"
Money for Nothing" is a single by British
rock band
Dire Straits, taken from their 1985 album
Brothers in Arms. The song's lyrics, considered controversial at the time of the song's release, are written from the point of view of a working-class man watching music videos and commenting on what he sees. The song featured a cameo appearance by
Sting singing background vocals, as well as the signature
falsetto introduction and backing chorus, "I want my
MTV." The groundbreaking video was the first to be aired on
MTV Europe when the network launched on 1 August 1987.