Welcome to Gaia! :: View User's Journal | Gaia Journals

Music videos, what an oxymoron!
Oxymoron = A rhetorical figure in which an epigrammatic effect is created by the conjunction of inconguos or contradictory terms.
Try saying that 5 times fast!
What this means is that an oxymoron is when opposite words are used together. Some examples would be, "Peace force, butt head, good grief, and living dead."

So as I was saying about music videos. Music was originally meant to be heard not seen. It allowed your mind to flow freely and imagine your own storyline behind each song. Music's effect on our minds caused it to controll our emotions. Slow quiet songs usually make us feel sad, neglected, and love sick. Fast loud songs usually make us empowered, inspired, and energized. But the addition of images to our music tightens it's leash on our imaginations. Music videos show us what the band wants us to see when we hear their songs. It's like taking the easy way out of using our minds. Sometimes music videos can be used to inform listeners on important issues. Like the new song "The Saints Are Comming" by U2 and Green Day, who decided to join forces to educate the public on the devastation in New Orleans. But I'll let you be the judge of whether music videos are an improvement to music or not.

So how were music videos born and what was the first one? My search began with the song "Video Killed The Radio Star" by the Buggles, 1979. This song, ironicaly, is about how music videos were replacing plain old music on the radio. If you ever get the chance to see the music video for this song you may be a little freaked out. It has TVs blowing up, ladies in spandex trapped in tubes, and some other wierd stuff. According to my close friend and several sites on Google, this was the first music video. But, this statement was only half true. "Video Killed The Radio Star" was the first music video, to appear on MTV, not ever to be made though.

Next, my search lead me to Yahoo.com, where I think I found the answer to my question. The first music video ever made was a song called "Bohemian Rhapsody" by Queen. It was originally made as part of a rock opera in 1975. That's 4 years befor, "Video Killed The Radio Star" was even made. The tone of "Bohemian Rhapsody" changes quite a few times thoughout the song. It covers alot of musical elements and emotions. The theme can be confusing. I think it has something to do with the difference between life, death, and facts vs. fantasy.

So there it is, music's efect on our life, radio's death, and the facts. You'll have to decide what's fantasy.

Extra Info:
"Video Killed The Radio Star" was also the millionth song played on MTV.
In 1977, only two years after its release, "Bohemian Rhapsody" was named 'The Best Single Of The Last 25 Years
In 1992 "Bohemian Rhapsody" was part of the soundtrack to the film "Wayne's World"
"Video Killed The Radio Star" can be found on a version of "DDR".

Thank you all and ROCK ON!