Apple launched its new Beats 1 radio station last night with Zane Lowe to much public acclaim.
“It’s not about fanfare or fireworks. It’s about quality and consistency,” said the clearly fired-up New Zealander.
“We’re Beats 1, we’re worldwide and from now on, we’re always on.”
From there, Lowe gave former employer BBC Radio 1 a big headache by doing what he’s always done – charming the pants off music fans everywhere.
Lowe kicked off Beats 1’s worldwide broadcast with unsigned Manchester act Spring King’s City – and it was a sign of the support for independent artists and and labels that was to come.
According to Radiomonitor data analysed by MBW, Beats 1 played 41 tracks from 5pm until midnight yesterday (UK/European time).
41.4% of them, or 17 tracks, were from independent artists.
That was one better than Universal, who claimed 16 (39%) tracks – although this discounts Glass Animals’ Black Mambo, released independently but distributed via UMG’s Caroline.
Sony was responsible for seven tracks (17%) but these included the most-spun: Pharrell’s comeback single Freedom.
Warner had just one entry (2%) in the opening 41 tracks: Royal Blood’s Little Monster, although it was played twice.
This is very early days, of course, so expect this independent love-in to calm slightly, but it’s still interesting – not least as BBC Radio 1’s Top 50 tracks last year contained just three independent releases.
Zane Lowe’s first ten tracks on Beats 1 included no less than six independent acts, with two from UMG, two from Sony and none from Warner.
- Spring King – City (unsigned)
- Beck – Dreams (Capitol/Virgin EMI/UMG)
- Jamie XX – Gosh (XL)
- Skepta – Shutdown (BBK Records)
- AC/DC – For Those About To Rock (We Salute You) (Sony)
- Hudson Mohawke – Warriors (Warp)
- Pharrell Williams – Freedom (Sony)
- Courtney Barnett – Dead Fox (Marathon Artists)
- The Chemical Brothers – Under Neon Lights (Virgin EMI/UMG)
- Shamir – On The Regular (XL)
Lowe, whose debut performance on the station has gone down well with reviewers, also introduced a section called ‘World Record’; a very similar idea to his industry-watched ‘World’s Hottest Record’ feature on his old BBC Radio 1 show.
He was followed on Beats 1 by Julie Adenuga in London and Ebro Darden in New York.
Lowe is expected to unveil a world exclusive interview with Eminem on Beats 1 later today (July 1).
As you can see below in the list of the 41 tracks from Beats 1’s first few hours on air, only four songs got repeated: Williams’ Freedom (Sony), Royal Blood’s Little Monster (WMG), The Weeknd’s Can’t Feel My Face (UMG) and A$AP Rocky’s L$D (Sony). [Plays displayed on right-hand side.]
| 1 | Pharrell Williams | Freedom | RCA | SME | 3 |
| 2 | Royal Blood | Little Monster | Warner Music | WMG | 2 |
| 2 | Weeknd, The | Can’t Feel My Face | Island | UMG | 2 |
| 4 | A$AP Rocky | L$D | RCA | SME | 2 |
| 4 | AC/DC | For Those About to Rock (We Salute You) | Sony Music | SME | 1 |
| 4 | Alabama Shakes | Don’t Wanna Fight | Rough Trade | Ind. | 1 |
| 4 | Alessia Cara | Here | Def Jam | UMG | 1 |
| 4 | AlunaGeorge | You Know You Like It | Island | UMG | 1 |
| 4 | Beck | Dreams | Virgin EMI | UMG | 1 |
| 4 | Bully | Trying | Columbia | SME | 1 |
| 4 | Chemical Brothers, The feat. St Vincent | Under Neon Lights | Universal Music | UMG | 1 |
| 4 | Chet Faker | Bend | Ind. | 1 | |
| 4 | Courtney Barnett | Dead Fox | Marathon Artists | Ind. | 1 |
| 4 | David Zowie | House Every Weekend | Virgin EMI | UMG | 1 |
| 4 | Day Wave | We Try But We Don’t Fit In | Ind. | 1 | |
| 4 | Denney | Low Frequency | Ministry Of Sound | Ind. | 1 |
| 4 | Disclosure feat. Gregory Porter | Holding On | PMR | UMG | 1 |
| 4 | Dr. Dre | Let Me Ride | Death Row / Interscope | UMG | 1 |
| 4 | Elliot Moss | Slip | Pias | Ind. | 1 |
| 4 | Eminem | Phenomenal | Shady Records | UMG | 1 |
| 4 | Florence + The Machine | Ship To Wreck | Island | UMG | 1 |
| 4 | Gallant | Weight In Gold | Ind. | 1 | |
| 4 | Glass Animals | Black Mambo | Caroline | Ind. | 1 |
| 4 | Grace feat. G-Eazy | You Don’t Own Me | Sony Music | SME | 1 |
| 4 | Hudson Mohawke feat. Rckazoid, Devaeuux | Warriors | Warp Records | Ind. | 1 |
| 4 | Jack Garratt | Weathered | Island | UMG | 1 |
| 4 | Jamie xx | Gosh | Young Turks | Ind. | 1 |
| 4 | Jamie XX feat. Young Thug & Popcaan | I Know There’s Gonna Be (Good Times) | Young Turks | Ind. | 1 |
| 4 | Jme | Man Don’t Care | Ind. | 1 | |
| 4 | Justin Timberlake | Senorita | Jive | SME | 1 |
| 4 | Lapsley | Falling Short | Her Own Recordings / Annie Mac Presents | Ind. | 1 |
| 4 | MS MR | Painted | RCA | SME | 1 |
| 4 | Seinabo Sey | Hard Time | Virgin EMI | UMG | 1 |
| 4 | Shamir | On The Regular | XL Recordings | Ind. | 1 |
| 4 | Skepta | Shutdown | BBK Records | Ind. | 1 |
| 4 | Slaves | Cheer Up London | Virgin EMI | UMG | 1 |
| 4 | Spring King | City | Handsome Dad | Ind. | 1 |
| 4 | Stromae | Tous Les Mêmes | Virgin EMI | UMG | 1 |
| 4 | Taylor Swift feat. Kendrick Lamar | Bad Blood | Virgin EMI | UMG | 1 |
| 4 | Vic Mensa feat. Kanye West | U Mad | Virgin EMI | UMG | 1 |
| 4 | Wolf Alice | You’re A Germ | Dirty Hit | Ind. | 1 |
In the first few hours since midnight (UK time / CET), Beats played the following tracks, according to RadioMonitor, in a more major-dominated segment.
| 1 | A$AP Rocky | L$D | RCA | SME | 1 |
| 1 | Blink 182 | What’s My Age Again | Mca | UMG | 1 |
| 1 | Elliot Moss | Slip | Pias | Ind. | 1 |
| 1 | Eminem | Phenomenal | Shady Records | UMG | 1 |
| 1 | Kendrick Lamar | Alright | Polydor | UMG | 1 |
| 1 | Lapsley | Falling Short | Her Own Recordings / Annie Mac Presents | Ind. | 1 |
| 1 | Major Lazer feat. Ellie Goulding & Tarrus Riley | Powerful | Mad Decent | WMG | 1 |
| 1 | Meek Mill | Dreams And Nightmares | Warner Music | WMG | 1 |
| 1 | Miguel feat. Lenny Kravitz | Face The Sun | RCA | SME | 1 |
| 1 | Rick Ross feat. Jay Z | The Devil Is A Lie | Virgin EMI | UMG | 1 |
| 1 | Stromae | Tous Les Mêmes | Virgin EMI | UMG | 1 |
| 1 | Weeknd, The | Can’t Feel My Face | Island | UMG | 1 |
| 1 | Wiz Khalifa feat. Charlie Puth | See You Again | Warner Music | WMG | 1 |
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