Yes, the music on Triple M Sydney this year has been less "bogan " than it used to be… this is the closest to the WSFM playlist it’s been since they tried a “Jack FM” format in 2005.
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Possibly the influence of the regional MMM’s? They run with a broader ‘Jack’ style format…not that I listen to any version of MMM much.
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I actually didn’t mind the Jack format back then. They were still rock oriented with a bit of other generics into the mix.
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I agree i liked it too.
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Indeed. That song is quintessential FM104 for me. It was on high rotation in 1986 and shows what a broad rock station can be.
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Radio Caroline play Suzanne Vega as well ( I think). I agree it fits into the broader church of ‘rock in stereo’. I’d announce it as ‘a bit of smooth rock in stereo now from Suzanne Vega’.
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The “in stereo” doesn’t have the same cache as it did back in the 80s when the main competition was AM radio. Whilst there was AM Stereo, not many had compatible receivers, and only the major AM stations are in AM Stereo.
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Indeed. I mainly say it as an in-joke, and to emphasise that I am a fully ‘uncool’ DJ playing uncool music 
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It’s cool to be uncool!
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True. AM stereo was pretty common though even on regional stations. I remember 4AK, 4GY and 4BU were all AM stereo. Although receivers were pretty scarce. They were starting to appear in cars though (e.g. late 80s Nissan Pulsars for example). It would have been good if they’d stuck with it in hindsight, given the glacial pace of DAB uptake and rollout in the regions. Stations like 4AK might have stood a chance today as a music station if all cars had AM stereo now. It would even help metro stations like 4BH and Cruise.
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Some good tunes on Triple M tonight across the Dave Gleeson and Homegrown shows.
We Can’t Be Beaten – Rose Tattoo
Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick – Ian Dury and The Blockheads
I Miss You – Blink 182
A Day In The Life – Beatles
Without You - Silverchair
Talking To A Stranger – Hunter & Collectors
Still, 6 songs in nearly 4 hours isn’t a great strike rate. The other songs were the usual stuff, but some lesser played songs from overflogged artists got played too eg. ‘Lay Your Hands On Me’ from Bon Jovi that didn’t make ‘the cut’ for me.
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Stumbled across a ‘Top 83 of 1983’ countdown on Gold 104.3 today. And they’ve played some good stuff too.
Wham Rap - Wham!
Too Shy - Kajagoogoo
I Hear Motion - Models
Is There Something I Should Know? - Duran Duran
Blue Monday (12 inch mix) - New Order (I believe the 1983 version is far superior than the 1988 version, but unfortunately it doesn’t get played as often)
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The TGIF 80s Friday Nights on GN/XL/GG has served up some more rarely heard gems tonight.
Everybody Needs Somebody To Love – Blues Brothers
What About Love – Til Tuesday
The Loved One – INXS
Like Flames – Berlin
Press – Paul McCartney
Hazy Shade Of Winter – Bangles
Money – Flying Lizards
Dance Little Sister – Terence Trent D’Arby
Walking On The Chinese Wall – Phil Bailey
Trust Me – I’m Talking
Passion – Rod Stewart
I Don’t Wanna Go On With You Like That – Elton John
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You know the years are rolling by when you post a JET song!
Rollover DJ - JET
(heard earlier tonight on Triple M’s ‘Nights with Dave Gleeson’).
Great to hear a JET song that isn’t ‘Are You Gonna Be My Girl’.
Hard to believe it’s been 20 years since their album ‘Get Born’ was released.
Would have preferred to hear ‘Black Hearts’ though.
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Been hearing “Easy Lover” by Phil Collins/Philip Bailey on Australian/New Zealand radio (via lava.net.au) recently. The song is nearly four decades old!
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In NZ, as well as in the US & the UK, it was a big hit, in which it hit #2 in NZ & the US, and #1 in the UK.
In Australia however, even though it does get airplay on commercial radio even to this day, it only managed #74!!! 
Source:
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I don’t think it was ever officially released as a single in Australia.
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These days there are many modern songs that get regular airplay on commercial radio in Australia yet either did not chart or did so modestly.
Becky Hill is a very good example of this. Her song “Remember” (with David Guetta) was the second-most played song on Australian radio last year (and was even the first song played by Nova to start 2023), yet only peaked at #34 on the ARIA Charts last August, while “My Heart Goes (La Di Da)” (with Topic) was frequently played during the 2021/22 summer yet only peaked at #100.
Last summer her song “Run” (with Galantis) got frequent airplay on Nova yet did not chart. Same goes for the Tom Grennan song “All These Nights” which I also really like.
There was a licencing issue with who released the song as a single in Australia (Phil Bailey’s label or Phil Collins label) and in the end it was thrown in the too hard basket and had a limited pressing and was then withdrawn from sale as a single so thats the reason it was never a hit here.
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There are (at least) two other Phil Collins songs that I like listening to: “In the Air Tonight” and “Another Day in Paradise” (which would later be covered by Brandy and her brother, Ray J, in 2001).
Simply Red’s music also gets me up and about, specifically “Stars”, “Something Got Me Started”, “Fairground” and “Sunrise” (which was their last song to chart in Australia, doing so in June 2003).
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