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30 years of MTV, The Long, Colorful History of MTV's Logo by Gokart Mozart
Started on: 07-31-2011 08:54 AM
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Last post by: 8Ball on 08-01-2011 06:34 PM
Gokart Mozart
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Report this Post07-31-2011 08:54 AM Click Here to See the Profile for Gokart MozartClick Here to visit Gokart Mozart's HomePageSend a Private Message to Gokart MozartDirect Link to This Post
http://new.music.yahoo.com/...istory-of-mtvs-logo/

The Long, Colorful History of MTV's Logo
Posted Sat Jul 30, 2011 1:20pm PDT by Daniel Kreps in Amplifier

NBC has its peacock, CBS has its always-open eye, and MTV, which first hit the airwaves on August 1, 1981, has always been represented by a large, boxy M with "TV" scrawled in graffiti on its corner. Above is the first MTV commercial ever broadcast on the channel and the first time viewers saw the logo on air -- the famous lunar-landing spot that became such a recognizable symbol of the station, the Video Music Awards trophy is called a "Moonman." MTV's iconic logo has not changed much in these past three decades, but there have been some subtle facelifts that reflected bigger shifts in the company's philosophy.

MTV's ads, which appeared hourly on the network, have become almost as famous as the network's logo. The moon-landing promo ran roughly 75,000 times on MTV, including 17,000 plays in MTV's inaugural year, according to the channel's first creative director Fred Seibert. The moonman kicked off a trend of creative, cutting edge, and downright cool on-air ads for MTV that would last for almost 30 years. In a world of DVRs and TiVos where viewers can fast-forward commercials, this idea might seem extraordinary, but there was once a time when everyone looked forward to seeing how MTV was promoting itself. While MTV's logo may have stayed the same, the commercials that featured the logo has enjoyed a more colorful evolution.

Throughout the first half the 1980s, when MTV was eager to attract new viewers to the revolutionary idea of a network that plays only music videos, the channel's slogan was "I Want My MTV" -- a line that is of course is forever synonymous with Dire Straits' MTV-bashing-yet-MTV-beloved "Money for Nothing."

Here's a an early version of the channel's morphing logo, as seen in a commercial starring Cyndi Lauper, Boy George, Billy Idol and a Let's Dance-era David Bowie:

And here's another with John "Cougar" Mellencamp, the Police, the Cars' Ric Ocasek, and most impressively Madonna:

Once MTV became more established, the channel no longer relied on call-outs from artists in its advertising, opting instead for a more creative approach that put the spotlight on up-and-coming artists. These ads were like spin-offs of the channel's animation show Liquid Television. These clips were rather gruesome for a station ID, but they fit the tone in an era of Nine Inch Nails. Still, while the ads changed, the logo remained the same:


Here's one of our favorites from the early '90s, MTV's ode to Fritz Lang's M:

MTV's IDs may have changed throughout the years, but the logo always stayed the same... until 2010, when the network completely rebranded itself to reflect the change in their programming that began when MTV aired the first Real World in 1992. By the turn of this decade, reality television had completely revolutionized MTV's schedule, which became overrun with shows like The Hills and Jersey Shore. Music videos were relegated to early morning slots or one of MTV's sister networks. Even our beloved MTV-promoting ads had vanished from the commercial breaks. As a result, MTV ditched the words "Music Television" that always rested below the giant M and graffiti TV:

Perhaps also to recognize the shift from the old tube televisions to high definition sets, the M also got a makeover for the first time, transforming from its square shape to a more 16:9-ready rectangle. But other than that change in dimensions, the logo has remained largely untouched for these past 30 years, and it will probably stay that way for the next three decades as well.

How is MTV celebrating its 30th anniversary? Maybe by replaying all these classic commercials, or for one day pretending that they are "Music Television"? Nope. Take a look at their August 1st schedule and you'll find plenty of True Life, Teen Mom, and Teen Wolf, but nothing that pays tribute to their pre-Laguna Beach past. Thankfully, its sibling channel VH1 Classic will pick up the slack this weekend with a three-day marathon of old-school MTV programming called MTV30. The 72-hour special will feature clips from shows like Remote Control, Yo! MTV Raps, Beavis & Butt-head, and The Real World, plus highlights from all their awards shows. VH1 Classic also promises to replay all those classic promos.

Then at midnight when July 31st turns into August 1st, on the exact 30th anniversary of MTV's first broadcast, VH1 Classic will replay MTV's entire first hour of footage from 1981. The Buggles' "Video Killed the Radio Star" was the first video MTV ever played, but can anyone name the second? Tune in late Sunday night to find out and to see that legendary moon landing promo one more time.
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Report this Post07-31-2011 12:15 PM Click Here to See the Profile for css9450Send a Private Message to css9450Direct Link to This Post
 
quote
Originally posted by Gokart Mozart:

The Buggles' "Video Killed the Radio Star" was the first video MTV ever played, but can anyone name the second?


It was "You Better Run" by Pat Benatar.
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tbone42
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Report this Post07-31-2011 01:29 PM Click Here to See the Profile for tbone42Send a Private Message to tbone42Direct Link to This Post
Remember when they actually used to have MUSIC and VIDEOS on MTV?
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Report this Post07-31-2011 01:42 PM Click Here to See the Profile for Gokart MozartClick Here to visit Gokart Mozart's HomePageSend a Private Message to Gokart MozartDirect Link to This Post
Who remembers these?

1. "Video Killed the Radio Star" by The Buggles
2. "You Better Run" by Pat Benatar
3. "She Won't Dance with Me" by Rod Stewart

With further Rod Stewart videos airing at positions #26, #37, #51, #66, and #77, Stewart became the artist with the most videos played that day.

4. "You Better You Bet" by The Who

"You Better You Bet" was both the 4th and 55th video to be aired on MTV, making it the first video to be shown more than once.

5. "Little Suzi's on the Up" by Ph.D.
6. "We Don't Talk Anymore" by Cliff Richard
7. "Brass in Pocket" by The Pretenders
8. "Time Heals" by Todd Rundgren
9. "Take It on the Run" by REO Speedwagon
10. "Rockin' the Paradise" by Styx
11. "When Things Go Wrong" by Robin Lane and the Chartbusters
12. "History Never Repeats" by Split Enz
13. "Hold on Loosely" by 38 Special
14. "Just Between You and Me" by April Wine
15. "Sailing" by Rod Stewart

Stewart's "She Won't Dance with Me" was the 3rd video played; with this video, Stewart became the first artist to have two different videos played on MTV.

16. "Iron Maiden" by Iron Maiden
17. "Keep on Loving You (Live)" by REO Speedwagon
18. "Bluer Than Blue" by Michael Johnson
19. "Message of Love" by The Pretenders
20. "Mr. Briefcase" by Lee Ritenour
21. "Double Life" by The Cars
22. "In the Air Tonight" by Phil Collins
23. "Looking for Clues" by Robert Palmer (the video never plays due to technical difficulties.)
24. "Too Late" by Shoes
25. "Stop Draggin' My Heart Around" by Stevie Nicks and Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
26. "Do Ya Think I'm Sexy" by Rod Stewart (15 seconds into the video, the video screen briefly goes blank while the audio still plays.)
27. "Surface Tension" by Rupert Hine
28. "One Step Ahead" by Split Enz
29. "Baker Street" by Gerry Rafferty
30. "I'm Gonna Follow You" by Pat Benatar
31. "Savannah Nights" by Tom Johnston
32. "Lucille" by Rockestra
33. "The Best of Times" by Styx
34. "Vengeance" by Carly Simon
35. "Wrathchild" by Iron Maiden
36. "I Wanna Be a Lifeguard" by Blotto
37. "Passion" by Rod Stewart
38. "Oliver's Army" by Elvis Costello
39. "Don't Let Him Go (Live)" by REO Speedwagon
40. "Remote Control/Illegal" by The Silencers
41. "Angel of the Morning" by Juice Newton
42. "Little Sister" by Rockpile with Robert Plant
43. "Hold On to the Night" by Bootcamp
44. "Dreamin'" by Cliff Richard
45. "Is It You" by Lee Ritenour
46. "Tusk" by Fleetwood Mac
47. "He Can't Love You" by Michael Stanley Band
48. "Tough Guys" by REO Speedwagon
49. "Rapture" by Blondie
50. "Don't Let Go the Coat" by The Who
51. "Ain't Love a ***** " by Rod Stewart
52. "Talk of the Town" by The Pretenders
53. "Can't Happen Here" by Rainbow
54. "Thank You for Being a Friend" by Andrew Gold
55. "You Better You Bet" by The Who
56. "Bring It All Home" by Gerry Rafferty
57. "Sign of the Gypsy Queen" by April Wine
58. "The Man with the Child in His Eyes" by Kate Bush
59. "Message of Love" by The Pretenders
60. "All Night Long" by Rainbow
61. "Boys Keep Swinging" by David Bowie
62. "Rat Race" by The Specials
63. "Just Between You and Me" by April Wine
64. "Once in a Lifetime" by Talking Heads
65. "Victim" by Bootcamp
66. "Tonight's the Night (Gonna Be Alright)" by Rod Stewart
67. "Cruel to Be Kind" by Nick Lowe
68. "A Little in Love" by Cliff Richard
69. "Take It on the Run" by REO Speedwagon
70. "Wild-Eyed Southern Boys" by .38 Special
71. "Wuthering Heights" by Kate Bush
72. "Celebrate the Bullet" by The Selecter
73. "More Than I Can Say" by Leo Sayer
74. "A Message to You, Rudy" by The Specials
75. "In the Air Tonight" by Phil Collins
76. "Heart of Glass" by Blondie
77. "Oh God, I Wish I Was Home Tonight" by Rod Stewart
78. "Kid" by The Pretenders
79. "Wrathchild" by Iron Maiden
80. "Come What May" by Lani Hall and Herb Alpert
81. "I Got You" by Split Enz
82. "Sister Disco" by The Who
83. "Fashion" by David Bowie
84. "Stop Draggin' My Heart Around" by Stevie Nicks and Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
85. "Love Stinks" by The J. Geils Band
86. "Johnny & Mary" by Robert Palmer
87. "Tomorrow Night" by Shoes
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Report this Post08-01-2011 04:47 AM Click Here to See the Profile for Jake_DragonSend a Private Message to Jake_DragonDirect Link to This Post
I was a teenager when MTV launched. It was the only thing I played on the TV. I had such a crush on Nina Blackwood
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Report this Post08-01-2011 09:12 AM Click Here to See the Profile for revinSend a Private Message to revinDirect Link to This Post
Time to fill up the ipod
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Report this Post08-01-2011 09:27 AM Click Here to See the Profile for cherokee 140Click Here to visit cherokee 140's HomePageSend a Private Message to cherokee 140Direct Link to This Post
 
quote
Originally posted by Jake_Dragon:

I was a teenager when MTV launched. It was the only thing I played on the TV. I had such a crush on Nina Blackwood


I had the hots for Martha Quinn.

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1988holleyformula
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Report this Post08-01-2011 09:52 AM Click Here to See the Profile for 1988holleyformulaSend a Private Message to 1988holleyformulaDirect Link to This Post
Anybody have any idea where you could watch/download old music videos? Today's music videos are so boring compared to those of the 80's. I would love to have "Take On Me" or some Hall & Oates music videos on my iPod.
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Gokart Mozart
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Report this Post08-01-2011 01:11 PM Click Here to See the Profile for Gokart MozartClick Here to visit Gokart Mozart's HomePageSend a Private Message to Gokart MozartDirect Link to This Post
What was the band that plugged in during the unplugged saga?
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Report this Post08-01-2011 01:13 PM Click Here to See the Profile for tbone42Send a Private Message to tbone42Direct Link to This Post
 
quote
Originally posted by cherokee 140:


I had the hots for Martha Quinn.


I saw Martha a few years back and she still looked good! Not wearing those big earrings anymore, though.
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Report this Post08-01-2011 06:34 PM Click Here to See the Profile for 8BallSend a Private Message to 8BallDirect Link to This Post
I recorded it so I could watch it later...
I really didn't expect it to be this emotional for me!

My mom and I watched this together live... I remember she was so excited.. A MUSIC channel was coming on!! For the next week our TV did not change channels or turn off.
She was so amazed at the channel.
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