Music · 2
What were the first words spoken on MTV when it launched on August 1, 1981?
Answer
Ladies and gentlemen, rock and roll.
When MTV launched at 12:01 AM on August 1, 1981, the first words heard were 'Ladies and gentlemen, rock and roll,' spoken by co-founder John Lack over footage of the Space Shuttle launch. The first music video to air was 'Video Killed the Radio Star' by The Buggles.
💡 Did you know?
MTV's launch transmission was a repurposed NASA Space Shuttle launch clip — the network had almost no budget for original content on its first night on air.
Other options people guess
- Welcome to the future of music television.
- And now, the music never stops.
- This is MTV. Music is what we do.
Topics
- mtv
- 1980s
- music-television
- music-history
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