Scheduling music for a radio station is an art supported by science. There are many ways to express art based on the artist’s vision. Some music artists, particularly in the Variety Hits format, think of train wreck segues as part of the art that enhances variety.
In the early 2000s, some programmers built new radio brands around what they considered an extreme demonstration of music variety. The strategy was to present the image of a large music library without playing weak songs.
This “inch deep and a mile wide” approach features popular songs from multiple music styles, presented with a rebel attitude and a snarky imaging voice proclaiming the station is “Playing What We Want.” Part of the plan was to create jarring train wreck segues deliberately.
There’s probably some value on a certain level, but most programmers should try to avoid the train wreck.
