Video Killed the Radio Star by The Buggles officially became a top 40 hit in late 1979, but it's often thought of as an 80's song because it was the video that launched MTV in 1981.  Do you think of it more as a 70's song or an 80's song, or both?

I've only ever thought of it as a 70's song, mainly because it saw all it's chart action in '79, but I actually voted for 'Both'.

What most people don't know was that Bruce Woolley (who co-wrote the song) did a new wave version of it with his band The Camera Club, that became an international hit also in late '79.

It sounds more '80s' to me... :)

Video Killed the Radio Star will always be a Seventies song.

80s

I remember this song well when it was a hit on the radio, right at the end of the decade, its 80s to me :)

While it chronologically truly is a 70's song I feel it, as well as others, helped to develop the sound for the 80's commercialized mainstream new wave music that came later. Oh, and I voted for both.

80's, IMO, just because I associate it with the 80's.

If you look at the UK Charts, Video Killed the Radio Star last week in the Top 40 wwas in November 1979 and had faded away from the charts long before 1980.

If you look at the UK Charts, Video Killed the Radio Star last week in the Top 40 wwas in November 1979 and had faded away from the charts long before 1980.


Yeah, but that's simply chronological, not musical. I'm talking more the style and the "feel" of the song, or when it had its biggest impact.

I'd say 1978 or 79-81 were the musicallly transitional years (by 1982 it was almost completely 80's). There was a variety of styles hitting the charts in this time. Some of it was still very "70's" while some of it was synthesizer oriented, and as such, laid the groundwork for 80's music.

"Video Killed the Radio Star" was clearly the latter. In fact, it was probably a bit ahead of its time (MTV played a big part in the success of new wave, or otherwise "visual" bands).

Seriously, something about "VKTRS" always gives me goosebumps. I always look at the song as standing on the edge of an unexplored frontier, with the next big thing booming on the horizon, but still oblivious to us aside from speculation (that synth buildup towards the end really enhances this feeling).

Couple that with the lyrics, and it's like they were predicting MTV before it was even around. ;)

BTW, I was just thinking about the lyric "I heard you on the wireless back in '52". I realized it's only gonna be four more years before the same amount of time has passed for an equivalent lyric to say "back in '82"! That means MTV and that song are almost as "old" as the previous medium (i.e. radio) was when it was released in 1979!!

I wonder if around 2009, they'll come out with a song called "Satellite killed the Video Star"? ;D

It will always feel like an 80s song for me, partly due to its appearance on 80s themed PS2 game Vice City

Well, it came out a few months before I was born. But I do happen know a lot about the release dates of records that are older than me.

Since it was released in late 1979, I would have to go with it as a 70s song; however, I have heard it played a lot on stations that do "totally 80s" shows and things like that.

Lots of songs tend to cross over into other years...especially at the transitions to new decades. (Others that carried over from 1979 into 1980 include Pink Floyd's "Another Brick In The Wall Part 2", Tom Petty's "Refugee" and Michael Jackson's "Rock With You".) I tend to associate records with when they first hit the charts.

Well, it came out a few months before I was born. But I do happen know a lot about the release dates of records that are older than me.

Since it was released in late 1979, I would have to go with it as a 70s song; however, I have heard it played a lot on stations that do "totally 80s" shows and things like that.

Lots of songs tend to cross over into other years...especially at the transitions to new decades. (Others that carried over from 1979 into 1980 include Pink Floyd's "Another Brick In The Wall Part 2", Tom Petty's "Refugee" and Michael Jackson's "Rock With You".) I tend to associate records with when they first hit the charts.


"Another Brick in the Wall" and "Refugee" just squeezed into the 80's peaking on the charts in the 3rd and 4th week of January 1980  8)

I see Refugee on alot of 70's compilations, but never 80's compilations  :\'(

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But I bet they were released in '79 though 8) ^-^


They were yes.  'Another Brick in the Wall' actually spans three years.  It was written in 1978, released in 1979 and peaked in 1980  8)

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Amazing. (Or as Arte Johnson would say, "Veddy eenteresting!")

Was it recorded in '78 too?


I believe demos were recorded in '78, but it didn't officially become an actual song until late '79

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Some songs from '79 can be both a 70's and 80's hit, depending on different countries.

Chronologically, it's 70s...but the subject material can quite easily adapt it to the 80s...so I'll have both...

Incidentally, the Sugarhill Gang's 'Rappers Delight' can fall into this trap...'Rap' music is generally thought of as an 80s phenomenon, but 'RD' was actually successful in 1979...

Chronologically, it's 70s...but the subject material can quite easily adapt it to the 80s...so I'll have both...

Incidentally, the Sugarhill Gang's 'Rappers Delight' can fall into this trap...'Rap' music is generally thought of as an 80s phenomenon, but 'RD' was actually successful in 1979...

That's right... I think of "RD" as a 70s song too, even though it peaked on the U.S. charts the very first month of the 1980's...

That's right... I think of "RD" as a 70s song too, even though it peaked on the U.S. charts the very first month of the 1980's...


It actually peaked on Billboard on November 10, 1979.  It was actually still in the lower reaches of the charts in January of 1980 :)

It actually peaked on Billboard on November 10, 1979.  It was actually still in the lower reaches of the charts in January of 1980 :)

So it's in the "cusp" then?

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