Believe it or not, there was once a time when MTV actually played music videos. Hard to believe, I know, but this was many moons ago before YouTube and Vevo became the go-to destinations for music videos on the web. Heck, computers weren't even a big deal back before the television network transitioned from airing music videos to reality shows.
That's all slated to change tomorrow, however, as MTV will go back to their roots in celebration of Independence Day. From 6 a.m. through 6 p.m., MTV (along with VH1 and CMT) will air nothing but music videos. The network is calling it the ultimate party playlist for fans of pop, country, hip-hop, indie and electronic dance music.
The 12-hour block of music will no doubt be a bit nostalgic for those of us that grew up in the '80s and '90s - ending just in time to enjoy and celebrate the rest of your evening with friends, family and fireworks.
MTV launched on August 1, 1981, with the Buggles' hit song Video Killed the Radio Star, forever changing the way we consume music. You have to remember that this was a time when music was an all-analog format, the compact disc wasn't even commercially available and the web as we know it today couldn't even be conceived. Before MTV, the television reach of most bands was limited to playing a song or two on late night talk shows or Saturday Night Live.