'Money for Nothing' Wasn't the First CGI Music Video — But It's the One That Changed Everything

Wed, 29 Jul 2026 11:48:45 +0000

Everyone remembers the blockhead movers from 1985. Almost nobody remembers the two animators behind them — or that their next act was the first all-CGI TV series in history. Let’s trace the wire.

First, let’s kill the myth

Ask anyone to name the first computer-animated music video and you’ll get the same answer: Dire Straits, “Money for Nothing,” 1985. The blocky delivery guys. The floating dog. “I want my MTV.”

Wrong — and the real story is better.

Sting on Real Rock Lab

'Money for Nothing' Wasn't the First CGI Music Video — But It's the One That Changed Everything

First, let’s kill the myth