The Importance of Music Video Shows and Why They Are Missed

Article Contributed by Monica Soriano

If something feels like it’s missing from the music industry, it would definitely be music video shows. Those shows that you could tune into just to catch the latest music videos from a variety of artists. There were countdown shows that would air the most popular videos at the time and although it could've felt like a competition for the musicians, for the audience it was a fun time to guess what would be number 1. A lot of music fanatics have these types of shows to thank for introducing them to their favorite artist. Finding new music was easy because the genres were varied, but they would still play what was popular. It was easy to tune in and see Eminem’s latest creative video in the same segment that introduced the latest pop choreography centered video from Britney. Such shows brought visually enticing clips straight to tv.

Music videos are important for an artist because they are a visual representation of their work. A song can be enhanced by the story in the video, the colors used to set the mood, the choreography or the small details placed intentionally. It is a satisfying experience when you watch a music video and it perfectly aligns with the song. Watching videos on the go in a small device is not the same as having a music video presented to you on tv.

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Shows That Are Missed

There were many music shows that were popularized between the 1980s and the early 2000s but the most popular was the one on MTV. MTV stands for music television and before they put a large focus on reality TV, they were known for being THE music channel. The most recognizable name for music video shows to come from MTV would be TRL or Total Request Live, which ran for 10 years.

Carson Daly & Britney Spears hosting TRL on MTV.

TRL was fan interactive with voting, calls and was a hub for pop culture enthusiasts. The show had behind the scenes exclusives with artists, guest interviews and live performances. VH1 was also popular within this genre of shows, they brought their own shows like VH1 Top 20 and Behind The Music. There were even Spanish versions of the countdown shows and it seemed like no matter what time of the day it was you could always find a channel playing music videos.

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The Era of YouTube

As reality TV took over and music video shows were dwindling, YouTube was rising in popularity. YouTube gave fans the ability to search for any music video at any time of the day. Popularity became measured by views and interactions from fans moved to the comment sections. The era of YouTube is bittersweet. On one hand, it’s wonderful to be able to watch any music video multiple times back to back but on the other hand, it takes away the excitement of a countdown show.

Being able to make a playlist of your favorite videos and play it in the background while multi-tasking is the modern day way to be a music fan. Having a curated show with the narration of charismatic hosts and being introduced to new music visually will be forever missed.

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Would A Music Video Show Work Today?

Can a show that revolves around introducing an audience to new music videos work today? Maybe. It seems people are yearning to tune into something other than their phones. Algorithms are integral to today's pop culture which can be advantageous to a show like this. Technology has come so far and now people would be able to vote quicker live, they would be able to chime in with video messages and so on. But even though it sounds great, there are many other things to consider, like how has the business side of the music industry changed? Will it be easy to get rights for the music videos to air on a show? Would it air on cable or go to a streaming service? Music Video shows are missed and were an important part of shaping pop culture and the music industry. Regardless of if they would work today, we can fondly look back and be glad they existed.