As an eighties kid, synth pop has been pumping in my blood ever since that first day I turned on my MTV. There’s some debate as to who’s considered a synth pop band and who isn’t. For this September Music Twitter challenge – #SynthPopSeptember – I’m focusing more on what’s considered synth pop, not who. The songs I’m featuring on Mental Jukebox this month aren’t solely composed of synthesizers. There may be drums, bass, and dare I say, electric guitars. But each of these songs were picked because the synthesizer is core to its being.
Occasionally, songs have the power to become more than just songs. They have the ability to become cultural icons, representing a moment or even an era in time. This is no easy feat. But it’s what I love most about music. That it can transcend the music notes. If you were to think of the one song that captured the dual advent of MTV and new wave, you would be hard pressed to find a better example than this Buggles anthem.
Thematically, “Video Killed The Radio Star” was the perfect poster child for the invasion of MTV on cable television. The song represented a seismic shift in music listening – from radio to television. The Buggles were prophets, predicting this video thing becoming more than just a thing. Of course, it helped that the song itself was incredibly catchy. Aside from that unforgettable melody, it’s the synthesizer that really stands out - the instrument behind not just one or two iconic riffs in the song, but several.
“Video killed the radio star. Pictures came and broke your heart.”