Member-only story
Why I Love Music Videos
Growing up during the 1950s and 1960s, my primary exposure to music was limited to the radio and to the few 45s or albums that I purchased. At times, I didn’t understand the words, or I had a hard time visualizing the narrative of the song. That’s why when MTV (Music Television) began in the early 1980s, I was hooked immediately. I loved this cool new art form that added video to the soundtrack. So today, when I need a short break from all my reading and writing on the computer, I often jump over to YouTube to watch some of my personal favorites and to recall again why I love music videos.
Music Videos Capture a Time and a Place
“Allentown” by Billy Joel. During the early days of MTV, I watched it often, so the videos from that era remind me of where I was — single and lonely — and what I was doing: teaching English at a small, Catholic high school. The songs themselves can also portray a time and a place, and Billy Joel’s “Allentown” is a touching anthem to the unfortunate death of the steel industry in Pennsylvania.
