Hot AC's top 40 core artists

[BoscoGoldBear]

Someone on the AC board (I think it was Tina) said that formats are song-driven rather than format driven. I believe it, but only to a point.

Anyway, here is the list of the most-played Hot AC artists. #40 has 3 songs, while #1 has 9 songs; ties are broken based on which artist has the highest-ranked song on Mediabase. I will include certain artists rankings from the core AC artist list, plus put the non-rock Hot AC artists in bold (won't be that many, since most have alt-rock, which includes new wave, and arena rock backgrounds).

40. Red Hot Chili Peppers - 3 songs
39. Nickelback - 3
38. Train - 3
37. Avril Lavigne - 3
36. Green Day - 3
35. Kelly Clarkson - 3 (#17 AC core artist)
34. Blondie - 4
33. Duran Duran - 4
32. Jewel - 4
31. Collective Soul - 4
30. John Mellencamp - 4 (#18 AC core artist)
29. Christina Aguilera - 4
28. Gin Blossoms - 4
27. R.E.M. - 4
26. Bryan Adams - 4 (#10 AC core artist - lost his rock credibilty IMHO in 1991 with that godawful Robin Hood/Kevin Costner song)
25. Sugar Ray - 4 (lost all rock credibilty when Mark McGrath went to TV's "EXTRA")
24. John Mayer - 4 (#32 AC core artist)
23. The Police - 4
22. Uncle Kracker/Kid Rock (closely-enough connected) - 4 (#30 core AC artist)
21. Michelle Branch - 4
20. Counting Crows - 4
19. Creed - 4
18. Third Eye Blind - 4
17. Maroon 5 - 4 (#35 AC core artist)
16. Hootie and the Blowfish - 4 (#23 AC core artist)
15. Journey - 5 (#9 AC core artist)
14. Lenny Kravitz - 5
13. Aerosmith - 5
12. Alanis Morissette - 5
11. Sarah McLachlan - 6
10. Dave Matthews Band - 6
9. 3 Doors Down - 6
8. Prince - 7 (#16 AC core artist)
7. Bon Jovi - 7
6. No Doubt - 7
5. Goo Goo Dolls - 7 (#19 AC core artist)
4. Sheryl Crow - 8 (#18 AC core artist)
3. Matchbox Twenty - 8 (#34 AC core artist)
2. Madonna - 9 (#5 AC core artist)
1. U2 - 9

In short, Hot ACs claiming that have "better variety" are lying IMHO, given that only 4 of Hot AC's core artists are non-rock (Madonna, Prince, Christina Aguilera and Kelly Clarkson), and one of them has a song ("Since U Been Gone") that could easily fit in at 'AAF, 'BCN, 'FNX, etc. in Boston.

Let's see those replies! ;D

 

[mclovin]

I agree and disagree, but I think it has a lot do with the songs you play between your monster hits. I know the philosophy behind AC programming (whether it's Hot/Mainstream/Rhythmic) is the more familiar the better, don't throw something in the mix that your audience doesn't know.


But I do think that AC programmers get a little complacient in swapping out Gold/ Recurrents and keep going to the same well for those songs... When was the last time you heard the "Blow Monkeys:'?

 

[mistermicrophone]

Someone on the AC board (I think it was Tina) said that formats are song-driven rather than format driven. I believe it, but only to a point.

Anyway, here is the list of the most-played Hot AC artists. #40 has 3 songs, while #1 has 9 songs; ties are broken based on which artist has the highest-ranked song on Mediabase. I will include certain artists rankings from the core AC artist list, plus put the non-rock Hot AC artists in bold (won't be that many, since most have alt-rock, which includes new wave, and arena rock backgrounds).

40. Red Hot Chili Peppers - 3 songs
39. Nickelback - 3
38. Train - 3
37. Avril Lavigne - 3
36. Green Day - 3
35. Kelly Clarkson - 3 (#17 AC core artist)
34. Blondie - 4
33. Duran Duran - 4
32. Jewel - 4
31. Collective Soul - 4
30. John Mellencamp - 4 (#18 AC core artist)
29. Christina Aguilera - 4
28. Gin Blossoms - 4
27. R.E.M. - 4
26. Bryan Adams - 4 (#10 AC core artist - lost his rock credibilty IMHO in 1991 with that godawful Robin Hood/Kevin Costner song)
25. Sugar Ray - 4 (lost all rock credibilty when Mark McGrath went to TV's "EXTRA")
24. John Mayer - 4 (#32 AC core artist)
23. The Police - 4
22. Uncle Kracker/Kid Rock (closely-enough connected) - 4 (#30 core AC artist)
21. Michelle Branch - 4
20. Counting Crows - 4
19. Creed - 4
18. Third Eye Blind - 4
17. Maroon 5 - 4 (#35 AC core artist)
16. Hootie and the Blowfish - 4 (#23 AC core artist)
15. Journey - 5 (#9 AC core artist)
14. Lenny Kravitz - 5
13. Aerosmith - 5
12. Alanis Morissette - 5
11. Sarah McLachlan - 6
10. Dave Matthews Band - 6
9. 3 Doors Down - 6
8. Prince - 7 (#16 AC core artist)
7. Bon Jovi - 7
6. No Doubt - 7
5. Goo Goo Dolls - 7 (#19 AC core artist)
4. Sheryl Crow - 8 (#18 AC core artist)
3. Matchbox Twenty - 8 (#34 AC core artist)
2. Madonna - 9 (#5 AC core artist)
1. U2 - 9

In short, Hot ACs claiming that have "better variety" are lying IMHO, given that only 4 of Hot AC's core artists are non-rock (Madonna, Prince, Christina Aguilera and Kelly Clarkson), and one of them has a song ("Since U Been Gone") that could easily fit in at 'AAF, 'BCN, 'FNX, etc. in Boston.

Let's see those replies! ;D

no...not again...Steve...please admit you are creating these posts to be a [EDIT]!?!?!


[EDIT-namecalling]

 

[MassMusicMan]

25. Sugar Ray - 4 (lost all rock credibilty when Mark McGrath went to TV's "EXTRA")

They lost rock credibility when they released "Fly."

 

[BoscoGoldBear]

25. Sugar Ray - 4 (lost all rock credibilty when Mark McGrath went to TV's "EXTRA")

They lost rock credibility when they released "Fly."

Tell that to 'BCN and 'FNX - they still play that song anyway (especially 'FNX)!

 

[Beejus]

25. Sugar Ray - 4 (lost all rock credibilty when Mark McGrath went to TV's "EXTRA")

They lost rock credibility when they released "Fly."

Tell that to 'BCN and 'FNX - they still play that song anyway (especially 'FNX)!

'FNX played it once in the past week (in overnights no less), and 'BCN didn't spin it at all.

 

[Primitive]

I don't mean to come in and try to pretend I know it all, but with core artists, it's not how many songs you play, but HOW OFTEN you play them that really shapes the sound of your station.

You might have 9 U2 songs in your gold category, but you may have 2 or 3 active at any time. You really have to listen to a station to know who the core artists are.

That's just my opinion.