On August 1st, 1981, MTV premiered. Over the course of 24 hours, 116 unique music videos were played on MTV. Yes, there was a time when the M actually did stand for music.
The 94th video to premiere on MTV was this performance clip for The Cars’s Dangerous Type. Dangerous Type was never officially released as a single but that didn’t keep it from becoming one of the band’s most popular song.
Enjoy!
The First Videos Shown on MTV:
- Video Killed the Radio Star by the Buggles
- You Better Run by Pat Benatar
- She Won’t Dance With Me by Rod Stewart
- You Better You Bet By The Who
- Little Suzi’s On The Up by PH.D
- We Don’t Talk Anymore by Cliff Richard
- Brass in Pocket by Pretenders
- Time Heals by Todd Rundgren
- Take It On The Run by REO Speedwagon
- Rockin’ in Paradise by Styx
- When Things Go Wrong by Robin Lane & The Chartbusters
- History Never Repeats by Split Enz
- Hold On Loosely by .38 Special
- Just Between You And Me by April Wine
- Sailing by Rod Stewart
- Iron Maiden by Iron Maiden
- Keep On Loving You by REO Speedwagon
- Better Than Blue by Michael Johnson
- Message of Love by The Pretenders
- Mr. Briefcase by Lee Ritenour
- Double Life by The Cars
- In The Air Tonight by Phil Collins
- Looking for Clues by Robert Palmer
- Too Late by Shoes
- Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around by Stevie Nicks and Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
- Do Ya Think I’m Sexy by Rod Stewart
- Surface Tension by Rupert Hine
- One Step Ahead by Split Enz
- Baker Street by Gerry Rafferty
- I’m Gonna Follow You by Pat Benatar
- Savannah Nights by Tom Johnston
- Lucille by Rockestra
- The Best of Times by Styx
- Vengeance by Carly Simon
- Wrathchild by Iron Maiden
- I Wanna Be a Lifeguard by Blotto
- Passion by Rod Stewart
- Oliver’s Army by Elvis Costello
- Don’t Let Me Go by REO Speedwagon
- Remote Control and Illegal by The Silencers
- Angel of the Morning by Juice Newton
- Little Sister by Rockpile with Robert Plant
- Hold On To The Night by Bootcamp
- Dreamin’ by Cliff Richard
- Is It You? by Lee Ritenour
- Tusk by Fleetwood Mac
- He Can’t Love You by Michael Stanley Band
- Tough Guys by REO Speedwagon
- Rapture by Blondie
- Don’t Let Go The Coat by The Who
- Ain’t Love A Bitch by Rod Stewart
- Talk of the Town by The Pretenders
- Can’t Happen Here by Rainbow
- Thank You For Being A Friend by Andrew Gold
- Bring It All Home by Gerry Rafferty
- Sign of the Gypsy Queen by April Wine
- The Man With The Child In His Eyes by Kate Bush
- All Night Long by Raindow
- Boys Keep Swinging by David Bowie
- Rat Race by The Specials
- Once in a Lifetime by Talking Heads
- Victim by Bootcamp
- Tonight’s the Night (Gonna be Alright) by Rod Stewart
- Cruel to be Kind by Nick Lowe
- A Little In Love by Cliff Richard
- Wild-Eyed Southern Boys by 38 Special
- Wuthering Heights by Kate Bush
- Celebrate The Bullet by The Selecter
- More Than I Can Say by Leo Sayer
- A Message To You, Rudy by The Specials
- Heart of Glass by Blondie
- Oh God, I Wish I Was Home Tonight by Rod Stewart
- Kid by The Pretenders
- Come What May by Lani Hall & Herb Alpert
- I Got You by Split Enz
- Sister Disco by The Who
- Fashion by David Bowie
- Love Stinks by J. Geils Band
- Johnny and Mary by Robert Palmer
- Tomorrow by Shoes
- Prime Time by The Tubes
- Cruel You by Shoes
- Calling All Girls by Hilly Michaels
- I Was Only Joking by Rod Stewart
- Let’s Go by The Cars
- Do You Remember Rock’N’Roll Radio by The Ramones
- Ridin’ The Storm Out by REO Speedwagon
- You’re In My Heart by Rod Stewart
- So Long by Fischer Z
- I Don’t Want To Know by Robin Lane and the Chartbusters
- Go Back Home Again by Andrew Gold
- Time For Me To Fly by REO Speedwagon
- Rough Boys by Pete Townshend
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