Hey guys, I just read online an interview with Clive Davis concerning Whitney's Rock and Roll Hall of Fame nomination.(Re: Billboard Oct 19, 2019). In it, Clive actually says "Whitney broke the colour barrier on MTV and was among the most played MTV artists." Okay I am surprised, because he is a music man and we all know he knows business. But how can he actually claim this ? Did he need to go to wikipedia to read all the lies posted on her bio page ? The funny thing is that, How Will I Know was the 20th video by a black female artist to be placed in heavy rotation, on January 15, 1986. The first was Donna Summer August 1983. Both Aretha and Dionne, who were Clive's artists also, were placed in heavy roation on MTV before Whitney. MTV changed to a top 40 format at the end of 1984. Whtiney's first 2 vidoes did not make MTV rotation lists, vidoes for DWAHIA & OMIT were dropped from rotation after 2 weeks, only IYBT, from the 3rd album was played on MTV. Thoughts ???

[Edited 11/20/19 17:53pm]

nextedition said:

He said "among", he didnt she was the first. Problem solved

" It was she who broke the MTV barrier for black female artists and was consistently among the most played MTV artists ".... Neither is true. Tina Turner and Janet Jackson had their vidoes played on MTV like that of Prince, Madonna & MJ. Houston never had her vidoes consistently played on the station.

[Edited 11/22/19 22:26pm]

alphastreet said:

Whitney was more popular than Janet though

??? Were you around in the 80s. Janet had played starring role on a the 70's sitcom "Good Times", Janet had also released 2 albums and was all over the teen Magazines in the early 80s, her private marriage to Debarge (that her family took care of) made her a heavy item for Gossip. Whitney sold more albums than Janet in the 80s. But as far as MTV was concerned, Janet along with Tina were black female artists that got their videos consistently played on the station, Whitney did not. Donna Summer was only black female played in heavy rotation in 1983 SWHFTM & UCL, the year the barrier came down. She would set a precedent of having 3 videos consecutively played in heavy rotation. The Pointer Sisters, Tina Turner & Shelia E would join Donna, as the black female artists that were regularly played on MTV, in the early days; before MTV switched to a top 40 format at the end of 1984. Tina Turner and The Pointer Sister would equal the precedent set by Donna (3 consecutive in HR) by the spring of 1985. Janet would equal that precedent in 1986 with her firsrt 3 vidoes from Control, she would surpass it in 1989 with Rhythm Nation. Just for comparison sake, both Whtiney and Janet were in heavy rotation at the same time in 1987, Whitney with IDWS & Janet with PP, Whitney stayed 6 weeks in HR, Janet 9 weeks. In 1986 Whitney was top albums artist, Janet was the top singles artist, both their music careers took off in 86.

[Edited 11/23/19 7:33am]

Tontoman22 said:

alphastreet said:

Tontoman22 said:

??? Were you around in the 80s. Janet had played starring role on a the 70's sitcom "Good Times", Janet had also released 2 albums and was all over the teen Magazines in the early 80s, her private marriage to Debarge (that her family took care of) made her a heavy item for Gossip. Whitney sold more albums than Janet in the 80s. But as far as MTV was concerned, Janet along with Tina were black female artists that got their videos consistently played on the station, Whitney did not. Donna Summer was only black female played in heavy rotation in 1983 SWHFTM & UCL, the year the barrier came down. She would set a precedent of having 3 videos consecutively played in heavy rotation. The Pointer Sisters, Tina Turner & Shelia E would join Donna, as the black female artists that were regularly played on MTV, in the early days; before MTV switched to a top 40 format at the end of 1984. Tina Turner and The Pointer Sister would equal the precedent set by Donna (3 consecutive in HR) by the spring of 1985. Janet would equal that precedent in 1986 with her firsrt 3 vidoes from Control, she would surpass it in 1989 with Rhythm Nation. Just for comparison sake, both Whtiney and Janet were in heavy rotation at the same time in 1987, Whitney with IDWS & Janet with PP, Whitney stayed 6 weeks in HR, Janet 9 weeks. In 1986 Whitney was top albums artist, Janet was the top singles artist, both their music careers took off in 86.

[Edited 11/23/19 7:33am]

I was around but really young and not from the us

Oh okay, yeah you could only know what was going on in your own country, especially back then. On MTV, when I used the comparison of I Wanna Dance with Somebody & Pleasure Principal being on MTV at the same time. It was Whitney's 3rd video played on MTV, it was Janet's 6th video played on MTV and her 4th in HR. As I have stated before Didn't We Almost Have it All (next single) would be dropped from the station after 2 weeks and did not receive HR. So Clive to say she was consistently among most played MTV artist. Is just completely false. I understand that wikipedia has had the (false) claims up there for years, but industry ppl should know the truth, and also should be checking the references on wikipedia.

alphastreet said:

It sounds to me like there are not many crossover black artists on mtv then with the exception of the few you mentioned. And though I’m a Janet fan, I stand by it that though she was popular, she was mainly a US phenomenon though she sold fairly well elsewhere too

If you are talking about the so-called colour barrier on MTV. Then you have to understand it has been equated with being played in "heavy rotation". The colour barrier was broke in 1983 for both male and female black artists, based on that criteria. I am listing the artists placed in heavy rotation. Not the ones played in light or meduim; all of the the artists that I listed, had other videos that did not get played in HR. MTV swithced to a top 40 format at the end of 1984 (and epanded their playlists from 3 to 7). Alot of people equated MTV to radio which is a big mistake, radio would have 24 hrs of airplay. MTV had to deal with the restrictions of television, commericals and censors, they had Vee Jays (who were local celebrities), the Vee Jays spoke more than the DJs on radio, no mixing board or fading songs in and out. They had to play the video in it's entirety. MTV also ran on 3 - 24 hrs cycles or 4 - 6 hrs cycles. With the over night cycles usually repeating the day cycles. What heavy rotation meant was that the artist would be played in every cycle. This was not radio, where a hot song would be played far more regularly. The colour barrier also doesn't mean that black artists were not played. They were, just not in heavy rotation. The only time an artists would be played twice in a cycle, would be if there was a countdown during that cycle.