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1%%Image chosen via crowner in the Image Suggestion thread: https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/crowner.php/ImagePickin/ImageSuggestions99
2%% https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=1452266899092104700
3%%Please do not change or remove without starting a new thread.
4
5[[quoteright:270:[[WesternAnimation/AGoofyMovie https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/car2.png]]]]
6
7->'''Sam:''' I swear, man, you gotta update your cassette tape collection.\
8'''Dean:''' Why?\
9'''Sam:''' Well, for one, they're cassette tapes. And two, Music/BlackSabbath? Music/{{Motorhead}}? Music/{{Metallica}}? It's the greatest hits of mullet rock.\
10'''Dean:''' House rules, Sammy. Driver picks the music, shotgun shuts his cake hole.
11-->-- ''Series/{{Supernatural}}'', "[[Recap/SupernaturalS01E01Pilot Pilot]]"
12
13AliceAndBob are in a car, and Bob turns on the radio (usually to a music station). Alice hates whatever Bob turned on, and either switches to a different station, or tells him to change it. Either way, it leads to an argument, usually culminating with Bob kicking Alice out of the car.
14
15----
16!!Examples:
17[[foldercontrol]]
18[[folder:Films -- Animated]]
19* ''WesternAnimation/AllDogsGoToHeaven'': When Charlie meets up with Carface after escaping from the pound, Charlie turns on the radio so he can listen to some jazz while they talk, while Carface turns it off so they can just talk business. They go back and forth until Carface has enough and pulls out the knob to turn off the radio for good.
20* In ''WesternAnimation/AGoofyMovie'', Max listens to the car radio, which is playing heavy rock music, until Goofy puts in an 8-track tape with the song "High Hopes" on it. The two then switch the music back and forth over and over until the radio/cassette player breaks.
21-->'''Max:''' Oh, great, Dad. Now we don't have ''any'' music!
22* ''WesternAnimation/ShrekForeverAfter'': Played with. In the alternate timeline created by Rumpelstiltskin, Donkey never met Shrek and is instead forced to work for two witches, pulling their wagon while also entertaining them with a song. The witch riding shotgun doesn't like the song and whips Donkey to make him sing something else, but then the witch holding the reins claims she gets to pick the music as she is driving, and whips Donkey again to make him switch to another song.
23[[/folder]]
24
25[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]
26* In ''Film/TheBigLebowski'', the Dude gets in an argument with a cab driver because he "hates the fucking Music/{{Eagles}}". The driver throws him out of the cab.
27* In ''Film/FredClaus'', Fred leaves a taxi because of its playing Christmas music.
28* ''[[Film/KingdomCome2001 Kingdom Come (2001)]]'': PlayedForLaughs when the BlackSheep Royce is stuck in the car with his [[MyBelovedSmother overbearing mother]] Marguerite, out of gas in hot weather and high tempers on the way to a funeral. They end up yanking the radio dial back and forth between Music/MCHammer and gospel music until it pulls off.
29-->'''Marguerite:''' Haha! Jesus got the knob!\
30'''Royce:''' That's cool, mom, that's cool, ''[='=]cause Satan got the car key!''
31* In ''Film/{{Roma}}'', the children have an ongoing dispute about which radio program is the best and fight over it whenever they get in the car.
32* In ''Film/RushHour'', the duo get into this argument early on in the film when Lee turns on "Surfin' U.S.A." by Music/TheBeachBoys.
33-->'''Carter:''' Don't you ever touch a black man's radio, boy!
34* In ''Film/TheSecretLifeOfWalterMitty'', Walter daydreams about an episode of ''Series/{{Conan}}'' featuring him, and leaves the cab because of it.
35* ''Film/TommyBoy'' has the Tommy in a argument over the radio with Richard, until they land on "Superstar" by the Carpenters, which they both try to talk one another into switch away from. A GilliganCut later, they're singing along, tears streaming down their faces.
36* PlayedForLaughs in ''Film/TopSecret''. While Nick Rivers and Nigel are fighting inside a truck, they also fight over which station to listen to on the radio. Watch it [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WoQlZLxGO1g#t=10s here]].
37[[/folder]]
38
39[[folder:Literature]]
40* ''Literature/{{Clue}}'': In book #8, chapter 6 ("Who Bent the Bentley?"), after the third driver takes over, they get in an argument with Colonel Mustard over the radio (the driver prefers Easy Listening, he wants something else), taking their eyes off the road and ending up crashing into a tree as a result.
41* ''Literature/DiaryOfAWimpyKid: The Long Haul'': Frank says that only the driver gets to control the radio. Greg likes sitting in the front seat besides needing to listen to his country music. Later, when Rodrick drives over the bridge, he sets it to heavy metal, which makes Frank uncomfortable.
42[[/folder]]
43
44[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
45* ''Series/CarShare'': Averted, despite the amount of time they spend listening to the car radio, although John only listens to Kayleigh's choice of radio station grudgingly at first. In the final episode they argue over turning the volume up and down on a particular song, shortly before [[spoiler:Kayleigh walks out on him for the last time]].
46* ''{{Series/Cavendish}}'': The very first episode begins with Mark and Andy driving over the Confederation Bridge, as Mark cheerfully sings along to the ''Anne Of Green Gables'' soundtrack until a brooding Andy turns it off. (Since this is set on Prince Edward Island, an ''Anne Of Green Gables'' reference was probably inevitable).
47* A variation appears in the ''Series/EverybodyLovesRaymond'' episode, "Big Shots". On the way home from a disasterous event with the 69 Mets, Robert starts humming the "Meet the Mets," tune, so Ray turns on the radio; the louder Ray turns up the radio, the louder Robert sings, until finally Robert strains his throat, and gives in, as Ray cuts off the radio.
48* Two variations of this appear on ''Series/{{Seinfeld}}''.
49** In "The Wig Master," Kramer keeps playing with George's car radio, until finally George snaps, "Would you just pick a station?!" Kramer says, "I like 'em all!" The knob pops off as a result.
50** In "The Burning," Elaine borrows Puddy's car, and discovers all of his presets are programmed to Christian Rock stations. As an experiment, George suggests she changes the presets to see if he'll change them back, which he apparently does.
51* In ''Series/{{Supernatural}}'', this is a recurring argument between Sam and Dean, as Dean always drives and always listens to classic rock, which Sam seems less than fond of. When Dean comes back from the dead for the first time, he immediately rips out the ipod jack Sam had installed to play tapes again.
52%% * Happens in an episode of ''Series/TheWalkingDead'', of all shows.
53* ''Series/{{Wiseguy}}'' had this argument when Vinnie Terranova, Frank [=McPike=] and Daniel Burroughs all decide to go on a camping trip together, through it takes place in their residence rather than a car, with each in turn entering the room and changing the music.
54[[/folder]]
55
56[[folder:Video Games]]
57* ''VideoGame/RoadToGuangdong'' can have this happening during gameplay. En route to Guangdong, China with your (local) grandaunt, you're driving an old jalopy that plays only two channels, an Oriental channel filled with traditional Cantonese / Mandarin songs, and a Western channel that plays rap. Your grandaunt is adamant to stick to the former channel, and if you switch to the Western radio she'll switch it back shortly. You can have a radio-switching war back and forth, and after a while you can hear your grandaunt audibly grumbling.
58[[/folder]]
59
60[[folder:Web Video]]
61* A scene from ''Series/TheMandalorian'' where The Child repeatedly presses buttons in the ''Razor Crest'' (to Mando's annoyance) has received numerous fan edits to make it look like they're fighting over the radio.
62[[/folder]]
63
64[[folder:Western Animation]]
65* ''WesternAnimation/{{Arthur}}'':
66** A downplayed version appears in "Cast Away," in which during a car trip to the lake, the Read family try to pass the time with the radio; Arthur ''begs'' his parents not to play D.W.'s ''Mary Moo Cow'' CD, so they listen to his ''[[Literature/HarryPotter Henry Skreever]]'' audiobook instead, however, the cassette player eats the tape, so they listen to D.W.'s ''Mary Moo Cow'' CD instead, much to his chagrin.
67** Downplayed in "Arthur's Perfect Christmas" every time Arthur hears the radio jingle for Tina the Talking Tabby, which D.W. loves to hear because that is the toy she wants for Christmas. When her mom obliges her to change the station, she changes it to a station playing a jazz tune. Later on, when Arthur asks his dad to put something else on, he puts in a cassette of "[[CharactersMostHatedSong Crazy Bus]]".
68* ''WesternAnimation/BigCityGreens'': In "Date Night", Cricket tries to talk to Gabriella about their favorite ''America Rat'' movie, but Bill chooses that moment to play a sappy love song on the radio, which drowns out Cricket's talking. He tries to turn it off, but every time Bill turns it back on.
69* ''WesternAnimation/DCSuperHeroGirls2019'': Kara and Jessica fight over the radio in "Super Wonder Bat Bee Zee Lantern Mobile" ; Jessica wants classical music, Kara wants heavy metal.
70* In one short of ''The Dukes Of Broxstonia'' has Arj and Larj fighting over the radio by turning on and off to the point that Barj almost runs over a deer and crashes into a rock and sending the group flying to the concert. After the concert manager pushes them out of his concert, Arj and Larj [[HereWeGoAgain fight over the radio again]] causing Barj to scream at them.
71* ''WesternAnimation/GravityFalls'': In "[[Recap/GravityFallsS2E7SocietyOfTheBlindEye Society of the Blind Eye]]", Soos [[RunningGag continuously]] turns on "Straight Blanchin'" and Wendy is outraged by it. One of the times he puts it on, they are riding in his pick-up truck. Wendy throws the CD out the window, though she immediately regrets it and says she'll buy him a new one.
72* ''WesternAnimation/LooneyTunesCartoons'': In "Battle Stations", Daffy and Porky fight over which station to listen to; Daffy wants to listen to upbeat jazz, Porky wants soft classical music. The fighting gets more and more violent, until they reach a station they both like, which plays polka music. And then the car goes over a cliff.
73* ''WesternAnimation/TheLoudHouse'': In "[[Recap/TheLoudHouseS3E10DealMeOutFriendzy Friendzy]]", one of the arguments the Loud siblings have is what to listen to on Vanzilla's radio. When they can't agree on a station, the parents decide they'll choose what to listen to. They pick country music, much to the kids' chagrin.
74* ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'':
75** In "Homerpalooza", Homer has to drive a carpool for Bart & Lisa to get to school, along with Milhouse & Nelson, and tries to "party" with the kids by playing ClassicRock on the radio, which they loathe.
76** In "[[Recap/TheSimpsonsS6E5SideshowBobRoberts Sideshow Bob Roberts]]", Lisa argues with Homer when he tunes his car radio to a Creator/RushLimbaugh {{expy}}.
77--->'''Lisa:''' Dad, I had to listen to this jerk all morning! Can we listen to something else?\
78'''Homer:''' When I'm driving the car, I get to choose the radio station. When ''you're'' driving, we'll listen to ''your'' radio station.\
79''(GilliganCut to 8-year-old Lisa driving the car, with the radio playing "St. Elmo's Fire" by John Parr)''\
80'''Homer:''' Ooh, I can't take this anymore! Let's switch back!
81* ''WesternAnimation/StormHawks'': At the beginning of "Absolute Power", the team is in the bridge of the [[AirborneAircraftCarrier Condor]], working to the sound of record music selected by Piper. Finn keeps swapping it out for one of his own records instead, and Piper ends up blowing up at him and throwing his record across the room.
82* ''WesternAnimation/UncleGrandpa'': An OverlyLongGag version of this trope (as in, lasting for a whole segment) occurs between Mr. Gus and Pizza Steve. Mr. Gus's conclusion is that if Pizza Steve wants to listen to different music, then he should be the one to drive. It turns out Pizza Steve doesn't drive very well.
83[[/folder]]

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