We Need a New MTV

A new decade calls for a new MTV

By Peter Nomeland

MTV, in its prime, was absolutely the center of the culture, cultivating almost everything we think of when we think of the ‘90s. The channel, which stands for “music television,” was a platform that elevated artists in ways that didn’t seem possible in a pre-internet time. MTV was the way everyone discovered music and shaped their tastes. Whether it was music videos that would premiere on air, the legendary “Unplugged” concerts they would host, or the MTV Video Music Awards, if you were an artist or band in the ‘90s with a following, you could probably attribute at least some of that success to MTV. The list of artists that were elevated by the channel is insane, and I couldn’t possibly list them all here, but some standouts include Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Madonna, Bjork, Tupac, Biggie, Radiohead, Nine Inch Nails, Fiona Apple, Green Day, the Beastie Boys, and the Wu-Tang Clan.

So why am I singing the praises of a network that hasn’t been relevant in over a decade? Because it needs to become relevant again. Or at least something like it needs to take its place. A lot has changed since the heyday of MTV, including how we consume music and television. Today's listeners access their music through streaming services such as Apple Music and Spotify, and music videos rack up millions of views on YouTube the minute an artist tweets it out. And, let’s be honest, outside of sports and election results, when was the last time you watched something on live TV? So one could argue that there isn’t a need for an MTV in the age of the internet, and that’s technically true. There are countless ways artists can promote themselves, and thanks to streaming, finding new music is as easy as it's ever been. But MTV was a place that allowed artists as different as Madonna and Nirvana to have the same level of popularity at the same time. It showcased everything to everyone, allowing for people to cultivate their music tastes. Today, there are more genres and tastes than ever before, with more people having access to music than ever.

And there’s the biggest argument for MTV.  What made the network special is that it was something that appealed to everyone, from the mainstream to the counterculture. But it also created zeitgeist—shared common knowledge of what the biggest and best in music and culture was. When an artist dropped a buzzy new music video on MTV in primetime, it was all anyone could talk about the next day, inspiring conversation and debate between the audience. New music comes out so fast today that it feels like the discussions surrounding the music and the artists ends as soon as it starts. A place like MTV, if done right, could allow these conversations about the artists that are cultivating our culture to more of a shared experience.  

Last week, the Grammy nominations were released, and like every year for the past decade, the internet went into an outcry about how out of touch and wrong the nominations were. Among the artists snubbed was The Weeknd, one of the biggest stars in the world, who back in September had a critically acclaimed performance of “Blinding Lights” at the all-virtual VMAs. The video the performance was based on went on to win Video of the Year, and yet there was little chatter on the internet about the whole show. Here is where a new revamped MTV could kill two birds with one stone. A new MTV, with an emphasis on our current superstars like Mr. Weeknd and Taylor Swift, as well as exciting up and coming artists, could lead to a new age of music fandom where we get an accurate representation of what the culture is representing.