Research into the History of the music video?-Miss Georgiou

History of a music video

3/7/14

Vazl

-Create a list of the ways in which people can consume music videos. Has this changed over the years?

In modern times, people use their smart phones to access other extensions such as: You tube to watch the newest "Keiser Chiefs" video or see an interview with an artist. If not there is always the shared music videos seen on the person's facebook web page. However, in the olden days, not many could afford to have a dial-up modem. In my childhood, the best way to watch a music video in "democratic" Bulgaria, was to watch it on VH1 or MTV. Then record the songs on the cassette player and listen with a funky "Sony" Walkman. Later on the portable CD Players showed up and killed within 2 years the Walkman. However 5 years after that came the MP3 player which slashed the CD player in two and became king. And if you ask my parents, they would say that they listened to the music programme on the only radio that existed in my country (Radio Horizont-Horizon for the English speakers) and then research in the Russian magazine "Pulse". And for my grandparents, It was radio "Moscow" and buying records of "Elvis Presley", from the black market. Thus it can be concluded that music consummation has changed over the years. However, How and why?

Previously to MTV, the music video industry was quite archaic. There were almost none special effects which could be seen from video clips such as AC/DC`s "Thunderstruck" music video (seen below) where the TV audience could see a couple of projectors, a stage and some smoke effects. This kind of a music video could be seen on TV programs such as "Top of the Pops".

Meanwhile music was changing quickly with more and more bands playing less jazz or rock (Like they did in the 50`s and 40`s) and moved to rock sub-genres, including folk rock, blues rock, and jazz rock fusion. The new genres then went on to progress to styles such as progressive rock, glam rock and heavy metal (AC/DC Being a part of the movement as well). By the 1970's punk rock was created, with bands such as the "Sex Pistols". By the 1980's further types of rock surfaced, however the decade was "Blamed" on the "boogie" and disco.
 It was not until 1981 in the USA that a new channel was created which promoted itself on the importance of music videos which led to it ruling over the music industry.Known to us as MTV, the channel gave the ideal opportunity for artists to promote themselves through music videos so that the audience could visually see him. At first MTV was only viewed in the morning, therefore the audience had to wait to see if their favorite music video would be on television. Thanks to MTV, the Music video industry prospered with more and more special effects being built in to the video. Musical videos such as "Sledgehammer" showed to the world from their TV that a music video combined with special effect and computer animations can create an entertaining video.

Thus in February 2005, the world became a witness to the creation of the service (created by three former PayPal employees) known to us as Youtube and has been owned by Google since late 2006. The service allowed the audience and general public to look up their favorite music videos whenever or wherever they wanted to. Interestingly the first video to be uploaded was from one of the creators and is called "We are going to the Zoo". While MTV concentrates only on music videos and has other channels to produce the other types of programs, YouTube has a wide variety of video genres that are uploaded, which led in 2010 for the creation of special Groups and Playlists from corporate users to the mass public with Music videos that are straight from the TV channels. Also music videos have shifted to show from what the content of the lyrics is to how the performers look and what they are wearing. Thus the opportunity given to the artists by Youtube has been fulfilled. As YouTube has become available for mobile and other personal devices, The ease of finding the newest musical video has increased for the average music video consumer.