35 years ago, MTV debuted and video killed the radio star

MTV's First Broadcast 44 Years Ago Proved "Video Killed the Radio Star"

A minute-by-minute breakdown of the MTV launch date

Unforgettable Concerts on Instagram: "🎤 MTV Launch – “Video Killed the Radio Star” (1981) On August 1, 1981, MTV officially launched and made history by airing its very first music video: “Video Killed the Radio Star” by The Buggles. The moment marked a major shift in how audiences discovered music, introducing a channel built entirely around visuals, rotation, and youth‑driven culture. The choice of this song set the tone for MTV’s identity, signaling a new era where video presentation became

📼 Flashback Rewind 1981 👇📖 🇺🇸📺 MTV — Launch Night / First Broadcast “You’ll never look at music the same way again.” 📡🎸 What a moment. When MTV switched on, music and television officially collided, and pop culture never looked the same again. This wasn’t just a channel—it was a new language. Suddenly, songs weren’t just heard… they were seen. Fashion, attitude, editing, youth culture—everything shifted overnight. Cable wasn’t even common yet, which made catching MTV feel like you were i