The origins of Music Videos can be traced back at least 40 years to experiments of Oscar Fischinger. Some of his films were made on a contract with Electrola Disks ending with an advertisement to 'get the track at a local record store'.
Many of the later videos showed themes of sexualised images which set a trend for music videos that continues on to this day. In the '50's, another trend emerged. 'It became common for promo
directors to pastiche or at least quote moments from Hollywood in their
music videos.'
Along with the rise of popularity for music videos, this lead to bands being created for their TV appearance rather than their perceived talent. The Monkees, the USA's answer to The Beatles, were formed in order to create a popular TV look. They also used many new devices in their music promos, including surrealism, jump cuts, wacky comedy and lots of action mixed in with a performance of the song, by the band. These are techniques that have become common in today's music videos.
The form of music videos has lead to new artists bypassing traditional route of live performances, to reach stardom. This is seen in artists, such as Madonna, whose innovative videos has lead to fame. This began a new wave of female artists, using image, performance and choreography in music videos to showcase their talents.