View from V2 Radio From vinyl records to Spotify – how our love of pop music has changed - By V2 Radio's Ian Crouch

Music has been the soundtrack to almost my entire life. From the moment I discovered pop music as a youngster, I was hooked – and, thankfully, nothing much has changed!

I must have been about nine or ten when I started raiding my older brother's record collection, discovering the latest hits and developing my own musical tastes.

By 12, I was spending my pocket money on records and tuning into Radio Luxembourg at night. Back then, it was one of the few ways to hear a regular diet of pop music after dark, broadcasting its English service from 7pm until 2am.

Those were magical evenings, listening to songs and discovering artists who would become lifelong favourites.

By my mid-teens, I was collecting seven-inch singles at an alarming rate. Eventually, that obsession turned into running a mobile disco, entertaining people at weddings, birthdays and school parties.

Little did I know it would lead to my dream career – presenting on the radio, something I've now enjoyed for 30 years.

Of course, the music industry I grew up with looks very different today.

Gone are the days of saving up for a single and carrying it home from the record shop. Now, with a few taps on your phone, you've got practically every song ever recorded at your fingertips.

But here's something that puzzles me.

With so much music available, why do the same artists seem to dominate the charts week after week?

Names like Sabrina Carpenter, Chappell Roan, Alex Warren and Myles Smith have enjoyed enormous success. All talented, of course, but the way we discover their music has changed.

I reckon Spotify, YouTube and social media now have far more influence over what becomes a hit than traditional radio.

Radio still plays an important role, reinforcing those favourites and introducing songs to new listeners. But streaming has undoubtedly given successful tracks a much longer shelf life.

One thing hasn't changed, though.

Pop music is alive, thriving and constantly reinventing itself.

And after all these years, I still get the same buzz playing a great song on the radio as I did listening to those records as a youngster.

Long may that continue!

You can hear Ian Crouch on V2 Radio's Drivetime show, broadcasting across Sussex on DAB, online at v2radio.co.uk and through your smart speaker.