Welcome to the home of video clips for What was MTV?


This site serves as the organizational home for the many video clips associated with the forthcoming book, What was MTV?


Navigate using the sidebar on the left. If it isn't visible, click on the icon in the top left corner. You can search the site, or view clips by associated chapter, or by browsing by year. 






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Clips: MTV's Music Video Shows

  In this clip of MTV flow from March 1984, we get a glimpse of just how jarring tonal changes could be between music videos both in look and sound. While MTV was slowly opening its playlist to include pop acts like Michael Jackson, it was still overwhelmingly rock oriented. Here, we get a quick lesson in how heavy metal videos could displace prestige acts based on sheer entertainment value. A video by Paul McCartney has star power, and a behind-the-scenes, making of the video approach that shows off McCartney, bandmate and wife Linda, and former co-Beatle Ringo Starr. Musically, the song could charitably be called soft rock. Whatever it is, it is totally forgettable after the next video starts: Motley Crue's "Looks that Kill". The men in the band don't just have dramatic hair, outfits, and makeup, but they hunt women--or is it the other way around?--and carry torches. There's a burning pentagram...is this satanic? Whatever it is, it sure does rock. Sorry, Paul Mc...
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Clips: MTV's Roots of Reality: News and Docs

MTV Flow: Decade 1989 on Reagan “We wanted Ronald Reagan, and we got him.” Linda Ellerbee’s closing comment sums up the this segment from the MTV documentary Decade, in which various celebrity "witnesses” are interviewed about the 1980s.  MTV Flow: Decade 1989 Haring and AIDS clip In this segment of Decade, Keith Haring discusses his decision to be open about his AIDS diagnosis. Also included are sound bites from novelist William Gibson and actor/playwright Eric Bogosian. The clip ends with the number of deaths in 1989 from AIDS.  MTV Documentary: Racism: Points of View This clip from MTV's 1991 documentary special, Racism: Points of View, comes from a segment that considers the causes of racism. It begins with Ice-T and Perry Farrell performing a cover of Sly & the Family Stone's "Don't Call Me N***** Whitey," which they did that summer on the first Lollapalooza tour. After that David Byrne states that he needs to recognize that he is r...
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