# Are radio stations only allowed to play singles?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-radio-stations-only-allowed-to-play-singles/284472>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [January 13, 2005, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-radio-stations-only-allowed-to-play-singles/284472 "2005-01-13T01:23:01Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![chrisk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@chrisk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chrisk)\
**Post date:** [January 14, 2005, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-radio-stations-only-allowed-to-play-singles/284472/21 "2005-01-14T13:55:56Z")

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Just a little anecdotal evidence from the last time I was really paying much attention to music on the radio… a few years ago, mostly new country stations in the golden horseshoe area of ontario…

though almost all of the time they’d play recent singles or golden oldies… (at least I assume singles… I could almost never find actual ‘singles’ in the record stores, but specific tracks that seemed to be getting ‘released’ for radio at a specified time and would often have a video out around the same time…) occasionally there would be a more obscure cut from an album that would not get played much again. Also, occasionally as part of a special promotion for the release of a new album by a big name star, a particular station would set a time and play the entire thing through, along with commentary and sound bites from the artist.

(wanders away humming to himself.)

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**Author:** ![Gamaliel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b487fb/32.png) [@Gamaliel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gamaliel)\
**Post date:** [January 14, 2005, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-radio-stations-only-allowed-to-play-singles/284472/22 "2005-01-14T14:06:58Z")

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> [@Rex Fenestrarum](#):
>
> I believe that The Byrd’s released their cover of “Mr. Tambourine Man” before Dylan released his original. Even though he was totally opposed to it, he could legally do nothing to stop them\*.
> 
> - = that could be the totally wrong song. I’m sure someone will correct me here soon.

According to Cecil, it seems the Byrds had to wait: [http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a1\_324b.html](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a1_324b.html)

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**Author:** ![Rex\_Fenestrarum](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rex_fenestrarum/32/7265_2.png) [@Rex\_Fenestrarum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rex_Fenestrarum)\
**Post date:** [January 14, 2005, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-radio-stations-only-allowed-to-play-singles/284472/23 "2005-01-14T20:09:02Z")

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> [@Gamaliel](#):
>
> According to Cecil, it seems the Byrds had to wait: [http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a1\_324b.html](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a1_324b.html)

Ah, thanks! I obviously remembered that story, albeit not very well. And actually, I _know_ that my example about bands covering songs doesn’t have much of anything to do with radio; I just wanted to illustrate the fact that once it’s published, you can’t really stop bands from covering it, much like how if you have a license you _can_ legally play anything you want on the radio (pressures and payola from the record companies notwithstanding).

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