MTV's allergy to nostalgia isn't a pose but a savvy strategy for a channel whose median viewer just stopped having to ask his older brother to buy him beer. Since MTV's 30th anniversary is likely to pass like its 25th, which barely earned an on-air nod, we've traced the brand from its colicky infancy through its earnest preteen years and wayward adolescence to its present as a Snooki-faced memento mori for anyone old enough to remember Dan Cortese's bandannas. Happy birthday, MTV!
Infographic: 30th Anniversary of MTV 
Infographic by Walter C. Baumann
A version of this article appeared in the July/August 2011 issue of Fast Company magazine.
ARE YOU REGISTERED TO VOTE?
Register now to make sure you have a voice in the election.
