Is there still soft AC?

[Jay F]

Keep in mind stations consider sales purposes when they label themselves. "Soft AC" is an easy sell to advertisers compared to Easy Listening or Adult Standards.

 

[carolinaradio]

I liked YES 94.5. The name was stupid, but it was a good station.

Star 92.1 is 80s 90s and now with an emphasis on the recent stuff. They're Hot AC (just like Star 104.3 in Asheville).

 

[vchimpanzee]

Keep in mind stations consider sales purposes when they label themselves. "Soft AC" is an easy sell to advertisers compared to Easy Listening or Adult Standards.

It's still wrong.

As I said, there is someone who keeps the format names correct for one web site who considers Delilah stations soft AC. Most are AC because they've gone beyond a certain point.

These are the songs which you can't have and still be soft AC, in my opinion:

"Lovin' Touchin' Squeezin'" by Journey
"Don't Stop Believin'" by Journey
"Any Way You Want It" by Journey
"Let's Go Crazy" by Prince
"When Doves Cry" by Prince
"Raspberry Beret" by Prince
"Little Red Corvette" by Prince
"Hit Me with Your Best Shot" by Pat Benatar
"Love Is a Battlefield" by Pat Benatar
"Hurts So Good" by John Mellencamp
"Jesse's Girl" by Rick Springfield

Those are songs I know have shown up in the regular format of certain Delilah stations which might have been considered soft AC a few years ago. I'm sure there are others. And some of those I've heard at night on a station that is really conservative during the day.

 

[carolinaradio]

vchimp.....you're hard-pressed to find an AC (besides maybe WEZV, WDUV, like those) that doesn't play those.

Entercom's WSPA in Greenville is pretty soft compared to some AC's....I know they aren't "SOFT" like most of you are thinking, but they seem pretty soft for a mainstream AC these days, here's a sample:

Earth, Wind, and Fire - September
Maroon 5 - This Love (ok, maybe a bit loud)
Little Texas - What Might Have Been
P!nk - Who Knew
Daughtry - What About Now (maybe a bit loud)
Luther Vandross - Here and Now
Billy Joel - Piano Man
Plain White T's - Hey There Delilah
Genesis - In Too Deep
Matt Nathanson - Come On Get Higher
REO Speedwagon - Can't Fight This Feeling
Leona Lewis - Better In Time
Alannah Myles - Black Velvet
Manhattans - Shining Star
Timbaland f/ OneRepublic - Apologize
Rod Stewart - Tonight's The Night

Later Peter Gabriel's "In Your Eyes", Don Henley's "The Last Worthless Evening", James Taylor's "Your Smiling Face", Celine's "Power Of Love", etc were played. Considering an AC in a nearby market is playing "Livin' La Vida Loca", "Hot N Cold", "Battlefield", etc....this is a pretty calm AC for today's standards.

 

[vchimpanzee]

vchimp.....you're hard-pressed to find an AC (besides maybe WEZV, WDUV, like those) that doesn't play those.

Entercom's WSPA in Greenville is pretty soft compared to some AC's....I know they aren't "SOFT" like most of you are thinking, but they seem pretty soft for a mainstream AC these days, here's a sample:

Earth, Wind, and Fire - September
Maroon 5 - This Love (ok, maybe a bit loud)
Little Texas - What Might Have Been
P!nk - Who Knew
Daughtry - What About Now (maybe a bit loud)
Luther Vandross - Here and Now
Billy Joel - Piano Man
Plain White T's - Hey There Delilah
Genesis - In Too Deep
Matt Nathanson - Come On Get Higher
REO Speedwagon - Can't Fight This Feeling
Leona Lewis - Better In Time
Alannah Myles - Black Velvet
Manhattans - Shining Star
Timbaland f/ OneRepublic - Apologize
Rod Stewart - Tonight's The Night

Later Peter Gabriel's "In Your Eyes", Don Henley's "The Last Worthless Evening", James Taylor's "Your Smiling Face", Celine's "Power Of Love", etc were played. Considering an AC in a nearby market is playing "Livin' La Vida Loca", "Hot N Cold", "Battlefield", etc....this is a pretty calm AC for today's standards.

I don't know about the Pink song, but I guess you could still be soft AC and play those songs. The man who keeps the formats correct on the site I go to for Arbitron ratings is convinced Magic is soft AC. Based on that list I suppose it is. And WEZV is NOT AC, soft or otherwise. that man decided to call it adult standards.

I forgot "Straight Up" by Paula Abdul.

Here are some more which, while not necessarily soft, wouldn't automatically disqualify a station from being called soft AC, I don't think.

"Heart of Rock and Roll" Huey Lewis and the News
"Do You Believe in Love?" Huey Lewis and the News
"Footloose" Kenny Loggins
"I'm Alright" Kenny Loggins
"Old Time Rock and Roll" Bob Seger
"I Can't Hold back" Survivor
"High on You" Survivor
"I'm the Only One" Melissa Etheridge
"Take It on the Run" REO Speedwagon
"Jack and Diane" John Mellencamp
"Pink Houses" John Mellencamp
"Cherry Bomb" John Mellencamp
"Brass in Pocket" Pretenders

I'm having second thoughts about "Don't Stop Believin'" because a soft AC/oldies station where I live used to play it. This was a station that sometimes played Frank Sinatra. Back then, if the owner's son was the DJ, he's play "Caught Up in You" by .38 Special and "China Grove" by the Doobie Brothers. Those last two I believe would automatically disqualify a soft AC.

I also think maybe "Hurts So Good" might also work, although the lyrics sound S & M to me.

 

[vchimpanzee]

Wait, I didn't see Daughtry. I almost think we have to call Magic mainstream AC.

Some other songs that wouldn't fit in a soft AC format:

"Simply Irresistible" Robert Palmer
"Cuts Like a Knife" Bryan Adams
"More Than a Feeling" Boston
"Eye of the Tiger" Survivor

I can't say this whole list represents what s actually on soft rock stations, but stations playing them wouldn't be in the soft category.

 

[AM FM listener]

The man who keeps the formats correct on the site I go to for Arbitron ratings is convinced Magic is soft AC.

What site is that? I would like to browse a radio site where format labels are actually scrutinized.

 

[vchimpanzee]

The man who keeps the formats correct on the site I go to for Arbitron ratings is convinced Magic is soft AC.

What site is that? I would like to browse a radio site where format labels are actually scrutinized.

I have a link somewhere, but don't bother. This man is convinced Magic 98.9 is soft AC, and most Jack stations seem to be listed as classic hits, even though oldies stations that don't want to use the name anymore are also called that.

 

[AM FM listener]

The man who keeps the formats correct on the site I go to for Arbitron ratings is convinced Magic is soft AC.

What site is that? I would like to browse a radio site where format labels are actually scrutinized.

I have a link somewhere, but don't bother. This man is convinced Magic 98.9 is soft AC, and most Jack stations seem to be listed as classic hits, even though oldies stations that don't want to use the name anymore are also called that.

Out of curiosity, if nothing else, I'd still like to check it out if you can provide the link.

 

[vchimpanzee]

The man who keeps the formats correct on the site I go to for Arbitron ratings is convinced Magic is soft AC.

What site is that? I would like to browse a radio site where format labels are actually scrutinized.

I have a link somewhere, but don't bother. This man is convinced Magic 98.9 is soft AC, and most Jack stations seem to be listed as classic hits, even though oldies stations that don't want to use the name anymore are also called that.

Out of curiosity, if nothing else, I'd still like to check it out if you can provide the link.

http://www.radio-info.com/markets/

 

[AM FM listener]

The man who keeps the formats correct on the site I go to for Arbitron ratings is convinced Magic is soft AC.

What site is that? I would like to browse a radio site where format labels are actually scrutinized.

I have a link somewhere, but don't bother. This man is convinced Magic 98.9 is soft AC, and most Jack stations seem to be listed as classic hits, even though oldies stations that don't want to use the name anymore are also called that.

Out of curiosity, if nothing else, I'd still like to check it out if you can provide the link.

http://www.radio-info.com/markets/

Oh, THIS is the site to which you refer. I have checked it out before. It's pretty good about format labels but, as you pointed out, still arguable in some cases. I guess that's just the nature of format definitions -- always subject to interpretations. Thanks, vchimp.

 

[MsMusicRadio]

WWRM in Tampa tries to have it both ways as "Soft and Contemporary".

 

[vchimpanzee]

Getting back to what can be included in soft AC, how about these:

"West End Girls" Pet Shop Boys
"Don't You" Simple Minds
"Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic" Police
"Don't Stand So Close to Me" Police
"De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da" Police
"Toy Soldiers" Martika

But these could not:
"Roxanne" Police
"Sunglasses at Night" Corey Hart
"Shout" Tears for Fears

The first time I heard the term "Hot AC", or at least the first time I remember it, was when I complained to a soft AC station about that last song and they said they were actually Hot AC. Where they were, though, no station was soft AC. Some parts of the market were reached by an easy listening station. Still, when I said I wanted Barbra Streisand, someone no one in that market could hear except on that easy listening station, they tried to tell me they played some worthless duet between her and Don Johnson. That doesn't count.

I'm not advocating Barbra Streisand be played on any kind of AC radio; that's from back when she was on AC radio.

This was back in the old days.

 

[vchimpanzee]

WWRM in Tampa tries to have it both ways as "Soft and Contemporary".

So are you saying they're soft AC? If so, WDUV has no business using the term.

I forgot to say it's a sad state of affairs when Delilah's show includes "One Tree Hill" music. It's one thing for her stations to do so, but now she does.

 

[Jay F]

WWRM in Tampa tries to have it both ways as "Soft and Contemporary".

So are you saying they're soft AC? If so, WDUV has no business using the term.

WDUV and WWRM are both owned by Cox. They don't step on each other. WWRM sounds like a typical AC these days..not especially soft.