30 years of MTV stars

On MTV's 30th anniversary, "The Early Show" looked back at some of the stars who hit new heights because of MTV's reach. Michael Jackson, seen here performing his 'BAD' concert in London on July 15, 1988, was one of the first music video stars.

MTV turns 30

Madonna performing on the MTV Video Music Awards show at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, Sep. 14, 1984.

Madonna also reached new heights as a singer by performances like this one at live events and in her now-iconic music videos.

Jennifer Pozner, author of "Reality Bites Back," said of Madonna, "Her voice is OK, but it was really her envelope-pushing use of video in conjunction with music that really made Madonna."

MTV turns 30

Guns N' Roses celebrates their Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award for "November Rain" at the MTV Video Music Awards show in September 1992. (L-R) Duff McKagan, Gilby Clarke, Axl Rose, Slash, Dizzy Reed, and Matt Sorum.

Bob Pittman, co-founder of MTV, said of bands like Duran Duran, "Before MTV, chances are you didn't know what (they) looked like because they were at Madison Square Garden they were little ants down on stage."

MTV turns 30

Cydi Lauper in 1986. Lauper's unique, fun style translated to MTV's video format with ease.

MTV turns 30

Matt Pinfield, a radio host, said of MTV, "Where would the world have seen the Duran Durans, the Bon Jovis, the Guns and Roses, the Nirvanas, the Kid Rocks, the Christina Aguileras, the Brittney Spears? The list goes on and on."

Singer Jon Bon Jovi in 1989.

MTV turns 30

President Bill Clinton reached new heights with America's youth with talks on MTV. He's seen here during an MTV special on violence in April 1994. Mr. Clinton answered questions about gun control and his crime bill.

Alicia Menendez, former political outreach manager for Rock the Vote, told CBS News, "I think MTV understood that they needed to make youth empowerment a core part of their brand."

MTV turns 30

Grunge star Kurt Cobain and Nirvana reached icon status with the help of MTV's reach.

Cobain is seen here during the taping of "MTV Unplugged" at Sony Studios in New York City in Nov. 1993.

MTV turns 30

Duran Duran shot to stardom with MTV's help. They're seen here after receiving the Lifetime Achievement award at the 2003 MTV Video Music Awards show in New York.

MTV turns 30

Radio personalities Doctor Dre, left, and Ed Lover, right, and hip hop pioneer Fab 5 Freddy pose for a photo during the Yo! MTV Raps 20th Anniversary Roundtable at the MTV Times Square Studios April 7, 2008 in New York City.

Sway, an MTV news correspondent, said, "When Yo MTV Raps came on the air with Fab 5 Freddy, we were introduced to aspects of hip hop culture that we never really saw."

MTV turns 30

The era of teen pop in the late 1990s ushered in the likes of Britney Spears, seen here performing on the 1999 MTV Music Video Awards show at the Metropolitan Opera House at Lincoln Center in New York City on Sept. 9, 1999.

MTV turns 30

Will Smith made the switch back and forth from singer to actor and back again. His enduring presence on television - especially on MTV - and in movie theaters helped solidify him as a top name in the industry.

Smith is seen here with one of the awards he got during the 1998 MTV Video Music Awards show. Smith won awards for the Best Male Video ("Just the Two of Us") and for the Best Rap Video ("Gettin Jiggy With It").

MTV turns 30

Hosts such as Carson Daly also reached stardom on the channel.

Daly, seen here interviewing 'NSYNC before MTV's "Total Request Live" in February 2000, could spike sales just by interviewing a guest, according to Sway, an MTV correspondent.

MTV turns 30

Also on the scene during the teen pop era on MTV were the Backstreet Boys. With dance moves and model looks, the boy band's videos thrived on MTV.

They're seen here performing on stage at The Concert for New York City, held at Madison Square Gardens on Oct. 20, 2001, in New York.

MTV turns 30

Frank Micelotta/ImageDirect/Getty Images

Pop stars like Christina Aguilera regularly made appearances on MTV programming to remain relevant.

Aguilera is seen here performing on "MTV 2 Large" on New Year's Eve 1999 in MTV's Times Square studios.

MTV turns 30

'N SYNC also joined the pop fray. Justin Timberlake, third from left, made the biggest splash, eventually embarking on a successful solo career that was aided by his ongoing presence on MTV.

Here, the group performs during the 1999 MTV Music Video Awards held at the Metropolitan Opera House, Lincoln Center in New York City on September 9, 1999.

MTV turns 30

Eminem has credited MTV for a measure of his success, saying at one time, "'TRL' is one of the reasons I am here."

He's seen here performing on the 1999 MTV Music Video Awards show in New York City on Sep. 9, 1999.

MTV turns 30

MTV helped kick off the reality show phenomenon with "The Real World," a social experiment in which people from many different backgrounds went to live in a house with strangers. The first "Real World" show was in New York City. This is the house where the original cast lived.

MTV turns 30

Fashion model Eric Nies was one of the cast members on the first season of "The Real World."

He's seen here at Sean (P.Diddy) Combs' Thanksgiving Eve party on Nov. 26, 2003, at Roseland Ballroom in New York City.

MTV turns 30

MTV is now known for its reality TV programming. Famously, the Osbourne family turned their house over to the cameras.

Kelly, Ozzy, Sharon and Jack Osbourne are seen here on MTV's "TRL" in New York City on March 19, 2002.

MTV turns 30

The cast of "The Jersey Shore" in Los Angeles on July 11, 2010.

Joe Levy, editor in chief of Maxim magazine, said of the channel's changes, "All of a sudden, MTV becomes wall-to-wall reality television, until we're left with likes the 'Jersey Shore,' which appears to be shot by a drunken monkey on a cell phone."

MTV turns 30