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Len Lye credited with the invention of the music video, 1937
Originally used for the post office as a promotional tool (one of the main functions of a music video)
There is a direct link between the music and the visuals
1940s and 1950s saw the introduction of the 'Music shows' which included audience/ fan shots
Introduction of 'dance' within music videos
1960s and 1970s saw changes to the codes and conventions within the music videos.
Artists like The Beatles started a trend for 'rock films' (whole films promoting the artist) and more experimental music videos that subverted the rules e.g. not performing live.
Also the 1970s brought about music videos that combined live and studio footage. This began to replace live gigs.
1981, launch of MTV which brought about the importance of post-production graphics and editing.
Thriller, Michael Jackson premiered on MTV 1984. Like a proper film with special effects and was very expensive. By having high production values, the bar was set for following music videos.
Other artists such as Madonna also gave a template for modern music videos with most cliches spanning from this era. Madonna herself is a template for female artists as she created her own artist persona.
1985 -> VH1 launched
1986 -> Chart Show on Channel 4 launched
1990s -> MTV Unplugged launched
Birth of auteur music videos with directors such as Romeneck, S Gondry, Spike Jonze and Chris Cunningham.
'Grunge' music videos were popular in the backlash against popular music videos.
On the other hand, 'epic' music videos were created which contained grand narratives and were very expensive.
Late 1990s saw a rise in Brit Pop who made music videos with much lower budget etc.
By the late 1990s there was an increase in the ways to watch music videos with YouTube etc. This benefited smaller artists.