List of first music videos aired on MTV


This is a list of the first music videos broadcast on MTV's first day, August 1, 1981. MTV's first day on the air was rebroadcast on VH1 Classic in 2006 and again in 2011. The first hour on the air was broadcast again on August 1, 2016, and was called MTV Hour One, as part of VH1 Classic's planned re-launch as MTV Classic, MTV itself, and additionally streamed on the channel's Facebook page.
The first video to air on MTV was one emblematic of MTV's concept, The Buggles' "Video Killed the Radio Star". 116 unique videos were played, spanning 209 spins over the first 24 hours; from the beginning, MTV used the rotation system and repeated popular videos throughout the day. "You Better You Bet" by the Who, which was also the first video to be repeated, "Just Between You and Me" by April Wine, and "In the Air Tonight" by Phil Collins were each played five times. Rod Stewart made the most total appearances that day with 16, with 11 of his videos being played.
NumberSongArtistAppearanceNotes
1"Video Killed the Radio Star"The Buggles1/2First ever music video to be aired on MTV.
2"You Better Run"Pat Benatar1/2
3"She Won't Dance With Me"Rod Stewart1/2
4"You Better You Bet"The Who1/5
5"Little Suzi's on the Up"Ph.D.1/3
6"We Don't Talk Anymore"Cliff Richard1/2
7"Brass in Pocket"The Pretenders1/2
8"Time Heals"Todd Rundgren1/3
9*"Take It on the Run"REO Speedwagon1/3This was the first concert video to be aired on MTV, from REO Speedwagon's Live Infidelity home video release. The video was interrupted after 12 seconds due to technical difficulties. The technical difficulty moment contains only a blank black screen with a 200 Hz tone for a few seconds, before going back to MTV's studio.
10"Rockin' the Paradise"Styx1/3
11"When Things Go Wrong"Robin Lane and the Chartbusters1/2
12"History Never Repeats"Split Enz1/2
13"Hold on Loosely"38 Special1/3
14"Just Between You and Me"April Wine1/5from Live in London
15"Sailing"Rod Stewart1/2
16"Iron Maiden"Iron Maiden1/2
17"Keep on Loving You"REO Speedwagon1/3First Billboard Hot 100 number-one hit to be played on MTV
18"Bluer Than Blue"Michael Johnson1/2
19"Message of Love"The Pretenders1/4
20"Mr. Briefcase"Lee Ritenour1/2
21"Double Life"The Cars1/2
22"In the Air Tonight"Phil Collins1/5
23"Looking for Clues"Robert Palmer1/3
24"Too Late"Shoes1/1
25"Stop Draggin' My Heart Around"Stevie Nicks and Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers1/4
26"Da Ya Think I'm Sexy"Rod Stewart1/2Screen is blank while the audio still plays, stops after 27 seconds, next song plays.
27"Surface Tension"Rupert Hine1/2
28"One Step Ahead"Split Enz1/3
29"Baker Street"Gerry Rafferty1/2
30"I'm Gonna Follow You"Pat Benatar1/3
31"Savannah Nights"Tom Johnston1/2
32"Lucille"Rockestra1/3From Concerts for the People of Kampuchea
33"The Best of Times"Styx1/3
34"Vengeance"Carly Simon1/1
35"Wrathchild"Iron Maiden1/4
36"I Wanna Be a Lifeguard"Blotto1/1
37"Passion"Rod Stewart1/2
38"Oliver's Army"Elvis Costello1/2
39"Don't Let Him Go"REO Speedwagon1/3
40"Remote Control / Illegal"The Silencers1/2
41"Angel of the Morning"Juice Newton1/1
42"Little Sister"Rockpile with Robert Plant1/4From Concerts for the People of Kampuchea
43"Hold On to the Night"Bootcamp1/2
44"Dreamin'"Cliff Richard1/2
45"Is It You"Lee Ritenour1/3
46"Tusk"Fleetwood Mac1/1
47"He Can't Love You"Michael Stanley Band1/2
48"Tough Guys"REO Speedwagon1/2
49"Rapture"Blondie1/2
50"Don't Let Go the Coat"The Who1/2
51"Ain't Love a Bitch"Rod Stewart1/1
52"Talk of the Town"The Pretenders1/3
53"Can't Happen Here"Rainbow1/3
54"Thank You for Being a Friend"Andrew Gold1/1
55"You Better You Bet"The Who2/5
56"Bring It All Home"Gerry Rafferty1/1
57"Sign of the Gypsy Queen"April Wine1/2from Live in London
58"The Man with the Child in His Eyes"Kate Bush1/1
59"Message of Love"The Pretenders2/4
60"All Night Long"Rainbow1/2
61"Boys Keep Swinging"David Bowie1/2
62"Rat Race"The Specials1/2
63"Just Between You and Me"April Wine2/5from Live in London
64"Once in a Lifetime"Talking Heads1/1
65"Victim"Bootcamp1/2
66"Tonight's the Night "Rod Stewart1/1
67"Cruel to Be Kind"Nick Lowe1/1
68"A Little in Love"Cliff Richard1/2
69"Take It on the Run"REO Speedwagon2/3
70"Wild-Eyed Southern Boys"38 Special1/2
71"Wuthering Heights"Kate Bush1/1
72"Celebrate the Bullet"The Selecter1/2
73"More Than I Can Say"Leo Sayer1/2
74"A Message to You, Rudy"The Specials1/1
75"In the Air Tonight"Phil Collins2/5
76"Heart of Glass"Blondie1/1
77"Oh God, I Wish I Was Home Tonight"Rod Stewart1/2
78"Kid"The Pretenders1/1
79"Wrathchild"Iron Maiden2/4
80"Come What May"Lani Hall and Herb Alpert1/2
81"I Got You"Split Enz1/1
82"Sister Disco"The Who1/2From Concerts for the People of Kampuchea
83"Fashion"David Bowie1/2
84"Stop Draggin' My Heart Around"Stevie Nicks and Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers2/4
85"Love Stinks"The J. Geils Band1/1
86"Johnny & Mary"Robert Palmer1/2
87"Tomorrow Night"Shoes1/1
88"Lucille"Rockestra2/3From Concerts for the People of Kampuchea
89"Rockin' the Paradise"Styx2/3
90"Prime Time"The Tubes1/1
91"One Step Ahead"Split Enz2/3
92"Hold on Loosely".38 Special2/3
93"Cruel You"Shoes1/1
94"Little Sister"Rockpile with Robert Plant2/4From Concerts for the People of Kampuchea
95"Calling All Girls"Hilly Michaels1/1
96"Keep on Loving You"REO Speedwagon2/3
97"I Was Only Joking"Rod Stewart1/1
98"You Better You Bet"The Who3/5
99"Time Heals"Todd Rundgren2/3
100"Let's Go"The Cars1/1
101"Just Between You and Me"April Wine3/5from Live in London
102"Mr. Briefcase"Lee Ritenour2/2
103"Fashion"David Bowie2/2
104"I'm Gonna Follow You"Pat Benatar2/3
105"Do You Remember Rock 'n' Roll Radio?"The Ramones1/1
106"Ridin' the Storm Out"REO Speedwagon1/1
107"Looking for Clues"Robert Palmer2/3
108"Little Suzi's on the Up"Ph.D.2/3
109"Is It You"Lee Ritenour2/3
110"You're in My Heart"Rod Stewart1/1
111"Talk of the Town"The Pretenders2/3
112"The Best of Times"Styx2/3
113"So Long"Fischer-Z1/1
114"In the Air Tonight"Phil Collins3/5
115"I Don't Want To Know"Robin Lane and the Chartbusters1/1
116"Don't Let Go the Coat"The Who2/2
117"Go Back Home Again"Andrew Gold1/1
118"Message of Love"The Pretenders3/4
119"Remote Control / Illegal"The Silencers2/2
120"Time for Me to Fly"REO Speedwagon1/1
121"Wrathchild"Iron Maiden3/4
122"She Won't Dance With Me"Rod Stewart2/2
123"Rough Boys"Pete Townshend1/1
124"History Never Repeats"Split Enz2/2
125"Dangerous Type"The Cars1/1
126"Turn It On Again"Genesis1/1
127"Rapture"Blondie2/2
128"Stop Draggin' My Heart Around"Stevie Nicks and Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers3/4
129"Can't Happen Here"Rainbow2/3
130"We're So Close"Carly Simon1/1
131"Tough Guys"REO Speedwagon2/2
132"Passion"Rod Stewart2/2
133"Kid Blue"Louise Goffin1/1
134"Little Sister"Rockpile with Robert Plant3/4From Concerts for the People of Kampuchea
135"Vienna"Ultravox1/1
136"Sign of the Gypsy Queen"April Wine2/2from Live in London
137" Peace, Love, and Understanding"Elvis Costello and the Attractions1/1
138"Don't Let Him Go"REO Speedwagon2/3
139"I Won't Let You Down"Ph.D.1/1
140"Holiday"Nazareth1/1
141"You Better You Bet"The Who4/5
142"All Night Long"Rainbow2/2
143"Video Killed the Radio Star"The Buggles2/2
144"You Better Run"Pat Benatar2/2
145"Surface Tension"Rupert Hine2/2
146"One Step Ahead"Split Enz3/3
147"Wild-Eyed Southern Boys".38 Special2/2
148"In My Arms Again"Shoes1/1
149"Is It You"Lee Ritenour3/3
150"Oh God, I Wish I Was Home Tonight"Rod Stewart2/2
151"Passing Strangers"Ultravox1/1
152"Just Between You and Me"April Wine4/5from Live in London
153"Turning Japanese"The Vapors1/1
154"Rockin' the Paradise"Styx3/3
155"Bluer Than Blue"Michael Johnson2/2
156"Message of Love"The Pretenders4/4
157"Rat Race"The Specials2/2
158"Roll with the Changes"REO Speedwagon1/1
159"In the Air Tonight"Phil Collins4/5
160"Hold On to the Night"Bootcamp2/2
161"Double Life"The Cars2/2
162"Take It on the Run"REO Speedwagon3/3
163"We Don't Talk Anymore"Cliff Richard2/2
164"Sister Disco"The Who2/2From Concerts for the People of Kampuchea
165"Celebrate the Bullet"The Selecter2/2
166"More Than I Can Say"Leo Sayer2/2
167"I Hope I Never"Split Enz1/1
168"Talk of the Town"The Pretenders3/3
169"Hold on Loosely".38 Special3/3
170"Blondes "Rod Stewart1/1
171"Wrathchild"Iron Maiden4/4
172"Savannah Nights"Tom Johnston2/2
173"I'm Gonna Follow You"Pat Benatar3/3
174"Don't Let Him Go"REO Speedwagon3/3
175"Never Let Her Slip Away"Andrew Gold1/1
176"Time Heals"Todd Rundgren3/3
177"Brass in Pocket"The Pretenders2/2
178"Little Sister"Rockpile with Robert Plant4/4From Concerts for the People of Kampuchea
179"A Little in Love"Cliff Richard2/2
180"Da Ya Think I'm Sexy"Rod Stewart2/2
181"Victim"Bootcamp2/2
182"Baker Street"Gerry Rafferty2/2
183"He Can't Love You"Michael Stanley Band2/2
184"Looking for Clues"Robert Palmer3/3
185"Stop Draggin' My Heart Around"Stevie Nicks and Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers4/4
186"Keep on Loving You"REO Speedwagon3/3
187"When Things Go Wrong"Robin Lane and the Chartbusters2/2
188"Little Suzi's on the Up"Ph.D.3/3
189"The Best of Times"Styx3/3
190"Sailing"Rod Stewart2/2
191"You Better You Bet"The Who5/5
192"Iron Maiden"Iron Maiden2/2
193"Can't Happen Here"Rainbow3/3
194"Oliver's Army"Elvis Costello2/2
195"Just Between You and Me"April Wine5/5from Live in London
196"Come What May"Lani Hall and Herb Alpert2/2
197"Tattooed Love Boys"The Pretenders1/1
198"In the Air Tonight"Phil Collins5/5
199"Peter Gunn Theme/Remote Control"The Silencers1/1
200"Dreamin'"Cliff Richard2/2
201"Lucille"Rockestra3/3From Concerts for the People of Kampuchea
202"Boys Keep Swinging"David Bowie2/2
203"Johnny & Mary"Robert Palmer2/2
204"Only the Strong Survive"REO Speedwagon1/1
205"Waiting for the Weekend"The Vapors1/1
206"You're Insane"Rod Stewart1/1
207"Kiss on My List"Hall & Oates1/1
208"Living in the Plastic Age"The Buggles1/1
209"Lonely Boy"Andrew Gold1/1

General references