The news is true. After 10 long, strong years of deafening screaming, live performances, walk-ons, and music videos (VIDEOS!) and celebrities that went on to become pop culture phenomenons (and a few who didn’t), the bright lights of TRL — lights that once lit up the careers of Britney Spears (she appeared on the show 21 times), Mariah Carey (if you don’t remember when she busted onto the show in 2001 and stripped, then refresh your memory with the video below), *NSYNC, Christina Aguilera, Jennifer Lopez, Nelly, Diddy, Eminem, Backstreet Boys, Pink, and thousands of other genre-spanning artists who took the stage between 1998 and 2008 — will go dark. Worst.
The show, originally hosted by Carson Daly, currently co-hosted by Damien Fahey and Lyndsey Rodrigues, will end in November 2008 after a final farewell show and lots of tears.
And not that anything could ever take the place of TRL, and true, maybe we should wait for the blood to dry, but here’s some good news to complement the sad stuff — due to popular demand, FNMTV will be returning to your otherwise crappy Friday nights starting this November. BRAND-new videos! Played in their entirety! The way God intended! And celebrities! Live performances! LOLs! Arguing! More screaming!
Pour some milk out for your favorite fallen show and raise a glass of Quik to the second coming of FNMTV. And below, see who was on the very first TRL countdown ever on September 14, 1998. Plus, check out thousands of TRL photos (including snaps from the iconic backstage photo booth) then close your eyes and let the sentimental sounds of Mariah Carey, Boyz II Men, and Diddy (Puffy, hold me down, baby!) help you pay your respects to a decade of MTV’s Total Request Live.
TRL 09/14/98
1. Backstreet Boys - I’ll Never Break Your Heart
2. NSYNC - Tearin’ Up My Heart
3. Aaliyah featuring Timbaland - Are You That Somebody?
4. Aerosmith - I Don’t Want to Miss A Thing
5. Will Smith - Just the Two of Us
6. Marilyn Manson - The Dope Show
7. Usher- My Way
8. The Goo Goo Dolls - Iris
9. Monica - The First Night
10. Monster Magnet - Space Lord
