Classic Hits Envovle

[e-dawg]

Just a curiosity question. When did Classic Hits become more retro pop hits? I remember in the 90's Classic Hits radio format was a soft version of Classic Rock. They didn't play any motown, R&B, Disco, mainstream 70s-80s pop hits like Diana Ross, The Bangles, Donna Summer, A-HA, Madonna, Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, Cindy Laupner, Earth Wind, & Fire, etc. I remember they play lots of Eric Clapton, Chicago, The Eagles, Jimmy Buffet, The Beatles, Foreigner, etc and tend to avoid harder Classic Rock such as Ozzie Osbourne, AC/DC.

I remember these stations back in the 90's considered to be Classic Hits and not Oldies or Classic Rock. Earth 105 Portland, old 107.7 KSAN before it evolved into Classic Rock, Arrow 93.1 Los Angeles, 102.3 The HAWK Eugene Or, the old 95.7 KJR-FM Seattle, the old 105.7 WROR Boston.

Now (2020), Classic Hits consists of 70s-90s pop hits which includes Whitney Houston, Bryan Adams, Madonna, Tears for Fears, Ace of Base, Tiffany, No Doubt, Abba, Donna Summer, Diana Ross, Pat Benetar, A-HA, Wang Chung, Pet Shop Boys, Level 42, etc.

 

[gr8oldies]

I worked at a couple of Classic Hits stations in the late 80s. For whatever reason (I guess it was still a thing in Indiana then) they didn't want to sell Classic Rock to clients. One of them still included a few Motown and Aretha hits sprinkled in (the theory apparently being that people grew up with top 40 until about 1971 and switched to Progressive/AOR. We had a short current playlist with almost only Rock hits. Today's version of Classic Hits are oldies, moved forward, and mostly pop hits from the 70s or 80s and beyond.

I believe Charlie Van Dyke may have originated the term with some stations he consulted in the mid 80s, including WIRE-1430 in Indianapolis, which left country briefly for a Classic Hits format.

 

[davideduardo]

I worked at a couple of Classic Hits stations in the late 80s. For whatever reason (I guess it was still a thing in Indiana then) they didn't want to sell Classic Rock to clients. One of them still included a few Motown and Aretha hits sprinkled in (the theory apparently being that people grew up with top 40 until about 1971 and switched to Progressive/AOR. We had a short current playlist with almost only Rock hits. Today's version of Classic Hits are oldies, moved forward, and mostly pop hits from the 70s or 80s and beyond.

The term "classic hits" was developed by oldies stations that started to move from a 60's and early 70's focus as far back as the very late 80. The new focus was 70's and early 80's focus. Because the term "oldies" had developed a stigma at ad agencies, the stations doing that shift away from older material wanted to have a new name for sales presentations, and "classic hits" came into common use.

But many of those stations continued to call themselves "oldies" on the air. It was not until the turn of the century that it was felt that on-air "oldies" needed to gradually disappear. Some stations did it quickly, others let the term fade.

But the confusion was the overlap of "classic" between classic rock and classic hits. One was the aftermath of the Superstars formats of the 70's, the other was a progression of Top 40 songs from currents on Top 40 to library on gold based formats.

 

[vchimpanzee]

I remember two "classic hits" stations in the 80s.

I don't remember the music but in Myrtle Beach SC I was going from one station to another in the car and I heard one at 105.9 in Orlando.

The other I heard in western North Carolina when I knew the station now called WMYI Greenville SC was getting ready to improve its signal. Before that actually happened I heard the station now called WXLY in Charleston SC. Even though it was called "classic hits" I remember "Chantilly Lace" by The Big Bopper was one of the songs played.