Dial MTV
Encyclopedia
Dial MTV was a television series on MTV
that played music videos. It premiered February 17,1986. Much like Total Request Live
, Dial MTV played the top five or top ten most requested videos of the day, as requested by viewers who dialed in (hence, the name) to vote for their favorite video. The countdown started with the fifth or tenth most requested video and ended with the most requested. The show generally aired Monday through Friday for 30 minutes to one hour. The scheduling and length fluctuated over the years.
The show had several different hosts. The best known one in the US was Adam Curry
, who was also a VJ on MTV's Headbangers Ball
from 1987-1989. On MTV Europe the show was hosted by Rebecca de Ruvo. The video to be #1 longest was "Pour Some Sugar on Me
" by Def Leppard
. It was #1 on the show from May 26-September 5, 1988, a total of 73 days.
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
that played music videos. It premiered February 17,1986. Much like Total Request Live
Total Request Live
Total Request Live is a television series on MTV that featured popular music videos. TRL was MTV's prime outlet for music videos as the network continues to concentrate on reality-based programming. In addition to music videos, TRL featured daily guests...
, Dial MTV played the top five or top ten most requested videos of the day, as requested by viewers who dialed in (hence, the name) to vote for their favorite video. The countdown started with the fifth or tenth most requested video and ended with the most requested. The show generally aired Monday through Friday for 30 minutes to one hour. The scheduling and length fluctuated over the years.
The show had several different hosts. The best known one in the US was Adam Curry
Adam Curry
Adam Clark Curry is a broadcasting and Internet personality well known for his stint from 1987 to 1994 as a video jockey on the music video channel MTV. In the mid-1990s, Curry was a World Wide Web entrepreneur and one of the first celebrities to personally create and administer a Web site...
, who was also a VJ on MTV's Headbangers Ball
Headbangers Ball
Headbangers Ball is a music television program consisting of heavy metal music videos airing on MTV2, MTV Australia, MTV Two , MTV Adria , MTV Brand New, MTV Portugal, MTV Finland, MTV Arabia, MTV Norway, MTV Sweden, MTV Denmark, MTV Greece, MTV Türkiye, MTV...
from 1987-1989. On MTV Europe the show was hosted by Rebecca de Ruvo. The video to be #1 longest was "Pour Some Sugar on Me
Pour Some Sugar on Me
"Pour Some Sugar on Me" is a song by British hard rock band Def Leppard from their 1987 album Hysteria. It reached number 2 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100...
" by Def Leppard
Def Leppard
Def Leppard are an English rock band formed in 1977 in Sheffield as part of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal movement. Since 1992, the band have consisted of Joe Elliott , Rick Savage , Rick Allen , Phil Collen , and Vivian Campbell...
. It was #1 on the show from May 26-September 5, 1988, a total of 73 days.