Episode 1: The Night MTV Launched | “Video Killed the Radio Star” and the Birth of Music Television

On August 1, 1981, MTV changed music forever.

In the very first episode of Who Ordered the Pie?, we revisit the night “Video Killed the Radio Star” launched a cultural revolution. When MTV flipped the switch at midnight and aired The Buggles’ quirky 1979 synth-pop hit, it signaled a shift from radio to video, reshaping how artists looked, performed, and built their careers.

We explore why MTV chose the song, how it became the perfect statement for a new era, and the surprising legacy behind it. From Trevor Horn’s later success producing Frankie Goes to Hollywood, Seal, and Yes, to Geoff Downes forming Asia, to Hans Zimmer’s blink-and-you-miss-it appearance in the video before becoming an Oscar-winning composer, this episode uncovers the unexpected ripple effects of one midnight broadcast.

Along the way, we dive into pop culture history, chart milestones, Grammy wins, and the artists who defined the early MTV era.

The episode closes with a cocktail that matches the theme of reinvention, the Tommy’s Margarita. Clean, bright, and focused on the essentials, it reflects the simplicity and boldness of a song that helped usher in the video age.

If you love music history, MTV nostalgia, 1980s pop culture, and the stories behind iconic hits, this episode is for you.

Until next time, here’s to loud riffs, quiet sips, and the stories in between.

Transcript

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Hello and welcome to Who Ordered the Pie, podcast where music collides with cocktails and pop culture's little twists become the stories that stick with you. I'm Christopher. Before we get rolling, let me tell you how the show got its name. Comes from a story my dad used to love to tell, and when I say love to tell, I mean it was like his greatest hits. He'd roll it out at family dinners, long drives, anywhere you thought he could get a laugh. Probably heard it about a thousand times. My dad grew up in a small town of Salinas, California. Not much to do there except get in the mischief of his two best friends. They were teenagers back in the 1940s when money was tight, but the boys always found a way to make the best of it. One night they lined up a triple date, which was a pretty big deal for them. The only catch, they barely had enough money between them. Just enough for burger, fries, and sodas. They figured this out to the very last penny. Day and light finally arrived, so there they were, six teenagers crowded into a booth, like a scene out of American graffiti or something. The guys trying to impress, the girls laughing at their corny jokes, romance in the air, and for a while everything felt perfect. The evening was going just as planned. The girls ordered burgers, fries, and sodas, exactly what the boys had counted on. Now they had to do was wait for the bill. But then out of the corner of his eye, my dad spots the waitress coming their way, carrying a piece of pie. Now, pie wasn't in the budget, not even close, and the thought of being stuck with a bill they couldn't pay for, well that terrified a sixteen-year-old boy. The waitress slowed as she reached their booth. The boys froze, trading panicked looks, and just like that my dad blurted out, Who ordered the pie? As the waitress rolled past them and set the pie down at the next table, the boys roared with relief while the girls sat there wondering what on earth just happened. That little outburst turned into a family classic. Anytime something unexpected happened, a surprised guest, last minute twist, somebody in my family would call out who ordered the pie? It became our inside joke for life's curveballs. And that's also when my dad taught me one of life's best lessons. Sometimes your worst moments end up your best memories. You know those times when you say, We're all gonna laugh about this someday? He was right. So when I started this podcast, there really was no other choice for the title, but who ordered the pie? Not only does it grab your attention, also captures the spirit of surprise and humor in life. And it's a tip of the hat to my dad, whose storytelling still echoes in me today. And that's what this show is all about. Little moments you don't see coming, the ones that stay with you. Because music and cocktails are full of the same kind of twists, the turns that make a song a hit, or a drink a legend. So let's get into today's story. When I was planning this podcast, I kept asking myself, where do I start? What's the first story worth telling? Then it hit me. It was my very first episode, so why not begin with another famous first? I mean not that my podcast is famous, but anyway. August 1st, 1981, midnight, Eastern time. A new cable channel flipped the switch. The first words came from John Lack. Ladies and gentlemen, rock and roll. MTV arrived. And the very first music video they played? You probably know this by now. The choice for video killed the radio star was bold. The song had hit number one across the UK and Europe, but stalled at number 40 in the U.S. MTV's program director, Steve Casey, later admitted it wasn't the obvious pick. They could have launched with a surefire American hit, but as he put it, nobody's watching at midnight on day one anyway, so why not make a statement? That first broadcast became more than just a late night experiment. It marked a cultural shift. Suddenly music wasn't just something you listened to, it was something you watched. Fashion, attitude, even how artists presented themselves. It all was shaped by MTV. And it all started with a quirky synthpop song about technology changing the way we experience music. The video itself was shot in 1979, directed by Russell McCahie. The same guy went on to direct Duran Duran's Hungry Like the Wolf and Bonnie Tyler's Total Eclipse of the Heart.

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There's nothing I can do, a total eclipse of the heart.

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And here's a detail you maybe didn't know. You know how we all sing, put the blame on VCR? The lyric is actually VTR. In the UK, that was an abbreviation for video tape recorder. The big studio decks used to tape TV shows. In the US, nobody used that term. What we knew was VCR, the video cassette recorder. So when American listeners misered it as VCR, it stuck. And honestly, in the early 80s it just felt more accurate because VCRs were everywhere. Lastly, about the video, look closely at the end and you'll spot a certain brown haired keyboard player in the background. That's Hans Zimmer. Yes, that Hans Zimmer. He wasn't in the buggles, he was just part of their London circle, young session musicians hanging around in the studio. When Russell McCahy shot the video, they need someone to mime the keyboards in this futuristic band setup, and Hans wrote was roped in as an extra. At the time it was nothing, just a spare pair of hands filling out the shot. But decades later, that same guy became one of Hollywood's most celebrated composers, winning Academy Awards for Lion King, Dune, and shaping the sound of films like Gladiator, Inception, and the brand new Brad Pitt movie F1. Videokill the Radio Star wasn't just a hit on the airwaves, it became a video landmark, and its creators went on to reshape music in big ways. After the buggles, Trevor Horn traded in his base for the producer's chair, and in doing so, gave Frankie Goes to Hollywood their sound, producing Relax and Two Tribes, both UK number one smashes. Later he shaped Seal's Kiss from a Rose, which won three Grammy Awards in 1996, including Record of the Year. Horn's fingerprints are everywhere in pop, from Art de Noise to Paul McCartney. He also produced Owner of a Lonely Heart, Yes's only U.S. chart topper, which hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100 in January of 1984. Jeff Downs teamed up with the members of Yes and Emerson Lake and Palmer to form Asia. Their debut album was massive, multi-platinum, spending nine weeks at number one on the Billboard 200. It delivered arena rock staples like Heat of the Moment and Only Time Will Tell.

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It was the Heat of the Moment.

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Afterward, Jeffrey Downs made his way back to Yes, where he still tours today. Woolley co-wrote Video Killed the Radio Star and even released his own version with this band, The Camera Club. A band that for a moment included the young Thomas Dolby on keyboards. Just a few years before he broke out with She Blinded Me with Science. Woolley's biggest triumph though came later when he co-wrote Grace Jones' Slave to the Rhythm. During Art Pop track that critics hailed as groundbreaking. In the US, it never cracked Hot 100, but it shot the number one on Billboard's dance club chart, the area where Jones truly reigned. Not too bad for three guys remembered mostly for a quirky new wave single. Before we wrap up, I want to let you know that every episode of Who Ordered the Pie comes with a drink. Each one connects to the story we just shared. Because like music and cocktails, they have their own twists and legends. For this first episode, the drink I wanted to go with was a margarita. My dad was part of tonight's story and he was always loved my margaritas, so needed to include margaritas in this. Years ago, my dad, my wife, and I were in San Francisco at a bar called Tresagave's. Now long gone, although they still make tequila and mixers, but anyway, I ordered a cocktail, Cadillac Margarita, expecting the classic recipe. Instead, I watched the bartender skip the graminier, add a little syrup, and then slide the glass across the bar. He told me it was just called the purest margarita. I reminded him I ordered a Cadillac, but he just smiled and said to try it first. I was sure I wouldn't like it, but after one sip I was hooked, clean, bright, and for the first time the tequila was the star. Only later did I realize I had been served at what's called a Tommy's margarita. It was created in the late 1980s. The formula was simple tequila, lime, and agave nectar. No triple sick, no extras. What began as a house specialty in the Bay Area grew into a global classic, and in 2003 it earned a place in the International Bartenders Association's official cocktail list. Because this recipe lets the tequila shine, it's important to use a good tequila, something with character than can stand on his own. Here's how I make mine. Two ounces of reposado, one ounce of fresh lime juice, and half an ounce of agave nectar. Add everything to a shaker, fill it with ice, and give it a good shake so the agave blends in. Then strain it into a salt rim glass and over fresh ice. That's it. Marguerite's crisp, balanced, and timeless. And that's a first of our regular feature, a drink to go with every episode. And that's it for our first round of Who Ordered the Pie. Researching this episode was actually a lot of fun. I slummed across surprises and a song and a broadcast I thought I already knew inside and out, and it turns out I really didn't. Hopefully I managed to slip a few surprises in there for you as well. Hope you join me next time when we drop the needle on a brand new story and mix the perfect drink to match. If you're enjoying Who Ordered the Pie, tap follow on your podcast app so you don't miss the next episode. And if the app lets you, do a quick rating review. It really helps me, helps more people find the show and it helps me do better in the future. Best of all, tell a friend about it. Word of mouth is how this little project gets going. Thanks for listening. Hopefully I wasn't too clumsy making my way through this. Here's the loud riffs, quiet sips, and the stories in between. Take care.