What was MTV’s original slogan when the channel launched in the United States in 1981?

MTV’s original slogan when the U.S. channel launched in 1981 was “You’ll never look at music the same way again.”

The phrase captured MTV’s central innovation: presenting popular music through a continuous television format built around music videos, video jockeys, artist interviews, and promotional features. The channel began broadcasting on 1 August 1981 to cable subscribers in parts of New Jersey.

“I want my MTV” became a much more famous MTV-associated slogan later, especially through advertising campaigns featuring musicians urging viewers to demand the channel from their cable providers. That phrase is therefore a common answer to questions about MTV slogans, but it was not the original launch tagline.

MTV’s opening broadcast began with “Video Killed the Radio Star” by the Buggles, followed by channel identification and Pat Benatar’s “You Better Run.”