Last June, I took a closer look at the Edge 102.1 playlist and then took another gander this past January. I was curious how many different songs were in rotation at CFNY. While I was crunching the numbers, I assigned each song a label: New, Recent or Classic Alternative.
Here's how I classify the songs:
New: I labelled a song new if it was new to the playlist in 2008. Yes, I was pretty generous with this label.
Recent: I created this category to cover songs that aren't exactly Classic Alternative but also aren't new. Songs less than five years old were labelled as "recent".
Classic Alternative: This covers the "golden oldies" CFNY likes to play. Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Alice in Chains, U2, Beastie Boys, STP, etc. Songs older than five years, essentially.
Last time, it was clear CFNY was playing a lot more older stuff. When I removed the repeats, almost exactly two-thirds of the music played was older than five years and of the "classic alternative" genre.
Here are the songs played between midnight and noon today with their assigned labels. After the chart, I'll hit you up with some stats.
11:56 AM "ULYSSES" - FRANZ FERDINANDNEW (R) 11:53 AM "SEX ON FIRE" - KINGS OF LEONNEW (R) 11:44 AM "YOUNG CARDINALS" - ALEXISONFIRENEW 11:41 AM "NEVER TOO LATE" - THREE DAYS GRACERECENT 11:36 AM "SAVIOR" - RISE AGAINSTNEW 11:30 AM "DUMB" - NIRVANACLASSIC ALT 11:27 AM "GIMME SYMPATHY" - METRICNEW (R) 11:24 AM "ALL EMPIRES FALL" - WAKING EYESNEW (R) 11:21 AM "SABOTAGE" - BEASTIE BOYSCLASSIC ALT 11:13 AM "BODY OF YEARS" - MOTHER MOTHERNEW (R) 11:11 AM "SONG 2" - BLURCLASSIC ALT 11:07 AM "FIXED TO RUIN" - SAM ROBERTSNEW 11:03 AM "PANIC SWITCH" - SILVERSUN PICKUPSNEW (R) 11:00 AM "SHE'S A GENIUS" - JETNEW 10:50 AM "CALIFORNICATION" - RED HOT CHILI PEPPERSCLASSIC ALT 10:47 AM "SO SHE'S LEAVING" - TREWSRECENT (R) 10:43 AM "I WILL POSSESS YOUR HEART" - DEATH CAB FOR CUTIERECENT (R) 10:36 AM "WHEN I COME AROUND" - GREEN DAYCLASSIC ALT 10:31 AM "21 GUNS" - GREEN DAYNEW (R) 10:27 AM "ALIVE AGAIN" - CHAMPIONNEW (R) 10:24 AM "THE ROCK SHOW" - BLINK-182CLASSIC ALT 10:16 AM "SLEEPING SICKNESS" - CITY AND COLOURRECENT 10:13 AM "BELIEVE" - BRAVERYRECENT 10:08 AM "RUSTED FROM THE RAIN" - BILLY TALENTNEW (R) 9:03 AM "RE-EDUCATION (THROUGH LABOR)" - RISE AGAINSTRECENT 8:52 AM "LITHIUM" - NIRVANACLASSIC ALT 8:39 AM "NUMB/ENCORE" - JAY-Z/LINKIN PARKRECENT 8:20 AM "21 GUNS" - GREEN DAYNEW (R) 8:07 AM "KIDS" - MGMTNEW 7:53 AM "YELLOW" - COLDPLAYCLASSIC ALT 7:14 AM "NEW DIVIDE" - LINKIN PARKNEW (R) 6:56 AM "THAT'S THAT S***" - SNOOP DOGG FEAT. R. KELLYRECENT 6:46 AM "I WILL POSSESS YOUR HEART" - DEATH CAB FOR CUTIERECENT 6:19 AM "ULYSSES" - FRANZ FERDINANDNEW 6:07 AM "FALLEN LEAVES" - BILLY TALENTRECENT 6:02 AM "PANIC SWITCH" - SILVERSUN PICKUPSNEW (R) 5:58 AM "TIME TO PRETEND" - MGMTRECENT (R) 5:44 AM "TODAY" - SMASHING PUMPKINSCLASSIC ALT 5:39 AM "21 GUNS" - GREEN DAYNEW (R) 5:27 AM "LOVE IS A FIRST" - THE TRAGICALLY HIPNEW 5:23 AM "DISARM" - SMASHING PUMPKINSCLASSIC ALT 5:17 AM "AIN'T NO REST FOR THE WICKED" - CAGE THE ELEPHANTNEW 5:14 AM "THE MIDDLE" - JIMMY EAT WORLDCLASSIC ALT 5:07 AM "RUSTED FROM THE RAIN" - BILLY TALENTNEW (R) 5:05 AM "THIS RESPIRATOR" - FLATLINERSRECENT 5:01 AM "SOMEBODY TOLD ME" - KILLERSRECENT (R) 4:57 AM "SOMETIME AROUND MIDNIGHT" - AIRBORNE TOXIC EVENTNEW 4:51 AM "ALIVE" - PEARL JAMCLASSIC ALT 4:48 AM "USE SOMEBODY" - KINGS OF LEONNEW 4:39 AM "NEIGHBORHOOD #3 (POWER OUT)" - ARCADE FIRERECENT 4:36 AM "NO YOU GIRLS" - FRANZ FERDINANDNEW 4:33 AM "THE KIDS AREN'T ALRIGHT" - OFFSPRINGCLASSIC ALT 4:28 AM "HIGH AND DRY" - RADIOHEADCLASSIC ALT 4:24 AM "NEW DIVIDE" - LINKIN PARKNEW (R) 4:20 AM "ALL YOU DID WAS SAVE MY LIFE" - OUR LADY PEACENEW (R) 4:16 AM "VIVA LA VIDA" - COLDPLAYRECENT 4:11 AM "OH, THE BOSS IS COMING!" - ARKELLSNEW 4:08 AM "TIME OF YOUR LIFE (GOOD RIDDANCE)" - GREEN DAYCLASSIC ALT 4:04 AM "HURT" - NINE INCH NAILSCLASSIC ALT 4:01 AM "GIMME SYMPATHY" - METRICNEW (R) 3:58 AM "PORK AND BEANS" - WEEZERRECENT 3:55 AM "INTERSTATE LOVE SONG" - STONE TEMPLE PILOTSCLASSIC ALT 3:52 AM "THE GOOD LEFT UNDONE" - RISE AGAINSTNEW 3:44 AM "(I HATE) EVERYTHING ABOUT YOU" - THREE DAYS GRACECLASSIC ALT 3:40 AM "SEX ON FIRE" - KINGS OF LEONNEW 3:35 AM "EVEN FLOW" - PEARL JAMCLASSIC ALT 3:27 AM "TIMES LIKE THESE" - FOO FIGHTERSCLASSIC ALT 3:23 AM "PANIC SWITCH" - SILVERSUN PICKUPSNEW (R) 3:20 AM "ALL EMPIRES FALL" - WAKING EYESNEW 3:16 AM "1979" - SMASHING PUMPKINSCLASSIC ALT 3:11 AM "ALIVE AGAIN" - CHAMPIONNEW 3:07 AM "GUERRILLA RADIO" - RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINECLASSIC ALT 3:04 AM "BODY OF YEARS" - MOTHER MOTHERNEW 2:59 AM "21 GUNS" - GREEN DAYNEW (R) 2:55 AM "BARTENDER" - (HED)P.E.CLASSIC ALT 2:52 AM "GALVANIZE" - CHEMICAL BROTHERSRECENT 2:47 AM "DOWN WITH THE SICKNESS" - DISTURBEDCLASSIC ALT 2:38 AM "PLUSH" - STONE TEMPLE PILOTSCLASSIC ALT 2:34 AM "PUSH IT" - GARBAGECLASSIC ALT 2:31 AM "BREED" - NIRVANACLASSIC ALT 2:24 AM "RUSTED FROM THE RAIN" - BILLY TALENTNEW (R) 2:21 AM "TWISTED TRANSISTOR" - KORNRECENT 2:18 AM "IN TOO DEEP" - SUM 41CLASSIC ALT 2:13 AM "ENTER SANDMAN" - METALLICACLASSIC ALT 2:08 AM "RUBY SOHO" - RANCIDCLASSIC ALT 2:04 AM "I GOT A GIRL" - TRIPPING DAISYCLASSIC ALT 2:00 AM "NEW DIVIDE" - LINKIN PARKNEW 1:56 AM "SOMEBODY TOLD ME" - KILLERSRECENT 1:50 AM "A LOOKING IN VIEW" - ALICE IN CHAINSNEW 1:43 AM "MY MUSIC @ WORK" - THE TRAGICALLY HIPCLASSIC ALT 1:39 AM "TIME TO PRETEND" - MGMTRECENT 1:35 AM "JUMP AROUND" - HOUSE OF PAINCLASSIC ALT 1:30 AM "THE SCIENTIST" - COLDPLAYCLASSIC ALT 1:27 AM "GIMME SYMPATHY" - METRICNEW 1:24 AM "YOUR ENGLISH IS GOOD" - TOKYO POLICE CLUBNEW 1:21 AM "FIRST DATE" - BLINK-182CLASSIC ALT 1:13 AM "ALL YOU DID WAS SAVE MY LIFE" - OUR LADY PEACENEW 1:09 AM "SAY IT AIN'T SO" - WEEZERCLASSIC ALT 1:05 AM "NO ONE KNOWS" - QUEENS OF THE STONE AGECLASSIC ALT 1:00 AM "PANIC SWITCH" - SILVERSUN PICKUPSNEW 12:53 AM "CHAMPAGNE SUPERNOVA" - OASISCLASSIC ALT 12:49 AM "LET IT DIE" - FOO FIGHTERSRECENT 12:41 AM "ARIEL VS. LOTUS" - LIMBLIFTERCLASSIC ALT 12:38 AM "FEEL GOOD DRAG" - ANBERLINNEW 12:34 AM "PAPER PLANES" - M.I.A.RECENT 12:29 AM "JEREMY" - PEARL JAMCLASSIC ALT 12:24 AM "21 GUNS" - GREEN DAYNEW 12:20 AM "BALLAD OF HUGO CHAVEZ" - ARKELLSNEW 12:16 AM "LOSE YOURSELF" - EMINEMCLASSIC ALT 12:10 AM "LOVE ROLLERCOASTER" - RED HOT CHILI PEPPERSCLASSIC ALT 12:07 AM "SCAR TISSUE" - RED HOT CHILI PEPPERSCLASSIC ALT 12:03 AM "RUSTED FROM THE RAIN" - BILLY TALENTNEW
Here's what we learn from this random spot check of Edge 102's playlist.
- # of songs played: 112
- # of different songs played: 88 / 78.5%
- # of "new" songs: 50 / 44.6%
- # of unique "new" songs: 30 / 26.7%
- # of "recent" songs: 22 / 19.6%
- # of unique "recent" songs: 19 / 16.9%
- # of "classic alternative" songs: 43 / 38.4%
102.1 the Edge is playing about the same percentage of unique songs, with slightly more "new" songs and "recent" songs than classic alternative songs. In January, I found that over 51% of songs played were older than five years, and when we looked at the number of unique classic alternative songs played, it was a whopping 65.38%. Today, that total was only 48.3%.
Again, if we remove the repeats, almost half of the music played today was older than five years and of the "classic alternative" genre. There's lots of Pearl Jam, Nirvana, Rage Against the Machine, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Alice in Chains and the songs you know and love, mainly from the 1990s. Back in January, almost two-thirds of the de-duped music played was "classic alternative".
Update: My main objective was to see if CFNY was increasing the number of Classic Alternative songs they play. They're not.
24 of the songs listed above had already been played previously in the day. Remember, my sample ends before noon. This explains the reputation this station now has in my circle for repetition. Green Day's "21 Guns" was played five times. In my opinion, there's no need for 24 reruns over a 12-hour period.
