AARP Magazine ran a fun article noting that MTV turned 40. “MTV forced established acts to think visually or risk disappearing; a song was no longer just a song, to be interpreted by a listener’s imagination, but the basis of a micro-movie in which performers would be judged by their hair, dancing, clothes, and shooting locale. No surprise that MTV helped popularize a new wave of image-conscious artists who eagerly embraced this star-making medium.” Let’s review a few. Michael Jackson, of course. Cyndi Lauper, Culture Club, Robert Palmer, The Police, Madonna, Bruce, Bowie, The Bangles, Devo, A-ha, Wham!, Big Country, Whitney, Salt-N-Pepa, Billy Idol, Van Halen, Eurythmics, Billy Joel, Prince, Pat Benatar, ZZ Top, Huey Lewis, and Janet Jackson.
I would argue that the music suffered a bit compared to music from the 70’s but I’d also have to admit that the visual art created was really quite amazing.
– Jet Cannon
