I've always wanted to post on the subject of talk radio's
bumper music. I listen to several talk shows throughout the day, in the morning and evening as I drive many miles to and from work.
Bumper music is the music the show begins with, and after a few seconds, the on-air host begins to speak, introducing the show, himself and his crew as well as the topics of the day. The music is an important choice for the success of the show, the ability to retain the fickle listener past the music and into the discussion segments, and pay some bills inwhich the sponsor's advertisement is aired. Some of these advertisements are spoken by the host, called testimonial advertising, and every host is compelled to do. But that is another post for another day.
Sean Hannity became an American talk-radio icon over the last ten years, and he used to begin his hourly segments with a
Bruce Hornsby song, "The Way It Is" which begins with the lovely piano intro. When asked, Hornsby gave a scathing critique of Hannity, though his song was still used for some time after that. Recently he's changed his music to a great country song by
Martina McBride with the patriotic chorus, "Let freedom ring...".
Rush Limbaugh's use of the
Pretenders' song, "Ohio" is his calling card, it has practically been rerecognized as "Rush's song" in popular culture. I wonder what side of the isle Chrissie Hynde resides?
My favorite host is on across from Rush.
Dennis Prager is on the Salem Network at the lunchtime hour. Several of his bumper songs have caught my attention. The most striking is a symphonic piece, the melody being a triumphant brass section and a military march, a victorious sweeping wall of tuba, trombone and sousaphone. This song, or the 15 second piece of it I heard was so synonymous with the Prager show, that when I finally heard it in "Gladiator" at the height of Maximus' coliseum victory it was an anti-climax! I also love several other of Dennis' bumper songs, and I know he gets email from his listeners as he's commented on it in the past. Mr. Prager is also a sometime symphonic conductor living in Los Angeles and as such is very moved by music.
Bumper music, I surmise must be chosen by committee, a group including the host, but the suits in the chain of command, the producer, the director. Once the songs are chosen, they must pass rights and royalties, and the client pays for the use of the music. The more artistic the host, the more eclectic the music tends to be. Bumper music is crucial to the success of the show.