MUCHMUSIC at 25... Happy Birthday????

It’s hard to believe that 25 years ago Muchmusic made it’s debut on Canadian television. It’s amazing what can happen in 25 years. For me, this anniversary is a little bittersweet because for many years at least 60% of my television viewing habits were based on this station. Nowadays I usually want to vomit in my mouth every time I flip Muchmusic on.

So my question is: What the hell happened to Muchmusic??????

Many years ago it was proudly a station devoted to MUSIC. Imagine that... a station called MuchMUSIC actually primarily playing music videos and music related programming. It’s hard to believe that Muchmusic used to actually have some personality and character and not just be another faceless station in the CTVglobemedia chain. Much used to be so innovative and fun. Nowadays it’s just a place where reruns of So You Think You Can Dance Canada and The O.C. can fill up air time. There is little to no difference between Much and it’s sister station, Star.

Now I understand that the internet is the ruling media nowadays... and I am more than happy about that. But I still think there is a place for an actual television station that is live on the air 75% of the time, where the primary focus is music. Part of the thrill of growing up on Muchmusic was watching the VJs live on the air, hanging out on Queen Street and throwing to various music videos. The beautiful part of live television is that there are bound to be hiccups. It helped give Muchmusic some character.

I thought it was so cool that big name bands would do a live interview and play a couple songs. I distinctly remember Erica Ehm getting visibly repulsed at Anthony Kiedis from the Red Hot Chili Peppers for being a little too lewd and rude for her liking. However, she had to go with the flow because it was live... there were no second takes or editing.

However, the best thing about Muchmusic was that they helped kickstart the careers of countless Canadian artists. The Barenaked Ladies owe a huge debt to Much for scheduling them a prime appearance on Intimate & Interactive, based only on a BNL appearance on Speaker’s Corner, an independent cassette and a Bruce Cockburn cover.

Growing up in Regina, people my age had no internet or Sirius radio to check out music that was a little under the radar. Regina radio was, and still is, a horrible embarrassment and adds fuel to an already blazing fire of anti-prairie sentiments around the country. With funding from Videofact, Muchmusic took the chance to play videos by up and coming Canadian artists who had little to no airplay elsewhere. I still remember seeing The Pursuit of Happiness’ “I’m An Adult Now” for the first time, which was the first independent Canadian video shown on the station. I also vividly remember Regina’s own Age of Electric’s video for “Ugly” and “Aphrodisiac Smile.” For a Canadian band, getting a video aired on Much was the greatest exposure you could get.

If it was not for Muchmusic, I would not have been introduced to the following Canadian artists: The Pursuit of Happiness, Spirit of the West, The Lowest of the Low, Odds, Robin Black, Salmonblaster, Pluto, the Gandharvas, The Watchmen, Sloan,The Grapes of Wrath, the Skydiggers and Bif Naked.

Unfortunately, I was also introduced to Slik Toxik, Kish and Harem Scarem. But it’s not a perfect world. At least Mitsou was pretty hot. ;-)

Muchmusic spawned some truly talented VJs who have gone onto legitimate careers in the media world: namely, J.D. (John) Roberts, Daniel Richler, Sook-Yin Lee and George Stromboloupolis. Conversely, Much is also responsible for Rick Campinelli But at least he is quarantined on Entertainment Tonight Canada.

So 25 years after Moses Znaimer launched this innovative station and many years since Denise Donlan groomed it into being one of the pillars of Canadian television, Muchmusic is a mere shell of its former self. It really is painful watching it nowadays.

Thankfully Muchmoremusic has revitalized itself quite a bit by focusing more on music. It still has a ways to go but it’s pretty cool to see a station play MGMT on regular rotation. Unfortunately I still have to put up with episodes of Brooke Knows Best.

To commemorate Muchmusic at 25, here is a reminder of what Muchmusic USED to be like. Below is a clip for The Pursuit of Happiness’s “I’m An Adult Now.” For those who were born after 1990, this is called a MUSIC VIDEO... Wikipedia it sometime... ;-)

... submitted by JJ