I have mulled over this question ever since I was in my teens.
Radio today isn’t what it used to be.
It’s gone the way of TV and newspapers, in the sense that people don’t rely on radio being a big part of their lives the way they did back in the 90′s or earlier.
But that is a conversation for another day.
The question here is how come songs on radio seem to sound better than on CD?
The word “better” here does not mean better sound quality, cos we all know that radio quality can never match CD quality.
The word “better” just means it seems to give the listener a greater sense of satisfaction and enjoyment.
There’s absolutely nothing better in the world than driving back home late at night after a great show or party or date or whatever, and having one of your favourite songs playing on the radio.
It just beats selecting that same song yourself on your CD player.
Why is this so?
I can offer two reasons for this:
One is that fact that choice of song was served up for you, meaning that someone (the DJ) made the selection for you and it was, in a way, a pleasant surprise for you.
It’s like how buying yourself a nice little notebook can’t compare with having someone buy the same little notebook for you as a gift.
Two – and this is the most important reason – is that songs on the radio are a shared experience.
And this is the key idea.
As you drive home late at night, and you hear that favourite Wilson Phillips song or Roxette song or what have you, you know that somewhere out there in Singapore, there will be at least one other person who is listening to the exact same song at the exact same moment and loving it as well.
It’s that knowledge of the song being a shared experience that makes it so enjoyable.
That’s the beauty of radio.
And that is why songs on radio sound better than on CD.
It’s a pity the idea of “shared experiences” is slowly dying in this wired-up internet age of highly-customised on-demand entertainment.
But that is a discussion for another day.
Agree!
Radio GaGa :)