When MTV launched on August 1, 1981, with the Buggles' "Video Killed the Radio Star," it permanently changed the music industry. For the first time, how a song looked mattered as much as how it sounded. A generation of artists built careers on visual storytelling, experimental videos, and the raw power of 24-hour music television.
Everyone remembers the biggest MTV moments — Michael Jackson's "Thriller" video, Madonna rolling on the floor at the VMAs, a-ha's rotoscope animation. But MTV's real cultural impact was in the hundreds of songs that became hits primarily because their videos were in constant rotation. Many of these songs have faded from mainstream memory, yet they defined the sound, look, and feel of the 1980s.
The Early MTV Era: When Videos Made Careers (1981–1984)
In MTV's early years, the network had a limited library of videos and would play the same clips dozens of times per day. This created an incredible launchpad for artists willing to invest in creative visuals.
Thomas Dolby — "She Blinded Me with Science" (1983)
Thomas Dolby's quirky synth-pop masterpiece peaked at #5 on the Hot 100, driven almost entirely by its eccentric video featuring Magnus Pyke. Dolby was a genuine musical innovator — he later founded the company that created polyphonic ringtones — but in the pop world, this remained his defining moment. The song perfectly captured MTV's early embrace of the weird and wonderful.
The Vapors — "Turning Japanese" (1980)
One of the earliest new wave songs to benefit from early MTV rotation, "Turning Japanese" reached #36 on the Hot 100 but became an enduring cult classic. Its jangly guitars, nervous energy, and memorable hook made it a staple of 80s nostalgia playlists decades later — a song more people recognize than can name.
Animotion — "Obsession" (1985)
"Obsession" reached #6 on the Hot 100 in 1985, propelled by a sleek, provocative video. The male-female vocal dynamic and pounding synth arrangement made it a perfect MTV song. Like many mid-80s hits, it burned bright and fast — Animotion never charted again, but "Obsession" remains an instantly recognizable 80s anthem.
The Visual Storytellers: Directors Who Shaped MTV
Behind the forgotten hits were visionary directors who transformed music videos into an art form. Russell Mulcahy directed Duran Duran's exotic location videos and Bonnie Tyler's epic "Total Eclipse of the Heart." Steve Barron created a-ha's "Take On Me" and Dire Straits' pioneering CGI video for "Money for Nothing." David Mallet handled David Bowie's "Let's Dance" and "China Girl."
These directors gave visual identity to songs that might otherwise have been forgotten. Their work on lesser-known tracks — Kajagoogoo's "Too Shy," Flock of Seagulls' "I Ran," Spandau Ballet's "True" — created the visual language of the 1980s as much as any feature film did.
New Wave and Synth-Pop: MTV's Signature Sound
MTV's early playlist leaned heavily into new wave and synth-pop — genres that were inherently visual, fashion-forward, and video-friendly. British bands especially benefited, as many had already been making music videos for the UK market years before MTV existed.
Tears for Fears built a slow-burning career that peaked with "Shout" and "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" in 1985 — but their earlier track "Pale Shelter" was an MTV deep cut that hardcore fans still cherish. Howard Jones' "Things Can Only Get Better" was a synth-pop gem that peaked at #5 but is rarely mentioned in 80s retrospectives. Icehouse's "Electric Blue" reached #7 in 1988 — a late-era MTV hit that deserves more recognition.
The Late MTV Era: When the Format Evolved (1986–1989)
By the mid-to-late 1980s, MTV's influence had shifted. The network played fewer videos and more programming, but the songs that did break through still benefited enormously. Wang Chung's "Everybody Have Fun Tonight" peaked at #2 in 1986. Crowded House's "Don't Dream It's Over" reached #2 in 1987 with a beautifully understated video. Edie Brickell & New Bohemians' "What I Am" charted at #7 in 1989 — one of the last true MTV-made hits before the grunge era changed everything.
Sample Trivia: How Well Do You Know MTV\'s Hidden Gems?
1. Which 1985 Dire Straits song featured one of the first computer-generated music videos and contained the lyric "I want my MTV"?
A) Walk of Life
B) So Far Away
C) Money for Nothing
D) Brothers in Arms
2. Thomas Dolby's "She Blinded Me with Science" became an MTV staple in 1983. What number did it peak at on the Hot 100?
A) #1
B) #5
C) #12
D) #28
The MTV era created a unique intersection of music, video, and pop culture that has never been replicated. These forgotten hits deserve rediscovery — and our daily trivia challenge regularly features questions about the MTV songs, producers, and chart stories that shaped the decade. Start playing at the daily quiz, or explore all our trivia topics.