MTV debuted just after midnight on August 1, 1981. I don't know just how popular music videos were prior without a given avenue to be viewed. Music artists were aired often long before that but they were performing and weren't necessarily an orchestrated video designed to be entertainment all their own.
Before MTV, music videos were mostly films shot either live at a concert or at a televised venue (think Ed Sullivan). Distribution was spotty, to say the least, and to my recollection MTV did not use much if any of that material, preferring the flashy movie-style shoots they engendered.
With that said, there were quite a few shows on mostly independent channels which would play music videos before MTV took over.
Beatles did promotional videos especially after they retired from touring.
The Monkees were a big influence on music videos as well w/their TV show. Mike Nesmith is known for producing the first official music video show called Pop Clips, right before MTV was started.
So far I've traced music videos back to the 1940s to a jukebox called a Panoram that played 3 minute clips called Soundies. Then there was a revival in the 1960s with another jukebox called a Scopiotone. Most people wouldn't have either in there homes but they were popular in malt shops and restaurants.
I'm somewhat surprised that no one mentioned American Bandstand. Many 50's and 60's artists
reached their teen audiences though that show. They weren't music videos but many clips are all that remain of their time of popularity.
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