As I’m sure you’ll all be aware, Zane Lowe’s last ever Radio 1 show went out to air last Thursday. The DJ has left the station to move to the US and take up a job at Apple.
Whilst altrocklife wishes Zane all the best, I can’t help but think that Radio 1 will find it extremely difficult to replace him. As long as I can remember listening to Radio 1, the 7-9pm slot on Monday to Thursday evenings has always belonged to him. Radio 1 will surely suffer without his distinct New Zealand voice on the airwaves.
Anyone on Twitter will have noticed the hashtag #ThanksZane trending on Thursday, encouraging fans and artists alike to sing Zane’s praises. Here are some of my favourite tweets from the evening:
Huge thanks to Zane for all the support over the years, he helped us start on @BBCR1 and we couldn’t be more grateful! @zanelowe #ThanksZane
— Mallory Knox (@MalloryKnoxband) March 5, 2015
Thank you for everything @zanelowe – your love of music was infectious and your enthusiasm unmatched. #ThanksZane — Gerard Way (@gerardway) March 5, 2015
greatest thing about talking to @zanelowe over the years is the true passion he has for music- legend. #ThanksZane pic.twitter.com/Vq292gkCdt
— Pete Wentz (@petewentz) March 5, 2015
.@zanelowe was first to play us on radio making our first demo his hottest record, one of our favourite memories as a band. #ThanksZane — The Vaccines (@thevaccines) March 5, 2015
Zane’s show has been credited for making and breaking a number of artists – not only The Vaccines, as mentioned above, but a whole host of acts from every genre imaginable.
That was something I always liked about Zane – his taste in music is extremely broad, but he is still able to pick out the most talented from all of them. If an act has the Zane Lowe stamp of approval, or a song is chosen as his “hottest record in the world right now”, then you know it’s gonna be big.
Plus, Zane’s show was always the place to be if you wanted to hear Reading and Leeds line-up announcements – he often broke the news before anyone else.
Since joining Radio 1 in 2003, Zane Lowe has been an influential voice in the UK music industry. He’s conducted interviews which have coaxed exclusive information out of the toughest of interviewees. NME have put together a list of Zane’s Top 10 interviews, so if you’re unfamiliar with his work, now is the perfect opportunity to get acquainted.
So, this is my own personal #ThanksZane message: Thank you for inspiring me to work towards becoming a music journalist. Your show has been influential to my education and career path since the beginning, and I hope one day to have a legacy as well-known as yours. And thanks for introducing me to some of my favourite artists. I would never have listened to fantastic acts such as Of Mice & Men, Pierce The Veil, Royal Blood and Mallory Knox if you hadn’t supported them every step of the way. Zane Lowe, you are a monster.
Currently listening to: Breaking The Habit – Linkin Park
altrocklife 