Music videos, specifically the advent of MTV, certainly changed the face of music forever. But as the classic song goes, did it truly kill the raidio star?
Before music videos came into the limelight, music (and the artists that created it) was transported primarily through the medium of the radio. Though the sound had an intimate feel, as if you were right in front of the band and they were playing this song just for you, they remained a faceless entity comprised only of sound waves. MTV and all of its followers and subsequent copycats put a face to the name and sound, forcing an entirely new dimension and medium onto the artists and industry.
The simple answer here is that music video stars outshone the counterparts that weren't "pretty" enough to make the jump from radio, but the truth is far more complicated. Former radio stars had to adapt to and embrace this new medium in order to survive, and many of them did just that. Likewise (at least in today's world) an artist or band cannot survive on music videos alone, and must have radio play as well. The music must be able to stand on it's own for radio play, and be flashy enough (and have a good enough video) to be a hit on TV as well. Video did NOT kill the radio star. The video star IS the radio star, and vice versa. They are one in the same.
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