God, I’m getting old. I know a lot of Gen X’ers like to say, “Remember when MTV used to play music?” But, as a “geriatric” millennial, all I’m saying is, “Remember when MTV used to have a whole buncha great shows?”
If you’re a fellow elder millennial like myself, then you know exactly what I’m talking about. Some of those shows were MTV cartoons (and two of them are on this list), but there were so many other great live-action programs that this ‘90s kid spent literal hours watching MTV.
Just to name a few that didn’t make the list: Celebrity Deathmatch, MTV’s Loveline, The Tom Green Show, MTV Sports, 12 Angry Viewers, and Idiot Savants. I loved you all, but not as much as these 10 other shows.
10. The Grind
I know you probably don’t want to hear about some loser’s sexual awakening, but, oh man. The Grind was it for me. The show was basically just people dancing. And, I’m not saying dancing well, like in the Step Up movies, which I still miss. I’m talking about just gyrating, and pelvic thrusting, often to rap music, but sometimes to hit pop songs of the era.
I would often dance along to these songs, too, and sweat a whole lot, so it was also great exercise for me.
It’s kind of crazy to think that MTV was so music-centric back in the ‘90s that they would just let people dance to their hearts’ content, and it was considered legitimate television. That’s all it was, and it was glorious. Oh, man. I miss the ‘90s.
9. Headbanger's Ball
I love music. And, when I say that, I mean all music. While I was definitely listening to The Notorious B.I.G. and 2Pac back in the ‘90s, I was also deeply into Metallica, Rage Against the Machine, Marilyn Manson, and Tool. But, those were just some of the mainstream metal groups that I was listening to.
It took Headbangers Ball, though, to get me into bands like Pantera, Motorhead, Anthrax, and a whole slew of other great bands that I’m still into today.
Headbangers Ball was awesome, because there were often interviews with groups, which really put faces to the musicians. One thing that blew my mind was that since I was so used to lead singers screaming their heads off, I was taken aback when I’d hear them just casually talking during an interview. It made them look like, I don’t know, normal human beings. It’s a shame that the show ended in the mid-90s, but it started in the ‘80s, so it had a good run.
8. Singled Out
Back in the ‘90s, I was mostly in elementary school, but for three uncomfortable years, I was in middle school, and I was deeply in love with one girl. Of course I didn’t know much about dating, and a show like Singled Out definitely didn’t help me on my journey to learning about it. But, thankfully, at least the show was enjoyable.
On the program, which was hosted by Chris Hardwick, who would eventually become the host of Talking Dead (Remember Talking Dead?!), and The Masked Singer’s Jenny McCarthy, 50 single women would compete for a date with one man, and 50 single men would compete for a date with one woman. So, it was kind of like The Bachelor, or The Bachelorette, before either of those shows existed.
It was also really silly. Basically, there would be a series of questions, and the person in the hot seat would “single out” the kind of date they were looking for by picking a category. Sometimes, the person would regret their choices when they saw some of the hot people that they kicked off, and those were always the best moments.
I’ll tell you, the dating world was nothing like Singled Out when I entered it…And, that’s probably for the best.
7. Yo! MTV Raps
I mentioned earlier that I love all music, and I do. If you’ll check out my current record collection, I have everybody from John Denver, to Windows96, to Barbra Streisand.
However, back in the ‘90s, rap music was definitely my preferred genre. Here’s an analogy for you: Headbangers Ball : Metal :: Yo! MTV Raps : hip-hop, because it was basically the same show, but with rap music instead of metal.
There would be interviews, videos from all sorts of acts, and just an overall appreciation for the culture. I’ll also never forget that it was hosted by Doctor Dre (That’s Doctor Dre. Not Dr. Dre), and his friend Ed Lover. They made for a great team on an overall great show.
6. MTV Unplugged
MTV Unplugged was like the show for me. On it, some of my favorite bands, like Nirvana, Alice in Chains, Stone Temple Pilots, etc. stripped down their electric sounds, lit up some candles, and performed most of their hits, but with acoustic instruments.
One of the biggest highlights was LL Cool J Unplugged. His “Mama Said Knock You Out” was such a totally different experience with live instruments. Another notable episode was when Oasis performed, and their lead singer, Liam Gallagher, bowed out at the last second. So, his older brother, Noel, filled in for him, only for Liam to be in the audience, heckling the band. Ah, memories.
5. Road Rules
Road Rules was pretty much The Real World, but in an RV and more gimmicky. On the show, its…contestants (?) would complete a series of challenges along the way to their destination. They didn’t have any money, so they’d have to get by and find all sorts of clues.
That was interesting, but I mostly liked all of the bickering each season. They eventually went to Europe one year, and I had an intense desire as a teenager to go there one day in the future that unfortunately never transpired. Maybe one day…though, sans the RV. That doesn’t seem like much fun anymore.
4. Total Request Live
Total Request Live is a bit of a cheat since it debuted in the late ‘90s, but it still played a major part in my youth.
The concept was simple. People would call In and request what videos they wanted to see, and then MTV would play them. Carson Daly was our host, and he'd interview people while fans screamed.
This was the first show that made me realize that people liked some of the same music that I liked. I'll never forget when Wu-tang Clan’s “Triumph” was the number one song one afternoon. It made me feel connected to so many people that day. What a rush.
3. The Real World
The Real World both excited me, but also frightened me when I was a teenager. On the show, a bunch of young adults were living in a house together, and basically had to get along to the best of their abilities. But, they would often argue over some of the pettiest stuff, and it worried me that this was what “the real world” would actually be like once I reached adulthood.
Everybody was also hooking up with one another it seemed, and this was the part that excited me. Once again, my own real life wasn’t a reflection of what I was watching on television, but that’s just me. I wasn’t like the people that I once saw on The Real World, and it took me to get to my own adulthood to fully understand that that was okay. I couldn’t be somebody I wasn’t, even if I tried.
2. Beavis And Butt-Head
Mike Judge worked on two of the greatest animated shows of all time in Beavis and Butt-Head, and King of the Hill. While the latter may have been the better show, the former is the one that most informed my teenage years.
It was just such a ridiculous show, but also one that resonated with me because I would later come to know people in high school who were just like Beavis and Butt-Head.
I'm talking about the sit in the back, do-nothing's who cracked jokes all day and hit on girls (to zero success). It was funny to watch Beavis and Butt-Head, but revelatory when I learned that people like them actually existed. What a bunch of fart knockers.
1. Daria
While I knew people like Beavis and Butt-Head in high school, I was Daria. I connected with no other show on MTV like I did this one, which is strange, because Daria was definitely a teenage girl, and dealt with teenage girl issues. That said, I still felt like her on many occasions while growing up. Her, and her artistic friend, Jane Lane.
On the show, Daria had to deal with all of the extroverts around her, and as a pessimistic introvert myself, Daria just spoke to me. Strange, but true.
How many of these shows did you watch back in the ‘90s?
