So I was out and about yesterday enjoying my Saturday and listening to my ipod when Sade's latest single, "Baby Father" played. After listening for a bit it occurred to me that I've only heard that song maybe 3 times on radio since it has been released. It was released in May.
So I'm wondering how it is that R&B radio is not all over that song. It should be in heavy rotation. But it's not. Why? Well it's not because apparently corporate radio doesn't own a piece of Sade's record company, Sony. So since it, corporate radio, can't make money on playing the song through the backdoor it doesn't play the song.
So we, the listeners, are left with a music playlist which typically consists of 20 to 25 songs. Compare that to when independent radio existed and some radio stations had a general playlist of 40 or more songs depending on the format.
A 40 song playlist allows for playing more than the current top 20 and a few recurrent hits. It allows a radio station music director to go off the beaten path. And going off the beaten path equals variety.
Anyway, it's likely Sade's, "Baby Father" isn't going to reach the top 20 or even the top 40 considering the lack of spins it receives. So if I want to hear it I have to turn my radio off and turn my ipod on.
And that is how radio killed itself. By not offering the variety I can have listening to my mp3 player. I can listen to top 10 hits, recurrent hits and oldies all day long. So why turn on the radio, right? Right.
12 comments:
Radio Stations being bought and paid for by major corporations!! I'm shocked!!! ha ha ha ha...
Satellite radio is alive and well though.
@CO
Yeah, I know right. It's a shame though.
@?
I have been tempted by satellite radio but so far I haven't made the leap. For one I just don't know if I really want to add another monthly bill. And also I'm not sure how diverse satellite radio is.
Do you have satellite radio?
I have SIRIUS radio and I love it. I'm not entirely sure what you mean by diverse; however, they have a wide variety of channels, from pop, dance, hip-hop, R&B, Jazz, Classical, Latin etc. I'm sure there is something you'd like. Probably the best thing about it is that you'll hear songs you would normally never hear on the radio.
@?
I guess I just wondered if it was geared just toward 'hipsters'.
I'm still on the fence about the additional monthly bill. But maybe I'll check their website and see if I can check it out online before I invest.
I haven't listed to the radio in years. I remember my last straw was working on a saturday morning and they play that check on it song by Beyonce 8 times within 4 hours.
radio was murdered by profit.
j'adore Sade, j'aime tout en elle, sa voix, sa beauté, son style, tout quoi. Je suis fan à 100%
@Kingsmomma
Radio is incredibly repetitive. And I'm not a Beyonce fan so that would have driven me crazy! Lol
@Agnes
I love her style too. Especially her style as a young woman in the 1980's. She looked so amazing.
I honestly cannot tell you the last time I listened to the radio. At this point with the amount of music that I have on my phone, IPod, laptop, desktop, the radio would make absolutely no sense at all. There are times where I might do the Real Rhapsody stations on my laptop while asleep at night but even those stations are semi-programmed.
Agreed - radio is dead. LL Cool J can finally live without his radio (remember that song?)
@Don
For me sometimes it's just easiest to turn the radio on for a bit. During those times I always regret it though. Lol
Okay you got me on the LL song reference. Lol Which song was it I could have used it for this post?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hCZHJrooobs
When hip hop music was hip hop music.
@Don
Thanks!
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