It began with Tina Turner.
She was the primary artist to signal on to carry out on the first MTV Video Music Awards 40 years in the past on Sept. 14, 1984.
And together with her blond mane and black miniskirt, the rock ’n’ soul legend shimmied throughout the stage at New York’s Radio Metropolis Music Corridor to “What’s Love Acquired to Do With It,” which was reigning atop the Billboard Sizzling 100 as her first and solely No. 1 solo single.
Turner, within the midst of a profession comeback that will culminate with three Grammys in 1985, was simply one of many pop icons who had all the pieces to do with the VMAs changing into the recent new music awards present simply three years after MTV launched.
“When you e-book a few huge stars, and when you’ve received another individuals which can be agreeing to be on it, then others go, ‘Oh, yeah, I could be on that too,’ ” Bob Pittman — the co-founder of MTV who was one of many producers of the primary VMAs — advised The Publish.
“And the key of reserving an enormous occasion is you begin along with your A acts. As a result of for those who do begin with a B act, no A acts will come as a result of they suppose it’s for B acts.”
However with Turner after which different ’80s stars akin to Rod Stewart, David Bowie, ZZ High and Huey Lewis and the Information becoming a member of the performer lineup — together with a relative newcomer named Madonna — it was clear the VMAs have been immediately changing into an A-list awards present.
The thought for the VMAs — which is able to happen on the UBS Area in Elmont, NY, Wednesday — took place as a means for MTV to say its territory as the house of music movies.
“As MTV started to be a hit, you then begin worrying about, ‘What’s our franchise?’ ” mentioned Pittman, who’s now chairman and CEO of iHeart Media. “And what we knew was we didn’t need different individuals to be giving out awards for video music and making it type of a commodity.
“We needed video music to be fully synonymous with MTV, so we knew we would have liked to do an award present. And it’s type of then making an attempt to determine how we may do one, how we may afford it.”
After enlisting NBC producer Don Ohlmeyer, the VMAs got here to life as one thing that will transcend the cable community. “Really, the primary Video Music Awards present was on MTV and it was simulcast on the Metromedia TV stations, as a result of we would have liked it to get the viewers attain for the advertisers,” mentioned Pittman.
When it got here to hosts for the primary VMAs, they regarded exterior of the music world to broaden the viewers attraction.
“We had Dan Aykroyd and Bette Midler the primary 12 months,” mentioned Pittman. “Bette was sizzling for the time being, and so was Dan … Someway we received them each to agree. They usually labored so exhausting. Each of them have been, like, engaged on the script collectively.”
Then they needed to give you the long-lasting trophy — the Moonman, which is now a Moon Particular person.
“The one factor we mentioned it must be is heavy. And when individuals maintain it, it must really feel heavy,” mentioned Pittman. “The Moonman was associated to the imagery of MTV … We put the person on the moon, and we modified the American flag to the MTV flag.”
When that first present went on Sept. 14, 1984, then-New York Mayor Ed Koch opened the proceedings, renaming Radio Metropolis as “Video Metropolis Music Corridor” for the evening. Presenters included Cyndi Lauper — who led the nominees with 9 nods — Billy Idol, Roger Daltrey, Corridor & Oates, Rolling Stone Ronnie Wooden and jazz fusionist Herbie Hancock, who topped the winners checklist with 5 awards for “Rockit.” However it was the Vehicles who received the primary Video of the Yr Moonman for “You Would possibly Assume.”
Actually, although, the evening’s largest winner was the longer term Queen of Pop — Madonna — who famously writhed throughout the stage in a white wedding ceremony costume as she carried out her traditional “Like a Virgin.”
“Madonna was a brand new artist, type of an unknown,” mentioned Pittman of the rising star who was nominated for Greatest New Artist in a Video for “Borderline. “And I keep in mind … Don goes, ‘Who is that this?’ ”
However by the the time Madonna made it down that three-tiered wedding ceremony cake, it might grow to be a second that will dwell on in MTV historical past — and make the VMAs must-see TV.
“Madonna knew how you can type of shock, and she or he type of knew the second,” mentioned Pittman. “You already know, there are just a few those that simply have a really feel for it. She was a type of.”