The Day the Music (Videos) Died

It happened quietly, but it hit me loud — MTV is no longer playing music videos. Like… at all.

For Gen Xers, MTV wasn’t just a channel. It was the soundtrack of our adolescence, the mood board of our identity, and the only reason we learned to program a VCR. Before TikTok, before YouTube — there was MTV. And if you were lucky enough to have a satellite dish in the ’80s or ’90s, as I did, your house was the hangout. After school and every weekend, kids crowded around our TV, wide-eyed as we absorbed the latest videos, hits and moves. 

We didn’t stream; we waited. We didn’t scroll; we recorded. And we’d rewatch the same VHS tapes for hours, mastering the choreography to “Hammer Time,” “Vogue” and “The Running Man.”

MTV wasn’t just about music — it was a lifestyle. It gave us our first taste of rebellion, freedom of expression and visual storytelling. We saw what fashion could be, from acid-washed jeans and scrunchies to pleather bustiers and plaid-flannel rebellion. It taught us that music wasn’t just to be heard; it was meant to be felt.

And while our kids may not gather to catch the top 10 list on TRL or a world-premiere video, the spirit of MTV still lives on in dance challenges, social feeds, and their shared language and fashion of pop culture. We joke about their phones and earbuds, but let’s not forget that we invented the mixtape. They just digitized it.

Sure, they’ll never know the thrill of waiting all day to catch a glimpse of the new Janet Jackson video or the delicate art of recording the perfect VHS mix — but they’re building their own communal moments as I watch their dancing Tik Toks. And whether they realize it or not, they’re dancing in the digital footprints we left behind.

So, RIP MTV. Its presence may be gone — but its legacy lives on. In every trend, every remix and every kid who dares to stand out.  You didn’t just play the hits, MTV. You choreographed our youth.

 

Janet Smith is a proud mom of one daughter and a marketing professional who is grateful for her rural roots in the London area. Follow Janet’s funny and honest journey at IG & TT | @re.marketable.janet or FB | @janetsiddallsmith