Music videos begin
Music videos have evolved significantly since their inception, with roots tracing back to early musical films like "The Jazz Singer" (1927). In the 1980s, the launch of MTV on August 1, 1981, marked a pivotal shift in how music was marketed and consumed, beginning with the iconic "Video Killed the Radio Star" by the Buggles. Initially, music videos served as promotional tools for artists but quickly transformed into a cultural phenomenon, heavily influenced by British and Australian music video styles. The format featured two primary types: performance videos, showcasing artists on stage, and concept videos, which often ventured into more artistic and thematic realms, sometimes unrelated to the song's lyrics.
As the medium matured, notable artists like Madonna and Michael Jackson mastered the art of self-promotion through music videos, driving their careers and shaping pop culture. Despite facing criticism for their content, including themes of violence and sexuality, music videos played a crucial role in transforming the music industry, offering a new avenue for artists to gain fame without traditional concert tours. The rise of specialized directors further legitimized the medium, leading to more complex and high-budget productions that impacted fashion and music sales. Ultimately, music videos became an essential part of the music landscape, reshaping artist promotion and audience engagement.
Subject Terms
Music videos begin
Short films featuring a performance of an artist’s musical work or concept
The music video became a cultural phenomenon that changed and revitalized the music industry and spawned the creation of cable channels devoted to the music video.
The music video can be traced back to the first musical movie, The Jazz Singer (1927), starring Al Jolson. Later musical stars, such as the Beatles and Elvis Presley, also appeared in musical films. Eventually, artists saw value in creating promotional clips for music labels to get an idea of their image and music. Cable companies in the 1980’s were expanding the number of channels they were offering and needed to find more content. The music industry initially had little to do with music videos, which was reflected by the primary investors in the launch of MTV (Music Television): American Express and Warner Bros. One of the most expensive videos of the time, “Ashes to Ashes” (1980), by David Bowie, showed the potential of the medium. These factors, in combination with the advent of affordable high-quality video recorders, opened the way for a successful launch of an all-music video channel.
Early Music Videos
MTV first aired on August 1, 1981, with the video for “Video Killed the Radio Star,” by the Buggles. The clip was indicative of early music videos, which tended to rely heavily on humor and camp to promote a song. Many of the videos in the early 1980’s were imported from England and Australia, where there had been a faster move to singles-based music. Both countries had music video countdown shows, so their artists had an advantage over American artists. Duran Duran in particular was well known for its expensive and visually appealing videos. The band also made the first video to be banned from airplay, “Girls on Film,” which was the beginning of a long string of controversy in the music video industry. Music videos quickly became hugely popular with the viewing public.
There were two main types of videos: performance and concept. The performance video was the dominant form, with the artist either filmed onstage or on a set periodically performing in short scenes. The performance video dominated the market but was the less artistic of the two forms. The concept video was based on what a director and artist envisioned for a particular song. It would sometimes follow a plot but many times appeared to have little to do with the song to which it was attached, instead trying to create a mood or surreal feel. Many videos emulated Hollywood feature films, and certain directors were sought for their ability to re-create scenes. Videos commonly included themes such as the Cold War or AIDS, regardless of their format.
Many musical artists were aware of the power of their image, and the music video quickly became another way to promote themselves. Artists such as Madonna and Michael Jackson became masters of self-promotion in the medium. Musicians were propelled to stardom on the strength of their videos alone, and the concert tour began to have less import on a musical career. Fashion fads went from music videos to the stores in short periods of time, and record sales soared when associated songs were based on popular videos.
Initially, the format for televising music videos was based on radio stations’ formats. Videos were played in light, medium, and heavy rotation according to their popularity, and the veejays (video jockeys) grew to be as recognizable and popular as the musicians they showed. Like many radio stations of the time, video channels targeted their broadcasts toward a white audience. It was not until 1983, when Michael Jackson released a series of videos tied to his multi-platinum album Thriller, that African Americans saw significant amounts of airplay. Although African American artists made their mark with popular music, it was not until 1986, when Aerosmith and Run-D.M.C. released their crossover video for “Walk This Way,” that the musical genres of hip-hop and rap truly made their way into American television culture.
Critics decried music videos because they often pushed mediocre songs to the top of the music charts. Many videos were controversial because of their violence, blatant sexual overtones, or exploitation of women. Most artists realized, however, that controversy sold albums, so little was done in the industry to police itself.
The Music Video Matures
The mid-1980’s saw the rise of other channels devoted to the music videos (namely MTV’s softer sister station, VH-1, created in 1985). Also, music video directing became more specialized during this time. Each musical genre had developed a signature style so that viewers knew instantly what they were watching. Jackson’s “Thriller” video, for example, was directed by John Landis, a feature film director. This classic music video, the most expensive at that time, opened the door for other feature-length directors to work in the field of music videos and lent some legitimacy to the form. Some music video directors became well known and were hired on their ability to create a particular type of video or atmosphere. Many critics view the team of Kevin Godley and Lol Creme as the premier directors of the 1980’s. Music videos became a valid art form, and a number of directors used them to boost their careers in the quest to direct a feature or independent film. Music videos grew in cost and complexity and lost the campy quality of their early 1980’s form.
Impact
The music video reshaped the way artists promoted their music in the 1980’s. An artist no longer needed to take the traditional route of concert tours to achieve stardom and could excel based on the ability to create an impressive image, not necessarily quality music. The music video, because of its success in popular culture, helped to reanimate a lethargic music industry.
Bibliography
Austerlitz, Saul. Money for Nothing: A History of the Music Video from the Beatles to the White Stripes . New York: Continuum, 2007. An overview of the art, history, and impact of the music video from its origins to the present day.
Battino, David, and Kelli Richards, eds. The Art of Digital Music: Fifty-Six Visionary Artists and Insiders Reveal Their Creative Secrets. San Francisco: Backbeat Books, 2005. Interviews with industry insiders on the art and creation of music videos.
Reiss, Steve, and Neil Feineman. Thirty Frames Per Second: The Visionary Art of the Music Video. New York: Harry N. Abrams, 2000. Focuses on the music video as an art form.