The song “Video Killed The Radio Star” has much of the same message, but it’s nowhere near as potent as this.
“Radio Ga Ga” is a lament for the decline of the radio as the main medium for music, with the rise of TV and the music video in the 80s. Along with that, the quality of radio was viewed as having declined by the drummer, Roger Taylor, who wrote the base of the song.
At the time, MTV was a relatively new phenomenon and was actually about music, rather than just minor celebrities and trashy reality TV shows…
The song has a palpable sense of nostalgia, not only though the lyrics, but also because of the melody. The glittering synths and mournful singing work so well together, creating a dreamy electronic soundscape. At points however, the symphonic feeling of the piece creates an almost euphoric vibe, as well as the chorus, with it’s emphatic chanting.
The song was released in 1984, and is from the album The Works. It was released as a single and did very well, reaching number 1 in 19 countries, although “only” number 2 in the U.K.
The state of the radio these days would make them cry!