'How video didn't kill the radio star'

During the 1950s Rock and Roll films such as 'Rock around the clock' introduced audiences to the idea of 'band performances'.

Music videos were formally introduced in the late 1960s when record companies payed big name stars to make a short film for their new singles. When bands did not perform on TV becuase promotins took them elsewhere their record sales were affected, so making these short films were a fall back.

Music videos as postmodern: videos subvert more of their own conventions than they ahere to. they embrace many genres; documentry, animation aswell as abstract. They also borrow and rework other texts knowingly and ironically with a self-conscious wit, e.g. 'Madonna's Material' girl mimics Marilyn Monroes performance of 'Diamonds are a girl's best friend' in 'Gentle men prefer blondes'.

Music videos like Micheal Jackson's 'Thriller' purposley subvert conventions of pop however they are done in a Hollywood style cinematography and lack in the charm more low-fi productions bring.

At the beginning of the 90s the authenticity of the 80s music videos was dropped and more abstarct and simple filmaking took its place. For exampl Garbage's 'Stupid girl' (1996) was made ij only 4 hours.

Claims have been made that due to the freedom in music video making it is now an 'Auteurs medium', directors such as Jonus Ackerland have a unique style.

Artists like Missy Eliot that have a representation of excess and having some of the most expensive music videos made which have the 'i'm worth it' narrative says people from the ghetto can over indulge.

Digital technology, broadband, mobiles ect all change the way audiences consume music videos, MTV being the most significant in the evolution of music videos.