Oldies...

[almaniac27]

I was just telling my wife the other day it won't be too long before the Beatles will be the music being played in retirement homes. The last of the Glenn Miller era is just about gone.

I don't know, I think the Beatles are so universally loved that they will escape this fate. I don't think the same could be said about the Archies or Herman's Hermits though.

 

[jry]

I was just telling my wife the other day it won't be too long before the Beatles will be the music being played in retirement homes. The last of the Glenn Miller era is just about gone.

I don't know, I think the Beatles are so universally loved that they will escape this fate. I don't think the same could be said about the Archies or Herman's Hermits though.

Beatles, Stones, Pink Floyd.... Their catalogues are so well protected from that kind of thing. Look how long it took just to get
Beatles music on I Tunes.

 

[BobOnTheJob]

Worth noting that when I was a kid (1960's), the music from the previous generation was not played on radio, much less 50 year old music. To put that in perspective, the Beach Boy's earliest hits are now 50 (!) years old. If 50 year old music had been played in 1962, they would have had to have brought out the old Victrola to play it--and it would have been laughed off of the radio in '62. The Beach Boys, Beatles, Stones, etc seem to enjoy a status that transcends time and as such, I tend to agree with Almaniac27 that at least for a while longer, they will avoid being relegated to the nostalgia scrap heap.

 

[KFodor]

I was just telling my wife the other day it won't be too long before the Beatles will be the music being played in retirement homes. The last of the Glenn Miller era is just about gone.

I don't know, I think the Beatles are so universally loved that they will escape this fate. I don't think the same could be said about the Archies or Herman's Hermits though.

I think the Beatles music...at least some of it...will join that list of songs considered to be "timeless". Though I don't think it will be played in the quantity it's been in past years. And you're probably right about the Archies and Herman's Hermits. But it shouldn't be a surprise to anyone that the 80's music is moving in...because the audience for it is hitting the age where nostalgia kicks in. And only, IMHO, are we Baby Boomers so arrogant as to believe the business known as radio would not push the format forward.

I have less confidence there will be a successful move by the format into the 90's anytime soon. From things I've seen, it's gonna take a while before that music is ready to strike a nostalgic chord. Maybe eventually, but not soon...

 

[del_griffith]

Worth noting that when I was a kid (1960's), the music from the previous generation was not played on radio, much less 50 year old music. To put that in perspective, the Beach Boy's earliest hits are now 50 (!) years old. If 50 year old music had been played in 1962, they would have had to have brought out the old Victrola to play it--and it would have been laughed off of the radio in '62. The Beach Boys, Beatles, Stones, etc seem to enjoy a status that transcends time and as such, I tend to agree with Almaniac27 that at least for a while longer, they will avoid being relegated to the nostalgia scrap heap.

Really? Think of WLW, WKRC and WCKY in 1962. They largely played standards and big band. And network shows. Many big bands had their music made into LP's. Some were recuts of the original recordings. Some were recreations. Remember, Tommy and Jimmy Dorsey, Artie Shaw, Benny Goodman, Harry James, Duke Ellington, Les Brown and many others were still very active and recording during the early high fidelity days.

I am in Columbus, and the #1 morning guy until he retired in 1969 played mostly big band and standards and used Tommy Dorsey's Song of India as his theme song until that time. WTVN's playlist was still about half standards with big band and instrumental cuts and select contemporary music. That was started in the mid 60's until the new decade when it became more and more contemporary over time.

 

[BobOnTheJob]

Worth noting that when I was a kid (1960's), the music from the previous generation was not played on radio, much less 50 year old music. To put that in perspective, the Beach Boy's earliest hits are now 50 (!) years old. If 50 year old music had been played in 1962, they would have had to have brought out the old Victrola to play it--and it would have been laughed off of the radio in '62. The Beach Boys, Beatles, Stones, etc seem to enjoy a status that transcends time and as such, I tend to agree with Almaniac27 that at least for a while longer, they will avoid being relegated to the nostalgia scrap heap.

Really? Think of WLW, WKRC and WCKY in 1962. They largely played standards and big band. And network shows. Many big bands had their music made into LP's. Some were recuts of the original recordings. Some were recreations. Remember, Tommy and Jimmy Dorsey, Artie Shaw, Benny Goodman, Harry James, Duke Ellington, Les Brown and many others were still very active and recording during the early high fidelity days.

I am in Columbus, and the #1 morning guy until he retired in 1969 played mostly big band and standards and used Tommy Dorsey's Song of India as his theme song until that time. WTVN's playlist was still about half standards with big band and instrumental cuts and select contemporary music. That was started in the mid 60's until the new decade when it became more and more contemporary over time.

I started listening to radio around the time shortly before the Beatles arrived...let's say 1962 or so. And to be honest, I probably wouldn't have known a 20 year old song then if I heard one. But were they really playing World War II music on the radio in 1962? I recall WKRC playing music I wouldn't get caught dead listening to (at age 9) but always assumed that it was current MOR music of the day.

 

[KFodor]

Worth noting that when I was a kid (1960's), the music from the previous generation was not played on radio, much less 50 year old music. To put that in perspective, the Beach Boy's earliest hits are now 50 (!) years old. If 50 year old music had been played in 1962, they would have had to have brought out the old Victrola to play it--and it would have been laughed off of the radio in '62. The Beach Boys, Beatles, Stones, etc seem to enjoy a status that transcends time and as such, I tend to agree with Almaniac27 that at least for a while longer, they will avoid being relegated to the nostalgia scrap heap.

Really? Think of WLW, WKRC and WCKY in 1962. They largely played standards and big band. And network shows. Many big bands had their music made into LP's. Some were recuts of the original recordings. Some were recreations. Remember, Tommy and Jimmy Dorsey, Artie Shaw, Benny Goodman, Harry James, Duke Ellington, Les Brown and many others were still very active and recording during the early high fidelity days.

I am in Columbus, and the #1 morning guy until he retired in 1969 played mostly big band and standards and used Tommy Dorsey's Song of India as his theme song until that time. WTVN's playlist was still about half standards with big band and instrumental cuts and select contemporary music. That was started in the mid 60's until the new decade when it became more and more contemporary over time.

I started listening to radio around the time shortly before the Beatles arrived...let's say 1962 or so. And to be honest, I probably wouldn't have known a 20 year old song then if I heard one. But were they really playing World War II music on the radio in 1962? I recall WKRC playing music I wouldn't get caught dead listening to (at age 9) but always assumed that it was current MOR music of the day.

In fact, WLW would play Broadway Musical soundtracks, too. Ever heard the recording of the events of November 22, 1963? Prior to the announcement of "shots fired at the Presidential motorcade in Dallas", WLW was playing music from the musical "Annie, Get Your Gun". It was by accident, I'm sure, but must have made someone wince there...

 

[BobOnTheJob]

Main thing I recall immediately after the assassination was that ALL radio stations stopped playing music for several days...something that would clearly not happen today under a similarly dreadful circumstance.

 

[Jay F]

For those who like oldies with no 80s you will enjoy a station here in Las Vegas http://kool1023.com

They play mostly 60s with some 50s and some early 70s. I think the newest song I ever heard them play was "Don't Go Breaking My Heart" from 1976. This station plays some "oh wow" songs too. not just the oldies you normally hear on the radio. They do play a LOT of Beatles, it seems they play at least two an hour.

I don't know how this station does, Arbitron doesn't list them because they aren't a subscriber. But they aren't hurting the traditional 70s/80s classic hits in LV KKLZ which is #1 6+..it helps that they are on a far superior signal than KOOL1023.

 

[KFodor]

Main thing I recall immediately after the assassination was that ALL radio stations stopped playing music for several days...something that would clearly not happen today under a similarly dreadful circumstance.

Au Contrare...many music stations stopped on 9/11/2001 and went all news...some even abandoned commercials. So I think something of the gravity of a Presidential assassination would. Agreed, not all would, but there are still a few companies here and there who have a conscience...

 

[alans613]

Main thing I recall immediately after the assassination was that ALL radio stations stopped playing music for several days...something that would clearly not happen today under a similarly dreadful circumstance.

Au Contrare...many music stations stopped on 9/11/2001 and went all news...some even abandoned commercials. So I think something of the gravity of a Presidential assassination would. Agreed, not all would, but there are still a few companies here and there who have a conscience...

I remember on 9/11/01 that Z-93 & Hot 102.9 went to a CNN feed, while CC's Mix 107.7 & The X went to ABC NEWS. WBNS-FM/Columbus(Which had went Hot AC two months earlier as "The New 97.1) went to a CBS news feed. All of them stayed without music for most of the day IIRC.

 

[BobOnTheJob]

Main thing I recall immediately after the assassination was that ALL radio stations stopped playing music for several days...something that would clearly not happen today under a similarly dreadful circumstance.

Au Contrare...many music stations stopped on 9/11/2001 and went all news...some even abandoned commercials. So I think something of the gravity of a Presidential assassination would. Agreed, not all would, but there are still a few companies here and there who have a conscience...

I remember on 9/11/01 that Z-93 & Hot 102.9 went to a CNN feed, while CC's Mix 107.7 & The X went to ABC NEWS. WBNS-FM/Columbus(Which had went Hot AC two months earlier as "The New 97.1) went to a CBS news feed. All of them stayed without music for most of the day IIRC.

True...many did. But likewise, I know of stations with no studio...just a voice trackable automation system with in house music and no news source. Some stations simply have no capability of "going live" any longer. That would have been unheard of in 1963.

 

[KFodor]

Main thing I recall immediately after the assassination was that ALL radio stations stopped playing music for several days...something that would clearly not happen today under a similarly dreadful circumstance.

Au Contrare...many music stations stopped on 9/11/2001 and went all news...some even abandoned commercials. So I think something of the gravity of a Presidential assassination would. Agreed, not all would, but there are still a few companies here and there who have a conscience...

I remember on 9/11/01 that Z-93 & Hot 102.9 went to a CNN feed, while CC's Mix 107.7 & The X went to ABC NEWS. WBNS-FM/Columbus(Which had went Hot AC two months earlier as "The New 97.1) went to a CBS news feed. All of them stayed without music for most of the day IIRC.

True...many did. But likewise, I know of stations with no studio...just a voice trackable automation system with in house music and no news source. Some stations simply have no capability of "going live" any longer. That would have been unheard of in 1963.

True, Bob. But most of those "closet" stations have the ability to tie into other stations in the building, so it wouldn't be that hard to rig a simulcast...