Video before 2000- Changing representations

The Rise and Evolution of Music Videos Before 2000

The 1980s marked the rise of MTV, which brought music videos to the forefront of the music industry. Videos became integral to music promotion and a way of artist-branding.
Early videos were often driven by performance with stage-like setups, mimicking live shows and focusing mainly on the musical act.
As the art form evolved, narratives and abstract concepts became popular, giving artists a visual platform to accompany their music and take viewers on a journey through their song.

Early music videos have been criticised for often portraying stereotypical gender roles or objectifying women, mirroring societal norms of the time.
However, music videos also began to challenge gender norms with artists like David Bowie and Prince presenting androgynous personas, pushing boundaries and eliciting discussions about gender and identity.
By the mid-90s, artists like Madonna were using music videos to challenge societal stereotypes of femininity and to promote sexual liberation.

Initially, MTV was criticised for under-representing black artists. This changed following the success of Michael Jackson’s “Billie Jean” in 1983, which was one of the first videos by a black artist to receive heavy rotation on MTV.
The rise of hip-hop and rap in the late 80s and early 90s brought more racial diversity to music video screens. Artists like Public Enemy and N.W.A. used the platform to raise awareness about social issues such as poverty, racial discrimination, and police brutality.
Other black and ethnic minority artists used music videos as a medium to showcase the richness of their cultures or to challenge racial stereotypes.

The changing aesthetics of videos mirrored the evolution of digital technologies with a shift from low budget 16mm film recordings to high-quality audiovisual productions.
Non-linear narratives, fragmented visuals, and technological effects increased, lining up with the growth of postmodernism in the wider media landscape.
By the end of the 1990s, the Internet was beginning to change distribution methods, setting the stage for the next epoch of music videos.

Prior to 2000, music videos had become an increasingly influential form of popular culture, having significant impacts on the arts, advertising, and social issues.
At the same time, they mirrored the changes in society, from the adoption of digital technologies to evolving attitudes towards gender and race.