The Infinite Dial

Given the ongoing durability of the movie "Grease," an enterprising Top 40 programmer probably could have brought back the 10-year-old "Grease Megamix," itself a remix of hits from summer 1978, at any time since it became a hit in late 1996. Then again, there aren't a lot of programmers bringing back records these days. So it's worth noting that Top 40 Sirius Hits 1 added two songs this week--the new Avril Lavigne single and "The Grease Megamix."

The immediate impetus for the return of the "Grease Megamix"--which was not to PD Kid Kelly's knowledge being worked by a label--was the debut of NBC's new Grease-themed reality show, "You're The One That I Want." But it's not out of character for Sirius Hits 1 which has, over the last year or so, gone aggressively looking for its own hits in a way that few Mainstream Top 40s do these days. With much of satellite radio becoming more conservative, Sirius Hits 1 has done an interesting job of creating a broader based Top 40 that sounds neither like a Hot AC nor the fast-on-rhythm/slow-on-rock template that still dominates in many of the major-markets.