Valbowski Ha Ha

When you work 9 hours a day in a convenience store the size of your bedroom that has a limited radio signal, you are subjected to the worst torture one could imagine: top 40 radio stations. Only the biggest and most repulsive stations come in in the basement, so we get to choose from KQRS, 93.7, KS95, Cities 97 and KDWB. Not exactly prime selection. Cities 97 was the choice of the day. And let me tell you, if their playlist is any indication of what variety radio stations will play in ten years, we are in trouble. I've always wondered--what will our KS95 be in 10-15 years? What songs that were popular in their time will be retained for the station that plays the 90s, 2000s and today? Will they play Backstreet Boys and other boy bands? Britney Spears and the sex symbols? The Goo Goo Dolls and the catchy acoustic rock scene? Rock? Pop? Rap?

Cities 97 gives us a horrifying glimpse. Their playlist consists of mostly newer songs, from the last year or so. You know, your Howie Day, your Jet, a little Jack Johnson, new U2 and Bruce Springsteen. They also play carry-over songs from the 80's, mostly U2, John Mellancamp, The Boss, and others like Annie Lennox, R.E.M., Sting, and others. But those songs in between, the tunes of the late-90s and early 2000s, are leading me to believe variety radio is heading down a dangerous trail. Here is a list of songs that I would categorize in that era as being holdovers from the last five-ten years that Cities 97 regularly plays:

"Torn," Natalie Imbruglia
"Head Over Feet," Alanis Morissette
"You Were Meant For Me," Jewel
"When It's Over," Sugar Ray
"Save Tonight," Eagle Eye Cherry
"With Arms Wide Open," Creed
"Sail Away," David Gray
"Drift Away," Uncle Kracker
"Unwell," Matchbox 20
"The Game of Love,"Santana/Michelle Branch
"Fly Away," Lenny Kravitz

I'm not entirely optimistic about the radio playlists of the future.

P.S. Somebody post some sort of comment. Is anybody reading this?