MTV's influence on music videos in the 1970s may seem paradoxical at first. It wasn't until 1981 that MTV would formally debut. In actuality, though, the 1970s served as a crucial basis for MTV's development. Music became something that could be seen as much as heard during this decade, subtly changing musicians' perspectives on visuals, performance, and image. MTV's cultural boom would not have been feasible without the innovative experiments of the 1970s.

Popular music became more theatrical throughout the 1970s. Rock stars were more than just performers. They were visual icons, storytellers, and performers. Artists started to recognise the influence of image in forming identity, concerts became more ornate, and album artwork became more symbolic. This change signalled the beginning of the connection between music and moving images.

The emergence of promotional films—early iterations of what we now refer to as music videos—was one of the decade's most significant breakthroughs. Instead of making frequent touring appearances, artists started making short films to promote songs on television shows in various nations. In the UK, where shows such as Top of the Pops relied on visual performances to accompany top successes, these promotions were particularly significant.

Leading bands in this movement included Queen, David Bowie, The Rolling Stones, and Pink Floyd. Many people look to Queen's 1975 song "Bohemian Rhapsody" as a turning point. Its stylised performance, layered images, and dramatic lighting demonstrated how cinematic presentation might enhance a song rather than detract from it. This was more than just a video of a band performing. The song itself was interpreted visually.

More than anyone else at the time, David Bowie understood the power of image. From Ziggy Stardust to the Thin White Duke, he was constantly reinventing himself, making it difficult to distinguish between performance art, fashion, and music. His artistic focus shifted to commercial images, film performances, and television appearances. Bowie was more than just a singer. He personified characters, an idea that would subsequently become a fundamental tenet of storytelling in the MTV era.

Additionally, developments in film and video technologies during the 1970s increased the accessibility of visual experimentation. Music may now reach audiences in new ways thanks to lightweight cameras, enhanced colour broadcasts, and rising television ownership. Instead of only considering how their music would sound on vinyl, artists started considering how it would appear on screen.

Meanwhile, spectacle was the lifeblood of genres like progressive rock, disco, and glam rock. Glam rock embraced ostentatious attire and daring characters. Disco embraced mood and movement. Conceptual storytelling was investigated in progressive rock. The assumption that music and imagery were inextricably linked was reinforced by the easy translation of all these components into visual media.

The music industry was already aware of the promotional value of images by the late 1970s. Record labels increased their investments in television specials, stylised studio shoots, and filmed performances. They created an expanding collection of visual music content that was prepared for a platform such as MTV, even though they were not yet members of a specialised music channel.

MTV did not create the music video from the ground up until it eventually debuted in the early 1980s. Rather, it made use of concepts that had been evolving during the preceding ten years. The 1970s saw the establishment of the visual grammar, which included close-ups, dramatic lighting, performance-based storytelling, and conceptual images. MTV merely amplified and centralised it.

It is impossible to divorce MTV's influence on music videos from the foundation established in the 1970s. During this decade, musicians learnt to think visually, to see images as extensions of sound, and to realise that music might exist outside of the stage and record player.

Looking back, the MTV generation was quietly shaped by the 1970s. They prepared listeners and turned music into a holistic experience.