# Sirius XM is really starting to suck **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** radio-podcast\ **Created:** [March 31, 2021, 6:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sirius-xm-is-really-starting-to-suck/939071 "2021-03-31T06:48:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![drad\_dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@drad\_dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drad_dog)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2021, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sirius-xm-is-really-starting-to-suck/939071/81 "2021-04-06T16:40:39Z")
Someday no one will remember the thrill of driving at night, and losing the station and finding another while you drive. It’s kind of a Tom Waits thing. I got a car 18 months ago and they haven’t stopped my sirius yet. I catch up on Howard. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2021, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sirius-xm-is-really-starting-to-suck/939071/82 "2021-04-06T16:48:27Z")
> [@Railer13](#): > > I bought a different car in December of 2019 and transferred my subscription from old car to new car. I did it via a phone call. It took about 15 minutes, if I recall, and I got 3 free months added to my contract. I think that online was an option, but I didn’t go that route. That last few new cars I got had three months free as well. I never did anything with the previous subscription. If there’s less than three months left, I’m better off taking the three free months on the new car. And, in any case, it seems like if there’s more than a month or so left, they’ll credit your account back. And, again, that’s with me doing nothing. I assume part of the dealer prepping a used car involves cancelling the XM subscription, if there is one. ---
**Author:** ![chela](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chela/32/21582_2.png) [@chela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chela)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2021, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sirius-xm-is-really-starting-to-suck/939071/83 "2021-04-27T20:10:04Z")
Any reason why my 2020 vehicle Sirius xm subscription would give me just 1 year of music and 3 years of traffic and weather? I’m pretty sure it was a 3 year all access sub - but my Subaru app indicates just 3 years of useless to me big city traffic news. Anyway yesterday in my car the Sirius music channels all flipped to unsubscribe. I had apparently had 2 audio ID’s, one I could see on my Subaru app, the other was on my car radio. Cust service offered to swap the online ID for the car ID so I could listen to traffic and weather ( no music?). For $15 charge. GD MFer. NO, I said how can I listen to traffic and weather without swapping ? Lol! Assholes. Said I can’t! But she said I’ll waive the charge. Ok. Make the swap I guess what am I getting into ffs! I just want to listen to my talk show buds. Still no traffic and weather or music. I chatted again with. CSR. I refreshed the signal. All of sudden my account indicates free 3 month trial of music, and there is my 3 year sub to traffic and weather. Is all back on, something fishy going on with my subscriptions I think they screwed me on my three year all access with music. No one subscribes to just traffic and weather, maybe it’s part of my navigation package? Now my Subaru app only mentions the I D I swapped out expired 12/19, 3 months before I bought the car. Screwy! Never ever previously subscribed in my old V W but it might be the old I D. No idea anymore. Maybe I’ll just be a polite pain in their ass every three months for the next two years so I can keep getting a free trial sub? ---
**Author:** ![chela](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chela/32/21582_2.png) [@chela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chela)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2021, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sirius-xm-is-really-starting-to-suck/939071/84 "2021-05-01T14:14:02Z")
Just discovered their app, damn I’m liking it a lot. And the crafty dealers in mobile entertainment are trying to entice me with an additional free 3 month trial for a small processing fee of just $2.99. Requires a cc and at the end of the offer it will adjust to $21.99 a month. Not taking the bait, I’m content to wait it out. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2021, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sirius-xm-is-really-starting-to-suck/939071/85 "2021-05-01T15:51:08Z")
It depends on the station you choose. The old time radio channel doesn’t do repeats all that often and is constantly adding new stuff. Little Steven’s Underground Garage picks out all sorts of unusual music, and Deep Tracks plays things I haven’t heard in year. Spectrum has a nice mix of new and old, Classic Vinyl is a go-to, and B.B. King’s Bluesville can be counted on to deliver, and First Wave has a great selection of New Wave. And, of course, there’s the Grateful Dead channel. Well worth it to me. I listen when driving and also at work. ---
**Author:** ![Railer13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/railer13/32/9742_2.png) [@Railer13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Railer13)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2021, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sirius-xm-is-really-starting-to-suck/939071/86 "2021-05-01T17:16:58Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > Well worth it to me. This. I have a list of presets that includes Classic Vinyl, Underground Garage, Grateful Dead, The Beatles, Classic Rewind, Deep Tracks, The Spectrum, Tom Petty, Bluesville, Sixties, Seventies, The Bridge, The Groove, and Outlaw Country. In the unlikely event that I can’t find some music, I also have NPR and a couple of news channels. ---
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2021, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sirius-xm-is-really-starting-to-suck/939071/87 "2021-05-01T17:17:25Z")
I live in the middle of the woods, a hundred miles from anywhere. When terrestrial radio stations come in, I get two genres to choose from: Country, & Western. For this reason I will gladly put up with whatever SiriusXM makes me sit through. I do, however, have some complaints: Playing child-friendly radio mixes and cutting out swear words or references to drugs (especially on THE FUCKING JOINT FOR FUCK’S SAKE). Saturday mornings, when they devote hours of programming to _talking about_ Jazz or Blues or whatever, rather than playing the damned songs. The extremely limited selection of jazz tunes they play (almost all be-bop or later; where’s the Latin Jazz? The New Orleans Jazz?) ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2021, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sirius-xm-is-really-starting-to-suck/939071/88 "2021-05-01T17:33:51Z")
> [@Railer13](#): > > > [@RealityChuck](#): > > > > Well worth it to me. > > This. I have a list of presets that includes Classic Vinyl, Underground Garage, Grateful Dead, The Beatles, Classic Rewind, Deep Tracks, The Spectrum, Tom Petty, Bluesville, Sixties, Seventies, The Bridge, The Groove, and Outlaw Country. In the unlikely event that I can’t find some music, I also have NPR and a couple of news channels. I’ll also listen to the comedy channels. ---
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2021, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sirius-xm-is-really-starting-to-suck/939071/89 "2021-05-04T18:04:37Z")
Yeah they have some notable omissions for me too. I’d like an electronic channel, a punk channel, and a better metal channel than Liquid Metal which hardly ever plays anything I like. ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2021, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sirius-xm-is-really-starting-to-suck/939071/90 "2021-05-04T18:33:19Z")
Does Pete Townsend own Classic Vinyl or something? It’s like twenty percent The Who. ---
**Author:** ![BwanaBob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bwanabob/32/2985_2.png) [@BwanaBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BwanaBob)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2021, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sirius-xm-is-really-starting-to-suck/939071/91 "2021-05-04T19:23:20Z")
My biggest gripe is that they must be following JannWenner and his RollingStonesque mindset as they refuse to offer a Progressive Rock channel. Every other \*\*\*\*ing style of music seems to be represented, some with multiple channels. I think when Howard Stern retires I’m outta there. ---
**Author:** ![madsircool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madsircool/32/3432_2.png) [@madsircool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madsircool)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2021, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sirius-xm-is-really-starting-to-suck/939071/92 "2021-05-05T00:46:07Z")
That will be 1-26. ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2021, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sirius-xm-is-really-starting-to-suck/939071/93 "2021-05-05T02:03:58Z")
> [@BwanaBob](#): > > My biggest gripe is that they must be following JannWenner and his RollingStonesque mindset as they refuse to offer a Progressive Rock channel. Every other \*\*\*\*ing style of music seems to be represented, some with multiple channels. I think when Howard Stern retires I’m outta there. While Genesis has been particularly stingy in releasing live material, ELP and Yes have tons of it and a satellite radio station would be a perfect place to listen to it for me, would give a prog station some variety ---
**Author:** ![BwanaBob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bwanabob/32/2985_2.png) [@BwanaBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BwanaBob)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2021, 12:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sirius-xm-is-really-starting-to-suck/939071/94 "2021-05-05T12:24:20Z")
There are also loads of progressive style groups in Europe that still make music and a Sirius channel would be the perfect platform to expose fans to newer groups. It wouldn’t necessarily be just a Yes/ELP/Genesis/KC channel. ---
**Author:** ![Uncle\_Jocko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/uncle_jocko/32/2932_2.png) [@Uncle\_Jocko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uncle_Jocko)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2021, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sirius-xm-is-really-starting-to-suck/939071/95 "2021-05-05T14:52:35Z")
I agree that SiriusXM channels tend to repeat the more popular songs over and over, certainly on their decade channels. I keep it on both of our vehicles mainly because my wife can’t live without 70s on 7 and the Love channel. We do both get a kick out of Casey Kasem’s American Top 40 replays (70s) and the countdowns on the 80s channel - oftentimes because that’s the only time you’ll hear a forgotten tune that made the charts and then disappeared, never to be heard on the radio again. I stick to First Wave, but that’s about 70% Smiths and they repeat stuff over and over. Heck, last week I streamed the First Wave Deep Cuts (stream only) while I was working in my yard, and on a Wednesday I recognized not only the same songs I’d heard that Monday, but in the same order. They were just repeating their programming on a loop! I’ve been calling every six months & threatening to cancel in order to get the $5/month deal - then last summer they gave it to me for a whole year, without a whole lot of fuss. We’ll see what happens in June when I have to call again. Frankly, I could easily ditch it in my car and just keep it for my wife - except I really like the college football broadcast access. Another move that’s pissed me off this year is pulling MLB games from their regular service and moving them to the All Access tier … no, I’m not going to pay you extra for something you’ve been providing regular subscribers for years, thank you very much. ---
**Author:** ![jsc1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jsc1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsc1953)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2021, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sirius-xm-is-really-starting-to-suck/939071/96 "2021-05-10T18:57:52Z")
> [@HeyHomie](#): > > The extremely limited selection of jazz tunes they play (almost all be-bop or later; where’s the Latin Jazz? The New Orleans Jazz?) Try 40’s Junction. It’s not all Andrews Sisters and Vaughn Monroe – they do a lot of Count Basie and real (big band) jazz. ---
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2021, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sirius-xm-is-really-starting-to-suck/939071/97 "2021-05-10T21:55:07Z")
> [@jsc1953](#): > > Try 40’s Junction. It’s not all Andrews Sisters and Vaughn Monroe – they do a lot of Count Basie and real (big band) jazz. Thanks, I’ll check it out! ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2021, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sirius-xm-is-really-starting-to-suck/939071/98 "2021-05-10T22:10:39Z")
> [@jsc1953](#): > > Try 40’s Junction. It’s not all Andrews Sisters and Vaughn Monroe – they do a lot of Count Basie and real (big band) jazz. Looks Like 40’s on 4 is gone, no idea of it’s a temporary thing or not. Side note, Vince Gilligan often mentioned that he would drive around listening to 40’s on 4 (and maybe also 50’s on 5) to get ideas for the music on Breaking Bad. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2021, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sirius-xm-is-really-starting-to-suck/939071/99 "2021-05-10T22:18:54Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > Looks Like 40’s on 4 is gone, no idea of it’s a temporary thing or not. It looks like Channel 4 is now “[Soulcycle Radio](https://www.siriusxm.com/channels/soulcycle-radio),” which appears to be positioned as the sort of energetic music you’d hear while doing a spin class at a gym. Doing a little poking around online, the dedicated 1940s music channel is now the “'40s Junction” that @jsc1953 mentioned, which is on channel 73. ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2021, 1:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sirius-xm-is-really-starting-to-suck/939071/100 "2021-07-26T13:16:15Z")
so bad It is only slightly better than local crap radio. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sirius-xm-is-really-starting-to-suck/939071.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sirius-xm-is-really-starting-to-suck/939071.md?page=6)