The popular music video channel, MTV, aired its final broadcast on January 1, 2026. Created in 1981, MTV revolutionized the music industry by adding a visual component to music to accompany pre-recorded songs. It launched many influential artists to stardom, including many rock and metal musicians. All of its music channels, including the original MTV Music, shut down, leaving no MTV channels anywhere in the world playing music videos.

For its final broadcast, MTV Music played the same song it played for its first ever broadcast: The Buggles’ “Video Killed the Radio Star.” The song originally commented on how television replaced radio as the main source of in-home entertainment in America, but was used here to show the transition from radio singers to TV music videos. Now, 45 years later, the song is still applicable to how social media influences the popularity of artists, similar to how music videos did back then. MTV’s other channels, such as MTV 80’s and 90’s, signed off with songs that defined those decades.

The shutdown occurred because the owner of the MTV channels, Paramount Global, merged with Skydance Media, and they had to cut costs after the change. MTV will continue to make nonmusic programming, as they’ve had success with shows such as Jersey Shore, Teen Mom, and Catfish, but for anyone who grew up with the massive influence of MTV, this is truly the end of an extremely impactful era of music.