History of the Music Video

It was in fact around the 1890s when musical papers were turned into something called the illustrated song but it was very hard to come across back then.

The Music Video first became popular during the 1980s due to the launch of a new television channel called MTV (music television) which also widespread the popularity of the music video into other countries such as China and the UK. MVs use a wide range of styles and film making techniques however some MVs do not interpret images from the songs lyrics, making it less literal than expected. It was clear that the decade of the 1980s was the year for MVs as they started to go mainstream rather than just occuring here and there when a band needs promoting. Many important acts of this period owe a great deal of their career and success to the skillful construction and seductive appeal of their music videos. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cLLpm5OE3TY

The 1960s when the french would create a piece of music to go with a short film; they called it a visual jukebox which was still quite rare until a band from Liverpool, UK called "The Beatles" used videos to promote their next tours and distribution in other areas. The Beatles released a music video titled "Twist and Shout" which some people would argue is their undisputed masterpiece. The simple lyrics and performance did not feature many technical aspects of media that are required today yet this video became a hit mostly due to the audience being able to watch The Beatles on television as well as hearing them on their records. This music video became iconic with such a cathchy tune and being the first among the future of the music video. The song has been used constantly in films that make that reference to the sixties such as Ferries Bueller and Benjamin Button. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pVlr4g5-r18

Around the 1970s the swedish band ABBA used promotional videos to broadcast and distribute their music internationally, as was the case in many countries. ABBA was one of the few bands to inspire the activity of kareoke due to their lyrics being so uplifting an fun which will bring people together in spirit. ABBA will always be a tradition on the kareoke even today with all the new songs out there. Dancing Queen was an iconic music video being that it was something fresh back then and brought forth a new wave of "party music" Here it is now: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xFrGuyw1V8s

Elvis Presley had constructed his own star image during the 1970s when he was promoting himself in image and performance. He starred in musical films in order to pursue a different direction in his career while boosting his music e.g. Elvis Presleys "Viva Las Vegas" became an instant hit as that video used a wider range of new skills in media. Its catchy tune and unique effect at the time helped make the King of Rock and Roll. Here it is now: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MFw5a5Bp_Pw

The 1980s saw a very high rise in music video consistency as acts like Queen and Michael Jackson done a MV for almost every song they produced which ultimatly became a smash-hit. Michael Jackson was one of the few music legends that sparked the music video to be a positive marketing tool for career boosting and entertainment. for example; Michael Jacksons "Smooth Criminal" considered to be one of the greatest music videos of all time. Michael Jacksons "Thriller" includes skillful use of props and mes which shows the progress of the music video and how narratives were beginning to come into play alot more rather than just filming a performance. Michael Jackson has done a music video for nearly every one of his releases which has led to nearly all of them being no. #1 at some point during the 1980s -1990s Here it is now: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TWucYbAp8Lk - Smooth Criminal

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p_MuUcxHATo - Thriller

Once USA launched MTV which automatically boosted the music video as a promotional idea, Britain reacted with a similar idea for music entertainment. The birth of "The Top of the Pops" came around this decade; although it is not around anymore while MTV continues to blossom and is now shown worldwide, the style of Top of the Pops remains i.e. the countdown technique used to show audiences the particular songs that are featured in the charts weekly with additions of live performances.

In the early 21st century it saw the rise of directors for the music video which had positive effects on the revenue and the singers/bands career i.e. Britney Spears "Hit Me Baby, One More Time" became the most iconic video of 1999-2000. Britney's music videos has inspired a new genre that is always aimed at the pre-teenage group e.g. Miley Cyrus and Justin Bieber are among the new acts today that upkeeps the genre that Britney created. "Hit Me Baby One More Time" remained number one for almost the whole of 1999 due to its popularity and freshness. Here it is now: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TKo4fFVymqk

Many had to be either censored or banned due to strong images that may influence acts of violence i.e. Prodigy's "Firestarter" contained images of arsonism causing it to be banned by the BBC and other major networks around the world. Rock was not a new genre at this time but it was beginning to evolve making the music stronger and angrier. The genre was at a stage where it had the image to influence people through the music videos that involved spreading anarchy while making audiences see the "fun" side to it. Here it is now: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wmin5WkOuPw

Nowadays instead of devoting Music Videos to one channel, now we have a wide range of channel that are completely reserved for MVs the difference is that they are split up into genres making it more interactive for people with particular interests. Music Videos will always remain as a promotional idea for any band, singer, it has now become part of normal entertainment.

(2008 - present) Music Videos that are being made today contrast heavily to the music videos that were made 20 years ago. A new wave of themes and effects that have the ability to captivate audiences despite having similar lyrics to each song in the genre i.e. RnB. Most musical acts today are so surreal that they are able to embrace new areas of MVs despite the high amount of odd activity and narrative it is now considered the future of music. For Example; an artist known as Lady Gaga has won a vast amount of rewards due to her unique image and interesting image that has become like a trademark. Her music video "Poker Face" has become a worldwide success through her unique style and performance; it contains a lack of a narrative and seems to focus more on performance i.e. dancing. Her choice of costume is unlike anything that has been used before, ECMS is disturbing and uncomfortable yet it works like a piece of art. Here it is now: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bESGLojNYSo

New acts are heavily consisted of rappers as the youth of today are influenced by it yet it does not have a negative effect like Prodigy did. Rap has changed since the 90s it has become more foul-mouthed, glamorous with less disco style to it. Jay Z released a music video called "99 Problems" which i think is a perfect example to show how rap has evolved and what it is today; some rap are hybrids with club music to make it either more like a Pop/RnB video in order to appeal to a wider audience. Jay Z, 99 Problems; Here it is now: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nq1kCyrX71M