Flow Diagram: The Development of the Music Video

Below is a flow diagram detailing the development of styles in music videos, starting in the 1920's until modern day videos.

The 1920’s were really the years when music video ideas came into practise, when  performers would project images onto a screen during their live performances which would link to the themes of the song, much like modern music videos.

Throughout the 1930’s and the years following, music videos were mainly these simple screen projections and perhaps short clips of the performers singing. This is because they didn’t have the necessary technology like we have today. The music video was a relatively new concept.

Artists and bands started to experiment with promotional videos but these were more of an art style.

Subterranean Homesick Blues by Bob Dylan in 1965 is still considered by many to be the first music video. This is a subject of debate however.  

In 1965 The Beatles made  a music video for ‘Ticket To Ride’ which was both performance and narrative based. This is when video producers started to consider the different elements they could include, instead of just the basics. The music video therefore evolved at this point in time.

At the end of the 1960’s and start of the 1970’s, the music industry was developing further through the graduation of film makers frim art schools. Producers and performers then started to experiment further with the music videos.

In the year 1975, Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen is thought also to be the first real music video because it was the first popular one to be aired on MTV. This sparked the rapid increase of the change in styles and originality of following music videos. 

Britney Spears sawed to popularity with ‘Hit Me Baby One More Time’ in 1999, in which she incorporated dance routines and costume changes, as well as performance and narrative, and main theme of being at school. This is how most celebrities promoted themselves and made their fame, through memorable traits in their videos. 

MC Hammers ‘U Can’t Touch This’ music video was launched in 2005 and is completely based on dance routines. This shows how over the period of over 80 years, music videos have established different elements depending on the song an artist.

The famous ‘Crazy Frog’, also in 2005 is another example of how these modern videos can differ, with this being an animation of a frog and the artist being shown as the frog. Contemporary music videos have been and will continue to develop into original ideas in order to capture the appeal of target audiences.