Please Explain The Logic to "No Soft Music on AC Anymore"

[Music Lover]

Then again they may have grown up in the 70's. Many of them talk about collecting 45's and talk about "back in the day when radio was mostly top 40, you could hear James Taylor, Carpenters, Carly Simon, America, Barry Manilow, Billy Joel and on and on right along with current rockers of the day."

Of course, most of the discussion in the forum is more about the artists than radio.

 

[Music Lover]

Does it really matter what the Adult Contemporary format started out to be several decades ago? It's 2014. I don't know about anyone else, but none of my radios have the time travel option. I can only tune in what is being broadcast today. And compared to what certain radio stations were playing a relatively short time ago, much of the kind of music I liked on those stations a few short years ago isn't played anymore. As a result, I've stopped listening to those stations.

Same way here. I've stopped listening to local. And even if I did tune in, the reception isn't as good as it used to be.

 

[michael hagerty]

Does it really matter what the Adult Contemporary format started out to be several decades ago? It's 2014. I don't know about anyone else, but none of my radios have the time travel option. I can only tune in what is being broadcast today. And compared to what certain radio stations were playing a relatively short time ago, much of the kind of music I liked on those stations a few short years ago isn't played anymore. As a result, I've stopped listening to those stations.

Only in understanding that Adult Contemporary has not always meant "soft". It didn't in the beginning, it doesn't now. It may again someday.

 

[Music Lover]

Only in understanding that Adult Contemporary has not always meant "soft". It didn't in the beginning, it doesn't now. It may again someday.

Country comes in cycles. Pop country will be huge for a while then it swings back traditional. Maybe other music does so as well.

 

[davideduardo]

Does it really matter what the Adult Contemporary format started out to be several decades ago? I

This is a radio forum and the evolution of radio and its formats is of considerable interest.

If you look at the ups and downs and the morphing of formats over the years, it is possible to develop a better understanding of today's trends as well.

In other words, ignore plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose at your own risk.

 

[Music Lover]

Does it really matter what the Adult Contemporary format started out to be several decades ago? It's 2014. I don't know about anyone else, but none of my radios have the time travel option. I can only tune in what is being broadcast today. And compared to what certain radio stations were playing a relatively short time ago, much of the kind of music I liked on those stations a few short years ago isn't played anymore. As a result, I've stopped listening to those stations.

My current circle of friends are some co-workers. While I am closer to the lower end of the AC demo, they are in the upper end of the AC demo, 45-50 and older. Like me, they have also become disenfranchised over material that's edgier than before and no longer tune in to local AC.

As far as reception goes, some of them still have good reception, others don't.

 

[Music Lover]

I lean towards the idea of a hybrid playlist to help fill the void, like this station advertises: http://www.kliteonline.com/

This is another station I consider to be a hybrid: www.joy995.com

Of the two, I prefer the current selections on Joy more.

 

[Music Lover]

This is what it looked like before Jhani Kaye and "Continuous Soft Hits" took hold in 1983-ish: (The site shows the format as Top 40, which shows the similarity between the formats:

http://www.las-solanas.com/arsa/surveys_item.php?svid=34784

And here's the Top 40 station in the same market in the same month:

http://las-solanas.com/arsa/surveys...=641&lcnt=30&srt1=tsc_psv DESC&vqry=san diego

The thing is, those songs on that 1970's AC playlist (http://www.las-solanas.com/arsa/surveys_item.php?svid=34784), are still soft and easy compared to what is on today's AC playlists.

 

[michael hagerty]

The thing is, those songs on that 1970's AC playlist (http://www.las-solanas.com/arsa/surveys_item.php?svid=34784), are still soft and easy compared to what is on today's AC playlists.

But they weren't at the time. In fact, it was every bit as jarring a change for listeners who'd been with those stations in the 60s as what's happening now. We took them from Tony Bennett to Todd Rundgren, from Doris Day to the Doobie Brothers.

 

[Music Lover]

I've always tended to be rather conservative about music choices. There are certain thematic elements (foul language, suggestive lyrics) that don't appeal to me. However, I certainly don't think it should be censored.

Many in my circle of family and friends are also rather conservative about music choices too. I've heard more than one person say they switched away from pop to other genres, such as country music, when they had kids because they didn't want their kids singing some of the songs that are on pop stations these days.

 

[Music Lover]

Yet another I consider to be a hybrid AC:

Abigail Radio
www.abigailradio.com

One minute you'll hear Ventura Highway by America and the next you'll hear Why Can't This Be Love by Van Halen.

 

[Music Lover]

Radio Locator describes the stations I seek out as easy listening.

http://radio-locator.com/cgi-bin/format?code=ezy