MTV Archives : The Retro Network

A Brief History of VH1

VH1 grew from a quiet alternative to MTV into a channel that shaped how viewers understood music, nostalgia, and pop culture, evolving from soft rock videos to documentaries and reality shows that reflected changing tastes across several generations.

Paramount is Exploring Strategic Partnerships to Revive MTV

The Retro Network

Paramount Skydance Corp. is actively pursuing new strategic partnerships as part of a broader effort to reinvent MTV and restore relevance to the once‑dominant music network. According to reports, the company has begun discussions with

Ringing in the New Year With MTV ’92: A New Year’s Special

Mickey Yarber

Retro Ramblings is the column where Mickey Lee shares his personal stories of growing up in the ’80s and ’90s. In those years before I had a driver’s license, before I could pile into a

The Retro Resurgence Podcast – Episode 29 | Weird Al Yankovic Parodies Bracket Madness Part 1

Chad Droze

Episode 29 is here. And we’re looking for all of the AL-coholics out there….Weird Al Fans that is!! We’re joined once again by another special guest – this time the “Mile High Samurai” himself Gary

Michael Jackson’s Thriller: Little Known Facts About the Iconic Music Video

Pitfall Gary

Micheal Jackson, the King of Pop, was a huge star from a young age. The creation of MTV and Michael Jackson’s Thriller music video propelled him onto another level. His music videos were always a

Television

Remote Control: The MTV Game Show That Broke All the Rules

Mickey Yarber

Before reality TV took over and music videos faded into the background, MTV’s first original non-musical show, Remote Control, blasted onto screens in 1987 with a recliner, a remote, and a whole lot of irreverence.

The Birth of MTV’s Video Music Awards

Mickey Yarber

When MTV launched the Video Music Awards (VMAs) on September 14, 1984, it wasn’t just creating an awards show, it was igniting a cultural revolution, though no one knew it then. Held at Radio City

The Importance Of Kurt Loder and MTV News

Chad Droze

MTV News changed the way a generation learned about music, culture, and the world, and Kurt Loder became the steady voice guiding us through it all. His reports gave MTV credibility and helped define an era when pop culture truly felt electric.

Whatever Happened to MTV’s Original VJs?

Mickey Yarber

When MTV launched on August 1, 1981, it didn’t just revolutionize music television—it introduced the world to a new kind of celebrity: the Video Jockey, or VJ. Five charismatic personalities became the faces of the

MTV and WWF’s Rock and Wrestling Connection of the ’80s

Mickey Yarber

In the mid-1980s, a seismic shift occurred in entertainment when two unlikely forces, MTV and the World Wrestling Federation (WWF), collided in a glittery explosion of music, muscle, and mayhem. This fusion, dubbed the Rock

The Cultural Impact of MTV’s Early Days

Mickey Yarber

The first wave of MTV music videos that all started with The Buggles’ “Video Killed the Radio Star” did more than entertain; they reshaped the cultural landscape in ways that still echo today. Here’s how

MTV Is Bringing Back 24/7 Music Videos For a Limited Time

The Retro Network

For years, fans have begged for MTV to go back to a music video format. Well, dust off your air guitars and crank up the volume, because for one glorious week this September, MTV is

MTV Unplugged: Top 10 Performances of the 90s

Pitfall Gary

With the recent news of Paramount+ streaming the highly popular MTV Unplugged series I thought I’d take a look back at the top performance that defined the show. MTV Unplugged Debuted in 1989 featuring the

Paramount+ Has Added 50 Classic Episodes of MTV Unplugged

The Retro Network

For music fans of a certain age, MTV Unplugged holds a special place in their hearts. With the first episode airing in 1989, the series has produced some of the most memorable live performances in

Remember That Show? Ep. 20: KIDS, Incorporated

Adam Pope

We’re going “all around the nation” to discuss “the new sensation” that was KIDS, Incorporated a kids musical show that ran for 10 years on the Disney Channel and featured all the top pop music

Geek Out! Podcast, Ep. 5: Boy Bands with William Bruce West

Adam Pope

William Bruce West knows boy bands of the 90’s like no one else. He analyzes the music, the history, the hype, the personalities and so much more as we give this pop music phenomenon the

84 From ’84: Electric Dreams

Pitfall Gary

An artificially intelligent PC and his human owner find themselves in a romantic rivalry over a woman. Cast: 1984 memories A rental based solely on the artwork. I was a big computer nerd and a