Created and produced by Thomas W. Lynch and Gary Biller through Night Tracks, Inc. (a production label of Lynch/Biller Productions until 1991, and successor Lynch Entertainment thereafter) and distributed by Turner Program Services, the program was developed to capitalize on the burgeoning popularity of the music video medium after MTV helped bring it into the mainstream following its launch in August 1981.

The series was one of several music video showcase programs that made their debut on American broadcast and cable television during the 1980s in the wake of MTV's rise into the pop culture zeitgeist, including two others that premiered in 1983: NBC's Friday Night Videos and USA Network's Radio 1990.

The first music video aired on the program was for Hall & Oates's "Family Man" (from their H2O album) during the inaugural Friday night edition on June 3, 1983.

USA Network cancelled its Radio 1990 video program in 1986; MTV suffered a ratings slump that same year that led it to replace its original crew of video jockeys and begin creating non-music programs; and in the summer of 1987, Friday Night Videos was pushed back an hour to accommodate the addition of a Friday episode of the higher-rated Late Night with David Letterman.

TBS assigned the three hours cut from the video block to live sports events on Friday evenings and reruns of Hogan's Heroes and Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.

The next August, Night Tracks became wholly devoted to alternative and rap, adopting the slogan "The Music That Matters".

Following Night Tracks' success, WTBS launched a one-hour, country music-oriented version with different voiceover announcers (though the same chyron font for music video identification was used).

Its final episode aired on Saturday, May 30, 1992 (early morning Sunday, May 31 in most time zones) and officially signaled the end of the Night Tracks franchise.