Nick Jr. Rocks
| Nick Rocks: Video to Go | |
|---|---|
Title card
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| Presented by | "Joe from Chicago" |
| Theme music composer | Edd Kalehoff |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Production | |
| Producer(s) | Andy Bamberger |
| Editor(s) | Charles Weissman |
| Running time | 30 minutes |
| Release | |
| Original network | Nickelodeon |
| Original release | 1984 – 1989 |
Nick Rocks: Video to Go, usually shortened to Nick Rocks, is a music video television series that aired on American cable channel Nickelodeon from 1984 to 1989. It featured pop and rock music 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. Several guest hosts were featured over the program's run, such as the Monkees and They 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. Many musical guests on Nick Rocks were also seen on Nickelodeon sister channel MTV at the time; according to Nickelodeon president Geraldine Laybourne, MTV executives assisted in finding talent for the program.
Upon the series' premiere in 1984, representatives for Nickelodeon's parent company Warner-Amex addressed concerns that the program would show "indecent" music videos like sister network MTV. Warner-Amex's Margaret Wade told Newsweek that schedulers would be "meticulous" in choosing what to show on Nick Rocks.
Nick Rocks was initially broadcast three times a week until July 1984, when it became part of Nickelodeon's daily rotation. 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, "Monkees" videos were transferred to Nick Rocks. The band's "Heart and Soul" music video was voted by Nick Rocks viewers to be their favorite 1987 music video. Despite heavy promotion on Nickelodeon, the founders of the Monkees' label Rhino Records felt that the transition from MTV to Nickelodeon was a reason behind the commercial failure of the Monkees' album "Pool It".
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