MTV ended exactly where it began — with the same music video it first aired on August 1st, 1981

Generations gave away a piece of their hearts when MTV, the first music platform for many, shut down on New Year’s Eve, according to a Boston 25 report. Decades of nostalgia, memories, music, and fandom shifted from reality to the past, and it was only right to close with something iconic. So, MTV decided that for their very last video, they would go down memory lane and play the same clip that commenced it all. u/BreakfastTop6899 shared a post on January 2 of MTV’s “Video Killed the Radio Star” by The Buggles, which originally aired on August 1, 1981, and played one last time as MTV shut its doors for good. As the channel bid goodbye, Millennials, Gen Xers, and others couldn’t hold back bittersweet smiles.

Featuring The Buggles, a band started in 1977, the song was aimed at revealing the dynamics of technology, particularly the shift from radio to video, and it’s ironic to see how it still changed further with the following decades. Now, instead of the video replacing radio, the internet and other platforms are replacing the TV channel. Since the news, not only fans and audience but even former staff at MTV have expressed their heartbreak over its closure. Former MTV VJ Simone Angel told BBC News, “We need to support these artists, and we all need to dance again and listen to music. And I know we do that online in our own little bubbles, but MTV was the place where everything came together. So it really does break my heart.” 

Angel, who worked with MTV Europe and MTV UK in the 1990s, expressed the thrill of being loved by the world long before the internet. "MTV Europe was really the forerunner to the internet. We were the most widespread TV channel in the world at that point. We had between 100 and 150 million viewers,” she remarked. Former MTV DJ and television personality Daisy Fuentes also shared her sorrow with PEOPLE. "I thought, while it's a bit sad. I think MTV had its time and history that time will never repeat, and it's time to change. We all change. We have to evolve. And I hope that there's another version of them, just like there's another version of us,” she said.

The internet is filled with tributes to the channel that was a part of childhood to some, the beginning or youth to others. According to data published by Research Gate, MTV first aired in 1981. Having stuck for around 40 years, the music channels gave much to many growing up, BBC News shared. Right from the early hours of pop music or just enjoying a relaxed evening in retro fashion, many generations have enjoyed its brilliance. Others fondly recall the acoustic and live performances that were their only escape into the world of music. Every trending beat and move was made accessible for so many from this platform alone. While MTV HD is still reportedly streaming, 5 channels — MTV Music, MTV 80s, MTV 90s, Club MTV, and MTV Live have stopped.

According to Rolling Stone, the move was announced in October last year, and finally, the 24-hour music channels from MTV shut down. While other channels are still streaming, this decision has been taken as a cost-effective measure and also in accordance with demand. Variety shared a source statement, “MTV’s specialist music channels in the UK will no longer operate as linear channels. The flagship MTV UK channel will continue to broadcast. Paramount is reviewing and adjusting its international Pay TV portfolio, given shifts in audience behavior towards streaming and digital platforms.”

u/Rowbehr23 mentioned, “As a kid and teen in the 90s, MTV was the go-to channel morning, afternoon, night and obviously midnight with 120 minutes. Thanks to MTV music was my favorite subject to talk about in school.” u/Prestigious-Crry907 said, “Stopped watching decades ago. Still, sad to think about it being gone forever.” u/New-Mess9625 added, “MTV shutting down kinda proves how fast stuff changes. One day it’s culture, next day it’s history.” 

More on Scoop Upworthy

Old clip of David Bowie calling out MTV for not playing Black artists shows he was 'a real one'

The first movie to be released on DVD was in 1996 and the history of the disc still sparks nostalgia

25 pictures from the 90s that will fill anyone's heart with nostalgia about the golden times