80's Centric Radio Stations with More Adventurous Variety?

[fordranger797]

Obviously, this is an incredibly difficult question to answer, but I am always on the lookout for 80's-centric radio stations that play a little more variety than the average "jack fm." In Seattle, KJR 95.7 actually does a really good job, and I find that they particularly shine on weekends when they air the "iHeart80's Weekend." What are some good examples of radio stations that are willing to deviate from the typical playlist and throw in something different? I've included a list of some of the songs that I've heard on 95.7 that don't seem to make the cut on many other stations. I've tried to be reasonable here, only listing songs that actually hold listeners. I personally feel that most of these songs are pretty safe from a programming standpoint, and for that reason, I have always wondered why some stations won't play them/don't play them as much.

Madonna - Papa Don't Preach
Madonna - Material Girl
'Til Tuesday - Voices Carry
Phil Colins - Easy Lover
Phil Colins - Don't Lose my Number
Genesis - Invisible Touch
When in Rome - The Promise
Laura Branigan - Gloria
Murray Head - One Night in Bangkok
Falco - Rock me Amadeus
Tears for Fears - Head Over Heels (including this one, as it seems that many stations will only touch "Everybody Wants to Rule the World")
Men at Work - Who can it be now?
Talk Talk - It's My Life (the original, not the cover by "No Doubt")
Stevie Nicks - Stand Back
Pet Shop Boys - Always on my Mind
Depeche Mode - People are People
Huey Lewis and the News - Stuck with You
Huey Lewis and the News - Heart and Soul
Glass Tiger - Don't Forget me When I'm Gone
The Go-Go's - Our Lips are Sealed
The Outfield - Your Love
B 52's - Roam
Michael Jackson - Smooth Criminal
Roxette - The Look
Elton John - I'm Still Standing
Stevie Wonder - Part Time Lover
Paul Simon - You Can Call me Al
Animotion - Obsession
The Fix - One Thing Leads to Another
Duran Duran - The Reflex
Frankie Goes to Hollywood - Relax
Kim Carnes - Bette Davis Eyes
Fleetwood Mac - Little Lies
Dream Academy - Life in a Northern Town
Thompson Twins - Hold me Now
Alphaville - Forever Young
YES - Owner of a Lonely Heart
U2 - Pride in the Name of Love
U2 - Mysterious Ways
U2 - Bloody Sunday
Split Endz - I Got You
Baltimora - Tarzan Boy
Boney M - Rasputin
Nik Kershaw - Wouldn't it be Good?
The Cars - Magic

Anyway, these are a few songs that come into mind. I know that many of these MUST play on other classic hits radio stations, but perhaps not nearly enough. I know that the "Jack FM" format varies by location, but I don't think I've seen any of these songs show up on that format. It seems that most Jack FMs stick to very common 80's hits that you would expect to hear on any classic hits station with a tight playlist.

 

[CTListener]

Nearly all of these are in regular rotation on SiriusXM's 80s on 8, but to hear them you must pay. And remember, that's a channel that plays nothing but '80s titles. A classic hits station needs to include songs from the '70s and '90s on its playlist as well; a variety hits station often plays tracks from the '60s through the '10s. In order to keep the playlist a manageable size, many secondary and tertiary '80s hits must be omitted, so you have stations that play "Sussudio" but not "Easy Lover," "La Isla Bonita" but not "Papa Don't Preach." Same goes for songs from any of the other decades.

 

[crainbebo]

Nik Kershaw on a special iHeart weekend? I am really impressed. I have only heard that song played on one radio station in the past - the old NAC-formatted 'Sierra Wave' 92.5 in Bishop/Mammoth Lakes before they flipped to Alternative.
I hear 'Head Over Heels' on adult contemporary stations (like Kiss 98.1 in Spokane) from time to time, so it is puzzling why Classic Hits wouldn't run it. Cherry FM does here and I assume MegaHits as well.

In fact, this is very ironic. 99.3, whom I took off my presets in disgust after they decided Rhythmic Oldies wasn't worth having on the dial anymore, seems to be playing a WIDER variety of classic hits than 100.9! They will run occasional rhythmic hits from the '80s (like Bobby Brown's 'Don't Be Cruel' and that 'Word Up' song) which were on the old format. And their non-R&B mix is pretty good as well. 'Sweet Freedom' Michael McDonald, and 'People Are People' Depeche Mode, just a couple of examples.

Otherwise, I would pick KYOY in Hillsdale/Cheyenne WY as an 'adventurous' station, but they classify as Adult Hits. Take an hour of your time listening and you'll understand why. I have heard very rare Journey songs, rare Yes songs, the 'Free as a Bird' Beatles song that was released for the anthology miniseries in 1995, Tori Amos ('Crucify'), rare Poison songs (like 'Something to Believe In'), even songs by Jane Child. And they are locally-owned! Love that!

 

[fordranger797]

Nearly all of these are in regular rotation on SiriusXM's 80s on 8, but to hear them you must pay. And remember, that's a channel that plays nothing but '80s titles. A classic hits station needs to include songs from the '70s and '90s on its playlist as well; a variety hits station often plays tracks from the '60s through the '10s. In order to keep the playlist a manageable size, many secondary and tertiary '80s hits must be omitted, so you have stations that play "Sussudio" but not "Easy Lover," "La Isla Bonita" but not "Papa Don't Preach." Same goes for songs from any of the other decades.

I would probably have to break down and get SiriusXM if the playlist ever got too be too much like Jack FM. I understand that "adult hits" stations have to mix in music from the 1990's, but I find that the 80's and 90's tend to sound quite a bit different from each other. KJR in Seattle mixes in a few 90's tracks during the week, but nothing too extreme. JackFM sticks to very common 80's tracks, and then mixes in 90's, 2k, and modern music. Personally, I find that hard to listen to, as they tend to be all over the map. A lot of the newer music I could do without.

 

[fordranger797]

Nik Kershaw on a special iHeart weekend? I am really impressed. I have only heard that song played on one radio station in the past - the old NAC-formatted 'Sierra Wave' 92.5 in Bishop/Mammoth Lakes before they flipped to Alternative.
I hear 'Head Over Heels' on adult contemporary stations (like Kiss 98.1 in Spokane) from time to time, so it is puzzling why Classic Hits wouldn't run it. Cherry FM does here and I assume MegaHits as well.

In fact, this is very ironic. 99.3, whom I took off my presets in disgust after they decided Rhythmic Oldies wasn't worth having on the dial anymore, seems to be playing a WIDER variety of classic hits than 100.9! They will run occasional rhythmic hits from the '80s (like Bobby Brown's 'Don't Be Cruel' and that 'Word Up' song) which were on the old format. And their non-R&B mix is pretty good as well. 'Sweet Freedom' Michael McDonald, and 'People Are People' Depeche Mode, just a couple of examples.

Otherwise, I would pick KYOY in Hillsdale/Cheyenne WY as an 'adventurous' station, but they classify as Adult Hits. Take an hour of your time listening and you'll understand why. I have heard very rare Journey songs, rare Yes songs, the 'Free as a Bird' Beatles song that was released for the anthology miniseries in 1995, Tori Amos ('Crucify'), rare Poison songs (like 'Something to Believe In'), even songs by Jane Child. And they are locally-owned! Love that!

95.7 does tend to impress me on the weekend, as they will explore music that deviates from the "burnt to a crisp" classic hits. They don't venture too far into obscurity, but it's enough for me to want to leave the station on all weekend when I am driving around (and is that not the goal of radio?) I will check in on KJAQ, but usually they are playing a really common track that I don't need to hear, or they throwing on a random modern song (like "We are Young" by Fun.) That reminds me, Crain, what are your thoughts on KSWD in Seattle? I know that you like softer AC as a radio format, but I am curious if you think 94.1 is doing it properly.

 

[TheBigA]

I've often said that stations that try to build a format around a song list will get tired very quickly. The challenge is to constantly rotate the playlist and cycle in songs that still fit the format. The way to do that is to focus on knowing the audience. Who are you trying to reach? What are their likes and dislikes? Because the audience for this station isn't interested in a narrowly defined genre. Some of the heritage Jack stations have done a great job reinventing themselves and remaining relevant even with Covid and new music platforms. KCBS in LA is not only Top 5 6+, but also #2 25-54 and #3 in 18-49. So an 80s based station can still appeal to younger demos.

Chris Huff compiled a list of stations with the highest shares around the country, and a look through the list shows a lot of Classic Rock, Classic Hits, and Adult Hits stations:

March 2021 Ratings Top 50 - RadioInsight

radioinsight.com

 

[crainbebo]

94.1's playlist is pretty good for a Soft AC in a large market. They will spin occasional '60s, but their mix of 1970s-1990s is fine and fits well with the newer music. It sounds like what adult contemporary used to be about 20 years ago. I just wonder if offices return to normal through the summer/fall, if KSWD's ratings will blow past Warm again. Because they have hit third place twice, both times before the shutdowns.

 

[SomeRadioGuy]

Nik Kershaw on a special iHeart weekend? I am really impressed. I have only heard that song played on one radio station in the past - the old NAC-formatted 'Sierra Wave' 92.5 in Bishop/Mammoth Lakes before they flipped to Alternative.
I hear 'Head Over Heels' on adult contemporary stations (like Kiss 98.1 in Spokane) from time to time, so it is puzzling why Classic Hits wouldn't run it. Cherry FM does here and I assume MegaHits as well.

In fact, this is very ironic. 99.3, whom I took off my presets in disgust after they decided Rhythmic Oldies wasn't worth having on the dial anymore, seems to be playing a WIDER variety of classic hits than 100.9! They will run occasional rhythmic hits from the '80s (like Bobby Brown's 'Don't Be Cruel' and that 'Word Up' song) which were on the old format. And their non-R&B mix is pretty good as well. 'Sweet Freedom' Michael McDonald, and 'People Are People' Depeche Mode, just a couple of examples.

Otherwise, I would pick KYOY in Hillsdale/Cheyenne WY as an 'adventurous' station, but they classify as Adult Hits. Take an hour of your time listening and you'll understand why. I have heard very rare Journey songs, rare Yes songs, the 'Free as a Bird' Beatles song that was released for the anthology miniseries in 1995, Tori Amos ('Crucify'), rare Poison songs (like 'Something to Believe In'), even songs by Jane Child. And they are locally-owned! Love that!

I know another station, while not 80s centric or 80s heavy, it plays alot and has very very very wide variety

 

[fordranger797]

I've often said that stations that try to build a format around a song list will get tired very quickly. The challenge is to constantly rotate the playlist and cycle in songs that still fit the format. The way to do that is to focus on knowing the audience. Who are you trying to reach? What are their likes and dislikes? Because the audience for this station isn't interested in a narrowly defined genre. Some of the heritage Jack stations have done a great job reinventing themselves and remaining relevant even with Covid and new music platforms. KCBS in LA is not only Top 5 6+, but also #2 25-54 and #3 in 18-49. So an 80s based station can still appeal to younger demos.

Chris Huff compiled a list of stations with the highest shares around the country, and a look through the list shows a lot of Classic Rock, Classic Hits, and Adult Hits stations:

March 2021 Ratings Top 50 - RadioInsight

radioinsight.com

I give KCBS in Los Angeles a lot of credit for airing a fairly wide playlist. Looking at the last hour of airplay, it looks like they played a few of the songs that I listed above. They have also mixed in some newer music, but have tried to stick to more rock-oriented tracks. I know that it's been harshly debated on Los Angeles sub forum, but KRTH doesn't have that bad of a playlist, either. Perhaps KRTH is not as adventurous they could be, but it's certainly better than many of the radio stations out there that fit into the "adult hits" category. It seems like they stick to the common tracks, but toss in something a little more interesting a few times per hour.

Personally, I think that "adult hits" becomes a challenging radio format when the station tries to do too much at one time. There is nothing wrong with focusing on the 1980's, and of course, it makes sense to throw in something extra from the 1970's and 1990's as well. What doesn't make sense to me is that some stations also throw in modern pop hits. Specifically, KJAQ in Seattle tends to throw in quite a few modern tracks. It seems like the playlist is trying to please everyone, while simultaneously not really pleasing anyone. Perhaps they are trying to attract younger listeners who think of JackFM as being a more friendly "oldies" radio station? There are probably some younger people who think of pop music made between 1990 and 2010 as being "oldies." The other 80's tracks would just be a bonus. Of course, the obvious problem is that an older listener might be put off by some of the newer content and switch stations. To make a long story short, this example might be more of an approachable concept for younger listeners than a traditional playlist that won't touch 2K songs.

 

[TexasTom]

Boney M - Rasputin

You've actually heard that song on KJR-FM? I'm really surprised, considering that I last heard it on the radio on KPLZ(FM) in 1978 or 1979 -- and the song never actually broke the Hot 100 in the U.S., even though it was a huge international hit.

 

[fordranger797]

You've actually heard that song on KJR-FM? I'm really surprised, considering that I last heard it on the radio on KPLZ(FM) in 1978 or 1979 -- and the song never actually broke the Hot 100 in the U.S., even though it was a huge international hit.

It's very possible that it was only a part of an old American Top 40 rerun (I can't remember for sure). I assume it would have to be part of a speciality show being from the late 70's. Regular weekdays tend to be a little stale, but the 80's weekend usually brings out some interesting variety. There have also been a few instances on holiday weekends where KJR played songs that were part of the personal "collection" of their morning hosts. Nothing crazy in terms of variety of course, but enough to peak my interest.

 

[TexasTom]

It's very possible that it was only a part of an old American Top 40 rerun (I can't remember for sure). I assume it would have to be part of a speciality show being from the late 70's. Regular weekdays tend to be a little stale, but the 80's weekend usually brings out some interesting variety. There have also been a few instances on holiday weekends where KJR played songs that were part of the personal "collection" of their morning hosts. Nothing crazy in terms of variety of course, but enough to peak my interest.

It wouldn't be an AT40 rerun because that song never charted in the U.S. -- and it shouldn't be on an eighties show, since it isn't from the eighties. So the last guess might be the best one -- even though it never charted here, it was a huge international hit and was almost certainly a club hit in the states. And it did get radio airplay at the time.

 

[Cordelia Chase]

The Nik Kershaw and Boney M tracks surprise me because they were more popular internationally. Maybe they did get airplay in parts of the US but not as much in the south. It's great that these songs are getting played!

 

[fordranger797]

The Nik Kershaw and Boney M tracks surprise me because they were more popular internationally. Maybe they did get airplay in parts of the US but not as much in the south. It's great that these songs are getting played!

I definitely think they were only included on a weekend where a few speciality tracks were thrown in. During regular weekday programming, none of these songs would make the cut. With that being said, I wish those tracks got some airplay from time to time (on a weekday), though they are probably a little too obscure for a commercial classic hits radio station.

 

[fordranger797]

It wouldn't be an AT40 rerun because that song never charted in the U.S. -- and it shouldn't be on an eighties show, since it isn't from the eighties. So the last guess might be the best one -- even though it never charted here, it was a huge international hit and was almost certainly a club hit in the states. And it did get radio airplay at the time.

Thank you for clarifying some of that information! I'm actually shocked that it never made it to the AT40 chart in the United States. It always felt like it would be a hit song to me, so I naturally assumed that it would have charted.

 

[TexasTom]

The Nik Kershaw and Boney M tracks surprise me because they were more popular internationally. Maybe they did get airplay in parts of the US but not as much in the south. It's great that these songs are getting played!

A friend tells me that at least one Dallas/Fort Worth station did play "Rasputin' by Boney M, but that's before I lived here. I was in the Pacific Northwest back then, where I heard it on KVI-FM/KPLZ (the station changed call letters during the time they were playing that song).

The only Nik Kershaw song I can ever remember hearing on the radio was "The Riddle", and that was on a very small FM station in an outer suburb of Dallas.

Which does bring up an interesting point, that in those days before radio was consolidated and homogenized to the the extent that it is today, there were a lot of songs that did get played *somewhere* without ever really becoming hits. In a few rare instances, that isolated airplay could turn into something more and help push a song to become a national hit.

 

[fordranger797]

A friend tells me that at least one Dallas/Fort Worth station did play "Rasputin' by Boney M, but that's before I lived here. I was in the Pacific Northwest back then, where I heard it on KVI-FM/KPLZ (the station changed call letters during the time they were playing that song).

The only Nik Kershaw song I can ever remember hearing on the radio was "The Riddle", and that was on a very small FM station in an outer suburb of Dallas.

Which does bring up an interesting point, that in those days before radio was consolidated and homogenized to the the extent that it is today, there were a lot of songs that did get played *somewhere* without ever really becoming hits. In a few rare instances, that isolated airplay could turn into something more and help push a song to become a national hit.

Personally, I feel that if that Nik Kershaw song would have received even just a little more airplay in the states, it could have become a massive hit. I really don't understand why it didn't make it, other than the possibility that the music chart of that particular time period was already loaded with other great music that had an edge over a "sleeper" hit. Of course, you would never hear it in regular rotation for that reason alone.

 

[fordranger797]

Once again, I was impressed by some of the music that I heard driving around town today while listening to 95.7. They played "Bizarre Love Triangle" by New Order not once, but twice. I heard it in the car this morning, and heard it again on the same station about twelve hours later (impressive, because I rarely ever hear this song on the radio). They also played "Every Little Step" by Bobby Brown, which also doesn't seem to get a ton of airplay. "I'm Still Standing" by Elton John also made the cut. I know that people like to give iHeart a tough time, but it's clear that some of their stations are pretty darn good.

 

[crainbebo]

While in Yakima last Saturday for another round of yard sales, MegaHits 99.3 was still spinning rarities on their All 80s Weekend, which they have every weekend. One of them was 'Only In My Dreams' by Debbie Gibson, her debut single from '86. Try getting Cherry FM to play that. The only way that song will play on Cherry is if the Sunday broadcast of AT40: The 80s had it on the chart!

Meanwhile, not a classic hits station, but KOZI in Chelan is one of the best Adult Contemporary stations in the state. Recently, I have heard 'The Power of Love' by Celine Dion, 'Games People Play' by the Alan Parsons Project, and even 'I'll Never Love This Way Again' by Dionne Warwick on that station. Sometimes I have to make sure I'm listening to this radio station in 2021. Take out the new-ish songs and it feels like soft rock in the '90s. Combine that with local news, local sports, '2nd Cup of Coffee' where they interview community members, and the fact that there is still a swap shop (during 2nd Cup), KOZI is an awesome station serving the community.

 

[Marcos_C]

I am guessing that "Rasputin" by Boney M. was played on KJR-FM because of the resurgence that the song has been experiencing on TikTok this year. In fact, a remix of the song by Majestic x Boney M. is a current Top 40 hit in a few European countries, including the United Kingdom, where it is number 11 as of this week. In the US, it has reached number 11 on Billboard's Hot Dance/Electronic Songs chart.