MTV is bringing back late 1990s phenomenon ‘Total Request
Live’ next week. The new series will feature a rotating line-up of hosts, as
well as social media correspondents, presenting a daily countdown of the hottest
music videos as voted on by the viewers live. Ed Sheeran and Migos have been
confirmed to perform on the first episode Monday (October 2), while Playboi
Carti, Noah Cyrus and PRETTYMUCH will perform Tuesday.
‘Total Request Live,’
usually shortened to ‘TRL,’ was a staple of MTV’s programming line-up and its
longest-running live show. Over its initial 11 year run, the show became a
breeding ground for new artists and introduced the world to many artists that
we still talk about today. It gave rise to new genres such as boy bands,
bubblegum pop princesses and nu metal, and gave a renewed voice to pop punk.
The show’s original host, Carson Daly, became one of the most recognizable
voices in broadcasting.
With ‘TRL’ making a comeback, Vinyl Bay 777, Long Island’s
music outlet, is taking a look back at some of the artists the show has made
popular over its initial run. Here are 10 that pop and rock fans are sure to
remember (or might like to forget).
1.
Britney
Spears: Spears is the quintessential ‘TRL’ success story. She premiered her
very first music video, “Baby One More Time,” on the show in 1999, which immediately
reached the number one spot on the countdown. From there, the show’s audience
grew up with the singer. Over the show’s 11 year run, she had the most videos top
the countdown of any female artist. Post-‘TRL,’ she continues to thrive on pop
radio.
2.
*NSYNC
/ Justin
Timberlake: There were only two artists that could shut down Times Square
when they appeared on ‘TRL’ and *NSYNC was one of them. Even though Top 40
radio really wasn’t playing their music on air (at least not in New York), the
group was able to get so much popularity from their videos being on the show
that they were able to break sales records with their second album. Not only
did they make *NSYNC as a group famous, but they helped launch member Justin
Timberlake’s solo career too. Each of his solo videos either made or topped the
countdown.
3.
Backstreet
Boys: The only other artist that could shut down Times Square when they
were in studio were the Backstreet Boys. They had the first ever number one
video on the show and premiered countless others, many of which also hit number
one. Unfortunately, they couldn’t do for Nick Carter’s solo career what they
were able to for Justin Timberlake’s.
4.
Christina
Aguilera: Like Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera grew up on ‘TRL.’ She
premiered her first video on the show, though she didn’t hit number one until
her second single premiered. The show’s audience witnessed Aguilera’s many
transformations on the show, from sweet and innocent to “dirrty” to classic.
And her success endured long after the show went off the air.
5.
Blink-182:
Pop punk was starting to make a comeback in the late 1990s-early 2000s with
Blink-182 carrying on the torch from bands like Green
Day and The
Offspring. With catchy, fun tracks and creative music videos that poked fun
at just about everyone, the band became huge on ‘TRL.’
6.
Avril Lavigne: Lavigne became so popular on ‘TRL’
because she was marketed as the anti-pop princess. Her punk influenced pop was
just rebellious enough for the show’s tween audience. Now she’s the biggest pop
princess in Canada. Go figure.
7.
Good
Charlotte: Looking back at number one lists, it interesting just how much
pop punk influenced the countdown in the early-mid 2000s. Sum 41 and My
Chemical Romance both did extremely well on the show while Simple Plan, Fall Out
Boy and New Found Glory all topped the countdown at least once. But Good
Charlotte seemed to earn the most rock glory from the show. All of the singles
from the band’s sophomore album topped the countdown multiple times and “The
Anthem” even became song of the year for 2003. Twins Joel and Benji Madden
became overnight celebrities and socialites from the popularity they earned on
the show.
8.
Eminem:
How many white rappers do you know of that have proven their staying power more
than Eminem. But when his work was introduced to the world on ‘TRL’ back in 2000,
he was a relative unknown. After his music took hold and started topping the
countdown, he gained a lot more ground in the industry; He started his own
label, signed 50
Cent (who also did really well on ‘TRL’) and D12 (who he also performed
with), and has won several Grammys including many for Best Rap Album and one
for Album of the Year for ‘Recovery.’
9.
Limp Bizkit: Besides bubblegum pop, ‘TRL’ also
brought us nu metal. Korn were regulars on the countdown, consistently landing
singles at number one. But none of the other nu metal bands got as much from
being on the show as Limp Bizkit did. They
didn’t spend much time at number one, but Fred Durst ended up being a “spokesmodel”
for the genre. His backwards red cap, white t-shirt and cargo shorts became a
fashion trend. He had the privilege of pretending to date Britney Spears and
Christina Aguilera. If it wasn’t for ‘TRL,’ he’d have become irrelevant far
sooner.
10.
Carson Daly: While not a musician, ‘TRL’ gave
Carson Daly a career. When he became a VJ, he had already been working for
years as a radio DJ in California. With the success and notoriety he received from
being on ‘TRL’ and ‘MTV Live’ (‘TRL’s’ predecessor), he became recognizable
nationwide. When he left MTV, he left with an NBC late night show. He currently
still hosts the late night show and The Voice, is a correspondent for the Today
Show and continues to host a daily radio show.
From 1998 until 2009, ‘Total Request Live’ played a large
role in popular music. The show gave rise to big names like Britney Spears and
Christina Aguilera while shedding added light to artists just catching on like
*NSYNC and the Backstreet Boys. Pop became an overwhelming force in music
because of the show. Even its original host gained notoriety for his role as
tastemaker. Whether the new series will be any good or not remains to be seen.
However, ‘TRL’ will now get a renewed chance to influence a whole new generation
of music fans.
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Find music from ‘TRL’s’ brightest lights and more at Vinyl
Bay 777, Long Island’s top new independent record shop. We have thousands of
titles to choose from in a variety of genres, including pop, rock, R&B, Hip
Hop and more. Browse our wide selection of new and used vinyl records, CDs,
cassettes, music DVDs and memorabilia. Drop by our Plainview location or shop
online at vinylbay777.com. With more titles being added to our selection all
the time, you never know what you might find at Vinyl Bay 777.
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