Happy 35th Birthday, MTV! Welcome to MTV Classic!

Yes, boys & girls, today (Monday, August 1) marks the 35th anniversary of the launch of MTV. And today also marks a new beginning as the VH1 Classic cable channel transforms into MTV Classic.

The new MTV Classic channel actually launched at 6am today with “MTV Hour One,” a re-broadcast of the very first hour of MTV programming that originally aired in 1981. And if you weren’t awake/tuned in earlier this morning, the hour will be repeated at 12noon today. (And it will also air on MTV’s Facebook page via Facebook Live.)

But sadly, as it turns out MTV Classic isn’t really about those classic MTV music videos of Duran Duran, REO Speedwagon, Adam Ant or Van Halen. Not at all. Rather the new channel is promising to focus on the MTV fare of the ’90s – when the network had already mostly ditched music videos in favor of “reality” TV, animated shows and scripted programs – “Daria,” “MTV Cribs,” “Beavis & Butt-Head,” “Aeon Flux” and “Laguna Beach,” along with a smattering of “MTV Unplugged” and “TRL.”

Whatever…

If you want some commentary on MTV Classic, may we suggest Jen Chaney’s “Hey, MTV Classic: Gen X Also Wants Its MTV” on Vulture.com…

And just in case you’re wondering, here’s the list of the first 40 music videos that were aired on Day One of MTV back on August 1, 1981:

1. The Buggles’ “Video Killed the Radio Star”
2. Pat Benatar’s “You Better Run”
3. Rod Stewart’s “She Won’t Dance with Me”
4. The Who’s “You Better You Bet”
5. Ph.D.’s “Little Suzi’s on the Up”
6. Cliff Richard’s “We Don’t Talk Anymore”
7. The Pretenders’ “Brass in Pocket”
8. Todd Rundgren’s “Time Heals”
9. REO Speedwagon’s “Take It on the Run”
10. Styx’s “Rockin’ the Paradise”
11. Robin Lane & the Chartbusters’ “When Things Go Wrong”
12. Splitz Enz’s “History Never Repeats”
13. 38 Special’s “Hold on Loosely”
14. April Wine’s “Just Between You and Me”
15. Rod Stewart’s “Sailing”
16. Iron Maiden’s “Iron Maiden”
17. REO Speedwagon’s “Keep on Loving You”
18. Michael Johnson’s “Bluer Than Blue”
19. The Pretenders’ “Message of Love”
20. Lee Ritenour’s “Mr. Briefcase”
21. The Cars’ “Double Life”
22. Phil Collins’ “In the Air Tonight”
23. Robert Palmer’s “Looking for Clues”
24. Shoes’ “Too Late”
25. Stevie Nicks and Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers’ “Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around”
26. Rod Stewart’s “Do Ya Think I’m Sexy”
27. Rupert Hine’s “Surface Tension”
28. Split Enz’s “One Step Ahead”
29. Gerry Rafferty’s “Baker Street”
30. Pat Benatar’s “I’m Gonna Follow You”
31. Tom Johnston’s “Savannah Nights”
32. Rockestra’s “Lucille”
33. Styx’s “The Best of Times”
34. Carly Simon’s “Vengeance”
35. Iron Maiden’s “Wrathchild”
36. Blotto’s “I Wanna Be a Lifeguard”
37. Rod Stewart’s “Passion”
38. Elvis Costello’s “Oliver’s Army”
39. The Silencers’ “Remote Control / Illegal”
40. Juice Newton’s “Angel of the Morning”