What song is so universal that listeners will always recognize it? Just before the name-that-tune game Heardle was sold to Spotify, it briefly published a list of its clues, and how hard they were to identify. The results are surprising (and "I Want It That Way" is only the fourth easiest song.)
It's the No. 1 song. It's a Song of Summer contender. Yesterday, I listened to "About Damn Time" for an hour, seeking out one station after another playing it around the world. The quest took me from Casper, Wyo., to the Canary Islands. Here's what I heard, including some great new stations to listen to.
Once, at-work contest winners who would not scream were a constant source of frustration for on-air talent, and the impetus for one of your favorite columns ever. Recently it occurred to me that with more work-from-home, winners could start screaming again. But should they? Here are some thoughts on that, as well as contesting and callers in general.
Does radio still decide which songs are lost? Or are Stranger Things changing the landscape on a regular basis? Recently, I looked at how the Lost Factor of 1983's hits had changed over two years. Now we see how Lost Factor looks different when you look at streams, not spins.
