-
Get involved.
We want your input!
Apply for Membership and join the conversations about everything related to broadcasting.
After we receive your registration, a moderator will review it. After your registration is approved, you will be permitted to post.
If you use a disposable or false email address, your registration will be rejected.
After your membership is approved, please take a minute to tell us a little bit about yourself.
https://www.radiodiscussions.com/forums/introduce-yourself.1088/
Thanks in advance and have fun!
RadioDiscussions Administrators
OMG The Boss
- Thread starter htowler
- Start date
C
chuckydoll
Guest
Wrong music for this format
80's album rock does not belong in a gold-based format. "Glory Days" was on an album released in 1984.
Heard the first 1 1/2 hours of the new CBS-FM? The only 70's music was disco or album rock. The only 80's music was album rock. Very narrow and makes it easy to tune out.
Up in heaven Rick Sklar, who made WABC great for all those years, is crying.
80's album rock does not belong in a gold-based format. "Glory Days" was on an album released in 1984.
htowler said:
Heard the first 1 1/2 hours of the new CBS-FM? The only 70's music was disco or album rock. The only 80's music was album rock. Very narrow and makes it easy to tune out.
Up in heaven Rick Sklar, who made WABC great for all those years, is crying.
Got It Wrong Again
Up in heaven, Rick Sklar, who believed in "playing the hits" and entertaining jocks is laughing at the demise of Jack, and smiling at what he's hearing on WCBS-FM.
chuckydoll said:
Up in heaven, Rick Sklar, who believed in "playing the hits" and entertaining jocks is laughing at the demise of Jack, and smiling at what he's hearing on WCBS-FM.
Re: Wrong music for this format
What are you smoking? "Glory Days" was a hit single that I played on CHR station in in 1985. It peaked nationally as a single in the top 5!
chuckydoll said:
What are you smoking? "Glory Days" was a hit single that I played on CHR station in in 1985. It peaked nationally as a single in the top 5!
OK, time for a musical history lesson here:
Here's some of the 70's/80's songs CBS-FM has played in it's first three hours:
December, 1963 (Oh What A Night) - 4 Seasons (#1/1976)
Glory Days - Bruce Springsteen (Top 5 - 1985)
Don't Stop - Fleetwood Mac (Top 3 - 1977)
Right Back Where We Started From - Maxine Nightengale (#2/1976)
Only The Good Die Young - Billy Joel (whoops - #24/1978. A popular song, low chart position was due to a
"boycott" of the song by the Catholic Church)
Jack & Diane - John Mellencamp (#1 for 4 weeks - 1982)
Take The Money & Run - Steve Miller Band (Top 15 - 1976)
See? All chart positions listed here are their positions on the Singles Chart. Over the past three hours, the station has played 1 song that was an "album" cut.
"Pink Cadillac" by Bruce Springsteen. I've seen music tests on it. It tests well with the audience CBS-FM is now targeting. And I'm sure they are playing it because of Springsteen's "local" ties. Everything else has been a bonafide
singles hit.
Here's some of the 70's/80's songs CBS-FM has played in it's first three hours:
December, 1963 (Oh What A Night) - 4 Seasons (#1/1976)
Glory Days - Bruce Springsteen (Top 5 - 1985)
Don't Stop - Fleetwood Mac (Top 3 - 1977)
Right Back Where We Started From - Maxine Nightengale (#2/1976)
Only The Good Die Young - Billy Joel (whoops - #24/1978. A popular song, low chart position was due to a
"boycott" of the song by the Catholic Church)
Jack & Diane - John Mellencamp (#1 for 4 weeks - 1982)
Take The Money & Run - Steve Miller Band (Top 15 - 1976)
See? All chart positions listed here are their positions on the Singles Chart. Over the past three hours, the station has played 1 song that was an "album" cut.
"Pink Cadillac" by Bruce Springsteen. I've seen music tests on it. It tests well with the audience CBS-FM is now targeting. And I'm sure they are playing it because of Springsteen's "local" ties. Everything else has been a bonafide
singles hit.
C
chuckydoll
Guest
Make that "a bonafide national hit". If you rely on national charts alone you'll get burned. That's what hurt CBS-FM in the past and it'll hurt CBS-FM today.
The old CBS-FM had the WABC jocks but not the WABC music. The new CBS-FM has old jocks and old music.
BTW, "Glory Days" was the 4th or 5th single from a rock album, thus the song qualifies as 80's album rock.
The old CBS-FM had the WABC jocks but not the WABC music. The new CBS-FM has old jocks and old music.
BTW, "Glory Days" was the 4th or 5th single from a rock album, thus the song qualifies as 80's album rock.
OMG Indeed
I guess that makes about half of the songs that The Beatles put into the Top 10 in 1964 and 1965 "album rock".
If it charted in the Top 10, it was a bonafide hit. Not only that, but I'll bet that it tests well in NYC.
chuckydoll said:
I guess that makes about half of the songs that The Beatles put into the Top 10 in 1964 and 1965 "album rock".
If it charted in the Top 10, it was a bonafide hit. Not only that, but I'll bet that it tests well in NYC.
F
fang39
Guest
htowler said:
"Glory Days" played on the pre-flip CBS-FM, too. It was a top 5 hit nationally and obviously has appeal in this market. "Pink Cadillac" was the B-side of 1984's "Dancing in the Dark," and didn't appear on an album until many years later.
C
chuckydoll
Guest
Re: OMG Indeed
Album rock was not a recognized radio format until the late 60's.
"My Ding-a-Ling" -- #1 nationwide, banned by WABC and a lot of other stations.
"Soul Makossa" -- Top 10 in New York, didn't make the top 30 nationwide.
Which song fits CBS-FM and which doesn't?
SirRoxalot said:
Album rock was not a recognized radio format until the late 60's.
SirRoxalot said:
"My Ding-a-Ling" -- #1 nationwide, banned by WABC and a lot of other stations.
"Soul Makossa" -- Top 10 in New York, didn't make the top 30 nationwide.
Which song fits CBS-FM and which doesn't?
More Cheese from Chucky
Chucky, a hit is a hit, whether it's the first song from an album or the fifth. If it's a hit on the pop charts, it doesn't matter where it comes from.
An Album Rock track usually was not a pop hit. The album may have done very well, but individual tracks usually didn't enjoy significant singles chart success. "Black Dog" by Zeppelin would be an example. I don't think that you'll hear that on CBS-FM.
As far as "Soul Makossa" or "My Ding-a-Ling" are concerned, I choose "none of the above" unless they're in a lunar rotation or a specialty show.
Chucky, a hit is a hit, whether it's the first song from an album or the fifth. If it's a hit on the pop charts, it doesn't matter where it comes from.
An Album Rock track usually was not a pop hit. The album may have done very well, but individual tracks usually didn't enjoy significant singles chart success. "Black Dog" by Zeppelin would be an example. I don't think that you'll hear that on CBS-FM.
As far as "Soul Makossa" or "My Ding-a-Ling" are concerned, I choose "none of the above" unless they're in a lunar rotation or a specialty show.
C
chuckydoll
Guest
Make that "More Constructive Criticism"
By that method an oldies station should only play what charted in Billboard or Cashbox. That may work for a satellite format but it doesn't work on a station that's supposedly carrying the heritage of WABC and early Z100.
"Black Dog" was released on a 45 in the US and charted. Casey Kasem played it on "American Top 40". WABC played the song as an album cut.
"Wanna Be Starting Something" by Michael Jackson ripped off part of "Soul Makossa". Manu Dibango was getting club dates in New York 30 years after his big US hit.
SirRoxalot said:
By that method an oldies station should only play what charted in Billboard or Cashbox. That may work for a satellite format but it doesn't work on a station that's supposedly carrying the heritage of WABC and early Z100.
SirRoxalot said:
"Black Dog" was released on a 45 in the US and charted. Casey Kasem played it on "American Top 40". WABC played the song as an album cut.
SirRoxalot said:
"Wanna Be Starting Something" by Michael Jackson ripped off part of "Soul Makossa". Manu Dibango was getting club dates in New York 30 years after his big US hit.
Nope. More Cheese.
Chucky, you picked the charts, I didn't. There are others to choose from, including CBS-FM's own charts, or even WABC's charts from the past.
As far as "Black Dog" from Zeppelin is concerned, it was released as a single, and reached #15 on the Billboard charts - hardly a bonafide "hit". Casey Kasem played a LOT of songs that aren't considered "hits".
I'm sure that CBS-FM is selecting music based on research and "fit" - how it fits the sound that the PD is looking for. Charts help decide what to test, but don't define the radio station. What WABC did during the days when it was trying to stave off the onrush of FM is meaningless.
BTW, CBS-FM is not billing itself as an "oldies" station. It's billing itself as "The Greatest Hits of the '60s, '70s, and '80s". CBS-FM ain't the old WABC, or even "Oldies 101.1". You're the one defining it as "oldies".
Chucky, you picked the charts, I didn't. There are others to choose from, including CBS-FM's own charts, or even WABC's charts from the past.
As far as "Black Dog" from Zeppelin is concerned, it was released as a single, and reached #15 on the Billboard charts - hardly a bonafide "hit". Casey Kasem played a LOT of songs that aren't considered "hits".
I'm sure that CBS-FM is selecting music based on research and "fit" - how it fits the sound that the PD is looking for. Charts help decide what to test, but don't define the radio station. What WABC did during the days when it was trying to stave off the onrush of FM is meaningless.
BTW, CBS-FM is not billing itself as an "oldies" station. It's billing itself as "The Greatest Hits of the '60s, '70s, and '80s". CBS-FM ain't the old WABC, or even "Oldies 101.1". You're the one defining it as "oldies".
C
chuckydoll
Guest
Or shall we say Generic Oldies Radio
CBS-FM relies on national charts, period, stop. It has played national hits that were never on WABC and ignored New York hits that weren't big nationwide.
WABC based its surveys on what sold in the city, not on what some trade magazine or record company was pushing. Rick Sklar and Glenn Morgan were very scrupulous about that. It's why WABC is remembered and the free-form FM stations are not.
Fitting the format is one thing. Ignoring your market's legacy is another.
At least 102.9 DRC-FM in Hartford includes regional hits that were played on WDRC back in the day.
CBS-FM relies on national charts, period, stop. It has played national hits that were never on WABC and ignored New York hits that weren't big nationwide.
WABC based its surveys on what sold in the city, not on what some trade magazine or record company was pushing. Rick Sklar and Glenn Morgan were very scrupulous about that. It's why WABC is remembered and the free-form FM stations are not.
Fitting the format is one thing. Ignoring your market's legacy is another.
At least 102.9 DRC-FM in Hartford includes regional hits that were played on WDRC back in the day.
O
OldiesCat
Guest
Re: Or shall we say Generic Oldies Radio
Says, who? What evidence do you have to back your statement, because I happen to know first hand that CBS-FM gives 0% consideration to charts. No Programmer in his right mind, who wants to be successful, would even glance at "charts" to determine what music to play.
chuckydoll said:
Says, who? What evidence do you have to back your statement, because I happen to know first hand that CBS-FM gives 0% consideration to charts. No Programmer in his right mind, who wants to be successful, would even glance at "charts" to determine what music to play.
Re: Or shall we say Generic Oldies Radio
Nope. It relies on local market research about what songs are playable today, in New York, not songs that made it onto a chart 30 years ago.
That was what all Top 40's did until the single disappeared and juke box plays were not indicative of Top 40 tastes. That was when stations moved into alternate methods of finding out what to play. All this happened in the mid-70's.
The progressive or free-form stations played very deep lists, and that is why tighter AORs like Abrams' "Superstars" consulted stations basically killed progressive rockers.
Stations do not play legacy songs. They play songs people want to hear today.
And that begs the question of whether anyone has moved from out of market into Hartford in the last 40 years. Maybe they haven't. Otherwise, they are playing songs a big portion of the audience has never heard when they were "new" songs.
chuckydoll said:
Nope. It relies on local market research about what songs are playable today, in New York, not songs that made it onto a chart 30 years ago.
That was what all Top 40's did until the single disappeared and juke box plays were not indicative of Top 40 tastes. That was when stations moved into alternate methods of finding out what to play. All this happened in the mid-70's.
The progressive or free-form stations played very deep lists, and that is why tighter AORs like Abrams' "Superstars" consulted stations basically killed progressive rockers.
Stations do not play legacy songs. They play songs people want to hear today.
And that begs the question of whether anyone has moved from out of market into Hartford in the last 40 years. Maybe they haven't. Otherwise, they are playing songs a big portion of the audience has never heard when they were "new" songs.
A
abonita
Guest
Re: Or shall we say Generic Oldies Radio
DavidEduardo said:
C
chuckydoll
Guest
Re: Or shall we say Generic Oldies Radio
I'm glad Anita is here to defend the legacy of Musicradio WABC.
CBS-FM once did a top-20 countdown using a survey from January 1978. The survey was lifted exactly from Billboard, position for position, song for song. Proof: #13 was "Runaround Sue" by Leif Garrett (never played on WABC) and #20 was "Native New Yorker" by Odyssey (#11 on WABC that week, was top-5 at Xmas '77). Casey Kasem could have sued CBS-FM for ripping off "American Top 40".
BTW, since the new CBS-FM will be topheavy on specialty shows it ought to bring back the old AT40.
I'm glad Anita is here to defend the legacy of Musicradio WABC.
CBS-FM once did a top-20 countdown using a survey from January 1978. The survey was lifted exactly from Billboard, position for position, song for song. Proof: #13 was "Runaround Sue" by Leif Garrett (never played on WABC) and #20 was "Native New Yorker" by Odyssey (#11 on WABC that week, was top-5 at Xmas '77). Casey Kasem could have sued CBS-FM for ripping off "American Top 40".
BTW, since the new CBS-FM will be topheavy on specialty shows it ought to bring back the old AT40.
A
adma
Guest
If "Glory Days" ought to be nixed for being too "album rock", then the music of Chicago should be stricken from all 70s oldies playlists.
- Status