Fiona Apple "Every Single Night"

One of those things that doesn't add up for people who are not in radio, is the sometimes strange math/ratio of radio airplay to critical acclaim.

Sometimes a band of moderate acclaim gets much airplay.

And very often, an artist of major acclaim is all but absent from radio.

I know when this happens, lots of people will accuse radio of being asleep at the wheel, or of lacking in taste, or simply just not getting it.

Such is the case with Fiona Apple.

She is critically acclaimed.  And she is feverishly beloved by her devoted fans.

But her albums have been largely ignored by radio.

This must seem all-the-more strange, considering that the singles of her first record (like "Shadowboxer" and "Criminal") were incredibly kick ass.

So on the surface, it seems like radio has just shunned Fiona.

But here's the thing, and I know I've said this before* . . . making a great song or a great album, does not necessarily translate into making a great radio song.

Give a listen to "Every Single Night."

Taken on its own merits, it's a cool, different sounding track.  And I bet it really will work in the context of a full Apple record.

But imagine driving down the road and switching on the station during the middle of this song.  Does it hold up?  If the station were on in your office while you're doing work, would you half-hear this song and think "What the hell are they playing?"

It's disappointing and frustrating, as a programmer.  Because we want to support artists who are doing interesting, challenging work.  But there's got to be some kind of meet-in-the-middle point, where the song is artistic, but also accessible, if it's going to work for radio.

I don't think this one comes anywhere close to that median . . .


Hear the song on Youtube.

* Yes, there are some ideas that I feel like I've talked about a number of times . . . so now would be a good time to point out that I am closing in on my goal of 1,000 posts.  If I continue to post every day, I'll hit that number around the end of the summer.  After I get to 1,000 . . . well, I haven't decided what I'll do.

In the meantime, there are many posts that I've been meaning to write that I haven't gotten to yet.  And the reason I haven't put them "on paper" yet, is because they are some of the most meaningful and important stories of my musical life.  But with the pressure of just 120 posts to go, I guess it's time to get to work.