The list below uses the widely circulated, rebroadcast-derived first-day MTV playlist. It is best understood as a public reconstruction of MTV's opening-day rotation rather than an official MTV corporate log.
For the full breakdown of all 116 unique videos and 209 total plays on launch day, see MTV's full first-day video rotation.
Quick Facts
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| MTV launch date | August 1, 1981 |
| First video | The Buggles — “Video Killed the Radio Star” |
| Second video | Pat Benatar — “You Better Run” |
| First repeated video | The Who — “You Better You Bet” |
| Reported first-day total | 116 unique videos, 209 total video plays |
| Most visible artist on day one | Rod Stewart, with 16 reported total appearances across 11 videos |
The First 100 Videos Played on MTV
| # | Artist | Video |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Buggles | Video Killed the Radio Star |
| 2 | Pat Benatar | You Better Run |
| 3 | Rod Stewart | She Won't Dance With Me |
| 4 | The Who | You Better You Bet |
| 5 | Ph.D. | Little Suzi's on the Up |
| 6 | Cliff Richard | We Don't Talk Anymore |
| 7 | The Pretenders | Brass in Pocket |
| 8 | Todd Rundgren | Time Heals |
| 9 | REO Speedwagon | Take It on the Run |
| 10 | Styx | Rockin' the Paradise |
| 11 | Robin Lane and the Chartbusters | When Things Go Wrong |
| 12 | Split Enz | History Never Repeats |
| 13 | .38 Special | Hold On Loosely |
| 14 | April Wine | Just Between You and Me |
| 15 | Rod Stewart | Sailing |
| 16 | Iron Maiden | Iron Maiden |
| 17 | REO Speedwagon | Keep On Loving You |
| 18 | Michael Johnson | Bluer Than Blue |
| 19 | The Pretenders | Message of Love |
| 20 | Lee Ritenour | Mr. Briefcase |
| 21 | The Cars | Double Life |
| 22 | Phil Collins | In the Air Tonight |
| 23 | Robert Palmer | Looking for Clues |
| 24 | Shoes | Too Late |
| 25 | Stevie Nicks & Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers | Stop Draggin' My Heart Around |
| 26 | Rod Stewart | Da Ya Think I'm Sexy? |
| 27 | Rupert Hine | Surface Tension |
| 28 | Split Enz | One Step Ahead |
| 29 | Gerry Rafferty | Baker Street |
| 30 | Pat Benatar | I'm Gonna Follow You |
| 31 | Tom Johnston | Savannah Nights |
| 32 | Rockestra | Lucille |
| 33 | Styx | The Best of Times |
| 34 | Carly Simon | Vengeance |
| 35 | Iron Maiden | Wrathchild |
| 36 | Blotto | I Wanna Be a Lifeguard |
| 37 | Rod Stewart | Passion |
| 38 | Elvis Costello | Oliver's Army |
| 39 | REO Speedwagon | Don't Let Him Go |
| 40 | The Silencers | Remote Control / Illegal |
| 41 | Juice Newton | Angel of the Morning |
| 42 | Rockpile with Robert Plant | Little Sister |
| 43 | Bootcamp | Hold On to the Night |
| 44 | Cliff Richard | Dreamin' |
| 45 | Lee Ritenour | Is It You |
| 46 | Fleetwood Mac | Tusk |
| 47 | Michael Stanley Band | He Can't Love You |
| 48 | REO Speedwagon | Tough Guys |
| 49 | Blondie | Rapture |
| 50 | The Who | Don't Let Go the Coat |
| 51 | Rod Stewart | Ain't Love a Bitch |
| 52 | The Pretenders | Talk of the Town |
| 53 | Rainbow | Can't Happen Here |
| 54 | Andrew Gold | Thank You for Being a Friend |
| 55 | The Who | You Better You Bet |
| 56 | Gerry Rafferty | Bring It All Home |
| 57 | April Wine | Sign of the Gypsy Queen |
| 58 | Kate Bush | The Man with the Child in His Eyes |
| 59 | The Pretenders | Message of Love |
| 60 | Rainbow | All Night Long |
| 61 | David Bowie | Boys Keep Swinging |
| 62 | The Specials | Rat Race |
| 63 | April Wine | Just Between You and Me |
| 64 | Talking Heads | Once in a Lifetime |
| 65 | Bootcamp | Victim |
| 66 | Rod Stewart | Tonight's the Night (Gonna Be Alright) |
| 67 | Nick Lowe | Cruel to Be Kind |
| 68 | Cliff Richard | A Little in Love |
| 69 | REO Speedwagon | Take It on the Run |
| 70 | .38 Special | Wild-Eyed Southern Boys |
| 71 | Kate Bush | Wuthering Heights |
| 72 | The Selecter | Celebrate the Bullet |
| 73 | Leo Sayer | More Than I Can Say |
| 74 | The Specials | A Message to You, Rudy |
| 75 | Phil Collins | In the Air Tonight |
| 76 | Blondie | Heart of Glass |
| 77 | Rod Stewart | Oh God, I Wish I Was Home Tonight |
| 78 | The Pretenders | Kid |
| 79 | Iron Maiden | Wrathchild |
| 80 | Lani Hall & Herb Alpert | Come What May |
| 81 | Split Enz | I Got You |
| 82 | The Who | Sister Disco |
| 83 | David Bowie | Fashion |
| 84 | Stevie Nicks & Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers | Stop Draggin' My Heart Around |
| 85 | J. Geils Band | Love Stinks |
| 86 | Robert Palmer | Johnny & Mary |
| 87 | Shoes | Tomorrow Night |
| 88 | Rockestra | Lucille |
| 89 | Styx | Rockin' the Paradise |
| 90 | The Tubes | Prime Time |
| 91 | Split Enz | One Step Ahead |
| 92 | .38 Special | Hold On Loosely |
| 93 | Shoes | Cruel You |
| 94 | Rockpile with Robert Plant | Little Sister |
| 95 | Hilly Michaels | Calling All Girls |
| 96 | REO Speedwagon | Keep On Loving You |
| 97 | Rod Stewart | I Was Only Joking |
| 98 | The Who | You Better You Bet |
| 99 | Todd Rundgren | Time Heals |
| 100 | The Cars | Let's Go |
Why This List Matters
The first 100 MTV videos show what early music television looked like before MTV became a mainstream pop force. The early rotation leaned heavily on rock, new wave, British acts, existing promotional clips, and artists who already had usable video material. It was not yet the polished, superstar-driven MTV many people remember from the mid-to-late 1980s.
Trivia Angle
The first MTV video is famous. The second one is a better trivia question. Pat Benatar's “You Better Run” followed The Buggles and gave MTV's opening hour an immediate rock edge.
Think you know 1980s music history? Play today's 80s music quiz or browse past 80s music quizzes.
Sources and Notes
The exact first-day order is best described as a publicly documented, rebroadcast-derived playlist rather than an official MTV corporate log.
- HISTORY.com — MTV launches coverage (August 1, 1981)
- Smithsonian Magazine — How MTV Changed Music coverage
- Publicly documented first-day playlist reconstruction, widely cited in music journalism and broadcast history research.