Biggest radio surprises

[Ten Pound Hammer]

What song has surprised you most when you heard it on the radio recently? Could be a low-charting single from a station that doesn't usually dip that low, an album cut, whatever.

* WATZ has gone through a spell recently where they're playing "Good to Go" by John Corbett regularly. Given that their new afternoon DJ usually goes out of his way to mention Corbett's role on Northern Exposure, I have a feeling someone may be a fanboy.

* WCEN Saginaw rarely plays recurrents below the Top 5 and/or more than 5 years old, but I heard them play "Smoke a Little Smoke" a couple weeks ago on a road trip.

* While not a radio station, MusicChoice's Country Hits format played "Albuquerque" by Sons of the Desert a few minutes ago. I'm pretty sure it was the Epic version and not the later MCA version found on Change.

[Deleted]

I still hear "Wanted You More" by Lady Antebellum on WKCQ why I don't have any idea.

[Ten Pound Hammer]

^ WKCQ loves Lady A. They're still playing Long Stretch of Love a lot, too. I think I once heard them play both of those and Freestyle in a 2-hour stretch.

Back in 2005, they were spinning "Doin' It Right" by Steve Azar quite heavily. It was the only song below #20 that I remember them playing at the time, because Azar was at their free music fest. No explanation as to why they were so infatuated with "House Like That" by Donovan Chapman (other than it being a great song).

[sabre14]

The Highway last year played "I Think You're Beautiful" by Amy Dalley and I didn't catch them before the song played...then when it was over, they went on to the next song. I desperately want to know why they played a song that peaked at #40 on R&R from 2003, lol.

[Cody Wants Out...]

I doubt this will count, but one of my 'hidden' country stations I get here plays Chris Lane's "Broken Windshield View" a good bit despite not being a top 40 hit.

[tim]

Today on KOKE FM here in Austin:

"Honky Tonk Crowd" by Rick Trevino followed by "If You Ever Have Forver In Mind" by Vince Gill.

They always play great music, but sometimes they just really throw in some music I'd never expect to hear.

[Markus Meyer]

Heard Eli Young Band's "Say Goodnight" several months ago... Weird considering the station I listen NEVER plays anything that peaked below #20, and only the rare exceptions get played if it was below #10.

[James]

Country radio in St. Louis is (I'm pretty sure) the worst so about the only surprise would be going more than 30 minutes without hearing Jason Aldean.

It was quite a bit better 20+ years ago when I was a kid. The New Music Shoot out and similar programs at least gave an opportunity to hear what was being released, even if they did choose not to add it to their playlists you could always tune in at the same time every night to hear a new release. I remember when Nikki Nelson released Too Little Too Much - it did very well night after night but never became the hit I thought it'd be. I also thought for sure that voice was Faith Hill when I had first heard the song.

When Caryl Mack Parker debuted, country radio played her singles Better Love Next Time and One Night Stand quite a bit I thought. I think it was in support of a free show she was doing or something...she had a good album that didn't fare very well with radio despite some airplay here in St. Louis.

[sabre14]

I did a double take the first time I heard Y2Kountry play "Tonight" by Sara Evans for no reason whatsoever.

[.indulgecountry]

Mentioned this in the thread for the song, but I've heard Tara Thompson's "Someone to Take Your Place" several times on the radio here already, which surprised me.

Apr 21, 2016 13:16:05 GMT -5 James said:

Country radio in St. Louis is (I'm pretty sure) the worst so about the only surprise would be going more than 30 minutes without hearing Jason Aldean.

After having lived in St. Louis for a year, I can confirm this to be true. Country radio in Kansas City and Wichita >>.

[Ten Pound Hammer]

It can't be as bad as the station in Chicago that still had A-listers' previous singles in power rotation when their current singles were in the top 5. I've mentioned before that they still had "Then" in power rotation the week "Welcome to the Future" was at #2, and they had played WttF maybe ONCE that week.

[Deleted]

Y2Kountry plays "Asphalt Cowboy" by Jason Aldean from time to time.

My local station recently played the latest Aaron Watson and Alabama tunes as "hot or not" choices. Haven't heard them since, but they are known to throw in some less mainstream acts, even though the vast majority of what they play is mainstream.

Another local station played "Middle of America" regularly (we're nowhere near Texas).

[carriekins]

I'm visiting family in Phoenix this week and I've been kind of pleasantly surprised by KMLE's playlist. I've heard Brandy Clark, William Michael Morgan, Trace Adkins' Jesus and Jones, Jon Pardi, Kip Moore's Running For You and several other songs at the lower ends of the charts regularly this week, all during the day, some during the midday drive. While they definitely play the top 8 songs a LOT, they seem to cover the top 50 pretty well.

[.indulgecountry]

Heard a song called "Boots" from some girl named Kylie Frey who I'd never heard of on the radio the other day. It was great. From what I gather, it looks like she's one of those secondary radio types like SaraBeth or Erica Nicole, but I hadn't even heard her name before. It was a moment where I loved having the Shazam app to be able to identify what song it was.

[Ten Pound Hammer]

^ That happens to me several times daily on WATZ: where it's some indie artist I've never heard of before and have to Shazam just to find out who it is. Most of the female ones tend to be quite forgettable, sadly.

[sabre14]

In my car. Listening to Y2Kountry. "He Oughta Know That By Now" by Lee Ann Womack is playing.

Very pleasant surprise.

[.indulgecountry]

I'm in Branson for the Sara Evans concert and while driving around down here and the surrounding areas, I've heard a bunch of random album tracks played on the local radio station(s). A few that I heard earlier:

"Tulsa Texas" - Easton Corbin
"Last Living Cowboy" - Toby Keith
"Goin' Goin' Gone" - George Strait
"Angels & Alcohol" - Alan Jackson

Also heard "Heaven's Just a Sin Away" by The Kendalls from 1977. And one station teased me by saying they'd be playing Cassadee Pope (so I was expecting "Summer") after the commercial break... and then they played "I Am Invincible."

[.indulgecountry]

"Better Bad Idea" by Sunny Sweeney this weekend. I was beyond thrilled.

This morning I also heard "Bumper of My SUV" by Chely Wright. Reminded me that her vocal performance on that song is just so hauntingly perfect.

[Ten Pound Hammer]

May 22, 2017 22:10:09 GMT -5 .indulgecountry said:

This morning I also heard "Bumper of My SUV" by Chely Wright. Reminded me that her vocal performance on that song is just so hauntingly perfect.

Shame about the lyrics, though...

(In all seriousness, did the radio edit take out the "'Cause I've been to Hiroshima / And I've been to the DMZ" verse, or was that just Bob Kingsley being too happy with cutting down songs again? Seems like every time I heard that song on the radio, that verse was missing, but I only remember hearing it once or twice outside the context of ACC.)

[.indulgecountry]

May 22, 2017 22:15:53 GMT -5 Ten Pound Hammer said:

May 22, 2017 22:10:09 GMT -5 .indulgecountry said:

This morning I also heard "Bumper of My SUV" by Chely Wright. Reminded me that her vocal performance on that song is just so hauntingly perfect.

Shame about the lyrics, though...

(In all seriousness, did the radio edit take out the "'Cause I've been to Hiroshima / And I've been to the DMZ" verse, or was that just Bob Kingsley being too happy with cutting down songs again? Seems like every time I heard that song on the radio, that verse was missing, but I only remember hearing it once or twice outside the context of ACC.)

Nope, 'cause that lyric was in it when I heard it on the way to work this morning.

[mamasaid]

How about the non-surprise...San Francisco still can't support Country Radio. We get all the big concerts (support is from a San Jose station whose broadcast area stops about 5 miles short of my house).

[trebor]

Country 102.5 is just playing Big & Rich: "Ride A Cowboy (Save A Horse)"   :) :)

[Ten Pound Hammer]

Yesterday my cousin had Y2Kountry on in the car when she picked me up from work, and they played "4th of July" by Shooter Jennings.

[Ten Pound Hammer]

Thought of another one: several years ago I was listening to WWTH when they were still on a Dial Global feed that only played "today's country". And for some reason, they played "Rhythm of the Rain" by Dan Fogelberg. I have NO IDEA where they pulled that song from on a country playlist.

[.indulgecountry]

"I Can Love You Better" by Dixie Chicks the other day. I never hear that one!

I was also surprised (and delighted) to hear Aubrie Sellers' "Light of Day" on the radio last weekend.

[Ten Pound Hammer]

Wkcq out of Saginaw is playing Pieces by Gary Allan right now. It's rare for them to play anything more than three years old, much less a song that only got to #18.

[CoJoFan]

My local station KTTS in Springfield, MO played "Fishin' In The Dark" by The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band last week. They never play anything older than the 2000's decade usually Abdul that songs from the 80's.

[.indulgecountry]

"How Do I Get There" by Deana Carter was playing on the radio when I left work on Friday and I immediately cranked that up! I only ever hear "Strawberry Wine" and occasionally "We Danced Anyway," so that was a real surprise.

[.indulgecountry]

May 22, 2017 22:10:09 GMT -5 .indulgecountry said:

"Better Bad Idea" by Sunny Sweeney this weekend. I was beyond thrilled.

Heard it again tonight. Whoop whoop! I wish I could hear her on the radio all the time. </3

[Ten Pound Hammer]

I heard "Some Days You Gotta Dance" in a Goodwill last week.