In an age where playlists are becoming increasingly about time-tested songs and brands become less important, would importing songs from different genres (that test well and appeal to certain listeners) help a station? For example, a chr could sometimes play songs like listen to the music by Doobie brothers or don't stop believing by journey in-between new songs, or a classic hits station could play maybe kings and queens by ava max in-between songs since it's become increasingly about playing songs that are well-known and resonate. Your thoughts?
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Would this idea work?
- Thread starter tall_guy1
- Start date
I'm intrigued thus far... is the rest of the paragraph coming soon?
Yep! Hit the button too soon. Keeping you in suspense!
Different genres would mean playing country or urban on a pop station. The problem with your example is it would age the CHR demo to the point where it was indistinguishable from other formats. Do you really want to listen to your grandpa's radio station?
In other words, a Variety station? That sounds like a great idea, but you would have to be careful about alienating some of your audience. Still, this is an idea that can work, and some stations have tried similar ideas with great success. One of my locals mixes Country and Classic Hits, and I rode with a shuttle van/bus guy who was tuned into it. Definitely his favorite, and now one of my go to stations.
So, I like your idea!
I'd say the idea is sort of implemented in Jim Pattison-owned Canadian Hot AC stations like CKNO/Edmonton, CKCE/Calgary, and CHNW/Winnipeg. Personality-driven, playing a substantial amount of currents mixed with well-known gold tracks as early as the 70s. Some like to compare these stations to BBC Radio 2.
WCNL 1010/94.7 Newport/Claremont, NH, has a different twist on what is basically a classic country format. A couple of times an hour, it will play what it calls a "crossover" from the past, except the crossovers are really soft rock/folk rock songs that never actually crossed over in their day. Peter Paul & Mary's "Don't Think Twice, It's All Right," James Taylor's "Don't Let Me Be Lonely Tonight" and CCR's "Have You Ever Seen the Rain" are some of the "crossovers" I've heard recently. And another couple of slots on the station's format clock are reserved for current hits and recurrents, anything from Morgan Wallen's "Sand in My Boots" to Old Dominion's "Hotel Key."
Since WCNL is on the fringes of a very small market and airs everything from a local right-wing talk show (Rural New Hampshire is quite conservative.) to a "tradeo"-type buy-and-sell program, it's obviously not being consulted or doing any research. But if its all-local advertisers are happy, I suppose there's no reason to refine the format more.
Siruis used to have a similar channel called "Supershuffle". It lasted about two years before being replaced. And this was satellite radio.
In the 1960s. That's what they did at WABC, playing everything from The Beatles to Frank Sinatra to Johnny Cash to James Brown. They called it "mass appeal." But as FM came along, the various genres got their own radio stations, and format specialization became the norm. It worked because there was no other choice. Once listeners got other choices, the ratings dropped, and ultimately the station went all talk.
If a song is popular would it matter the format? People want to listen to the newest thing.
For many people of course it matters. If they dislike a given genre, away they go.
So why have a billboard chart if people don't care.
Also, as FM developed, the various elements that listeners actually enjoyed split into separate formats, and many people "cumed" several stations when each of them offered slightly different styles that one might be in or out of the mood for.
In the later 50's and much of the 60's, in major markets those of us who liked Top 40 would often switch between two or three stations depending on the songs each was playing.
It took another decade for the major AM Top 40 stations to move to other formats, but it is had to find an AM Top 40 that successfully made it to 1980 still alive.
What does that have to do with anything?
Billboard is a music industry magazine, not a radio magazine. That's why so few radio stations even subscribe to it.
It depends. Certainly the Adele song Easy On Me crossed over to five different formats. There was a version that she sang with Chris Stapleton that got played on country stations. But most music is pretty format specific. It's written & recorded that way. Popular taste is also pretty specific, and people can identify what they like and don't like.
There are many Billboard charts that are each format and genre specific. The Hot 100 combines several genres, but pop music is the main one. Radio stations don't follow the Hot 100. There are Airplay charts within Billboard that report radio airplay.
And was largely rejected and quickly pulled from rotation. Taylor Swift's duet with Stapleton, "I Bet You Think About Me," is doing better, though its progress up the airplay chart has been slow.
yes.. such a station exists.. kinda of. one I work for. Hits 106 KLMI Laramie, WY Where I do afternoons 3 to 7pm Mon-Sat. Alot of hits and lesseer known songs, spanning 70s to now-ish, centered on 80s to 2000s kinda.. spanning ever genre...but no really poppy pop songs, no rap and nothing too hard.. all upbeat stuff. www.myhits106.com
*****
Years ago, when "We Play Anything" stations burst onto the scene, I thought this could be a good idea. But I'm less enthusiastic now.
Here's the reason: I'm not sure you can tailor it for a large enough group of people.
So imagine you're a standard classic hits ("mostly 80s") station today and corporate says you should sprinkle in songs from other genres. What are you going to put in: Eminem? The Beatles? Kenny G? Reba McEntire? BTS?
Only one of those five additions appeals to me, individually. But I would foresee others having different opinions.
Here's the reason: I'm not sure you can tailor it for a large enough group of people.
So imagine you're a standard classic hits ("mostly 80s") station today and corporate says you should sprinkle in songs from other genres. What are you going to put in: Eminem? The Beatles? Kenny G? Reba McEntire? BTS?
Only one of those five additions appeals to me, individually. But I would foresee others having different opinions.
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