MTV marks 45 years, recalls first country song aired on the network

MTV celebrated its 45th anniversary, commemorating the launch of the channel on August 1, 1981. The milestone sparked retrospectives on the most influential music videos in the network’s history, including a list of the ten videos deemed most important.

Trivia surrounding the anniversary highlighted that the 41st video ever broadcast was Juice Newton’s "Angel of the Morning," making it the first country‑music video to appear on MTV. The piece also noted that Pat Benatar had two of the first 50 videos aired, underscoring the channel’s early blend of rock and emerging genres.