More about: BBC Radio 6 Music6MusicAt20

It was 20 years ago today….when Will Young sat atop the pop charts with ‘Anything Is Possible’, while those pop titans Shakira, Enrique Iglesias, Westlife and Nickelback brought up the metaphorical rear of the Top 5. UK Prime Minister Tony Blair, his US counterpart George W Bush and the rest of the world were still reeling from the tragic events of 9/11, Arsenal were top of the football pyramids and the George Clooney-led caper Ocean’s Eleven was drawing in the crowds and the pounds in the cinema.

Meanwhile, on DAB radio, comedian and presenter Phill Jupitus cut the ribbon to unveil the BBC’s first new national music radio station in 32 years. A high-pitched guitar lick gave way to a frenetic explosion of drums, bass and power chords, as Ash’s ‘Burn Baby Burn’ heralded the arrival of BBC Radio 6 Music: a new, alternative, digital-only radio station. 

You may not listen to 6 Music, but you know what it represents. The station is a refuge for those who sit outside the mainstream and a tonic for those who, frankly, can’t stand wasting their lives with perpetual adverts. A place for the mis-shapes to seek solace and shut out the outside world. The chances are that if you like any form of alternative music, be that folk, electronica, indie (or post-punk, as it’s now been rebranded), hip-hop, soul, dub or any of the innumerable genres that are represented outside pop, the first radio station to have played it will have been 6 Music. Like much of the BBC, it’s often taken for granted but is never dismissed and is widely recognised as the home of new music.

Originally conceived as an outlet to fill the gap between the demographics of Radio 1 (young, contemporary) and Radio 2 (middle-aged, unwilling to be challenged), in 2022 6 Music is comfortably the biggest digital station in the UK with a faithful audience of 2.6 million listeners. But why? It may be its strength, but the station is wildly inconsistent in its musical output; one minute they will play the guitar band of the moment, the next you will be listening to Nordic symphonies. Hardly comfortable bedfellows. 

our first ever schedule 🥺

Who was with us back in 2002 for this weekday line up?

📻 #6MusicAt20 | Friday 11th March
📱 Listen back on @bbcsounds pic.twitter.com/3dGMbA57SC

— BBC Radio 6 Music (@BBC6Music) March 10, 2022

Because they fundamentally come from the same source. If there’s one thing that links the music played on 6 Music, it’s that they are all organic and honest. It all comes from a place of truth. The station and it’s presenters not only recognise that but reflect it. Put simply: they are like us. They are music fans first and foremost who listen with the same ravenous appetite as their audience. They just so happen to get paid for it. 

Despite its evolution from indie flag-bearers to a more eclectic playlist, the initial rollcall of DJs when the station launched in 2002 included some familiar faces who are still present: Liz Kershaw, Tom Robinson, Gideon Coe, Chris Hawkins, Craig Charles and Stuart Maconie all grace our eardrums today, just as they did back in 2002. We’ve grown with them and they with us. The likes of XFM and Absolute would have considered them dinosaurs and confined them to the scrapheap, but 6 Music knows it’s audience better than that. Evolution doesn’t mean revolution, and comfort is important to it’s (admittedly middle-aged and middle-class) audience. 

Many cite the legendary John Peel as the embodiment of 6 Music although, ironically, he was never on their roster. But the outpouring of grief among music fans upon Peel’s death in 2004 was most keenly felt on 6 Music rather than Radio 1, his audio home for nearly 40 years. As the soundtrack to countless youths, music fans were disconsolate at Peel’s passing but were able to find solace and comfort in the tributes on 6 Music. His dry sense of humour can still be felt on the station today while his legacy lives on through his mentee Steve Lamacq and his son, Tom Ravenscroft. 

Far too many times since then, the station and its presenters have performed a similar function, most notably on a grey, darker-than-usual Monday in early 2016. The world changed with the announcement of David Bowie's passing. To have been the bearers of bad news must have been a heavy burden but breakfast show host Shaun Keaveny, along with Matt Everitt, handled the moment, and the rest of their morning show, with class and poignancy. They spoke from the heart on behalf of every music fan while playing tracks that suited the dreadful occasion perfectly. The normally irreverent pair somehow managed to encapsulate the feelings of both sadness and gratitude instinctively, while reassuring us that not only were we not alone in our grief but lifted by the sheer humanity of those unlucky enough to have to entertain on that day.

To be human is also to err, and there have been bumps in the road. In 2008, during an episode of The Russell Brand Show, the controversial comedian made prank calls to veteran actor Andrew Sachs, with Jonathan Ross acting as willing partner-in-crime. The pair left lewd messages on Sachs’ voicemail which included references to Brands’ relationship with his granddaughter, yet the pre-recorded show went out un-edited (but notably without complaint until The Mail On Sunday clutched their pearls a little under two weeks later). Ever ones to over-compensate, the BBC sacked Brand and 6 Music veered away from having comedians as presenters. 

The station also came perilously close to the axe in 2010 before a very public campaign, spearheaded by Jarvis Cocker (who had his own show) among others, lead to an outcry which resulted in the BBC announcing that the station would continue. 

Celebrating 20 years on air today, we asked a handful of presenters to share with us what the station means to them 💕

Here's to another 20 years (and the rest!) and thank YOU for listening! 🍾🍾🍾

📻 #6MusicAt20 | Friday 11th March
📱 Listen back on @bbcsounds pic.twitter.com/thQPjwzvLE

— BBC Radio 6 Music (@BBC6Music) March 11, 2022

Since then, it’s gone from strength to strength, either with its mouth-watering line-ups for its annual festival (Pixies, Johnny Marr and Little Simz are on 2022’s bill in Cardiff) or its increased commitment to diversity, reflecting society as it does so. Wear Your Old Band T-Shirt To Work Day is now an annual tradition which gets increased participation every year, while Lauren Laverne’s sparkling tones and wilful eclecticism soundtrack the mornings of over 1.35 million people. During the pandemic it was a lifeline to many of us stuck at home or worse, but the presenters treated the listeners with respect and consideration, neither ignoring nor wallowing in the horrendous circumstances. 

It's not perfect and indeed it sometimes bewilders. When legends like Paul Weller or McCartney return with new music they are rightly revered and interviewed, but rarely (if ever) does the music actually make the playlists. Naming no names, hearing of the imminent arrival of certain DJs sends shivers down certain spines, but that’s ultimately the point. It’s not just for you, it’s for everyone (although a return of Noel’s Noel would be nice if you’re reading, Lammo). What is perfection if not an impossibility?

It's a community for people like us, made for by people like us: music fans. Happy birthday Radio 6 Music. Here’s to many more.

Issue Three of the Gigwise Print magazine is on sale now! Order here.

More about: BBC Radio 6 Music6MusicAt20