I know WMAG Greensboro NC (iHeart) and WKQC Charlotte NC have no problem with playing some Christian songs. I haven't counted how many songs are each type.
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How much Christian music do stations play when they go all-Christmas?
- Thread starter vchimpanzee
- Start date
I think it depends on the market. In the Northeast, I've almost never heard a "Christian artist" on WLTW, WALK-FM, WBEB, whether it was during the regular format or the Christmas format.
Of course, Amy Grant Xmas songs play all the time. She got her start on Christian radio before crossing over to pop. Even if these stations no longer play Amy Grant hits, her Xmas albums remain popular.
And that leads to the question, how many secular titles do Christian Contemporary stations play when they go all-Christmas? It seems the commercial stations (WFSH Atlanta, KLTY Dallas, WAWZ New Jersey) go about 50/50 between artists like Andy Williams, Nat King Cole and The Carpenters vs. Christian artists. But others say K-Love plays no secular Christmas songs.
Of course, Amy Grant Xmas songs play all the time. She got her start on Christian radio before crossing over to pop. Even if these stations no longer play Amy Grant hits, her Xmas albums remain popular.
And that leads to the question, how many secular titles do Christian Contemporary stations play when they go all-Christmas? It seems the commercial stations (WFSH Atlanta, KLTY Dallas, WAWZ New Jersey) go about 50/50 between artists like Andy Williams, Nat King Cole and The Carpenters vs. Christian artists. But others say K-Love plays no secular Christmas songs.
Do you mean "Christian" as in "Little Town of Bethlehem" or "Silent Night" or "Christian" as being more contemporary but with a reference to Jesus and His birth?
There's also the factor of secular artists who do songs about Jesus's birth like Stevie Nicks's version of Silent Night, or Bob Seger's version of The Little Drummer Boy. There's also the factor of artists who are mainly secular but are Christians like John Tesh that get played on both Christian ans secular stations.
But I agree that a lot depends on the station. All the stations in the Memphis or Nashville areas that go all Christmas definitely play Amy Grant, but some will also mix in other CCM artists who have had some crossover success. And the Fish in Nashville will mix in a lot of secular music. K-LOVE will mix in more traditional secular songs closer to Christmas, like Bing Crosby, Naat King Cole, or Andy Williams.
But I agree that a lot depends on the station. All the stations in the Memphis or Nashville areas that go all Christmas definitely play Amy Grant, but some will also mix in other CCM artists who have had some crossover success. And the Fish in Nashville will mix in a lot of secular music. K-LOVE will mix in more traditional secular songs closer to Christmas, like Bing Crosby, Naat King Cole, or Andy Williams.
"Christian" without regard to style of music. I am referring to the message.
I also don't regard "Christian music" as being something contemporary. For me it has to be called "Contemporary Christian". "Christian music" to me can be Southern Gospel, or classical music, or a traditional hymn, or whatever you call the music on BBN.
I'd call that traditional. Definitely not any of them on the AC or CCM stations except for possibly Christmas Eve or morning, and mostly on stations that lean toward easy listening or traditional Christian music during the rest of the year.
Looking over the WMAG "recently played" list, I see no examples of Christian songs. It looks like the basic iHeart music list played across the country. I see Jingle Bells, Winter Wonderland, Baby Its Cold Outside, Happy Xmas (War Is Over), etc. No Silent Night, no Little Town of Bethlehem, or anything like that.
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Pat3
Guest
Our local i-heart station plays almost no sacred or Christian Christmas songs. No carols, no orchestras and absolutely no choirs unless it is a Gospel choir. All they play is the same secular songs over and over just by different artists. multiple versions of Rudolf, Frosty, Here Come Santa Claus, Santa Claus is coming to Town, winter Wonderland, let it snow, Santa Baby, Last Christmas etc. Just once I'd like to hear Joy To the World, Away in a Manger, Silent Night etc. I would be shocked if I ever heard a decent choir singing anymore (unless it's that tired old Drummer Boy by Harry Simone) There's only so much "Santa Baby" that I can stand until I toss the radio out of the window.
So WLTW, WALK FM, and WBEB have never played Lauren Daigle? She's a Christian artist and I find it hard to believe that they would just ignore such a hit like "You Say."
Which version? Love 105 in the Twin Cities plays both the original version [Eartha Kitt], and the Madonna version.
Phoenix's KEZ 99.9 does play Carol of the Bells, but usually as an instrumental by Mannheim Steamroller or the Trans-Siberian Orchestra. That's the only Religious-themed carol they play. The rest is the usual secular stuff.
But what I find interesting is that close to 1/3 of their music is by artists that were more inclined to air on then-called MOR stations in the '50s and '60s: Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Andy Williams, Bing Crosby, Gene Autry, Burl Ives, Percy Faith & his Orchestra, and the like. Geezer-friendly artists that KEZ (or any other FM station) would normally never broadcast. They also air early/mid '60s rock acts such as Elvis, a few "girl groups," and the Beach Boys. Yes, I know that their versions of some Christmas songs were classics, but talk about breaking the format! :O
I'm sure the format police types cringe every year, but the ratings continue to respond. So they hold their nose and go with what works.
Maybe I was imagining things, but I could swear that, in the past, KEZ never broke format until a couple of weeks before Christmas, when they started airing these older songs, as well as religious carols.
At least so far, they have yet to play Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer. I'll give them that.
At least so far, they have yet to play Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer. I'll give them that.
The iHeart holiday library frowns on novelty songs. The closest they come is You're a Mean One Mr. Grinch.
No "Snoopy's Christmas"?
I haven't seen it, no.
As far as any references to Peanuts goes: Vincent Guaraldi, yes. Royal Guardsmen, no.
Too bad, because the message of the Snoopy song is true to the Christmas spirit, while Guaraldi's tune is just a catchy keyboard ditty. It draws on the famous World War I "Christmas truce" story. It is 51 years old, though, and I'm sure iHeart is weeding out older songs every year.
One more song to inquire about: "Do You Hear What I Hear?" Despite the nonsensical presence of a talking sheep in the first verse, it's not a novelty song and has to do with the holiday rather than the weather. Still being played by iHeart, and if so, by whom? Simeone Chorale? Crosby? Ames? (That one's my favorite.) Mathis? Or newer versions?
As I said, they're playing stuff from the 1950s and '60s -- and even a couple from the '40s (Bing Crosby's White Christmas and Gene Autry's Rudolf the Red Nosed Reindeer in heavy rotation.
I have a gut feeling that the reason they play Charlie Brown Christmas and Grinch stuff is that they were TV shows, not separate recordings, and most people recognize the songs from the shows.
That is one of the most annoying religion-based Christmas songs ever, but it's so popular that I'm sure the iHeart stations will eventually start playing it. I give it another 2 or 3 weeks at most.
One big solution and is guaranteed to work. Forget radio's presentation of Christmas music and all the ridiculous long segments of spots between songs. Just make your own playlists on your computer and bluetooth them out on a portable speaker. All the secular and religious songs, any version you desire, all the rat pack versions, heck you can even rotate the traditional Mormon Tabernacle Choir's versions of religious classics or the Vienna Boys Choir. Because once that poor radio hits the pavement after being tossed, there's no return.
"Santa Baby" by Madonna or Eartha Kitt?
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