Grantland takes on MTV's early history

Sunday, October 9, 2011 at 1:01 AM
Logan Molen in Chuck Klosterman, ESPN, Grantland, MTV, Music, Sports

I wrote a few months ago about ESPN's new digital magazine Grantland and its commitment to stray beyond its foundation in sports. 

The latest evidence of that is a fantastic hourlong podcast on the early history of MTV hosted by gonzo journalist Chuck Klosterman (author of one of my favorite music books "Fargo Rock City.") 

Klosterman chats with Craig Marks and Rob Tannenbaum, authors of "I Want My MTV: The Uncensored Story of the Music Video Revolution," on the origins of the network; why execs embraced Spring Break content (think beer money); why British New Wave bands got airplay over American acts, specifically black artists; and why hair-metal bands were among the few artists to show up on time for MTV appointments. There's even an interesting discussion of Billy Squier's "Rock Me Tonite" video, which Squier said effectively ended his career. 

This is a podcast that's great fun and informative, and one that makes me want to read the book, which hits stores in late October.

 

Article originally appeared on LoganMolen.com (https://www.loganmolen.com/).