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 01-07-2026
NUMBER OF PLAYS IDENTIFIED: 7113
Number of DIFFERENT Songs Played: 5067
Variety factor for this station is : 71.2%
50% OF PLAYS is 1511 Songs (29.8% of the total)
A THIRD OF PLAYS represents:
The 535 MOST played songs (10.5% of the total)
or 2370 LEAST played songs (46.7% of the total)
Most played airs on average every: 12h 50m
10th most played song airs every: 17h 48m
535th most played song airs every: 11d 12h
1511th most played song only played once
No. of songs with 5 or less plays: 4993 (98.5%)
Lowest Number of NEW SONGS on any day:
148 after 22 DAYS
Top 10 Most Played:
1 [43 plays] Vince Staples - White Flag
2 [38 plays] Foo Fighters - Child Actor
3= [37 plays] each for...
+ Ezra Collective - Only Love (feat. Pa Salieu)
+ Westside Cowboy - Kick Stones (The Boys)
5 [36 plays] Jack White - Dollar Bill
6 [35 plays] Gurriers - Nobody's Coming To Save You
7 [34 plays] Honey Dijon - I Like It Hot (feat. Greentea Peng)
8 [33 plays] Kelsey Lu - Cutting Off The Head Of A Ghost
9 [32 plays] Blondshell - Heart Has To Work So Hard
10 [31 plays] Lykke Li - Happy Now
Analysis: 25 days, up to 01-07-2026
NUMBER OF PLAYS IDENTIFIED: 8888
Number of DIFFERENT Songs Played: 3189
Variety factor for this station is : 35.8%
50% OF PLAYS is 812 Songs (25.4% of the total)
A THIRD OF PLAYS represents:
The 476 MOST played songs (14.9% of the total)
or 1940 LEAST played songs (60.8% of the total)
Most played airs on average every: 2d 2h
10th most played song airs every: 2d 12h
476th most played song airs every: 5d 0h
812th most played song airs every: 6d 6h
No. of songs with 5 or less plays: 2855 (89.5%)
Lowest Number of NEW SONGS on any day:
38 after 19 DAYS
Top 10 Most Played:
1 [12 plays] Billie - Because We Want To
2= [11 plays] each for...
+ Andy Williams - The House Of Bamboo
+ KC / The Sunshine Band - That's The Way I Like It
4= [10 plays] each for...
+ Beautiful South - Everybody's Talkin'
+ Fat Les - Vindaloo
+ James Brown - Get Up, I Feel Like Being A Sex Machine
+ Mike Flowers Pops - Wonderwall
+ Pitbull - Shake Senora
+ Spice Girls - Spice Up Your Life
+ Steps - Last Thing On My Mind
Analysis: 26 days, up to 01-07-2026
NUMBER OF PLAYS IDENTIFIED: 6569
Number of DIFFERENT Songs Played: 3149
Variety factor for this station is : 47.9%
50% OF PLAYS is 532 Songs (16.8% of the total)
A THIRD OF PLAYS represents:
The 235 MOST played songs (7.4% of the total)
or 2126 LEAST played songs (67.5% of the total)
Most played airs on average every: 15h 36m
10th most played song airs every: 21h 31m
235th most played song airs every: 5d 4h 48m
532nd most played song airs every: 8d 16h
No. of songs with 5 or less plays: 2981 (94.6%)
Lowest Number of NEW SONGS on any day:
65 after 23 DAYS
Top 10 Most Played:
1 [40 plays] Joey Qui±ones - Bolsita
2 [38 plays] Mica Millar - A Little More Time For Love
3 [34 plays] Audrey Powne - Broken Record
4= [33 plays] each for...
+ Jalen Ngonda - Burning Temptation
+ Steve White Trio - Camera Obscura
6 [32 plays] Jon Regen - Fillmore
7= [30 plays] each for...
+ Moyses Dos Santos - Saudade
+ Somi - We're All Falling
9= [29 plays] each for...
+ Earth-O-Naut - Everything. All At Once. All Of The Time.
+ Ezra Collective - Only Love
Analysis: 26 days, up to 01-07-2026
NUMBER OF PLAYS IDENTIFIED: 12299
Number of DIFFERENT Songs Played: 5344
Variety factor for this station is : 43.4%
50% OF PLAYS is 977 Songs (18.2% of the total)
A THIRD OF PLAYS represents:
The 438 MOST played songs (8.1% of the total)
or 3515 LEAST played songs (65.7% of the total)
Most played airs on average every: 13h 33m
10th most played song airs every: 20h 7m
438th most played song airs every: 5d 4h 48m
977th most played song airs every: 8d 16h
No. of songs with 5 or less plays: 4992 (93.4%)
Lowest Number of NEW SONGS on any day:
102 after 23 DAYS
Top 10 Most Played:
1= [46 plays] each for...
+ H33RA - Shook
+ Mumzy Stranger - Balliye
3 [40 plays] Diljit Dosanjh, Tru-Skool and Chani Nattan - Morni
4= [39 plays] each for...
+ Afusic, Talwiinder, AliSoomroMusic and Sickick - Pal Pal (Sickick Remix)
+ Roach Killa, Abrar-ul-Haq and Dr Zeus - Husna Di Sarkar
6 [38 plays] Ashnaa - Ondu Rendu (feat. Bups Saggu and Karam Brar)
7= [34 plays] each for...
+ Arjan Dhillon and Jazzy B - One Call Away
+ Jay Sean - All We Know
9 [32 plays] Ahadadream, Raf Saperra and Skrillex - Bass Dhol
10 [31 plays] Sukha and Manni Sandhu - Wang
Analysis: 23 days, up to 01-07-2026
NUMBER OF PLAYS IDENTIFIED: 10424
Number of DIFFERENT Songs Played: 82
Variety factor for this station is : 0.7%
50% OF PLAYS is 27 Songs (32.9% of the total)
A THIRD OF PLAYS represents:
The 17 MOST played songs (20.7% of the total)
or 44 LEAST played songs (53.6% of the total)
Most played airs on average every: 1h
10th most played song airs every: 2h 59m
17th most played song airs every: 3h
27th most played song airs every: 3h 6m
No. of songs with 20 or less plays: 1 (1.2%)
Lowest Number of NEW SONGS on any day:
ZERO after 2 DAYS
Top 12 Most Played:
1 [551 plays] Paul McCartney - Wonderful Christmastime
2 [191 plays] Carpenters - Merry Christmas Darling
3 [190 plays] Boney M - Mary's Boy Child
4= [188 plays] each for...
+ Bon Jovi - Please Come Home For Christmas
+ Mud - Lonely This Christmas
6= [187 plays] each for...
+ Crystals - Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town
+ Darlene Love - Winter Wonderland
8= [186 plays] each for...
+ East 17 - Stay Another Day
+ Nat King Cole - The Christmas Song
10= [185 plays] each for...
+ Bing Crosby and David Bowie - Peace On Earth / Little Drummer Boy
+ Dean Martin - Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!
+ Johnny Mathis - When A Child Is Born
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
We're monitoring all the most important UK radio stations 24-7, so if you'd like the full "chapter and verse" on what they've all been playing, and the full month most played songs lists, then we can provide them - We've even got some data going back to 2008!! Our charges start at just £12 (exc VAT) for one station, so that's a FULL LISTING of every song or classical piece a station has played, with dates and times, plus a stats package with the full "most played" chart for the month listing EVERY song they've played and how many times, ranked from most played to least... so if they've played 3174 different songs, that'll be a 1 to 3174 chart!
Subscriptions (minimum term 1 year, exc VAT)
£12 / month for a monthly 1 station subscription
£60 / month for monthly 5 *different* station subscription, building up a 60 station snapshot across the year ** Our most popular enthusiast package **
£120 / month for a monthly 12 stations subscription
£240 / month for a monthly 30 station subscription ** Our most popular corporate package! **
£420 / month for a monthly 60+ station subscription ** includes bonus FREE Christmas Station breakdowns! **
One off's
£25 (exc VAT) per station per month, but discounts can apply for larger orders depending how much work is involved getting the data you want, so there are certainly bulk discounts to be had for multiple stations and the same data for each... Get in touch with us for more information, and let us know the sort of thing you're after - there's no commitment and we'll try to reply within 24 hours!
If you want an idea of how we can work with your business, don't forget to tell us what you're aiming to achieve - For Radio Monitoring, which genres or which particular stations do you want data on? We can provide full lists of songs played and how many times per week or per month etc, they aired.
Don't forget we can also provide hand picked music libraries for any genre you want for a radio or background music station using our software -
We offer both PC Based or streaming delivery solutions - a radio style service, just music, or with promotional messages too?