Video Killed The Radio Star
POTUS Lyrics

The song is about the decline of radio in the 80s with the rise of video, and the impact of technology on music. The lyrics reminisce about listening to someone on the radio in 1952, and how it captured the imagination of the listener back then. The song goes on to say that despite the advancements in technology, the radio star was credited for their work in the past, but machines and video have rewritten the music scene into a Technicolor spectacle where the limitations of radio and its nostalgic appeal have been left behind in its wake. The meeting in the abandoned studio is a metaphor for the end of the radio era and how the stars of yesterday were left behind while the new stars of video took over.

The refrain of "Video killed the radio star" is sung triumphantly, as though signaling the end of something old and the birth of something new. The line "Pictures came and broke your heart, so put all the blame on VCR" is a reflection of how the music industry saw the rise of home video as a new threat, as people could now watch music videos rather than just listen to songs on the radio. This was a major shift in the industry at the time.

The song was groundbreaking in that it was the first music video ever played on MTV when the channel launched in 1981. The song was considered prophetic, as it foresaw the end of radio's dominance and the rise of video in music. The song was a global hit, topping the charts in the UK and several other countries. The song was written by a British group called The Buggles, which consisted of Trevor Horn and Geoff Downes. The Buggles only released two albums, and Video Killed the Radio Star was their biggest hit. The song was later covered by several other artists, including The Presidents of the United States of America.

The opening lines of the song were inspired by a memory of Trevor Horn's father tuning in to the Queen's Coronation on the radio. Horn felt that radio was the perfect medium for capturing historical moments like that. The iconic music video for the song features a female singer wearing a futuristic outfit and performing with a band in a studio filled with televisions. The video was filmed in black and white and was intended to capture the spirit of the old Hollywood musicals. The song has been referenced in several movies, TV shows and commercials, and has become a cultural touchstone for the rise of video in music.

Chords: D | G | A | G | D | G | A | G | D | G | A | G | D | G | A | G.