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The origins of music videos date back to musical short films that first appeared in the 1920's.
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Walt Disney creates the movie "Fantasia", mixing animation and music.
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A new invention comes to bars and clubs in the United States: Soundies, which plays music films along with music.
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In France the reinvention of the Soundies is made. It is renamed as Scopitone, and gives the possibility to select between several pieces in cinematographic support. It has great success in France.
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Hollywood discovers the genre of movies focused on music. A wave of rock 'n' roll films begins (Rock Around the Clock, Don't Knock the Rock, Shake, Rattle and Rock, Rock Pretty Baby, The Girl Can't Help It) and the famous films of Elvis Presley. Some were musical presentations within a story, others were magazine shows.
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British television invents a new form of musical programs. Shows like Top Of The Pops, Ready! Steady! Go! And Oh, Boy gave the way to several artists and became great successes.
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American television adapts this format. Hullabaloo was one of the first in this type, followed by Shindig! (NBC) and American Bandstand. In addition, in Bremen, Germany is transmitted Beat-Club, a musical program where they transmitted live videos of recognized artists of the time.
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The first conceptual videos are broadcast, such as Paperback Writer and Rain by The Beatles.
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More ambitious videos with colour are released, from The Beatles, like Penny Lane and Strawberry Fields Forever.
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Queen releases the single "Bohemian Rhapsody" with the first music video ever to contain special effects. Here begins a period of transition from the old music videos to a new generation that takes advantage of the technological advances of the time. From the success of it, the production of video clips by the record companies becomes habitual.
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MTV, the first 24-hour music video channel. Initially, few cable operators had it, then became a bigger hit and cultural icon. The first video that they broadcast was "Video Killed the Radio Star" by the group The Buggles.
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Appears the video Thriller of Michael Jackson, that marks a before and after in the industry of the music video, since it has a duration nearly 14 minutes long.
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The singer Madonna launches Like a Prayer (song), one of the most controversial music video of the musical history, criticism due to its religious, sexual, and racially oriented imagery, criticized mainly by the church.
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MTV begins to name the directors of music videos.
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The YouTube website is launched, which provides easier and faster access to music videos and other via through internet.
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Vevo is launched, it is a music video website, originally hosted on YouTube, owned by the two major record companies in the market (Universal and Sony Music).
