The ideal adult standards format

[semoochie]

Correct. As far as Sammy Cahn was concerned, that was the ONLY version.

I played the Frank Sinatra version for my wife's baby brother's best friend, who's in his early 50s. I've talked to him extensively about various artists of my life and we usually agree. He's very big on the Beatles, for instance, to the point that he sometimes rolls into a Ringo accent. He found the song to be slow and boring. If that is common among people in their 50s, I don't expect this music to have a long life remaining!

 

[Gregg.]

I think that's a great list... but it's about 20 - 25 years too old. It would be great in 2000 or 1995 but not 2020. But I think it is weighed too much on songs and artists who are too old, and not enough on more recent Soft AC songs.

Only 3 songs by Captain & Tennille, not all of their hits? Only one song from Cher? The only Natalie Cole songs are duets? The two Celine Dion songs are ones that were never hits? You DON'T have TITANIC?

Yet you have Fred Astaire, Ella Fitzgerald, Xavier Cugat, Tommy Dorsey? Who is the audience for this music?

Sorry, I know you put a lot of work in this list. But you have to get rid of any song recorded before 1960 and any artist who didn't have a top 10 hit in 1960 or later. 1960 was 60 years ago. How many people are potential listeners?

Perhaps a purist would say I want an adult standards playlist with few standards. Well, maybe that's true. But you could lose potential listeners who would say, this playlist is better suited for my parents... even if that listener is 65 or older.

 

[vchimpanzee]

I think that's a great list... but it's about 20 - 25 years too old. It would be great in 2000 or 1995 but not 2020. But I think it is weighed too much on songs and artists who are too old, and not enough on more recent Soft AC songs.

Only 3 songs by Captain & Tennille, not all of their hits? Only one song from Cher? The only Natalie Cole songs are duets? The two Celine Dion songs are ones that were never hits? You DON'T have TITANIC?

Yet you have Fred Astaire, Ella Fitzgerald, Xavier Cugat, Tommy Dorsey? Who is the audience for this music?

Sorry, I know you put a lot of work in this list. But you have to get rid of any song recorded before 1960 and any artist who didn't have a top 10 hit in 1960 or later. 1960 was 60 years ago. How many people are potential listeners?

Perhaps a purist would say I want an adult standards playlist with few standards. Well, maybe that's true. But you could lose potential listeners who would say, this playlist is better suited for my parents... even if that listener is 65 or older.

I was wondering how long it would take to get a response like yours. You should see my REAL ideal list.

What you want is America's Best Music. That's a satellite format which is still available on a number of stations, some of which stream online. I like that music but sometimes wish there were more actual standards and less AC.

I once wanted a pure standards format, and there may be a few of those. I think WLML in the Palm Beach, FL market may be one, though that's the music the owner wants to do. I don't listen to any of those because I like songs that are familiar. There may be others which are noncommercial and still others available through background music services such as Muzak.

Now I've decided the ideal adult standards format should have some oldies and a few adult contemporary tunes. And no, I do NOT like Celine Dion but the "Titanic" song probably should be on that list. I included several others I don't like that would fit.

And there are about a dozen songs I realize I forgot to list, but you probably wouldn't want any of those.

By the way, look at the next topic. Charlotte had a standards station, which is back on the air, which would make my list look positively cutting edge. I wish it would stream because I don't think I can pick it up here, but I'm hoping to go close enough to hear it in the car soon.

 

[semoochie]

I was wondering how long it would take to get a response like yours. You should see my REAL ideal list.

What you want is America's Best Music. That's a satellite format which is still available on a number of stations, some of which stream online. I like that music but sometimes wish there were more actual standards and less AC.

I once wanted a pure standards format, and there may be a few of those. I think WLML in the Palm Beach, FL market may be one, though that's the music the owner wants to do. I don't listen to any of those because I like songs that are familiar. There may be others which are noncommercial and still others available through background music services such as Muzak.

Now I've decided the ideal adult standards format should have some oldies and a few adult contemporary tunes. And no, I do NOT like Celine Dion but the "Titanic" song probably should be on that list. I included several others I don't like that would fit.

And there are about a dozen songs I realize I forgot to list, but you probably wouldn't want any of those.

By the way, look at the next topic. Charlotte had a standards station, which is back on the air, which would make my list look positively cutting edge. I wish it would stream because I don't think I can pick it up here, but I'm hoping to go close enough to hear it in the car soon.

When the original "Music of Your Life" was still at full steam, we had a competitor, which eventually became "America's Best Music", not unlike it is now, a combination of old standards and soft AC. It bombed, dreadfully, because the core audience just wanted to hear true standards! After the MOYL station was gone, the station that bombed, so dreadfully, came back, with the same satellite feed, on the same frequency, went straight into the top ten(maybe five)and stayed there for many years!

 

[vchimpanzee]

When the original "Music of Your Life" was still at full steam, we had a competitor, which eventually became "America's Best Music", not unlike it is now, a combination of old standards and soft AC.

How long ago was that?

The first time I remember America's Best Music having too much AC was in 2001. But I can see where people would have objected to some of the songs before that. I liked the AC songs they did play. But a lot of what I was hearing was new to me and I liked it. Stardust and MOYL were true standards formats to begin with but the other one never was.

And as I hear Dan Fogelberg on the current version of the format, I realize I left out every one of his songs! That was not intentional. I'm going back and adding them to the list and I'll post it somewhere else eventually.

 

[semoochie]

How long ago was that?

The first time I remember America's Best Music having too much AC was in 2001. But I can see where people would have objected to some of the songs before that. I liked the AC songs they did play. But a lot of what I was hearing was new to me and I liked it. Stardust and MOYL were true standards formats to begin with but the other one never was.

And as I hear Dan Fogelberg on the current version of the format, I realize I left out every one of his songs! That was not intentional. I'm going back and adding them to the list and I'll post it somewhere else eventually.

The station's first appearance was in 1987. In August, they switched to Oldies and after beginning a simulcast the following February, changed the AM about a year later, I would say sometime in 1989.

 

[vchimpanzee]

The station's first appearance was in 1987. In August, they switched to Oldies and after beginning a simulcast the following February, changed the AM about a year later, I would say sometime in 1989.

So in 1989 people objected to mixing standards and soft AC?

We had the format in Charlotte although I didn't live there. I could buy The Charlotte Observer where I was or see it at the library, so I knew. It went talk at night. However, the Observer, which always had excellent coverage of radio until just a few years ago (now I get all my radio news from here) called the format "oldies". I could tell from the detailed description what it was. The weird thing is that the format they switched from was rock and roll oldies.

But this didn't last all that long. That station ended up switching to Z-Rock.

I knew this might happen. There are two songs I need to remove from my list, and I have done it on the list I will eventually post elsewhere. I can't edit my list here. One of the songs, when I heard it yesterday, was too loud and I was remembering it incorrectly. It might have fit but there wasn't a good reason for it. The other was a Beatles song I thought I heard two weeks ago and decided it was too good not to include. But when I heard the song yesterday, it wasn't that song or it least it was louder than I remembered. It's not a song I would choose if I was making the choices, so it had to go.

 

[semoochie]

So in 1989 people objected to mixing standards and soft AC?

We had the format in Charlotte although I didn't live there. I could buy The Charlotte Observer where I was or see it at the library, so I knew. It went talk at night. However, the Observer, which always had excellent coverage of radio until just a few years ago (now I get all my radio news from here) called the format "oldies". I could tell from the detailed description what it was. The weird thing is that the format they switched from was rock and roll oldies.

But this didn't last all that long. That station ended up switching to Z-Rock.

I knew this might happen. There are two songs I need to remove from my list, and I have done it on the list I will eventually post elsewhere. I can't edit my list here. One of the songs, when I heard it yesterday, was too loud and I was remembering it incorrectly. It might have fit but there wasn't a good reason for it. The other was a Beatles song I thought I heard two weeks ago and decided it was too good not to include. But when I heard the song yesterday, it wasn't that song or it least it was louder than I remembered. It's not a song I would choose if I was making the choices, so it had to go.

No, the original format was still going in 1987 and its listeners preferred their favorite music to their favorite music mixed with music from the next generation! It's the same reason that I don't like Adult Standards now because I have to tolerate the standards to get to the soft oldies! By 1989, the all standards format was gone and older listeners had no choice but to listen to a station that still played SOME standards! In addition, this was the time that Easy Listening stations(the descendants of Beautiful Music)were dropping like flies!

 

[firepoint525]

No, the original format was still going in 1987 and its listeners preferred their favorite music to their favorite music mixed with music from the next generation! It's the same reason that I don't like Adult Standards now because I have to tolerate the standards to get to the soft oldies! By 1989, the all standards format was gone and older listeners had no choice but to listen to a station that still played SOME standards! In addition, this was the time that Easy Listening stations(the descendants of Beautiful Music)were dropping like flies!

Ordinarily, I would agree, but I recently discovered this station, which is clearly misnomered as an "AC" station. It is definitely NOT an "AC" station as we know them now. They even have an "EZ" in their call letters. (I don't know if they had previously been what we now know as an AC station, but they are clearly not one now.)

https://myez999.com/

Here is their radio-locator info:

https://radio-locator.com/cgi-bin/finder?call=wqez&x=11&y=5&sr=Y&s=C

Alexa calls them "beautiful hits."

 

[Groove1670]

Adult Standards is done. It was great but has aged out. I'm 54 and I really don't care to hear Sinatra, Dinah Shore, etc. Even my mother (who is 79) says that was her parents music. It is a niche format.

I started seeing the decline standards around 1989. It was getting more difficult to sell (and we were in a older demo market). We switched to N/T and did much better.

Soft AC is the successor. Expect to see more stations created.

 

[vchimpanzee]

Adult Standards is done. It was great but has aged out. I'm 54 and I really don't care to hear Sinatra, Dinah Shore, etc. Even my mother (who is 79) says that was her parents music. It is a niche format.

I started seeing the decline standards around 1989. It was getting more difficult to sell (and we were in a older demo market). We switched to N/T and did much better.

Standards was new in 1989, and it has done quite well, if not financially.

Replying to the person who said nothing over 60 years old should be played, why do the songs automatically not sound good any more if they are that old? The answer is they don't. I still like them.

And what about this station? https://mytotalradio.com/waiz/index.html They don't make a lot of money but it's the music the owner likes. Not standards, but a lot of the songs are standards.

On the subject of mixing styles, I tell myself i don't have to have just standards, until I listen to the music on "Family Guy".

 

[vchimpanzee]

Soft AC is the successor. Expect to see more stations created.

I don't like it. It's not "soft" and most of the stations that started out close to soft are playing music that i really don't want to hear.

 

[semoochie]

Ordinarily, I would agree, but I recently discovered this station, which is clearly misnomered as an "AC" station. It is definitely NOT an "AC" station as we know them now. They even have an "EZ" in their call letters. (I don't know if they had previously been what we now know as an AC station, but they are clearly not one now.)

https://myez999.com/

Here is their radio-locator info:

https://radio-locator.com/cgi-bin/finder?call=wqez&x=11&y=5&sr=Y&s=C

Alexa calls them "beautiful hits."

I don't mean to appear abrupt but I have no idea what you are talking about. It wasn't my intent to state an opinion but rather, an attempt to provide an historical perspective. There is no indication on their website as to what the format is and no apparent stream. I believe that there was once a successful Beautiful music station that kept the "EZ" call letters and became a successful Top 40!

 

[semoochie]

Standards was new in 1989, and it has done quite well, if not financially.

Replying to the person who said nothing over 60 years old should be played, why do the songs automatically not sound good any more if they are that old? The answer is they don't. I still like them.

And what about this station? https://mytotalradio.com/waiz/index.html They don't make a lot of money but it's the music the owner likes. Not standards, but a lot of the songs are standards.

On the subject of mixing styles, I tell myself i don't have to have just standards, until I listen to the music on "Family Guy".

Adult Standards was not new in 1989. That's about the time it was evolving to what it is now. Before that, it was 30s, 40s, 50s and some 60s(along the line of Frank Sinatra), eventually dropping the 30s and adding more Sinatra type 60s.

 

[John Gallagher]

When the original "Music of Your Life" was still at full steam, we had a competitor, which eventually became "America's Best Music", not unlike it is now, a combination of old standards and soft AC. It bombed, dreadfully, because the core audience just wanted to hear true standards! After the MOYL station was gone, the station that bombed, so dreadfully, came back, with the same satellite feed, on the same frequency, went straight into the top ten(maybe five)and stayed there for many years!

I was PD of a local then MOYL affiliate from 1988-1992. Eventually, by 1992, the station dropped MOYL, got rid of local announcers, and switched to the satellite-fed AM ONLY. I noticed right away, as a then off-air PD since corporate chose to not have a live morning show, that AM ONLY was much more contemporary sounding than MOYL. I left in 1992 as the station was being sold. Eventually, the station became sports and talk.

 

[John Gallagher]

Air Supply, Christopher Cross, and Michael Bolton are the new easy listening artists.

 

[CTListener]

Air Supply, Christopher Cross, and Michael Bolton are the new easy listening artists.

But ... but ... they're too LOUD!!!

 

[firepoint525]

I don't mean to appear abrupt but I have no idea what you are talking about. It wasn't my intent to state an opinion but rather, an attempt to provide an historical perspective. There is no indication on their website as to what the format is and no apparent stream. I believe that there was once a successful Beautiful music station that kept the "EZ" call letters and became a successful Top 40!

It is what I would call an "elevator music" station. I discovered it when trying to find out the format of another station that their parent company had purchased. Last time that I was aware of a similar-formatted station was nearly 30 years ago when I lived in the same town.

 

[gr8oldies]

The first Standards station I had ever heard was WRFD, Columbus, Ohio, in 1979 when they identified themselves at "The Unrock of Central Ohio". Music of Your Life was in development but as far as I know, wasn't on the air yet. It was sad when CKLW flipped to Music of Your Life in 1984, but they sounded good doing it. They did a request show on Saturday mornings when they would go back to the 30s at times. Fast forward to 1996, when I worked at a Westwood One AM Only/Adult Standards station on the AM side, which was oldies on the FM, where I jocked oldies. Probably 25% of the titles we had in common between the 2 stations. AM Only claimed to play the best of the 40s, 50s and 60s but I think the only song from the 40s was "In the Mood". Likely a lot of the early 50s material was re-sung in the 60s for stereo.

It is what I would call an "elevator music" station. I discovered it when trying to find out the format of another station that their parent company had purchased. Last time that I was aware of a similar-formatted station was nearly 30 years ago when I lived in the same town.

 

[Groove1670]

But ... but ... they're too LOUD!!!

Home Depot has the best Soft AC station in my opinion I've never really notice in house channels until I heard it.