What does the video music era refer to?

[dolphins4life]

I was driving home after work at about quarter to midnight last night and I was listening to a radio station that was playing hits, "from the video music era."  Some of the songs they played were Heat of the Moment and Hurts so Good.

What time period is the video music era?  Why is it called that?  There are still music videos today. 

[bsfins]

My guess, would be they began late 70's to early 80's, when MTV  went on the air in 1981..till...

 I'm not sure where it would end....For me personally the early to mid 90's....

(modified to clarify what I was saying, after I've slept..)

[MaineDolFan]

That era made "radio" stars into mega stars.  Sales of music in that era, when MTV played only non-stop videos, improved x 1,000,000 (easily).

It used to be that artists were held hostage by radio.  MTV and the music video changed all of that.  Dire Straights, example, never would have gotten into pop mainstream but did, on the strength of "Money for Nothin'."  The power of that video drove the demand for the song.  Those examples are endless.

[Sunstroke]

I always considered "the music video age" as the '80's and early '90's.

And, on that note, I think I need to crank the Buggles' "Video Killed the Radio Star" on my iPod this morning.

[Brian Fein]

I always considered "the music video age" as the '80's and early '90's.

Agree with this.  I think its more mid- to late-80's though.

[Sunstroke]

With MTV firing up in 1981, I think you have to squeeze the early 80's in there... It did take off pretty quick.

[Phishfan]

That era made "radio" stars into mega stars.  Sales of music in that era, when MTV played only non-stop videos, improved x 1,000,000 (easily).

It used to be that artists were held hostage by radio.  MTV and the music video changed all of that.  Dire Straights, example, never would have gotten into pop mainstream but did, on the strength of "Money for Nothin'."  The power of that video drove the demand for the song.  Those examples are endless.

While I agree with you completely on your concept, I think you picked a bad example. Dire Straights was already in the spotlight with "Sultans if Swing" before the video era took off. I'd say a better example would be any of the countless "One Hit Wonders" who took off in the '80s because they made a "cool" video but had nothing else to offer.

Does anyone else miss the video era? I'm curious if I do just because of nostalgia or if I think it was actually cool.

[bsfins]

Coincidence, He asked exactly 29 years to the day MTV went on the air...

[MyGodWearsAHoodie]

I would say early to mid 80s until the the late 90s when it was replaced by the internet music era.

Before the the video era radio ruled.   Then MTV (and later VH1 joined) became the most important aspect for driving what would be the new popular music.   Now music video has faded and with napster and then i-tunes etc, the internet is the driving force. 

[Pappy13]

I think you are all missing the point.  The question I think he was asking was isn't today STILL the music video age since they are still quite popular?  If today is not the music video era, than what is it now?  The MP3 era?

[Phishfan]

I don't know that music videos are still popular. I don't know anyone watching any of them. Other than country music videos is anyone coming out with anything current? Doesn't MTV 2 show retro stuff? VH1 Classic is definitely retro. I just don't see videos as being popular at least no where like they were during the "video music era".

[MaineDolFan]

Dire Straits was already in the spotlight with "Sultans if Swing" before the video era took off.

Sultans of Swing was a rock hit, not pop. 

[Pappy13]

I don't know that music videos are still popular. I don't know anyone watching any of them. Other than country music videos is anyone coming out with anything current? Doesn't MTV 2 show retro stuff? VH1 Classic is definitely retro. I just don't see videos as being popular at least no where like they were during the "video music era".

I'll be the first to admit that I'm not a fan of music video's in the first place so perhaps people aren't making music video's like they once were, but with things like youtube it's not like they have gone away either.  I guess the way I look at it is that something would have had to "replace" music videos for it to be considered dead.  I'll ask again, what era are we in now?

[MyGodWearsAHoodie]

  I'll ask again, what era are we in now?

The internet music era --- which began with napster and was replaced by i-tunes as the major player. 

[bsmooth]

There were videos to songs prior to MTV, but people did not have wide access to them. So the true video era would have started at 12:01am EST with the start of MTV.
Contrary to popular belief most bands had to have a hit before they got a video on MTV. I rarely saw a video for a song I had not heard on one of the many radio stations back then.
The video era was winding down by the mid 90's due in part to the internet, MTV switching to more reality based programing, etc.
The biggest difference between the 80's and the late 90's into the new decade was the number of artists who only blew up from obscurity with limited radio play based on a hot video.