The History Of Music Video

A music video is a film or video that goes along with a song or a piece of music.

The idea of them is to promote the sale of the record.

They came into light when MTV began to show them in the 1980's, however they do originate earlier.

They use a wide range of filming styles such as animation, documentaries and abstract film.

The first thought music video was believed to be made in 1894 by Edward B.Marks and Joe Stern when they hired various performers to promote their song "The Little Lost Child". They used a series of still images simultaneously with live performances.

In 1926 Warner Bros. made many short films which features many bands and dancers.

In the late 1950's a visual jukebox was invented and many short films were created.

Between the years of 1967 and 1973 many promotional videos were made by famous bands such as The Who and The Moody Blues.

In the UK, Top of the Pops begun playing music videos in the 1970's, although the BBC placed strict rules on what they could and could not play.

In 1981 MTV launched, creating a 24 hour music television channel. From then on they were not restricted to playing certain videos. They could play what they wanted, and when they wanted. It also meant that many smaller channels branched off creating TV channels dedicated to certain music genres such as Kerrang!, which is dedicated to the rock/emo genre.

From then on the internet developed, allowing for music videos to be available at the touch of a button or a click of a mouse. The launch of youtube.com also meant that people could create their own music videos and upload them for the world to see.