5 Ways Prince’s 1999 Era Conquered MTV
- Prince designed his New Romantic look and purple trench coat specifically for the TV age, making him visually striking on screen.
- MTV’s 1981 launch provided perfect timing for Prince’s 1999 rebrand, as the channel needed visually bold artists.
- Little Red Corvette became Prince’s first single to reach the Billboard top 10, largely due to MTV exposure.
- MTV was initially reluctant to promote black music, but the Little Red Corvette video broke that barrier.
- The video’s success proved that MTV could boost a black artist’s career, changing the channel’s programming approach.