
Radio play brings songs to those who might not use TikTok or haven’t gotten around to watching the new season of Stranger Things. In the past much money and influence has been involved in getting music onto the radio.įor a song that has not received play for decades to spontaneously reappear is a “watershed moment” according to a Warner Music label executive.ĭespite the growth and dominance of streaming, radio still plays a pivotal role for curation and discover in music markets such as the US, Australia, and around the world.

Kate Bush being reserviced to radio, physically or digitally delivering music to radio stations by her label, is a significant development. The song has returned to the Top 10 singles charts in the UK and is set to overtake Harry Styles 'As It Was' as the number one single in Australia.

In 2020, TikTok claimed over 70 artists who first emerged on the platform had secured record deals an the Billboard charts now frequently feature songs that went viral. Is this the future of the music industry? Radio and the chartsĪs with other musical TikTok phenomena, 'Running Up That Hill' might be more than a momentary flash in the pan. Read more: Halsey's record label won't release a new song until it goes viral on TikTok. Unlike streaming services like Apple Music or Spotify, users can take a more active and playful role interacting with music on TikTok. These platforms allowed users to draw from an internal library of popular songs, creatively add them to video creations, and use features like Duet to place themselves side-by-side their favourite artists. It takes advantage of musical innovations pioneered on earlier short video platforms, like Flipagram, Dubsmash, and Musical.ly.

TikTok challenges and audio memes have helped catapult other classics back into vogue such as Harry Belafonte’s Jump in the Line, The Shangri-Las’s 'Leader of the Pack' remixed into 'Oh No' by Kreepa, and, of course, Fleetwood Mac’s ' Dreams'. The success of films like Guardians of the Galaxy have proven to be powerful tools to give older a reprisal on the radio and popular charts. Stranger Things is not the first to capitalise on the power of musical nostalgia.
