“Same song they started with”: Internet reacts as MTV Music bids farewell with last song “Video Killed the Radio Star”

On New Year’s Eve, MTV Music not only bid farewell to 2025 but also its viewers, as it permanently went off air after a successful and glorious 44-year run. The 1979 Buggles song, Video Killed the Radio Star, was the last thing that played on its “Goodbye from MTV Music” segment before the channel stopped broadcasting.

Fans are now reacting to what marked a pivotal moment in the history of television, considering that MTV or Music Television, was the first American 24×7 music video channel.

BBC social media manager/ technology reviewer Jono Reed took to X to share the final clip of Video Killed the Radio Star playing on Music Television Music.

“MTV Music's last song was Video Killed The Radio Star,” the caption stated.

Fellow X user @bpickle99 commented under Reed’s post.

“Same song they started with.”

The netizen was referring to Music Television using the music video of the same song during its launch on cable television on August 1, 1981.

Several others joined the conversation and shared their reactions to Music Televison Music’s departure and creating a full-circle moment with The Buggles song.

“Quite apt, RIP,” a fan wrote.

“Was the first and the last song, epic!” another fan wrote.

“They went out the way they came in,” a netizen wrote.

Others continued to weigh in with similar sentiments.

“Bookends. Nice,” another netizen wrote.

“No, a stupid executive decision killed music videos,” an upset fan wrote.

“All they had to do was start playing music videos again,” another one agreed.

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Revisiting the birth of MTV

On August 1, 1981, around 12:01 AM ET, Music Television was born as a visual alternative to radio, a moment that changed music and television history forever. The channel opened with the words:

“Ladies and gentlemen, rock and roll.”

It was immediately followed by The Buggles’ Trevor Horn singing their hit song Video Killed the Radio Star, which was followed by Pat Benatar’s You Better Run.

Two months down the line, artists including the Buggles, Men at Work, Judas Priest, Adam and the Ants, and Bow Wow Wow reported record-breaking sales of their records alongside overnight fame.

At the time, Budget Records owner Bob Goldstone was quoted as saying:

“Radio is a skeleton. MTV is the greatest thing that has ever happened. Our customers had to go 150 miles each way to Seattle to see touring acts until MTV.”

For the first year, primarily homegrown music was played by the channel in approximately 1.5 million households. However, soon, British and global music also began taking the reins.

However, when technology began taking over in the 2000s, YouTube began taking over. Soon, music streaming platforms like Spotify and Apple Music took prominence.

In the wake of this, Music Television co-founder and ex-Vice President Les Garland told Rolling Stone in a 2015 interview:

“Has MTV done an unbelievable job of being on that [digital] wave? Not so sure. If I were to admit my habits, I go to YouTube like everyone else.”

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Several Music Television channels have gone off-air worldwide

From New Year’s Day 2026, MTV Music stopped broadcasting in the USA. However, in the United Kingdom, the same channel, along with its sister concerns, including MTV 80s, 90s, Club, and Live, has also gone off-air after a 38-year run.

Other countries affected by the change are Ireland, France, Germany, Austria, Poland, Hungary, Brazil, and Australia, according to Deadline.

Additionally, the network is also cancelling one of its longest-running programs, Ridiculousness, after a 14-year run. Likewise, the flagship series Catfish: The TV Show is also wrapping up after nine seasons.

The multiple changes may be a result of the $8.4 billion merger of Paramount Global with Skydance Media. Notably, Music Television’s parent company is a subsidiary of the former, aka Paramount Media Networks, which had laid off a portion of its workforce in the last three months since the merger.