Yes, the post is a day late, but it’s worth noting anyways. On August 1st, 1981 MTV made its debut, playing “Video Killed the Radio Star” by the Buggles. MTV was the fresh idea that forever changed the music industry, making the music video just as important as the music itself (ie. Madonna). MTV also was part of the first wave of tremendous change in the television industry, speeding the transition from the dominance of over-the-air local stations to the 500-channel cable universe of increasingly targeted niche networks.

MTV has been blamed for ruining the attention span of an entire generation, and making music more about the photogenic quality of the artist then their ability to carry a tune. Today the influence of the music video has changed the way we advertise products, produce television, and tell stories. We consume media in bite size chunks (a la YouTube), and much of the catalyst for that came from a cable network that nobody thought would ever fly. Music, on television? Doesn’t sound so crazy 25 years later.

Read the NPR Story Here