"Paparazzi" an AC song?

[grey_dan]

Traditionally, the Fresh approach does not work as well as the "traditional" approach (look at NYC).

With all due respect to carolinaradio, I think it's a little too soon to say for sure. I agree with imhomerjay's point that typically a new (or made-over) Fresh-style AC isn't going to do as well as an entrenched heritage AC, at least in the short-term. If ratings and ad revenues are poor two years from now, then it will probably be safe to call Fresh a loser.

Anyway, I mainly wanted to comment after having a few more days to listen to Fresh Chicago. I'm still enjoying it, more than I thought I'd enjoy an AC at my age (I'm a 29-y/o male). I'm hearing quite a bit of the music from my high school and college days, with more recent stuff that's mostly decent. I am hearing a few songs that make me think, "This is AC?" ??? (i.e., "How You Remind Me," "You Oughta Know," "So What," "Down," etc.). Although by definition (it appeals to 25-54 (or at least 25-49) females), I suppose I can't say the format is definitively not AC.

 

[carolinaradio]

That AC was great for a previous generation, but my calendar shows it's 2010, and the audience today (which, if you grew up with that previous AC blend, you're not a part of), doesn't want something pulled out of a time capsule from decades ago.

The AC of yesteryear is not coming back. I'm starting to get sick of hearing about how this and that "isn't AC." Carpenters, Streisand, Manilow, Kenny Rogers, etc. are over for AC or background music. If these stations are offensive, don't listen and take an MP3 player in where you shop and listen to Barbara Streisand. They are not going to change their music because one person finds it "offensive."

Elton John, Genesis, Rod Stewart, Shania Twain, Rob Thomas, James Taylor, Daughtry, Prince, Michael Jackson, Colbie Caillat, Hall & Oates and The Eagles are all staples of the AC format in 2010. If those are offensive or "too loud"...too bad. Good luck finding a station playing something less "offensive" on the dial. Welcome to 2010. I'm not trying to be rude, but I think it's time to accept that the format, like every other one, has evolved to remain competitive.

 

[imhomerjay]

A-flippen-men.

 

[vchimpanzee]

Elton John, Genesis, Rod Stewart, Shania Twain, Rob Thomas, James Taylor, Daughtry, Prince, Michael Jackson, Colbie Caillat, Hall & Oates and The Eagles are all staples of the AC format in 2010. If those are offensive or "too loud"...too bad. Good luck finding a station playing something less "offensive" on the dial. Welcome to 2010. I'm not trying to be rude, but I think it's time to accept that the format, like every other one, has evolved to remain competitive.

I can find stations that are less offensive in many cases.

Elton John and James Taylor are staples of adult standards these days--that format has also evolved. A few Eagles songs make the grade too, and I even heard "Gone Too Soon" by Michael. A couple of Hall and Oates songs have shown up as well, but I hope those are all. "Still the One" by Shania is on one station I listen to.

I've hard a few Phil Collins songs but never Genesis. Also Rod Stewart--mostly his standards, but also some of his softer oldies.

 

[vchimpanzee]

I've been an adult for more years than I wish, and have zero interest in old instrumental Muzak anywhere (including elevators), nor do most adults (some? sure....most? nope). Saying it until the proverbial cows come home isn't going to make adults suddenly embrace that ancient moldy stuff in any significant numbers.

You would of course find my Yahoo group most unwelcoming. We seek to bring this music back to commercial radio and, in fact, like Obama's health care and other government programs, some seek to force it on everyone. We say everyone should listen to this music because it WILL make their lives better.

 

[imhomerjay]

I won't find it welcoming because I see no point in tilting at windmills to bring back a long-dead, with reason, version of what was contemporary in the past. The isolated odd station will scrape out a proverbial living that way, but it will never be widespread again.

 

[carolinaradio]

WHY can we not discuss this format in a typical way like all of the other format boards? Shouldn't we discuss the format the way it is NOW, and not "muzak" in a grocery store?

I heard Rascal Flatts, Wilson Phillips, Nickelback, and Jordin Sparks in the grocery store. That made me MUCH more willing to shop and happier than some boring instrumental song from the 70s.

Can it just not be understood that AC AS IT WAS IN THE 70S, 80S, AND EARLY 90S IS DEAD AND NOT COMING BACK? Am I not making any sense? Buy an mp3 player and listen to whatever you want for crying out loud. It is not coming back. AC stations are not catering people who listened to them in the 60s and 70s. They are playing what tests well TODAY from the 70s through present with 25-54 women. Not people in their sixties and seventies who want to hear The Carpenters and Air Supply.

 

[vchimpanzee]

WHY can we not discuss this format in a typical way like all of the other format boards? Shouldn't we discuss the format the way it is NOW, and not "muzak" in a grocery store?

I heard Rascal Flatts, Wilson Phillips, Nickelback, and Jordin Sparks in the grocery store. That made me MUCH more willing to shop and happier than some boring instrumental song from the 70s.

Can it just not be understood that AC AS IT WAS IN THE 70S, 80S, AND EARLY 90S IS DEAD AND NOT COMING BACK? Am I not making any sense? Buy an mp3 player and listen to whatever you want for crying out loud. It is not coming back. AC stations are not catering people who listened to them in the 60s and 70s. They are playing what tests well TODAY from the 70s through present with 25-54 women. Not people in their sixties and seventies who want to hear The Carpenters and Air Supply.

I'll tell you why we're discussing this here.

This music (for lack of a better term) is forced on us when we go out in public. Therefore, we demand QUIET from the people in charge of polluting all the stores that don't specialize in teens.

That plus the fact that only some of us are lucky enough to hear The Carpenters and Air Supply (okay, not Air Supply) without having to spend money we don't have. If adult contemporary is all we can have in some areas, then make it the GOOD kind. Otherwise we WILL revolt.

 

[carolinaradio]

Stores don't cater to older shoppers, who would be the ones listening to The Carpenters. Middle-age women likely don't want to hear that.
That music is not coming back.

The AC most people play, in my eyes, IS the good kind. Who wants to hear quiet music when shopping? I want to hear something upbeat...Taylor Swift, Kelly Clarkson, etc.

I have yet to see anybody else that won't shop at a store because of the music they play. That is insane.

 

[vchimpanzee]

Stores don't cater to older shoppers, who would be the ones listening to The Carpenters. Middle-age women likely don't want to hear that.
That music is not coming back.

The AC most people play, in my eyes, IS the good kind. Who wants to hear quiet music when shopping? I want to hear something upbeat...Taylor Swift, Kelly Clarkson, etc.

I have yet to see anybody else that won't shop at a store because of the music they play. That is insane.

I didn't ask for The Carpenters, but the fact we have this mess forced on us is what's insane. They should go back to instumentals.

 

[imhomerjay]

Which part of 'you aren't the target audience' isn't ringing a bell? The vast majority of stores that want to make money most certainly should not be going back to instrumentals. Revolt all you want, you still aren't the audience they're after.

 

[Seltzer]

Carolinaradio is exactly correct in her assessment. A/C's use some 70s for variety purposes, but it is not the staple of the format.

There is great interest in 80s music and the artists and songs of the past ten years. The 90s are a tough decade for this format.

Listen on line to WLTW in NYC, WMJX in Boston, WLEV in Allentown, and WMGS in Wilkes Barre to get a feel where A/C needs to be today. WLEV has resurged with the addition of a new PD and the other three stations have been successful in the format for years. All have evolved to meet the needs of today's female listener. WJBR in Wilmington and WLIF in Baltimore are also other great examples.

It's safe to say that today's A/C listener wants some tempo in their music. Most of the sleepy stuff is gone.

 

[carolinaradio]

Carolinaradio is exactly correct in her assessment. A/C's use some 70s for variety purposes, but it is not the staple of the format.

There is great interest in 80s music and the artists and songs of the past ten years. The 90s are a tough decade for this format.

Listen on line to WLTW in NYC, WMJX in Boston, WLEV in Allentown, and WMGS in Wilkes Barre to get a feel where A/C needs to be today. WLEV has resurged with the addition of a new PD and the other three stations have been successful in the format for years. All have evolved to meet the needs of today's female listener. WJBR in Wilmington and WLIF in Baltimore are also other great examples.

It's safe to say that today's A/C listener wants some tempo in their music. Most of the sleepy stuff is gone.

Another very good AC is WBEB/Philadelphia. WLIF is one of my favorites as well.

Anyone who has read my posts knows I am an advocate of playing 70s on AC, and of course 80s; but it has to be the RIGHT songs, especially with the 70s. WMYI/Greenville, SC, WMAG/Greensboro, WLYT/Charlotte and WXLY/Charleston are all very 70s/80s heavy and do very well because they play the right ones. If they were playing Manilow, Streisand, Christopher Cross, Carpenters, Anne Murray, etc I'd hate to see the numbers. Can't speak for other markets.

IMO, 70s and 80s are both more viable than 90s. Key is, the right ones.

 

[Jay F]

I remember someone telling me in 1990 that in the next couple of years AC would pay no 70s at all. They said the C in AC was contemporary and 70s has no place. Even if some stations have cut back on it, I think the person who made this prediction (who happens to be a very successful programmer today in a different format) would have been shocked how much 70s remain on many AC stations in 2010. In fact some disco type songs are more lkely to be played today than twenty years ago when there was still a stigma against it.

For my personal tastes for what they are worth I would rather hear a soft, old sounding AC with tons of 70s OR a Hot AC bordering on CHR with lots of GAGA and KE$SHA type music than listen to an AC with too many burned 80s and 90s titles.

 

[carolinaradio]

I totally agree! I like Hot AC's that are mainly 2000s based with some 90s, personally...that play GaGa, Ke$ha, etc. The older, more traditional rock/alt. based...not as much.

WSPA is a perfect example of an AC station that is almost scared to play currents but attempted to modernize with tons of stale 90s, 00s and a some 80s (with a tight playlist)....it's not executed well and sounds bad.

 

[Seltzer]

Yes, WBEB in Philly is probably one of the top 3 A/C stations in the country. I didn't mentiion them because at this time they do nos stream. Hopefully that will change again in the future.

Inyeresting how A/C has evolved just in the past couple of years. If Fergie had released a song like "Paparazzi" in 07 instead of "Big Girls Don't Cry", I really doubt most A/C's would have played it. Lady Gaga got on the format w/o doing a ballad first, which is interesting.

Years ago, around 1980, I remember there was somewhat of a cry about playing "Babe" because it was by Styx. Well, common sense prevailed and Babe has become a standard. It also opened up A/C to playing "Lady" by Styx later in the decade.

Today, "More Than A Feeling" by Boston is part of the 70s that many A/C's play.

 

[carolinaradio]

How many Adult Contemporary stations are actually playing Paparazzi? I check quite a few out online frequently and am in listening range of 4 mainstream ones...haven't heard it. They are all medium markets, though (save for Charlotte), so they might not be as open to playing it. IMO, it is highly unlikely that it will break the top 10 and I HIGHLY doubt it will become a staple. GaGa is so huge now, her music is naturally going to cross over. Just Dance crossed over briefly.

The Fergie song was really AC material. GaGa got on the format because...she's Lady Gaga. I just don't see her ever having any massive hits for AC.

 

[Jay F]

Lady Gaga's current CHR hit "Alejandro" might have a shot of eventually crossing over to AC. It has a softer texture than most of her songs.

Seltzer mentioned Styx-Babe. I remember a year earlier in 1979 when "Renegade" came out. That song is soft at the beginning before it turns into one of their hardest rockers ever. When I heard that soft intro it came to my mind that if they sold out and did a commercial sounding soft ballad it would be huge. Sure enough Babe came out the next year. I still hear AC play it to this day.

 

[carolinaradio]

"Alejandro" does sound more AC than her others. Just gave it a listen again. Still, I don't think it's anything like the Fergie song which fit the AC format very well. The beginning is rather odd.

Going over the music log, the leading AC in my market plays (these are just a few) Joe Cocker's "You Are So Beautiful", Loggins and Messina's "Danny's Song", Eagles' "Best of My Love", Elton John's "Your Song", Samantha Sang's "Emotion", Andy Gibb's "I Just Want To Be Your Everything" and "Wonderful Tonight".... If those aren't "soft" (and, to be honest, most of those I don't even care for), I don't know what is. The format has been spiced up, which is needed, but the "soft" songs are still there.

 

[vchimpanzee]

Going over the music log, the leading AC in my market plays (these are just a few) Joe Cocker's "You Are So Beautiful", Loggins and Messina's "Danny's Song", Eagles' "Best of My Love", Elton John's "Your Song", Samantha Sang's "Emotion", Andy Gibb's "I Just Want To Be Your Everything" and "Wonderful Tonight".... If those aren't "soft" (and, to be honest, most of those I don't even care for), I don't know what is. The format has been spiced up, which is needed, but the "soft" songs are still there.

I don't know about "Danny's Song" or "Wonderful Tonight" (is that the Eric Clapton one? If so I may be hearing a new version of it, but I'm not sure). The rest of the songs are on my favorite pop station--which is OBSESSED with Barry Manilow, at least when they go to the satellite. I guess that means they shouldn't be on AC.