Video Concert Hall was an early USA Network television program featuring an unhosted rotation of music videos. Often credited as being the precursor to MTV, Video Concert Hall was reportedly the most popular programming on QUBE, a cable television unit of Warner Communications. VCH, as it was often called, was created by radio and cable television executive Lloyd G. Crowe (Jerry Crowe) and Charles W. Henderson (Charles Henderson), a pioneering journalist and former employee of TriStar Pictures. Video Concert Hall was produced by Henderson-Crowe Productions and Video Concert Hall, Ltd. at studios in Atlanta, Georgia. Crowe and Henderson served as executive producers of Video Concert Hall as well as other top-rated syndicated musical variety TV specials.

Billboard, the American magazine covering the music industry, said in a cover story that Video Concert Hall was the first ever nationwide video music programming on cable television. Video Concert Hall creators Charles Henderson and Jerry Crowe are considered the "fathers" of television's video music programming.

Video Concert Hall ran daily on USA Network from 1978 to 1981 on a seemingly arbitrary schedule, appearing on early morning, daytime, late night, and early evening timeslots alike for durations ranging from one to four hours. Video Concert Hall was also carried on another cable/satellite network, the Satellite Program Network - SPN, and was seen worldwide on AFRTS, the Armed Forces Network, and frequently as video entertainment on commercial airline flights.

The theme music for Video Concert Hall was the first thirty seconds of "Carouselambra" by Led Zeppelin.
Specific to no particular pop music genre, Video Concert Hall featured new wave music, punk rock, disco, funk, soul, and album-oriented rock.

Particularly important about Video Concert Hall is not only to note its historical significance in the evolution of music video television programming, but that it is also where artists such as The Police (with Sting), Split Enz, and Gary Numan were first introduced to the American audience en masse.

From Wikipedia

My name is Mel, and I was obviously a great fan of Video Concert Hall. At the age of 10, I received the gift of my first album -- Tim Curry's Fearless, which is telling. With the growing number of older music videos now available on YouTube et al, I thought it would be great to set up a collection of the videos that aired on the show, and a place for fellow fans to comment and reminisce. I might note that I don't necessarily love all the videos featured on Video Concert Hall, but am attempting to find and post as many of them as possible -- the good and bad. Please do not hesitate to let me know if you find a video that I haven't (send URLs). Click here to email me. I would also be quite grateful if anyone has any clips or stills of the opening, or (dare to dream) actual video from the show. Doesn't matter what format -- I'll figure out how to convert it.

One other note -- if exposure to bands like Split Enz, Squeeze, The Dickies and Gary Numan on Video Concert Hall led you to a long-standing affection for New Wave and 80s Alternative Music, you might like my other blog.

And one more note -- Paul, a fellow VCH enthusiast, has assisted me in the search for videos for this archive, and has provided a great many, if not the majority, of the clips. Many thanks to Paul.

Enjoy!