Justin Timberlake, Beyonce, Eminem Say Goodbye to TRL

When TRL debuted in 1998, the Internet was still blossoming and mobile phones, PDAs and other staples of our current existence had not yet saturated society. MTV's live-request video countdown wasn't new ground for MTV, but by incorporating a live audience and requests from viewers, the show had a real-time feel that attracted its massive and powerful young viewership. TRL became the launching pad for countless successful pop acts over the last decade and became required viewing for teens and young adults who wanted to feel a part of the up-and-coming music scene.

As TRL grew in popularity and mainstays such as Britney Spears and P Diddy made regular appearances, the show crossed over into other areas of entertainment. At its peak, TRL was a must-stop along the way for major movie stars such as Tom Cruise and Will Smith, and even sports stars like Derek Jeter.

If you wanted to be relevant in the mind's of culturally in-touch young people, you had to appear on TRL. An appearance on the show confirmed that you were a bona fide superstar and that young people should be spending their money - and their parents' money - to buy whatever you were selling.

The show has run its course, fading slowly in recent years into a kind of stagnant indifference. This makes sense, since the market it originally captured has now grown beyond the original concerns of the show. A new generation of young consumers has chosen different ways to entertain themselves. TRL is gone for now, but expect MTV to stumble upon a similarly successful vehicle in the near future.

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Justin Timberlake
Beyonce
Eminem