Background:
In order to fully understand the purpose behind our selection, you must first understand the forum where the song was 'officially' introduced to the world.
-MTV music television was launched, changing the entire face of the music industry and pop culture. The first/ original broadcast was aired on August 1, 1981.
-The show kicked off with a 27 second countdown and a black and white original clip of the Apollo 11 launch, and Neil Armstrong jumping down to the moon's surface. A calm voiceover says: "Ladies and gentlemen, rock and roll." It was the voice of Warner Cable executive John Lack said as the channel kicked off. Appropriately, the first music video to air was The Buggles “Video Killed the Radio Star” — introducing an entirely new concept of television, hosted by the first group of five MTV video jockeys, also known as VJs: Mark Goodman, Martha Quinn, Alan Hunter, J.J. Jackson and Nina Blackwood.
Alan Hunter was the first VJ to appear on MTV, but it wasn't exactly as planned. The original segment didn't sync up due to a tape mishap.
-The first video ever played on MTV was "Video Killed the Radio Star." It played at 1minute, 13 seconds following the MTV intro
About the song "Video Killed the Radio Star"
When the song was initially written in 1979, it was meant to refer to the transition of everyday digital media. In the '60s, American households slowly transitioned from radio to video as televisions became more accessible for the average family.
Instead of tuning into the radio for the nightly news or entertainment, families were turning on their televisions, thus signaling the beginning of a shift in media consumption, technology, and technology’s impact on society.
The lyrics to "Video killed the radio star" are meant to be taken quite literally — the increased popularity of television as a form of information and entertainment ultimately "killed" the radio industry.
**In the mid-1950s-1960s- many of the top radio shows made the move to Television (I Love Lucy, The Adventures of Superman, Gunsmoke, The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet, Dragnet, The Jack Benny Program, Perry Mason, Guiding Light, The Lone Ranger, The George Burns and Gracie Allen
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"Video Killed The Radio Star"
By The Buggles
I heard you on the wireless back in '52
Lying awake intently tuning in on you
If I was young it didn't stop you coming through
They took the credit for your second symphony
Rewritten by machine on new technology
And now I understand the problems you can see
I met your children
What did you tell them?
Video killed the radio star
Video killed the radio star
Pictures came and broke your heart
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:
You were the first one
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
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 the blame on VTR...
You are the radio star
Video killed the radio star
You are the radio star
Video killed the radio star
*VTR = VIDEO TAPE RECORDER, SIMILAR TO THE VCR
Song Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W8r-tXRLazs
Enjoy analyzing this auditory gem!
-Mrs. C
