The term Various Artists is used in the record industry when numerous singers and musicians collaborate on a song or collection of songs. Most often on Last.fm, compilation album tracks appear under the name of Various Artists erroneously because the individual artist is not listed in the album's ID3 information.
Compilation albums, for example.
Sometimes, single releases may be credited to Various Artists when their profits are going to charity and, usually in high-profile cases, are sometimes known by a group name. Examples include Band Aid with their releases of Do They Know It's Christmas? and USA for Africa with We Are The World.
Various Artists is also an actual performance name for Torsten Pröfrock, who runs the German DIN label. Torsten performs also as Dynamo, Erosion, Resilent, Traktor besides some others. He's a good friend of Robert Henke and since the Fall of 2004, he is a member of Monolake.
Various Artists was also a short-lived Bristol punk band formed by brothers Jonjo and Robin Key (originally from Birmingham). Other members were also simultaneously in Art Objects who went on to become The Blue Aeroplanes, the latter the Key brothers also co-wrote some songs and were involved in. When Various Artists imploded, the Key brothers went on to form Either / Or.
Various Artists also appear on tracks from musical theater soundtracks, due to the nature of having many cast members on one song, as well as an ensemble in some cases.
Video Killed the Radio Star
Various Artists Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Lying awake intent and tuning in on you
If I was young it didn't stop you coming through
Oh-a-oh
They took the credit for your second symphony
Rewritten by machine and new technology
Oh-a-oh, I met your children
Oh-a-oh, what did you tell them?
Video killed the radio star
Video killed the radio star
Pictures came and broke your heart, oh-a-a-a-oh
And now we meet in an abandoned studio
We hear the playback and it seems so long ago
And you remember the jingles used to go
Oh-a-oh, you were the first one
Oh-a-oh, you were the last one
Video killed the radio star
Video killed the radio star
In my mind and in my car
We can't rewind, we've gone too far
Oh-a-a-a-oh, oh-a-a-a-oh
Video killed the radio star
Video killed the radio star
In my mind and in my car
We can't rewind we've gone too far
Pictures came and broke your heart
Put all the blame on vcr
You are a radio star
You are a radio star
Video killed the radio star
Video killed the radio star
Video killed the radio star
Video killed the radio star
(You are the radio star)
Video killed the radio star
Video killed the radio star
(You are the radio star)
Video killed the radio star
Video killed the radio star
(You are the radio star)
Video killed the radio star
Video killed the radio star
(You are the radio star)
Video killed the radio star
The lyrics to Various Artists' "Video Killed The Radio Star" touch on the impact that the introduction of video had on the radio industry during the 1980s. The song starts by referencing the radio as the source that listeners tuned into back in 1952. The verse talks about a time before music videos, where the radio played the role of creating an atmosphere for people to tune into and listen to.
The chorus of the song, "Video killed the radio star," speaks to the current state of the music industry at that time. The introduction of video had overshadowed the radio industry, and the lyrics imply that listeners no longer relied on radio as heavily as they once did. The lines "Pictures came and broke your heart" and "Put all the blame on VCR" speak to the way that the music industry was changing and evolving at the time.
The final verse talks about the idea of reminiscing about an abandoned studio and listening to the music of the past. This is a nod towards the evolution of music and how changing technology is both exciting and bittersweet. The lyrics "We can't rewind, we've gone too far" suggest that there's no going back now and that the industry will continue to move forward, leaving the radio behind.
Overall, "Video Killed The Radio Star" is a nostalgic look at how technology changed the music industry and the role that the radio played in it. The song touches on the bittersweet nature of change, as well as the fact that new technology will always have a profound impact on the industry.
Line by Line Meaning
I heard you on the wireless, back in fifty two
I heard your voice on the radio in 1952
Lying awake intent and tuning in on you
I was wide awake and focused while listening to you
If I was young it didn't stop you coming through
Even though I was young, I still recognized your talent
They took the credit for your second symphony
Someone else took credit for your second symphony
Rewritten by machine and new technology
Your symphony was rewritten using new technology and machines
And now I understand the problems you can see
I now comprehend the issues that you have recognized
Oh-a-oh, I met your children
Oh-a-oh, I had the chance to meet your children
Oh-a-oh, what did you tell them?
Oh-a-oh, what did you share with your children?
Video killed the radio star
Music videos took away the popularity of radio stars
Pictures came and broke your heart, oh-a-a-a-oh
Visual media destroyed your career and dreams
And now we meet in an abandoned studio
Now we are meeting in a deserted recording studio
We hear the playback and it seems so long ago
As we listen to the recording, it seems as though it was a long time ago
And you remember the jingles used to go
You remember how the jingles used to sound
Oh-a-oh, you were the first one
Oh-a-oh, you were one of the pioneers
Oh-a-oh, you were the last one
Oh-a-oh, you were one of the last remaining
In my mind and in my car
Constantly in my thoughts and accompanying me in my travels
We can't rewind, we've gone too far
We can't go back to the way things were, we've progressed too far
Pictures came and broke your heart
Visuals took away your livelihood and passion
Put all the blame on VCR
We can blame the VCR technology for this change
You are a radio star
You were once a popular and beloved radio personality
Video killed the radio star
Music videos destroyed the careers of many radio personalities
(You are the radio star)
(You were once a radio star)
Video killed the radio star
Music videos took away the popularity of radio stars
(You are the radio star)
(You were once a radio star)
Video killed the radio star
Music videos destroyed the careers of many radio personalities
(You are the radio star)
(You were once a radio star)
Video killed the radio star
Music videos took away the popularity of radio stars
(You are the radio star)
(You were once a radio star)
Video killed the radio star
Music videos destroyed the careers of many radio personalities
Contributed by Harper V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@matchapawstudio
the fact that this was the first music video played on mtv is so iconic
@ylop598
H3 podcast trivia 😂
@Jellyrollrider
It was also the one millionth video to be played and the final video to be played on mtv Philippines.
@matchapawstudio
@@ylop598 YES I ACTUALLY CAME HERE FROM THAT LOL
@AllanElMelon1043
And ironic
@troubledsole9104
And debuted on MTV on 08/01/81
@irafoo
If MTV shuts down, this should be their final broadcast
@notkimpine
if MTV banished ridiculousness and a bunch of cringy reality shows i will smack my remote and never buy modern tv's again because modern music is dead filled with shit ass random noise of reggaeton and tik tok music that it's going viral lately in the modern era
@rhalld
I remember watching MTV when I was a young teen and now its just plain crap.@@notkimpine
@SylveonPlays316
Fun fact: MTV in the Philippines did just that