SONGS THAT MAKE YOU CRY

“Highway to Hell” by AC/DC? That is only one of the surprising songs submitted by NPR Music listeners to Bob Boilen, Katie Presley and Robin Hilton of the “All Songs Considered” podcast.

For example, one listener told the story of his father who hated sad funerals and asked his son to play “Highway to Hell” at his memorial service. When dad died, that is just what the son did.

When he attended Coachella later that year, the son wore his dad’s shirt and wept openly when AC/DC fired up his dad’s favorite song. Hear the story in this link, and download the outstanding 42-minute podcast here. http://www.npr.org/sections/allsongs/2015/05/19/406500138/the-songs-that-make-us-cry

SETUP: This topic is all about personal stories. Solicit listeners days in advance for a special segment featuring their songs and the stories behind why the songs make them cry. Allow submissions through social media, email and voice mail and get the listener on the phone to tell the story for airtime if you can.

Important: Play song clips instead of full songs. Each clip is a vehicle for a story, so remember that songs outside your station’s format are fair game if it comes with a compelling story. For example, a short clip of a hip hop song on a country radio show is OK. “All Songs Considered” would normally not play AC/DC, but they played a clip.