MTV through the years

Jul 31, 2011

1 of 9

1981: MTV creates an all-new form of music broadcasting with the veejay. WireImage

2 of 9

1983: Michael Jackson breaks the color barrier with the video for “Billie Jean. Gamma/Eyedea

3 of 9

1984: Madonna wows the first Video Music Awards with a sensual take on “Like a Virgin.”

4 of 9

1987: “Remote Control” and “The Ben Stiller Show” (above) give comics big breaks.

5 of 9

1994: An MTV-sponsored town hall makes news by asking Bill Clinton, “Boxers or briefs?”

6 of 9

2000: Carson Daly and “TRL” bring teen pop stars like ’NSync to the fore. FREELANCE

7 of 9

2001: Britney Spears busts out a python for a performance at the Video Music Awards. Like Madonna before her, she dominated MTV in her prime. AP

8 of 9

2002: “The Osbournes” launches the celebreality trend, but Ozzy was too stoned to know it.

9 of 9

2010: Emblematic of MTV’s current status as a music-free zone full of reality TV, “Jersey Shore” is its biggest hit in years.

Comments

Powered by RoundtableBuilt on infrastructure designed for real-time media. Learn more at RTB.io.© Roundtable 2026. By using this site you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy