Even for all my thread-chasing, record-nerd pretense, I was quite shocked this exhaustive trove of alternative history exists: The 120 Minutes Archive!
Since 2003, weâve been traveling through time to rediscover and preserve the legacy of MTVâs 120 Minutes, the TV series in the U.S. that brought a vast array of âalternativeâ music videos, artist interviews, and live performances to a diverse range of music enthusiasts across several generations.
For even the casual "alternative" music listener, The 120 Minutes Archive is worth a peek.
The Archive's layout is simple, chronological, and the playlists are mostly complete. The compilers even included YouTube⢠links to each track's corresponding listing. The show actually ended in the '00s; May 4, 2003 was the last show (who knew!), but then show was continued on MTV2 as Subterranean. The Archive, fathom, also contains all the Subterranean and the more recent 120 Minutes reboot playlists, as well.
I watched 120 Minutes some in college, but as it aired Sunday nights, I never made it all the way through the 120 minutes. Also, the playlists were often a bit too major label for my underground palette. Still, the show was important; during the late '80s and early '90s there was no other nationally broadcast show (to my knowledge) which was willing to play some of these bands' videos. The only way to hear some of these groups, especially in rural areas, was to buy their records and, if you wanted to see any of the smaller-label videos, you bought a VHS compilation.
