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Peter Gabriel-Solsbury Hill

J

Jay F

Does anybody know if "Solsbury Hill" was a bigger hit in Buffalo than it was nationally? I have been monitoring WHTT mornings from out of state. I was surprised to hear Solsbury because I have never heard it on a classic hits station (the current definition of classic hits that plays pop songs as opposed to the old definition which was a softer, safer classic rock station).

I remember a post on here a few years ago where somebody mentioned they like WGRF better than most classic rock stations nationally because they play songs like "Solsbury Hill". That stuck with me for some reason. So now I am under the impression that Buffalo is one of the best markets for this song. I wonder if it tests better there than other markets?
 
Solsibury Hill never cracked the top 40 nationally when it was released in 1977 but seems to test well not only on classic rock stations but AC stations as well and that's not only true in Buffalo but here in Rochester as well.
 
qman said:
Solsibury Hill never cracked the top 40 nationally when it was released in 1977 but seems to test well not only on classic rock stations but AC stations as well and that's not only true in Buffalo but here in Rochester as well.
Click to expand...

Was "The Lamb lies down on Broadway" a top 40 hit in 1974?
 
But...if I remember it correctly, the song was played by KB...and maybe WYSL as well.
BTW-The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway tour was the first group tour to be promoted regionally by Harvey and Corky, leading them far enough into the success arena for Harvey to break off and go where he really wanted-into films.
 
This is an example of what we'll hear a lot more of in the coming months...songs that were "hits" because of heavy AOR airplay back in the day even if they never went far as singles, or never got released as singles at all. I'm waiting for the day Led Zeppelin's Stairway to Heaven gets played on WHTT or Legends 102.7--I'm betting it'll be in the library of both stations before the end of this year if it isn't already.

Hey, if the Stones' Harlem Shuffle can get into the rotation on WLGZ, anything is possible...
 
Peter Gabriel's first hit after leaving Genesis, Solsbury Hill is one of those "Buffalo songs" that makes consultants and out-of-town PDs scratch their heads and ask "why are you playing that!" From my experience at 97 Rock and Classic Hits and even Mix, "Solbury Hill" has strong positives. In music testing terminology, it's familiar, it's liked (favorable) and doesn't have a high burn factor. It's particularly appealing 45+ males and from what I recall, one of those songs that gets high favorables from women as well as men. Genesis and Peter Gabriel as a solo artist, received huge support in with airplay at WPHD, WBUF, WXRT and QFM97 (even WUWU and WZIR) resulting in record setting LP sales and sold out concerts. It's accurate to say Buffalo and Western New York, including Rochester, played a major role in the success of Genesis and Peter Gabriel, whose performance at Shea's during the Shock the Monkey tour (early 80s) was one of the best concerts in WNY. Shea's Buffalo is one of those great theatres with a remarkable history. When U2 played Shea's, it's said the balcony was rockin'!
 
When the original Zone launched in Rochester in the late nineties (after a few months of WAQB and its CD changer full of Rhino's Greatest Rock Instrumentals!), I recall that it seemed sometimes like every third song was "Solsbury Hill."

I really liked that incarnation of the Zone; I'm sorry it didn't last.
 
JimPastrick said:
Peter Gabriel's first hit after leaving Genesis, Solsbury Hill is one of those "Buffalo songs" that makes consultants and out-of-town PDs scratch their heads and ask "why are you playing that!" From my experience at 97 Rock and Classic Hits and even Mix, "Solbury Hill" has strong positives. In music testing terminology, it's familiar, it's liked (favorable) and doesn't have a high burn factor. It's particularly appealing 45+ males and from what I recall, one of those songs that gets high favorables from women as well as men. Genesis and Peter Gabriel as a solo artist, received huge support in with airplay at WPHD, WBUF, WXRT and QFM97 (even WUWU and WZIR) resulting in record setting LP sales and sold out concerts. It's accurate to say Buffalo and Western New York, including Rochester, played a major role in the success of Genesis and Peter Gabriel, whose performance at Shea's during the Shock the Monkey tour (early 80s) was one of the best concerts in WNY. Shea's Buffalo is one of those great theatres with a remarkable history. When U2 played Shea's, it's said the balcony was rockin'!
Click to expand...

Don't forget Gabriel, as well as U2 were staples on Toronto radio (notably CFNY-FM, and I'm sure "Solsbury" got airplay on CHUM-FM And Q107 as well). All 3 reach the Buffalo metro well. The old "cross-border" influence strikes again.
 
"It's accurate to say Buffalo and Western New York, including Rochester, played a major role in the success of Genesis and Peter Gabriel"

True for both the original Gabriel-fronted Genesis and the emergence of the Phil Collins-fronted version. To the point that when the first album released after Collins took lead vocal duties, And Then There Were Three, came out, WBEN put Follow You, Follow Me in the hot rotation and helped break that cut out as a single nationally. (PD Bob Wood did that from time to time,. finding artists like Rupert Holmes and Little River Band who he thought had strong 25-49 appeal and helping them get traction on national AC charts.)
 
"WBEN put Follow You, Follow Me in the hot rotation and helped break that cut out as a single nationally. (PD Bob Wood did that from time to time,. finding artists like Rupert Holmes and Little River Band who he thought had strong 25-49 appeal and helping them get traction on national AC charts.)"

So... Bob Wood is to blames for hearing Rupert Holmes' 20 times a week on every AC station in America. #$@%!
 
I remember Solsbury as a good song that wasn't a huge hit, but as a high schooler I wasn't listening to hits..........I thought it was long forgotten by most everybody but me, until one night in '86 they played it at the Brick Bar and everybody was singing it at the top of their lungs. A Buffalo song, indeed.

Follow You, Follow Me is a great song, also.
 
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