Marginalized by the country industry

[TheBigA]

Anyone who has spent any time in country radio can tell you stories of artists that came through on their radio tours that were talented, charismatic, backed by great songwriters, great producers, and yet when their debut single or album debuted amidst heavy promotion fell flat and never went anywhere.

It's all about context. A record on the radio doesn't exist in a vacuum. It is surrounded by other records. It competes for attention with those other songs. If it gets lost amidst those other songs, it dies a hard death. Sometimes a label will release the same song a few years later, when the artist is better known, and the competition is a little different. In the case of a guy named Randy Travis, the second release of "On The Other Hand" is the one that became the #1 hit.

 

[CTListener]

It's all about context. A record on the radio doesn't exist in a vacuum. It is surrounded by other records. It competes for attention with those other songs. If it gets lost amidst those other songs, it dies a hard death. Sometimes a label will release the same song a few years later, when the artist is better known, and the competition is a little different. In the case of a guy named Randy Travis, the second release of "On The Other Hand" is the one that became the #1 hit.

Seems to me I've heard numerous stories like that. Hall & Oates' "She's Gone" comes to mind.

 

[b-turner]

Back when I worked in a record store, it was pretty well known most of the biggest acts wanted to break their new album in the final quarter of the year. There were a couple of lulls for a few weeks each year where the luckier unknowns had the best shot to be heard and considered by stations. You can bet anybody considered was exceptional. Run of the mill didn't get it. If I had to guess, 97% or more never makes the cut either because the label doesn't push it or there are so many big songs out there at one time, there's just not a slot open. And this was during a time a station might consider adding a record out of the box if it seemed a really good fit for the station.

 

[CTListener]

Back when I worked in a record store, it was pretty well known most of the biggest acts wanted to break their new album in the final quarter of the year. There were a couple of lulls for a few weeks each year where the luckier unknowns had the best shot to be heard and considered by stations. You can bet anybody considered was exceptional. Run of the mill didn't get it. If I had to guess, 97% or more never makes the cut either because the label doesn't push it or there are so many big songs out there at one time, there's just not a slot open. And this was during a time a station might consider adding a record out of the box if it seemed a really good fit for the station.

And there are only so many slots for new songs available every week on radio, especially since so many songs that came out last winter or early this spring are still popular and still getting a half dozen or so spins a day. If country music is so healthy and bursting with creativity, why am I still hearing "Glad You Exist," which was released in early February, in regular rotation in late June? Why is Luke Combs at No. 1 with a song ("Forever After All") that's been out for nearly four months?

Obviously, the people who matter -- the listeners -- aren't getting tired of these songs, because country stations are picking up share pretty much nationwide. But this glacial playlist turnover is something I don't recall happening during country's Garth-driven boom in the early '90s, when it seemed that a half dozen or more new releases and new artists were popping out of my speakers every week, and once songs peaked (generally after 7 or 8 weeks) their disappearance from the airwaves was almost immediate.

 

[TheBigA]

If country music is so healthy and bursting with creativity, why am I still hearing "Glad You Exist," which was released in early February, in regular rotation in late June? Why is Luke Combs at No. 1 with a song ("Forever After All") that's been out for nearly four months?

The country chart traditionally moves very slow. In the 90s, a typical hit song would last 14 weeks. Since the 2000s, the average is about twice that. Everybody wants to get a #1, so that means songs move up one notch a week. Mediabase chart rules say that if you loose your bullet, you move to the recurrent chart after two weeks. That's the pattern. One-two-cha-cha-cha.

 

[davideduardo]

And there are only so many slots for new songs available every week on radio, especially since so many songs that came out last winter or early this spring are still popular and still getting a half dozen or so spins a day. If country music is so healthy and bursting with creativity, why am I still hearing "Glad You Exist," which was released in early February, in regular rotation in late June? Why is Luke Combs at No. 1 with a song ("Forever After All") that's been out for nearly four months?

Remember that country rotates more like AC than CHR. Songs can last longer because they are not burnt as fast and because adults will stick with songs, once they attach to them, longer.

Also country has categories closer to a Hot AC than to CHR or Urban. There is more recurrent music and a lot more gold.

Obviously, the people who matter -- the listeners -- aren't getting tired of these songs, because country stations are picking up share pretty much nationwide. But this glacial playlist turnover is something I don't recall happening during country's Garth-driven boom in the early '90s,

I was involved in programing country then, and I'd say we had larger gold libraries back then and slower rotations.

when it seemed that a half dozen or more new releases and new artists were popping out of my speakers every week, and once songs peaked (generally after 7 or 8 weeks) their disappearance from the airwaves was almost immediate.

I don't recall it being like that. And we were consulted by Rusty Walker and Phil Hunt, so we were very mainstream.

 

[CTListener]

This is a load of crap. Yes Cody is "too rodeo for radio." Have you listened to country radio lately? No rodeo songs. No cowboy songs. People in Texas think the world world is like Texas. It isn't. Country radio has to appeal to people who live in cities as well as people in rural areas. The label knew this was a tough sell to begin with. There were no surprises.

For some reason we live in a time when people want to destroy things. Destroy the media, destroy the government, destroy country radio. To me, it's all very negative. We should look to build things. So in this case, if someone isn't playing Cody Johnson, why not try to create a new outlet? I see the new owner of what was once GAC also owns a horse-based cable channel. Perfect place to pitch Cody Johnson. That's taking the positive approach, rather than destroy country radio because it doesn't do what you want.

10 months later, Cody Johnson has the No. 1 song on Billboard's Hot Country chart, No 3 on Country Radio Airplay. And it will be no surprise if "'Til You Can't" collects a bunch of awards next year.

 

[TheBigA]

10 months later, Cody Johnson has the No. 1 song on Billboard's Hot Country chart, No 3 on Country Radio Airplay. And it will be no surprise if "'Til You Can't" collects a bunch of awards next year.

It's not a rodeo song. It's a comfort song. Not much different from "Buy Dirt." It's not about the artist, it's about the song.

 

[CTListener]

It's not a rodeo song. It's a comfort song. Not much different from "Buy Dirt." It's not about the artist, it's about the song.

Miranda Lambert's current hit is "If I Were a Cowboy," and it has a western-themed video to accompany it.

OK, you are right. The Miranda song is no more about the Old West than Jake Owen's "Eight Second Ride" was about rodeo. "Big Iron" and "Amarillo By Morning," they are not.