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[Baraka in the White House]

...in recent years, particularly in regards to stagnant, overused playlists. It seems like pretty much any station runs with a series of no more than 10 "new" songs at a time, intermixed with another 10 or so songs from a base playlist that never gets rotated out. Listen to any given station for about an hour and you've pretty much heard all you're going to hear for not only that day but for months to come.

 

[Thug Waffle]

Almost every other song on my local stations features Pitbull. I know how you feel.

 

[Espresso]

It's not only terrestrial radio that's gotten worse; satellite radio's been on the decline for quite some time.

 

[bjb]

Almost every other song on my local stations features Pitbull. I know how you feel.

And yet you keep listening...

DALE

 

[Switters]

I can't believe radio still exists. In my life it's pretty much white noise that fades in and out as I go about my day.

 

[Zee-Row]

I listen to Pandora in the car , i don't know what this radio is that you're talking about.

 

[Thug Waffle]

And yet you keep listening...

DALE

hahaha.

I have no disc drive and I don't own a single tape. I have no choice, unfortunately.

 

[Subtle]

Nah. Mainstream songs are a guilty pressure.

 

[super-famicom]

I stopped listening to the radio about 12 years ago, haven't missed it at all.

 

[Bombadil]

Local radio stations are dying. They don't cost for the end user so they have to whore themselves out to advertisers. And yes, the playlists are extremely short and repetitive. Everyone who doesn't have satellite radio should do themselves a favor and get an iPod adapter for their cars.

 

[Baraka in the White House]

I just can't remember so many songs being so goddamn overplayed in recent memory, and it's made worse by the cross-play between stations. Pretty much any manufactured pop single appears on your local pop, soft rock, hits and alternative station. You couldn't escape We Are Young if you wanted to without forgoing the airwaves entirely.

 

[GhostWriter24]

Almost every other song on my local stations features Pitbull. I know how you feel.

Just look at this fucking asshat and tell me your blood doesn't boil.

 

[Einhander]

I haven't put on the radio in years. I just listen to music CDs from my car CD player.

 

[StriKeVillain]

The only radio I listen to is local sports talk radio. Fuck actually listening to music through the thing.

 

[abusori]

I haven't listened to the radio in like 5 years, it's always been shit imo. I listen to my own music, or use last.fm/turntable.

Edit:

hahaha.

I have no disc drive and I don't own a single tape. I have no choice, unfortunately.

You have a tape deck? Get one of these, assuming you have a portable music player:

 

[antitrop]

I used to live in Oahu, Hawaii.
Worst fucking radio stations of anywhere in the United States I've ever been. Just nothing but garbage hip/hop party music on every station.

That said, now that I'm back in my home state, we have some pretty decent radio stations. My car doesn't have an AUX jack, so I listen to the radio instead. Doesn't bother me.

 

[injurai]

I tune to NPR then never turn away from it.

 

[meijiko]

It's been like this for years in the US. Blame ClearChannel for ruining everything.

 

[Buddha Beam]

I rarely listen to the radio any more but when I do I'm always surprised at how I'm still hearing the same songs that were playing back in 1999 when I gave up on listening to anything other than NPR.

Then I hear some insipid new song and turn my iPod back on.

There are very few stations that aren't owned by CBS, ABC or Clear Channel though. That's a big part of the problem. I wish they'd hurry up and die off.

 

[kirblar]

...in recent years, particularly in regards to stagnant, overused playlists. It seems like pretty much any station runs with a series of no more than 10 "new" songs at a time, intermixed with another 10 or so songs from a base playlist that never gets rotated out. Listen to any given station for about an hour and you've pretty much heard all you're going to hear for not only that day but for months to come.

Almost everything's off large corporate playlists now.

 

[Kaladin]

Only local radio station I have that is worth a damn is a classic rock station. Ever since I got satellite radio though, I haven't looked back. I can listen to whatever kind of music I'm in the mood for whenever I want to.

 

[Enron]

I used to live in Oahu, Hawaii.
Worst fucking radio stations of anywhere in the United States I've ever been. Just nothing but garbage hip/hop party music on every station.

Post-Dave FM Atlanta says hello.

 

[antitrop]

Ya, if you like Classic Rock, Classic Rock radio stations are almost always good.

 

[water_wendi]

Thats why i only listen to old music. Classic rock. Old school stuff (today i had Old School Thursday playing). And DJs like Michael Baisden. Stuff that short playlist cant really penetrate.

i tried listening to an old rock station that still plays new music. As soon as something new comes on its instant switch.

 

[akira28]

No, it's not just you. It's gotten so bad, they need to have benefit concerts for the commercial radio industry. Every radio station I've ever loved has changed formats, dropped all their talent, or just plain went off the air. Washington DC's completely awesome alt-rock station, WHFS. Dead. Became a spanish language station. Their Jazz station(s) WJZE and Jazzy100, gone. One became an oldies station that now plays that Top 40 "Jack-FM" format. Their comedy talk/jazz night time station, that hosted Howard Stern and gave Opie and Anthony(who suck btw and are part of the problem) became a shitty sports talk station no one listens to.

The people who ran radio used to be pioneers, then they became entrepreneurs, then they became media moguls, then they became assholes and jerks, now they're brain eating zombies on an end run.

So, no, it's not just you.

Jack-FM
Bob-FM
Dave-FM

(notice I didn't even mention "urban" contemporary. complete shitshow. Thank God for WPFW, but they only play real hip hop 1-2 hours a day, if that. And it's public radio. smdh.)

 

[daw840]

You all know that the old school tape adapter works for anything with a headphone jack right?

 

[Wilsongt]

Things are being overplayed to hell and back. I have satellite radio so I can easily switch through lots of channels.

 

[Piecake]

I only listen to The Current and NPR

everything else sucks

 

[Randolph Freelander]

Welcome to 20 years ago.

And 20 years ago, people who were now my age were saying "pffft.... where were you 20 years ago?"

Of course, I have no idea what radio is like now, so maybe I'm wrong. I haven't listened to music radio in probably 10 years, at least. Probably longer. Sports talk and iPod most of that time. Mixed in NPR a few years ago. Now mixing in XM (mostly XM Chill 53 or 40s on 4).

 

[Rizific]

i only listen to my CDs and internet radio from my phone now. download the app tunein radio and find a station that plays your style of music. the 181.fm stations i found play the most music with very very minimal commercials. plus it looks like they have a channel for just about every genre of music.

 

[Winterfang]

I actually love the music in my radio stations. The programs however? terrible to the point it's insulting.

 

[PC Gaming Sucks]

As a hip hop fan, radio sucks balls. They censor the living shit out the songs, play mostly crappy songs, and it almost always on commercial. There is rarely a time i turn to that station and it's not on commercial.

 

[FutureZombie]

It's always been awful. Unless you like hearing shit like Hotel California 12 times a day.

 

[Zebra]

You have a tape deck? Get one of these, assuming you have a portable music player:

I remember seeing one of these things for the first time. It seriously blew my mind, as if it were magic. I couldn't fathom how it worked.

 

[Manmademan]

It's not just you.

Media consolidation has made it so that most radio stations are literally running off of the same playlist. Many no longer use local DJs, they simply stream it from one location to all of the other ones, meaning artist diversity goes way down.

the current sorry state of music owes a lot to exactly what happened here. It's not just a matter of "music was better in my day." the industry is broken.

 

[Chie Satonaka]

Holy shit, it makes me furious.

My local "urban" radio station probably has a playlist of 30-40 songs if I'm being generous. 85% of those songs have Lil Wayne on the track. I SHIT YOU NOT. It's the most frustrating thing on earth. I CAN'T FUCKING ESCAPE HIM.

I listen to the damn alternative/indie rock station when I drive because of it.

 

[Esque7]

I feel like radio died with the 80's, and I wasn't even around then.

 

[Trent Strong]

...in recent years, particularly in regards to stagnant, overused playlists. It seems like pretty much any station runs with a series of no more than 10 "new" songs at a time, intermixed with another 10 or so songs from a base playlist that never gets rotated out. Listen to any given station for about an hour and you've pretty much heard all you're going to hear for not only that day but for months to come.

It was like that 15 years ago when I used to listen to the radio.

 

[Wilsongt]

I feel like radio died with the 80's, and I wasn't even around then.

Video killed the radio star, don't you know?

 

[ClassyPenguin]

Kcrw in Los Angeles is so awesome for their morning music program.

 

[speculawyer]

Yes, it has probably gotten worse. People moved to satellite radio, MP3 players, podcasting, Stitcher, and other alternatives such that terrestrial radio is kind of a dead-end.

NPR's good but that is about the only thing I'd listen to on the radio.

 

[speculawyer]

I remember seeing one of these things for the first time. It seriously blew my mind, as if it were magic. I couldn't fathom how it worked.

I still have no idea how it works. (But I never really bothered trying to figure it out.)

How do they work?

 

[Tesseract]

i list 2 rad in fallout new vegaaa uit good i dunno fuk.

 

[Teva]

I think Music has just gotten worse, a lot worse.
News talk is still great as ever.
My favourite here in Canada is News Talk 1010

 

[Kaizer]

I haven't listened to the radio in like 5 years, it's always been shit imo. I listen to my own music, or use last.fm/turntable.

Edit:


You have a tape deck? Get one of these, assuming you have a portable music player:

What brand is this? I've been trying to get one of these for the longest but can never decide as I always see bad reviews for most of them on Amazon.

 

[akira28]

I still have no idea how it works. (But I never really bothered trying to figure it out.)

How do they work?

magnets.

 

[Lamel]

Just look at this fucking asshat and tell me your blood doesn't boil.

This comment made me laugh out loud. holy shit.

 

[Kaladin]

What brand is this? I've been trying to get one of these for the longest but can never decide as I always see bad reviews for most of them on Amazon.

Just buy any of them really, the sound is going to be kind of shitty any way you cut it.

 

[outunderthestars]

I tune to NPR then never turn away from it.

This. I can't remember the last time i listened to a commercial radio station.

 

[abusori]

What brand is this? I've been trying to get one of these for the longest but can never decide as I always see bad reviews for most of them on Amazon.

I just google image searched "tape to 3.5mm"
I've never used one myself, but I heard they work well enough, certainly better than having to listen to the radio I'd think.

Could also just install a jack in your vehicle, doesn't cost too much if you do it yourself. I got a friend of mine to do it for me a while back.