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A/C Losing Ground In At-Work Listening

Didn't we see another thread not too long ago where Classic Rock was the #1 genre as well? Wonder what that (and this) says about the youngsters listening today?
 
AC as it sounds now is not fit for at-work listening. At least in professional workplaces. Now I have to get my car fixed tomorrow and I happen to know they have active rock there.
 
Didn't we see another thread not too long ago where Classic Rock was the #1 genre as well? Wonder what that (and this) says about the youngsters listening today?

Well, remember that 46% of the respondents in this survey are between 35 and 54. 70% are 25-54. So it's not about youngsters. It's about today's adults. And they're listing, as "best to listen to while working", Top 40 first, Classic Rock second, Rock (alternative, indie, hard rock) third, and country and classical tied for 4th....all of those choices within 4% of each other.
 
I was in the supermarket the other day, and I heard a few songs (upbeat) on Muzak that you would of never heard five years ago. My generation (growing up with late 70's and 80's) is now the new sound of Muzak and AC.

Billy Jean is now taking the place of So Far Away.
 
ACs have got to move out of the 70s and get rid of the stuff from Billy Joel, Eagles, Bread, Firefall and Bee-Gees - among others.
 
AC has been notoriously slow to bag the 70s entirely. None of the AC's around here have.

In the South, it's common to hear country more often than AC in public places. The format's concept is just outdated. As Hot AC stations morph more in to CHR for adults, smart AC stations should move to fill the void left by Hot AC's. CBS AC's have done a decent job doing this.
 
Even "Brown Eyed Girl" Van Morrison is a staple at many ACs - and that was 1968! I do agree that it's going more upbeat - in the 1990s the format was more ballads and love songs. Is Lady Gaga considered "love song/Delilah" material? NOT!

-crainbebo
 
Even "Brown Eyed Girl" Van Morrison is a staple at many ACs - and that was 1968! I do agree that it's going more upbeat - in the 1990s the format was more ballads and love songs. Is Lady Gaga considered "love song/Delilah" material? NOT!

-crainbebo

That and Margaritaville can move to a different format. Oldies or Classic Hits.
 
AC stations play whatever tests well with adults, primarily women. The two AC stations I listen to most often tried dropping all '70s music (and yes, the obligatory one '60s song too, "Brown Eyed Girl") for a while, but then brought it back recently. NYC's Lite FM is even featuring it in their promos, saying that they're "proud to still be playing some of the most legendary music"... maybe because they just got beat in the ratings by Classic Hits WCBS-FM!
 
Really strange seeing you guys in the states flag up such issues with the definition of AC formats in your markets. Here in the UK in 2008 we experienced what you guys have had for years - big radio groups owning everything! Weirdly, over here it improved the quality of broadcasting and naturally led to formats been really defined, as obviously we have one big player controlling the majority share of play-lists now and they don't want any of their own brands crossing over. I used to think you guys in the states were the masters of that kind of format.

Oh, and on the research, that kind of research seems almost blind to the reality of radio listening in the modern day. Research dangerous in the wrong hands!
 
Bear in mind that the radio market in the States is huge by comparison to the UK and with size you will usually have a much wider complement of PD's who define their station's playlists.

The last time I spent significant time in the corporate environment (non-radio) in the UK and Eire (late 90's) I didn't observe workers listening to radio near as much as in the States. It was then very unusual to find an office dweller with earbuds and you never heard an open radio speaker. With the widespread adoption of small cubes as offices here it seems listening to something is commonplace, if merely to drown out the background office noises.
 
In the 1980s-90s, many Los Angeles department stores and doctor/dentist offices had KOST playing. Like most AC stations, KOST now plays Billie Jean, Straight Up, Make Me Smile, Harden My Heart, Girls Just Want To Have Fun and many other songs that never made the AC charts. Their slogan is "Southern California's Favorite Soft Rock." I foresee the day when the phrase "adult contemporary" will no longer be used. As for all those stores and offices, most of them now play satellite-fed classic rock. Some of the larger chains, such as RiteAid, have their own in-house music service which provides a mix of oldies and classic rock. I invite all of you to come here and visit the huge Glendale Galleria shopping complex. Don't enter any of the stores---just walk through the mall. No matter where you walk, you'll hear at least ten different rock stations blaring from the various stores. It's cacophonous and it's deafening...which is why I no longer shop at the Galleria.
 
Some of the larger chains, such as RiteAid, have their own in-house music service which provides a mix of oldies and classic rock. I invite all of you to come here and visit the huge Glendale Galleria shopping complex. Don't enter any of the stores---just walk through the mall. No matter where you walk, you'll hear at least ten different rock stations blaring from the various stores. It's cacophonous and it's deafening...which is why I no longer shop at the Galleria.

Clothing stores for the teens and 20-somethings tend to have loud, fashion runway type thump music.
 
"Runway" is an apt description. When I'm assaulted by blaring, thumping, headache-inducing rock music as I approach the doorway of a clothing store, I run away. :)
 
In the 1980s-90s, many Los Angeles department stores and doctor/dentist offices had KOST playing. Like most AC stations, KOST now plays Billie Jean, Straight Up, Make Me Smile, Harden My Heart, Girls Just Want To Have Fun and many other songs that never made the AC charts. Their slogan is "Southern California's Favorite Soft Rock." I foresee the day when the phrase "adult contemporary" will no longer be used. As for all those stores and offices, most of them now play satellite-fed classic rock. Some of the larger chains, such as RiteAid, have their own in-house music service which provides a mix of oldies and classic rock. I invite all of you to come here and visit the huge Glendale Galleria shopping complex. Don't enter any of the stores---just walk through the mall. No matter where you walk, you'll hear at least ten different rock stations blaring from the various stores. It's cacophonous and it's deafening...which is why I no longer shop at the Galleria.

Turns out "Harden My Heart" did make the AC chart...peaking at #41. Wouldn't surprise me if "Billie Jean" did too... and maybe even Cyndi Lauper.

The term "soft" is what is likely to go away, Steve. "Adult Contemporary" is returning to its pre-Jhani Kaye/KOST/Continuous Soft Hits meaning:

Contemporary songs that appeal to adults (those roughly about 40 and predominantly female).

It's not a type, tempo or intensity. That was Jhani's invention. It's whatever 39-year old women like at the moment. If they suddenly embrace Five Finger Death Punch en masse, then Five Finger Death Punch is Adult Contemporary.
 
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Lauper's "Time After Time" made number one on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart on June 9, 1984[SUP][/SUP] and remained there for two weeks. The song is currently considered Adult AC genre although I have heard it on Classic Hits as well.
 
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