Forty-three years ago this month, on August 1, 1981, MTV went on air for the first time with The Buggles “Video Killed the Radio Star.”
I feel very fortunate to have spent my teenage years in the channel’s heyday when the world was watching, videos were still precious, and everything was new and amazing.
I love a world where I can receive most things on-demand and as often as desired, but there was also something precious and vital about the time when you heard your favorite video on the television and sprinted into the room to watch Men at Work’s “Down Under,” Madonaa’s “Like a Virgin,” Van Halen’s “Jump,” or A-ha’s “Take Me On.”
Having everything at your fingertips is excellent, but waiting, hoping, and wishing is pretty great, too.
When everything is made of sugar, nothing seems nearly as sweet.
