Even if you were to consider Strawberry Fields Forever as the first music video, The Beatles made 'promo films' for their songs 'Rain' and 'Paperback Writer', a year earlier

I remember watching Disney's Fantasia years ago and thinking its one of the first music videos.

I loved learning all the history. I knew about everything you mentioned before and including Elvis, but not much about the stuff afterwards. However, to leave Mike Nesmith out is criminal. Mike Nesmith is credited with creating the first music video with a storyline for his song, “Rio”, in 1977. He also basically created MTV. Mike Nesmith created PopClips and MTV really just stole that and rebranded!

First (and the best) was Darude - Sandstorm

Jimmy Rogers (Waiting for a Train ) music Video around the 1920's ..did a Music video ..) James Charles Rodgers (September 8, 1897 - May 26, 1933) was an American singer-songwriter and musician who rose to popularity in the late 1920s. Widely regarded as the "Father of Country Music", he is best known for his distinctive yodeling. Rodgers was known as "The Singing Brakeman" and "America's Blue Yodeler". He has been cited as an inspiration by many artists, and he has been inducted into multiple halls of fame.

Video killed the radio star

SOS by ABBA made an impact, it had special effects although they are not very impressive. It was one of 4 promos they made with Lasse Halstrom in April 1975

I really don't think someone just playing music in a movie or a TV show counts. Music videos used to be called promotional shorts, and by that definition, an intent to sell recorded music would be required. Or maybe it's just style. People playing music on camera was a staple of music video in its early years, but that was almost from the start considered to be low effort and unartistic. By that standard, the bed sequence from the early Richard Lester movie The Knack, and How to Get it" is a favorite candidate of mine. There's a reason they call him the Father of the Music Video.

Not sure the year. But late 50's ? Ricky Nelson sung Traveling Man on the Ozzie & Harriet Show. While the music played the showed a Video of various locations. I think this is the first of what we consider "Music Video". I'm not sure but those "Big Bopper" videos may have been skits on American Bandstand and/or Dick Clarks "Beechnut Show". Often performers would sing their songs in costume. Example Jan & Dean as US Navy Sailors...

I think it's the first one purpose filmed for a song and starts and ends with the audio. Not sure if I explained it correctly... Anyway, wasn't Video Killed the Radio Star the first video MTV aired when they went live as a channel?

MTV killed the video....star?😅$we use to watch it and listen to real music and have a laugh 😂

Great Turn back the time clip, martin! 😀I remember Apeman from the Kinks. They were just walking around and a guy in a monkey costume was walking with them

'MTV' used to stand for "music television" but now it stands for "mediocre tripe viewing"! 🤣🤣🤣

i think the first music video ever made is this: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/mrenZ9pqvM28k4U.html

The Beatles made the best music videos but major motion picture industry material filming musicians playing music were the first music video. Cab Calloway made good music videos.