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 “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 recover it… clearly this was to demonstrate to the listeners how the Bauer networking was likely to behave going forward from there, so to get 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 17-12-2024
NUMBER OF PLAYS IDENTIFIED: 6989
Number of DIFFERENT Songs Played: 5088
Variety factor for this station is : 72.8%
50% OF PLAYS is 1594 Songs (31.3% of the total)
A THIRD OF PLAYS represents:
The 582 MOST played songs (11.4% of the total)
or 2330 LEAST played songs (45.7% of the total)
Most played airs on average every: 12h 50m
10th most played song airs every: 21h 13m
582nd most played song airs every: 11d 12h
1594th most played song only played once
No. of songs with 5 or less plays: 5018 (98.6%)
Lowest Number of NEW SONGS on any day:
131 after 20 DAYS
Different songs played in 1 month: 6372
..in 3 months: 16194, in 6 months: 28774
..in 9 months: 39392, in 12 months: 49326
Top 11 Most Played:
1= [43 plays] each for…
+ Mogwai – Lion Rumpus
+ Nubya Garcia – Triumphance
3= [37 plays] each for…
+ Bon Iver – THINGS BEHIND THINGS BEHIND THINGS
+ Jack White – You’ve Got Me Searching
+ James Blake – Like The End
6 [36 plays] Honey Dijon – Finding My Way
7 [32 plays] Michael Kiwanuka – One And Only
8 [30 plays] Pet Shop Boys – New London boy (Boy Harsher remix)
9 [27 plays] The Smile – Eyes & Mouth
10= [26 plays] each for…
+ Doves – Renegade
+ Emma-Jean Thackray – Black Hole (feat. Reggie Watts)
Analysis: 27 days, up to 17-12-2024
NUMBER OF PLAYS IDENTIFIED: 9113
Number of DIFFERENT Songs Played: 3278
Variety factor for this station is : 35.9%
50% OF PLAYS is 905 Songs (27.6% of the total)
A THIRD OF PLAYS represents:
The 526 MOST played songs (16% of the total)
or 1898 LEAST played songs (57.9% of the total)
Most played airs on average every: 1d 5h 27m
10th most played song airs every: 2d 1h 50m
526th most played song airs every: 6d 18h
905th most played song airs every: 6d 18h
No. of songs with 5 or less plays: 3072 (93.7%)
Lowest Number of NEW SONGS on any day:
23 after 25 DAYS
Different songs played in 1 month: 3377
..in 3 months: 4031, in 6 months: 4488
..in 9 months: 5495, in 12 months: 5849
Top 10 Most Played:
1 [22 plays] Wham – Last Christmas
2 [18 plays] Shakin’ Stevens – Merry Christmas Everyone
3 [17 plays] Mariah Carey – All I Want For Christmas Is You
4 [16 plays] Kate Bush – December Will Be Magic Again
5 [14 plays] Elton John – Step Into Christmas
6= [13 plays] each for…
+ Boney M – Mary’s Boy Child
+ Bruce Springsteen – Santa Claus Is Comin ‘ To Town
+ East 17 – Stay Another Day
+ Frankie Goes To Hollywood – The Power Of Love
+ Michael Buble – It’s Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas
Analysis: 26 days, up to 17-12-2024
NUMBER OF PLAYS IDENTIFIED: 4967
Number of DIFFERENT Songs Played: 2798
Variety factor for this station is : 56.3%
50% OF PLAYS is 584 Songs (20.8% of the total)
A THIRD OF PLAYS represents:
The 248 MOST played songs (8.8% of the total)
or 1656 LEAST played songs (59.1% of the total)
Most played airs on average every: 16h 25m
10th most played song airs every: 1d 10h 40m
248th most played song airs every: 8d 16h
584th most played song airs every: 13d 0h
No. of songs with 5 or less plays: 2686 (95.9%)
Lowest Number of NEW SONGS on any day:
60 after 20 DAYS
Different songs played in 1 month: 3094
..in 3 months: 6524, in 6 months: 10598
..in 9 months: 14495, in 12 months: 18158
Top 12 Most Played:
1 [38 plays] Sade – Young Lion
2 [37 plays] Emma Jean-Thackray – Black Hole
3 [36 plays] Michael Kiwanuka – Rebel Soul
4 [35 plays] Celeste – This Is Who I Am
5 [23 plays] Ezra Collective – No One’s Watching Me
6 [22 plays] Mama Terra – Chameleon
7 [20 plays] Jacob Collier – Magic
8 [19 plays] Jon Regen – I Will Be Here
9= [18 plays] each for…
+ Bette Schindler – I Love You
+ Cymande – Chasing An Empty Dream
+ Diplomats Of Soul – I Love You
+ Earth-O-Naut – One Revolution
Analysis: 23 days, up to 17-12-2024
NUMBER OF PLAYS IDENTIFIED: 9961
Number of DIFFERENT Songs Played: 4533
Variety factor for this station is : 45.5%
50% OF PLAYS is 820 Songs (18% of the total)
A THIRD OF PLAYS represents:
The 340 MOST played songs (7.5% of the total)
or 2967 LEAST played songs (65.4% of the total)
Most played airs on average every: 12h 50m
10th most played song airs every: 15h 20m
340th most played song airs every: 4d 14h 24m
820th most played song airs every: 7d 16h
No. of songs with 5 or less plays: 4291 (94.6%)
Lowest Number of NEW SONGS on any day:
105 after 21 DAYS
Different songs played in 1 month: 5339
..in 3 months: 8772, in 6 months: 11640
..in 9 months: 14331, in 12 months: 17543
Top 10 Most Played:
1 [43 plays] Raf-Saperra – Sultan Rahi
2 [42 plays] Dr Zeus, Amrinder Gill & Gurlez Akhtar – Darling Jatt Di
3 [41 plays] Steel Banglez, Afsana Khan & Lojay – Mohobbat (Love)
4= [39 plays] each for…
+ Reyan, Melvin & Jassie Gift – Thakthom
+ TRXBL – Maya
6= [38 plays] each for…
+ Armaan Gill & Arnaaz Gill – Only You
+ Chani Nattan, Sukha & Inderpal Moga – Hundo
+ Muki, Haseeb Haze & Asiya – Ilaaj
9 [37 plays] Tegi Pannu – Hold On
10 [36 plays] Jasmin Walia & DANNY WALIA – Leave Me Confused
Analysis: 25 days, up to 17-12-2024
NUMBER OF PLAYS IDENTIFIED: 10341
Number of DIFFERENT Songs Played: 82
Variety factor for this station is : 0.7%
50% OF PLAYS is 24 Songs (29.2% of the total)
A THIRD OF PLAYS represents:
The 16 MOST played songs (19.5% of the total)
or 49 LEAST played songs (59.7% of the total)
Most played airs on average every: 2h 35m
10th most played song airs every: 2h 36m
16th most played song airs every: 2h 55m
24th most played song airs every: 3h 1m
No. of songs with 5 or less plays: 7 (8.5%)
Lowest Number of NEW SONGS on any day:
ZERO after 4 DAYS
Different songs played in 1 month: 83
..in 3 months: 92, in 6 months: 98
..in 9 months: 98, in 12 months: 106
Top 13 Most Played:
1 [232 plays] Kelly Clarkson – Underneath The Tree
2= [231 plays] each for…
+ Andy Williams – The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year
+ Brenda Lee – Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree
+ John Lennon & Yoko Ono – Happy Xmas (War Is Over)
+ Leona Lewis – One More Sleep
+ Mariah Carey – All I Want For Christmas Is You
+ Shakin’ Stevens – Merry Christmas Everyone
+ Slade – Merry Xmas Everybody
+ Wizzard – I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday
10= [230 plays] each for…
+ Band Aid – Do They Know It’s Christmas
+ Elton John – Step Into Christmas
+ The Pogues & Kirsty MacColl – Fairytale of New York
+ Wham! – Last Christmas
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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