We Want Our MTV: Here's What Was Happening On MTV In 1982

Jen Carlson

Published Aug 7, 2012

Modified Aug 7, 2012

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Pat Benatar says, "I Want My MTV"

Since MTV rarely finds the time to air full music videos anymore (what with all their teen pregnancy reality shows), and since we all love to complain about it... we figured we'd try to revive the channel's golden era right here. Each week we'll be showing videos and dishing out facts from each good year MTV had—we started with 1981, when it all began, and below is what we were tuning into in 1982.

Here's the crew celebrating their one year birthday in 1982:

On Night School, a show airing on the channel in 1982, Billy Joel answered audience questions from his piano bench. This is the year he would premiere his video for "Pressure," a song which he discusses in the below clip:

What was happening on MTV and in the music world in 1982?

1982 was the start of the 2nd British Invasion (Think: Duran Duran, The Human League, Flock of Seagulls, Pet Shop Boys, Peter Gabriel). This lasted through 1986, when Hair Metal took over.
February 19th Ozzy Osbourne was arrested after urinating on The Alamo. Exactly one month later his guitarist, Randy Rhoads, would die in a crash that occurred when the pilot of a private plane was attempting to buzz Osbourne's tour bus as a prank when he was sleeping.
On March 3rd The Mamas & the Papas kicked off a reunion tour at New York club The Other End. Spanky McFarlane replaces Mama Cass.
Comedian and Blues Brother John Belushi was found dead of an apparent drug overdose on March 5th. He was discovered in the Chateau Marmont Hotel in Los Angeles.
David Crosby was arrested for drugs, more drugs, and carrying a concealed weapon on March 28th. This wasn't the last time this would happen.
On April 15th Billy Joel was seriously injured in a motorcycle accident in Long Island. He spent a month in the hospital.
On April 17th Johnny Cash hosted Saturday Night Live. Cash, Elton John, and his classic band were the musical guests. You can watch it here.
Rock journalist Lester Bangs died in his New York apartment on April 30. Cause of death was said to be an overdose of prescription drugs.
The first of two US Festivals takes place, featuring sets by The Police, Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, Fleetwood Mac, Grateful Dead, Talking Heads and The B-52's. There were only two of these music and culture festivals, both sponsored by Steve Wozniak.

CATS started its 18 year run on Broadway on September 7th of this year.
The Who began their farewell tour on September 22nd. They've reunited plenty of times since.
October 1st sees the first compact disc, at stores in Japan.
The world is introduced to Madonna on October 6th via her debut single, "Everybody."

November 30th is big: Thriller is released by Michael Jackson. Last year original veejay Mark Goodman told us, "When we first started airing the full length Michael Jackson 'Thriller' video [the next year, in 1983] we used to play it like every 20 minutes." This was Jackson's sixth studio album.