The Buggles

The Buggles were an English synthpop and new wave duo formed in London in 1977 by Trevor Horn and Geoff Downes, initially working with a third collaborator, Bruce Woolley, on early demos. Their music paired catchy, hook-driven songwriting with then-cutting-edge synthesizer production, positioning them as key architects of the emerging new wave sound at the turn of the 1980s.

The group became historically inescapable with their debut single «Video Killed the Radio Star», a global hit that topped charts across Europe and became the very first music video broadcast on MTV in 1981 — a moment that cemented the song's status as a cultural touchstone about technology overtaking older media. Their debut album, along with tracks like «Living in the Plastic Age» and «Clean, Clean», extended this theme of anxious fascination with modern technology and media saturation.

Beyond their own recordings, The Buggles proved influential through the later careers of its members: Trevor Horn went on to become one of pop's most celebrated producers, while both he and Downes were briefly members of Yes. The Buggles' blend of irony, melody, and futurist synth textures left a lasting mark on synthpop and helped define the visual and sonic language of early-1980s new wave.