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It's beginning to sound a lot like Christmas

This year, the usual 'wide playlist' stations have already flipped with more to come...WQPW/Valdosta, KKRB/Klamath Falls, KBTS/Big Spring etc. The small town stations, for the most part, ignore focus group playlists and do their own thing. Beautiful song by Natalie Merchant just a few minutes ago on KKRB's morning show...'Children, Go Where I Send Thee' by Natalie Merchant from A Very Special Christmas 3. They seem to like that one since the Sting version of 'I Saw Three Ships' also aired an hour ago.

Some stations slant towards Santa, winter, toy songs; others try to mix religious-Santa songs 50-50.
 
I heard WQPW in regular format last week. Since you like that station, have you tried their sister WLOV? That's a regular listen for me not only at Christmas, but throughout the year. Knowing you as I do, I think you'd like their approach to Classic Hits. As for my Christmas library, it would include pretty much anything by Streight No Chaser and Pentatonicx, as well as the following:
All I want for Christmas is You, bot the Maria Carrie song and the completely different song by Vince Vance.
Manheim Steamroller - Carol of the Bells.
Chipmunks Christmas Don't Be Late
Carpenters - Home for the Holidays
Barenaked Ladies - God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen/We Three Kings
The original You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch.
New a few years ago, the Robertsons, Hairy Christmas.
New last year, Leona Lewis, One More Sleep, something U.S. radio doesn't play enough, but the Music Choice channel plays quite a bit.
New this year for me is Ringo Star's version of Rudalph the Red Nosed Reindeer.
Also Hey Santa, Christmas in the Northwest, and Nitty Gritty Dirt Band - Colorado Christmas. I'm sure I'm missing a few, but I think that covers most of my list.
 
I was in a grocery store where the songs I remember were "Running with the Night" by Lionel Richie, "Fascination" by The Human League and "You Belong with Me" by Taylor Swift. The first two would have suggested classic hits rather than AC, but the third one makes me wonder. This chain sometimes has what I would call Hot AC since there are rarely classics. I have asked previously where they get their music and am told "corporate". Depending on when I am in the store or which location, I might hear what I called Hot AC, or smooth jazz, or soft classic hits, or classic rock, or what I just described.

In the middle of that I could hear Christmas related lyrics on one unfamiliar song that was just AC garbage.
 
It is not a well known technology but stores and casinos have integrated technologies that can apply the right music for the crowd. Welcome to the future.
 
seatownmedia said:
It is not a well known technology but stores and casinos have integrated technologies that can apply the right music for the crowd. Welcome to the future.
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I had wondered in the past if stores had some sort of input for their music systems. When I worked at Lowe's I found out they were using Mood's (Muzak's) FM1 channel, which is mostly AC. Later when I worked for Kirkland's in their IT department for a short time I found out that they had a system thorough Mood for their stores that was controlled from a server in the office where I worked, and that they had control over what music was played. During the Christmas season it was mostly AC Christmas music.
 
But it even goes beyond that. Some retailers can monitor average age, gender, race, etc. Then the soundtrack is adjusted. Many consumers might be amazed how much of this tracking goes on. I believe this tech started with casinos but has drifted into retail.
 
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Restaurants have also been doing this for years. Maybe not to the point of tracking the demographics of their clientele electronically, but those with Mood or other systems have been using "dayparting" where the systems are set up to play one style and tempo of music for the breakfast seating, then switch to something else that may be more appropriate for lunch, switch again for dinner, and then at around 9:30 when the dinner crowd grows notably younger or patrons are switching to drinks and socializing, it become more uptempo causing patrons to want to stick around, have a few more drinks and chat.
 
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It is basically retail following radio. Of course I say this in jest, but the science is there. Music is a strong component to brain function. It has been proven that the right music may make a store or restaurant successful or not.
 
seatownmedia said:
It is basically retail following radio. Of course I say this in jest, but the science is there. Music is a strong component to brain function. It has been proven that the right music may make a store or restaurant successful or not.
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Again, restaurants have known this (and much more) and have been putting it into practice for years. Even way back in my high school economics class they did a module about restaurant design. Everything from the music to the lighting levels to the colors of the walls, carpets, window treatments and booths influences patrons. Restaurants who want patrons to stay for long periods and enjoy a multi-course meal with drinks, dessert and coffee service may be decorated quite differently than those restaurants that thrive on turning over their tables often and would rather patrons arrive, dine, pay and move on to make space for the next. Notice even things like serving plate and glass sizes will be quite different in a restaurant where you pay a la carte for each item on the menu vs. an all you can eat establishment, for instance. Like with radio programming that uses polling and research and information and data to achieve the best possible end result, smart restaurants, grocery stores and other retail sectors do much the same.
 
Surprisingly, my local Rosauers grocery store was still playing adult contemporary on the intercoms when I shopped there yesterday afternoon. It wasn't matching FM1's playlist, either. Ellensburg's Super 1 Foods, in the same portfolio as Rosauers (owned by URM) plays Mood/Muzak Traditional Holidays during the Christmas season (Classic Hits outside of Xmas). And at Fred Meyer 3-4 days ago, their In-Store mix was only sprinkling Christmas songs into regular music.

The restaurant thing is why AEI and Muzak came up with the satellite feeds and cassette programs that they did. FM1 (AEI's Timeless Pop) appealed to a certain kind of business, and the decades-type feeds on Mood (what was Oldies on AEI/DMX) appealed to another certain kind of business. Etc. etc. Would patrons go into a Red Robin that only plays Bert Kaempfert and Leroy Anderson string music? I figured, NO. But the easy-listening music might appeal to another, calmer kind of business or commercial building.

Meanwhile, let's try to get back on topic, shall we?
 
crainbebo said:
Meanwhile, let's try to get back on topic, shall we?
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Yes, let's quite do so!

How about that "Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer" song, eh? Always a classic since it was first played to death in the 80s.

Did you know that "Elmo" also known as "Dr. Elmo" of "Elmo & Patsy" fame who sang that song and made it famous has a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture, is a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine and had his own vet practice for years in San Francisco?? Yes..but there's more! He's also a competitive runner!! He kicked Patsy to the curb and divorced her not long after 'Reindeer" became a hit...Proving once again that immense amounts of viral fame and no longer being able to walk the streets without being mobbed and besieged for autographs and photos, and having female fans everywhere throwing bras and underbritches at each performance, can sometimes split what were once happy and balanced couples. Alas, the tragic and sometimes dark side of fame...
 
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anotherguyTN said:
I had wondered in the past if stores had some sort of input for their music systems. When I worked at Lowe's I found out they were using Mood's (Muzak's) FM1 channel, which is mostly AC. Later when I worked for Kirkland's in their IT department for a short time I found out that they had a system thorough Mood for their stores that was controlled from a server in the office where I worked, and that they had control over what music was played. During the Christmas season it was mostly AC Christmas music.
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Do you man AC Christmas music or music that AC stations play at Christmas? There is a difference, and one of the grocery stores where I shop has the first kind.
 
Mikey Radio said:
Restaurants have also been doing this for years. Maybe not to the point of tracking the demographics of their clientele electronically, but those with Mood or other systems have been using "dayparting" where the systems are set up to play one style and tempo of music for the breakfast seating, then switch to something else that may be more appropriate for lunch, switch again for dinner, and then at around 9:30 when the dinner crowd grows notably younger or patrons are switching to drinks and socializing, it become more uptempo causing patrons to want to stick around, have a few more drinks and chat.
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My aunt and I went to an area of the restaurant where we thought it would be quiet. But there was this speaker right near us and not enough people around to drown it out. The minute I head Britney Spears, I left. My aunt got our food to go. When we got to her home and ate, that was the nice quiet experience we were looking for. Why she wasn't bothered I don't know but maybe at her age she couldn't hear very well. But I had had enough. k.d. lang was already annoying and I don't know what else, but it wasn't getting any better.
 
vchimpanzee said:
Do you man AC Christmas music or music that AC stations play at Christmas? There is a difference, and one of the grocery stores where I shop has the first kind.
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If you mean does it include easy listening, possibly but I'd guess it included more pop, rock and country than you would tolerate. :LOL:
 
Another huge playlist to add...one of my favorite stations year-round, KMGK/Glenwood MN. Went all-Christmas a few days ago. The station with 'no format', 2200 songs, and I'm guessing several hundred extra Xmas songs. Included in an hour's span this Sunday - 'I Want You for Christmas' by Rudy Bridges, jazz singer Joe Williams playing 'Jingle Bells' with one of either Count Basie or Lionel Hampton's orchestra, the gorgeous 'Silent Night' by The Temptations, country Xmas songs with Reba McEntire and Alabama, and even some Celtic/Irish instrumental songs. Not to say the usual Bobby Helms and Dean Martin staples also played.

Guess what was missing? None other than Mariah Carey! Nor Pentatonix, Meghan Trainor, Taylor Swift, etc. Their normal gold AC/standards format goes 1950s-2000s with very few songs beyond that.
 
seatownmedia said:
It is basically retail following radio. Of course I say this in jest, but the science is there. Music is a strong component to brain function. It has been proven that the right music may make a store or restaurant successful or not.
Click to expand...
It probably works at a subconscious level on some shoppers, especially in supermarkets, because they are too busy selecting the items that they are going to buy. I asked someone the other day if the supermarket they visited was playing Christmas music, and that someone said that they didn't pay attention to the music.
 
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