THE CHATTER

Despite technology laying waste to so many of our traditions, requesting a song on the radio remains a strong cultural practice

Move over Spotify, radio requests aren’t just surviving, they’re thriving

It’s 2019. The days of relying on a radio DJ to spin your favourite tunes are long gone. There are now myriad options to listen to music on our own terms: Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon, Soundcloud, Tidal, Youtube. Whether through streaming or inexpensive digital downloads, consumers have never been more empowered to control their playlists.

And yet. Turn on just about any radio station, and you’ ll still hear scores of callers dialling in to request songs. At first this seems nonsensical. Why pick up the phone, wait on hold to talk to a live human, then wait for your song of choice to ( maybe) play when you can simply click a button to achieve the same result?

I’ll admit to considering this entire enterprise a potentially vast radio station call-in conspiracy. Were these paid callers? Friends of the DJS? Automated bots with freakishly realistic voices designed to make stations seem “engaging?” In reality, it’s none of the above. As it turns out, there are sound psychological and cultural reasons to explain why the age- old radio request still lives on.

The radio request’s biggest allure has always been about more than hearing a specific song. It’s about making everyone else hear your request and the message you attach to it. In an age that values insta-fame and “being relevant” more than ever, the prospect of having a megaphone — however brief, through whatever platform — remains appealing to many.

A study by marketing communications firm Wunderman Thompson New York ( JWT) found fame and fortune are replacing faith and family as the core of the American Dream. A radio request allows attention-seekers to broadcast a message to others (whether through actual speech or song choice) without the hassle of accumulating followers, finding the perfect filter or tracking likes.

More than mere narcissism, song requests can also foster a sense of community. Psychologists find music can produce an effect known as “emotional contagion.” This means that music can trigger psychological processes that reflect emotion, going so far as to trigger the muscles responsible for smiling and affecting breathing rate. A requester feels like they’re sharing more than a song with others; they’re sharing a feeling.

While there are seemingly more ways than ever to connect with others, according to the University of Pittsburgh’s Center for Research on Media, Technology and Health, “mental health problems and social isolation are at epidemic levels among young adults.” This is largely attributed to social media, which has the potential to bring us closer to millions of people, but often lacks meaningful connection. Requesting a song, and sharing it with others, can feel like reaching out on a less superficial plane — and yet, it also offers the requester a sense of security that might not exist in a one- on- one interaction. One isn’t sharing a beauty cream or artisanal latte, but an emotion.

BBC’S The Why Factor podcast explored the power of radio requests in a 2016 episode. Paula, a DJ who hosts the “Hello Uganda” show on the country’s Radio One station revealed the request she receives the most is Dolly Parton’s “Jolene.” She attributes the song’s popularity to the emotional response and nostalgia it invokes in Ugandans, saying it “reminds them of where they’ve come from. When you talk of Dolly Parton, it reminds them of going through the poverty times where they worked so hard to where they are now. There’s a simplicity and connection in her music that brings those bonding moments together.”

The power of radio has even been used to foster community in typically isolated places like prisons. The Prison Radio Association is a U. K.- based charity that operates National Prison Radio, a radio station made by and for inmates in over 100 prisons. The station received 10,000 letters, requests and messages from prisoners and their families last year. The organization aims to reduce reoffending by engaging convicts in “education, debate and community.” Similar prison radio projects are now in the works around the world, from Israel and Australia to Trinidad and Tobago.

Meanwhile, for radio stations, the drive to keep request culture strong is somewhat obvious. It’s one of the only ways stations and DJS can interact and engage with their listeners. It’s part of the reason why most stations now allow requests via their website or apps. Even new digital stations like Apple Beats Radio 1 encourage requests. Developing a two-way relationship with listeners is key to loyalty and longevity.

While the convenience and scale of the internet has laid waste to many beloved cultural practices, it appears the humble radio request is one tradition that isn’t going anywhere.