Growing Up With MTV: Classic 1981 Videos That Predated MTV
April 18th, 2008 | by Scott |MTV appeared on the air in August of 1981. However, music videos had been produced for years. There would be several videos from songs released earlier in 1981 that MTV was able to put into heavy rotation quickly. In many cases MTV would help prolong their chart life.
The second biggest chart-topping tune in 1981 was Bette Davis Eyes by Kim Carnes. It spend 9 weeks at #1 (beat out only by the insufferable Olivia Newton John song “Physical). For those of us in the Little Rock area the song would be immortalized by favorite son Tommy Robinson in one of his campaign commercials for Pulaski County Sheriff. Of course it was reworded in that commercial as “Tommy Robinson Eyes.” Alas, I can’t find a video of that.
And who doesn’t remember Rapture? The song that was Rap before Rap was cool. Not that it ever was. But, man, Deborah Harry was smokin’
Blondie actually had two chart-topping singles in 1981, both prior to MTV. The other one is The Tide is High
The Lolita-inspired song Don’t Stand So Close To Me by The Police peaked at #10 in April of ‘81. However, MTV always had a thing for peroxide and video was made for Sting:
The Police - Don’t Stand So Close To Me
And finally, this little nugget by Dr. Noah Drake hit number one on August 1st, 1981, the same date that MTV debuted.
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Now playing: Allison Moorer - I Want A Little Sugar In My Bowl
via FoxyTunes
6 Responses to “Growing Up With MTV: Classic 1981 Videos That Predated MTV”
By Phil Wilson on Apr 18, 2008 | Reply
You are SO old.
By Scott on Apr 18, 2008 | Reply
Yes. Yes, I am.
By Dan on Apr 18, 2008 | Reply
So what does the “M” stand for in MTV nowadays?
Their other channel is “we played Videos Here - Once”
By Kevin Bussey on Apr 18, 2008 | Reply
Do you remember Solid Gold?
By terri on Apr 18, 2008 | Reply
I am the one that is so old. I didn’t like any of that except Rick… he was just cute so that’s why I liked him. I was never a fan of The Police.
By Steve on Apr 19, 2008 | Reply
“Bette Davis Eyes” reverberated through my head continually on the day that Reagan was shot. For me in those days music video’s were new, an innovation. It was the eighties and several society changing things were happening. Video stores were popping up all over the place. I was beginning to have a desire to get one of those personal computers I was reading about. Got my first one in ‘82 shortly before my first son was born. Yes life was changing and we were in modern times. Finally, we were really modern, with music videos, computers, and everything. I had thought we were modern in the sixties, but we weren’t. Now, when I look back to the eighties, the movies and the music seem so dated. So I guess only now we are really modern. Or, are we?