Musical Music

                Think of your favorite radio station. What kind of songs do they play- are they pop songs, today’s hits, country songs, songs from other decades, a combination of random songs? How many radio stations out there include songs that are from your favorite musicals? Locally we don’t have one, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t out there.

                I searched the Internet for radio stations that included Broadway songs, and interestingly enough, there are some. http://accubroadway.com/ is a website that leads you directly to the station that plays all Broadway music. As a Thespian myself, I personally love theatre and theatre music. It’s refreshing to listen to music that isn’t crap like a lot of today’s hits are. These songs are written to entertain, and they are meant to be sung and danced to. They are written to express feelings and get a specific emotion across to the audience. That’s what I love about Broadway music: it is different, refreshing, and fun to listen to.

                So why do radio stations today not incorporate songs from musicals into their playlists? I think it’s because a lot of people aren’t familiar with theatre songs. But is it really so much to ask to play Hakuna Matata every once in a while? Come on, don’t lie. Tell me I’m not the only one who has dreamed of the day when you’re driving down the road and “Bend and Snap” from Legally Blonde the Musical comes on the radio. If I am, I’m sorry to hear that; y’all are missing out if you’ve never had that dream.

                Haven’t any of you ever wanted a break from Rhianna and Taylor Swift? Why not take a break from the normal, usual songs you hear every single day and try listening to something from Wicked? I know I would love to listen to The Little Mermaid instead of a plethora of rap songs- scratch that, “(c)rap” songs.

                And it doesn’t just have to be Broadway music- it could be any catchy, theatre songs. Glee would be a good example of this; how many times have you heard Glee on your radio? Probably not very many times, if even at all. Every now and then it’d be good to hear a cover of a chart topper rather than just listen to the chart topper over and over again.

                Why are radio stations so selective with the songs they play? I know they are trying to appeal to a certain audience, but why not give people a taste for other songs as well, rather than the same old stuff over and over again? I think it’d be a good change for the radio world. I mean, who wouldn’t want to sing along with their favorite Grease songs?

 

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