18.9.12 - Research: A Timeline of Music Videos

Muisc videos have developed over the years and first began with one idea in mind which was to promote songs and artists. Through my research I have been able to track the main developments of music videos up until present day:

1894 - The first ever form of a music video whereby a series of still images are projected (shown) on a screen whilst music is played live in the background, this performance was called 'Lost Little Child' developed by George H. Thomas, through this promotional video, it sold more than 2 million copies of sheet music nation wide.This is the advertisement and the first page of the music played:

1926 - Saw the beginning of musical short films featuring the artist known as 'talkies' (talking pictures). Jazz music was heavily influenced by the use of promotional music videos. Such as Bessie Smith - St. Louis Blues song released in 1929 which is a two-reel short film. Which tells the story of the artist mourning over her lover who is absent at a bar whilst the other support singers from the choir play customers in the background of the scene.

1959 - J. P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson created the phrase 'music video'. The rise of popular music was heavily influenced by the rise in the television industry.

1964 - The Beatles set the standards for modern day music videos, influencing the way in which all future music videos would be judged. The song 'A Hard Days Night' hit the screens with many iconic scenes which would be recreated in many other media oultets in the future, such as:



3 people pretending to be on the phone
 in a phone booth (Humourous)



Jumping over the fence on to a moving viechle

Disguise

1981 - MTV is launched. This television channel allows 24hour broadcasting of music videos - expeanding the audience. It also palyed a central role to the popularity of music videos, showing the music video as a influential marketing tool for up and coming artists towards the mid 80's.

1983 - The most well known music video by Michael Jackson is released.

2005 - The opening of Youtube and iTunes. Youtube allows a world wide audeince to view and be more up to date with the latest music, whilst at the same time allows new artists to develop their way through the music industry as a world wide audience can view the popularity of the artist. iTunes makes music videos widely avaliable to be downloaded from internet.