Last Thursday night was the night of the 2006 MTV Video Music Awards ceremony. MTV was a central part of the 80's pop culture experience, and long time readers know that I always scan the list of winners and nominees for artists who first got big in the 80's. While the Grammies still love giving awards to Rock's old timers, they're harder to find on the VMA list. Still, there are a few, mostly amongst the nominees. Madonna was nominated, along with U2, Prince, The Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Green Day (who just barely have a foot in the 80's based on their first couple of records for Lookout Records).

Well, despite her five nominations, Madonna didn't score a moonman. The Red Hot Chili Peppers got six nominations, but only one win, in the less glamorous category of "Best Art Direction." Congrats all the same. Most people think of the 90's and Lollapalooza when they think of the Chili Peppers, but their first record did come out in 1984, and had their first big hits by the time of their fourth album in 1989. The songs "Knock Me Down" and "Higher Ground" made it onto the Billboard charts, paving the way for the bands even bigger success in the early 90's. So, what was the name of the 1989 Red Hot Chili Peppers album that put the band on the charts?

Bonus Question: As much as MTV portrays itself as revolutionary and courageous, they often act a bit cautious with new musical trends (This thought goes through my head as I note that this years winner for Best Hip Hop Video is Black Eyed Peas "My Humps.") When it comes to MTV's association with Hip Hop, it wasn't always the foregone conclusion it appears to be today. By 1988 rap music was already an established form. Nevertheless, it was in '88 that MTV first got into the game with a weekly two hour showcase known as "Yo! MTV Raps." The show's DJ was a well known figure in the New York scene who started out as a graffiti artist and went on to do production work and direct music videos. He was even mentioned in the lyrics to Blondie's "Rapture," and he appeared briefly in the video. What was the name of the DJ on "Yo! MTV Raps?"