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While researching for an interview with Peter Murphy, who is back on the road for the first time in a long ol' time, I made the mind-blowing discovery that someone had managed to archive the playlists of just about every episode of "120 Minutes."
Thank you, thank you, thank you, Tyler C., whoever you are!

I don't think I'm exaggerating when I say that Sunday night MTV music video program was a direct pipeline from risk-taking college radio to the mainstream. How else could "Smells Like Teen Spirit," "Under the Bridge," or "So Alive" by Love and Rockets have broken through in the era of ridiculous big-hair metal, Paula Abdul, Michael Bolton and New Kids on the Block?
Speaking of Nirvana, I made a discovery from the "120 Minutes" archive that they stole the riff from "Come As You Are" from Killing Joke.
 


And who remembers a Philly band called The Wishniaks?

 

Then there were moments of unadulterated, you-had-to-be-there weirdness like this!!!


As you move through the years, from VJs "Downtown" Julie Brown ("wubba, wubba, wubba") to Carolyne Heldman to Kevin Seal to Dave Kendall to Lewis Largent, etc., it's fascinating to review the transition from the tail end of '80s new wave to the '90s alternative rock boom, and eventually to the re-branded 2000s show, "Subterranean."
That so many volunteers spent time VCR-ing shows, and writing down the songs, at home back in the pre-internet time is a testament to the awesomeness of  "120 Minutes."
It's a walk down memory lane with one colossal and blissful fall down the rabbit hole!