Moz/Smiths songs most played on the radio

[drunken goldfish]

Which ones are played the most where you live?
I know How Soon Is Now? is supposed to be the most famous Smiths song, but it's hardly ever played here. The most popular one is Panic (usually followed by a "witty" comment by the DJ), and after that This Charming Man (duh), Bigmouth Strikes Again and, strangely enough, A Rush and A Push And The Land Is Ours. They hardly ever play the solo ones, except maybe Suedehead. I remember they played Alma Matters a lot when it came out but that's pretty much it.

 

[bikubesong]

The only song i've heard being played at the radio here (norway) is There Is A Light That Never Goes Out... My mum said she'd heard Panic too once

 

[gaz217]

Which ones are played the most where you live?
I know How Soon Is Now? is supposed to be the most famous Smiths song, but it's hardly ever played here. The most popular one is Panic (usually followed by a "witty" comment by the DJ), and after that This Charming Man (duh), Bigmouth Strikes Again and, strangely enough, A Rush and A Push And The Land Is Ours. They hardly ever play the solo ones, except maybe Suedehead. I remember they played Alma Matters a lot when it came out but that's pretty much it.

well up to now i have never heard a morrissey or smiths song on the radio. i listen to my regional stations and they just seem to play the same songs everyday so i just put my smths/moz cds in the car cd player. can anyone recommend a good station for moz or smiths songs being played?

 

[puuk]

In Holland I almost hear every week Panic or Bigmouth, and sometimes This Charming man on the radio at work, it's always party then!!! I'm sitting alone and the other people who work here always shout to me that Mozzie is on the radio! but they don't like it themselves never heard a Mozsong...

 

[sarahT]

Stuart Maconie has very kindly played The More you Ignore me and First of the Gang, on the two occasions I've emailed him to ask for some Mozzer.

 

[The Youngest]

I was listening to the radio last Friday and "What Difference Does It Make" came on.

 

[Kewpie]

I'm from the area where 75% of US Army is based in Japan. I used to listen their radio FEN at home. In 80s DJs played mostly mainstream stuff (few REM), but in 1990 at my friend's party I put the radio on at 6am and the DJ played "The Queen Is Dead"!! I simply couldn't believe my ears. Actually my friend told me she heard "Panic" several times in 1987, but I missed it.

In Japan there were weekly programmes of US and UK charts, but daytime radios do not play The Smiths/Morrissey. There's a guy like Stuart Maconie whose programme premired all the Smiths albums in Japan prior to release and broke the news of the split.

 

[burcu]

in turkey a station that i always listen chosen let me kiss you the best song of 2004,that was very nice and they played it per every 5 song one day

 

[wolve]

Smiths-songs: I used to hear 'girlfriend in a coma' & 'half a person' on the radio here!
Morrissey-songs: Irish blood & First of the gang. That's all..

 

[Still Tired]

I was just going to bed last night and briefly flicked to the radio, don't know why because I gave up on it long ago, and on Radio 2, the DJ was just saying, and there was The Smiths with 'Shakespeare's Sister'! I was quite astounded, and vaguely annoyed I'd actually missed the thing. An unusual choice too so I was quite surprising

 

[Maurice E]

Well I'm not quite old enough to know how much the Smiths were played in the 1980's but I get the impression they hardly received any day-time play (hence Panic etc) and only really got played by people like John Peel.

Strangely enough, Morrissey's most successful UK radio airplay era was in the mid-late 90's with the critical and commercial flops which were Southpaw and Maladjusted. Incredibly, Radio 1 A-listed the bloody awful Dagenham Dave. A couple of years later they stuck the sublime Alma Matters on their A list too which put it pretty high on the airplay chart although very few other stations were playing it. I remember my housemate singing along to Alma and she wasn't remotely interested in music, let alone Morrissey!

Things have changed in this decade. Radio 1 will no longer put Morrissey songs on any of their daytime playlists, not even excellent stuff like First of the Gang but Radio 2 will. Virgin and XfM will also play Moz but only if they really like the single.
The only top 20 radio hit that Morrissey's had recently was First of the Gang. Virgin, XfM and Radio 2 played it to death which meant you got to hear it in places like shopping malls and greasy spoon cafes!
I think Moz is slightly up against it when it comes to radio play. Other acts get all their stuff A listed regarded of quality (e.g. U2, Oasis, Coldplay) whereas Moz only gets airplay if he releases a brilliant single and, let's face it, First of the Gang, is the only truly wonderful single he's released since the 1990's...

Essay ends!

 

[Danielledelu]

Well, I know they are not played on the radio, hardly at all, and I am so thankful, the last thing I want, is for to Mozza to go mainstream, I would rip my hair out, if I saw a bunch of teenyboppers walking around with Smiths/Moz shirts on singing how soon is now? whenever they see me. I would go crazy..

 

[Young And Alive]

I was pleasantly surprised to hear "What Difference Does It Make?" on the radio in a shop a number of months ago now, and last Saturday morning I heard "Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now" on my local radio station. Which was nice.

 

[Kewpie]

Well, I know they are not played on the radio, hardly at all, and I am so thankful, the last thing I want, is for to Mozza to go mainstream, I would rip my hair out, if I saw a bunch of teenyboppers walking around with Smiths/Moz shirts on singing how soon is now? whenever they see me. I would go crazy..

IMHO if Morrissey'd read your comment he wouldn't be very pleased.
Remember he considers himself as "for the whole world" not just as an alternative/indie act. I understand your feeling that his songs don't have to be belong to teenyboppers, but anyone in the show biz cannot choose their audience, they have to be open to everyone. He let use whoever wants to use his songs to soundtrack of mainstrem Hollywood films and cover versions etc. I don't like the idea of those things, however, it's one of the marketing tools in order to reach new audience. In fact some of you watched those films and discovered about The Smiths and Morrissey.

 

[Danielledelu]

Kewpie I see your point, but I am simply referring to some kids, I know personally, I guess I should have specified it more, I really didn't mean, he should not reach anyone who want to be a fan of his, by teenyboppers I meant " trend followers" I knew I should have said that in the first place, but yeah if someone found out thru Moz, by him going mainstream, and they were really into him, and thought Moz really spoke to them, then I would totally be supporitve, I am in general talking about people who would listen to him, because everyone else was, that's why I said if he went " Mainstream" But no I didn't mean teenyboppers in general, for I am one myself, yes thanks for helping me realize " Danielle, do not use 50's terms when you don't know the true meaning"

 

[Pervomartovtsi]

suedehead and ask...sometimes first of the gang...