A Brief History of the Music Video

Long before MTV, YouTube, or TikTok dance crazes, the music video was a very different beast—less polished promo, more experimental film. In the early days, musicians and filmmakers toyed with the idea of pairing visuals with sound, not to sell records, but to explore something more creative and abstract. These early efforts weren’t even called “music videos”—they were short films, promotional reels, or simply curios. But over the decades, that simple idea evolved into one of the most influential storytelling formats in pop culture.

The First Music Video?

There’s some debate over what counts as the first music video, but one strong contender is Bessie Smith’s 1929 film St. Louis Blues—a 16-minute musical short where she sings her heart out in a cabaret setting. It wasn’t a “video” as we’d understand it today, but it was the beginning of a long tradition: using film to add meaning, mood, or drama to a song.

Other early examples include the Vitaphone shorts of the 1920s and 1930s, which featured filmed performances by musicians and vaudeville acts. Then there’s Oskar Fischinger’s abstract 1938 film An Optical Poem, which synced shapes and colours to a classical score by Franz Liszt—more visual art than pop promo, but undeniably a precursor to the genre. Even Walt Disney’s Fantasia (1940) is sometimes cited in the conversation: a full-length animated film built entirely around musical interpretation, with no spoken dialogue at all. While none of these were “music videos” in the modern sense, they all laid the foundations for a format that would eventually explode into mainstream culture.

From Musical Shorts to Jukebox Films

Throughout the 1930s and 1940s, short musical films were a popular way to showcase songs. These were often shown before feature films in cinemas and featured artists like Cab Calloway, Louis Jordan, and Duke Ellington. One popular format was the Soundie—a three-minute musical performance filmed on 16mm and displayed on a coin-operated film jukebox known as a Panoram. Think of it as the precursor to MTV in your local diner.

In France, a similar concept emerged in the 1950s with the Scopitone, which combined filmed musical performances with playback machines in bars and cafés. Artists such as Serge Gainsbourg and Françoise Hardy embraced the format, and it offered a glimpse into a world where visuals and pop music were increasingly intertwined.

Meanwhile, Hollywood musicals like Singin’ in the Rain and Jailhouse Rock (featuring Elvis Presley) blurred the lines between performance, narrative, and visual spectacle. While these weren't technically “music videos”, they shaped how people understood music on screen—as something dynamic, expressive, and deeply visual.

The Beatles Get Creative

By the mid-1960s, The Beatles were rethinking how they connected with global audiences. Rather than appear live on every TV show promoting their latest singles, they began filming short promotional clips—early music videos in everything but name. These started as simple performance-style reels for tracks like Help!, Ticket to Ride, and Day Tripper, but quickly evolved into something more imaginative.

In 1967, the videos for Strawberry Fields Forever and Penny Lane pushed the format into surreal, psychedelic territory. With their experimental editing, dreamlike visuals, and emphasis on mood over miming, these films showed how music and image could create something richer than either alone. The Beatles weren’t just promoting songs—they were pioneering a new kind of artistic expression that would go on to influence generations of music video directors.

MTV Changes Everything

Then, in 1981, a cable network launched with the words: “Ladies and gentlemen, rock and roll.” MTV’s first broadcast was Video Killed the Radio Star by The Buggles—a self-aware choice that marked the beginning of a new era. Suddenly, music videos weren’t just promotional tools—they were essential. A great video could make or break a single, and artists began treating them as major creative statements.

Throughout the ‘80s and ‘90s, music videos reached extravagant new heights. Michael Jackson’s Thriller (1983), directed by John Landis, blurred the line between music video and short film. Madonna’s Like a Prayer (1989) sparked global controversy for its religious imagery. Meanwhile, directors like David Fincher, Spike Jonze and Michel Gondry built their careers in the music video world, bringing unique cinematic styles to pop tracks.

This was the golden age: when artists could drop a jaw-dropping visual and know it would be seen by millions on rotation. The video for Scream by Michael and Janet Jackson in 1995 reportedly cost $7 million to make—the most expensive music video of all time. The stakes were high, and so was the creativity.

The YouTube Revolution

Then came the internet. In 2005, a little platform called YouTube launched, and everything changed again. Suddenly, fans didn’t need to wait for a channel to play their favourite video—they could just search for it. The barrier to entry dropped, and the lifespan of a music video stretched far beyond a single week’s promo cycle.

In the YouTube era, music videos became more democratic. Viral hits like OK Go’s treadmill-dancing Here It Goes Again (2006) proved that innovation didn’t require massive budgets—just a great idea and replay value. Meanwhile, artists like Beyoncé used the format to craft entire visual albums, as with Lemonade in 2016, elevating the music video into a full-blown narrative art form.

Iconic moments kept coming: Lady Gaga’s Bad Romance, Childish Gambino’s This Is America, Billie Eilish’s bury a friend. And for global artists like BTS or Rosalía, music videos became a bridge to international fame—each release an event, built for YouTube premieres and global reaction videos.

Is The Music Video Dying?

And yet, in recent years, some artists have begun to question the value of the format. In 2023, Brazilian superstar Anitta caused a stir when she said she no longer makes music videos—at least not the way she used to. “Nobody watches them anymore,” she told Billboard. “Now I make short clips for social media.”

It’s a sentiment echoed by others. In an age of TikTok snippets and Instagram Reels, some argue the traditional 3–5 minute music video is losing relevance. Why spend weeks filming a high-concept short film when a 10-second clip can go viral and do more for your song?

But that doesn’t mean the music video is dead—just changing. Artists are adapting their visuals to shorter, more shareable formats. Some still make full videos, but slice them up strategically for social media. Others create vertical videos, fan-made montages, or animations tailored to the scrollable screen.

From Storytelling to Strategy

The music video has always been a mirror of the times: evolving with technology, media trends, and audience habits. From black-and-white jazz shorts to hyper-stylised K-pop choreography breakdowns, it has consistently reflected the intersection of music, image and culture.

Whether it's Beyoncé dropping a surprise visual album at midnight, or a rising indie artist making magic on a £200 budget, the format still holds creative potential. But now, artists have more options—and more questions. Do you go cinematic? Viral? Intimate? Is the goal art, reach, or both?

The music video may no longer rule the charts like it once did, but it still has power. It just looks different now—faster, shorter, more fragmented. Still bold. Still evolving. And in a world of infinite scroll, a truly unforgettable music video might just be the thing that makes you stop.

Submit your music video or short film to Boundless Film Festival. Click here to find out more