Who's Doing Good Radio In Boston?

[TheBigA]

And she kept at it even after her first single didn't do much. I'm curious to see how radio reacts to her follow-up to "Things a Man Oughta Know," but that might not come for a while, as most stations are still playing the hell out of her big summer hit here in October.

What radio stations say is they don't want a one hit wonder. They want to build careers. So its likely that the major stations have already seen her perform (she's been on tour with Jason Aldean) and have heard at least half of her album. They've heard the next single and have seen the audience response in a live setting. So they may be pre-sold.

I said it takes work for the artist, but it also takes work for the radio station. They have to attend showcases or invite artists to the station. Most of the ones I know promote small shows in area clubs, and invite a group of their regular listeners (either by social media or through their loyal listener club). Those that don't might work with a consultant who does the homework. As I often say, this is not a hobby. It takes a lot of work to be successful.

 

[Retro]

The fallacy of that point is that you can't test songs until they have been played lots of times. New music is uncertain; were it predictable labels would only issue

Yes, however I am talking about previously known "proven" hits instead. It is like this or that artist had a good span of hits throughout their career, however you only end up only picking 2 or 3 of their biggest hits, at tops!

I am betting that if a station programmed an old "oh, wow" hit, that the devoted will cling to the song. Then after just a few weeks, the song has been played often enough to become "known!" Now the other listeners also like it as well. Now, it tests well again too!

Somehow, I feel that was exactly what Entercom did with their original Adult or Variety Hits "Mike-FM" here. Then again, the station was attracting the very listeners who desired that anyway.

 

[davideduardo]

Yes, however I am talking about previously known "proven" hits instead. It is like this or that artist had a good span of hits throughout their career, however you only end up only picking 2 or 3 of their biggest hits, at tops!

Radio does not pick the songs. Listeners do, in music tests. Again, it is not about when those songs were big current hits. It is about whether people want to hear them today on the radio. Research is done to "prove" songs today, because most past hits are not hits any longer.

I am betting that if a station programmed an old "oh, wow" hit, that the devoted will cling to the song. Then after just a few weeks, the song has been played often enough to become "known!" Now the other listeners also like it as well. Now, it tests well again too!

There are "oh, wow!" songs that tolerate a very well separated occasional play, generally best in a show where commentary can be made such as a personality morning show. But most of those songs that did not pass a music test didn't pass because the majority of listeners no longer want to hear them.

Somehow, I feel that was exactly what Entercom did with their original Adult or Variety Hits "Mike-FM" here. Then again, the station was attracting the very listeners who desired that anyway.

Mike was a rip-off of the Jack concept of "a mile wide and an inch deep". It works on an attitude that allows for a broader scope of music, but very little depth to most artists, styles or eras.

 

[Retro]

Mike was a rip-off of the Jack concept of "a mile wide and an inch deep". It works on an attitude that allows for a broader scope of music, but very little depth to most artists, styles or eras.

But it still worked, and was quite profitable too! One might argue that "Big" is a rip-off also! Hey, if you give the listeners what they want, then they will tune in and stick around! Radio station really need to stop worshiping the almighty dollar, and start taking chances again! Oh yeah, they still have loads a debt, so they cannot afford to take a chance at all.

 

[TheBigA]

Yes, however I am talking about previously known "proven" hits instead. It is like this or that artist had a good span of hits throughout their career, however you only end up only picking 2 or 3 of their biggest hits, at tops!

What happens is the listeners get tired of certain artists or songs. The whole disco era has a negative taste to it. People are only willing to put up with one or two songs from that period. Barry Gibb of the Bee Gees has been trying to take some of the negative image away from his group's hit songs by re-doing them with current artists in different ways. They did the same thing in the 80s when they wrote and produced hits with Kenny Rogers & Dolly Parton (Islands In The Stream) or Dionne Warwick (Heartbreaker).

We talk about this a lot. If you're going to take an entire career and whittle it down to the 2 or 3 most wanted songs, what would they be? You have to do that when you're trying to pick 500 songs to represent an entire decade. Radio is the free sample. You want to dig deeper? Buy the records. If they're really "proven hits," and people know the music, then they can pick them for their own personal playlist. They don't need radio to play everything.

 

[Retro]

What happens is the listeners get tired of certain artists or songs. The whole disco era has a negative taste to it. People are only willing to put up with one or two songs from that period. Barry Gibb of the Bee Gees has been trying to take some of the negative image away from his group's hit songs by re-doing them with current artists in different ways. They did the same thing in the 80s when they wrote and produced hits with Kenny Rogers & Dolly Parton (Islands In The Stream) or Dionne Warwick.

But we talk about this a lot. If you're going to take an entire career and whittle it down to the 2 or 3 most wanted songs, what would they be? You have to do that when you're trying to pick 500 songs to represent an entire decade. Radio is the free sample. You want to dig deeper? Buy the records.

OK, as I roll my eyes.. please tell me, very seriously? Should not Classic Rock radio be playing way much more of Bob Seger's catalog?

And how about Hall & Oates on Classic Hits stations also? There is much more good stuff out there, than merely "Maneater", "Private Eyes", and whatever else radio is scrounging up.

 

[CTListener]

OK, as I roll my eyes.. please tell me, very seriously? Should not Classic Rock radio be playing way much more of Bob Seger's catalog?

And how about Hall & Oates on Classic Hits stations also? There is much more good stuff out there, than merely "Maneater", "Private Eyes", and whatever else radio is scrounging up.

Haven't he and David explained to you in every way possible why radio isn't doing this? "Turn the Page" pushes more people's buttons than "Fire Lake." "Maneater" is more of an earworm even now than "One on One" ever was. Like you, I have favorite Seger and H&O songs that radio doesn't play anymore. I don't care, and now that I know why radio doesn't play more than a few of them, I don't ever expect to hear them on radio. Fine, there are plenty of other sources for those songs if I'd like to listen to them for old times' sake. Why ask radio to do something (deep playlists, oh-wow oldies) that history has shown doesn't work?

 

[Retro]

Haven't he and David explained to you in every way possible why radio isn't doing this? "Turn the Page" pushes more people's buttons than "Fire Lake." "Maneater" is more of an earworm even now than "One on One" ever was. Like you, I have favorite Seger and H&O songs that radio doesn't play anymore. I don't care, and now that I know why radio doesn't play more than a few of them, I don't ever expect to hear them on radio. Fine, there are plenty of other sources for those songs if I'd like to listen to them for old times' sake. Why ask radio to do something (deep playlists, oh-wow oldies) that history has shown doesn't work?

"Out Of Touch", "Say It Isn't So?" And just for kicks "Method Of Modern Love" to boot!

 

[Retro]

"Out Of Touch", "Say It Isn't So?" And just for kicks "Method Of Modern Love" to boot!

Or did we forget that those first 2 were bona-fide #1 hits? About "Maneater?" If that song is such an earworm, then why are stations still playing it then?

 

[davideduardo]

"Out Of Touch", "Say It Isn't So?" And just for kicks "Method Of Modern Love" to boot!

If a particular station does not play them they obviously don't test well enough to play.

If you do a test, and 30% or so of your listeners say they dislike the song, would you play it, knowing that every time you do a third of your listeners will tune out?

 

[TheBigA]

OK, as I roll my eyes.. please tell me, very seriously? Should not Classic Rock radio be playing way much more of Bob Seger's catalog? And how about Hall & Oates on Classic Hits stations also?

Two interesting examples. I work with someone who is a huge Seger fan. But even he can whittle Bob's career down to 4 or 5 songs. My source for Hall & Oats is Darryl's House. Watch that show. Darryl is very aware of his own catalog and which songs we should play. These artists know which of their hits are the ones to play. They organize their live shows around them. If you pay attention to concert setlists (which I do) you can learn a lot. If you are a real fan, you will attend their shows, and maybe that's where you'll hear the "oh wow" songs. Which is appropriate.

Having said all that, I don't think Seger gets enough credit for how brilliant a songwriter he is. He gets overlooked because Springsteen and Mellencamp got more positive press. But even Springsteen doesn't get much airplay on WZLX.

 

[gr8oldies]

The beauty of life in the not-so-roaring 20s if you have access to all of those songs. You can make playlists on Spotify and share them, just like we did with our 45s and 8 tracks. There's even a Twitter chat that live tweets along with the Saturday noon airing of the AT40 rerun where people talk about how much they love or hate the songs as Casey's ghost counts them down. Sean Ross participates. Life is good!

 

[Retro]

If a particular station does not play them they obviously don't test well enough to play.

If you do a test, and 30% or so of your listeners say they dislike the song, would you play it, knowing that every time you do a third of your listeners will tune out?

I think that you mean more like 30% of your sample testing group instead.

 

[CTListener]

Or did we forget that those first 2 were bona-fide #1 hits? About "Maneater?" If that song is such an earworm, then why are stations still playing it then?

Earworm is a positive, not a negative, at least the way I've always understood it. It's a song with a hook that burrows its way into your subconscious.

 

[Retro]

Having said all that, I don't think Seger gets enough credit for how brilliant a songwriter he is. He gets overlooked because Springsteen and Mellencamp got more positive press. But even Springsteen doesn't get much airplay on WZLX.

Yes, and thanks! Bob Seger, it has taken me all these years to see just how brilliant and a prolific song writer and musician that he really is!

Springsteen, who while has had quite a good spread spread of music on the radio through the years, still could use just a tad more digging into his catalog on the radio.

And Mr. Mellencamp, I am very certain that oh wow, "Crumbling Down" really deserves some mass recognition!

 

[Retro]

Earworm is a positive, not a negative, at least the way I've always understood it. It's a song with a hook that burrows its way into your subconscious.

Okie doke! I have heard an earworm as a very annoying song, that someone else plants into your ear as a joke!

 

[TheBigA]

Yes, and thanks! Bob Seger, it has taken me all these years to see just how brilliant and a prolific song writer and musician that he really is.

BTW WZLX plays four titles by Bob Seger, none of which are Main Street or Night Moves. And if you want to hear Hall & Oats, listen to WROR. They play four titles, including Maneater. That was the song they kicked off their tour with.

WROR only plays one Bob Seger, and you can guess which one. But as I said, radio is the free sample. You want more? Buy the records. Make your own personal mixtape.

 

[CTListener]

BTW WZLX plays four titles by Bob Seger, none of which are Main Street or Night Moves. And if you want to hear Hall & Oats, listen to WROR. They play four titles, including Maneater. That was the song they kicked off their tour with.

WROR only plays one Bob Seger, and you can guess which one.

"Today's music ain't got the same soul ..."

 

[Retro]

The beauty of life in the not-so-roaring 20s if you have access to all of those songs. You can make playlists on Spotify and share them, just like we did with our 45s and 8 tracks. There's even a Twitter chat that live tweets along with the Saturday noon airing of the AT40 rerun where people talk about how much they love or hate the songs as Casey's ghost counts them down. Sean Ross participates. Life is good!

Now, up until now, whole I have heard about sharing playlists, this actually inspires me to actually create and share one!

 

[davideduardo]

I think that you mean more like 30% of your sample testing group instead.

Same thing: the sample reflects the likes and dislikes of your core perfectly... the 50% of the cume that gives you close to 90% of your TSL.