| Nick Rocks | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Also known as | Nick Rocks: Video to Go |
| Presented by | "Joe from Chicago" |
| Theme music composer | Edd Kalehoff |
| Country of origin | United States |
| No. of seasons | 5 |
| No. of episodes | 70 |
| Production | |
| Producer | Andy Bamberger |
| Editor | Charles Weissman |
| Running time | 30 minutes |
| Original release | |
| Network | Nickelodeon |
| Release | 1984 (1984) – 1989 (1989) |
Nick Rocks: Video to Go, usually shortened toNick Rocks, is amusic video television series that aired on American cable channelNickelodeon from 1984 to 1989. It features pop and rockmusic videos over a 30-minute timeframe, presented in a countdown format. The show was typically hosted by a man identified on-air as "Joe from Chicago". Most episodes feature Joe traveling to various locations to hear viewers request specific music videos. Severalguest hosts were featured over the program's run, such asThe Monkees andThey Might Be Giants.
Music videos played on the show were decided using request letters sent in by viewers. In 1987, five to six thousand requests were received weekly.[1] Many musical guests onNick Rocks were also seen on Nickelodeon sister channelMTV at the time; according to Nickelodeon presidentGeraldine Laybourne, MTV executives assisted in finding talent for the program.[2]
Nickelodeon executives indicated that the show’s producers would be “meticulous” in the music selected forNick Rocks amid concerns that the program would air racy videos.[3] In one instance, a young viewer had requestedGeorge Michael’s hit song “I Want Your Sex”.[1]
Nick Rocks was initially broadcast three times a week until July 1984, when it became part of Nickelodeon's daily rotation.[3] In 1987,The Monkees became involved in a dispute with their supporters at MTV, causing MTV to pull the group's videos; as a result, The Monkees' videos were transferred toNick Rocks. The band's "Heart and Soul" music video was voted byNick Rocks viewers to be their favorite 1987 music video.[4] Despite heavy promotion on Nickelodeon, the founders of the Monkees' labelRhino Records felt that the transition from MTV to Nickelodeon was a reason behind the commercial failure of the Monkees' albumPool It!.[4]
Nickelodeon launched several promotional events in support ofNick Rocks. In 1984, a musical presentation called "Nick Night" was staged at New York'sNassau Coliseum to advertise the series.[5] In 1987, the network held the "Jet for a Day"sweepstakes, with the prize being a role onNick Rocks and tickets to aThe Jets concert.[6] After production onNick Rocks ended, Nickelodeon incorporated past episodes into a three-hourvariety show known asTotal Panic.[7] The program aired on Sunday mornings in 1989 and was produced by Andy Bamberger, who also producedNick Rocks.
Nickelodeon staff distributedNick Rocks merchandise, including buttons and decals, at the "Nick Night" event in 1984.[5] 1990 issues ofNickelodeon Magazine, sold exclusively atPizza Hut restaurants, featured pop culture quizzes based on rerunningNick Rocks episodes.[8] WhileNick Rocks was never released on home video while running, clips of an episode ofNick Rocks starringThey Might Be Giants is included as a bonus feature on the DVD release of the band's 2003 film,Gigantic: A Tale of Two Johns.[9]
Aspin-off geared towards preschool viewers, titledNick Jr. Rocks, premiered as part of Nickelodeon'sNick Jr. block in October 1991.[10] The series was produced by actressShelley Duvall and initially ran for five minutes at a time. Differently from its predecessor,Nick Jr. Rocks featured original music videos created specifically for the program.[11][12] According to a 1991 interview with Duvall, Nickelodeon offered her as much airtime as she wanted for the series; as a result,Nick Jr. Rocks had no permanent position on the network's lineup.[13]