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Lithium (Sirius XM)
Encyclopedia
The new incarnation of Lithium
is a 1990s grunge
and alternative rock
channel airing on Sirius Satellite Radio
channel 34 (previously 24), XM Satellite Radio
channel 34 (previously 54), and Dish Network
channel 6024. Until February 9, 2010, it was on Direct TV channel 838, but all of Sirius XM programming was dropped in favor of SonicTap.
While the primary focus is grunge and alternative rock, the channel also plays bands from the late '90s wave of alternative metal
, such as Marilyn Manson
and Nine Inch Nails
, as well as adult album alternative
artists from Crash Test Dummies
and The Cranberries
, and punk rock
artists from The Offspring
and Green Day
. The channel's title is widely understood to be a nod
to the Nirvana song of the same name.
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The channel premiered on XM, on channel 54 as Lucy on February 1, 2004
describing itself as Alternative music is nearing its 25th year and where XM's Fred mines the library for the deep stuff, Lucy will focus solely on the biggest, most important songs in Alternative's history. 100% hits from the late 70's Bowie through the New Wave and Grunge eras to the defining songs of the late 90's. The channel was programmed largely under the watch of Music Director Bill Hutton who pulled most of the music from the hits of the alternative rock music genre of the late 1980s through now. Lucy was a DJ-free (and commercial-free) channel that relies on quick humorous promos that often poke light fun at their target audience: "One after another... nothing but the monsters of Alternative." The first song played on Lucy was World Party
's "Ship of Fools
", the last under the Lucy branding was the Tori Amos
cover of Smells Like Teen Spirit
.
alternative rock
.
In June 2007, as part of an overall XM management shift in philosophy toward the biggest hit songs on their channels, the playlist was altered so that the biggest hits that aired on Lucy went from a repeat cycle of 60–72 hours to 30–36 hours.
, both channels simulcast Sirius's "Lithium" which features 90s Alternative and grunge, although it began carrying Lucy's old playlist, which aired more than '90s alternative & grunge music but dropped the 2000s
songs. As of 2010
, Lithium is beginning to add 2000s alternative rock, mainly from the early 2000s, and carrying the playlist of the old Lucy channel.
Lithium (Sirius)
The original incarnation of Lithium was a 1990s grunge and alternative rock channel airing on Sirius Satellite Radio channel 24 and Dish Network channel 6024. It debuted on Sirius Satellite Radio on February 14, 2007, moving SIRIUS Disorder to channel 32 and later to channel 70...
is a 1990s grunge
Grunge
Grunge is a subgenre of alternative rock that emerged during the mid-1980s in the American state of Washington, particularly in the Seattle area. Inspired by hardcore punk, heavy metal, and indie rock, grunge is generally characterized by heavily distorted electric guitars, contrasting song...
and alternative rock
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
channel airing on Sirius Satellite Radio
Sirius Satellite Radio
Sirius Satellite Radio is a satellite radio service operating in North America, owned by Sirius XM Radio.Headquartered in New York City, with smaller studios in Los Angeles and Memphis, Sirius was officially launched on July 1, 2002 and currently provides 69 streams of music and 65 streams of...
channel 34 (previously 24), XM Satellite Radio
XM Satellite Radio
XM Satellite Radio is one of two satellite radio services in the United States and Canada, operated by Sirius XM Radio. It provides pay-for-service radio, analogous to cable television. Its service includes 73 different music channels, 39 news, sports, talk and entertainment channels, 21 regional...
channel 34 (previously 54), and Dish Network
Dish Network
Dish Network Corporation is the second largest pay TV provider in the United States, providing direct broadcast satellite service—including satellite television, audio programming, and interactive television services—to 14.337 million commercial and residential customers in the United States. Dish...
channel 6024. Until February 9, 2010, it was on Direct TV channel 838, but all of Sirius XM programming was dropped in favor of SonicTap.
While the primary focus is grunge and alternative rock, the channel also plays bands from the late '90s wave of alternative metal
Alternative metal
Alternative metal is a genre of alternative rock and heavy metal that gained popularity in the early 1990s. Most notably, alternative metal bands are characterized by heavy guitar riffs and experimental approaches to heavy music.-Origins:...
, such as Marilyn Manson
Marilyn Manson
Marilyn Manson may refer to:* Marilyn Manson , an American rock musician* Marilyn Manson , the American rock band led by the singer of the same name...
and Nine Inch Nails
Nine Inch Nails
Nine Inch Nails is an American industrial rock project, founded in 1988 by Trent Reznor in Cleveland, Ohio. As its main producer, singer, songwriter, and instrumentalist, Reznor is the only official member of Nine Inch Nails and remains solely responsible for its direction...
, as well as adult album alternative
Adult album alternative
Adult album alternative is a radio format. A spinoff from the album-oriented rock format, its roots trace to the 1960s and 1970s from the earlier freeform and progressive formats....
artists from Crash Test Dummies
Crash Test Dummies
The Crash Test Dummies is a Canadian folk rock/alternative rock band from Winnipeg, Manitoba, widely known for their 1993 single "Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm".The band is most identifiable through Brad Roberts and his distinctive bass-baritone voice...
and The Cranberries
The Cranberries
The Cranberries are an Irish rock band formed in Limerick in 1989 under the name The Cranberry Saw Us, later changed by vocalist Dolores O'Riordan. The band currently consists of O'Riordan, guitarist Noel Hogan, bassist Mike Hogan and drummer Fergal Lawler...
, and punk rock
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
artists from The Offspring
The Offspring
The Offspring is an American punk rock band from Huntington Beach, California, formed in 1984. Known as Manic Subsidal until 1986, the band consists of lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Dexter Holland, lead guitarist Kevin "Noodles" Wasserman, bassist Greg K. and drummer Pete Parada...
and Green Day
Green Day
Green Day is an American punk rock band formed in 1987. The band consists of lead vocalist and guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong, bassist and backing vocalist Mike Dirnt, and drummer Tre Cool...
. The channel's title is widely understood to be a nod
Nod (gesture)
A nod of the head is a gesture in which the head is tilted in alternating up and down arcs along the sagittal plane. In many cultures, it is most commonly, but not universally, used to indicate agreement, acceptance, or acknowledgment....
to the Nirvana song of the same name.
XM 54
2004 in radio
The year 2004 saw a number of significant events in radio broadcasting history.-Events:*30 October - In the UK a 163-metre-high radio mast at Peterborough collapses in a fire.-Debuts:...
describing itself as Alternative music is nearing its 25th year and where XM's Fred mines the library for the deep stuff, Lucy will focus solely on the biggest, most important songs in Alternative's history. 100% hits from the late 70's Bowie through the New Wave and Grunge eras to the defining songs of the late 90's. The channel was programmed largely under the watch of Music Director Bill Hutton who pulled most of the music from the hits of the alternative rock music genre of the late 1980s through now. Lucy was a DJ-free (and commercial-free) channel that relies on quick humorous promos that often poke light fun at their target audience: "One after another... nothing but the monsters of Alternative." The first song played on Lucy was World Party
World Party
World Party is a British pop/alternative rock band, which is essentially the solo project of its sole member, Karl Wallinger. He started the band in 1986 in London after leaving The Waterboys.-Career:...
's "Ship of Fools
Ship of Fools (World Party song)
"Ship of Fools" is a rock song performed by World Party. It was written and produced by singer and multi-instrumentalist Karl Wallinger, formerly of The Waterboys. Wallinger is the sole member of World Party....
", the last under the Lucy branding was the Tori Amos
Tori Amos
Tori Amos is an American pianist, singer-songwriter and composer. She was at the forefront of a number of female singer-songwriters in the early 1990s and was noteworthy early in her career as one of the few alternative rock performers to use a piano as her primary instrument...
cover of Smells Like Teen Spirit
Smells Like Teen Spirit
"Smells Like Teen Spirit" is a song by the American grunge band Nirvana. It is the opening track and lead single from the band's second album, Nevermind , released on DGC Records...
.
Sirius 24
On Sirius, the Lithium airing on both Sirius and XM today began on Sirius channel 24 in 2007. It was "Grunge And 90s Alternative" Like Lucy on XM, Lithium never had DJs.XM 54 Playlist modifications
In January 2006 XM began to alter the sound of the channel by adding current modern rock hits to its playlists and referring to the channel as a work in progress. The change was not warmly embraced by the majority of the audience and by June 2006 XM abandoned the changes, changing the channel to 1990s-leaning1990s in music
For music from a year in the 1990s, go to 90 | 91 | 92 | 93 | 94 | 95 | 96 | 97 | 98 | 99This article includes trends in popular music in the 1990s....
alternative rock
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
.
In June 2007, as part of an overall XM management shift in philosophy toward the biggest hit songs on their channels, the playlist was altered so that the biggest hits that aired on Lucy went from a repeat cycle of 60–72 hours to 30–36 hours.
Sirius and XM Merger
On November 12, 20082008 in radio
Several events occurred in radio in 2008.- Events :* January 2: WWFT finished Christmas music stunting, rolling out the red carpet for Adult contemporary music branded as "Warm."...
, both channels simulcast Sirius's "Lithium" which features 90s Alternative and grunge, although it began carrying Lucy's old playlist, which aired more than '90s alternative & grunge music but dropped the 2000s
2000s in music
For music from a year in the 2000s, go to 00 | 01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 | 07 | 08 | 09This article includes an overview of the major events and trends in popular music in the 2000s....
songs. As of 2010
2010 in radio
The following events occurred in radio in 2010.-Events:*Date Unknown: CHOI/Quebec City flips from Alternative Rock to News/Talk.*January 4: KJCS/Lufkin, Texas goes silent....
, Lithium is beginning to add 2000s alternative rock, mainly from the early 2000s, and carrying the playlist of the old Lucy channel.