What was the first music video played on MTV's original U.S. broadcast in 1981?
Answer
Video Killed the Radio Star
“Video Killed the Radio Star” was the first music video played on MTV’s original U.S. broadcast in 1981.
The song was performed by the British new-wave group the Buggles and appeared on their 1979 debut album, The Age of Plastic. MTV used it to begin its American television service at 12:01 a.m. Eastern Time on 1 August 1981.
The choice was symbolically appropriate because the song describes new technology disrupting older forms of music entertainment. The broadcast immediately followed MTV’s famous opening sequence, which showed a stylized astronaut placing a flag on the Moon.
A common mix-up is confusing this with the first video shown on MTV Europe. That channel launched in 1987 and began with Dire Straits’ “Money for Nothing,” whose lyrics also mention MTV. The Buggles’ song remains one of the most recognizable opening moments in music-television history.