Precious Pop Pearls: The Story Behind M – “Pop Muzik”

In the late seventies, when the music world was being turned upside down by new wave, punk and the rise of electronic instruments, there was a record that would perfectly capture the zeitgeist of a world in transition in a completely different way. M’s “Pop Muzik” reached top ten charts around the world from nowhere. But behind this seemingly simple hit lay a complex story of artistic vision, technological advancement and cultural observation.

Robin Scott

Robin Scott, the man behind M, lived in Paris in 1978 with his girlfriend Brigitte Vinchon, where he worked as a producer for Barclay Records. It was in this cosmopolitan environment that Scott found the inspiration for what would become one of the most influential singles of the late seventies. Scott first used the pseudonym M in 1978 with the release of his single “Moderne Man”, naming a group of session musicians ‘M’ as well. The choice of the mysterious letter M symbolised the anonymity he sought in an era when personality was becoming more important than music itself.

Before Robin Scott would conquer the world with his electronic hit, he had already made a remarkable journey through the British music scene. Born in South London, Scott studied at art school, where he met Malcolm McLaren and Vivienne Westwood and lived with them. Already during his studies, he showed a talent for writing topical songs which he performed on radio and television.

This led to his debut album, “Woman From the Warm Grass,” in 1969, for which members of the psychedelic band Mighty Baby provided support. The album was released on the independent underground label Head Records and is now considered a lost gem of British acid folk. Scott began performing his own songs and accompanying himself on guitar, spending a period in folk clubs as a solo artist and sharing the stage with then-emerging artists such as David Bowie, John Martyn and Ralph McTell.

M

Scott initially began with an R&B approach to the track, but ultimately decided to switch and use a synthesiser as the basis for the sound. This decision proved crucial to the character of the track. Unlike many of his contemporaries, who used synthesisers to create futuristic soundscapes, Scott employed the technology to develop a hypnotic, danceable groove that was both accessible and progressive.

The recording process took place with a group of session musicians whom Scott called ‘M’. Among the musicians who worked on “Pop Muzik” were his brother Julian Scott on bass guitar, his girlfriend Brigit Novik (credited as Brigit Vinchon) on backing vocals, Canadian synthesiser programmer John Lewis, drummer Justin Hildreth and a group of musicians who would later become famous as members of the jazz-funk band Level 42. Phil Gould and Mark King were both based in London in 1979 and became involved with Robin Scott’s pop project M. Whilst working with M they met the then-unknown Afro-French keyboard player Wally Badarou (who later became known in the Netherlands with “The Dachstein Angels”, which he created with Chris Blackwell, the founder of Island Records (Grace Jones, U2), and which was used for years as the theme song of “De Stoel”, by Rik Velderof), who played synthesiser on what would become America’s number 1 hit. Saxophonist Gary Barnacle, who also worked on “Pop Muzik”, would later play an important role at Level 42.

This familial and collaborative character of the production contrasted with the cool, mechanical sound of the final result. The paradox between human emotion and electronic precision would become characteristic of much of the new wave music of this period.

Pop Muzik

1979 was a crucial year for the new wave movement. In January 1979, Blondie released “Heart of Glass”, which became the first new wave single to reach number 1 on both the American Billboard Hot 100 and the UK Singles Chart. This success was followed by other new wave hits, including Tubeway Army’s “Are Friends Electric?”, several records by The Police and M’s “Pop Muzik”. The track contained an almost prophetic vision of how pop music would evolve. The emphasis on rhythm over melody, the use of spoken elements, and the international, cosmopolitan approach would all become central elements of eighties dance and pop music.

“Pop Muzik” reached number 1 on the American Billboard Hot 100, the Australian ARIA Singles Chart, and number 2 on the UK Singles Chart. The track also became number one in Canada. The international success was remarkable for an artist who deliberately concealed his identity and chose minimal promotion. The danceable rhythm, the creeping electro-pop style, and the peculiar, unconventional lyrics (which were more or less rapped by Scott) combined to make it a significant chart success. This rap-like element was particularly prescient, as hip-hop barely existed as a commercial genre at the time.

Video Revolution

The track was accompanied by a well-received music video, directed by Brian Grant, showing Scott as a DJ behind an exaggerated turntable setup. This video was an early example of how new wave artists would approach the emerging MTV culture. Instead of traditional band performances, Scott created a visual metaphor that reinforced the themes of the track.

The video anticipated the importance that visual culture would gain in the following decade. By presenting himself as a DJ figure, Scott emphasised the role of the curator and manipulator of sound, concepts that would become central to dance and electronic music culture.

New York – London – Paris – Munich

The album “New York – London – Paris – Munich” reached number 79 on the Billboard Hot 200 and remained on the charts for eight weeks, whilst “Pop Muzik” was certified gold by the R.I.A.A. in the same month. The American and Canadian release contained a slightly remixed version of the original track.

Despite the enormous success of “Pop Muzik”, further commercial breakthrough for M remained elusive. M was considered a one-hit wonder, despite releasing four albums and ten singles. This status as a one-hit wonder, however, did nothing to diminish the influence of the track on the development of pop music.

In August 2017, Scott released the album “Emotional DNA” in digital format. On 5th July 2023, Scott released M’s first new single in 41 years, a track called “Break the Silence”, and also released “The FAQs of Life” under the M/Robin Scott moniker on 11th July 2025. Robin Scott’s new single “My Rescue Remedy” reached number 10 on the official UK Music Week Pop/Club charts.

U2

When Robin Scott sent his futuristic hit “Pop Muzik” into the world in 1979, no one could have suspected that twenty years later, one of the world’s biggest rock bands would breathe new life into the track. Yet that was exactly what U2 did in 1997, in the midst of their experimental PopMart period. U2 found themselves at a crossroads in the late nineties. With the album “Pop” and the accompanying world tour, the band sought to push the boundaries between rock and electronic music. The shows were known for their enormous, excessive visual spectacle, in which irony and self-awareness predominated. It was, therefore, no coincidence that the band chose Robin Scott’s “Pop Muzik” as a sort of opening ritual during this tour.

Before the concerts, a renewed version of the track was played, produced by U2 and their regular partner Howie B. The track served as a statement: a mirror for the pop culture that U2 both celebrated and criticised with PopMart. Where Scott in 1979 already commented on the globalisation and consumption of music, U2 reused that message in an era when MTV and mega-tours had become the norm. U2’s version of “Pop Muzik” remained faithful to the repetitive groove of the original, but received a modern makeover with thick bass lines, digital effects and a more bombastic production. Bono’s vocals were less detached than Scott’s almost rap-like delivery, but the irony remained intact. The result was a bridge between late seventies new wave and the postmodern pop of the nineties.

Although U2’s version of “Pop Muzik” never became an official single, it lives on as one of the band’s most talked-about tour intros. It shows how a seemingly one-off hit from 1979 could transform into a key piece in a supergroup’s self-examination two decades later. In doing so, U2 proved that Robin Scott’s track was more than a curiosity from the new wave period; it was a timeless commentary on pop itself, reusable whenever the industry needed a mirror again.