HiyaLuv!

The ongoing presence of Mumford & Sons on the Radio 1 playlist about 16 years since their commercial peak truly baffles me. It's not like they're setting the charts on fire! Yes, I know Robyn isn't either but at least her stuff doesn't sound old and MOR AF.

Feels like there's been loads of them over recent years. I've thought to myself "hang on, this is RADIO 2 MUSIC!" on many occasions over the past few years, most recently with Zach Bryan. I Had Some Help is one of the most Radio 2 songs they have got behind this century, and I must admit I ended up quite liking it in the end. I didn't like it at first because I thought it sounded "too middle-aged", even though I AM middle-aged. But the boundaries just get blurrier and blurrier in terms of what different generations are into. I thought the daytime R1 playlist would consist of little more than 200bpm post-drum'n'bass/drill with chainsaw solos by 2026 but it turns out young people find a lot of value in extremely retro sounds and songs that sound like they came out even before I was born. I have two children and most of their favourite songs came out before THEY were born despite my best efforts to get them into contemporary stuff. Which leads me to the question: do Buzzjackers think pop music has gone as far as it can for now and that most big tunes are just going to sound like modern versions of things that came before with slightly updated production for the foreseeable future? I am 43 and there is very little on the Radio 1 playlist that would have sounded massively out of place or futuristic when I was 23 in 2006. Or 13 in 1996 for that matter!

Something tells me this isn't the 1988 Phil Collins drivetime classic.

Me neither. It's on week #14 on my personal chart, making it one of my longest runners ever!

THIS WEEK'S TOP 40 01 (07) Arctic Monkeys: Opening Night (7-1) 02 (10) A$AP Rocky: Punk Rocky (24-10-2) 03 (29) Harry Styles: Aperture (29-3) 04 (02) Jazzy & Spriitzz: Can’t Deny It (23-3-1-1-2-4) 05 (05) Robyn: Talk To Me (26-23-5-5) 06 (19) South Arcade: Blood Run Warm (34-19-6) 07 (12) Robbie Williams: All My Life (30-12-7) 08 (27) The Cure: Boys Don't Cry (27-8) 09 (01) Bruno Mars: I Just Might (23-12-2-1-9) 10 (30) Jessie Ware: I Could Get Used To This (30-10) 11 (24) Zara Larsson: Midnight Sun (40-31-23-18-36-xx-40-21-24-11) 12 (04) Sabrina Carpenter: Such A Funny Way (40-20-9-4-12) 13 (21) Marmozets: You Want The Truth (38-28-21-13) 14 (36) Fleetwood Mac: Landslide (36-14) 15 (NE) Fcukers: L.U.C.K.Y. (15) 16 (20) James Marriott: California Rain (27-31-20-16) 17 (08) Fimiguerrero: Yesterday (19-11-8-17) 18 (26) Odeal: Pretty Girls (30-26-26-18) 19 (11) Ladytron: Caught In The Blink Of An Eye (29-19-11-19) 20 (16) Bushbaby: Pumpin Jumpin (36-4-2-3-3-16-20) 21 (13) Sonny Fodera, D.O.D & Poppy Baskcomb: Think About Us (23-14-16-3-9-12-7-5-10-7-14-22-13-21) 22 (23) Sub Focus: Elevate (37-19-2-1-4-6-4-23-22) 23 (06) KATSEYE: Internet Girl (26-17-12-6-23) 24 (14) finessekid: Semolina & Pounded Yam (35-25-14-24) 25 (15) Gorillaz ft. Omar Souleyman and Yasiin Bey: Damascus (34-39-32-15-25) 26 (28) Taylor Swift: Opalite (9-6-4-7-28-26) 27 (38) Drumsound & Bassline Smith: Shine A Light (38-27) 28 (NE) Vibe Chemistry: Drink, Until I'm Blind (28) 29 (25) The Last Dinner Party: Count The Ways (35-3-1-2-6-25-29) 30 (35) Sleaford Mods ft. Sue Tompkins: No Touch (35-30) 31 (03) Sam Fender: The Treadmill (36-29-15-11-5-5-3-31) 32 (NE) EsDeeKid: 4 Raws (32) 33 (NE) Roberto Surace: Static Panic (33) 34 (17) Tyla: CHANEL (34-6-8-9-8-17-34) 35 (18) Tems: Big Daddy (20-15-10-10-18-35) 36 (NE) Cam Stockman ft. Joyce Sims: Into My Life (36) 37 (NE) Arlo Parks: 2SIDED (37) 38 (33) Diana Ross: Upside Down (33-38) 39 (NE) Louis Tomlinson: Imposter (39) 40 (09) Doechii ft. SZA: girl, get up (19-15-15-9-40) OUT 22 (13) J Hus featuring Skepta: Outside (8-5-8-13-22) 31 (14) Wolf Alice: White Horses (30-32-xx-38-15-11-14-31) 32 (16) Tifanny: I Think We’re Alone Now (18-13-16-32) 34 (NE) The Police: Every Breath You Take (34) 37 (33) Disclosure & Leon Thomas: Deeper (33-37) 39 (20) Ayra Starr & Rema: Who’s Dat Girl? (26-18-13-7-20-39) 40 (18) Tyler, The Creator: Mother (21-18-18-40)

Can we get an updated list of these? I'm guessing a lot of things have changed since the thread was originally posted. I have decided to do something a lot of people have attempted and started my 73.5-year #1s marathon at 1am with Al Martino. Am just coming up to 1958 now. Flying through these (Spotify Mix being brutal has helped) but my progress may slow down massively when we get to the 1990s in particular. Then speed up again when streaming fecks up the chart. I want to do this properly so need to know when to go to YouTube when I have to, I refuse to skip a thing! Many thanks. Right now I can only think of The Stonk, The Chicken Song and the real version of Toca's Miracle that are still missing from streaming but guessing there are many more even in 2026. I barely touch the 1950s in my general day-to-day listening so this has been a nice change. Diana by Paul Anka who is brilliantly still alive is my first 10/10 so far, always loved it! Can definitely hear a lot of Lana Del Rey in some of the slower orchestral numbers. Wish me luck.

With Itsy Bitsy Teeny Weeny Yellow Polka Dot Bikini or Seven Little Girls Sitting On The Back Seat? Sorry quoted twice and don't know how to resolve it.

Wish Radio 2 had power intros!

Tune! Money don't say you love me, cash won't make me stay! Allow me to have my weekly moan about them not daylisting Gorillaz, pure ageism that is. Ageist to ageless cartoon characters and/or Damon, mad stuff. I feel for HUNTR/X in 2051. Their songs go off after 6pm when Jack lets them on. Damascus slaps and would sound great in the daytime, they need to be on the UK's most listened-to station at peak times like they used to be. Robyn's first hit was in 1997! At least Radio 2 are on board with the less rappy one. Anyway, excited about Calbian, Robyn and Josh Baker this week, need to hear Sombr a few more times to reach a conclusion. Anyway, this aged like milk...

I gave Au Pays Du (C'Caine) one last chance to make sure I wasn't missing anything. It was torturous, sounded like an anguished sheep with tonsilitis. There's a passable generic "indie" ballad in there but the vocals were horrid. And given that R1 rarely play songs that peaked on the B-list again, I almost certainly never have to hear it ever again! Happy days! Royel Otis can do one too. I'll never get them either. Did we really have to lose Vaccines, Two Door Cinema Club, Muse etc for this stuff?

Thanks - maybe you were right about Church too. Making a provisional Alternative Now That's What I Call Music 123 and it sounds so much better in context! Put it between Alessi Rose and Robyn. Apparently it didn't even go Top 100 in the official chart, felt bigger as Radio 1 rinsed it hard.

Didn't expect to be charting so much ancient stuff, but Stranger Things has happened...* THIS WEEK'S TOP 40 01 (02) Bruno Mars: I Just Might (23-12-2-1) 02 (01) Jazzy & Spriitzz: Can’t Deny It (23-3-1-1-2) 03 (05) Sam Fender: The Treadmill (36-29-15-11-5-5-3) 04 (09) Sabrina Carpenter: Such A Funny Way (40-20-9-4) 05 (23) Robyn: Talk To Me (26-23-5) 06 (12) KATSEYE: Internet Girl (26-17-12-6) 07 (NE) Arctic Monkeys: Opening Night (7) 08 (11) Fimiguerrero: Yesterday (19-11-8) 09 (15) Doechii ft. SZA: girl, get up (19-15-15-9) 10 (24) A$AP Rocky: Punk Rocky (24-10) 11 (19) Ladytron: Caught In The Blink Of An Eye (29-19-11) 12 (30) Robbie Williams: All My Life (30-12) 13 (22) Sonny Fodera, D.O.D & Poppy Baskcomb: Think About Us (23-14-16-3-9-12-7-5-10-7-14-22-13) 14 (25) finessekid: Semolina & Pounded Yam (35-25-14) 15 (32) Gorillaz ft. Omar Souleyman and Yasiin Bey: Damascus (34-39-32-15) 16 (03) Bushbaby: Pumpin Jumpin (36-4-2-3-3-16) 17 (08) Tyla: CHANEL (34-6-8-9-8-17) 18 (10) Tems: Big Daddy (20-15-10-10-18) 19 (34) South Arcade: Blood Run Warm (34-19) 20 (31) James Marriott: California Rain (27-31-20) 21 (28) Marmozets: You Want The Truth (38-28-21) 22 (13) J Hus featuring Skepta: Outside (8-5-8-13-22) 23 (04) Sub Focus: Elevate (37-19-2-1-4-6-4-23) 24 (21) Zara Larsson: Midnight Sun (40-31-23-18-36-xx-40-21-24) 25 (06) The Last Dinner Party: Count The Ways (35-3-1-2-6-25) 26 (26) Odeal: Pretty Girls (30-26-26) 27 (NE) The Cure: Boys Don't Cry (27) 28 (07) Taylor Swift: Opalite (9-6-4-7-28) 29 (NE) Harry Styles: Aperture (29) 30 (NE) Jessie Ware: I Could Get Used To This (30) 31 (14) Wolf Alice: White Horses (30-32-xx-38-15-11-14-31) 32 (16) Tifanny: I Think We’re Alone Now (18-13-16-32) 33 (NE) Diana Ross: Upside Down (33) 34 (NE) The Police: Every Breath You Take (34) 35 (NE) Sleaford Mods ft. Sue Tompkins: No Touch (35) 36 (NE) Fleetwood Mac: Landslide (36) 37 (33) Disclosure & Leon Thomas: Deeper (33-37) 38 (NE) Drumsound & Bassline Smith: Shine A Light (38) 39 (20) Ayra Starr & Rema: Who’s Dat Girl? (26-18-13-7-20-39) 40 (18) Tyler, The Creator: Mother (21-18-18-40) OUT 17 (16) Jim Legxacy: ‘06 Wayne Rooney (30-5-9-16-17) 27 (21) HAVEN. ft. Kaitlin Aragon: I Run (26-8-4-7-7-16-21-27) 29 (25) Geese: Au Pays du Cocaine (33-25-30) 35 (31) Olivia Dean: Baby Steps (32-31-35) 36 (22) kwn: Do What I Say (36-14-3-3-2-10-22-36) 37 (23) Bon Iver ft. Dijon & Flock of Dimes: Day One (33-27-30-23-37) 38 (32) Royel Otis: moody (34-31-32-38) 39 (NE) mgk: Times of My Life (39) 40 (28) Jade: cHuRcH (34-14-16-14-28-40) *Not that I've watched it

Is it feck the most listened to station, that hasn't been the case for decades! And what strange logic, that's not how it works! Also, those figures will include former listeners who never bothered 'unliking' it, hence why so many people in the comments slag it off and say they haven't tuned in for years.

I thought they were snubbing it because they were thinking more about what a typical Radio 2 listener would want on a current hits CD given that young people don't really see the point in these things. Then again, I'm 43, listen to lots of Radio 2 (and 1) and I think Raindance is mint. The compilers keep their personal tastes at the door, remember. Unless it's there's a chance to get solo David Sylvian on.