UK.

"Little Susie is on the rise, seeking shelter,

Rubin is trying to get her back, she's still looking for another way.

Little Susie is on the rise, heading for the spotlight.

Ruby's finally getting up, he needs a few quiet nights."

- Ph.D., Little Suzi's on the Up.

6. Cliff Richard - We Don't Talk Anymore

• Album: Rock 'n' Roll Juvenile
• Year: 1979
• Genre: pop

Originally discovered in an album Rock 'n' Roll Juvenile, in the U.S., the song was renamed We Don't Talk Anymore. In 1979 the track became the most popular in the US, and in January 1980 it reached the top of the popularity in the UK. The video was directed by Brian Grant, who also directed the promo for the song Little Suzi's on the Up groups Ph.D. And, no, it's not the same song that Charlie Puth released in 2016.

"It's so funny, why aren't we talking more?

But I don't want to lose sleep and count sheep," - Cliff Richard

7. The Pretenders - Brass in Pocket

• Album: Pretenders
• Year: 1980
• Genre: rock

By the authors Brass in Pocket are vocalist Chrissie Hynde and guitarist Jamie Honeyman-Scott. The song became a real hit of the 80s in the USA, reaching number 14 in the charts. Despite the fact that Chrissie Hynde did not consider this song to be a feminist anthem at all, in 2016 during an interview with the magazine Classic Rock the singer talked about her idea for the ending of the video. In Hynde's version, the band would arrive on motorbikes, her character, the waitress, would throw off her apron, and together they would ride off into the sunset. In the storyline of the clip, the band members and their girlfriends arrive in a pink Cadillac, and the waitress tries unsuccessfully to get their attention. By the way, "brass" is a designation for money in Northern England.

"There's movement, keeping emotions in check

Behind the wheel, Detroit, bow down.

No reason, it just seems so nice,

Going to make you, make you notice."

- The Pretenders, Brass in Pocket

8. Todd Rundgren - Time Heals

• Album: Healing
• Year: 1981
• Genre: progressive rock

By the time the MTV channel launched in 1981, Todd Rundgren was extremely interested in making a rock music video. Two years earlier, he had begun work on the music video project at a video studio in New York City, becoming director and producer. The song Time Heals reached number 18 on the US rock charts, and in 1983 the promo became part of the tape Videosyncracies, consisting of songs Heals, Hideaway и Can We Still Be Friends?

"If you're bleeding,

Then everyone can see that you're bleeding.

They can call a doctor who will diagnose the problem,

Explaining what you need."

- Todd Rundgren, Time Heals

9. REO Speedwagon - Take It on the Run

• Album: Hi Infidelity
• Year: 1980
• Genre: rock

Due to technical reasons, only 12 seconds of the clip was aired, after which everything went black, but the song didn't end. The band's hit song Keep On Loving You became the 17th in the first broadcast of the MTV channel. Lead singer Kevin Cronin and guitarist Gary Richrath performed prior to the broadcast Take It on the Run. This short spot on MTV promoted the band's concert, which was to be broadcast on 8 August. In 1981, the musical group REO Speedwagon was at the height of his popularity, thanks to the album Hi InfidelityIn fact, the band got its name thanks to drummer Neil Doughty, who heard it at a lecture on the history of transport at the University of Illinois. By the way, the band got its name thanks to drummer Neil Doughty, who heard it at a lecture on the history of transport at the University of Illinois.

"Heard it from a friend who

Heard it from someone else you were fooling around with.

That's why I'm telling you, baby,

I don't think that's true, baby,

And even if that's what was meant."

- REO Speedwagon, Take It on the Run

10. Styx - Rockin' the Paradise

• Album: Paradise Theatre
• Year: 1981
• Genre: classic rock

Music videos REO Speedwagon и Styx, originating in Illinois, were broadcast by MTV one after another. Concept album Paradise Theatre, whose tenth track was a composition Rockin' the Paradise, tells the fictional story of Chicago's Paradise Theatre and serves as a metaphor for the changes taking place in the late 70s and 80s in the US.

"And I'll risk tying up the hands of time

and stay here with you tonight,

So sit down and don't be late.",

- Styx, Rockin' the Paradise

11. Robin Lane and the Chartbusters. - When Things Go Wrong

https://youtu.be/p37fD1zXsU4

• Album: Robin Lane & the Chartbusters
• Year: 1980
• Genre: rock

Robin Lane Facts:

• The singer grew up in Los Angeles.
• Her father Ken Lane is known as a songwriter as well as the pianist on the famous Dean Martin show.
• From 1968 to 1970 Robin was married to Andy Summers, who later became a guitarist Police.
• In 1969, she performed a backing vocal part in a Neil Young song Round & Round, that's on the album Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere.
• В 1970-х popular The punk rock and new wave genres had a significant influence on the singer. Lane's real fame came with the hit song When Things Go Wrong.

"Your deepest emotions, within yourself,

It's hard to meet them, but you have to try.

You had feelings for someone you love,

You surprise me as to why."

- Robin Lane and the Chartbusters, When Things Go Wrong.

12. Split Enz - History Never Repeats

• Album: Waiata
• Year: 1981
• Genre: new wave

Composition Facts:

• In 2001, members of the Australian Performing Rights Association recognised her as the 57th best New Zealand song of the twentieth century.
• The guitar part in the track originally featured in an old Phil Judd song Bergen Aan Zee.

"History will never repeat itself, I tell myself before I go to sleep,

Don't say words you'll regret.

I've lost before, you know I can't forget."

- Split Enz, History Never Repeats

13. 38 Special - Hold On Loosely

• Album: Wild-Eyed Southern Boys
• Year: 1981
• Genre: classic rock

As the album's lead track, the song became very popular in the United States, reaching #3 on the rock charts and #27 on the radio airplay chart.

"It's so damn easy, when your feeling overprotective of her, to love her that much. And my mind goes back to the girl I left years ago (who told me)."

- 38 Special, Hold On Loosely

14. April Wine - Just Between You and Me

• Album: The Nature of the Beast
• Year: 1981
• Genre: heavy rock

Composition Facts:

• The song was a top 25 hit in the U.S. and reached number 13 in Toronto.
• This is the Canadian studio artist's first music video to be shown on MTV.
• The last chorus in the album version of the song contains its title in French Seulement entre toi et mo.

"But only between me and you,

Baby, I know our love will be

Just between you and me,

Always, I know our love will be

Just between you and me."

- April Wine, Just Between You and Me

15. Rod Stewart - Sailing

• Album: Atlantic Crossing
• Year: 1975
• Genre: pop

Composition Facts:

• Trek Sailing became a worldwide hit, topping the UK charts for four weeks in September 1975.
• Until now. Sailing remains the song that brought Rod Stewart his biggest success in the UK.
• However, in the United States, the singer's home country, the song did not become a leading hit.

"Do you hear me, do you hear me,

In the darkness of the night, far away

I'm dying, forever in tears,

Without you."

- Rod Stewart, Sailing.

16. Iron Maiden - Iron Maiden

• Album: Iron Maiden
• Year: 1980
• Genre: heavy metal

Facts about the album:

• The U.S. edition of the album included the track Sanctuary, previously released in the UK as a single.
• This is the band's only album featuring guitarist Dennis Stretton.
• The song of the same name was the first heavy metal song to appear on MTV.

"If heavy metal bands ruled the world, we'd all be a lot better off." - Bruce Dickinson.

17. REO Speedwagon - Keep On Loving You

• Album: Hi Infidelity
• Year: 1980
• Genre: rock

Composition Facts:

• Leading the track is the playing of guitarist Gary Richrath.
• It became the band's first single to break through to the top of the US charts.
• Over one million copies were sold in the United States, earning the song platinum status.
• It reached number 7 in the UK charts.

"You should read it in my eyes, baby,

What was missed.

You should have realised by the tone of my voice, perhaps,

But you weren't listening.

You pretended to be dead, but you never shed blood,

Instead, you were lying on the grass, curled up in a ball and hissing."

- REO Speedwagon, Keep On Loving You

18. Michael Johnson - Bluer Than Blue

• Album: Then & Now
• Year: 1997
• Genre: country

Composition Facts:

• Song Bluer Than Blue was later included on the artist's album called The Michael Johnson Album.
• The composition is written on behalf of a man who is in a failed relationship, yet tries to convince himself that things will change for the better when the one he loves starts to move on.

"After you're gone, I can catch up on my reading,

After you're gone, I'll have more time to sleep.

And when you're gone, everything will seem easier,

You know, life will be easier,

I'll really be glad."

- Michael Johnson, Bluer Than Blue.

19. The Pretenders - Message of Love

• Album: Pretenders II
• Year: 1981
• Genre: rock

Composition Facts:

• Practically composed right in the studio, the song became a hit at radio, reaching number 11 in the UK charts.
• Earning high praise from music critics, it was recognised as one of the album's standout tracks Pretenders II.

"Self-confidence is usually a bluff - if you're lucky, you might actually have it, but honestly, no one will notice the difference." - Chrissie Hynde.

20. Lee Ritenaur - Mr Briefcase

• Album: Rit
• Year: 1981
• Genre: rock

Facts about the performer:

• American jazz guitarist Lee Ritenaur was born on 11 January 1952.
• He has been called "the flawless musical chameleon".
• Ritenaur is a Grammy Award winner, having been nominated 16 times.

"I always advise any musician to compose their own music. It's the best thing you can do on the road to your own style." - Lee Ritenaur.

21. The Cars - Double Life

• Album: Candy-O.
• Year: 1979
• Genre: new wave

Composition Facts:

• Double life is a single, but the song is actually linked to two other tracks on the album.
• Short transitions between different songs in the album or overlapping them with each other was a trick that got more than one song from the band's album on the radio.
• First line of the song, "It takes a fast car to lead a double life." - taken from the first lines of Lawrence Ferlinghetti's poem "Lost Parents."

"By refusing to ask for help when you need it, you are denying someone the opportunity to be helpful." - Rick Ocasek.

22. Phil Collins - In The Air Tonight

• Album: Face Value
• Year: 1981
• Genre: pop

Composition Facts:

• Composition In the Air Tonight was the solo debut of English singer and drummer Phil Collins and was part of the musician's debut solo album Face Value, released in January 1981.
• The single was co-produced by Hugh Padham, who often collaborated with Collins in later years.
• The song quickly became a hit, reaching number two in the UK singles chart, but failing to reach the top due to the release of John Lennon's posthumous composition Woman.
• In the Air Tonight is a global hit, reaching the top ten songs in Australia, New Zealand and some European countries. The song was number one in Austria, Germany, Switzerland and Sweden.
• In 2006, it was ranked 35th on the list of the 100 greatest songs of the 80s.

"At a certain point, the music stops being mine. It's yours." -Phil Collins.

23. Robert Palmer - Looking for Clues

• Album: Clues
• Year: 1980
• Genre: synth-pop

Facts about the album:

• Sixth solo album Palmera Clues, unlike the previous ones, became more rocker, new-wave style.
• The album reached number 59 on the US pop albums chart, and in the UK - 31.
• In addition, Clues ranked 1 in Sweden, 3 in France, 15 in the Netherlands and 42 in Italy.
• Clues is considered one of the artist's strongest albums.

"Trying to describe music in words is as difficult as trying to dance. architecture", - Robert Palmer.

24. Shoes - Too Late

• Album: Present Tense
• Year: 1979
• Genre: pop

Facts about the band:

• Shoes - American power pop band formed in 1974 by brothers John and Jeff Murphy along with Gary Kleeb.
• The band started their own label, Black Vinyl Records, and owned and operated their own commercial recording studio from 1983 to 2004 Short Order Recorder.

"Every time I see you, I wish I could believe you.

Do you ever think about what you're saying?

You lied and I tried to ignore your careless way of love,

And when you called, I never turned you down."

- Shoes, Too Late.

25. Stevie Nicks and Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers - Stop Draggin' My Heart Around

• Album: Bella Donna
• Year: 1981
• Genre: rock, pop

Composition Facts:

• This track is the only one on the album Bella Donnawhich is not authored or co-authored by Stevie Nicks.
• Tom Petty and Mike Campbell wrote this song for the band Tom Petty and the Heartbreakersand producer Jimmy Iovine, who was also working with Stevie Nicks at the time, invited her to sing.
• Petty sang along with Nicks on choruses and linking parts while his band played the song.

"Music is probably the only magic I've encountered in my life. There's no artifice in it. It keeps you going, heals you, and does a lot of things that would be unbelievable without it." - Tom Petty.