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9 MTV Shirt Flashbacks From the 80s and 90s

By Donielle Flynn
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MTV kicked off on August 1st, 1981, with the words, “Ladies and gentlemen: rock and roll.” MTV’s most memorable slogan, “I want my MTV,” wasn’t their first.  The original slogan was “You’ll never look at music the same way again.”  They were right.  The youth lucky enough to have cable was exposed to music that would not have been seen or heard without MTV.  These  MTV shirt throwbacks to our ‘80s cable friend opened our ears and eyes to a new world of music.  Scroll down to check out my picks or read on for a conversation on this huge part of ‘80s culture. 

What Was The First MTV Video You Saw?

Those of us that were teens in the ‘80s remember the first video we saw on MTV.  Mine was The Clash, “Rock the Casbah,” but the very first MTV video was the Buggles’ “Video Killed the Radio Star.”  Some think the song was written specifically for MTV. Believe it or not, the song was released in 1979, two years before MTV.  It was a hit in the UK, but not in the U.S.A. (until MTV launched).   

MTV exposed me to music that my local radio stations would not have played.  MTV was extremely crucial in the rise of the new wave music genre.  Alan Hunter, Martha Quinn, Mark Goodman, J.J. Jackson, and Nina Blackwood were our original VJs.  And yes, kids, MTV played VIDEOS and ran much like a traditional radio station. 

MTV became more than just videos.  “The Real World” and “Pimp My Ride” (Crib) were huge shows, but for me, the video days of MTV were my favorite. I seriously could talk MTV for hours, but after a while, you made need sleep and a fresh MTV shirt. Hey! Speaking of…  

The 80s and MTV were developmental in my musical tastes and passion for music to this day. Many of the songs came to life with the video experience.  I hope you enjoyed the MTV shirts and history lesson and found something that makes you say, “I WANT MY MTV!”

Please note that items are in stock and prices are accurate at the time we published this list. Have an idea for a fun theme for a gift idea list you’d like us to create?  Drop us a line at [email protected].

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