Modern love – young people over-index on 70s, 80s and 90s radio stations

From Bowie and Zeppelin to Prince, Madonna, and Oasis, the 70s, 80s, and 90s were full of icons, and its no surprise radio listening habits are still influenced by these stars.

But what might come as a surprise is how popular decade stations are with younger people who weren’t alive to experience the hits as they came out.

Rajar’s Q2 results showed when they do tune in to the radio, 15-24 year olds are overindexing on listening to national decades stations.

Of the 7.8m adults who listen to at least one decade themed station each week, just under 1m are 15-24 year olds.

This compares to the fact that just 7% of total radio listening hours are comprised of the same age group.

The audience figures come as leading radio broadcasters Bauer and Global have increasingly leaned into developing stations based on segmenting music by decade.

Interest across decades

According to Rajar, 80s stations were the most popular decade overall, reaching 4.2m adults in total.

It is true, as one might predict, that older (65+) audiences are most likely to tune into ’70s stations, with Gen Xers dominating listening during the ’80s and ’90s, by which time Millennials get in on the fun.

But 80s and ’90s commercial national stations reported 11% of the total listening share comprised 15-24 year olds.

Of the 80s stations, Global’s Smooth 80s came out on top with the younger demographic, with this age group making up 13% of all hours listened to the station. Heart 90s saw similar listening patterns at 14%.

The 00s were also found to be predictably popular — nearly one-fourth (23%) of Global’s Radio X 00s listening hours were driven by those aged 15-24.

In contrast, the 70s are the only decade that had a smaller listening share for this age group, at 6%.

Challenging the narrative

In a time when consumer behaviour is constantly changing and perceptions that young people don’t listen to radio are commonplace, Rajar’s figures suggest this is not the case.

As Sue Cullingham, head of audio at The Media Leader parent Adwanted UK commented: “While 15-24s may not consume radio in the same way or to the same level as previous generations, the fact remains over 60% of them still tune in to commercial radio.

“That’s a significant reach and one that is often overlooked.”

Cullingham highlighted the success of decade-themed stations among this group, and suggested the low-effort listening experience these stations have curated is why they are so popular with younger generations.

“In an audio world of infinite choice, these stations provide a clear identity, consistent mood, and a sense of discovery — without the need to scroll or search.”

The verdict: Bauer’s top songs of the decades

What decades music do audio industry leaders like to listen to?

Bauer Media UK’s director of client development Krissie Ford told The Media Leader her favourite titles were classics of each era.

Some of Ford’s favourite hits worth listening to: “Go Your Own Way” by Fleetwood Mac (’70s), “Different Corner” by George Michael (’80s), “Live Forever” by Oasis (’90s) and “Yellow” by Coldplay (’00s).