The Buggles

The Buggles
Geoff Downes (far left) and Trevor Horn (far right) with Spanish host Xarli Diego on the show Caspe Street in 1980
Geoff Downes (far left) and Trevor Horn (far right) with Spanish host Xarli Diego on the show Caspe Street in 1980
Background information
OriginWimbledon, London, England
Genres
Years active
  • 1977–1982
  • 1998
  • 2004
  • 2010
  • 2011
  • 2023–present
Labels
Members
Past members

The Buggles are an English new wave band formed in London in 1977 by singer and bassist Trevor Horn and keyboardist Geoff Downes. 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 chosen as the song to launch MTV in 1981.

The duo released their first album, The Age of Plastic, in January 1980. On 7 September 1979 "Video Killed the Radio Star" was released, being the lead single of the album. Soon after the album's release, Horn and Downes joined the progressive rock band Yes, recording and releasing Drama in the process. Following a tour to promote the album, Yes 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. The following year, the Buggles released a second album, Adventures in Modern Recording. Its lack of commercial success led to the breakup of the group.

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.

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