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"GOOD MUSIC" format meaning?

T

thebeach33445

Hey Guys:

I have noticed this while I have been doing my research about this format back in the 50's and 60's. Could anybody help me understand what the format "Good Music" means? Is it Classical, Beautiful Music or something else? They have a lot of these formats in Portland Oregon. I really need help on this one guys.

Thanks

T.J.
 
I was raised to believe that "good music" was classical. In Washington, WGMS was Washington's Good Music Station, and it was classical. Until last year when it flipped to all news.
 
In many cases, "Good Music" also applied to easy-listening or "beautiful music", as well as some MOR formats.

Needless to say, in the '50s and '60s, rock n' roll was viewed by much of conservative America as Bad Music -- in other words, Communists and their operatives (for example, Elvis) were using "the jungle beat" to whip young people into a frenzy so that they could be indoctrinated with subversive ideas. On the other hand, the term "good music" applied to traditional music formats. It probably appealed to right-wing station owners who were losing listeners and advertisers to crosstown Top 40 competitors, but wanted to feel like they were upholding a conservative standard of decency.

A major programming syndicator and manufacturer of automation equipment called International Good Music (IGM, later known as BPI for Broadcast Programming International) was based in the northwest, which may explain why so many Portland stations adopted this term.
 
In many cases, "Good Music" also applied to easy-listening or "beautiful music", as well as some MOR formats.

Gotta agree with Play Freebird. Growing up in Utica, the old WBVM (1550) under the Fusco Brothers regime played what they described as "good music". As I remember, they wouldn't play anything that was on the top 40 charts. Even if it was Sinatra or Perry Como. One of the jocks( ok announcers) actually gave me a 45 of Windy by The Association. He said they would never play that hard rock-n-roll stuff here. If there was anything like imaging back in those days it would have been " WBVM-The Station Without a Beat". I later worked at FM station in Jacksonville Fla. Once again, no beat allowed, but certainly more thought in what was played, they considered themselves as "good music".
I guess what 1550 plays now days is very similar to what they played in the 60's.
 
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