The key is to find a locally owned station. Midwest Family Broadcasting owns a bunch around here (Springfield, IL based mostly) Not only are they not bound by ClearChannel/record company rules but they also market their stations effectively. They have an excellent hard rock station, and, my favorite, one specifically aimed at women 18-35 or something. Seems to hit songs I like 85-90 percent of the time. And never ranges into the stuff I absolutely abhor. (It's not sappy music either) One of their stations also plays entire CDs late at night
Without that station I'm stuck flipping stations all the time.