As others have mentioned when MTV came on the air in August 1981, this was the first music video they played and it changed the industry. The Buggles were basically a one hit wonder, but MTV became a phenomenon. Some bands/singers from the 70s who had radio hits now had to make cool music videos or they were kinda left behind. And then artists like Duran Duran, Billy Idol, Culture Club, Bowie, Hall and Oates, Journey, Huey Lewis and News, Pat Benatar, Michael, Joan Jett, the Police, Prince, Madonna and more became huge stars in the early to mid 80s because they had great visual offerings in the way of their videos to go along with the great songs. It was a killer combo. Now you can understand why hair metal bands became a thing shortly after because in some ways the 'look" became as important as the sound. I'm thankful I was kid during this time and got to witness how music video killed the radio star.
Yes, exactly. And not only did the artists have to be good singers, but they also had to now become actors and fashionistas and learn how to lip synch believably. It was a whole new world!
I came here to say exactly this, but you said it perfectly. I don't think people appreciate how big a boom MTV was. It took the place of the radio in many homes, playing all day in the background, and is why so many of us from that generation know these music videos so well.
This is one of the most historically significant songs ever. It changed the world of music forever and opened up a new era with an explosion of creativity never seen before.
Best song! Sooo cool and quirky. Love this. Gonna be 59. Yes, you got it. Released about 1981. Last part, pure gold. Ahead of it's time, ushering in MTV era. I was about 15 years old then. Love it still today!!!
I’m shocked that Amber actually got the message of this song! Bravo! The very first music video to ever be shown on MTV was The Buggles' "Video Killed The Radio Star." MTV first premiered on August 1, 1981 and would forever change how music would be heard by a new generation. I loved being a 70’s kid. But I am even more grateful that I was alive as a teenager through the ever evolving 80’s that brought some of the most amazing sounds in music to date. Good times!!🥰🙌🏼
I had just graduated in June and a bunch of us rented a house and a half on the Outer Banks. I remember this was a big deal. Back when MTV was the sh*t.
I was a kid in the 70s too, and that's where my heart remained. I felt largely out of place in the 80s, like I'd been beamed into some strange alternative universe. And while videos indeed changed the way music was heard, I'm skeptical whether that was a good thing. But as the song says, we couldn't rewind, we'd gone too far. It was what it was, and actually I preferred the 80s to modern times, even with the big hair, dayglo, hair rock and threat of nuclear Armageddon. Lol
Back in 2011, this band was invited to play at the Prince's Trust Concert for Charity. They managed to get everyone back together, and performed it flawlessly and to a standing ovation.
It was a tribute to Trevor Horn who is the singer here on this song ..and who is a major producer from the 80's especially.. Playing a huge part in Frankie Goes to Hollywood sound, having hits with Seal, Pet Shop Boys, and being part of The Art of Noise.The whole concert was centered around all the work he did and most of the artists performed with him on that concert.
2004 actually. Was broadcast on HDNet here in the US. You can find various videos from the various bands produced by Horn over the years, Yes, Propaganda, etc., etc.
I don't think Millennials (or younger) in general have a concept of what MTV meant back in the 80's. It was a cosmic shift in the lives of everyone, caused by one TV channel. Whether you watched it or not, whether you even had cable or not, it changed you because it changed the entire music industry and all of pop culture. "The first video on MTV" means something to us Gen Xers but not much to these young whipper snappers.
One Night In Bangkok - Murray Head. Guys another one hit wonder that combines a little cadence with great instrumentation. Love to see you react to this one also!
Trevor Horn who was the voice of Buggles went on to be the most influential music producer of the 80s , producing iconic albums for Frankie Goes to Hollywood, ABC, Pet Shop Boys and a whole host of other artists who made the 80s one of the most memorable decades music wise. He also co-produced one of the biggest selling albums of all time, Mike Oldfields Tubular Bells
Fun fact: the keyboardist who shows up near the end in the black shirt is composer Hans Zimmer, who does the film scores for major films like Man of Steel, The Dark Knight, Inception, Dune, etc.
Holy sh*t, this is true! He also did The Lion King, Gladiator, Crimson Tide, Thelma & Louise, True Romance, The Thin Red Line, The Last Samurai, The Crown, and many more.
You guys are really on a serious one hit wonder kick lately. All of us that grew up in the 80's remember this because it was the first video on MTV. "Pop Muzik" by M is kinda along the same lines!
I still remember my cousins and siblings sitting in my aunt's living room waiting for MTV to begin broadcasting on the first day. Too bad it's not same.
One more great one they should love since it features one-quarter of ABBA and was produced by Phil Collins, who put his distinctive stamp on it: "I Know There's Something Going On" by Frida
The record was actually released in 1979 in the uk and got to number 1 in our charts. Some critics at the time viewed it as a bit "bubble gum pop" but over the years i think it has has deservedly gained respect as a great song that was ahead of it's time. Trevor Horn the lead singer is now one of the most respected men in the music industry. If anyone would like to hear an even better longer version of this , check out the Princes Trust concert from 2004. The great orchestra support and production makes it sound incredible. Thanks for the video guys , keep digging out these gems.
The guy with the glasses is Trevor Horn, one of the biggest producers ever. He produced Seal, ABC, Art of Noise whose cover of the Prince song, Kiss, with Tom Jones, is a must hear. He produced Grace Jones' Slave to the Rhythm, Frankie Goes to Hollywood's Relax, Tina Turner's album Wildest Dreams, albums by Jeff Beck, Pet Shop Boys, I could go on and on. Would love to hear your reaction to Kiss with Tom Jones and Art of Noise and the incredible Slave to the Rhythm please!!!
Change is usually so gradual that it goes completely unnoticed. The airing of "Video Killed the Radio Star" as the debut video by MTV was not only a brilliant choice; it was one of those rare watershed moments in history that those of us who were there can look back on and say, "That was THE moment things changed."
Amber you hit the nail on the head girl, it's exactly what it was. The first music video on MTV 1981. It was the change and progression in the music industry.
A couple of years before it kicked the MTV age off,Video Killed the Radio Star got to number 1 in the UK,in October 1979 when it displaced the Police's Message in a Bottle from the top of the chart. Buggles did actually have a second Top 20 hit in February 1980,called Living in the Plastic Age,which is interesting in its own right.
I still get chills from this song! This song not only kicked off the 80s and MTV but my Teens to my 20s!! What a great time it was... unfortunately gone forever..
The 80s encompassed my high school and college years. Video channels m played constantly all over college campus...except for the one hour of Days of Our Lives.
@@theodoreritola7641 Truth be known, Crappy was always operating in the background, puttin on The Show like it wasn't Crappy, but now we are seeing the Elites of the world starting to reveal their True Nature and their True Nature is Crappy and Evil.. Thank God for God!!
❤️ I’ll give you some trivia beyond the “first song on MTV.” Trevor Horn, the lead singer went on to become a very successful record producer after joining Yes prior to that group’s temporary breakup. Keyboardist Geoff Downes was not only a member of Yes, but founded the supergroup Asia with then-ex Yes guitarist Steve Howe. He later reformed the original Asia members and rejoined Yes.
Trevor Horn put a really interesting bass line on this song, too. I never really noticed it from the TV speaker, but listening to it later in life with a good set of headphones, it's really a fairly complicated and integral part of the song.
And don't forget about Hans Zimmer, film score composer (two Oscars - The Lion King and Dune), who cooperates with The Buggless and can be seen in this video.
Wow! Amber is sooo spot-on with her MTV remark! This was the very first video MTV had ever shown, in 1981! 😀 The song was already two years old by that time, though 🙂
I'm old enough that this makes me think of the first "talky" movies and what they did to the careers of many of the silent movie stars. "Pictures came and stole your heart." Obviously, this is the same thing, just with MTV and music videos in general. "We can't rewind, we've gone to far ..." is such a great line that applies to pretty much every technological advance ever.
@@sannaolsson9106 57 but I remember seeing movies as a kid in the early 70s made in the 50s about this topic. I didn't go to any silent movies in the theaters as a kid ... I'm not that old ... :-)
@@graymouser6599 I was thinking Radio Star as in the golden era before broadcast TV. The original soap operas, Sci fi, and mysteries were carried on amplitude modulated radio waves. Video killed that as well.
As mentioned by other in the comments, lead singer Trevor Horn went on to produce amazing records in the 1980's and 1990's. He won the Grammy for Record of the Year in 1996 for the song "Kiss From A Rose". a long overdue recognition for his contribution to the music we listen to. At 5 min 57 sec the keyboardist in shot is a young Hans Zimmer. He went on to win 2 Oscars in the Best Original Score category, 1/ The Lion King in 1995 and 2/ Dune in 2022.
The keyboardist is Geoff Downes (Yes, Hans ZImmer is also in shot briefly.), the other half of the Buggles, current and past Yes keyboardist and founder of Asia.
Amber, you’re right. This was actually the first video ever aired on MTV on August of 1981. It’s probably hard for you guys to wrap your head around, but before this most music was first heard on the radio. No cable TV, three or four TV channels was all that was available. That’s one of the reasons I wish you did more reactions without watching the videos. When artists made music back then, videos were an afterthought at best. A lot of times the videos take you away from the real intention of the song. Not always, but pretty regularly. Thanks hats just me, I’m an old school music fan and radio DJ, still in the game 43 years after I started. Thanks for what you do!
Every once in a while they do react to an audio-only song but then inevitably they get people complaining "why didn't you watch the video?". So they can't win!
Music videos have an interesting history. When talking motion pictures started coming out in the late-1920s, some "short-subject" music films were aired prior to showing the movie in movie theaters.. They were shown this way from the late-1920s to the early-1970s. During the Experimental Era of television from the late-1930s to 1947, some music artists would perform in between television programs, especially if a TV program ended early. The Dumont Television Network still continued this practice into the Commercial Era of television broadcasting from 1947 until they went off the air in 1955. In the 1950s and 1960s, some record labels made "promotional film clips" for some of their music artists, to be aired on network variety shows when the music artist was unable to appear on the show. In the mid-1930s, a vending machine company developed what were called "Soundies" film machines. A person would put some coins into the machine, and after pushing some buttons, a "Soundie" film of a music artist or band would play on the machine. "Soundies" machines were placed at truck stops and some penny arcade parlors from the 1930s to the mid-1950s. Elvis Presley was in the process of raising money to make a Soundies film. When a radio DJ at WHK Cleveland, Ohio found out what Presley was doing, he arranged for him to make some appearances on television on "The Stage Show" on CBS in early-1956, and the rest is history. In the late-1970s, HBO and The USA Network began to air what we now know as music videos on their programs, "Video Jukebox", and "Night Flight" (and also on "Radio 1990", hosted by Lisa Robinson), respectively.
You guys are so lucky you get to first hear these songs with high quality and earphones. We usually heard a new song on our car radio which didn't sound all that good if I liked it I'd go buy the album to be able to hear it over my stereo or headphones. The first time I heard the Beatles a day in the life was in January of 67 on my car radio and was blown away I didn't know that it would be months until I could get the album.
Trevor Horn and Geoff Downes (The Buggles) both joined the band Yes for a short time.....and Horne went on to become one of the best producers of rock albums. A very talented guy.
In the 80 when MTV came on it did kill the radio . We got to see our bands playing the songs . It was visual now and it was cool . Love this song Oh -a Oh-a 1980 hit. Actually it was the very first video ever played on MTV. Put the blame on vcr. We can record our bands on VCrs
@@fermisparadox01 I disagree. While there were many crappy songs, MTV launched the careers of many great artists with great songs that are still played on radio even today! Also, the good songs on MTV that we listened to on crappy TV speakers were also played on radio. So if you had a good set of stereophonic speakers at home or in your car, you could hear the songs played loud and clear and they sounded great! There were many songs that I didn't care for too much when I first heard it on MTV, but then loved it when I heard it on good speakers. And the video imagery somehow made the songs catchier and stick to your head more!
Trevor and his studio team helped create the sound of the 80s. Any release from his ZTT label is worthy of attention. Art of Noise, Frankie Goes To Hollywood, and Propaganda are still some of my favourite bands, and still sound like the future nearly 40 years later.
Agreed! Also Seal, Yes (the Owner of a Lonely Heart phase), Slave to the Rhythm by Grace Jones, ABC's Lexicon of Love, Malcolm McLaren's Duck Rock, the list is basically a map of the global top 10 of the 80s and 90s. One of the most influential producers ever.
I can't tell you how much this song was so spot on with its lyrics and sound when it came out maybee not as much for todays listeners but for all that was coming into the new MTV age (which this song was the 1st they played) so it resonates with all those living and watching music become a combination of both mediums Music+Video which brought us all into a brand new age. This song is a song of a Great BIRTH that all people now on planet Earth now enjoy and take for advantage of, each and every day but for us who lived through it felt the real Birth Pangs of this New Genre being born. Shout out to all my Fellow baby Boomers and Gen Xers.
THIS IS SO 80s (released in 1979 I believe). Absolutely ICONIC. Even though its a one-hit-wonder, it just holds so much meaning to what was going on back then in music.
Then its so 70s then ,,,, Un lees songs that were released in the summer of 89 are 90s songs ? That would in clued Love Shack released in the summer of 1989 would be a 90s song then right ?
@@theodoreritola7641 Well, if you go by release year it’s “70’s” but it really became popular and stayed popular more in the 80’s when it gained a lot of radio play and gained traction. Love Shack, same thing.
You counter dickted your self ,, Thank a bout what you just said PLEASE Its a 70s song no matter how hard you want to make it 80s lol It was wrote Recorded and released . BEFORE the 80s were in Diapers
@@zimnizzle So Love shack to you is still a 80s song though lol I get it EVERY THINGS 80S LOL WHAT EVER To me Love Shack and all songs from late 1989 are 90s songs then Just like songs from late 79 are 80s songs You cant have it both ways Pamala
The Buggles were a one hit wonder in January of 1980. "Video Killed the Radio Star" was a little prophetic as the song was released about 2 years before MTV debuted. This was also the very first video EVER played on MTV. ❤
J & A, the first song played on MTV!! Basically a one-hit wonder, but catchy as hell!! edit - here's 2 people each playing 2 keyboards at once!! th-cam.com/video/_QNEf9oGw8o/w-d-xo.html It is "Love Will Keep Us Together" the Song of the Year 1975!
The irony of this song was that it not only was the first MTV video broadcast, but it ushered the end of the radio as the common form of music listening.
This song and video is so historically iconic. The effect on his voice was meant to sound like old-time radio. The video is loaded with symbolism of the 40s, 50s, 60s, and 70s, such as using black & white in parts, an old-time radio and microphone, 60s-style suits. The list goes on. The woman is dressed as a 1950s sci-fi character and even flies on wires. The little girl is meant to be modern, which for the early 80s, she was. I was in high school when this video kicked off MTV back when MTV really was Music Television. They even had video DJs known as VJs back then. My favorite was Martha Quinn, but she might've been everyone's favorite. 😊 A couple of others were Mark Goodman and Nina Blackwood.
This is such an "addictive song". Great musicians. Still love it! Definitely a Pop tune and one that will always be a fun song to hear whenever. Lead Singer was also the LEAD Singer of Yes for one album, Drama. Good stuff. He even produced the band Yes, 90125 (Owner of a Lonely Heart). Stay safe. Peace to both of you.
didnt see this when it was first launched on MTV, my mom resisted for a while. Her argument being "why would you want music on the TV, just turn on the radio". We got it with our cable eventually. Great reaction like so many of yours. This one has a great catchy beat to it, fun to sing along with. The story with the lyrics can be very deep actually. The radio was the centerpiece for family fun time and information for generations. Then, with the birth of tv, many of the stars couldn't make the transition and faded away. Just like from the first movies. All were silent, no soundtrack of any kind. And then, 'talkies' came to be and some of the biggest stars of the silent era couldn't make that change and lost their careers.
Just a small note; a lot of silent films did have a "soundtrack", of sorts. Movie theatres would often have a live pianist doing appropriate "mood" music for the films being played. It was sorta a natural transition, as movies took over from live Vaudeville shows, which always had music. As such, people kinda expected that movies would also have musical accompaniment, since they were seen essentially as Vaudeville on film.
I am glad social media and reactors like yourselves are exposing many to artists and music styles they are unfamiliar with. This is keeping music from the past alive, and enabling new artists to more easily get exposure. It's great seeing folks as young as yourselves having similar reactions many of us older folks had the first time we heard an artist as a child, as a teen, or as a young adult. Reactors show the world we can all enjoy various types of music, that music has no color, individual ethnicity, no gender, no orientation, or borders. Music and music videos show we are free to be individuals, unique, and ourselves. It's hard to imagine a world without music.
This is an incredible song. It STILL sounds good, because the nostalgia it channels remains relevant. It's fun and sappy at the same time, and it just works. ...and Trevor Horn went on to produce EVERYTHING
This music video is part of the birth of MTV, back when it was actually Music Television instead of what we have today. And you absolutely got the message Amber!
You should do Elvis Costello's "Radio, Radio". It was so controversial against the music industry that it got them kicked off of Saturday Night Live for years because they were told not to perform it and did it anyway. This song will lead you to "Pump It Up", "Allison", "Watching the Detectives" and many more. Elvis Costello is a true original.
Radio shifted hard from AM to FM. Then tv and music videos shifted attention again with video jockeys becoming famous. This song issued in that shift to music videos.
I'm 51, rock and roll, metal, thrash, death metal. But I do remember day one of MTV. I was there. Now that I'm old. I totally love 80s British New Wave. It's so nostalgic.
One of the most underrated gems out there. Recorded in 1979, Trevor Horn foresaw the epic influence (for better or worse) of MTV by two years. Just brilliant!
How on earth could a song that was number one in many countries and sold more than 5 million copies worldwide be "underrated"??? Do you actually know the meaning of the adjective "underrated", or you just type it anywhere to feel cool?
After The Buggles, the singer, Trevor Horn, and keyboardist, Geoffrey Downes, went on to fill vacant spots in Yes in the early 80's. Tempus Fugit is a great Yes song from that era. After this, Yes continued fracturing and Geoffrey Downes and Yes guitarist Steve Howe created super group Asia with John Wetton, bassist from King Crimson, and Carl Palmer, drummer from Emerson, Lake, and Palmer.
We didn't have cable yet in 1981 but a friend invited me over to watch the premiere of Music Television (MTV). This was their debut video. It was so cool. I still get a kick out of hearing this.
Primarily known today as the 1st video ever played on MTV (August 1, 1981), "VKTRS" peaked @ #40 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1979. Duo consisted of Geoff Downes & Trevor Horn. Both joined the group Yes in 1980. Downes joined Asia in 1981. Horn became a prolific producer; Early production hits = ABC's "The Lexicon of Love" & Frankie Goes to Hollywood's "Welcome to the Pleasuredome." Later Trevor Horn produced Seal and won a 1995 Grammy for Best Record of the Year (as producer of Seal's "Kiss From A Rose.")
Trevor Horn the lead singer is actually best known for being a a grammy and Brit award winning producer, who has worked with acts like Seal (he produced Kiss from a Rose), Frankie Goes to Hollywood, he produced Tubular Bells 2 by Mike Oldfield (who wrote the theme to The Exorcist), as well as working with Tatu and Leanne Rimes (he produced Can't Fight the Moonlight from Coyote Ugly). Trevor Horn is a bit of an 80's icon and a huge producer of the time, The Buggles were just him commenting on the industry.
I missed MTV’s debut because our cable didn’t carry it, so the first video I saw was Toni Basil’s “Mickey” about a year later. You guys have no idea how huge music videos became to us youngin’s in the 80’s. Blew our tiny little minds!
A side-note about the name of the band: They were spoofing the band name of "The Beatles". (Beetles are bugs.) So they called themselves "The Buggles" as an inside joke. (Prior to this they had been known as "The Bugs", making light of the studio "bugs" in the electronics that wreak havoc in the recording studio.)
This was released before MTV, but was the first song played on MTV. This is a song about how music of the past had a different meaning. You listened to music and had the images in your mind, but video changed that and guided your thinking about the song. It changed how we listened and viewed music. This was an early 80's hit, but I believe it was written around 79'
It was a late 1979 number 1 in the U.K., but hit the North American charts in early 1980, so it’s technically a crossover hit. Same as Another Brick in the Wall by Pink Floyd, which hit number 1 in late 1979, and was the Christmas number 1, then stayed at the top during early January 1980. But, it went on to chart in many countries during 1980.
Love this song and appreciate your thoughts about it. Cool little fact is that the Buggles did a reunion show at the Royal Albert Hall and assembled the entire band and singers that they made this recording with. Really cool for them to do that.
A song that is simple and initially does not seem all that special, but when you add in its fame for being MTVs first video, then you realize it is such a perfect song for what it did.
The keyboardist for the Buggles was Geoff Downes, who went on to be one of the four original members of Asia (you did "Heat of the Moment" a little while ago). Geoff's keyboard rig in concert made this one in the video look tiny.
I grew up with music videos, but I genuinely think they are the worst thing to happen to music. It didn't really matter what you looked like before that because people only heard your music on the radio and only knew what you looked like if your picture was on the record cover or if you got famous enough to be in magazines. Now, it's image first and music a DISTANT second.
I agree completely! When MTV came along, suddenly it was all about making a flashy video, not making good music. So many of my favorite bands of the 70's sold out to this new trend, and I basically stopped listening to any new music. There have been a few exceptions, but I think most music since 1980 is garbage.
@@amitabhhajela681 Agreed. There are a lot of great videos out there, but I mourn for all the talented people who never got a shot because they didn't have the right 'look.'
@@amitabhhajela681 Yes, I'll admit there were some well-done music videos, but I still believe the music suffered as a result of the focus shifting to the videos.
Hazel Scott, who does jazz & classical music, plays 2 pianos at the same time. There's some old footage of her from the 1940s & 1950s. Hazel and also Nat King Cole were 2 of the first black performers to have their own TV variety shows, although neither lasted long because it was hard for them to get sponsors. Hazel's show came out a few years before Nat's. Also some local TV stations in the southern USA would not broadcast the programs.
I was a Junior in High School and recall staying up for the midnight launch of MTV on August 1st, 1981. This was our first exposure to the video music that would shape our generation. It was a pretty magical time - the world was changing fast and this was just another example.
As others have mentioned M's "Pop Muzik" falls along the lines of The Buggles' hit, while it was released in 1979 it got airplay on MTV around the same time, as well as on VH1. Both tracks had a futuristic sound to them considering how long ago they were released. But futuristic artists/songs had been heard before, an example being Kraftwerk's "Trans-Euro Express" and "Numbers" which later inspired Afrika Bambaataa & Soul Sonic Force's "Planet Rock", a Break Dancing classic.
Random thought: it’d be cool to see a weekly round up touching on the videos posted with the information supplied by the viewers. Case in point, letting you know that this was the very first video played on MTV taking music into a new era. It’s be neat to see that all the informative comments were noted and helped expand your knowledge while you are on this music journey. Just a random thought, like I said. 😊
That would make a great weekly livestream. Because we DO like to know you're picking up more information behind the songs, bands and the history of the times. You both are SO open to all the great music. And you 'get it.'
I agree with this 100%!!! I would love to see them do this for one day of the week (briefly adding to anything for the 6 previous days videos), in place of 3 new reactions 😊. That thought has gone through my head too; thanks @car blount for suggesting it!
Like the old saying “you have a face for radio”….lol. Appearance, style, choreography…all came into play much more since you were now seeing the performers!!
This was released in 1979 and you can count them in the one-hit wonder category. The meaning of the song is explained as follows: "It was meant to refer to the transition of everyday digital media. In the '60s, American households slowly transitioned from radio to video as televisions became more accessible for the average family. Now, instead of tuning into the radio for the nightly news or entertainment, families were turning on their televisions, thus signaling the beginning of a shift in media consumption. The lyrics "Video killed the radio star" are meant to be taken quite literally - the increased popularity of television as a form of information and entertainment ultimately "killed" the radio industry."
It's amazing that it sounds like it has the early new wave 80s vibe but if you really listen you can the hear the late 70s instrumentation. Similar to Kate Bush's Wow. I thought it was from the early 80s but it's from 78.
They were definitely a one-hit wonder but the album itself is utterly amazing! "Miss Robot", "Elstree", and "Astroboy (And The Proles On Parade)" are great songs!
The radio industry is still strong. It killed the careers of people like Christopher Cross,who weren't attractive enough for MTV. It became more about how you look, rather than talent.
@@georgeglasser8220 sorry but you missed it. The song and what Tina is saying is that it is about how in the thirties and forties and fifties the radio was the place where people got their entertainment. Radio stations didn't just play music. They had shows that told stories, they were talk shows, there were comedy shows. When television became popular people started watching TV for that same type of entertainment. The people that were big and radio may not have made it big in TV hence video killing the radio Star.
The one-hit wonder that kicked off MTV (on 8/1/81). The song was first released in 1979. What a way to cement your place in history!! While I can't really recommend any more Buggles songs, there are a lot of other early 80s synth-heavy nu-wave gems that you have yet to react to - "Cars" by Gary Numan; "Living on Video" by Trans X; and "Pop Muzik" by M. You should also add to your "New Artist Alert!" list "Goody Two Shoes" by Adam Ant; "Generals and Majors" by XTC; and "Annie Get Your Gun" by Squeeze. "Radio Silence" by Thomas Dolby is another brilliant tune.
I think his vocals were meant to sound like a Radio Broadcast in the 1920s. A nod and a tip 'o' the hat to the earliest days of Broadcasting, paying respect and bidding adieu to the old before ushering the new era of the MUSIC VIDEOS.
The funny thing is videos are pretty much gone, but radio is still widely popular. Yes, there are other ways to listen to music, as there always have been (8-Track, Cassette, CD, music downloads, streaming, podcasts etc etc) but people keep listening to radio
Trevor Horn was one of the two guys in this band that would go on to sing briefly for YES. He would then go on to form the band Art of Noise and produce several big hits for various artists. He is most well known for collaborating with singer SEAL.
In November of 1979 for the first time I heard that song on the radio in Madrid, Spain. I do recall there were other songs like “Message in the bottle” from the British band the Police. “We don’t talk anymore” by Cliff Richard and others.. The song is questioning the changing technology. This song was before MTV debut in 1981. This song came out in September 1979.. it took a while to reach the states. It is an acoustic sound mixed with 1950’s chorus and electronic sounds
The video itself is interesting, because it's an accompanying piece to the song itself. There were earlier music videos, but they often consisted almost entirely of just the band playing the song, making them more like a live performance than a further avenue of artistic expression. The development of the music video kinda reminds me of seeing some early Abbott and Costello live stage shows where cameras were included. You could see the tension between the old Vaudeville methods and the demands of the new medium, often in quite a direct manner; I remember A&C seeming to have occasional trouble deciding if they should be playing to the theatre audience or to the machines. And, if I may, Amber; that shirt *is* right. ♥ to you both, and the whole fam!
My main memory of this song dates from April Fools Day in 1980. During the breakfast show, a local radio station ran a spoof interview with someone going into great detail about how they had developed what we now know as a music streaming service. At the end of the "interview", the DJ said all he could think of was to play this! Separately, Jordan if you like keyboard wizards that much, check out some live performances by Emerson, Lake and Palmer.
Great reaction! Other people have already said this was the first song MTV ever played, and originally MTV only had about 110 videos and about 11 of them were Rod Stewart either in his solo career or in bands he's been in. and of course some were repeated the first day. He was played the most that first day! Man, I remember setting up a second smaller TV beside the 32 inch TV we had so we could play video games on our TRS-80 home computer while MTV was on! Our 32 inch TV wasn't a stereo TV, this was 1981, not all TV's were stereo because only a handful of shows were broadcast in stereo, and when they were they would advertise "In Stereo" at the bottom of the screen, especially like Miami Vice! The thing is, MTV was on channel 6 on our cable network and back in the day of analog TV broadcasting channel 6 also broadcast an audio signal at 87.7FM so I could tune in MTV on our TV and tune in 87.7 on my tuner (a HI-Fi radio) and listen to the audio in stereo so I was good there. Later I picked up a stereo VHS tape recorder so I could get stereo audio from that whether I was watching or playing. Those were the days!
This song came out in 1980. At the time it was mostly only known to New Wave fans but became a huge hit the following year when it became the first song ever played on MTV. This song was a huge hit but it is the only one that made it big. Their entire "Living in the Plastic Age" album is super solid early New Wave . I think there is a copy of the title track on TH-cam if you want to see more of them
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As others have mentioned when MTV came on the air in August 1981, this was the first music video they played and it changed the industry. The Buggles were basically a one hit wonder, but MTV became a phenomenon. Some bands/singers from the 70s who had radio hits now had to make cool music videos or they were kinda left behind. And then artists like Duran Duran, Billy Idol, Culture Club, Bowie, Hall and Oates, Journey, Huey Lewis and News, Pat Benatar, Michael, Joan Jett, the Police, Prince, Madonna and more became huge stars in the early to mid 80s because they had great visual offerings in the way of their videos to go along with the great songs. It was a killer combo. Now you can understand why hair metal bands became a thing shortly after because in some ways the 'look" became as important as the sound. I'm thankful I was kid during this time and got to witness how music video killed the radio star.
I remember sitting with MY PARENTS I was 9 years old watching MTV kick off and this video playing 😁
This person understands what was up.
Yup 21 when MTV came out 100% true never said better.
Yes, exactly. And not only did the artists have to be good singers, but they also had to now become actors and fashionistas and learn how to lip synch believably. It was a whole new world!
I came here to say exactly this, but you said it perfectly. I don't think people appreciate how big a boom MTV was. It took the place of the radio in many homes, playing all day in the background, and is why so many of us from that generation know these music videos so well.
The Buggles - Video Killed the Radio Star! absolutely fabulous & the first music video to be played on MTV.
This is one of the most historically significant songs ever. It changed the world of music forever and opened up a new era with an explosion of creativity never seen before.
Well said. Music had become theatrical and opened up a whole new world
The 70's was pulling out stuff like this every month.
Yea, What you said.
More the pity!
Nah!
Fact, the keyboard player is none other the HANS ZIMMER who went on to become an Oscar winning composer of many movie scores.
Now way!! WOW!!
Hans Zimmer was only in the video as he is friends with Trevor Horn and Geoff Downs
@@thebronzetoo He's the guy in the back. He didn't play on the record, he only appeared in the video as far as I know.
Whaaaaat that’s wild
The importance of this song in music history can never be underestimated.
That is an understatement!
I think you mean "overestimated" unless you think it is irrelevant?
@@evilpenguinmas Now i'm confused.
@@hamsternibbler5582 first song on mtv ?
Best song! Sooo cool and quirky. Love this. Gonna be 59. Yes, you got it. Released about 1981. Last part, pure gold. Ahead of it's time, ushering in MTV era. I was about 15 years old then. Love it still today!!!
I’m shocked that Amber actually got the message of this song! Bravo! The very first music video to ever be shown on MTV was The Buggles' "Video Killed The Radio Star." MTV first premiered on August 1, 1981 and would forever change how music would be heard by a new generation. I loved being a 70’s kid. But I am even more grateful that I was alive as a teenager through the ever evolving 80’s that brought some of the most amazing sounds in music to date. Good times!!🥰🙌🏼
I want my MTV
@@bryanburton6087 Annnnnddddd cue the intro to the official video for "Money For Nothing," by Dire Straights!!!! ❤️🔥❤️🔥❤️🔥
I had just graduated in June and a bunch of us rented a house and a half on the Outer Banks. I remember this was a big deal. Back when MTV was the sh*t.
I was a kid in the 70s too, and that's where my heart remained. I felt largely out of place in the 80s, like I'd been beamed into some strange alternative universe.
And while videos indeed changed the way music was heard, I'm skeptical whether that was a good thing. But as the song says, we couldn't rewind, we'd gone too far.
It was what it was, and actually I preferred the 80s to modern times, even with the big hair, dayglo, hair rock and threat of nuclear Armageddon. Lol
Its not very shocking that people do research.
Back in 2011, this band was invited to play at the Prince's Trust Concert for Charity. They managed to get everyone back together, and performed it flawlessly and to a standing ovation.
It was a tribute to Trevor Horn who is the singer here on this song ..and who is a major producer from the 80's especially.. Playing a huge part in Frankie Goes to Hollywood sound, having hits with Seal, Pet Shop Boys, and being part of The Art of Noise.The whole concert was centered around all the work he did and most of the artists performed with him on that concert.
@@TimothySmiths Not to mention Yes' "90124", incl. "Owner of a Lonely Heart".
please can they react to that 2011 performance? Someone make it happen!
The orchestral aspect of that performance showed how sophisticated this song is.
2004 actually. Was broadcast on HDNet here in the US. You can find various videos from the various bands produced by Horn over the years, Yes, Propaganda, etc., etc.
“It sounds like something our kids would listen to”
It’s something your parents listened to😂
I don't think Millennials (or younger) in general have a concept of what MTV meant back in the 80's. It was a cosmic shift in the lives of everyone, caused by one TV channel. Whether you watched it or not, whether you even had cable or not, it changed you because it changed the entire music industry and all of pop culture. "The first video on MTV" means something to us Gen Xers but not much to these young whipper snappers.
This changed Everything!!!!!!!
Before we had MTV I remember watching "Night Tracks" on TBS.
you nailed it.
@@jakeaurod "Video Concert Hall" for me. That was where I first saw Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody" video.
Yeah, and it started dying when The Real World came out. I knew it then. Unfortunately, I was right.
One Night In Bangkok - Murray Head. Guys another one hit wonder that combines a little cadence with great instrumentation. Love to see you react to this one also!
he had more than one if you count say it ain't so
After The Fire - Der Kommissar
I second that! I've been suggesting it for a while.
Yep
99 Luftballoons by Nena
Trevor Horn who was the voice of Buggles went on to be the most influential music producer of the 80s , producing iconic albums for Frankie Goes to Hollywood, ABC, Pet Shop Boys and a whole host of other artists who made the 80s one of the most memorable decades music wise. He also co-produced one of the biggest selling albums of all time, Mike Oldfields Tubular Bells
You forgot Seal
Fun fact: the keyboardist who shows up near the end in the black shirt is composer Hans Zimmer, who does the film scores for major films like Man of Steel, The Dark Knight, Inception, Dune, etc.
Woah really ??!? That is amazing :D I thought I knew it all about this song but hats off that’s a new one on me Thanks er DeathSurge666 :)
THIS... is cool to learn. Time for me to read up on how that came to be. Thx for the info DeathSurge666!
AH-Mazing!! Had not idea - he's won at least a dozen Oscars!
Cheers for the info.
Holy sh*t, this is true! He also did The Lion King, Gladiator, Crimson Tide, Thelma & Louise, True Romance, The Thin Red Line, The Last Samurai, The Crown, and many more.
You guys are really on a serious one hit wonder kick lately.
All of us that grew up in the 80's remember this because it was the first video on MTV.
"Pop Muzik" by M is kinda along the same lines!
absolutely vote for Pop Muzik. I had it on a 45 so many years ago.
I still remember my cousins and siblings sitting in my aunt's living room waiting for MTV to begin broadcasting on the first day. Too bad it's not same.
Here's a vote for two nearly-forgotten gems: "There's a Spy (In the House of Love)" by Animal Logic, and "Election Day" by Arcadia.
One more great one they should love since it features one-quarter of ABBA and was produced by Phil Collins, who put his distinctive stamp on it: "I Know There's Something Going On" by Frida
That was back when MTV played music videos.
The record was actually released in 1979 in the uk and got to number 1 in our charts. Some critics at the time viewed it as a bit "bubble gum pop" but over the years i think it has has deservedly gained respect as a great song that was ahead of it's time. Trevor Horn the lead singer is now one of the most respected men in the music industry. If anyone would like to hear an even better longer version of this , check out the Princes Trust concert from 2004. The great orchestra support and production makes it sound incredible. Thanks for the video guys , keep digging out these gems.
Yes 1979.
This song may be one of the most important video song on MTV PERIOD!!!
First video!! Lyrics were so spot on!
The guy with the glasses is Trevor Horn, one of the biggest producers ever. He produced Seal, ABC, Art of Noise whose cover of the Prince song, Kiss, with Tom Jones, is a must hear. He produced Grace Jones' Slave to the Rhythm, Frankie Goes to Hollywood's Relax, Tina Turner's album Wildest Dreams, albums by Jeff Beck, Pet Shop Boys, I could go on and on. Would love to hear your reaction to Kiss with Tom Jones and Art of Noise and the incredible Slave to the Rhythm please!!!
Time for some Grace Jones!
Trevor and Geoff were also in Yes for a short time. Geoff was also in Asia.
And he replaced Jon Anderson on one Yes Album! Also produced Yes' 90125 album!
@@Mark-zu6oz Amen!
I've been requesting the Art of Noise with Tom Jones version of Kiss for a while now.. but NOoooo!!
Change is usually so gradual that it goes completely unnoticed. The airing of "Video Killed the Radio Star" as the debut video by MTV was not only a brilliant choice; it was one of those rare watershed moments in history that those of us who were there can look back on and say, "That was THE moment things changed."
Yes! The launch of MTV was was an earth shattering moment for us who were there to witness it on our TV’s. I’ll never forget it. 😎🙌🏾
That was a well-written post. Great writing!
Exactly❤
truth
Amber you hit the nail on the head girl, it's exactly what it was. The first music video on MTV 1981. It was the change and progression in the music industry.
A couple of years before it kicked the MTV age off,Video Killed the Radio Star got to number 1 in the UK,in October 1979 when it displaced the Police's Message in a Bottle from the top of the chart. Buggles did actually have a second Top 20 hit in February 1980,called Living in the Plastic Age,which is interesting in its own right.
A monumental video for MTV! It was the first video played when MTV had their maiden airing August 1,1981!
It's such a part of my youth...the lyrics mean something... Loving it.,
@@lorraineborkowski7766 too bad he was considered a one hit wonder!
I still get chills from this song! This song not only kicked off the 80s and MTV but my Teens to my 20s!! What a great time it was... unfortunately gone forever..
The 80s encompassed my high school and college years. Video channels m played constantly all over college campus...except for the one hour of Days of Our Lives.
Only if time is linear/exists, which is not as certain as one might expect.
So there's that.
Me to i was born in 1960 , For me the late 60s and the 70s were fantastic, The best 10 year ever , And now what a crappy world we all live in ,
@@theodoreritola7641 Truth be known, Crappy was always operating in the background, puttin on The Show like it wasn't Crappy, but now we are seeing the Elites of the world starting to reveal their True Nature and their True Nature is Crappy and Evil.. Thank God for God!!
❤️ I’ll give you some trivia beyond the “first song on MTV.” Trevor Horn, the lead singer went on to become a very successful record producer after joining Yes prior to that group’s temporary breakup.
Keyboardist Geoff Downes was not only a member of Yes, but founded the supergroup Asia with then-ex Yes guitarist Steve Howe. He later reformed the original Asia members and rejoined Yes.
The Buggles were probably the most successful one hit wonder band ever. It's just that their success happened after they quit being The Buggles.
Was the very first video on MTV on ,august 1. ,1980. ,12 ,midnight
how funny people thought it was money for nothing cause of the MTV references but nope it was this 1
Trevor Horn put a really interesting bass line on this song, too. I never really noticed it from the TV speaker, but listening to it later in life with a good set of headphones, it's really a fairly complicated and integral part of the song.
And don't forget about Hans Zimmer, film score composer (two Oscars - The Lion King and Dune), who cooperates with The Buggless and can be seen in this video.
Wow! Amber is sooo spot-on with her MTV remark! This was the very first video MTV had ever shown, in 1981! 😀 The song was already two years old by that time, though 🙂
I'm old enough that this makes me think of the first "talky" movies and what they did to the careers of many of the silent movie stars. "Pictures came and stole your heart." Obviously, this is the same thing, just with MTV and music videos in general.
"We can't rewind, we've gone to far ..." is such a great line that applies to pretty much every technological advance ever.
Silent films ended in the 30s. How old are you??😂
@@sannaolsson9106 57 but I remember seeing movies as a kid in the early 70s made in the 50s about this topic. I didn't go to any silent movies in the theaters as a kid ... I'm not that old ... :-)
@@graymouser6599 I was thinking Radio Star as in the golden era before broadcast TV. The original soap operas, Sci fi, and mysteries were carried on amplitude modulated radio waves. Video killed that as well.
As mentioned by other in the comments, lead singer Trevor Horn went on to produce amazing records in the 1980's and 1990's. He won the Grammy for Record of the Year in 1996 for the song "Kiss From A Rose". a long overdue recognition for his contribution to the music we listen to. At 5 min 57 sec the keyboardist in shot is a young Hans Zimmer. He went on to win 2 Oscars in the Best Original Score category, 1/ The Lion King in 1995 and 2/ Dune in 2022.
And Zimmer did the soundtrack for Top Gun Maverick.
Hans Zimmer was in the Buggles? I ve learned something today.
I meant to say Trevor sang lead on Yes drama
The keyboardist is Geoff Downes (Yes, Hans ZImmer is also in shot briefly.), the other half of the Buggles, current and past Yes keyboardist and founder of Asia.
@@robertrose5938 so they are one-hit wonders because they were too busy making hits elsewhere. A ton of talent!
Amber, you’re right. This was actually the first video ever aired on MTV on August of 1981. It’s probably hard for you guys to wrap your head around, but before this most music was first heard on the radio. No cable TV, three or four TV channels was all that was available. That’s one of the reasons I wish you did more reactions without watching the videos. When artists made music back then, videos were an afterthought at best. A lot of times the videos take you away from the real intention of the song. Not always, but pretty regularly. Thanks hats just me, I’m an old school music fan and radio DJ, still in the game 43 years after I started. Thanks for what you do!
Every once in a while they do react to an audio-only song but then inevitably they get people complaining "why didn't you watch the video?". So they can't win!
Music videos have an interesting history. When talking motion pictures started coming out in the late-1920s, some "short-subject" music films were aired prior to showing the movie in movie theaters.. They were shown this way from the late-1920s to the early-1970s. During the Experimental Era of television from the late-1930s to 1947, some music artists would perform in between television programs, especially if a TV program ended early. The Dumont Television Network still continued this practice into the Commercial Era of television broadcasting from 1947 until they went off the air in 1955. In the 1950s and 1960s, some record labels made "promotional film clips" for some of their music artists, to be aired on network variety shows when the music artist was unable to appear on the show. In the mid-1930s, a vending machine company developed what were called "Soundies" film machines. A person would put some coins into the machine, and after pushing some buttons, a "Soundie" film of a music artist or band would play on the machine. "Soundies" machines were placed at truck stops and some penny arcade parlors from the 1930s to the mid-1950s. Elvis Presley was in the process of raising money to make a Soundies film. When a radio DJ at WHK Cleveland, Ohio found out what Presley was doing, he arranged for him to make some appearances on television on "The Stage Show" on CBS in early-1956, and the rest is history. In the late-1970s, HBO and The USA Network began to air what we now know as music videos on their programs, "Video Jukebox", and "Night Flight" (and also on "Radio 1990", hosted by Lisa Robinson), respectively.
Same with MuchMusic in Canada. This was the first video played as well.
Exactly said!!!!!!
You guys are so lucky you get to first hear these songs with high quality and earphones. We usually heard a new song on our car radio which didn't sound all that good if I liked it I'd go buy the album to be able to hear it over my stereo or headphones.
The first time I heard the Beatles a day in the life was in January of 67 on my car radio and was blown away I didn't know that it would be months until I could get the album.
Im 61 years old and remember back in 1981 wnen MTV first started- this was a huge beginning of music videos. Good times in my life!!
Did you go to hunch punch parties, like me and my friends?
Actually one of the greatest songs ever, for it's (yet unknown) significance at the time.
Trevor Horn and Geoff Downes (The Buggles) both joined the band Yes for a short time.....and Horne went on to become one of the best producers of rock albums. A very talented guy.
In the 80 when MTV came on it did kill the radio . We got to see our bands playing the songs . It was visual now and it was cool . Love this song Oh -a Oh-a 1980 hit. Actually it was the very first video ever played on MTV. Put the blame on vcr. We can record our bands on VCrs
I was just about to comment about it being the first song & music video. I found that out, a long time back.
Wrong. All you got to see was videos made for TV. A whole generation listening to music over crappy TV speakers. No wonder real music didn't survive.
Yeah I used to watch MTV for hours back in the 80s!!
@@fermisparadox01 I disagree. While there were many crappy songs, MTV launched the careers of many great artists with great songs that are still played on radio even today! Also, the good songs on MTV that we listened to on crappy TV speakers were also played on radio. So if you had a good set of stereophonic speakers at home or in your car, you could hear the songs played loud and clear and they sounded great! There were many songs that I didn't care for too much when I first heard it on MTV, but then loved it when I heard it on good speakers. And the video imagery somehow made the songs catchier and stick to your head more!
The first song ever played on MTV. Yes, MTV played music when they first started.
The song was released in 1979, MTV started Aug 1981.
One of the last 70s songs ,
Trevor and his studio team helped create the sound of the 80s. Any release from his ZTT label is worthy of attention. Art of Noise, Frankie Goes To Hollywood, and Propaganda are still some of my favourite bands, and still sound like the future nearly 40 years later.
Agreed! Also Seal, Yes (the Owner of a Lonely Heart phase), Slave to the Rhythm by Grace Jones, ABC's Lexicon of Love, Malcolm McLaren's Duck Rock, the list is basically a map of the global top 10 of the 80s and 90s. One of the most influential producers ever.
I can't tell you how much this song was so spot on with its lyrics and sound when it came out maybee not as much for todays listeners but for all that was coming into the new MTV age (which this song was the 1st they played) so it resonates with all those living and watching music become a combination of both mediums Music+Video which brought us all into a brand new age. This song is a song of a Great BIRTH that all people now on planet Earth now enjoy and take for advantage of, each and every day but for us who lived through it felt the real Birth Pangs of this New Genre being born. Shout out to all my Fellow baby Boomers and Gen Xers.
THIS IS SO 80s (released in 1979 I believe). Absolutely ICONIC. Even though its a one-hit-wonder, it just holds so much meaning to what was going on back then in music.
1981 this was the first music video to be played on MTV when it launched in august of 1981
Then its so 70s then ,,,, Un lees songs that were released in the summer of 89 are 90s songs ? That would in clued Love Shack released in the summer of 1989 would be a 90s song then right ?
@@theodoreritola7641 Well, if you go by release year it’s “70’s” but it really became popular and stayed popular more in the 80’s when it gained a lot of radio play and gained traction. Love Shack, same thing.
You counter dickted your self ,, Thank a bout what you just said PLEASE Its a 70s song no matter how hard you want to make it 80s lol It was wrote Recorded and released . BEFORE the 80s were in Diapers
@@zimnizzle So Love shack to you is still a 80s song though lol I get it EVERY THINGS 80S LOL WHAT EVER To me Love Shack and all songs from late 1989 are 90s songs then Just like songs from late 79 are 80s songs You cant have it both ways Pamala
Next Stops, 80's One Hit Wonders Edition:
The Vapors, "Turning Japanese"
Wall of Voodoo, "Mexican Radio"
Bow Wow Wow, "I Want Candy"
This will all ways be a 70s song1 hit wonder
It came out in 1979 but was still in the charts mid way through 1980. That's why it is always included on 80's compilations.
And because it was the inaugural video on MTV
It really feels like it’s the song that officially rung in the 80’s. Much like NIN’s Head Like A Hole came out in 1989, but really rung in the 90’s
Its still a 70s song and will be remembered for that, When i was 18 This song came out in Late 1979 I never thought this as a 80s song nEVER
@@theodoreritola7641 I agree with you completely I was 17 when it came out and it is a 70s song
Its not though it was a hit before the 80s started
It’s totally incredible
That this was 40 years old
Wow 😮
Time really flies
Great song 🎵
I remember the day this aired on MYV
I was a 15 year old lad at this time. It sounds just like the first time hearing it! I always come back for more.
The Buggles were a one hit wonder in January of 1980. "Video Killed the Radio Star" was a little prophetic as the song was released about 2 years before MTV debuted. This was also the very first video EVER played on MTV. ❤
THIS WAS POP BE4 THE 80s were in diapers lol ALL IN FUN
J & A, the first song played on MTV!! Basically a one-hit wonder, but catchy as hell!!
edit - here's 2 people each playing 2 keyboards at once!! th-cam.com/video/_QNEf9oGw8o/w-d-xo.html
It is "Love Will Keep Us Together" the Song of the Year 1975!
That entire album (The Age Of Plastic) is actually not too bad.
I will always remember that because it was on my 7th birthday 🎂, love it!
I'm always amazed, how'd they know MTV was going to be invented? ❤
@@jco207 I think they were at the right place at the right time with the right song!!
to think this was the first video on MTV, when MTV played Music Videos.
The irony of this song was that it not only was the first MTV video broadcast, but it ushered the end of the radio as the common form of music listening.
This song and video is so historically iconic. The effect on his voice was meant to sound like old-time radio. The video is loaded with symbolism of the 40s, 50s, 60s, and 70s, such as using black & white in parts, an old-time radio and microphone, 60s-style suits. The list goes on. The woman is dressed as a 1950s sci-fi character and even flies on wires. The little girl is meant to be modern, which for the early 80s, she was.
I was in high school when this video kicked off MTV back when MTV really was Music Television. They even had video DJs known as VJs back then. My favorite was Martha Quinn, but she might've been everyone's favorite. 😊 A couple of others were Mark Goodman and Nina Blackwood.
the birth of MTV.....💜🖤💜🖤
I remember, I was there.
@@jsherretz64 me too!!! sometimes seems like yesterday, sometimes eons ago...
Me too I was there I love the 80's
This is such an "addictive song". Great musicians. Still love it! Definitely a Pop tune and one that will always be a fun song to hear whenever. Lead Singer was also the LEAD Singer of Yes for one album, Drama. Good stuff. He even produced the band Yes, 90125 (Owner of a Lonely Heart). Stay safe. Peace to both of you.
didnt see this when it was first launched on MTV, my mom resisted for a while. Her argument being "why would you want music on the TV, just turn on the radio". We got it with our cable eventually. Great reaction like so many of yours.
This one has a great catchy beat to it, fun to sing along with. The story with the lyrics can be very deep actually. The radio was the centerpiece for family fun time and information for generations. Then, with the birth of tv, many of the stars couldn't make the transition and faded away. Just like from the first movies. All were silent, no soundtrack of any kind. And then, 'talkies' came to be and some of the biggest stars of the silent era couldn't make that change and lost their careers.
Just a small note; a lot of silent films did have a "soundtrack", of sorts. Movie theatres would often have a live pianist doing appropriate "mood" music for the films being played. It was sorta a natural transition, as movies took over from live Vaudeville shows, which always had music. As such, people kinda expected that movies would also have musical accompaniment, since they were seen essentially as Vaudeville on film.
THEY used a 70s song to make the 80s pop so many dif Gunars came out of the best decade ever 4 music 7dz
I am glad social media and reactors like yourselves are exposing many to artists and music styles they are unfamiliar with. This is keeping music from the past alive, and enabling new artists to more easily get exposure. It's great seeing folks as young as yourselves having similar reactions many of us older folks had the first time we heard an artist as a child, as a teen, or as a young adult. Reactors show the world we can all enjoy various types of music, that music has no color, individual ethnicity, no gender, no orientation, or borders. Music and music videos show we are free to be individuals, unique, and ourselves. It's hard to imagine a world without music.
Significance of this song is that this was the first MTV Video to ever be broadcast!
great post did not know that wow
I remember this video kicking off MTV. And Trevor Horn later became a helluva a producer working with some huge bands in 80s and 90s.
This is an incredible song. It STILL sounds good, because the nostalgia it channels remains relevant. It's fun and sappy at the same time, and it just works.
...and Trevor Horn went on to produce EVERYTHING
I absolutely love this song and have done for 40 + years, it has so much in it and killer bass.
This music video is part of the birth of MTV, back when it was actually Music Television instead of what we have today. And you absolutely got the message Amber!
You should do Elvis Costello's "Radio, Radio". It was so controversial against the music industry that it got them kicked off of Saturday Night Live for years because they were told not to perform it and did it anyway. This song will lead you to "Pump It Up", "Allison", "Watching the Detectives" and many more. Elvis Costello is a true original.
This is 'Behind The Song ' channel of a local DJ here. This link is for Watching The Detectives,
th-cam.com/video/vCgEdXp4-e8/w-d-xo.html
👍
I love his more recent stuff, too.
Elvis Costello's brilliance offers up a great rabbit hole to jump down. So much good stuff!
Veronica is one of the most poignant songs ever written. It makes me cry Everytime. Also, Everyday I write the book, is an amazing EC song. Yep
@@dolphinbear661 That song (along with most of the "Spike" album) was co-written with Paul McCartney.
3:47 A closeup look of that little girl looking up while feeling in shock is so adorable ❤
Radio shifted hard from AM to FM. Then tv and music videos shifted attention again with video jockeys becoming famous. This song issued in that shift to music videos.
The first video ever aired on MTV!! That was an awesome moment... And this is such a catchy song too.
“(Keep feeling) fascination” by The Human League is another early Mtv must. The epitome of 80s music, IMO. 🤷🏻♀️
Omg I love this song it’s sooo fun. An instant mood booster!!!
I hear this song and I think of GTA-Vice City. It was always playing on one of the radio stations.
Love this song and band and your reactions for the years to come! 😊❤
I'm 51, rock and roll, metal, thrash, death metal. But I do remember day one of MTV. I was there. Now that I'm old. I totally love 80s British New Wave. It's so nostalgic.
One of the most underrated gems out there. Recorded in 1979, Trevor Horn foresaw the epic influence (for better or worse) of MTV by two years. Just brilliant!
Not to mention that they are all amazing musicians..Trevor plays a wicked bass line
Think Trevor played with yes.
How on earth could a song that was number one in many countries and sold more than 5 million copies worldwide be "underrated"??? Do you actually know the meaning of the adjective "underrated", or you just type it anywhere to feel cool?
underrated????????? xDDDD
After The Buggles, the singer, Trevor Horn, and keyboardist, Geoffrey Downes, went on to fill vacant spots in Yes in the early 80's. Tempus Fugit is a great Yes song from that era. After this, Yes continued fracturing and Geoffrey Downes and Yes guitarist Steve Howe created super group Asia with John Wetton, bassist from King Crimson, and Carl Palmer, drummer from Emerson, Lake, and Palmer.
Trevor horn also produced yes 90125.
79 released
We didn't have cable yet in 1981 but a friend invited me over to watch the premiere of Music Television (MTV). This was their debut video. It was so cool. I still get a kick out of hearing this.
This song came out in 1979 and was used as the intro for MTV a few years later. It's about how TV first became so popular in the 50's. A great tune!
ITS FUNNY how 80s kids ignore that lol
This one also makes me think of Mr. Roboto. Technology as a destroyer of the past.
You guys reacted to that one.
A great New Wave song. New Wave was a lot of fun, kind of a punk meets prog-rock fusion :)
Without even reading all 2,500 comments, I know what they all say! Haha, good job Amber deciphering the meaning etc…
Primarily known today as the 1st video ever played on MTV (August 1, 1981), "VKTRS" peaked @ #40 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1979. Duo consisted of Geoff Downes & Trevor Horn. Both joined the group Yes in 1980. Downes joined Asia in 1981. Horn became a prolific producer; Early production hits = ABC's "The Lexicon of Love" & Frankie Goes to Hollywood's "Welcome to the Pleasuredome." Later Trevor Horn produced Seal and won a 1995 Grammy for Best Record of the Year (as producer of Seal's "Kiss From A Rose.")
This song was released in July,1979 but MTV premiered with this video in August of 1981.
What a forward looking and sounding song. Not disposable pop art.. but a masterpiece in a way.
Trevor Horn the lead singer is actually best known for being a a grammy and Brit award winning producer, who has worked with acts like Seal (he produced Kiss from a Rose), Frankie Goes to Hollywood, he produced Tubular Bells 2 by Mike Oldfield (who wrote the theme to The Exorcist), as well as working with Tatu and Leanne Rimes (he produced Can't Fight the Moonlight from Coyote Ugly). Trevor Horn is a bit of an 80's icon and a huge producer of the time, The Buggles were just him commenting on the industry.
and Pet Shop Boys
@@deborahpaley21 don't forget Dollar and his own midd 80's band the art of noise
I missed MTV’s debut because our cable didn’t carry it, so the first video I saw was Toni Basil’s “Mickey” about a year later. You guys have no idea how huge music videos became to us youngin’s in the 80’s. Blew our tiny little minds!
I was just thinking the same...my first MTV was Flock of Seagulls--I Ran.
I think the first video I saw was from the Thompson Twins ("Hold Me Now") in '81, I think
A side-note about the name of the band: They were spoofing the band name of "The Beatles". (Beetles are bugs.) So they called themselves "The Buggles" as an inside joke. (Prior to this they had been known as "The Bugs", making light of the studio "bugs" in the electronics that wreak havoc in the recording studio.)
This was released before MTV, but was the first song played on MTV. This is a song about how music of the past had a different meaning. You listened to music and had the images in your mind, but video changed that and guided your thinking about the song. It changed how we listened and viewed music. This was an early 80's hit, but I believe it was written around 79'
It was a late 1979 number 1 in the U.K., but hit the North American charts in early 1980, so it’s technically a crossover hit.
Same as Another Brick in the Wall by Pink Floyd, which hit number 1 in late 1979, and was the Christmas number 1, then stayed at the top during early January 1980.
But, it went on to chart in many countries during 1980.
nope lol put it back on the 70dz shelf lol 1979 was never a year in the 80s
Love this song and appreciate your thoughts about it. Cool little fact is that the Buggles did a reunion show at the Royal Albert Hall and assembled the entire band and singers that they made this recording with. Really cool for them to do that.
1st video ever played on MTV as it started up!
I think 1979 was the best year EVER 4 the music INDUSTRY PERIOD
5:55 Hans Zimmer (The Lion King, Pirates of the Caribbean, Inception, etc...)
A song that is simple and initially does not seem all that special, but when you add in its fame for being MTVs first video, then you realize it is such a perfect song for what it did.
This track was released in 1980 ..it brings back many memories for me ,where I worked ,car I drove at the time etc etc ..i was 19 at the time 😁🎶🎶
1979
The keyboardist for the Buggles was Geoff Downes, who went on to be one of the four original members of Asia (you did "Heat of the Moment" a little while ago). Geoff's keyboard rig in concert made this one in the video look tiny.
I grew up with music videos, but I genuinely think they are the worst thing to happen to music. It didn't really matter what you looked like before that because people only heard your music on the radio and only knew what you looked like if your picture was on the record cover or if you got famous enough to be in magazines. Now, it's image first and music a DISTANT second.
I agree completely! When MTV came along, suddenly it was all about making a flashy video, not making good music. So many of my favorite bands of the 70's sold out to this new trend, and I basically stopped listening to any new music. There have been a few exceptions, but I think most music since 1980 is garbage.
@@rodjohnson2632 I agree with both of you but in retrospect some of those 80s and even 90s videos were works of art
@@amitabhhajela681 Agreed. There are a lot of great videos out there, but I mourn for all the talented people who never got a shot because they didn't have the right 'look.'
@@amitabhhajela681 Yes, I'll admit there were some well-done music videos, but I still believe the music suffered as a result of the focus shifting to the videos.
Hazel Scott, who does jazz & classical music, plays 2 pianos at the same time. There's some old footage of her from the 1940s & 1950s. Hazel and also Nat King Cole were 2 of the first black performers to have their own TV variety shows, although neither lasted long because it was hard for them to get sponsors. Hazel's show came out a few years before Nat's. Also some local TV stations in the southern USA would not broadcast the programs.
Hazel was a close family friend. I grew up knowing her. She was very kind to me. Very fond memories.
I was a Junior in High School and recall staying up for the midnight launch of MTV on August 1st, 1981. This was our first exposure to the video music that would shape our generation. It was a pretty magical time - the world was changing fast and this was just another example.
As others have mentioned M's "Pop Muzik" falls along the lines of The Buggles' hit, while it was released in 1979 it got airplay on MTV around the same time, as well as on VH1. Both tracks had a futuristic sound to them considering how long ago they were released. But futuristic artists/songs had been heard before, an example being Kraftwerk's "Trans-Euro Express" and "Numbers" which later inspired Afrika Bambaataa & Soul Sonic Force's "Planet Rock", a Break Dancing classic.
1979 Rocked
And Funky Town All 3 late ,1979 Still in the 70s
Random thought: it’d be cool to see a weekly round up touching on the videos posted with the information supplied by the viewers. Case in point, letting you know that this was the very first video played on MTV taking music into a new era. It’s be neat to see that all the informative comments were noted and helped expand your knowledge while you are on this music journey. Just a random thought, like I said. 😊
That would make a great weekly livestream. Because we DO like to know you're picking up more information behind the songs, bands and the history of the times. You both are SO open to all the great music. And you 'get it.'
I agree with this 100%!!! I would love to see them do this for one day of the week (briefly adding to anything for the 6 previous days videos), in place of 3 new reactions 😊. That thought has gone through my head too; thanks @car blount for suggesting it!
I was thinking the same thing. It really would be nice to know about the viewer comments.
Good idea.
Yes please!
Like the old saying “you have a face for radio”….lol. Appearance, style, choreography…all came into play much more since you were now seeing the performers!!
Can’t say much that hasn’t been said but it is part of my life’s soundtrack and awesome to hear again! Thanks!!!!
This was released in 1979 and you can count them in the one-hit wonder category. The meaning of the song is explained as follows:
"It was meant to refer to the transition of everyday digital media. In the '60s, American households slowly transitioned from radio to video as televisions became more accessible for the average family. Now, instead of tuning into the radio for the nightly news or entertainment, families were turning on their televisions, thus signaling the beginning of a shift in media consumption.
The lyrics "Video killed the radio star" are meant to be taken quite literally - the increased popularity of television as a form of information and entertainment ultimately "killed" the radio industry."
And now it comes “digital killed the video star”
It's amazing that it sounds like it has the early new wave 80s vibe but if you really listen you can the hear the late 70s instrumentation. Similar to Kate Bush's Wow. I thought it was from the early 80s but it's from 78.
They were definitely a one-hit wonder but the album itself is utterly amazing! "Miss Robot", "Elstree", and "Astroboy (And The Proles On Parade)" are great songs!
The radio industry is still strong. It killed the careers of people like Christopher Cross,who weren't attractive enough for MTV. It became more about how you look, rather than talent.
@@georgeglasser8220 sorry but you missed it. The song and what Tina is saying is that it is about how in the thirties and forties and fifties the radio was the place where people got their entertainment. Radio stations didn't just play music. They had shows that told stories, they were talk shows, there were comedy shows. When television became popular people started watching TV for that same type of entertainment.
The people that were big and radio may not have made it big in TV hence video killing the radio Star.
The one-hit wonder that kicked off MTV (on 8/1/81). The song was first released in 1979. What a way to cement your place in history!! While I can't really recommend any more Buggles songs, there are a lot of other early 80s synth-heavy nu-wave gems that you have yet to react to - "Cars" by Gary Numan; "Living on Video" by Trans X; and "Pop Muzik" by M. You should also add to your "New Artist Alert!" list "Goody Two Shoes" by Adam Ant; "Generals and Majors" by XTC; and "Annie Get Your Gun" by Squeeze. "Radio Silence" by Thomas Dolby is another brilliant tune.
Yes ! "Living on Video" also has the same spaced-out feel that The Buggles used on this video.....I always loved that song !
I think they would love Dolby’s “She blinded me with...”
XTC's "This is Pop!" or "Making Plans for Nigel." What a great band from Swindon, England!
The song was released in June 1979 and reached number 1 in the charts in 16 countries.
To 80s kids does that NOT make it a 70s song ?
I think his vocals were meant to sound like a Radio Broadcast in the 1920s. A nod and a tip 'o' the hat to the earliest days of Broadcasting, paying respect and bidding adieu to the old before ushering the new era of the MUSIC VIDEOS.
I thought he meant the 1950's radio
The funny thing is videos are pretty much gone, but radio is still widely popular. Yes, there are other ways to listen to music, as there always have been (8-Track, Cassette, CD, music downloads, streaming, podcasts etc etc) but people keep listening to radio
Trevor Horn was one of the two guys in this band that would go on to sing briefly for YES. He would then go on to form the band Art of Noise and produce several big hits for various artists. He is most well known for collaborating with singer SEAL.
In November of 1979 for the first time I heard that song on the radio in Madrid, Spain. I do recall there were other songs like “Message in the bottle” from the British band the Police.
“We don’t talk anymore” by Cliff Richard and others..
The song is questioning the changing technology. This song was before MTV debut in 1981.
This song came out in September 1979.. it took a while to reach the states. It is an acoustic sound mixed with 1950’s chorus and electronic sounds
The video itself is interesting, because it's an accompanying piece to the song itself. There were earlier music videos, but they often consisted almost entirely of just the band playing the song, making them more like a live performance than a further avenue of artistic expression.
The development of the music video kinda reminds me of seeing some early Abbott and Costello live stage shows where cameras were included. You could see the tension between the old Vaudeville methods and the demands of the new medium, often in quite a direct manner; I remember A&C seeming to have occasional trouble deciding if they should be playing to the theatre audience or to the machines.
And, if I may, Amber; that shirt *is* right. ♥ to you both, and the whole fam!
My main memory of this song dates from April Fools Day in 1980. During the breakfast show, a local radio station ran a spoof interview with someone going into great detail about how they had developed what we now know as a music streaming service. At the end of the "interview", the DJ said all he could think of was to play this! Separately, Jordan if you like keyboard wizards that much, check out some live performances by Emerson, Lake and Palmer.
Very first video on MTV guys back in 1981
MTV musuc videos were constantly played for about 15 yrs solid,.
This being the very first video on MTV was monumental.
I was in the Air Force living in Germany when this song was released. It brings back great memories for me, glad you both enjoyed it ❤
Great reaction! Other people have already said this was the first song MTV ever played, and originally MTV only had about 110 videos and about 11 of them were Rod Stewart either in his solo career or in bands he's been in. and of course some were repeated the first day. He was played the most that first day! Man, I remember setting up a second smaller TV beside the 32 inch TV we had so we could play video games on our TRS-80 home computer while MTV was on! Our 32 inch TV wasn't a stereo TV, this was 1981, not all TV's were stereo because only a handful of shows were broadcast in stereo, and when they were they would advertise "In Stereo" at the bottom of the screen, especially like Miami Vice! The thing is, MTV was on channel 6 on our cable network and back in the day of analog TV broadcasting channel 6 also broadcast an audio signal at 87.7FM so I could tune in MTV on our TV and tune in 87.7 on my tuner (a HI-Fi radio) and listen to the audio in stereo so I was good there. Later I picked up a stereo VHS tape recorder so I could get stereo audio from that whether I was watching or playing. Those were the days!
This song came out in 1980. At the time it was mostly only known to New Wave fans but became a huge hit the following year when it became the first song ever played on MTV.
This song was a huge hit but it is the only one that made it big. Their entire "Living in the Plastic Age" album is super solid early New Wave . I think there is a copy of the title track on TH-cam if you want to see more of them
No actually 1979 ITS 70s
This was a massive hit here in the UK back in the early '80's and signalled the introduction of MTV to our lives.
1979 is when it was released. shown on MTV in the US, airing at 12:01 a.m. on 1 August 1981, and the first video shown on MTV