Interesting article on follow-up songs, but raises questions.

[tall_guy1]

Why Aren’t There More Follow-Ups? - RadioInsight

For years, it was a given. If an artist had a CHR hit, there would almost certainly be a follow-up, maybe even on the first Tuesday after that song peaked. There were only a few typical exceptions—artists at the end of an album project that had already yielded multiple hit singles; occasionally...

radioinsight.com

While it is clear some songs don't gain "traction," you'd think listeners would want to hear more from artists who have big songs, given that they are in rotation for so long. For example, Jax has "90s Kids" which hasn't been played or something else from artists that might gain listeners' attention after one song had peaked. Your thoughts?

 

[kevtronics]

It's the gap that many one-hit-wonders fall into: If your follow-up is similar to your big hit, then it's rejected as being too cookie-cutter. And if it's different, then it's rejected as being too unfamiliar.

 

[TheBigA]

Sean always writes interesting articles. I was talking to some music industry people about this a couple weeks ago. One of the problems is that some of these artists get signed on the strength of one song. A label guy sees a video on YouTube or TikTok, contacts the singer, and they put it out as a single. It becomes a big smash, but there was no plan for the follow-up. They look at what else the artist has in the can, and it doesn't compare with the big hit that got all the attention.

On the other hand, Sean mentions Bailey Zimmerman. In his case, I know there was a lot of competition to sign him, so that tells me he was ready with a follow-up. I saw him do a short show recently, and he already has a fan base who know all of his songs. His latest song is a follow-up to his debut #1. As he introduced it, he said it was already the biggest hit of his career. That surprised me, because "Fall In Love" got a ton of radio airplay on its way to #1. But the fans were primed and ready for his followup.

Another story I hear is that the debut hit is so big, that any follow-up gets lost in the shuffle. The fans are still stuck on the debut hit, and radio is still playing it as though it's a current. That prevents the follow-up from getting any traction. The label may have to go a couple singles before they come up with a song that can beat the debut hit.

Every situation is different. It's more of a music problem than a radio problem. Radio is just fine playing the first hit as recurrent. But it's up to the artist & label to build the foundation for a career rather than just one song.

 

[tall_guy1]

Sean always writes interesting articles. I was talking to some music industry people about this a couple weeks ago. One of the problems is that some of these artists get signed on the strength of one song. A label guy sees a video on YouTube or TikTok, contacts the singer, and they put it out as a single. It becomes a big smash, but there was no plan for the follow-up. They look at what else the artist has in the can, and it doesn't compare with the big hit that got all the attention.

On the other hand, Sean mentions Bailey Zimmerman. In his case, I know there was a lot of competition to sign him, so that tells me he was ready with a follow-up. I saw him do a short show recently, and he already has a fan base who know all of his songs. His latest song is a follow-up to his debut #1. As he introduced it, he said it was already the biggest hit of his career. That surprised me, because "Fall In Love" got a ton of radio airplay on its way to #1. But the fans were primed and ready for his followup.

Another story I hear is that the debut hit is so big, that any follow-up gets lost in the shuffle. The fans are still stuck on the debut hit, and radio is still playing it as though it's a current. That prevents the follow-up from getting any traction. The label may have to go a couple singles before they come up with a song that can beat the debut hit.

Every situation is different. It's more of a music problem than a radio problem. Radio is just fine playing the first hit as recurrent. But it's up to the artist & label to build the foundation for a career rather than just one song.

This might be a reason chr is struggling though. The "currents" are actually recurrents and the playlists become stale (sometimes spinning these tunes 100+ times despite being 6 months old). To me, hot ac is more listenable these days.

 

[TheBigA]

This might be a reason chr is struggling though. The "currents" are actually recurrents and the playlists become stale (sometimes spinning these tunes 100+ times despite being 6 months old). To me, hot ac is more listenable these days.

Perhaps the question you need to ask (and I think Sean raises this in his article) is why is this such a problem for CHR, but not country? Why was country able to launch artists during the pandemic, and have them ready with follow-ups?

 

[Kelly A]

Perhaps the question you need to ask (and I think Sean raises this in his article) is why is this such a problem for CHR, but not country? Why was country able to launch artists during the pandemic, and have them ready with follow-ups?

Because pop country doesn't need to include lyrics about 'poppin a cap up yo mutha****un ass' to be popular?

 

[gr8oldies]

If we're going back....way back.....it seemed every hit had a mandatory sound-alike follow-up. Motown would keep re-doing the song until it couldn't anymore. "I Can't Help Myself" begat "It's the Same Old Song", "Something About You" and"Shake Me Wake Me (When It's Over)", "Reach Out I'll Be There" begat "Standing In The Shadows of Love", "Bernadette" and "7 Rooms of Gloom". For every Lesley Gore "It's My Party/"Judy's Turn to Cry" there was a "Navy Blue/"Kiss Me Sailor"

 

[CTListener]

Perhaps the question you need to ask (and I think Sean raises this in his article) is why is this such a problem for CHR, but not country?

Morgan Wade and Elvie Shane might differ with you on follow-ups not being a problem in country. Not a sniff of the chart since their breakthrough hits.

 

[tall_guy1]

If we're going back....way back.....it seemed every hit had a mandatory sound-alike follow-up. Motown would keep re-doing the song until it couldn't anymore. "I Can't Help Myself" begat "It's the Same Old Song", "Something About You" and"Shake Me Wake Me (When It's Over)", "Reach Out I'll Be There" begat "Standing In The Shadows of Love", "Bernadette" and "7 Rooms of Gloom". For every Lesley Gore "It's My Party/"Judy's Turn to Cry" there was a "Navy Blue/"Kiss Me Sailor"

They at least tried follow ups a decade or so ago. I remember people who had big hits like robin thicke got a follow up that I think bombed, but even krewella after "alive" got a follow up "live for the night" which also went nowhere, but they at least tried. Lmfao got two follow ups to party rock anthem: sexy and i know it (which did well) and sorry for party rocking (which bombed and sounded heinous.)

 

[TheBigA]

Morgan Wade and Elvie Shane might differ with you on follow-ups not being a problem in country. Not a sniff of the chart since their breakthrough hits.

Morgan peaked in the mid-20s. I wouldn't call that a hit.

Elvie is an example of what I said in paragraph 3 of post #3.

 

[tall_guy1]

Perhaps the question you need to ask (and I think Sean raises this in his article) is why is this such a problem for CHR, but not country? Why was country able to launch artists during the pandemic, and have them ready with follow-ups?

It would be an interesting case study for pop (chr/hot ac) listeners today and their music preferences. It seems like things have gotten increasingly narrow. Even a lot of songs on the tiktok charts are older or dated.

 

[seatownmedia]

Ok I will chime in, but this will be ancient history to most. There was a group in ‘72 that hit number one with “Brandy” by Looking Glass. Then their follow up was “Jimmy loves Mary Ann” was just a midcharter at number 33, though I thought it was just as good as “Brandy”.
Who knows what politics were going within the record companies at this time. “Jimmy loves Mary Ann” deserves a YouTube search!

 

[TheBigA]

Who knows what politics were going within the record companies at this time. “Jimmy loves Mary Ann” deserves a YouTube search!

That's a good question, and there have been lots of documentaries about groups coping with success after a big hit. The part of it I know is the lead singer and writer of Brandy left the band for a solo career in 1974. But you could be right about label politics.

 

[kevtronics]

If we're going back....way back.....it seemed every hit had a mandatory sound-alike follow-up. Motown would keep re-doing the song until it couldn't anymore.

Not just Motown. Norman Petty wanted a follow-up to the #1 hit "Sugar Shack" by the Fireballs, and he got it with "Daisy Petal Pickin'", with the same Hammond Solovox riff throughout. It was a #15 hit at the time, but quickly forgotten.

 

[rparky54]

Not just Motown. Norman Petty wanted a follow-up to the #1 hit "Sugar Shack" by the Fireballs, and he got it with "Daisy Petal Pickin'", with the same Hammond Solovox riff throughout. It was a #15 hit at the time, but quickly forgotten.

They did have another big hit down the road:

 

[CTListener]

The very title of "The Same Old Song" is a sly reference by its writers (Holland-Dozier-Holland) to its similarity to "I Can't Help Myself." The story goes that Berry Gordy wanted something to send to radio on very short notice, so his top songwriters made some minor changes to the melody of "I Can't Help Myself," wrote lyrics to fit, and presented their boss and the Four Tops with the future hit in about 30 minutes.

 

[kevtronics]

The very title of "The Same Old Song" is a sly reference by its writers (Holland-Dozier-Holland) to its similarity to "I Can't Help Myself."

See also Britney Spears' "Oops!... I Did It Again".

Another common (but usually failed) ploy to squeeze another hit out of a one-hit wonder is to make a Christmas version of it: everything from "Monster's Holiday" to "Macarena Christmas".

 

[boombox4]

The very title of "The Same Old Song" is a sly reference by its writers (Holland-Dozier-Holland) to its similarity to "I Can't Help Myself." The story goes that Berry Gordy wanted something to send to radio on very short notice, so his top songwriters made some minor changes to the melody of "I Can't Help Myself," wrote lyrics to fit, and presented their boss and the Four Tops with the future hit in about 30 minutes.

Same Old Song was a response to another label's turning out a re-make of another Four Tops's hit (possibly even Can't Help Myself). This angered Berry Gordy and he ordered the Motown machine to turn out a Four Tops song as soon as possible, to drown out the competing label's other Four Tops song remake.

All this said, James Jamerson's bass lines on Same Old Song really are cool. I think they're some of his coolest ones.

 

[boombox4]

Sean always writes interesting articles. I was talking to some music industry people about this a couple weeks ago. One of the problems is that some of these artists get signed on the strength of one song. A label guy sees a video on YouTube or TikTok, contacts the singer, and they put it out as a single. It becomes a big smash, but there was no plan for the follow-up. They look at what else the artist has in the can, and it doesn't compare with the big hit that got all the attention.

In other words, lack or A&R artist development? Outsourcing A&R to whatever people put up on the internet, or at least that musical content that flies.

 

[TheBigA]

In other words, lack or A&R artist development? Outsourcing A&R to whatever people put up on the internet, or at least that musical content that flies.

That's the farm system today. In the old days, people would play small clubs and hope to get discovered. Instead they put their music on YouTube or TikTok and build a fan base. Nothing wrong with that. It worked for Buddy Holly and Elvis Presley. They each put music out on small indie labels, and it got them enough attention to get signed to a major label. It's a good way to anticipate audience response on the radio. The labels have the infrastructure to take a raw talent with a fan base and bring them to the mass audience.