60's Burners on 6

[jimbo]

A few years before the merger XM 60's had some fun playing "60's Burners". Songs that had been played to death and then after death they were played even more on terrestrial radio.

You know the songs:

Brown Eyed Girl
Unchained Melody
Build Me up Buttercup
Do Wah Diddy
etc

XM would chide their terrestrial "cousins" for the lack of variety. But good golly Miss Molly has the worm turned. 60s on 6 has been burning the same 250 songs to a crisp for last year or so. Egads!! If I wasn't a life sub I'd be making a call to cancel. I've written to whine and moan but I figure I may as well talk to my socks for all the good that does. Time to put new batteries in the mp3 player.

 

[scanman1]

I permanently dumped my service over that. Figured there was no point if my former favorite channel (and the other channels I liked for that matter) were going to be mind-numbingly repetitive, there was no reason to continue my subscriptions (I can get that type of variety free with terrestrial radio). Now I get my audio entertainment via the web, free radio and my MP3 player as well!

 

[Tom Wells]

What a waste of satellite technology!
Sounds as predictable as 60 cycle hum.

 

[OldNumber7]

I have an idea...wait for it...change the channel! Try listening to Deep Tracks, The Loft, or any one of the dozens of other specialty channels and tell me you aren't getting your money's worth with Sirius. If you open your mind and experience what Sirius is really about, you'll realize there is nothing on FM like it. For 50 cents a day, it's worth it. I've been a subscriber for more than six years and I still get charged up by the stuff I discover.

 

[cyberdad]

What a waste of satellite technology!
Sounds as predictable as 60 cycle hum.

+1. Not to take away from whatever is on Deep Tracks, The Loft, etc., but they do nothing for what the OP is talking about. I agree that there's a good variety of channels. But some of those channels deliver some pretty dumbed-down fare.

I'm stuck with XM because Mrs. Cyberdad loves her Oprah Channel and one or two other talkers. My main gripe goes back to the waste of technology....only in my case it's lousy audio on the music channels. Oh sure, you can go online and get better audio quality.....but then you've got to deal with their timers that boot you off of a service you're already paying for!!! Say what?

Count me among the fans of streaming radio. And with a smart phone and an audio jack (or good FM modulator) in your car, you can listen anywhere. If the OP wants to avoid "60s burners" and get better audio at the same time, go online and check out Radio Bop, Radio Bop 60s, Rich Bro Radio, Hy Lit Radio, or any one of more than a dozen similar.

 

[Fred Richards]

I canceled my service for just the same reason, Jimbo. But I had a few distasteful things occur with XM, so our entire family canceled, (4 receivers).

The topper was when my wife, daughter, and I called to cancel and told them our reason. Instead of trying to fix the problem, they kept dropping the price by a quarter. I asked the guy I was talking to if they would fix the problem, and he said "He was authorized to bargain for payment only."

I can't say I have any use for them. Terrestrial radio serves me just fine. If not, I have CDs.

 

[jimbo]

Hi OldNumber7 - I listen to the other channels. Maybe I'm just tired of the Decades approach and I keep hoping Sirius would get a clue and broaden the 60's to include the early 70s. They severely burn 1964 to 1969. I don't understand the programming theory of decades. The 50's channel reaches into the early 60's. How many people would say, "Yes, I like the Doors but not their LA Woman album because that was released in 1971." ;D

 

[OldNumber7]

Hi OldNumber7 - I listen to the other channels. Maybe I'm just tired of the Decades approach and I keep hoping Sirius would get a clue and broaden the 60's to include the early 70s. They severely burn 1964 to 1969. I don't understand the programming theory of decades. The 50's channel reaches into the early 60's. How many people would say, "Yes, I like the Doors but not their LA Woman album because that was released in 1971." ;D

The problem is always finding the balance of music that sounds fresh vs. playing the music that the most people like. There are only so many widely popular songs from the decades that many customers no doubt expect to hear -- and those tunes can only fill so many hours in a day. Yes, a bunch get toasted with too much play. Though I will say it seems to me that about third or fourth record on 60s is usaully a mid-charter that I haven't heard on regular radio in years.

As for the decade divide, the pre-merger Sirius 6 used to reach into the early 70s for 60s artists and flavor songs. I don't know why they stopped. As for 50s on 5, they have to reach into the 60s or they would never have enough rock era hits to fill a broadcast day. Throwing in pre-Beatle 60s with the 50s doesn't seem like that much of a reach and they have to do it out of necessity.

 

[cyberdad]

As for the decade divide, the pre-merger Sirius 6 used to reach into the early 70s for 60s artists and flavor songs. I don't know why they stopped. As for 50s on 5, they have to reach into the 60s or they would never have enough rock era hits to fill a broadcast day. Throwing in pre-Beatle 60s with the 50s doesn't seem like that much of a reach and they have to do it out of necessity.

Yes.....whatever else is wrong with Sirius XM this is the correct approach. The fact of the matter is the "markers" for eras in pop music don't usually match up with the beginnings/ends of decades. What's on 50s on 5 correctly covers roughly the pre-Beatles rock era. Most of what was on the pop charts during the early part of the 50s doesn't fit well with this (Frankie Laine, Jo Stafford, Vic Damone, etc.). On the other side of the coin, early 60s music is arguably closer to 50s music than what came after the Beatles and other British invasion artists came on the scene.

Where a gap exists is with early 50s pop. It doesn't really belong with what's on 40s on 4, and it's similarly out of place with "rock's first decade". The excellent "Moments to Remember" weekend hour long show covered this period, but that program was one of the casualties of the merger.

 

[CTListener]

As for the decade divide, the pre-merger Sirius 6 used to reach into the early 70s for 60s artists and flavor songs. I don't know why they stopped. As for 50s on 5, they have to reach into the 60s or they would never have enough rock era hits to fill a broadcast day. Throwing in pre-Beatle 60s with the 50s doesn't seem like that much of a reach and they have to do it out of necessity.

Yes.....whatever else is wrong with Sirius XM this is the correct approach. The fact of the matter is the "markers" for eras in pop music don't usually match up with the beginnings/ends of decades. What's on 50s on 5 correctly covers roughly the pre-Beatles rock era. Most of what was on the pop charts during the early part of the 50s doesn't fit well with this (Frankie Laine, Jo Stafford, Vic Damone, etc.). On the other side of the coin, early 60s music is arguably closer to 50s music than what came after the Beatles and other British invasion artists came on the scene.

Where a gap exists is with early 50s pop. It doesn't really belong with what's on 40s on 4, and it's similarly out of place with "rock's first decade". The excellent "Moments to Remember" weekend hour long show covered this period, but that program was one of the casualties of the merger.

1970 and 1980-81 are underrepresented on the decades channels. '60s on 6 sticks to 1964-69 pretty much 100%; '70s on 7 emphasizes the middle and end of the decade, the disco and novelty-song years; and '80s on 8, with its airstaff of out-of-work MTV relics voicetracking their shows from their Long Island (or wherever) homes, can't be bothered with music that was popular before Viacom gave us MTV in 1981.

 

[Starbucks]

What's so amazing about this board...it notices everything.......

Most of what was on the pop charts during the early part of the 50s doesn't fit well with this (Frankie Laine, Jo Stafford, Vic Damone, etc.). On the other side of the coin, early 60s music is arguably closer to 50s music than what came after the Beatles and other British invasion artists came on the scene.

>>>Correct. I was an xm subscriber since day 2. I can relate with the 50's music even though it was a decade I never grew up in when it comes to Bill Haley, Chuck Berry and beyond. But when I heard a Frankie Laine, Rosemary Clooney mixed in with the rock era product, I immediately turned it off. Just could not relate. I would listen to Bobby B's show, or Matt the Cat....but the Ken Smith and the regular programming...I couldn't relate to. I hated it. Some exceptions like "Tammy" Debbie Reynolds were fine and were actual hits on the rock era top 40 playlist...but Mario Lanza...XM had to do something.
The oldies were divided by decades as part of a marketing ploy to sell the system. Not for arbitron demographics or ratings. And taking r&B or Rock and splintering them down to 3-5 channels or formats was also marketing plots. Not out to directly compete with terrestrial.
So since Sirius came along , one of the good moves they did was place the early 50's with the 40's, 30's, 1800's etc. because the artist and programming back then all relate with each other. Bing, Frank, Paul Whiteman had parents, grandmothers, and teenagers all listening and buying their music in one whole day and after. Little Richard,Elvis, the 5 Satins only appealed at that time to stereotyped 25 and younger. Most people over 30 hated it. It was like listening to Marilyn Manson and the Sex Pistols. The problem with the 50's and for XM was the artists from the 40's and early 50's, competed and overlapped into the Top 40 programming playlist and record sales era, and competed against each other just like everything else did. There was not a line drawn, or Frank, Bing, the 4 Aces just didn't go away because Elvis, Chuck, and the segregated Bird and Car groups appeared out of nowhere. But by 1958-59, the latter apparently won out, and the Margaret Whitings, Johnny Rays faded away. Plus the Top 40 in general was developed before the rock era appeared, especially in markets like Dallas, Omaha, New Orleans.
So where does XM/Sirius drawn the line? The first generation on the 50's (55-63)....64-69 on the 60's. When it comes to rock n' roll...those years reflect and are synonymous with the channels and the decades.

 

[CTListener]

So where does XM/Sirius drawn the line? The first generation on the 50's (55-63)....64-69 on the 60's. When it comes to rock n' roll...those years reflect and are synonymous with the channels and the decades.

That makes sense. But excluding songs like "Bridge Over Troubled Water" and "Let It Be" from the '70s decade channel just because they had the misfortune of coming out in 1970 and not sounding like "Love Will Keep Us Together" or "Rock the Boat" doesn't. Nor does the '80s channel excluding, say, Juice Newton's "Love's Been a Little Bit Hard on Me" just because its chart run happened before MTV signed on. If those songs and years don't fit the "core sound" of the decade, as determined by Sirius XM's programming honchos, then just tack 1970-71 onto '60s on 6's range and 1980 and early 1981 onto '70s on 7's. People who were listening to the radio in those years liked those songs, and there was no generational divide at work there either.

 

[Starbucks]

Nor does the '80s channel excluding, say, Juice Newton's "Love's Been a Little Bit Hard on Me" just because its chart run happened before MTV signed on.
If those songs and years don't fit the "core sound" of the decade, as determined by Sirius XM's programming honchos, then just tack 1970-71 onto '60s on 6's range and 1980 and early 1981 onto '70s on 7's.

>>>I understand what you mean, but there again, as I mentioned....it's all about marketing the product....not the advertising audience.
Yes I'll agree the 80's on 8 is MTV centric. The 80's reflect the new wave, Devo, Human League, Michael Jackson, approach then the Urban Cowboy, Kenny Rogers, and Christopher Cross sound of 80-82 era. You ask the average man or woman what was on their minds that they remember growing up in the 80's...most likely it won't be what I just mentioned. They'll reflect more on Nina Blackwood then they will reflect on Jeffery Osborne, Quincy Jones, or the AC sound of Chicago on that decade. Yes, what was broadcast in video along with the VJ's on the 80's pretty much dictates on what gets played, because that's the first thing most people will remember the decade by when it come to music.. Just like American Bandstand (even though it wasn't national till 1957. So again...it's not by demos, targeting, and advertising....it's selling over 100 channels along with the product or system.
As far as the 70's go...I've heard Bridge and Let It Be on the 70's many times.

 

[CTListener]

I understand what you mean, but there again, as I mentioned....it's all about marketing the product....not the advertising audience.
Yes I'll agree the 80's on 8 is MTV centric. The 80's reflect the new wave, Devo, Human League, Michael Jackson, approach then the Urban Cowboy, Kenny Rogers, and Christopher Cross sound of 80-82 era. You ask the average man or woman what was on their minds that they remember growing up in the 80's...most likely it won't be what I just mentioned. They'll reflect more on Nina Blackwood then they will reflect on Jeffery Osborne, Quincy Jones, or the AC sound of Chicago on that decade. Yes, what was broadcast in video along with the VJ's on the 80's pretty much dictates on what gets played, because that's the first thing most people will remember the decade by when it come to music.
As far as the 70's go...I've heard Bridge and Let It Be on the 70's many times.

According to the Audio Library Search feature at xmfan.com, "Let It Be" was last played on '70s on 7 on Nov. 10, 2008, two days before the Sirius takeover. It got a spin on '60s on 6, where it didn't belong, in mid-2009. It hasn't been played on either 6 or 7 since. As for "Bridge Over Troubled Water," the library search until recently also showed it hadn't been played on any decade channel since Sirius came in and pruned the playlists. Now it shows a spin at 2:30 in the morning on April 18 on '70s on 7. So it may be back on the playlist, but it's being played only once a week, if that -- hardly the rotation you'd expect one of the top 10 songs of the entire decade to be in. Your point is well taken on Juice Newton and company -- terrestrial radio has forgotten those artists and songs, too -- but what could the reasoning possibly be for Sirius' attitude toward two of the '70s' true classics?

 

[jimbo]

What Sirius/XM needs is an oldies channel which would cover the late 50s to the early 70s.

Cast my memory back there, Lord, sometime I'm overcome thinking 'bout how oldies radio did it when the format became popular in the mid to late 80s.
;D