First listen to a song - Music Video vs. audio only

[Dinosaur David B]

This is something I've noticed in the last few years. I have found that when my first exposure to a new song (from an artist I love) is a music video, it can color my opinion of the song negatively.  Then later, I'll hear the same song audio-only, and it sounds much better to me. I've been trying to figure out why that is, and the best I've come up with is that with video, I'm splitting my attention over two senses rather than focusing on just listening.   

Two prime examples are Accept's The Undertaker, and Bruce's new one, Rain on the Graves. I didn't initially think much of either song based on the video. But when I listened without the video, they both felt like much better songs.

Of course, this isn't always the case. Sometimes the video doesn't negatively affect the song at all. Sometimes it even adds value. 

Does this happen to you? I'm not talking about classic 80s videos, most of which have aged terribly, and even Dino classic songs have dated, cringeworthy videos. 
 

I'm talking about your first exposure to new stuff.

 
 
 
 

[Stitsel]

I think you're onto something there actually.... conversely, I find that way back when, good stuff hit me right away, vs now a ton of stuff seems to grow on me....whereas I don't really recall that happening so much back in the day. I either got it, or I didn't. Nowadays, something can be kinda "ehhhh...." , I'll put it away for a month or 2 ( or 6 ...?! ) , come back to it, give a try again .....& suddenly I get it. Weird. That happened to me with the last Metallica album. JP's last one Firepower hit me immediately after I saw the vid for No Surrender.... I immediately YTd whatever else off the new one ( then ) & loved everything I heard, pulled the trigger & was not disappointed. I agree with you also, I think the new JP is gonna be a banger. 

Anyways, I can't quite put my finger on this phenomenon, but maybe it has something to do with more formats & like you said, divided attention between our senses. I've only actually had time to listen to Bruce's latest while at work on my iPods, and even that situation was somewhat divided attention, but what I heard sounded damn good. Bruce's voice sounds strong and hearty, and Roy's playing is excellent as always.Strong songwriting etc. so just by listening, I had a great 1st time experience.
 

[merlo_zeppelin]

I grew up in the last days of the MTV era so for the longest time music videos was how I was first exposed to new songs. I've never listened to the radio.
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​​​Back when I was 12 or 13 I was rotting away on a very hot summer day at my grandma's when the local music channel showed the videos for Hot for Teacher and Still of The Night (this was in the year 2005) and my teenage self was VERY impressed.
The music made the most lasting impact but certainly the videos looked cool as fuck to me at the time. Guys with guitars and hot girls, I was all in.

Around the same time, I also listened to Zeppelin for the first time and that had the most impact on me, without any music video.

I can remember any specific case of me not liking the video but liking the song. I guess if I like the song I will keep coming back to it, even if I don't like the video. It has happened with songs I've listened to for ages and maybe years later I find there's a video for them.
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[Dinosaur David B]

I think GREAT songs will probably hit immediately even if the video is cheesy.  But when it's say, a decent but not great song, I think the video can detract from the kind of song.

[merlo_zeppelin]

Probably a hundred or more mediocre songs become hits thanks to a well produced video. Especially pop songs

[cvansickle]

During the heyday of MTV, I always said that there were certain artists who made it based on visual apeal more so than their music. This worked both ways -  a lot of crap became hits because the video made the artist look cool, and conversely, a lot of music that maybe wasn't commercial enough to make it on its own scored because it had a good video. My opinion, of course; I won't cite examples, as I'm sure everyone can think of their own.

These days, it's all social media. I don't know when an artist has new music until they post about it on Facebook, and then I track it down on Spotify. I rarely look up a video on YouTube. I see videos in the gym every morning, and I see the artists' names, but I have my own earphones working so I don't hear any of the music. Come to think of it, the only times I really see new music videos are when Dave and others post them here.

[TravisW]

I can't think of any song that I liked where I preferred watching the video to listening to the song. That might be due to growing up without MTV, but I agree that really comes down to divided attention and I think that for most people vision is the most immediately stimulating sense, which may relegate music to being the soundtrack. I find that to be specifically true for more cinematic videos, where I'm making sense of what I'm seeing because it isn't necessarily related to what I'm hearing. I wouldn't say the same thing for a live performance video, where what I'm seeing is directly linked to what I'm hearing. 

[Stitsel]

I just listened to the new Satch/Vai tune & while the vid itself is kinda campy & funny in a goofy sort of way, I think the tune itself is actually pretty cool & if just listened to on it's own I'd probably dig it a bit more....which I haven't done yet.I just saw the vid, while listening to it. Anyways, it would be interesting to see if they would finally do that long talked about collaboration & actually make an album together....I bet there'd be good stuff.

[Dinosaur David B]

It's a cool riff. Touch of Zeppelin in it.