Broader Range stns & others that don’t fit our neat categories!
Ok, so we’ve got some stations that have basically made it plain that they are throwing the usual radio rule book out of the window, and are setting out to play a whole load of different stuff and/or up the variety stakes, plus a couple of others, Jazz FM (Bauer) and BBC Asian Network which plough their own furrow and don’t really have any direct UK competitors with such a wide national coverage.
Of the “big variety” genre stations, even the one with the smallest playlist, Jack FM, was actually playing about double the number of songs that most mainstream players would contemplate, but even a commercial versions of a “variety” station like Jack was completely dwarfed by BBC 6 Music with a shelf groaning 6000 distinct songs played in 30 days! The non corporately owned Cheesy FM, it turns out, is not just home to some guilty pleasures but in fact has a pretty wide spectrum of songs it is prepared to wheel out too!
Yes, Heart Xmas DOES run throughout the year (!), but Sam FM in Bristol ceased to exist from 6th Sept 2021. It was a “Jack” type station which Bauer had inherited a few years previously, and it was only a matter of time before they were going to close it and use the transmitters for one of their already established “brands.” In the build up to transferring it to the Hits Network, it’s broad playlist was narrowed about 3 months before the closure, then with one month to go the music style was mostly “flipped” from oldies with lots of variety, to a tighter and more contemporary list of songs. We keep the SAM listing below for nostalgia lovers (!), but the analysis shown is from the last month that Sam still did it’s own thing and not what the new Hits masters were telling it to!
Jack FM in Oxfordshire was similarly bought by Bauer and then bit the dust on Sun 29th Oct 2023 at 10pm. Two of the last songs played were the Reynolds Girls, “I’d rather Jack, than Fleetwood Mac” (a subtle dig at the Greatest Hits Radio replacement) and Ray Charles singing the lyric “Hit the Road, Jack, and don’t you come back no more..”, Aaah, so some thought clearly went into Jack’s last gasps!!… This was followed by the usual localised version of the standard Dawn French “Welcome to Greatest Hits” intro and a bespoke Andy Crane welcome to the new order, which promptly then crashed off air for the next 45 minutes until someone could manually recover it… clearly this was to demonstrate to the listeners how the Bauer networking was likely to behave going forward from there (Ahem!), so as to get the listeners used to long gaps or stuff crashing over other stuff etc, and nobody paying much attention to what is actually going out on air!! An older typical Jack FM sample is included in our list here… (… for the last few weeks they were certainly in “GHR is coming” mode rather than the previous diet of slightly more edgy Jack standards, so it’s from the proper Jack FM era before that).
Analysis: 23 days, up to 03-04-2026
NUMBER OF PLAYS IDENTIFIED: 7099
Number of DIFFERENT Songs Played: 5017
Variety factor for this station is : 70.6%
50% OF PLAYS is 1468 Songs (29.2% of the total)
A THIRD OF PLAYS represents:
The 542 MOST played songs (10.8% of the total)
or 2366 LEAST played songs (47.1% of the total)
Most played airs on average every: 12h 16m
10th most played song airs every: 17h 48m
542nd most played song airs every: 11d 12h
1468th most played song only played once
No. of songs with 5 or less plays: 4952 (98.7%)
Lowest Number of NEW SONGS on any day:
167 after 17 DAYS
Different songs played in 1 month: 6375
..in 3 months: 15660, in 6 months: 27937
..in 9 months: 38783, in 12 months: 48346
Top 10 Most Played:
1 [45 plays] Courtney Barnett – Mantis
2= [42 plays] each for…
+ Kim Gordon – Dirty Tech
+ Mitski – If I Leave
4 [40 plays] Robyn – Blow My Mind
5 [39 plays] Pulp – Begging for Change
6 [34 plays] Lava La Rue – Scratches
7 [33 plays] Aldous Harding – One Stop
8= [31 plays] each for…
+ Arlo Parks – Get Go
+ James Blake – Make Something Up
+ Kelsey Lu – Running To Pain
Analysis: 28 days, up to 04-04-2026
NUMBER OF PLAYS IDENTIFIED: 9825
Number of DIFFERENT Songs Played: 3272
Variety factor for this station is : 33.3%
50% OF PLAYS is 839 Songs (25.6% of the total)
A THIRD OF PLAYS represents:
The 498 MOST played songs (15.2% of the total)
or 1995 LEAST played songs (60.9% of the total)
Most played airs on average every: 2d 8h
10th most played song airs every: 2d 19h 12m
498th most played song airs every: 5d 14h 24m
839th most played song airs every: 7d 0h
No. of songs with 5 or less plays: 2831 (86.5%)
Lowest Number of NEW SONGS on any day:
22 after 24 DAYS
Different songs played in 1 month: 3336
..in 3 months: 4049, in 6 months: 4590
..in 9 months: 4981, in 12 months: 5310
Top 12 Most Played:
1 [12 plays] atb – 9PM (Till I Come)
2= [11 plays] each for…
+ Andy Williams – The House Of Bamboo
+ Black Lace – The Hokey-Cokey
+ Communards – Never Can Say Goodbye
5= [10 plays] each for…
+ 10Cc – Things We Do For Love
+ Alice Deejay – Better Off Alone
+ Bobby Brown – Two Can Play That Game
+ Boney M – Painter Man
+ Frank Sinatra – Come Fly With Me
+ Gala – Freed From Desire
+ Marcels – Blue Moon
+ Smokie – Don’t Play Your Rock ‘n’ Roll To Me
Analysis: 23 days, up to 03-04-2026
NUMBER OF PLAYS IDENTIFIED: 5804
Number of DIFFERENT Songs Played: 2982
Variety factor for this station is : 51.3%
50% OF PLAYS is 538 Songs (18% of the total)
A THIRD OF PLAYS represents:
The 229 MOST played songs (7.6% of the total)
or 1935 LEAST played songs (64.8% of the total)
Most played airs on average every: 7h 53m
10th most played song airs every: 23h
229th most played song airs every: 5d 18h
538th most played song airs every: 11d 12h
No. of songs with 5 or less plays: 2872 (96.3%)
Lowest Number of NEW SONGS on any day:
69 after 17 DAYS
Different songs played in 1 month: 3531
..in 3 months: 6557, in 6 months: 10218
..in 9 months: 13376, in 12 months: 16546
Top 13 Most Played:
1 [70 plays] Earth-O-Naut – There’s Nothing Above Music and Love
2 [69 plays] Gabrielle Cavassa – Prisoner of Love
3 [68 plays] Neil Cowley Trio – Emma’s Video Shop
4 [63 plays] Mamas Gun – Joy
5 [59 plays] Mica Millar – See You On The Other Side
6 [29 plays] Jeremy Sassoon – Stop This Train
7 [26 plays] Evie Cain – Where is She
8= [25 plays] each for…
+ Jalen Ngonda – Doctrine of Love
+ Van Morrison – Snatch It Back And Hold It
10= [24 plays] each for…
+ Jeff Goldblum and The Mildred Snitzer Orchestra – Mean To Me
+ Judith Owen – That’s Why I Love My Baby
+ Nicole Zuraitis – Won’t Make It Out Alive
+ Paul Stone and The Basement Collective – The Shadow Of Your Smile
Analysis: 25 days, up to 03-04-2026
NUMBER OF PLAYS IDENTIFIED: 12198
Number of DIFFERENT Songs Played: 5168
Variety factor for this station is : 42.3%
50% OF PLAYS is 1000 Songs (19.3% of the total)
A THIRD OF PLAYS represents:
The 463 MOST played songs (8.9% of the total)
or 3341 LEAST played songs (64.6% of the total)
Most played airs on average every: 8h 41m
10th most played song airs every: 21h 25m
463rd most played song airs every: 5d 0h
1000th most played song airs every: 8d 8h
No. of songs with 5 or less plays: 4815 (93.1%)
Lowest Number of NEW SONGS on any day:
105 after 23 DAYS
Different songs played in 1 month: 5658
..in 3 months: 10027, in 6 months: 13856
..in 9 months: 16756, in 12 months: 19323
Top 10 Most Played:
1 [69 plays] Ahadadream, Raf Saperra and Skrillex – Bass Dhol
2 [51 plays] Anish Kumar – The Heart Wants a Heart
3 [48 plays] Diljit Dosanjh, Sia and David Guetta – Ranjha
4 [45 plays] Karan Aujla – 5 – 7 (Radio Edit)
5 [37 plays] Panjabi MC, Glory Bawa and Sanjay – Bawa Boli
6 [35 plays] A. S. Kullar and Harry Pannu – Mundran
7= [32 plays] each for…
+ DesiFrenzy, Raj Hayre and Sukhpreet Kaur – Dangerous Love
+ ZAYN – Die For Me
9 [29 plays] ARJN and KDS – Kalyani
10 [28 plays] Steel Banglez, Rashmeet Kaur and BOJ – Dangerous
Analysis: 26 days, up to 03-04-2026
NUMBER OF PLAYS IDENTIFIED: 11863
Number of DIFFERENT Songs Played: 82
Variety factor for this station is : 0.6%
50% OF PLAYS is 26 Songs (31.7% of the total)
A THIRD OF PLAYS represents:
The 16 MOST played songs (19.5% of the total)
or 44 LEAST played songs (53.6% of the total)
Most played airs on average every: 1h 57m
10th most played song airs every: 2h 34m
16th most played song airs every: 2h 40m
26th most played song airs every: 3h 19m
No. of songs with 15 or less plays: 1 (1.2%)
Lowest Number of NEW SONGS on any day:
ZERO after 3 DAYS
Different songs played in 1 month: 82
..in 3 months: 82, in 6 months: 99
..in 9 months: 102, in 12 months: 102
Top 11 Most Played:
1 [319 plays] Paul McCartney – Wonderful Christmastime
2 [246 plays] Johnny Mathis – When A Child Is Born
3= [245 plays] each for…
+ Bon Jovi – Please Come Home For Christmas
+ Boney M – Mary’s Boy Child
+ Lady A – A Holly Jolly Christmas
+ Pretenders – 2000 Miles
+ Queen – Thank God It’s Christmas
8 [244 plays] Carpenters – Merry Christmas Darling
9= [243 plays] each for…
+ Chris Rea – Driving Home For Christmas
+ East 17 – Stay Another Day
+ Jose Feliciano – Feliz Navidad
Jack FM ceased broadcasting on 29th Oct 2023.
It was replaced by Greatest Hits Radio.
Here’s an analysis from earlier, before the Jack FM playlist was replaced by GHR music…
NUMBER OF PLAYS IDENTIFIED: 7454
Number of DIFFERENT Songs Played: 973
Variety factor for this station is : 13%
50% OF PLAYS is 236 Songs (24.2% of the total)
A THIRD OF PLAYS represents:
The 143 MOST played songs (14.6% of the total)
or 622 LEAST played songs (63.9% of the total)
Most played airs on average every: 16h 27m
10th most played song airs every: 1d 3h 25m
143rd most played song airs every: 1d 17h 8m
236th most played song airs every: 2d 0h
No. of songs with 5 or less plays: 422 (43.3%)
Lowest Number of NEW SONGS on any day:
ZERO after 23 DAYS
Different songs played in 1 month: 993
..in 3 months: 1156, in 6 months: 1329
..in 9 months: 1527, in 12 months: 1764
Top 14 Most Played:
1 [35 plays] Elvis Aint Dead – Scouting For Girls
2 [25 plays] Wake Up Boo – Boo Radleys
3= [23 plays] each for…
+ Size Of A Cow – Wonderstuff
+ Turn Around – Phats And Small
5= [22 plays] each for…
+ A Girl Like You – Edwyn Collins
+ Mrs Robinson – Lemonheads
7= [21 plays] each for…
+ Brimful Of Asha (Remix) – Cornershop
+ Can’t Stop The Feeling – Justin Timberlake
+ Gonna Make You Sweat – C/C Music Factory
+ Happy – Pharrell
+ Pumped Up Kicks – Foster The People
+ Ready To Go – Republica
+ Tubthumping – Chumbawamba
+ Two Can Play That Game – Bobby Brown
SAM FM ceased to exist on 6th Sept 21 (it’s now a Hits Network stn). As the playlist changed significantly through August in the build up to the Hits, this last analysis is from July 2021.
NUMBER OF PLAYS IDENTIFIED 11089
Number of DIFFERENT Songs Played: 615
Variety factor for this station is : 5.5%
50% OF PLAYS is 202 Songs (32.8% of the total)
Most played airs on avg every: 1d 3h 31m
10th most played song every: 1d 5h 15m
202nd most played song every: 1d 15h 0m
A THIRD OF PLAYS represents:
The 128 MOST played songs (20.8% of the total)
or 332 LEAST played songs (53.9% of the total)
No. of songs with 5 or less plays: 125 (20.3%)
Lowest Number of NEW SONGS on any day:
ZERO after 8 DAYS
Most Played Top 13:
1= [34 plays] Bryan Adams – Run To You
1= [34 plays] Daryl Hall and John Oates – Maneater
1= [34 plays] Fine Young Cannibals – She Drives Me Crazy
4= [33 plays] Bryan Adams – Summer Of ’69
4= [33 plays] Steve Winwood – Higher Love
4= [33 plays] T’Pau – China In Your Hand
4= [33 plays] Tears For Fears – Everybody Wants To Rule The World
4= [33 plays] The La’s – There She Goes
4= [33 plays] Tina Turner – The Best
10= [32 plays] Billy Joel – Uptown Girl
10= [32 plays] Fleetwood Mac – Little Lies
10= [32 plays] James – Sit Down
10= [32 plays] Michael Jackson – Beat It
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