It Wasn't The End Of The World ... And Radio Had Fun With It

The Associated Press, Saturday, December 22, 2012, 2:01pm (PST)

Billboard -- Well, we're all still here. Or, as a friend posted on Facebook, "Can't tell if we survived the apocalypse or all my friends just came to hell with me :)"

While the stroke of midnight and this morning's sunrise disproved the Mayans' doomsday prediction for yesterday (Dec. 21), radio nevertheless had fun with the prophecy, as the dire forecast's signature song, R.E.M. 's "It's the End of the World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine)," registered a hefty surge in airplay yesterday and in recent days. The track, a college radio hit that reached No. 69 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1988, logged 135 plays in the U.S. yesterday among the more than 1,200 stations monitored by Nielsen BDS for the Hot 100. That's up from 50 on Thursday and just 18 on Wednesday. (We'll be able to gauge any potential boost in the song's sales (as well as a likely subsequent tapering off of its airplay) when the latest Nielsen SoundScan figures are released next week.) Alternative KENZ Salt Lake City led the way with eight spins for "End" yesterday after not having aired the song at all earlier in the week. The plays shouldn't come as a surprise: KENZ uses the moniker "101.9 The End." The station's "Funny Tweets" page on its website likewise plays up the Dec. 21 hype. Among thoughts shared is this observation from comedian Zach Broussard: "I predict December 21st will be the end of talking about the Mayans."

Related article on Billboard.com:

Mayan Apocalypse Playlist: 15 Doomsday Songs For 12/21

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