World Stamps

Canada Post celebrates four decades of music television

Oct 17, 2024, 8 AM
Canada Post issued two permanent-rate stamps Oct. 10 celebrating MuchMusic and MusiquePlus, Canadian music television channels that began airing music videos in the 1980s.

By David Hartwig

On Oct. 10 Canada Post issued two stamps celebrating the Canadian music television channels MuchMusic and MusiquePlus.

The permanent-rate (currently 99¢) stamp features the channels’ studios in Toronto (MuchMusic) and Montreal (MusiquePlus) from the perspective of the fans who would gather at the studios to watch artists perform.

Billed as “the nation’s music station,” MuchMusic launched from Toronto on Aug. 31, 1984. The Canadian French language music channel MusiquePlus started broadcasting out of Montreal in 1986.

The stations worked similar to a radio station, but aired music videos with visuals accompanying the songs. In the same way a disc jockey broadcasts music on the radio, MuchMusic and MusiquePlus utilized a team of video jockeys, better known as veejays, to broadcast the music videos on TV.

The music video format on MuchMusic began with “The Enemy Within” by Rush, as Nick Patch said in the 2009 Toronto Star article “Remembering MuchMusic’s birth days,” which was followed by an interview with the band’s lead vocalist, bassist and keyboardist Geddy Lee before moving to a playlist that included the Fixx, Frankie Goes to Hollywood, Yes and Slade.

“Those moments — created spontaneously, with no scripts to speak of — have left an indelible mark on those who grew up basking in Much’s glow, the fans who curated VHS cassette compilations and scribbled down the names of tunes played during the station’s countdown of top videos,” Patch said.

Canada Post commented on the interaction of fans in an article on its Perspectives blog. “The stations took great lengths to put its devoted viewers first,” Canada Post said, “creating interactive content that encouraged audiences to regularly participate.”

“MuchMusic was all about reflecting community,” former veejay Sook-Yin Lee told Canada Post. “Whether it was the community of kids hanging out outside the window, or all of the amazing Canadian bands that would come to visit us, play in the environment, and hang out.”

In the four decades since their launches, MuchMusic and MusiquePlus have exposed these viewers to artists such as Bryan Adams, Corey Hart, Blue Rodeo, Michie Mee, Alanis Morissette and Avril Lavigne.

Lowe-Martin printed the stamps in 120,000 booklets of eight. The Canada Post ordering number is 414262111.

Canada Post produced first-day covers for the MuchMusic stamp canceled in Toronto (Canada Post ordering number 414262131) and for the MusiquePlus stamp canceled in Montreal (414263131), in quantities of 6,000 for each FDC.

Paprika designed the stamps and the FDCs using illustrations from artist Michael Haddad.

Canada Post stamps and related items are are available online online. Stamps and FDCs are available by mail order from Canada Post Customer Service, Box 90022, 2701 Riverside Drive, Ottawa, ON K1V 1J8 Canada; or by telephone from the United States or Canada at 800-565-4362, and from other countries at 902-863-6550.

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