MTV versus VH1

A few weeks ago I posted

"Don't Just Survive Get Even!" This was a fun post and I enjoyed writing it. I wasn't really sure what the reaction to it would be but I was pleasantly surprised and enlightened by some of the comments that followed. In particular comments from two of my blog buddies: Tamera and Bellydancegirl - (Incidentally, they have great blogs! please take a minute to visit their sites. You won't be disappointed). Their comments were so real and true that I was inspired to write this post.

Here We Go........

So Let's go back a few years. The year was 1981. MTV kicked off in August with a new format and style that revolutionized the music and television industry. For you trivia buffs, the first song played by MTV was what?

If you guessed - Video Killed the Radio Star" by The Buggles. You're Right!

(see the rest of the first videos aired on MTV by clicking here)

This combination of music and video spread like wild fire and before we knew it new words and phrases like "I Want my MTV" and Vidiot - (someone who sits on the couch all day and watches music videos) became household terms. Dire Straits fanned the fire with their hit song "Money For Nothing" in which they borrowed the slogan "I Want my MTV" for the chorus of the song. An entire generation of people fell captive to a rage that influenced nearly every aspect of ordinary life.

In another dimension of the music/television arena and hoping to duplicate the appeal of MTV and capture some of the success was VH1 which jumped on the scenes in January of 1985. By this time the demographic of MTV had shifted a bit to cater to a younger teenaged crowd. VH1, on the other hand, hit the airways with a goal of reaching an older more eclectic group. Generally speaking, they hoped to reach the 18 -35 year olds. Their format included more adult contemporary music and served up more of the R & B and Motown sound. A seemingly perfect compliment to MTV. For the most part, VH1 offered a lighter, easier listening fare compared to MTV. Artist like Tina Turner, Elton John, Sting, Donna Summer, Kenny G, and Anita Baker, were quite common on the VH1 tracks.

And that's where I came in. Somewhere during this transformation around 1984 - 1987 I got my first cable TV hook-up. At this time, HBO, Cinemax, Showtime, and all the other premium cable networks were jockeying for position in the marketplace and VHS was doing battle with Betamax. A lot was going on. It was somewhat of a video/television revolution. And while all this was going on in the foreground, I was torn between MTV and VH1. They each had their appeal to me. I was pumped up by the high energy modern hits played on MTV and at the same time, I was seduced and enchanted by the mellow nouveaux sound of VH1. My preference was often dictated by my mood. And frequently I'd have the TV tuned in to one of the stations while I was doing mindless bachelor stuff around the house like cleaning, folding clothes, or cooking dinner. When I was cleaning, it was better to have the up beat music of MTV on. And when I was cooking, I preferred the more romantic soothing tunes of VH1.

It was also during this time that I was exposed to two new and exciting artists. One day while watching MTV I saw the Cindy Lauper Girls Just Want to Have Fun track. Alternatively, while watching VH1, I saw the Sade - Smooth Operator video. I liked both of these songs so much that I went out and bought both of the albums. I soon became a big fan of almost every song on each of the records. These songs were further enhanced when I was able to watch the videos. I guess it's just that visual thing that everyone keeps talking about!

Needless to say, my love affair with VH1 and MTV eventually faded. As they changed their formats to accommodate the changing times, I lost interest. I hung around a bit and caught some of the reality shows along the way like "The Real World" on MTV and "Behind the Music" on VH1 but my commitment had diminished. Occasionally, I'll turn on VH1 classics just to be nostalgic but those days are few and far between. I still, however, embrace the spirit of those early years of VH1 versus MTV. In a similar way, I also embrace the energy and spirit that can be seen in the blogs of Tamera and Bellydancegirl as well as their entire blog presence.

So with that being said, I'd like to play Video Deejay (DJ) for a few minutes - (This is my Blog right?) And spin a few records - I mean YouTube videos for my blog buddies.

My first dedication is to Bellydancegirl. It's from the Cindy Lauper Album - She's So Unusual. I liked all of the songs from this album especially "Time after Time" But I was looking for something off the wall and unique to compliment her creativity and dancing spirit. Furthermore, BDG's dancing is so good - "But we won't worry and we won't fret 'Cause there ain't no law against it yet" - Listen to the lyrics.

So here it is: "Cindy Lauper - She Bop"

And my second dedication goes to Tamera - Not much to be said here. It's clear that Tamera has an ear for the blues and is probably an admitted Sade fan. I bet she listens to the "Love Deluxe" CD when no one else is home. (smile) Anyway, I'm dedicating "Your Love Is King" by Sade to Tamera.




Thanks to everyone for indulging me! I hope you enjoyed my rants!