Which 1979 song was the Buggles’ only US Billboard Hot 100 charting single?

“Video Killed the Radio Star” was the Buggles’ only US Billboard Hot 100 charting single.

The British duo released the song in 1979 as its debut single and included it on the album The Age of Plastic. Trevor Horn, Geoff Downes, and Bruce Woolley wrote the song. Its lyrics reflect anxiety that new visual media could displace radio performers and reshape popular music.

The recording became a number 1 hit in the United Kingdom and several other countries. In the United States, it peaked at number 40 on the Billboard Hot 100. That position made it the Buggles’ only appearance on the chart, although Trevor Horn later became a prominent record producer and Downes joined the progressive-rock group Yes.

The song gained additional historical importance because its video was the first music video broadcast on MTV when the channel launched in the United States on August 1, 1981. The title is often misquoted as “Video Killed the Radio,” but the full title includes “Star.”