I'm mainly critical of Radio 1 as I am old enough to remember a time when they played a much broader range of music than they currently do and were more popular because of that. When I was young they went against the grain of commercial radio in the 90's playing what would be eventually dubbed "Britpop" and that ended up becoming huge-it was very much good luck to them and made the station relevant again at that time.

Not everything they do is bad and I am not saying they shouldn't play dance/pop at all -I'm fine with that if it is good pop/dance/rap/whatever. The trouble is most of it is crap and their main DJ's clearly have a bias towards crap. It is clearly having the knock on effect of killing their own listening figures. The current leadership refusing to acknowledge this just comes across as them living in an ivory tower.

Whenever I go to any packed out student bars I often hear loads of cool new music of various genres getting played that Radio 1 totally ignores, at least on their mainstream flagship programmes. It’s pretty clear to me that that for all their posturing of "serving a key 14-24 year old demographic" (or whatever they pretend to represent) they actually totally ignore huge groups of people in their tick box exercises.

Annie Mac a good DJ playing the best electronic music and grime out there? I know people who are massive electronic music fans and they hate the b*tch and blame her for ruining the genre. Most of the electronic music she and the rest of the station play is horribly generic and just sounds like it was put together by muppets following You-Tube tutorial videos on how to make a EDM hit.

In the past it felt like Radio 1 employed people with the best ears in the biz to find great new music. Biggest mistake the station ever made was using Social Media as the gauge of what they should be playing. Totally open to manipulation from the major labels and its only got worse with streaming.

This year we have of course lost Bowie and Prince. Would either of these greats have had careers in the current music biz or got played on Radio 1 if they were just starting now? Bowie would have been relegated to Radio 6...until they decided he was too pop and dropped him too. Prince might have got played on Radio 1 for a bit... if he stuck to being a Bruno Mars clone. Moment he started getting his guitar out and doing the real funky freaky stuff he'd be out of there. Oh and 1 Extra wouldn't have touched him with a barge pole either, he wouldn't fit with their narrow remit.

These days when the station uses its powers to plug new artists and artifically create a career for someone they give us people like terribly posh former child eurovison entry Jack Garrett and his blandcore electronic music. He won the latest BBC Music Introducing New Artist Award you think who the hell votes for this sh*t? Is he the best they can dig up?!?! Seriously???

Absolutely agree with all of this.

Again still see no suggestions of what they should be playing just moaning about what they do? And im older than you anyway ;p Seriously though tell me the new songs and new bands that they should be playing as I would love to hear them myself? Although I probably have on Radio 1 or 6Music ;p

I still think Radio 1 even with its faults is 1000x better than any commercial station.

I agree with you about the Bowie and Prince thing but thats a symptom of the whole industry right now not just Radio 1, they are not thinking long term enough who are going to be headlining festivals in ten years time for example.

LOL!!!

I agree wholeheartedly on Jack Garrett. Maybe it's my age but I fail to "get" his music, what he stands for and ultimately what exactly it is that Jack Garrett contributes to the music industry. James Blake got their first. It's as if Radio 1 realised they missed a trick a few years ago so have ended up plucking someone similar to an already established albeit quirky artist and thought "yeah, he will do". I don't see Jack Garrett ever appearing on a Beyonce album track, put it that way.

I also think the BBC Sound of Poll has started to stagnate because it's as if they're relying on the men in suits to tell them who to push. Of all the newcomers who have emerged since late 2015, Dua Lipa is the only one who has potential and typically the UK ends up being one of the few countries where Be The One failed to become a decent sized hit. How is it other countries see real potential in artists (especially when they're from Britain) and they become popular across Europe whilst said artist struggles in their own country.

Something seriously needs shaking up.


There are too many flaws now with Radio 1, their target audience and the music their target audience listen to.

Radio 1's target audience is mostly 14-24 year olds. I reckon the majority of people aged 14-24 right now use Spotify to listen to music, so why would they want to switch on the radio when they've got access to all the music they want in the palm of their hands?

What Radio 1 need to do is scrap trying to appeal to a target audience and start being BBC's main radio station. I used to think that was why they called it Radio 1 - i.e. the main radio station with Radio 2 playing second fiddle, Radio 3 lagging behind, etc...until you get your niche stations like Radio 4 and 5 Live which specifically target a particular audience. Radio 2 is more "Radio 1" than Radio 1 itself. I'm pretty sure up until the early 00s Radio 1 would've been attracting more listeners than Radio 2. However, as Radio 1 have started to become ageist towards older artists, snub massive hits because they feature a singer who Radio 1 DJ's don't like and basically alienate a whole group of people altogether, this is where Radio 2 have stepped in, played all types of music regardless of how old the singer is, having DJ's with good personalities and a love for music and ended up becoming the new Radio 1.

So how does Radio 1 achieve this? Well, they should employ DJ's based on how much they love music, not how many famous people they're friends with.

They should scrap using social media to determine their playlists. Chances are by doing this, the people they're trying to appeal to will be listening to those very songs on Spotify, and haven't the slightest bit of interest in listening to Radio 1.

By having passionate DJ's, they would search for all the best new music. They would use their own initiative and decide whether they think song A or song B should be on the playlist.

Radio 1 need to stop playing it safe. As long as they try to appeal to the Spotify generation they're always going to lose that battle.

Playlists need to be extended to allow more songs to be given the chance of getting exposure. The A-list should comprise of 25 singles. The B-list, 20 songs and the C-list, 15 songs. That way you have an overall list of 60 different songs that would benefit from extra airplay. At the moment they have 15 songs on all three playlists so 45 songs on the weekly playlist. By doing it my way, an extra 15 songs would also get airplay during the week.

They should scrap their stance on ageism in the music industry. If Robbie Williams returns later in the year with a really good song that storms to #1 in the UK, Radio 1 won't put it on their playlist because "Robbie is old" which of course is bollards. The #1 in Spain right now is by a 54 year old singer called Carlos Vives. Spain don't seem to have an issue with an "old person" at #1 so why should the UK. Again, this is why Radio 2 have overtaken Radio 1 to become the new Radio 1. Radio 2 will play all types of music thus don't alienate any age group. Radio 1's too cool for skool attitude is having a negative impact on them.

I also think if DJ's discover a new song on the internet that's taking off in America or somewhere across Europe that they really love, they should be allowed to play that song on Radio 1 and bring the song to a new audience.

Remember, we're living in the age of instant access. A song blows up in America and with YouTube and social media people in the UK will very quickly come across the song. Seems a bit pointless waiting 3/4 months before adding the song to the Radio 1 playlist. The song was popular in March, not June and everyone who loved said song have moved on.

Radio 1 seems to be playing solely to the kinds of people who start most of the threads in Digital Spy's Music section.

Make of that what you will.

Several people have nailed it on this thread, basically. The DJs are all corporate puppets playing corporate pop. There is no passion, no innovation and precious little worth hearing. A genuinely 'cool' radio station is not one that is just doing what Bauer stations and Spotify does (i.e. the same as 100 other stations) - it focuses on up-and-coming talent and music and artists that are on the fringes of the mainstream looking for a way in and greater exposure. That's what Radio 1 used to be when successful, and the more it deviates from that and focuses on its absurd and frankly offensively ageist remit, the more its ratings will dwindle.

That's the most deliciously bitchy thing I've read all day

You're absolutely right, though.

To be fair to the Radio One DJs for a moment they are stuck with a very restrictive playlist with very few free choices to put in for themselves.

You can tell the massive difference on 6 Music especially the shows that are playlist free.

Back in the day you could tell the difference between daytime Radio One with their heavy playlist and shows like the Evening Session and John Peel where the playlist was lifted.

Quite honestly, who gives a toss about Radio 1 as long as there's 6 Music? Somebody said that Radio 1 is to serve the 14 - 24 year-old demographic, whereas it's more accurately the 10 - 15 year olds. Radio 1 Xtra is for the new chavs.

Why do people give a toss? Well why are the Labour party having a massive infight over who gets to lead and possibly who gets to retain the "Labour" brand name? Answer: Because the Labour name has an influence and following who always go to it and vote for it no matter what. Hence why despite rumours of a breakaway party they are jumping at doing this on the basis of what happened to the SDP in the 80's.

Same with Radio 1. Radio 1 still clearly have a massive influence over what charts, Radio 6 significantly less so. Personally I would get rid of both Radio 6 and 1 Xtra and start playing the music they play back on the main Radio 1 station (most of 1 Xtra's output already gets played on Radio 1 anyway). I do not like all this segregated radio.

Good response from Thorney, but the reason I'm not writing a huge list of ready for radio bands is that things are so bad now after a decade of Radio 1 largely ignoring bands that everything has been reduced to a pub/student club level of obscurity. Its therefore both (a) hard for people on these boards to relate to them if they haven't heard of them and (b) unless you are there at the gig at the time me linking a grainy video off the band facebook page might not impress either.

I'm quite an avid gig goer and like going to student bars to see unsigned acts play. Some of them are totally crap and some of them are maybe not the finished article but have potential. John Peel used to be the saviour for bands in this situation- the station no longer has a John Peel character and that is perhaps why I am now upset.

I would agree the decline in quality bands isn't just Radio 1's fault, the death of many of the great indie labels and the majors total lack of interest are factors, but I do feel Radio 1 could have done more to kickstart things. Like they do for the likes of Mr Jack Garrett.

I would also say even a lot of established acts struggle. In the past it used to be they gave acts 3 or 4 singles before fully dropping them, now its like your last single flopped- F**k off you've had your 5 minutes.

I remember one of their former favourites Dizzy Rascal having a meltdown on Twitter that got reported in the music press because they wouldn't play his latest song and he couldn't understand why. I suspect his crime was simply that Rizzle Kicks had replaced him as their fave comedy rappers. Whilst there was a lot of ego and vanity on his part that he thought he had a god given right to be play listed, I do think he had a point when he said this is a station that plays 24/7 every week and they can't even play me on one of their shows?

The ruthless playlist of 40 songs, with the so called A list of about 15 songs getting prioritised over the rest does seem painfully limiting as Hitstastic points out. As do their bizarre ageism where some acts over 30-40 are fine and some are told they are past it- but that's another discussion! I cringed when I read this Guardian article on how they pick it:
https://www.theguardian.com/media/20...ttle-of-brands

I'm not surprised Radio 4 is brilliant.

Well I do. I don't want to listen to any of the music for teenies that they play of Radio 1 and I can't bear to listen to a second of the appalling crap they play on 1Xtra.

I'm glad you brought this up, I fall into their supposedly target audience yet I can't stand how childish the presenters are. The music played and the style in which they present tends to be more targeted at teenagers, but I think they would more likely be interested in Radio 1 extra or their local commercial radios.

Is there a breakdown of the radio stations, their listeners and percentage of age groups for each one? I'm quite interested if it's what it's 'supposed' to be.

Regardless, Radio 1, as a main station, should have a much wider target audience anyway imo.

But there again, it's only just a number on a dial (metaphorically speaking).

I don't understand why shutting 6 Music is the answer to Radio 1's problems. For me it is the perfect antidote for the bland music played by most stations in the UK. I don't have to sit through the terrible dirge that is chart music on 6 Music.

If you want to hear new music and new bands, then shows like Marc Riley's, Tom Ravenscroft and the Recommends shows suffice.

And this morning Cerys Matthews is playing a fine selection of records none of which are the repeated playlists of other stations.

I agree with s lot of these suggestions , DJs should have more power in daytime , to at least pick a record of the week that isn't necessarily on the playlist. Yes a larger playlist but again that means that sings you hardly hear at the moment on Radio 1 you will hear even less. Less chat especially between 10-5.

But the main issue is the music they have to pick from and it must be a real struggle.

Summed up perfectly.

I can't stand most of the music they play now. They used to play mainstream chart music and for me it went downhill when Mark and Lard left, for those that remember them.

Simple problem I have with segregation is it creates musical narrow mindedness. I generally like leftfield music but I like quality chart hits too and its a sad music world if they cannot live together anymore. I do not like all this here's a radio station for chart music, here's one for middle class snobs and here one for (to quote the phrase used above) "chavs."

If an artist or band comes along who is the next musical revolution I do not want them to shoved off on a radio station where the majority will not hear their music and it just dies and withers on the vine. My problem with Radio 6 is it is rather like the elephants graveyard where all the indie acts go to die. I feel like indie has become like classical music- just listened to by a dwindling group of snobs that look down on everything else and there isn't enough youth coming in to replace the dwindling older numbers. Radio 6 is just adding to this problem and gives Radio 1 an excuse not to have to promote indie.

Likewise 1 Xtra claims to be a "black" music station but actually ignores loads of quality black music to just playing rap, urban, grime etc. It hardly hits the listener with any variety and creates a limited stereotype of what black music is which to my mind is bad for the kids who listen to it.

I saw a celebrity edition of quiz show Pointless a few weeks ago that had the BBC radio DJ's as contestants. University educated Greg James was one of the first ones out of there with some dumbass answers but it went down to a final between Scott Mills +co-host Chris and Trevor Nelson+friend from 1 Xtra. The 1 Xtra team where actually very smart at general knowledge (so much for them being "chavs") but hilariously came unstuck on a musical question at the end where neither of them recognised the intros to known songs from the likes of Madonna and Marvin Gayle. I might have slagged Scott Mills off in an earlier post, but in contrast he was totally in his element and knew all the song intros.

The point of me telling you all that: Mills has been on Radio 1 for years and through that alone knows a wide range of music due to a diverse playlist. The 1 Xtra team clearly only listen to music in their sphere and were musically clueless. I suspect a Radio 6 team might have failed just as badly with same question. That is what segregation does to people.

Well that kind of proves my point that Radio 1 has a diverse playlist not as diverse as it should be but still pretty diverse. Look at this this is next weeks playlist, even on the A list there is indie, rock and electronic indie pop as well as the usual pop,dance,rnb and hiphop. There have been playlists in the past few weeks that actually had metal on it but not this week.

WEEK COMMENCING FRIDAY 5th AUGUST 2016

A LIST

Anne-Marie - Alarm
Ariana Grande - Into You
Bastille - Good Grief
^^ UP ^^ Blossoms - Charlemagne
The Chainsmokers ft Daya - Don't Let Me Down
Christine and The Queens - Tilted
Chvrches ft Hayley Williams - Bury It
Drake ft Rihanna - Too Good
Jonas Blue ft JP Cooper - Perfect Strangers
Kent Jones - Don't Mind
Major Lazer ft Justin Bieber & MØ - Cold Water
^^ UP ^^ Olly Murs - You Don't Know Love
Shawn Mendes - Treat You Better
^^ UP ^^ Twin Atlantic - No Sleep
Usher - Crash

B LIST

^^ UP ^^ Beyonce - Sorry
Dizzee Rascal & Calvin Harris - Hype
DJ Snake ft George Maple - Talk
Fifth Harmony ft Fetty Wap - All In My Head (Flex)
5 Seconds Of Summer - Girls Talk Boys
** NEW ** Kanye West ft Post Malone & Ty Dolla $ign - Fade
^^ UP ^^ Lee Walker & DJ Deeon ft Katy B - Freak Like Me
Nao - Girlfriend
^^ UP ^^ The 1975 - Somebody Else
Snakehips ft Zayn - Cruel
^^ UP ^^ Tom Odell - Concrete
Twenty One Pilots - Heathens
Two Door Cinema Club - Are We Ready? (Wreck)
Vant - Karma Seeker
Years & Years - Worship

C LIST

Calum Scott - Dancing On My Own
** NEW ** Cassius ft Ryan Tedder & Jaw - The Missing
** NEW ** DNCE - Toothbrush
Frances - Say It Again
Gavin James - Bitter Pill
** NEW ** Izzy Bizu - White Tiger
** NEW ** John Newman - Ole
Katy Perry - Rise
** NEW ** Matoma & Becky Hill - False Alarm
** NEW ** Tieks ft Dan Harkna - Sunshine

IN NEW MUSIC WE TRUST LIST

Kaytranada ft AlunaGeorge & GoldLink - Together
** NEW ** Mabel - Thinking Of You
** NEW ** Nadia Rose - Sqwod
SG Lewis ft Gallant - Holding Back
Tom Misch ft Loyle Carner - Crazy Dream

OFF:

Biffy Clyro - Animal Style
MØ - Final Song
M.O. - Who Do You Think Of?
Tinie Tempah ft Wizkid - Mamacita
Bear's Den - Auld Wives
Chase and Status ft George The Poet - Spoken Word
Jamie T - Tinfoil Boy
Mumford & Sons with Baaba Maal, The Very Best & Beatenberg - Wona
Ady Suleiman - Running Away
Nimmo - My Only Friend

BBC Introducing

Nathan Ball - Right Place

I have to say I am sorry but I pretty much disagree with pretty much every thing you have written.

For a start 6 Music's audience is growing year by year from half a million a few years back to over 2 million now.

Secondly even in the good old days of Radio One there was a harsh divide between the pop acts of the daytime schedule and the indie acts of the evening schedule. For every act that made it into the mainstream there was a dozen that failed to make it outside of John Peel's show. There was also a divide between the daytime listeners and the nighttime listeners.

And to say that the presenters of 6 Music wouldn't recognise a Madonna or Marvin Gaye tune is just pure insanity. I don't listen to Radio One but I could recognise some of the One Direction output even though I am not a fan. Marvin Gaye has and will be played on 6Music.

Should Radio One be promoting the likes of Teleman or Field Music - yes of course they should but I feel the Radio One of the Eighties would probably have ignored them in favour of the latest Jason Donovan track anyway.

Radio 1 was shit in the eighties and after a period when it went crazy promoting every indie band no matter how rubbish they were they went back to ignoring them in the 2000s. That is why we need a station like 6 Music.

I have to say you are pushing it saying there is indie on that playlist. The Blossoms aren't really Indie and all the rest are pop or dance.

This disappoints me the most as it's by far my favourite single in the charts at the moment and has been painfully slowly climbing up the charts. Just as the single looks like it might do something on Spotify and iTunes (thanks to being 59p no doubt) it could be in a strong position to finally crack the UK top 10.

Yet Radio 1 were more than happy to keep One Dance on the A-list for 15 weeks while it was hogging the UK #1 spot.

So if MØ was to somehow shoot up iTunes and Spotify and become a contender for #1 in a few weeks time, will Radio 1 re-add the song to their playlist?

Looking at that A list, the only song I've not heard at all is No Sleep by Twin Atlantic. Whether that's a good thing or not, I can't say until hearing it. All the other songs I've either seen on the music channels or on YouTube out of mild curiosity.

If Radio 1 had a broader A-list then MØ might have survived a couple more weeks on the A-list.

I like Tameside Radio. It's a bit like a commercial Radio 2 as the music is often unpredictable. I enjoy some of their oldies shows such as Den Dingler's 70s show and Mike Wallbank's Show that Time Forgot.

I think I lost interest in Radio 1 around then too.