Did Video Kill The Radio Star

apollophono · « **on:** 1 Dec 2013, 02:23 am »

I was inspired by the ZZ Top Eliminator thread where the
title of this thread originated and of courseMTV. I hated and
still hate MTV. Sorry, but it's my opinion and I'm sticking
to it. I think it did a big disservice to music and true
musicians. If you could make a interesting video it didn't
make any difference if the music was good and if it could
stand on its own.

It's no wonder they hardly show any music videos anymore
and MTV moved to doing stupid reality shows. I know there
may be some other opinions and I would be interested in
hearing them and of course those that agree with me.

PDR · « **Reply #1 on:** 1 Dec 2013, 02:41 am »

You-tube killed MTV for videos.......hmmmm should write a song.

I was never a fan really, when I was younger I watched a bit....usually for bikini clad babes...
Luckily my harmones have lost their former punch now.
But the thing about videos is that you listened to the whole song.....usually.

The way we listen to music has changed so much since albums and TTs.
Not for the better in my opinion.....remember when you sat down and listened to a whole side?
No fast forward or skip...remember concept albums?
Digital has made it so you can go from group to group and never really hear what they had or dont have to offer.
Remember when bands had to be discovered to record?
Digital....fast, convenient, mobile.....and turning anyone with a hard drive into a recording artist.

Next....next....next....next...next.... next....next....cool, I listened to 27 songs in 5 minutes......

decal · « **Reply #2 on:** 1 Dec 2013, 03:17 am »

Corporate radio killed the radio star, IMHO.

Diamond Dog · « **Reply #3 on:** 1 Dec 2013, 04:12 am »

Quote from: apollophono on 1 Dec 2013, 02:23 am

I was inspired by the ZZ Top Eliminator thread where the
title of this thread originated and of courseMTV. I hated and
still hate MTV. Sorry, but it's my opinion and I'm sticking
to it. I think it did a big disservice to music and true
musicians. If you could make a interesting video it didn't
make any difference if the music was good and if it could
stand on its own.

It's no wonder they hardly show any music videos anymore
and MTV moved to doing stupid reality shows.

How can anyone hate MTV at this stage? It's so irrelevant other than as a venue for pitchmen to flog AXE body spray and the like to teenagers lacking the life-experience to realize that they're being hosed. The reason that they don't show music videos anymore ( except perhaps during the wee small hours of the morning when nobody except angry loners, the unemployed and Homer Simpson might be watching ) is because advertisers wanted platforms which were less likely to have their viewers channel-surf away and it was easy to do that with music videos, less so with half-hour shows about whatever.

I don't think that quality music and videos were mutually exclusive necessarily. There were some great talents making some great music and tying it into some great and artistic videos as well. And there was a lot of crap.
Like the guy in the big white suit said as he repeatedly slapped his forehead in that music video : " Same as it ever was...Same as it ever was..."

D.D.

dB Cooper · « **Reply #4 on:** 1 Dec 2013, 05:15 am »

Got to install microwave ovens… Custom kitchens, delivery… We got to move these refrigerators, we gotta move these color TV's….

The video age did kill the radio star. Look at the pop artists that get the Big Push on iTunes (or anywhere else). It's all bimbos and himbos, although there does seem to still be a small niche for "hair bands". Unless you look like Taylor Swift or Justin Timberlake, you can forget a major music career. I don't think Janis Joplin or Stevie Ray could get a major label deal today.

jarcher · « **Reply #5 on:** 1 Dec 2013, 06:19 pm »

I liked MTV when it came out and shows like "Headbangers Ball". It was a decent way to discover mew music. But yeah - long ago when they stopped actually showing music videos, I lost interest. Is that what MTV2 is supposed to be for? I don't know - I moved on, relying on friends and pandora / Internet radio / etc for music discovery.

Somewhere I had read that YouTube is the predominate source of music discovery now for the younger generation. Doesn't surprise me as its free, convenient, and on demand.

As for historically whether music videos killed the radio star - don't know but tend to doubt it. I think alternate forms of music sources - mainly online mps3 downloads and Internet radio - and their hyper specialization, killed many radio stars, expect for the half dozen or so ones annually record labels focus mountains of cash on.

mcgsxr · « **Reply #6 on:** 2 Dec 2013, 12:31 pm »

I watched MTV (and the Canadian variants) when they emerged in the 80's.

2 things happened. I got old, and they changed their format. Net net, I don't watch it anymore.

Will me kids? Doubtful.

MP3 killed the radio star, and video killed the video star!

Live music seems to have suffered on the grand scale, but I understand (from those younger and hipper) that the local scene is alive and well with small time performers (as it likely has always been).