45 Years Ago Today: MTV First Launched On Cable TV - A Look Back at A Channel That Defined the 1980s & 1990s

Quiz: How well do you know these iconic music videos?

On this day in 1981, MTV came on the airwaves for the first time

45 years later: MTV debuted on this date in 1981

MTV launched on August 1, 1981, with a shuttle launch and the famous Moon Man planting the station’s flag.

The 10 most important music videos in MTV history

45 years ago, the music industry was turned on its head when an unknown cable channel announced its arrival on American TV with its first Chief Operating Officer, John Lack, announcing, “Ladies and gentlemen, rock and roll.” On August 1st, 1981, at 12.01 Eastern time, MTV was born. It can’t be overstated just how important the music television network landed on the decade’s cultural landscape. From its first broadcast to a cluster of New Jersey …

45 years ago: MTV launched a new era of music

On August 1, 1981, MTV launched its first broadcast.

45 Years Ago Today: MTV First Launched On Cable TV - A Look Back at A Channel That Defined the 1980s & 1990s

Forty-five years ago today, on August 1, 1981, a groundbreaking cable television channel known as MTV: Music Television made its debut and permanently altered the landscape of popular culture, the music industry, and the way audiences experienced entertainment. Broadcasting for the first time just after midnight, the network introduced a continuous stream of music videos […] The post 45 Years Ago Today: MTV First Launched On Cable TV – A Look Ba…

45 Years Ago Today, MTV Was Born — Here’s an '80s Rock Gem You May Have Forgotten

When MTV launched in 1981, it introduced viewers to a new generation of artists—including an overlooked new wave classic.