AT THE stroke of midnight on Aug. 1, 1981, it was time for video to rock around the clock. That's when MTV went on the air and debuted with the song "Video Killed the Radio Star" by the Buggles.
A decade later, thanks to the explosion of cable television, MTV has grown into a dominant cultural influence around the world.
The 24-hour music video network is seen daily by 53 million subscribers in the United States. MTV, short for Music Television, also reaches 198 million households in 38 foreign countries, including Japan, Australia, Brazil and throughout Europe.
"MTV has introduced the most publicized new medium for delivery of music since commercial radio reared its head in 1922," Billboard reported. Stated Adweek: "Video exposure on MTV is the predominant vehicle for marketing records."
By 1983, Michael Jackson had become the most successful recording star ever, thanks to MTV. His two videos that year, "Billie Jean" and "Beat It," set a new standard and helped "Thriller" to become the biggest-selling LP of all time, spawning 10 hit singles.
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Two years later, in July 1985, MTV helped to unite the world when it telecast 17 hours of the Live Aid concert to raise money for African famine relief.
MTV has come a long way in 10 years, but for music fans the big question is: Has it been good or bad for rock 'n' roll?
"MTV gave rock 'n' roll another method for influencing popular culture," said Judy McGrath, a senior vice president and creative director of MTV who has been with the music network since its first year. "MTV's spirit has been stamped everywhere: fashion, graphics, movies and commercials."
Ten years ago, MTV helped to shake rock out of one of its deepest slumps. The disco craze of the '70s was all but dead and FM rock radio stations were, for the most part, recycling aging white bands such as Led Zeppelin. Bland, faceless acts like REO Speedwagon and Styx dominated the charts.
Record sales and radio ratings were down, female rockers were struggling for airplay, and crossover black music hits had all but disappeared.
These days, thanks in part to MTV, the recording industry has not only been rejuvenated but also offers a variety of musical styles, from heavy metal to dance to rap to rock. Women artists, such as Madonna, Janet Jackson and Sinead O'Connor, are everywhere.
Black crossover hits, thanks to Prince and rappers like M.C. Hammer, LL Cool J and Ice T, are commonplace. Veteran rockers such as Billy Joel, Elton John and Rod Stewart maintained their popularity in video. Movies adopted the MTV style, and films such as "Flashdance," "Footloose" and "Dirty Dancing" became box office smashes.
There is, however, a flip side to MTV's success.
The transformation of popular music from an audio to a visual medium changed all the rules. Looks became as important as sound, and MTV, which turned Michael Jackson into a superstar, also begat Milli Vanilli. They had the right look, a great video, sold millions of records and even won a Grammy -- until they admitted they never sang a note on the recording.
Lyp-synching became popular on the concert circuit. Madonna, Janet Jackson, New Kids on the Block and George Michael were all rumored to have used pre-recorded music during their stage shows. Why? Most of them tried to re-create videos, with dancing and sound effects -- just like the audience watches on MTV.
Some acts have trouble living up to their MTV image. Vanilla Ice, a white rapper who is currently atop the charts, reportedly fabricated his biography to portray himself as growing up in a Miami ghetto, when he actually came of age in an upper-class home in a Dallas suburb.
Ice, whose real name is Robert Van Winkle, hardly showed originality on his first two records. The musical riff from the first, "Ice, Ice Baby," was taken from a David Bowie song called "Under Pressure." Ice's new hit, "Play That Funky Music," is a ripoff of an old song by the group Wild Cherry.
Ice doesn't have much of a voice, but with his chiseled, handsome features, cat-quick dance moves and funky rap style, he's an MTV natural.
Regardless of the singer or the song, another issue is just how far videos should go and their impact on the young people watching them.
"Music videos may represent a new art form, but we believe it is one that contains an excess of sexism, violence, substance abuse, suicide and sexual behavior," said a statement issued by the American Academy of Pediatrics.
Madonna, the most popular artist in MTV history, has made a habit of pushing the limits of taste and sexuality. Her most recent video, "Justify My Love," was banned by MTV for being too suggestive. Videos by 2 Live Crew and other rappers as well as heavy metal groups have been toned down or kept off the air.
MTV also completed the commercialization of rock. Elton John, Paula Abdul and M.C. Hammer push everything from cola to lipstick to Levi's. The video style has become a familiar staple in TV commercials, using what On Cable magazine called a style of "hard rock and soft sell."
"Young people are so used to watching MTV that anything less isn't enough," said ad writer Paul Cappelli. A spokesman for the J. Walter Thompson ad agency put it this way: "We want to create a fantasy experience the way MTV does."
Neil Young spoofed the whole issue of rock commercialization in his video "This Note's for You." It was named Video of the Year by MTV in 1989, but there was one problem: MTV wouldn't play it because of conflicts with sponsors.
"It's a TV world, isn't it?" veteran rocker Van Morrison told Rolling Stone. "I mean, when I was a kid, I experienced life before television." And what does he think of MTV? "It's a load of crap. Who wants to watch that? What are you going to learn by watching that? Nothing."
Judy McGrath defends MTV. "I think rock 'n' roll is strong enough to survive anything -- even video," she said. She believes rock has long emphasized appearance and image. "Elvis had a look; the Beatles had a look.
"There are pros and cons to everything," McGrath continues, answering the criticism of women as sex objects in videos.
"Now you see artists like Sinead O'Connor, Madonna and Paula Abdul, and there are more women making videos and records than ever before. What I'm saying is, for whatever problem it has caused, there has been a benefit."
Where does MTV go from here?
Already there have been format changes. MTV now features regular news updates, a dance show, a half-hour of comedy, a weekly video show by comedian Julie Brown, a weekly show on movies, a weekly rock report and live concerts.
"We want to stay vital and keep trying new things," McGrath said. "Once you stop trying, you lose that innovative sense that comes with risk-taking."
The network also has flexed its political muscle, with campaigns against censorship of records, urging young people to vote and boosting environmental issues. The biggest movement, however, has been for a world audience. "The future is global, and music is a universal language," McGrath said, noting that even the Soviet Union has a form of MTV.
Music television is everywhere, but can musicians and video makers find a happy medium for the good of rock 'n' roll?
"Since the beginning of time . . . rock 'n' roll and TV have never really hit it off," Rolling Stone Keith Richards told Time magazine. "But suddenly, it's like they've gotten married and can't leave each other alone."
Rob Pilatus, defrocked star of Milli Vanilli, says this can be a painful relationship. "We sold our soul for video," he said. "You get something, but for that you make a pact with the devil." Mariah Carey, one of the hottest young singers today, put the artistic dilemma in perspective when she said: "I want to be taken seriously. I don't want people to say, 'Mariah Carey, doesn't her body look great in this shot?' I want it to be, like, 'Did you listen to the song?' "
In the MTV age, does anybody listen anymore?
Kevin McPartland has grown up with the MTV generation. "I've been watching MTV since I was a little kid," says Kevin, 14, of Buffalo. "I think it's still pretty good. If there's a good group, you want to see the video."
Kevin says his favorite artists are REM, U2 and M.C. Hammer. "You see them on MTV and then you want to buy the records," he said.
But what about the the music itself? "You watch MTV more than listen to it," said Jonathan Tronolone, 17, of Buffalo. "It gives you something to go along with music. If you just want to listen, you turn on the radio."
That's good news to Mike Edwards, program director at WKSE-FM in Buffalo. "MTV has helped expose more music to more people," he said. "Ten years ago, some of the people in this business thought MTV would kill radio; instead, it's helped us."
These days, most hit records are first shown on MTV. If the video catches on, then the song becomes a hit and moves to radio.
But some artists have rebelled against the system. George Michael, who started his career with the made-for-video group Wham!, has changed his tune. Michael would not appear in a video for his recent single "Praying for Time." It was a hit without MTV. His last album, "Freedom 90," talked about the pressures of conforming to video restraints, and a single, "Listen Without Prejudice," dealt with the theme of liking a song for its own sake.
Artists such as Bruce Springsteen and U2 stress their music over video. Sinead O'Connor, in contrast to Madonna, is a stark, deliberately unfashionable artist whose videos often are shown in black-and-white.
"There is a down side to video," Edwards said. "The interpretation of the song is laid out for you to see. You don't have to use your imagination and think about it."
Neil Young has criticized MTV in the past, but recognizes the impact of video.
"People complain a lot about videos, but the problem isn't with videos -- it's with the people who make them," Young told the Los Angeles Times. "Besides, they're what's happening today. I hate it when people go around complaining that the music business isn't like it was . . . because if it was, it'd be boring. I think what we did in the '60s and '70s was great, but it's gone and I'm glad. Let's move on."
Young believes he must have input into the video to maintain artistic integrity.
"You shouldn't turn your video over to someone else any more than you should turn your song over to someone else. You've got to protect your song, even if it means eventually killing the video. I've made some bad videos, but you've never seen them because I ended up eating them (financially)."
The idea of music on film is really nothing new, says Charles Mancuso, an associate professor of music at Buffalo State College.
"They were doing this back in the '40s. Back then they were called 'soundies' and featured artists like Louis Jordan and Glenn Miller," said Mancuso, who teaches courses on rock 'n' roll and popular music. "It was the same concept as MTV, a singer in concert or acting out a song."
MTV, however, has changed the way young people listen to music. "These kids today are growing up with a different concept of popular music. For them it is a visual experience," Mancuso said. "It has had a phenomenal impact on their musical awareness. They have more of a sense of rock music history than any other young generation."
The marriage of music and television has caused an impact that is "immeasurable," Mancuso said.
He believes MTV is further proof that rock no longer belongs to rebellious youth but is now part of mainstream culture, verified by the fact you can find it 24 hours a day on television.
"By the 1970s, rock 'n' roll had become a corporate form," Mancuso said. "It's not really rock 'n' roll anymore. It's pop music. That's why you see rock stars making all these commercials and even rap music in TV commercials. It's no longer an alternative art form, but big business."
It takes time for youth music to assimilate itself in the mainstream. MTV would not touch rap music until a few years ago. Now it is not only safe but probably the most popular music on the video network.
Staying on the cutting edge isn't easy. "The challenge for MTV is to lead culture and reflect it at the same time," Judy McGrath said. "Breaking in new artists is the most important mission we have."
MTV, though, is a bane as well as a blessing for new bands. "It's good and bad," said Gino Bona, 17, of Pendleton. He sings lead and plays bass in a band called Climax.
"MTV makes it tough for any new band to get a break, because if you don't look good or have the right video -- forget it," Bona said. "I mean, if you're ugly, you wind up on VH-1."
Most bands die without a video, but Bona said one exception is the group Metallica, which sells millions of records without MTV exposure. "But that's the exception. Most of the time everybody is looking for the next Vanilla Ice.
"They don't care what you sound like. I mean, there's so much technology in music and videos today, you're better off knowing how to program a Mac computer and run a camera than playing a guitar."
Still, Bona has hope, thanks to artists like Billy Joel.
"There's a guy who doesn't look good, is a little overweight, but is a great musician," he said. "He's got so much talent, he doesn't have to dance around or lip-sync his songs. He just has to be himself."
That kind of rock star is a vanishing breed after a decade of MTV.