1977: The Buggles – Music AmneZia1977: The Buggles

Biography
Genre(s)
Origin
Peak Date
Years (together)
Members
Discography
Song Highlights
Videos
Labels
Also Member of
Reference

Cover of Video Killed Radio Star

The Buggles were a British New Wave duo consisting of Trevor Horn (vocals, bass guitar, guitar) and Geoff Downes (keyboards, synthesizers, electric piano, piano, drums, percussion, backing vocals). They are best known for their 1979 debut single “Video Killed the Radio Star” that was No. 1 on the singles charts of sixteen countries. Its music video was the first to be shown on MTV in the U.S. at 12:01 on 1 August 1981. It was the lead single of the Buggles’ first album, The Age of Plastic, with three UK-hit singles released from it.

Shortly after Downes’ move to the band Asia and the commercial failure of their second album, Adventures in Modern Recording, in the UK, the group came to an end in 1981. However, Downes and Horn have been performing Buggles’ songs together since 1998. When they collaborated together again in the Yes album Fly from Here in 2011, they used songs originally recorded as demos of The Buggles as a basis for most of the songs.

Progressive rock
Pop/Rock
New Wave
Punk/New Wave
Synth Pop

Wimbledon, London, United Kingdom, United Kingdom

1979

1977–1981, occasional reunion performances since 1998

Trevor Horn – lead vocals, bass guitar, guitar
Geoff Downes – keyboards, synthesizers, electric piano, piano, drums, percussion, backing vocals
Bruce Woolley – left the group before they were signed, and recorded Video Killed the Radio Star with his new band The Camera Club, which was a hit in Canada.
Tina Charles – featured vocals on “Video Killed the Radio Star”
John Sinclair
Simon Darlow