The First Heavy Metal Music Videos to Be Played on MTV

The First Heavy Metal Music Videos to Be Played on MTV

MTV changed the face of music when it launched in 1981. It was the first channel dedicated to music videos, and it quickly became the go-to source for new music. MTV helped make music videos an art form, and it also played a major role in popularizing heavy metal.

On August 1, 1981, MTV aired the first music video by a heavy metal band: Judas Priest’s “Breaking the

The Birth of Heavy Metal

On August 1st, 1981, MTV aired two music videos back to back that would change the face of music forever. These videos were for the songs “Iron Man” by Black Sabbath and “Smoke on the Water” by Deep Purple. This was the first time that MTV had ever played a heavy metal song, and it was also the first time that many people had ever even heard of heavy metal music. From that moment on, heavy metal would become one of the most popular genres of music in the world.

The first heavy metal bands

The first heavy metal bands became popular in the 1970s, with bands such as Black Sabbath, Deep Purple and Led Zeppelin leading the way. These bands paved the way for other metal bands that would follow in their footsteps, such as Iron Maiden, Judas Priest and Metallica.

In the 1980s, MTV began to play music videos by some of these metal bands, which helped to increase their popularity even further. Some of the first heavy metal videos to be played on MTV were “Smoke on the Water” by Deep Purple, “Iron Man” by Black Sabbath and “Enter Sandman” by Metallica.

Heavy metal music has continued to be popular in the years since, with new bands such as Slipknot, System of a Down and Avenged Sevenfold carrying the torch for this genre of music.

The first heavy metal songs

The first heavy metal videos to be played on MTV were Judas Priest’s “Breaking the Law” and Iron Maiden’s “Run to the Hills” in 1982. These two songs are often credited with helping to break heavy metal into the mainstream.

Judas Priest’s video for “Breaking the Law” was directed by Julien Temple and shot in black and white. It featured the band members walking around London, breaking various laws. The video was simple but effective, and it helped to introduce a new audience to Judas Priest’s music.

Iron Maiden’s video for “Run to the Hills” was directed by Noddy Holder and featured the band performing in a live setting. The video was high energy and exciting, and it helped to put Iron Maiden on the map.

These two videos were responsible for bringing heavy metal music to a wider audience, and they laid the groundwork for future metal bands to find success on MTV.

The First Heavy Metal Videos on MTV

The first heavy metal music videos

The first heavy metal music videos were played on MTV in the early 1980s. These videos helped to popularize the genre and bring it into the mainstream. Some of the earliest and most influential heavy metal videos include:

-Iron Maiden, “Run to the Hills” (1982)
-Motörhead, “Ace of Spades” (1980)
-Judas Priest, “Breaking the Law” (1980)
-Black Sabbath, “Paranoid” (1970)

These videos helped to increase the popularity of heavy metal music and make it more accessible to a wider audience. They also helped to establish MTV as a major force in promoting and popularizing music.

The first heavy metal music video on MTV

On August 1, 1981, the first heavy metal music video was aired on MTV. The song was “Iron Man” by Black Sabbath. This was a groundbreaking moment for the genre, as it gave metal a mainstream platform to reach a wider audience.

MTV would go on to play a significant role in the popularity of metal in the 1980s, by airing music videos from bands such as Metallica, Slayer, and Megadeth. These bands would help define the sound and style of metal for years to come.

The Impact of Heavy Metal on MTV

MTV changed the face of music when it first launched in 1981. The music television channel became a staple in many households and introduced a new generation to music. One of the most popular genres of music on MTV was heavy metal. Heavy metal music videos were some of the first played on MTV and they had a huge impact on the channel.

The popularity of heavy metal music videos

The early 1980s saw the rise of heavy metal music and its associated subculture. With the advent of music television channels like MTV, heavy metal bands began to gain mainstream popularity. The first heavy metal music videos to be played on MTV were Judas Priest’s “Breaking the Law” and Iron Maiden’s “Running Free.” These videos helped to introduce the genre to a wider audience and helped to make heavy metal more acceptable in the mainstream.

Since then, MTV has continued to play a significant role in the promotion of heavy metal music. MTV’s annual “Headbangers Ball” program was instrumental in exposing many young people to the genre. In addition, MTV has aired numerous metal-themed shows such as “Beavis and Butt-head,” “Headbangers Ball,” and “Metal Mania.”

The popularity of heavy metal music videos on MTV has helped to make the genre more mainstream and more acceptable to a wider audience.

The influence of heavy metal on MTV

The first heavy metal music videos to be played on MTV were those of Van Halen and Def Leppard in 1981. These two bands helped to set the sound and style of heavy metal for the next decade, and their videos were in regular rotation on MTV. Other early metal bands that made an impact on MTV include Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, and Motörhead.

MTV’s influence on heavy metal was evident not only in the popularity of metal bands, but also in the way that they looked and sounded. The look of heavy metal was defined by its flashy and often outrageous fashion, which was often inspired by the fashion of glam rock stars like David Bowie and Alice Cooper. The sound of heavy metal was heavier and more aggressive than anything that had been heard before, thanks to the invention of the Marshall amplifier in 1963. This new sound was perfect for headbanging and air guitar, two activities that became synonymous with metal culture.

MTV’s influence on heavy metal waned in the 1990s as alternative rock became more popular, but metal remains one of the most popular genres of music among MTV viewers today.