Over-played songs you hear on the radio -- You know the ones.....

[Pratte4Life]

You Shook Me All Night Long - AC/DC - when Kiss 108 plays this one constantly as if it was a pop hit - and it WASN'T (outside of rock anyway) - then there's a problem - when the hell did this one cross over outside of rock anyway? Not the 1980s anyway!

I think I can - the song was on the soundtrack of the 1987 movie "Maximum Overdrive" (soundtrack entirely by AC/DC btw). It got some airplay on some "pop" stations around the time the film was released; I think it even charted - kinda experiencing the same second wind "Bohemian Rhapsody" did when "Wayne's World" was released...

As far as overplayed songs, I've got two words for you... "Hot Blooded". (cue Les Nessman getting ready for his big date)

Even during Back in Black, "You Shook Me All Night Long" got HEAVY airplay on mainstream radio. It charted in the Top 40 (usually in the 30s, but regardless).

I remember, as a pre-teen, hearing "You Shook Me" on "American Top 40," and taping it off a transistor radio. It led to AC/DC's next album, "For Those About to Rock (We Salute You)," to chart at No. 1 and produce even a Top 10 American single- "Let's Get It Up," which hit No. 9.

"You Shook Me" was, in fact, then re-released in 1986 on "Who Made Who," and the video- in which Brian Johnson takes his lone role as the star of the band (usually it's Angus Young)- features then-drummer Simon Wright and not Phil Rudd.

"You Shook Me," is, in my opinion, the greatest rock song ever. Some may say it is now too mainstream- I have heard marching bands play it and it is a staple at weddings.

But it is the song everyone knows. It is the song that makes the crossover and gets played at the dance clubs- and gets more people dancing to it than any other song, usually with the girls reciting all of the lyrics.

When AC/DC played Saturday Night Live in support of "Stiff Upper Lip," they played "You Shook Me."

And unlike Stairway to Heaven, it doesn't take seven minutes and mess around with slow stuff. It isn't country-pone like "Sweet Home Alabama" and it isn't all moody like "Carry on My Wayward Son."

It is a rocker, both gritty and sexy and even hilarious. It is what a rock song should be- thumbing its nose at the cultural elite instead of catering to it and eventually winning over the cultural elite regardless.

It also is the song that took AC/DC from opening up for UFO (as they did in the states for much of the "Highway to Hell" tour) to iconic rock status and headlining arenas overnight.

It is the greatest rock song of all time and it's popularity was apparent since day one- let alone my snickering because I just thought at that early age I heard the rowdy and rough voice of Johnson say "You SUCKED me all night long!"

 

[Pratte4Life]

Without going into great detail- many of the songs listed here as "overplayed" are ones I've never actually heard on "Classic Rock" radio.

I have NEVER, for instance, heard "Problem Child" by AC/DC on the radio.

Some of these songs I have never even heard of, and I'm sure I'm not the only one on here!

To the poster who said AC/DC was overplayed- I would wholeheartedly disagree. Obviously I say that as a passionate fan, but trying to be objective about it-

I would tell you that you can see on their current world tour and incredible popularity that AC/DC is still relevant. With an album catalog of 17- not including "Bonfire" or the overseas releases, let alone the two live albums- there are plenty of cuts to choose from.

I would tell you that rock music is about- well- ROCKING! Call me lower class if you must, but I don't want to hear about Eleanor Rigby and I don't want to hear about the lady who is sure and wait 55 minutes to get to the guitar solo.

That's not a problem with AC/DC. It is rock in it's purest sense- fast, hard, and getting you excited. ROCK IS SUPPOSED TO GET YOU EXCITED!!!

Hence, AC/DC is essentially what this format is all about. If you think it's overplayed, you're sealing the tomb for the format.

THAT SAID- WHAT I THINK IS OVERPLAYED-

Billy Joel- Piano Man. Should not even be on rock radio. It has been a staple of the Pittsburgh classic rock stations for years.

Anything by Neil Young. While classic rock is timeless, his songs DID have a shelf life and are usually so topical they DO make it hard for anyone to listen to them and still feel young. Isn't that what rock is supposed to be all about?

I'll say I could stand to listen to his cut of "Downtown," but that's about it. If I want to know about Kent State, I'll read a book.

Besides, when your music has actually been ridiculed by Lynryd Skynryd, who have FAR exceeded Neil Young in both popularity and talent, then one wonders why you wish to demean yourself with a musician whose legacy is he became a punchline for a more popular band on your airwaves.

Pink Floyd. Okay, they aren't played that much. It's because they are unlistenable.

Rush- Do their songs go anywhere you can follow? Keep "The Spirit of Radio" simply because I like how Geddy Lee says "SALESMEN!" It really grew on me when Ross Perot was running for President.

Led Zeppelin- OKAY- I SAID IT! But this is not a band that produces singles. You listen to Zep and you know that the song will be too long, it will go places that have no hook to them, and their next great chorus will be their first. Keep "Rock and Roll" on the playlist and then review the rest.

Steely Dan- The chorus of "Reeling In The Years" sounds like a child whining "PLEEEEEZE" when asking if he can stay out late!

Metallica- Will forever be known as the band that turned rock from music to get laid by to music to murder to. It says much when their fanbase believes "Enter Sandman"- their first listenable song- was when they "sold out." Keep that, keep "Whiskey in The Jar," and keep the remake of "Turn the Page." Forget the rest.

Nirvarna- Will forever be known as the band that turned rock from music to get laid by to music to commit suicide to.

 

[sdh483]

Here's my take on rock radio: these "overplayed" rock songs are both good and bad. They're good as they have turned on our youth to listen to the music of the past as much music today IMO blows. I think it's pretty cool to see 12 year olds who know stuff like "Sweet Home Alabama," "Back In Black" and "Stairway to Heaven." On the flipside, those who have known rock for a very long time are burned out by these songs. Hence, a calling for deeper and more innovative cuts. With the state of rock radio today, I think those who are tired of these overplayed songs should simply turn off their radios, go shop for records and CDs, dust off that turntable and enjoy an ENTIRE album of Skynard, AC/DC, Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Kansas, ect. Discover their other songs. As for me, I am going to spin side 1 of Zeppelin IV on my turntable right now.

 

[WeekendsAdam]

Here's what you're not considering:

Everyone knows that people listen to radio passively. The only time you might switch to actively listening is when a really good song comes on or the voice guy says to be caller 13. For most people, it's just background noise that pads the more important events taking place in their lives.

With that said, FM radio is most actively listened to in the car. Listening to music while driving is a perfect marriage, and along with that comes the desire to hear a really good song. The consultants know this, the PDs know this, and most semi-intelligent listeners know this. That's why you hear AC/DC, Van Halen, GNR, and Led Zeppelin once an hour. Because that's what people who only have 15 minutes to listen want to hear.

And regardless of what your opinion is on "well-tested songs", there is a reason they test well - because people want to hear them. I'd rather hear 'Seventeen' by Winger five times in-a-row than two songs from some flop artist (just because they're not overplayed).

Unfortunately, this sophomoric programming ideology that a lot of the wannabes have will never win out. Fresh thinking is not what breeds successful radio stations...I know a guy who got hired as a PD and then fired 4 days later because he tried to implement changes from day 1. Not to say they were bad changes - they probably would have improved that station's share by 3 or 4 points - but the upper management didn't want someone coming in and upsetting the balance.

If you guys are looking for wider playlists and more variety, get online and check out some of the better-programmed stations out there. The Classic Rock Replay at 1.FM does a really good job of playing the hits along with lesser-known stuff. It's a great mix of Classic Rock/Classic Hits...kind of like a Thunder meets Eagle type format. And it's obviously programmed for TSL...not fatiguing in the least.

 

[firepoint525]

Billy Joel- Piano Man. Should not even be on rock radio. It has been a staple of the Pittsburgh classic rock stations for years.

Even though I am a Billy Joel fan, I would have to agree with this. While he has recorded SOME "rock" songs, he is not at his core a "rock" artist, and therefore really should not be played on rock radio. Having said that, I must point out that nearly every format on the dial plays at least SOMETHING that does not fit their format. I am not sure why this is. Poor research, attempting to play some "crossover" hits, trying to reach a broader audience, what, I don't know.

There is another thread on this board right now about AOR stations that played Michael Jackson's "Beat It" because of Eddie Van Halen's guitar solo on it, and how, in retrospect, playing "Beat It" was probably a mistake. However, I should also mention that Joe Walsh performed a guitar solo on "Love Is Thicker than Water" by Andy Gibb, yet I never heard Andy Gibb on AOR. Evidently, AOR could get away with playing some "pop" artists, but not any "teen idols." As far as I know, Michael Jackson was never considered a "teen idol."

 

[TheRover]

"Don't Fear The Reaper"..... and "Burnin' For You" ....

I am so offended by the overplay of thses 2 songs by BOC that I Hate the band, and would never go see them live, even with a free ticket and free parking, etc.


THAT'S THE POWER OF RADIO...

 

[scottsvb5]

Here's what you're not considering:

Everyone knows that people listen to radio passively. The only time you might switch to actively listening is when a really good song comes on or the voice guy says to be caller 13. For most people, it's just background noise that pads the more important events taking place in their lives.

With that said, FM radio is most actively listened to in the car. Listening to music while driving is a perfect marriage, and along with that comes the desire to hear a really good song. The consultants know this, the PDs know this, and most semi-intelligent listeners know this. That's why you hear AC/DC, Van Halen, GNR, and Led Zeppelin once an hour. Because that's what people who only have 15 minutes to listen want to hear.

And regardless of what your opinion is on "well-tested songs", there is a reason they test well - because people want to hear them. I'd rather hear 'Seventeen' by Winger five times in-a-row than two songs from some flop artist (just because they're not overplayed).

Unfortunately, this sophomoric programming ideology that a lot of the wannabes have will never win out. Fresh thinking is not what breeds successful radio stations...I know a guy who got hired as a PD and then fired 4 days later because he tried to implement changes from day 1. Not to say they were bad changes - they probably would have improved that station's share by 3 or 4 points - but the upper management didn't want someone coming in and upsetting the balance.

If you guys are looking for wider playlists and more variety, get online and check out some of the better-programmed stations out there. The Classic Rock Replay at 1.FM does a really good job of playing the hits along with lesser-known stuff. It's a great mix of Classic Rock/Classic Hits...kind of like a Thunder meets Eagle type format. And it's obviously programmed for TSL...not fatiguing in the least.

"With that said, FM radio is most actively listened to in the car. Listening to music while driving is a perfect marriage, and along with that comes the desire to hear a really good song. The consultants know this, the PDs know this, and most semi-intelligent listeners know this. That's why you hear AC/DC, Van Halen, GNR, and Led Zeppelin once an hour. Because that's what people who only have 15 minutes to listen want to hear".


Wrong! Again your fired for "Thinking you know the listener".... People turning on the radio nowadays dont want to hear the same Ac/Dc,Van Halen, GNR, and Led Zeppelin... you ever hear of CD's? Yeah they started making them 20 years ago. We have them and overplayed them.. just like radio does. We want to hear a Classic tune we recognize...but dont hear that often anymore... not the same darn band/song everytime we get into the car. Also again with Todays Rock...people tune into hear "New Songs" not the same darn overplayed recognizable songs! Adam you fail @ radio ..and your part of the problem..... outside of that... nice post!

 

[firepoint525]

Even average everyday radio listeners (not radiophiles like most of us) are noticing that radio is playing the same songs over and over! And radio is (supposedly!) programming to them, and not us!

Oh, and those average everyday radio listeners HATE morning yak-yak programming like John Boy & Billy, Rick & Bubba, Bob & Tom, etc., yet these inane programs persist as well!

 

[mcamp]

Just to respond to some of the recent posts:

1) As for listening to radio in a car and only having fifteen minutes....you're lucky if you even get to hear a song in that span: it's talking, laughing at each others jokes (painfully), commercials, more talk, play a song, commercial.

2) I happen to be a big BOC fan...they do play 'Reaper', 'Burnin' For You' at every show, but is not a true representation of their music, and those songs are jammed out live, so it won't be the same boring version you're used to.

3) I guess the biggest factor that "we've" all over looked....classic rock as we know has been in existence for a little
over 20 years....before that, it was just rock. New and old music intermingled...it's what kept it fresh, not the time capsule that now exists.

4) As for the aurgument...if you don't commerical radio, get satellite radio...It becomes a matter of principle...why should I have to pay for something that used to possess quality, and cater to it's listeners, all for "free". You would think that with such a large population of baby boomers, PD would tap into this aging group looking for something "different". You would think with all the frequency's on the dial, there would be room for something different. Don't you get the feeling that all the stations are tapping into the same piece of the pie....with shrinking ratings across the board, maybe for a little thinking outside the box???

 

[David67]

here is a list from whtq and the last songs they played in the last three hours or so. i bet all of these songs are all prime ones that are over played...


Bad Company - Burnin' Sky
The Cars - My Best Friend's Girl
Sammy Hagar - I Can't Drive 55
Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers - I Need To Know
Boston - Foreplay/Longtime
Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band - Katmandu
Billy Idol - Rebel Yell
The Rolling Stones - Miss You
Lynyrd Skynyrd - Simple Man
scorpions - Rock You Like A Hurricane
Aerosmith - Sweet Emotion
AC/DC - Problem Child
The Who - Eminence Front
The Marshall Tucker Band - Can't You See
Emerson, Lake & Palmer - Karn Evil 9 (1s
Black Sabbath - Iron Man
Nazareth - Love Hurts
Def Leppard - Love Bites
Rush - Fly By Night
Van Halen - Eruption
Van Halen - You Really Got Me
Foreigner - Feels Like The First Time
George Thorogood & The Destroyers - Move It On Over
Whitesnake - Still Of The Night
Queen - You're My Best Friend ...

I can't take anymore. now you see why this station is boring and so are all the other classic rock stations?
Because of overplayed crap like this.... something has to give soon.

Sorry to bore you all but I wanted to give you a prime example of pverplayed music. I think youhear these songs everyday on this station.

But.... you see... the problem is.... that there a lot of "Joe & Jill Shmucks" out there, that probably think that this is an "Excellent" Playlist....

Anyone that misguidged.... is naturally a prime target for the kind of avdertisers that drive corporate rock radio.....

It's all about what attracts--- and does not repel--- the Joe and Jill Shmucks of this world.

Repetitive shallow playlists attract the Shmucks.....

Energizing and exciting variety, even with the same CR artists .... repels the Shmucks.

Any Consultant will tell you so !

Wow so much arrogance on this thread! So people who like the "Classic Rock" stations are schmucks?

 

[TheRover]

;D

Blue Öyster Cult -- Don't Fear The Reaper

Ted Nugent -- Stranglehold

Yes -- Roundabout

The Byrds -- Eight Miles High

The Moody Blues -- Knights In White Satin

The Rolling Stones -- Gimmie Shelter

The Beatles -- Hey Jude

George Thorogood -- Bad To The Bone

Grand Funk Railroad -- Closer To Home

J. Geils Band -- Centerfold

Motley Crue -- Smokin' In The Boys Room

 

[kenrayc]

Aerosmith-Same ol Song and Dance, Rag Doll, Walk This Way, and Janie's got a gun.

Bob Seager- old time Rock and Roll

Queen -We will rock you/we are the champions

Eric Clapton- I shot the Sheriff,After Midnight, Layla

Santana-Black Magic Woman

CCR- Proud Mary

AC/DC- Back in Black

Doobie Bros.-Black Water, Listen to the Music, China Grove

T-Rex- Bang a gong

 

[vchimpanzee]

Did anyone watch the movie "Gracie" last week on The CW? All the songs seemed to have been popular when I was in high school or college.

I can't say I've ever heard some of the songs they played. The girls seemed to like them. I wonder if that was the actresses enjoying the music too?

 

[TheRover]

here is a list from whtq and the last songs they played in the last three hours or so. i bet all of these songs are all prime ones that are over played...


Bad Company - Burnin' Sky
The Cars - My Best Friend's Girl
Sammy Hagar - I Can't Drive 55
Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers - I Need To Know
Boston - Foreplay/Longtime
Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band - Katmandu
Billy Idol - Rebel Yell
The Rolling Stones - Miss You
Lynyrd Skynyrd - Simple Man
scorpions - Rock You Like A Hurricane
Aerosmith - Sweet Emotion
AC/DC - Problem Child
The Who - Eminence Front
The Marshall Tucker Band - Can't You See
Emerson, Lake & Palmer - Karn Evil 9 (1s
Black Sabbath - Iron Man
Nazareth - Love Hurts
Def Leppard - Love Bites
Rush - Fly By Night
Van Halen - Eruption
Van Halen - You Really Got Me
Foreigner - Feels Like The First Time
George Thorogood & The Destroyers - Move It On Over
Whitesnake - Still Of The Night
Queen - You're My Best Friend ...

I can't take anymore. now you see why this station is boring and so are all the other classic rock stations?
Because of overplayed crap like this.... something has to give soon.

Sorry to bore you all but I wanted to give you a prime example of pverplayed music. I think youhear these songs everyday on this station.

But.... you see... the problem is.... that there a lot of "Joe & Jill Shmucks" out there, that probably think that this is an "Excellent" Playlist....

Anyone that misguidged.... is naturally a prime target for the kind of avdertisers that drive corporate rock radio.....

It's all about what attracts--- and does not repel--- the Joe and Jill Shmucks of this world.

Repetitive shallow playlists attract the Shmucks.....

Energizing and exciting variety, even with the same CR artists .... repels the Shmucks.

Any Consultant will tell you so !

Wow so much arrogance on this thread! So people who like the "Classic Rock" stations are schmucks?

Sorry to take so long to get back to you....

Here is my example from You Tube on who is the "average" listener to today's Classic Rock radio, and an example of who CR Radio is programmed to, and who their advertisers are seeking to reach:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h1-0N_ADy8Q

 

[formerjock]

There are lots of overplayed songs, but the one thing that makes me want puke every time I hear it....

Johnboy & Billy!!!! Nothing but a redneck-fest.

 

[Talk_Dude]

This is an entirely different subject....and we can all probably come of w/ countless songs that used to be part of the regular rotation that are all but forgotten.

DIZ Guy has it right. Look at how many responses in this thread about songs simply listed bands. The bands who recorded the most over-played songs also recorded lots of other good songs. But as long as classic rock stations beat a handful of their songs into the dirt, it makes people start to dislike the bands, not just the overplayed songs.

I listen to classic rock because I like the sound. I've always liked the sound. I liked it when it was new. I liked rock back in the 60's, 70's, and 80's much more than disco or soul or country or polkas or any other musical genre. I still like that style of music today. I like old songs that have that "classic" sound. I like new songs that have that "classic" sound.

When I heard new songs back in the 60's, 70's, or 80's that had the rock sound that I liked, I enjoyed them. When I heard old songs that I hadn't ever heard before, like an album cut at a friend's house from a record he owned that I didn't own, I liked that. Sometimes I'd buy an album that was 10 or 15 years old because I heard some of the cuts from it that were never played on the radio when it was new.

So, maybe programmers at classic rock stations that are starting to slip in the ratings should try something new to maybe save themselves. Maybe they should go back through the albums that their current playlist songs came from, and re-listen to them as if they were hearing them for the first time and picking which cuts to play. Use the same process to pick cuts from those old albums that were used when the albums were new, only without the pressure from the labels' A&R and promo people.

And, take that a step further. If you're selecting what songs to play on the air, use your ears. Don't use a calendar or old sales data from back issues of Billboard. Deciding what songs to play on a "classic" rock station should be a process determined exclusively by the sound of the songs. To paraphrase Kris Kristofferson, if it sounds like a classic rock song, then it's a classic rock song. If Springsteen's songs that he recorded in the 70's and 80's sound "classic", then some of his songs recorded in the 90's or the 00's should also sound "classic".

The same goes for new recordings by Petty, McCartney, and every other core artist on the classic rock station's playlists. And, if some new guy or band comes along playing new songs that have the retro, classic rock sound, then play those songs, too. Stations that play old lounge lizard music will play new songs by Harry Connick, Jr or Michael Buble that have the retro, lounge-lizard sound. So why won't a classic rock station play new songs that sound like old classics?

Face it, if your classic rock station is playing narrow-playlist, repeat the old hits until we've burned 'em out format, and your ratings are starting to slip, sooner or later the station owners are going to bring in someone to replace you when they blow up the classic rock format and do a total flip. You can keep on keepin' on until that happens or you can make some adjustments to what you're doing now. Either stick to what you're doing and keep your resume up-to-date, or improve your station by challenging the old paradigm and maybe your ratings will go up and you'll become known as a visionary and trend-setter.

I can't speak for anyone else, but given a choice between certain unemployment and a gamble that might pay off, I'll take the possibility of success over the certainty of failure.

Yeah, like that's ever gonna happen!

 

[joesixpack]

Smells Like Teen Spirit
Stairway to Heaven
Whole Lotta Love
Heartbreaker/Living Loving Maid
Immigrant Song
Black Dog
Rock and Roll (I honestly can't listen to any Zeppelin anymore)
Who Are You
Baba O'Reiley
Behind Blue Eyes
Won't Get Fooled Again
Back In Black (I am absolutely SICK of this song)
Highway to Hell
For Those About to Rock
Basically anything past Sgt. Pepper for the Bealtes
Anything by the Rolling Stones
Carry On Wayward Son (I cringe whenever I hear that opening verse)
Sweet Home Alabama
Free Bird
Anything from Bob Seger
ANYTHING from George Thorogood.
Simple Man
Tuesday's Gone
I want to destroy things when I hear Another Brick in the Wall. I HATE that song now. And really anything by Pink Floyd.
Smoke on the Water
Iron Man
War Pigs
Piano Man
Rocket Man
Take Me Home Tonight
That's All (Genesis)
Another song I have nothing but pure hatred for: MARGARITAVILLE
Don't Do Me Like That
Maybe I'm Amazed
Come Sail Away
I Love Rock and Roll (Joan Jett)


Wow that's a lot of songs.

 

[dtuba]

;D


The Rolling Stones -- Gimmie Shelter

This is a great song that has been ruined by not only excessive classic rock radio airplay, but also used in too many movies, trailers, and TV shows....(Martin Scorsese, I'm looking at you! :

 

[hornet61]

;D


The Rolling Stones -- Gimmie Shelter

This is a great song that has been ruined by not only excessive classic rock radio airplay, but also used in too many movies, trailers, and TV shows....(Martin Scorsese, I'm looking at you! :

Leave Marty alone , he is the only Director who matchs the music to his movie line pretty darn good, and he is alway chronoligically correct. Tarantino goes a great in finding those great tunes that you haven't heard in ages in his movies, like Pulp Fiction: Miserlou(Dick Dale), Commache(Revels) and Busting Surfboards (tornadoes) Kill Bill series :Green Hornet (Al hirt), Bang Bang (Nancy Sinatra), Malguena salerosa (Chingon) and Don't Let me be Misunderstood (Santa Esmeralda) and of course the entire soundtrack to Reservoir Dogs.

 

[TheRover]

I looked in on the local rock radio stations last Saturday night....

No surprises here ---- SSDD.

The Classic Rock radio station was playing a Bob Seger (overplayed) number.

The "Rock" station was playing an Ozzy song... a "new" one I think.... but they worship anything Ozzy, or Metallica.

Yes, it really is music for the masses, the Great unwashed masses.

If terrestrial rock radio went extinct, I wouldn't cry.