The Infinite Dial

We're big fans of the power of No. 1 at Edison Media Research. The concept of the No. 1 song, so potent for so many years, has been downplayed by radio over the years, even as America became more chart conscious in other ways. So we were eager to check out Biill Gamble's NumberOneRadio.com, the new Internet station that is being carried on the HD-2 channel of KXKL (Kool 105) Denver, but, like many of the new CBS Radio channels, is clearly designed as a national offering.

NumberOneRadio is billed as No. 1 songs from the '60s through today. While there's an AC feel and an apparent emphasis on the late '80s and '90s music that falls through the cracks at a lot of other formats, the scope is broad (as the segment below demonstrates). The station is also playing the current No. 1 song once an hour -- a variant on what Top 40 sisters KKHH (Hot 95.7) Houston and WBZW (B94) Pittsburgh are doing. The jockless station is also running promos asking listeners to be the first to contact the station from their hometown, wherever that may be.

Here's an hour of NumberOneRadio.com at 7:30 this morning:

Savage Garden, "Truly Madly Deeply"
Leona Lewis, "Bleeding Love"
Prince, "When Doves Cry"
Bobbie Gentry, "Ode To Bilie Joe"
Janet, "All For You"
U2, "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For"
Lisa Loeb & Nine Stories, "Stay (I Missed You)"
Jan Hammer, "Miami Vice Theme"
Enrique Iglesias, "Be With You"
Rod Stewart, "Do You Think I'm Sexy"
Sinead O'Connor, "Nothing Compares 2 U"
Paula Abdul, "Straight Up"
George McCrae, "Rock Your Baby"
Mariah Carey, "I Don't Wanna Cry"