The Buggles
The Buggles are an English new wave band formed in London in 1977. Their best-known lineup was as a duo of singer and bassist Trevor Horn and keyboardist Geoff Downes, with Bruce Woolley briefly contributing as a member from 1977 to 1979. They are best known for their 1979 debut single, "Video Killed the Radio Star", which topped the UK singles chart and reached number one in 15 other countries, and was also chosen as the song to launch the popular American music-themed television channel MTV in 1981.
They released their debut studio album, The Age of Plastic, on the 10 January 1980. On 7 September 1979, "Video Killed the Radio Star" was released, serving as both the lead song of the album and the band's debut single. The modestly successful singles "Living in the Plastic Age", "Clean, Clean" and "Elstree" followed. Around this time, the group also produced The Jags' most successful single, "Back of My Hand", and helped with the production of Dan-I's sole hit, "Monkey Chop".
Soon after the album's release, Horn and Downes joined the progressive rock band Yes, recording and releasing Drama (1980) in the process. Following a tour to promote the album, the group disbanded in 1981. That same year, on 1 August, the music video for "Video Killed the Radio Star" became the first ever shown on MTV in the United States, as well as the final music video played on MTV Music when it ceased broadcasting on 31 December 2025. They also released their second and final studio album that year, Adventures in Modern Recording. The lack of commercial success with both the album and its singles led to the breakup of the group in 1982.
Since 1998, Horn and Downes have occasionally performed the Buggles' songs. The band had its debut tour in 2023 in a lineup with Horn, but without Downes. Their most recent reunion occurred in 2023, and is currently ongoing as of 2025. In 2017, they planned a musical entitled The Robot Sings, although its fate is unknown. Their work has influenced popular acts such as Justice, Phoenix and Daft Punk, and has been covered by artists such as Erasure, Robbie Williams and Ben Folds Five.
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