On Aug. 1, 1981, MTV — which, at the time, stood for Music Television — burst forth onto screens, heralded by the melodies of The Buggles’ “Video Killed the Radio Star.” That choice alone was an act ...

MTV seems more corporate and calculating all the time, so it's natural that the video music channel would compensate by striving for an image of faux rebelliousness and outrageousness. After weeks of ...