The show premiered on 11 January, with Middleton opening the broadcast with music from The Legend of Zelda and his debut remarks: “Well, I’ve made it, my very first time on Classic FM.”

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After the first track, Middleton introduced himself to listeners, explaining his decade-long career in creating gaming videos. Conscious of Classic FM’s demographic, where 69% of listeners fall into the ABC1 socio-economic group and are mostly aged 30 and above, he provided context for an audience who may not be familiar with many of the tracks.  

For Minecraft, he described it as a “limitless box of Lego where you can build and do pretty much anything” before playing C418’s ‘Sweden’. The track comes from ‘Minecraft – Volume Alpha’, an album that has sold over half a million units in the US and reached number two on the UK Soundtrack Album Charts.     Classic FM’s listenership has been declining in recent years, with figures dropping in nine of the last 13 quarters, according to RAJAR data. The launch of Next Level appears to mark a strategic pivot, aimed at attracting younger listeners and fans of video game music. The show’s three-month run coincides with the timeframe for the next RAJAR report, suggesting the station will monitor the initiative’s success closely.  

 

 

 

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Philip Noyce, Classic FM’s Managing Editor, said: “This is a very exciting day for Classic FM, as we welcome the brilliant DanTDM to the presenting line-up. Watched by millions, he is a huge star in the gaming world, as well as being a fan of classical music – so it’s fantastic that he’s joining as the host of Next Level with DanTDM.”

“Across three months, he will not only showcase the greatest video game music to our loyal listeners, but with Dan at the controls, we’re looking forward to welcoming VGM fans to Classic FM for the first time too. We have always championed new forms of classical music, from film scores to gaming soundtracks, so I’m pleased to announce this next chapter in our support of video game music.”

Middleton, who has over 35 million YouTube subscribers and a Guinness World Record for the most views of a dedicated Minecraft channel, expressed his enthusiasm for the opportunity. “Teenage me wouldn’t be able to believe I have my own radio show! Having studied music production at university and then worked in video games for the past 15 years, being given a show that celebrates the meeting of these two worlds feels totally surreal.”

During the premiere, Middleton played tracks from modern games like The Elder Scrolls: Skyrim and Halo, alongside classics such as Sonic the Hedgehog and Tetris. For the latter, he featured the original arrangement of the Russian folk song that inspired its theme. 

The broadcast concluded with the theme from Super Mario Bros., with Middleton stating: “I’ve had a great time showcasing some legendary tracks from gaming, and I hope that I’ve introduced you to a whole new world of music that you may not have listened to before.”

classic fm please never cancel this segment im already so locked in pic.twitter.com/SRpJcEhVQK — twig! SAW FALL OUT BOY (@ImmortalTwig) January 12, 2025

Next Level positions Classic FM as a champion of video game music on British airwaves. The move also comes at a time when its closest classical rival, BBC Radio 3, has been less active in this space. BBC Radio 3’s Sound of Gaming airs monthly, though the last episode was in October 2024, and the station has yet to confirm whether more shows will follow. 

With the upcoming broadcasts section currently blank on the Sound of Gaming page, it appears Classic FM may have spotted a gap in the market. By securing one of the biggest gaming names in the country to host, Global Radio, owners of Classic FM, have positioned themselves to capture an audience underserved by their rival.

With an overwhelmingly positive response on social media, the show could mark a turning point for the station’s listenership and its approach to modern classical music. If you want to listen to the show, use this link.

Choice FM unveiled a new Blue Heritage Plaque on Thursday (1st April 2021) in Trinity Gardens in Brixton, marking the origin of Choice FM. Celebrating the station’s iconic past and commemorating the stations chronicled history on being the UK’s first Black radio station.

The plaque’s unveiling marked the stations 31st anniversary of the London based station, whose first broadcast took place on 31st March 1990.

The Nubian Jak Community Trust, endorsed by English Heritage, organised the unveiling with former director Dr Yvonne Thompson CBE, co-founder and photographer Neil Kenlock, and Mayor Councillor Philip Normal at the station’s original headquarters: 16-18 Trinity Gardens, Brixton.

Writing about the award on Twitter, former director Dr Yvonne Thompson CBE said: “I would like to invite you to share a very special day with us recognising on 31 March – 31 years ago,⁠ Choice FM the UK’s first legal black-owned 24 hr music station was born and made a mark in the history of the UK.”

⁠Councillor Sonia Winifred, Cabinet Member for Equalities and Culture, said about the award: “Choice FM will always hold a special place in the hearts of the Lambeth community particularly in Brixton where it was launched in 1990 at Trinity Gardens. The first licensed independent Black music radio station gave us all a sense of pride and belonging. There has been no other to replace it and we owe a great deal to its co-founders Patrick Berry and Neil Kenlock when it started broadcasting 31 years ago, on 31 March 1990.”

Choice FM was the first independent Black music radio station to hold a London-wide licence legally. Later Choice FM won a second licence, bringing a version of their sound to Birmingham. Championing Black music of all genres and promoting Black artists, the station has been hailed throughout its 31-year history as the sound of Brixton. Over the years, the South London based radio station has picked up accolades from awards such as the MOBO’s (Music of Black Origins) and the Sony Radio Academy Awards. In 2013 the station was rebranded as ‘Capital Xtra,’ after being bought by the Capital Radio broadcasting group (Global) nine years prior.

Co-founder of Choice FM, Neil Kenlock, commenting on the radio station’s importance, said: “Many Black British people and those from many other communities remember Choice FM and the strong heritage that it has left behind. The station gave opportunities to UK and international artists, businesses, local community groups and charities like the African Caribbean Leukaemia Trust who didn’t have a media outlet. Since Choice FM there has never been another Black owned, commercial licensed station that broadcasts across London.”

The plaque has been funded by the Choice FM Plaque Group and a Go Fund Me campaign. Funds raised will also be donated to The African Caribbean Leukaemia Trust (ACLT). Announcing the news on Instagram, the Choice FM Plaque group wrote: “We did it Choice Family!”

 

 

 

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The track was produced for their fourth album, ‘Eyes Open’, which reached number one in the UK album charts. That year, ‘Chasing Cars’ finished as the 14th biggest selling single, and furthermore, was the last song to be played live on Top of the Pops.

Gary Lightbody, the lead singer of the band, acclaimed the track as “the purest love song” that he had ever written. Speaking to the BBC, the singer gave insight into the back story of how the song came to be. The song was created in the garden of his producer’s house, as Gary explained. “Yes, Jacknife Lee had a studio in the shed of his garden and we went down there with a couple of bottles of wine, and we wrote through the night”.

“We were writing a Snow Patrol record, but we were also tasked with writing some songs for some other people, so that might have taken some pressure off. But by the next morning, none of those songs were going to anybody else, that’s for sure!”.

Asked about the songwriting process, Lightbody elaborated, “The lyrics for that song all came that night. They just came out onto the page. And that’s how I used to write – with just a flow. They would generally just sort of come out, and I wouldn’t edit, for better or worse”.

Gary was awarded for the feat by the music licensing group, PPL, the body responsible for tracking all music played on British television and radio. In second and third spots respectively came The Black Eyed Peas ‘I Gotta Feeling’, produced by the group and David Guetta, and Pharrell’s 2013 smash hit, ‘Happy’, in collaboration with Despicable Me 2’s soundtrack album.

Chief executive of PPL, Peter Leather commented, “Chasing Cars is a song that has become a popular anthem, securing huge success across radio, in public and especially TV, where its huge appeal has led to its use in many programmes and especially Grey’s Anatomy.”