Michael Jackson and AOR

[AM FM listener]

It's not fair to criticize a rock station for not playing black artists. That would be the same as critcizing an R&B station for not playing white artists. The reason reason is not many African-American artists play rock music. The ones that come to mind are Jimi Hendrix, Thin Lizzy, Living Color, John Butcher Axis, Sound Barrier, Lenny Kravitz, 24-7 Spyz, Sevendust, King's X, Tony MacAlpine, The BusBoys.

Your post made me think about white artists on Urban stations. I would not count Rhythmic or other crossover formats that play a lot of R&B; only stations specifically targeted to African Americans. Robin Thicke is probably the most successful today. From the past, I believe Hall & Oates, Righteous Brothers, KC & Sunshine Band, Teena Marie and Bee Gees each had a few hits on Urban radio. One-hit-wonders would include Wild Cherry, Queen, Boz Scaggs, Average White Band and Bobby Caldwell.

Teena Marie didnt just had a few hits. Teena Marie was Big time on urban radio back in the 80's . Alot of People was shock that this soul sista Teena Marie is white .Jon B and George Micheal ( won a R&B AMA ) was big in the 90's on urban radio.

Lisa Stansfield was big on urban radio http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lisa_Stansfield

I knew Teena Marie was big but I did not realize how big Lisa Stansfield was on Urban radio. I think Josh Stone is doing pretty well these days...

 

[ddsparxx]

I once heard one rock station played Janet Jackson's "Black Cat" and it was more of a rock song than R&B.

 

[AM FM listener]

KLOS played Steve Wonder's "Superstition" a week or so ago, in the late afternoon, I believe.

 

[Wil]

I always considered "Superstition" a solid rock song that got airplay on R& B stations as well.

 

[Jay F]

I wonder if the Isley Brothers-Who's That Lady got any FM rock airplay when it was current? The guitar in that song sounds very rock to me.

 

[Channel Surf]

I wonder if the Isley Brothers-Who's That Lady got any FM rock airplay when it was current? The guitar in that song sounds very rock to me.

WAAF-Worcester (in those days) played this song as a current in the fall of 1973.

 

[Channel Surf]

When I worked at WBLM-Portland Me, we played "Beat It" as a current in early 1983. We were told to back sell it as Van Halen featuring (more like we had to mutter) Michael Jackson.

 

[firepoint525]

If we are still discussing Michael Jackson on a supposedly "rock" radio message board, then there clearly is not enough turnover on threads here. :

 

[nightfly61]

Did any AORs back in the 70s play any crossover R&B groups? I remember hearning an aircheck from KEXL San Antonio, where they're playing Stevie Wonder (incidently, that was a segment about how how records would skip sometimes on live air and the DJ eventually had to cut off the record and put something else on). Didn't anyone play Sly & the Family Stone, Isley Brothers, Ike and Tina Turner or anything that was emulated through The Blues Brothers?I wasn't around in the 70s, but from hearing airchecks and watching movies, it seemed like AORs back then were thinking out of the box. Based on the list of who did and didn't play MJ, seemed like east coasters weren't afraid to pick a song from an artist that wasn't normally a rock artist.

Going by that theory, would that work today for AOR?

WMMS in Cleveland played the Isley Brothers, Brothers Johnson & George Clinton & Parliament.

Slash played on MJ's "Black Or White"... wonder if he got as much air time crossing over as Eddie did? I bet not.