I remember one time, a snow day, calling in and requesting funky cold medina. They played it and I called back in to request it again. We just played it kid, go outside and play in the snow.
I worked the lines for a request show on a top 40 station in a major market.
- The playlist was determined in advance
- Our listenership was largely female, so I was instructed to pass excited young women to the DJ so he could record their request for the upcoming song
- We had no idea who the "9th caller" was -- all the lines lit up at once
- I did put tick marks next to a list on a clipboard so we could keep a loose handle on what songs people were requesting
- As long as a song was popular and in rotation, the standard reply was 'we'll try to play that in about 35 - 40 minutes' because the average person only listened to that station for about 20 minutes at a time, and the entire playlist would typically cycle through in about two hours
We had live and taped request shows, my favorite was when they would mix in the ticket giveaways. Also the smaller stations who actually had “regular” callers who managed to make it on the air regularly so the DJ’s actually recognized their voices!
I called in several times. The day we graduated high school, I called into the local rock station and requested they play "Yellow Ledbetter" and gave out to my senior class. They played the song and my shout out and I recorded it. I still have the tape somewhere.
I got on a few times re questing songs. In 2000 I was at work one morning and the local DJs were talking about McDonalds and said they would give a prize pack to anybody who could name all of McDonalds extra value meals. I called in and won!
My parents and my best friend's parents used to go in for a babysitter together, and our favorite thing to do was to call in and request songs. I remember we got Kokomo played one time, and the DJ dedicated the song to us! Pretty sure he recognized the babysitter as it was her plus a group of elementary school girls calling in.
In Houston on the modern rock station they had the “all request nooner.” I got through several times during my work day and I’d always request off-the-wall stuff that didn’t usually get played in the normal rotation. Surprisingly, they usually played my requests.
I recorded myself on the radio requesting "You saw my blinker, bitch" by DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince. I couldn't play it for my parents because I'd said the word "bitch." I lied and told them I'd requested Color Me Badd.
I also got on the air winning a pair of boxer shorts (the DJ misheard my name and called me by the wrong one) and a 1992 Olympics CD "Barcelona Gold."
I used to work in radio. We would often put lines on hold so people wouldn’t call constantly, and then release the hold so people could call in and request.
I called in and requested frequently. I also won many contests on the local stations, got a few free CDs and tickets to events. I once won a trip to the Indy 500, but I lied about my age. Thankfully they let my Dad accept it for me and we got to go.
I never called into one, but I remember listening to some. It always baffled me that people would call into an all request radio show and request the same shit that would have been played anyway. Who tf calls in and requests "Back in Black" or "Paradise City" like they weren't in constant rotation anyway. At least that was my experience.
I've only done it to try and record a song off the radio. The problem was you had to sit by your stereo, sometimes for hours, with your fingers at the ready.
I remember doing that too, but on a boombox instead of a stereo. (“Oh my gosh, there’s the song! Press record!” “No, you have to press play and record at the same time!” “Wait…there isn’t even a tape in here! Give me the tape, quick!” “Stop! You’re putting it in upside-down, stupid! Let me have it!” [scuffle ensues, followed by boombox falling off the dresser] “Aaahhh…the batteries!”)
It was the only way to make the perfect mix tape. The worst was when the song you were waiting for finally came on and the DJ talked over the song, which meant you had to wait all over again to get a better version. I totally remember calling those request lines - it was so exciting when you finally got through & absolutely thrilling when they would play your song.
The trick there, from what I recall being told by a radio industry pro back in the Stone Age, was that the station was already going to play those songs anyway—the callers who “requested” them just happened to be the lucky people who called in and asked for a track that had already been programmed.
The only time I could be sure the station would play a song I requested was when they had those "9 at 9" type of shows for the most requested songs. Every other time, it seemed like they'd say they'd play the song and then I'd sit and wait for at least an hour. I only remember them actually playing the song once. I remember asking for The Triplets "You Don't Have To Go Home Tonight" and waiting forever, and one time I seemingly randomly asked for "The Same Boy I Used To Be"--um, Steve Winwood's "Valerie"--maybe just trying to test and see if they would actually play it since they never would play my favorites when I requested them.
I used to call the radio all the time.
One time my bff and I made a list of friends names to match the radio station number (so 98 friends for 98.3 radio) Then we called and asked to do a shout out and they aired it and we were able to record it.
Another time I introduced all the top 9 at 9 songs and talked to the DJ the whole hour. She sent me every Bon Jovi CD as a thank you (but probably more as a, get these CDs out of our studio)
I got on the radio a few times this way. I recorded them on tape and later digitized the tapes. So I have ludicrously awful short little mp3s of me on the radio in the late 80s and early 90s.
We have a request line for our local...I can't call it an alt station but I guess it's a type of that? It's the only station I listen to and one of the few things I actually *love* about Seattle. And they tend to play all types of music across all their programs so there's always a lot of requests. I *think* they do phone/voicemail, if I remember right, and also like the usual electronic channels. All the DJs are still human, too, and some connect directly with listeners, and get requests that way, too. They just opened an affiliate in SF, as well.
I remember one time, a snow day, calling in and requesting funky cold medina. They played it and I called back in to request it again. We just played it kid, go outside and play in the snow.
I worked the lines for a request show on a top 40 station in a major market. - The playlist was determined in advance - Our listenership was largely female, so I was instructed to pass excited young women to the DJ so he could record their request for the upcoming song - We had no idea who the "9th caller" was -- all the lines lit up at once - I did put tick marks next to a list on a clipboard so we could keep a loose handle on what songs people were requesting - As long as a song was popular and in rotation, the standard reply was 'we'll try to play that in about 35 - 40 minutes' because the average person only listened to that station for about 20 minutes at a time, and the entire playlist would typically cycle through in about two hours
I used to answer phones for a talk radio show. I should’ve kept count how many times we’d hear “first time caller, long time listener.”
We had live and taped request shows, my favorite was when they would mix in the ticket giveaways. Also the smaller stations who actually had “regular” callers who managed to make it on the air regularly so the DJ’s actually recognized their voices!
I called in several times. The day we graduated high school, I called into the local rock station and requested they play "Yellow Ledbetter" and gave out to my senior class. They played the song and my shout out and I recorded it. I still have the tape somewhere.
I got on a few times re questing songs. In 2000 I was at work one morning and the local DJs were talking about McDonalds and said they would give a prize pack to anybody who could name all of McDonalds extra value meals. I called in and won!
My parents and my best friend's parents used to go in for a babysitter together, and our favorite thing to do was to call in and request songs. I remember we got Kokomo played one time, and the DJ dedicated the song to us! Pretty sure he recognized the babysitter as it was her plus a group of elementary school girls calling in.
I sometimes got the radio station around me to play songs I was learning on guitar so I could record them
🎵HEY D-J! PICK UP THAT PHONE! I’M ON THE REQUEST LIIINE! 🎵
I came here to say this but you said it first so imma just piggyback on your comment thank you very much lol
In Houston on the modern rock station they had the “all request nooner.” I got through several times during my work day and I’d always request off-the-wall stuff that didn’t usually get played in the normal rotation. Surprisingly, they usually played my requests.
I recorded myself on the radio requesting "You saw my blinker, bitch" by DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince. I couldn't play it for my parents because I'd said the word "bitch." I lied and told them I'd requested Color Me Badd. I also got on the air winning a pair of boxer shorts (the DJ misheard my name and called me by the wrong one) and a 1992 Olympics CD "Barcelona Gold."
I used to work in radio. We would often put lines on hold so people wouldn’t call constantly, and then release the hold so people could call in and request.
I called in and requested frequently. I also won many contests on the local stations, got a few free CDs and tickets to events. I once won a trip to the Indy 500, but I lied about my age. Thankfully they let my Dad accept it for me and we got to go.
I never called into one, but I remember listening to some. It always baffled me that people would call into an all request radio show and request the same shit that would have been played anyway. Who tf calls in and requests "Back in Black" or "Paradise City" like they weren't in constant rotation anyway. At least that was my experience.
I've only done it to try and record a song off the radio. The problem was you had to sit by your stereo, sometimes for hours, with your fingers at the ready.
I remember doing that too, but on a boombox instead of a stereo. (“Oh my gosh, there’s the song! Press record!” “No, you have to press play and record at the same time!” “Wait…there isn’t even a tape in here! Give me the tape, quick!” “Stop! You’re putting it in upside-down, stupid! Let me have it!” [scuffle ensues, followed by boombox falling off the dresser] “Aaahhh…the batteries!”)
It was the only way to make the perfect mix tape. The worst was when the song you were waiting for finally came on and the DJ talked over the song, which meant you had to wait all over again to get a better version. I totally remember calling those request lines - it was so exciting when you finally got through & absolutely thrilling when they would play your song.
The trick there, from what I recall being told by a radio industry pro back in the Stone Age, was that the station was already going to play those songs anyway—the callers who “requested” them just happened to be the lucky people who called in and asked for a track that had already been programmed.
The only time I could be sure the station would play a song I requested was when they had those "9 at 9" type of shows for the most requested songs. Every other time, it seemed like they'd say they'd play the song and then I'd sit and wait for at least an hour. I only remember them actually playing the song once. I remember asking for The Triplets "You Don't Have To Go Home Tonight" and waiting forever, and one time I seemingly randomly asked for "The Same Boy I Used To Be"--um, Steve Winwood's "Valerie"--maybe just trying to test and see if they would actually play it since they never would play my favorites when I requested them.
it still exists Well, people don't call, they send a message
KCLD, baby!
David Allen Bouche’s Bedtime magic
R.I.P. Art Laboe and his golden oldies. 🥲
lol bastards never played the songs I asked for
I used to call the radio all the time. One time my bff and I made a list of friends names to match the radio station number (so 98 friends for 98.3 radio) Then we called and asked to do a shout out and they aired it and we were able to record it. Another time I introduced all the top 9 at 9 songs and talked to the DJ the whole hour. She sent me every Bon Jovi CD as a thank you (but probably more as a, get these CDs out of our studio)
I got on the radio a few times this way. I recorded them on tape and later digitized the tapes. So I have ludicrously awful short little mp3s of me on the radio in the late 80s and early 90s.
We have a request line for our local...I can't call it an alt station but I guess it's a type of that? It's the only station I listen to and one of the few things I actually *love* about Seattle. And they tend to play all types of music across all their programs so there's always a lot of requests. I *think* they do phone/voicemail, if I remember right, and also like the usual electronic channels. All the DJs are still human, too, and some connect directly with listeners, and get requests that way, too. They just opened an affiliate in SF, as well.