Tuning in to the dead air station

Radio Dead does just what the pun suggests – no, not playing tunes by Thom Yorke (although the way celebs have been going this year I should add “at time of going to press”). No, the remit is to play records by artists no longer of this world.

The station’s boss does seem indecently keen to expand his playlist, saying: “Many of the original giants are still with us: Jerry Lee Lewis, Little Richard... but they will sadly die in the next few years and of course be added to the playlist”.

Coincidentally, a poll of funeral directors were asked what the most popular exit music was. Kool and the Gang’s ‘Celebration’ was #1 overall (it’s not clear if the music was chosen by the departed or their long-suffering relatives) with ‘Firestarter’ and ‘Stairway to Heaven’ inevitably present.

It could be that anyone who’s ‘had a good innings’ can laugh, but you might imagine a younger audience in the ‘indie’ category. So a top 10 filled with Oasis and Coldplay is topped by Snow Patrol’s funereally-paced ‘Chasing Cars’ – the dirge of choice for young-ish people with an understandable lack of humour. We can only hope they’ll not be tuning into Radio Dead too soon.