Going back nearly three decades to the rise of Elvis Presley, music performed and embraced by black musicians was facing the same oppression that hip-hop was in the late 1970s and early 1980s. The role that MTV played in popularising hip-hop could have worked for other black genres such as the blues, had it existed at that time. The rise in black music was more than just a matter of gaining a share of the market – it was gaining a platform for the voice of an entire race. While hip-hop was by no means universally embraced by black people, it paved the way for greater racial equality on television and in the mainstream media. When MTV first launched it took almost 60 videos for a non-white performer to feature, and even then it was a band featuring more white members than black. The video was ‘Rat Race’ by UK ska band The Specials. It was a stuttering start, but in time the racial make-up of MTV became far more representative of its viewers.
It’s impossible to overestimate the effect that MTV has had on modern life. The changes that have shaped the channel in its long and varied history of programming have also shaped the world around us, for better or worse. To eradicate the MTV legacy would be to rewrite modern culture. This can be seen in the channel’s change in programming. In the early days of the channel when music was king, the content showed the celebrities of the time, not the effects of celebrity. The programmes that replaced the music have a strong following but they are indicative of a very different type of music fan. Shows such as MTV Cribs, for example, reveal a palpable change in attitude. This is a programme built solely around the concept of incredibly wealthy music stars and celebrities showing a camera crew around their mansions. This is not a new concept. Through the Keyhole, the cult game show from the 1980s and 1990s, identified and capitalised on the allure of voyeuristic content. Back then, though, it served a functional purpose: it was a guessing game that forced contestants to make links between celebs and their likely possessions. MTV Cribs just gawps slack-mouthed at rich people. As they show us around, there’s rarely any mention of their creative work; instead all we get are tales of a rock and roll lifestyle and a hedonistic existence. Although it’s baffling that this has replaced the creative content on a channel set up with the mission of providing the world with extensive musical coverage, it’s merely evidence of a television station providing its viewers with what they want.
This shouldn’t be seen as MTV passively following trends. Yes, it responds to the desires of its viewers, but these are desires that MTV shaped years ago. Once the trailblazer of modern culture, it’s now able to gently guide its loyal followers down its own path. The channels that might once have been competitors have become supporting acts, reaffirming the validity of MTV with their presence. MTV has become self-perpetuating.
In the same way that hip-hop saw its rise aided by the station, the editorial power to alter music and society existed too. Once MTV was established as a popular medium, it gained the power to set trends, not just reflect them. When Music Television became MTV it was seen as a result of music videos losing popularity, which was partly true. It was also the result of demand for their increasingly popular non-musical television shows. Without the original Music Television there would be no MTV; and without MTV the excess of vacuous celebrity content would not exist, nor would we crave it. Nor would the celebrities whose lives make up the shows.
In 2011 the UK ratings body for radio, RAJAR (Radio Joint Audience Ratings), released figures showing that, after years of diminishing audiences for radio, there had been a shift. The ratings had started to head in the opposite direction. It was revealed that 47.2 million people were tuning into radio stations each week, the highest figures in just under two decades, proof that radio has remained relevant despite the onslaught of MTV. Rather than being killed off, the radio star was simply sent away to hide for a little while, the fans distracted by a bright, flashing alternative. MTV didn’t cut radio adrift after all – music rose above the image and all that accompanies the MTV generation.
If MTV had failed to take off and radio had played on undisturbed, where would we be now? While MTV is no longer a compelling exhibition of contemporary musical acts, the role it played in the Eighties and Nineties aided the progression of music. Radio would not have triumphed in the absence of MTV. It would be weaker, deprived of the wider array of sounds introduced by Music Television, including but not limited to hip-hop. Live gigs and CD sales would have fallen away too. The channel was a stepping stone for music. The music business switched focus from radio to MTV as it has now towards YouTube and downloads. This is merely a matter of fad and fashion. The fact that MTV changed focus when YouTube and downloading began to threaten, instead of fighting in vain to continue its dominance of music, meant that music was able to progress organically into a new era. With its media power, MTV had the power to impede upcoming acts – but instead it chose to step aside.
Of all the challengers vying to provide music’s prime platform, radio will always be the strongest, as it’s the purveyor of music in its purest form. But music is a diverse art form and the introduction of new media only acts to strengthen it. By adapting to appeal to a broader spectrum of society via MTV, acts like Madonna made the music industry more inclusive, enabling fans to take more from music than they ever had. Video didn’t kill the radio star – nothing ever will – but perhaps we should be thankful that it stepped aside when it did.
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