MTV/1984

Top of the Hour 1984 (May 14, 1984-February 3, 1986)


ID: We see some brightly-colored rotoscoped footage of Apollo 11 launching into space, Neil Armstrong stepping out, and Neil putting up an MTV flag. A man in a control room looks at the MTV flag on some screens. Neil stands next to the flag, then the flag changes different colors on screens in the control room.

Technique: Rotoscoped live-action footage, animated by Buzzco Associates in New York.

Music/Sounds: A rocket launching sound, followed by a new version of the "One Small Step" theme, composed by Tom Pomposello and Del Fuegos.

Ants (1984-1988)


ID: A group of ants are seen with TVs in their pincers. They use them to help create their MTV shaped nest.

Technique: 2D animation.

Music/Sounds: An adventurous sounding theme.

Art History (1984-1997)


ID: The MTV logo is presented in several different art styles from over history, including a cave painting, a regal statue, a Greek vase, The Creation of Adam, and several surreal art styles until it appears in front of the "Have a nice day" smiley who winks.

Technique: 2D animation by Colossal Pictures.

Music/Sounds: A rising synth fanfare that ends with a goofy warble.

Construct (1984-1988)


ID: Unknown

Variant: A version with a cat face and different colored logo is known to exist.

Technique: Stop-motion by Woo Art.

Music/Sounds: Unknown

Crime Scene (1984-1989)


ID: In the POV of a man, we walk down a city street at night until we encounter a man in a suit with a gun which the light from a street light fills the screen before becoming the light of the camera held by a person on the crime scene. The camera points downwards to reveal the MTV logo printed on the pavement.

Technique: Dark watercolor animation by Colossal Pictures.

Music/Sounds: Footsteps and a gunshot as well as a dramatic strings score.

Dancing People (1984-1989)


ID: A group of people are shown dancing on a grey-white background. Eventually, the view zooms out to reveal the MTV logo is what they're grooving on.

Technique: CG animation by Colossal Pictures and Pacific Data Images.

Music/Sounds: An 80s-era dance music with a vibey drum beat.

Diving M (1984-1989)


ID: We see a man with an inner tube shaped like a seahorse on a diving board. He jumps off, and his inner tube screams right at the screen. He falls into a pool shaped like the MTV logo, and cracks appear to form "TV" while the water drains and some water forms the text "MUSIC TELEVISION", and the man and inner tube appear from the cracks.

Technique: 2D animation produced by Colossal Pictures.

Music/Sounds: A trumpet fanfare, then a drum-roll and the inner tube screaming, and 2 more trumpet notes when the cracks appear and a Synth and Tuba Note when the man and inner tube appear from the cracks.

Elements (1984-1989)


ID: Against a sky background, we see footage of three elements: water, steam, and fire, each with parts of the MTV logo visible. They then combine together to form the full logo.

Technique: Live-action footage edited together. Done by Colossal Pictures.

Music/Sounds: A series of deep whooshes.

Floating Letters (1984-1988)


ID: Unknown

Technique: 2D animation by Jerry Lieberman.

Music/Sounds: Unknown

Frank M Stein (1984-1989)


ID: A mad scientist turns on a machine to give life to his creation. Said creation is revealed to be the MTV logo in a Frankenstein's monster look. The "TV" beats like a heart.

Technique: Stop-motion by Olive Jar Animation.

Music/Sounds: The machine turning on, the MTV creature roaring, and its heart beating.

Generic M (1984-1989)


ID: The MTV logo appears in black on a white background with a barcode above it.

Technique: A still image by Colossal Pictures.

Music/Sounds: A snippet of a string cover of "She Believes In Me" by Kenny Rogers.

Legacy: This ID is somewhat humorous, since it's basically the polar opposite of what an MTV bumper is known to usually be.

Living Room (1984-1989)


ID: We see four men in the living room watching TV. A toy car arrives and changes the channel to MTV, which gets all the men pumped up. We zoom into the MTV logo on the screen.

Technique: Cut-out animation by Colossal Pictures.

Music/Sounds: Audio from the TV, and metal music when the channel changes.

M Neighborhood (1984-1989)


ID: In a suburban neighborhood, we see various things starting with M: the mailman, a mongrel, and a mom. We then suddenly pan over to a house blaring music and zoom into the TV in the window, revealing the MTV logo.

Technique: A blend of 2D and stop-motion by Colossal Pictures.

Music/Sounds: A voice-over describes the first three words. Loud rock music then blares from the house.

Music (1984-1989)


ID: We see a colorful diagram form on a black background, forming the shapes of various musical objects. Eventually, they form into a yellow and blue MTV logo.

Technique: Computer animation.

Music/Sounds: Same as "Blue and Green" and "Ducks and Bunnies".

Mystery Man (1984-1989)


ID: A trio of idents focusing on a detective man solving crimes.

Technique: Traditional animation by Joey Ahlbum.

Music/Sounds: A brass heavy cop show score.

Paradox (1984-1989)


ID: In a white room, we see three instances of various pieces of furniture lined up to give an illuison that they're forming the MTV logo.

Technique: Live-action footage.

Music/Sounds: A surreal avant garde piece.

Repairman (1984-1988)


ID: We see the MTV logo against a yellow background before it separates. We then see a repairman plugging two loudspeakers into a TV set, and the MTV logo appears on both the TV and his head when he finishes.

Technique: 2D animation.

Music/Sounds: Synthesized beeping. At the very end, an 80s type tune plays.

Roman (1984-1989)


ID: A muscular Roman man is seen bored, but then gets an idea. He orders his servants to bring in a TV which is playing music and the MTV logo pops out of the television.

Technique: 2D animation.

Music/Sounds: Roman music at the start and an electric guitar blaring from the TV.

Sunset (1984-1986)
ID: Unknown

Technique: 2D animation.

Music/Sounds: Quiet ambience.

Time Machine (1984-1988)


ID: A time machine is activated and we a stone age M being struck by lightning before getting transported to Greece then to the 20th century. The time machine continues to rapidly move forward in time until it breaks. The MTV logo then appears with static inside it.

Technique: 2D animation.

Music/Sounds: The machine whirring and malfunctioning, followed by a burst of white noise.

Trojan M (1984-1988)


ID: In a castle, we see a group of knights whispering to each other. Then the castle door falls down and you can see a Trojan horse shaped like the MTV logo. A trumpet pops out of it.

Technique: Stop-motion animation produced by Olive Jar Animation in Boston.

Music/Sounds: The knights whispering, the Trojan horse rolling, and the Trojans yelling for victory.

Tunnel (1984-1988)


ID: We zoom down a road and through an M-shaped tunnel. After a while of zooming passes various music based images, we come out and make a wild turn to see the M tunnel again before zooming back in.

Technique: 2D animaton by Colossal Pictures.

Music/Sounds: A synth beat alongside various car tire screeching sounds.

Voodoo (1984-1989)


ID: We pan across a jungle to see a tribe doing a ritual dance. We zoom past them to see they're dancing near a TV with a flaming MTV logo in it.

Technique: A blend of live-action and 2D animation.

Music/Sounds: Jungle drums and the sound of the tribe chanting.

Zoom In (1984-1989)


ID: We see an observatory which destroys Saturn, causing a surreal sequence which the camera zooms through various landscapes until we see two monsters watching MTV.

Technique: 2D animation by Colossal Pictures.

Music/Sounds: A distorted space melody.