Every once in awhile I have an idea so groundbreaking that I must share it with the world. Today's idea will revolutionize the music we hear on the radio. Right now, most radio stations choose what to play based on a) what the DJ's like, b) what people request, and c) what is popular in other parts of the country. I think there is a better measure for whether a song is good enough to be on the radio.

My proposed measure is number of people who switch to another radio station within 15 seconds of a song starting. I'm aware there is currently no way to measure such a statistic, but if there were this would be a perfect way for stations to know exactly when a song goes from hip to overplayed (Mr. Brightside, I'm looking at you).

I listen to the alternative station here in town, and usually stick to just that station (when I'm not listening to a CD). I won't switch to the other stations except during commercial breaks, long periods of DJs making fools of themselves, or songs that I just can't take anymore. Since they make all of there money through advertising, it is to their benefit to keep people listening, and if I won't even stay through a bad song then there's no way I'll stay through a commercial.

I often post here about the songs that I hate, and I realize that I'm often in the minority. I may complain about how terrible the White Stripes are, for instance, and just exactly how bad a drummer Meg White is, but I realize that there are many people who like them. I may switch the station during a White Stripes song (especially that "hardest button to button" one), but most people probably don't.

Using my system, radio stations could easily differentiate between the songs that just I don't like and songs that nobody in the known universe likes, such as anything off the new Weezer CD. I don't know anyone, lifelong Weezer fans included, who likes either of the songs they play on the radio. Any way to keep those songs off the airwaves would be a service to humanity, so you can make that Nobel Prize out to Chris with a C.