5 Bangers from the 1980s That Became Even More Famous with Help from Early MTV

MTV debuted on August 1, 1981 and changed music history forever. Music videos made visuals just as important as the music, and as a result, rotation on MTV helped catapult some songs to the top of the charts, particularly early on. While some songs were probably destined to become hits no matter what, for others, MTV may have played a crucial role in turning songs into hits and musicians into superstars.

“Video Killed the Radio Star” by The Buggles

“Video Killed the Radio Star” was a great, on-the-nose choice for the very first video to air when MTV first began broadcasting, even though it had been released two years prior. As a result, the song and its video cemented their place in music history. The video was also the final one broadcast by MTV Music in the United Kingdom and Ireland on December 31, 2025.

“Girls on Film” by Duran Duran

Duran Duran’s self-titled debut album and a video for single “Girls on Film” were released just months before MTV’s debut. Although the suggestive video made its way onto the network’s rotation, it was heavily censored and remains infamous as a result. The song also wasn’t the band’s biggest hit, but it helped kickstart their career and introduced them to a larger audience.

“Gimme All Your Lovin’” by ZZ Top

Some in the music industry recognized the power of MTV, including Warner Bros. Records executive Jeff Ayeroff, who convinced the network to fund “Gimme All Your Lovin’,” rock band ZZ Top’s first music video, in 1983. The song eventually hit No. 37 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 2 on the Hot Tracks chart, and the video was the first in what would become known as the band’s Eliminator trilogy.

“Thriller” by Michael Jackson

After seeing An American Werewolf in London, Michael Jackson tapped horror director John Landis for the video for “Thriller.” But it wasn’t just a music video–it was a 13-minute short film, depicting Jackson transforming into a zombie. MTV aired the video as a special event on December 2, 1983 and played it frequently afterwards, leading the sales of Jackson’s album Thriller to double.

“Take on Me” by A-ha

Originally, “Take on Me” by A-ha was released in 1984 but didn’t gain much traction. A re-recorded version was released 1985, followed by a music video featuring a combination of live action and pencil-sketch animation. The popularity of the video helped boost record sales, leading “Take on Me” to hit No. 1, and the video was nominated for eight awards at the 1986 MTV Video Music Awards, six of which it won.

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