Live 105

[Radical348]

This weekend, Live 105 played "49 hours of solid golds" in honor of the SF 49ers making the super bowl.

A lot of the golds they played were quite impressive.  Some of the songs I heard:

Adam Ant - Strip
Altered Images - Happy Birthday
Blink182 - Josie, Stay 2gether 4 the Kids
Daft Punk - Da Funk
Depeche Mode - Master and Servant, Shake the Disease, Strangelove, Everything Counts
Missing Persons - Destination Unknown, Walking in LA
Nails - 88 Lines About 44 Women
Hives - Hate to Say I Told You So
Limp Bizkit - Break Stuff, Rearranged
Oingo Boingo - Little Girls
Sex Pistols - Anarchy in the UK

I love that they're going deeper and playing songs beyond the same 2 or 3 that we usually hear. (i.e. for Depeche Mode, playing songs other than Policy of Truth or Enjoy the Silence.) Also kudos to them for digging up Limp Bizkit again, I haven't heard them on the radio in at least ten years and I'd rather hear them than the same Redhotstonetemplefoofigherpilotsagainstherisenirvanamachineetcetc that we still hear too much of.

I know Live 105 is a heritage station but it seems since CBS took over they'd kind of lost their way, although they've still had their moments.  This is quite possibly the best one in recent memory (except for maybe the first half of 2012 when they were pretty much Energy 105.)  Also, these past few weeks they've added a few interesting currents (Willy Moon, Robert Delong, Asaf Avidan).  I think Live 105 is on its way to becoming the heritage station it once was.

 

[WBIMDJ]

Sounds FANTASTIC!! More of this I hope! This is what Alternative radio needs! Kudos to Live 105 for not being "Lame" 105! heh! ;D

 

[MarkW]

Too bad no one listens to Live 105. Their ratings are horrendous. CBS does not know how to do any type of rock radio well. The only stations that are survivors are those with legacy brand names that have been in format for 20+ years.

The temporary format 92.3 had on the air shortly following Clear Channel's divestiture of the station is a 100x better than anything that has appeared on 105.3 FM for the past decade.

 

[Saladressing]

Well there was a 1 quarter period or so where KITS was mixing in a small handful of Dance hits with their Top 40 alternatracks last year which sounded great to me

 

[acheron1982]

They have now started adding some techno remixes of popular alternative songs in their playlist throughout the day. This is adding to the wide selection of alternative music and impressive early jump on new music. Station is probably the best commercialized alternative terrestrial radio station in America. Sounding better than Radio 104.5 our of Philly which has long been argued to be the best commercialized alternative radio station.

Commercialized Alternative Terrestrial Station: Alternative radio owned by one the big 4 c's (Cumulus, Cox, CBS, Clear Channel).

I give credit where credit is due. Good job CBS and more specifically, LIVE 105.

 

[atlantaboy]

Good job CBS and more specifically, LIVE 105.

Are you congratulating them on their 1.7 share?

It seems like every musical format CBS gets their hands on leans rhythmic, and half of the time the result is either disappointing or an outright disaster - I wish corporate execs would stop using their own personal musical taste in programming stations

 

[chrocket87]

I stopped listening to Live 105 when they played the dance version of "Somebody That I Used To Know".

 

[BRH]

I would argue that there is a strong connection and crossover audience shared by alternative and EDM music. I welcome the sound of stations like Live 105. Finally we are getting back to a real alternative (not just rock) format, the way it was in the 80's during the birth of the format. During the 80s, there were tons of new wave/synthesizer based dance tracks that were staples at alternative. To me, that mix of electronic music, rock, AAA, etc. is the true diversity that the alternative format should represent. I hated the period in the late 90s/early 2K when alternative basically became an active rock format. I'm personally glad it's swinging in the other direction where there is a much clearer distinction between alternative and mainstream/active rock.

 

[Radical348]

I stopped listening to Live 105 when they played the dance version of "Somebody That I Used To Know".

Why? I think it's a great remix. They play both the original and the remix -- it's nice to be able to hear different versions of the same song on the same station. Also, they added Gotye before it hit the Alternative Top 50, let alone before hitting the other charts...they deserve to play whatever version(s) they want.

 

[Radical348]

Good job CBS and more specifically, LIVE 105.

Are you congratulating them on their 1.7 share?

It seems like every musical format CBS gets their hands on leans rhythmic, and half of the time the result is either disappointing or an outright disaster - I wish corporate execs would stop using their own personal musical taste in programming stations

It's not rhythmic though, it's EDM.

 

[acheron1982]

I don't think this format is going to do well with the generalized alternative public. Those that see alternative as a form of rock (specifically speaking). However, I absolutely love this station. I personally think they are doing an amazing job.

 

[atlantaboy]

Good job CBS and more specifically, LIVE 105.

Are you congratulating them on their 1.7 share?

It seems like every musical format CBS gets their hands on leans rhythmic, and half of the time the result is either disappointing or an outright disaster - I wish corporate execs would stop using their own personal musical taste in programming stations

It's not rhythmic though, it's EDM.

Yeah, sorry, I guess I meant pop/rhythmic or dance/rhythmic (including EDM)

Live 105's Mediabase playlist looks pretty standard, I guess except for Daft Punk at #1 - are they just playing a lot of EDM remixes of standard Alternative tracks?

I don't see any Zedd, Calvin Harris, Swedish House Mafia, or any EDM tracks that aren't charting on the Alternative chart

BTW I think the main reason they've had ratings trouble is that KFOG is there - I can't think of many markets with both commerical AAA and Alternative stations where both formats are doing well - I think they tend to eat into each other's audience

 

[Saladressing]

KITS was playing EDM in regular rotation a couple of years ago and it sounded great. I guess that test didn't result in the #s they were looking for. Hearing them talk up the ramp of Avicii on a Tuesday afternoon on an alt. rock station was awesome though, for the short time it lasted.

 

[Len Bias]

Live 105's problem is too much of their playlist, probably half, is from the 90s, and it's mostly the same songs over and over again. For a few months last year, they did play mostly new music, but it was the same 15 songs.

If they focused on a larger variety of new music, whether it's indie rock, EDM, AAA, or alternative pop, people would listen. Or, at least I would. They should put more songs from their specialty shows like Subsonic or Soundcheck on regular rotation.

It seems lately they have been playing a better variety of new music. However, I never leave them on for very long because I'm just too tired of hearing Beck's "Loser" or Live's "Lightning Crashes" for the 1,000th time in 20 years.

 

[Radical348]

KITS was playing EDM in regular rotation a couple of years ago and it sounded great. I guess that test didn't result in the #s they were looking for. Hearing them talk up the ramp of Avicii on a Tuesday afternoon on an alt. rock station was awesome though, for the short time it lasted.

I remember that. It was just last year actually and it seemed to be for about a good half-year. They had Avicii, Calvin Harris, Example (!!!), Deadmau5, Skrillex, Nero, and others. They also put the EDM songs that did chart in REALLY high rotation, like M83 ad Naked & Famous. I agree that it sounded great and wish it would have stuck.

 

[K-Billy]

Good job CBS and more specifically, LIVE 105.

BTW I think the main reason they've had ratings trouble is that KFOG is there - I can't think of many markets with both commerical AAA and Alternative stations where both formats are doing well - I think they tend to eat into each other's audience

Denver.

 

[atlantaboy]

Denver.

Yeah, Denver, Portland, and San Diego (since their Alt. audience is split between two stations) - I think that's about it...

 

[acheron1982]

Has anyone noticed they have tighten their playlist.... BIG TIME!

 

[atlantaboy]

Has anyone noticed they have tighten their playlist.... BIG TIME!

Good, because otherwise they're not going to survive - they need to model themselves after Radio 105.7 until ratings start to go up - adjusted somewhat for San Francisco, but still focusing on familiar songs (since I'm assuming the more eclectic crowd has been loyally listening to KFOG for decades)

BTW (I know this is random) I really like KUCD/Honolulu - I hope that's how Radio 105.7 ends up in a year...

 

[acheron1982]

Radio is WAY too weak for any San Francisco alternative station. I understand they were trailing into the obscure world of **gasp** alternative but Radio 105.7 would not serve them well - My opinion of course.

I'm aggravated with Radio right now. I hope they do well but I'm listening else where for alternative. There are tons of bands they are simply not playing that are being played on every single alternative in the country. The new Wavves comes to mind.

I know you have labeled Radio 105.7 as a Hot A/C leaning alternative station and I see where you get that but I label it as a half ass alternative stations that does not even cover the bare minimum (the charts). This is Atlanta we are talking about though....