us as in men? people in their 30s? or people with a knowledge of music beyond their 3 cds?

I debate radio because i enjoy radio when it is done well, and I enjoy music. When I listen to heart its purely as a functional exercise, for traffic reports for my commute. I listened this morning and they were talking about neighbours, not the people next door, but the australian soap. all i remember of that is my older sister liking it and beating me up in order that i watched it too (i was primary school age, so it certainly wasnt recent)

I think for a debate to be a debate or a discussion rather than just criticism there needs to be constructive feedback and suggestion for improvement rather than just 'i dont like.....'

One of the reasons I fell they are doing themselves a disservice is down to the adverts, usually for nearly new cars, diy stores etc, places that unfortunatly are what is aimed at me and have been for the last few years.

I agree about the kings of leon example, I went to see the killers a few years back, we were surrounded by people that only knew mr brightside. the tickets cost a small fortune and me and my wife appeared to be the only people in our section that knew they had plural songs, let alone plural albums. maybe thats a whole other thread (artists that are ruined by people that claim to be fans but dont know the songs)

Maybe I was spoiled early on, I grew up in manchester when key 103 was great, and steve penk was on breakfast.

How they can claim to play more music variety than any station ? It simply is not true and heart will always be critised for that. They often tell us what other station can play you more variety well.........

Radio2, Heat radio and Pirate fm are just three stations that come to mind that play more variety.

It really refers to the variety between tracks and genres. You're thinking of quantity of tracks played when you talk of those other stations.

10% unique tracks

over 30 songs played on average once every day

40 artists with at least 48 plays each in a 30 day period

doesnt scream variety really does it?

I know what hearts tag line "more music variety" is meant to mean. But it it doesn't stand up as many other stations play more music variety than Heart.

I'm not sure what you mean by your second statement?

Well it's the variety between Sitting on the dock of the bay and Sex on fire for example.

I mean in the second sentence that a station can play a thousand 'samey' songs and not exhibit much 'variety' - a big playlist isn't necessarily a varied one. And to be fair they say 'more music variety' Not 'More music variety than anyone else' or 'The most music variety'

Yes the pre recorded tag line is "more music variety" but if you listen sometimes a dj will say after 3 songs in a row they say "who else plays variety like that" or "who else can give you more variety"

I never said a station playing more songs equals more variety you simply just have to listen to stations like heat or pirate fm and you soon realise they play more variety and genres

Then your answer would be 'any other station' as you tune away.

Having said all that take a look at the comparative numbers between the stations you cite and Heart see if you think Heart is on to something - or not.

At the most heart can claim to play the same music variety as other stations but of course they aren't going to say that. What proof do they have that they play more music variety?

It's an extremely bold claim !

I don't disagree heart is popular but it's not perfect far from it.

Heat and Pirate don't play any 60s or 70s. Heart does.

Can't remember hearing any soul on these two stations but you get some at Heart.

I've heard 70s on both stations.
Dolly Parton. Elton John 70s disco etc

How many 60s songs do heart play a handful at most.

So those two aren't perfect either 😉

In the past maybe but not recently.

I never said they were perfect and just using those as examples

Definitely 70s on Pirate fm heard it in the last couple of weeks.

Pirate fm are now playing dancing queen from 1976

Now that's what I call variety!! (Unless Heart plays it)

OK I stand corrected then. They must be reading Digital Spy

I was just saying that pirate were playing a 70s song another poster said they didn't play 70s songs.

I know dancing queen is played on heart

Heart may play a variety of genres,yes,but there is next to no variety within each genre.

About the only records from the sixties they play are Stand By Me and Heard It Through the Grapevine,and both of those became big hits again in the eighties when they were used in Levi's jeans commercials,which is probably why they get played.

The seventies? Couple of Bob Marley tracks. Not much else. The odd ABBA track maybe.
Eighties? Madonna's True Blue singles,Michael Jackson,plus a smattering of Phil Collins,Debarge,Boy Meets Girl,Starship,Don't You Want Me,Every Breath You Take,Sweet Dreams by the Eurythmics. Fast Car.
Rock? Sex on Fire,Use Somebody,couple of Bon Jovi numbers. The odd Queen song,if Queen count as rock. That's about it. And so on.

Entire decades and styles of music are reduced to a handful of well known songs. Next to no songs outside these are played,except on the Time Tunnel occasionally. So,yes,it is variety,but hardly in the way that the reasonable man on the Clapham omnibus is likely to use the word. It is a bit like Humpty Dumpty in Through the Looking Glass - "A word means what I choose it to mean."

As an aside I would love to know how many people have bought a Toyota Yaris after hearing that advert on Heart. The one where the householder believes all the burglar's lame excuses about why he's in his house,but doesn't believe him when he says how much his new Toyota Yaris was. I didn't think that was remotely funny the first time I heard it,and it certainly isn't any funnier after having heard it about fifty times.

Plus Son Of A Preacher Man, I Say A Little Prayer, Daydream Believer...


Plus Lipps Inc, The Jacksons, Sister Sledge, Heatwave, KC And The Sunshine Band, Chic, Rose Royce, Trammps, Queen, Blondie, Gloria Gaynor, Earth, Wind & Fire....

Summer nights by Olivia Newton John and John Travolta 1978 that's real music variety on Pirate fm 😉

We hear much about "testing" of songs to see if they get played on Global stations, so, purely out of interest, I have two questions.

1. How many people is a song played to when being tested?

2. What percentage of those listening to the test song would have to like it for it to make on to the playlist?

Most of those in the second paragraph are played on Club Classics not normally daytime or if so rarely.

Most of those only turn up on the Club Classics show. I perhaps should have clarified that. I did mention Queen as an example of the "rock" genre. Similarly I do not count Jason Donovan's 80s show which is obviously going to feature more 80s tunes than just the usual ones.

Outside of Club Classics and the 80s show,the 60s 70s and 80s selection is very limited. Believe me,I know, I listen to Heart for about six hours solid two nights a week, I know the records they play. I know them so well! (Elaine Paige and Barbara Dickson.)