Cultural cornerstones MuchMusic and MusiquePlus take centre stage in latest stamp release

New stamp issue looks back at the popular, innovative cable television stations that influenced generations of Canadians

In our latest stamp release, Canada Post recalls the heyday of MuchMusic and MusiquePlus, the innovative cable television channels that showcased countless homegrown artists and brought the some of the biggest musicians of the era into the homes of Canadians across the nation.

Launched in August 1984 and broadcast from Toronto, MuchMusic – billed as “the nation’s music station” – was one of Canada’s first specialty cable channels and only a few years later had reached five million households. Its Quebec counterpart, MusiquePlus, began broadcasting out of Montreal in 1986, airing music videos, interviews, and other content that supported francophone artists.

From their inception, the channels brought an unfiltered energy that was rare for television, especially in those days. “People describe [MuchMusic] as being raw, unscripted, improvisational – and that’s exactly what it was,” says David Azoulay, a technical producer who was with the station from its earliest days. The channels were hosted by a diverse and engaging team of video jockey better known as “VJs” who served as tastemakers for generations of Canadians by curating music video selections that introduced young viewers to the likes of Bryan Adams, Corey Hart, Blue Rodeo, Michie Mee, Alanis Morissette, Avril Lavigne and many more.

MuchMusic and MusiquePlus quickly established themselves as cultural cornerstones, providing a new medium that transformed communities. “I went home for Thanksgiving [the year after Much hit the airwaves] and what was once a typical pub had turned into a dance bar because of MuchMusic,” recalls former broadcaster Lisa LaFlamme. “Suddenly, there were big screen TVs with non-stop music videos. It was absolutely revolutionary,” LaFlamme tells Canada Post. “Going from listening to music on tape cassettes to watching these music videos was mesmerizing.”

The vibrant, colourful stamps fittingly depict the iconic studios in Toronto and Montreal from the fan’s perspective at street level, where audiences would regularly gather to interact with the VJs and watch their favourite artists perform. The stations took great lengths to put its devoted viewers first, creating interactive content that encouraged audiences to regularly participate.

“MuchMusic was all about reflecting community,” former VJ Sook-Yin Lee tells 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.”

The connection between viewers and the stations was deep. MuchMusic and MusiquePlus provided a platform that bonded fans and artists and took great lengths to ensure the viewer felt a part of the action. As Azoulay puts it: “We were the social media of that era.”

The stations also supported Canadian artists through program funding for music video production and its annual MuchMusic Video Awards, which routinely attracted the biggest acts of the day. Currently, MuchMusic lives on as a Canadian entertainment brand across social media, bringing its iconic irreverence and perspective to a new generation of Canadians.