Expository Essay Supplemental—MTV: 1981-1991
MTV Highlights: 1981-1991
- 1981
- 1982
- 1982 "I Want My MTV" promo
- Michael Jackson's "Billie Jean" becomes first music video by a black artist to be played in heavy rotation
- Classic music video: Toni Basil's "Hey, Micky"
- 1983
- David Bowie criticizes MTV—in an MTV interview—on its lack of black artists
- Michael Jackson's "Thriller" debuts
- Classic music video: Culture Club's "Karma Chameleon"
- 1984:
- MTV's "Paint the Mutha Pink" contest featuring John Cougar Mellencamp
- MTV airs its first sporting event, the WWF's Brawl to Settle It All
- Madonna performs "Like a Virgin" at the 1984 MTV Video Music Awards
- Classic music video: Wham's "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go"
- 1985
- Queen performs "Radio Gaga" at Live Aid at Wembley Arena in London
- MTV News does Prince's first ever television interview
- Classic music video: Dire Straits "Money for Nothing"
- 1986
- MTV News goes onto the Beastie Boys' tour bus
- MTV stages its first Spring Break in Daytona Beach, Florida
- A-Ha's "Take On Me" wins six Video Music Awards
- Classic music video: Prince & The Revolution's "Kiss"
- 1987
- Club MTV, hosted by Downtown Julie Brown, debuts
- MTV's "Cruise to Nowhere" contest featuring Motley Crue
- MTV's first international version, MTV Europe, launches
- Classic music video: Peter Gabriel's "Sledgehammer"
- 1988
- Guns N' Roses perform "Welcome to the Jungle" at the 1988 Video Music Awards
- MTV News interviews Whitney Houston
- Yo! MTV Raps debuts
- Classic music video: Def Leppard's "Pour Some Sugar on Me"
- 1989
- Comedian Andrew Dice Clay is banned from MTV after introducing Cher with a profanity-filled nursery rhyme at the Video Music Awards
- Roxette's "The Look" wins the first-ever International Viewer's Choice award at the Video Music Awards
- Classic music video: Janet Jackson's "Rhythm Nation"
- 1990:
- MTV bans Madonna's "Justify My Love" for explicit content
- George Michael doesn't appear in the video for his smash, "Freedom '90"
- Classic music video M.C. Hammer's "U Can't Touch This"
- 1991
The original VJs: