Devo's Subversive Art Collective Thrives on Early MTV

A fantastic new documentary about the chronically underrated band Devo is now available to watch on Netflix. The documentary does an excellent job of explaining the artistic ethos of the band and how they were as much a subversive art collective as they were a musical group.

The film also reminds viewers of the early days of MTV, when the network had a limited number of music videos to play. This worked in Devo's favor, as the band had already produced videos for many of their songs, including their cover of The Rolling Stones' "I Can't Get No Satisfaction" and other popular tracks like "Jocko Homo" and "Come Back Jonee." With few other options, MTV ended up giving significant airtime to Devo and other similarly-minded DIY bands like The Residents, The Silencers, and Kate Bush.

For many viewers, especially those in the Midwest, this exposure to Devo's weird and subversive aesthetic was foundational to their love of music. While record companies soon figured out the commercial potential of music videos, leading to the rise of big-budget, star-studded productions in the mid-1980s, the documentary celebrates the early days when bands like Devo were able to find success on the fledgling network.