On Monday, August 1, 2011, MTV officially turned 30-years-old. And while people across the world often fear reaching the big 3-0, MTV seems to have nothing to worry about. The television channel has remained young-at-heart by consistently keeping up with the times.
As reported in the Los Angeles Times, "Thirty, according to an aphorism from a youth-oriented decade even older than MTV, was the age beyond which someone was not to be trusted. But the network decided never to grow up; it remakes itself to reflect the changing times..." This statement is reflected by a poll featured on Billboard.com. The poll outlines the top 30 music videos (10 in each decade) since MTV's inception, as voted by Billboard.com readers.
Upon viewing the poll's results, one can clearly see how much MTV has morphed over the past three decades. For example, the number one video in the 80s, according to the poll, was "Thriller" by Michael Jackson, whose music explored pop, R&B, rock and post-disco styles. However, the top video from the 90s was Britney Spears' "...Baby One More Time," which introduced the world to dance-pop and featured a sound that was remarkably different from that of Jackson's hits.
The world is by no means ashamed of Jackson's music, and some may even be proud of Spears' bubble-gum pop. But we can't help but wonder how current MTV trends will be viewed in another 30 years. The question on all of our minds is best expressed by the Los Angeles Times: "Snookie may be pulling in the numbers, but will you remember her fondly when you're old?"
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