What is a video for?

As we saw in class, MTV really started the idea of artists creating videos for their songs. With this new channel, the artists could easily promote their songs with videos that would be memorable. However, I have came across multiple videos by bands way before the time of MTV. I know the Beatles have a few videos out there, such as a video for "Something", and I guess even David Bowie has a few videos. What was the point of these artists making the videos back then when they did not have such an easy accessible place to play them such as MTV? How did people see these videos? The videos made when MTV came about and on have had a pretty specific point to them...to make the band commercially successful. These artists wanted to be remembered and known with their risky, or elaborate videos. It also makes me wonder what the point of some videos are now a days. It now seems like just a place to show off the awesome bodies and sexuality of musical artists. It seems as if music videos used to be just an art form, then basically to commercials, now I don't even know what their point is. But, it seems like music videos are and have been a very popular idea, and I really do hope they never die out. I also just hope they can go back to having some sort of meaning, and being more than just a long dance scene.