History of Music Videos

-The invention of film and cinema brought about the possibility of combining music and moving images.
-Advances in technology have turned the music video into what it is today. But, you might be surprised at where it came from.
-Surprisingly, music videos have been around since the 1920s. Many jazz musicians of the time, such as Bessie Smith, made short films to accompanying popular songs.


Bob Dylan - Subterranean Homesick Blues

1965: Bob Dylan filmed Subterranean Bluesas a segment for D.A Pennebahe's film, 'Don't look back' - widely identified as one of the first modern music videos.

The video features a boy holding cards with the lyrics of the song in it, with him positioned on the right side of the screen - so, it's easier for the viewer to read. The camera is slightly shaky with the people in the background getting on with their lives. The video is done in one shot, with a lack of editing.

Pop music TV shows.

1970: The record industry discovers TV shows, they decide it is a great opportunity to promote their artists.
They focus on producing short 'promos.' Early music videos which started to replace the live performance of the artists on the TV-stage.

Queen - Bohemian Rhapsody
1975: Bohemian Rhapsody, was ground breaking video released by Queen. It marked the beginning of the video era and set the language for modern music videos. The video is considered one of the first to used advanced visual effects.

The video is experimental, using effects and lighting to revolutionise the music video industry. It shows a mix of studio and live performances. Scenes fade into one another, with many cuts that show the transition from on focus to another.