A HISTORY OF MUSIC VIDEOS By Beth Braine

1920S – BESSIE SMITH IN ST. LOUIS BLUES

The 1920s saw a number of short and feature films which were entitled St. Louis Blues. The first was in 1929 and featured Bessie Smith."St. Louis Blues" was also played in the 1914 Charles Chaplin film: The Star Boarder as well as later being sung by Theresa Harris and played several times, in the opening credits of the 1933 film Baby Face.The song is also sung by Marceline Garner as Minnie Mouse in the 1931 animated short film Blue Rhythm.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kTXBZFvFXdA

1930S – HARRY RICHMAN, PUTTIN’ ON THE RITZ

This music video was iconic in the 1930s as Harry Richman made his feature movie debut in Hollywood in 1930 with the film Puttin' on the Ritz, featuring the Irving Berlin song of the same title which gave Richman a record hit that year.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=pQxLMWhb_Ww

1940S – SOUNDIES

Soundies were an early version of the music video. They were three-minute musical films produced in New York City, Chicago, and Hollywood between 1940 and 1946. They often included short dance sequences. The completed Soundies were generally released within a few months of their filming; the last group was released in March 1947. The films were displayed on the Panoram which was a coin-operated film jukebox or machine music in nightclubs, bars, restaurants, factory lounges, and amusement centres.Several production companies filmed the Soundies shorts. For example: James Roosevelt's Globe Productions and Cinemasters.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=78rNQWTvSk0&list=PL380EC955FF4F001E&index=3

1950S – ELVIS PRESLEY, BLUE SUEDE SHOES

The 1950s saw the rise of Elvis Presley with many music videos being released, including his live performances. One of the most iconic songs by Elvis Presley was ‘Blue Suede Shoes’ which was released in 1956 and charted at number 9 in the UK.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bm5HKlQ6nGM

1960S – CLIFF RICHARD, THE YOUNG ONES

The 1960s saw Cliff Richard’s peak with one of his most iconic songs being The Young Ones which was accompanied by a music video in 1961. The music video featured Cliff Richard himself with a young woman and was a story of their love. To this day, this song has sold 1.6 million copies in the UK.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-JKtHcM05Dk

1970S – JACKSON 5, I WANT YOU BACK

The 1970s saw some of the greatest hits of the century from artists such as The Beatles, Smokey Robinson and The Jackson 5. Most of the music videos that accompanied these songs were live performances of the artists in studios with microphones and dance sequences.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s3Q80mk7bxE&feature=kp

1980S – ABBA, THE WINNER TAKES IT ALL

The 1980s saw one of the most memorable bands ever rise to the spotlight: Abba. One of the most famous songs was ‘The Winner Takes It All’ which features a performance music video of many close up of the artists mouthing the lyrics in front of a piano. This song was released in 1980 and was followed by many other hits from Abba such as ‘Dancing Queen.’

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=92cwKCU8Z5c&feature=kp

1990S – MADONNA, VOGUE

The 1990s was a significant year for music video as it saw the rise of many strong female artists such as Madonna and Kylie Minogue. However, the most iconic hit of the decade was Vogue by Madonna. The dance routine in this video is recognised all over the world with one of the most iconic dance moves ever featured in this music video. This transformed the music video world and gave women a chance to shine.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GuJQSAiODqI&feature=kp

2000S – RIHANNA, UMBRELLA

The 2000s was a decade of fresh pop chart music. One of the most memorable music video was ‘Umbrella’ by Rihanna. This music video caused much conflict as many thought she was using symbols of the illuminati. However, by the end of 2008 “Umbrella" had sold over 600,000 copies, making it her biggest-selling single at the time.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CvBfHwUxHIk&feature=kp

MOST RECENT HIGHLIGHTS IN MUSIC VIDEOS

The most recent music videos have taken on a new image, using the sexualisation of both men and women to promote music videos in a different light including artists such as Robin Thicke, Miley Cyrus, Kanye West, Beyoncé and Jason Durulo.