Q100 (MUSIC) COMPARED: THIS MONTH TO LAST MONTH.....

[electroboy73]

I listen to Q100 at work…which is on all day. It’s the only “well-rounded” CHR Atlanta has….(which is NOT much!) Anyway, since early this year, Q100 has really come into the CHR mainstream and has FINALLY become a more high-energy…(if you will) Top-40. I thought, we finally have a decent pop station here. No more omitting hip-hop/rap during the day, playing more dance club stuff, like La Roux, etc, etc……..BUT, wow….since June began…..

Not only have they "power-increased" playing HOT-AC stuff like PINK's "Sober", DAVID COOK's "Time Of My Life" and JASON MRAZ' "I'm Yours"....(again)! But, they seem to be going longer stretches of playing these lighter songs (before playing a real top-40 song)

A few changes (for the worse) that Q seems to be making.....compared to last month (MAY 2010):

1. Tiao Cruz "Break Your Heart" (no more Ludicris...his rap is totally cut out of the song)
2. Usher's, "OMG" (the most popular Hot 100 song, "most increased plays" EVERYWHERE) But, Q100 only plays this song AT NIGHT....(thought the days of Q doing this were over)! ???
3. Katy Perry "California Gurls" (Sorry, Snoop! Jan Jefferies has cut you out of the record)!
4. Also, Q100 is back to their "steller" music segues! From this past week I heard these songs, all in a row…..as the kids of Atlanta begin they're summer vacation, AND BLASTING "HOT TOP-40" MUSIC BESIDE EVERY POOL IN ATLANTA....... :

We hear this........

Lady Antabellum "Need You Now" (into) Coldplay's "Viva La Vida" (into) John Mayer's "Heartbreak Warfare" (into) The Fray's "Never Say Never" (into) Train's "Hey Soul Sister" (into) Natasha Bedingfield's "Posketful Of Sunshine" (into) Kings Of Leon's "Be Somebody"

Q....(Are you kidding me??) Anybody else who thought they were actually sounding a LITTLE bit better as a top 40 and now, it's like it's 2008 all over again.

And before I leave you…..the list below are songs that Q100 was actually starting to play a lot last month and now, for some reason....they hardly get played anymore.

Travie McCoy – “Billionaire” Last month Q played this, night and day … This month, I only hear it on Billy Bush Show at night!
Usher “OMG” (as I mentioned above) (Only heard on Billy Bush/only at night)
Jamie Fox “Winner” last month Q plays it….this month, gone!
Black Eyed Peas “Rock That Body” (Only heard on Billy Bush/only at night)
B.o.b feat. Hayley Williams “Airplanes” (Q used to pay this but now, only heard on Billy Bush/only at night)

Thanks Q, for giving Atlanta (at least a slight taste) of a real Top40 station.

But, now…..why fall back?

Any thoughts?

 

[Nyte Ryder]

According to www.yes.com the actual music block at 11am was:

Alejandro
Viva La Vida
Falling Into You
Life After You
Pocketful of Sunshine
Need You Now
Second Chance
Your Love Is My Drug
Someday
Bulletproof
Use Somebody

But your imaginary list made for a much better story.

 

[DToTheJ]

If I had my druthers, I would transfer airchecks of classic 80's- and 90's-era top 40 radio to cassette tape, and blast that on a boom box beside the pool - just to gauge folks' reaction.

 

[Wildstyle K]

All this pop and pop rock talk! I guess it really wouldn't have made much difference if Star*94 remained the only top 40 station until today after all. Nobody seems to want to do anything different in this Bermuda Triangle of the Traditional Top 40 sound, also known as Atl. I will admit though that Q is better at fulfilling the hit music position than Star. They also seem to be pumpin' the newest hits first by default.

 

[caller10]

I haven't been monitoring much but my prediction is:

Q100 last month: Music sucked.

Q100 this month: Still sucks.

 

[electroboy73]

According to www.yes.com the actual music block at 11am was:

Alejandro
Viva La Vida
Falling Into You
Life After You
Pocketful of Sunshine
Need You Now
Second Chance
Your Love Is My Drug
Someday
Bulletproof
Use Somebody

But your imaginary list made for a much better story.

Even still, that list is VERY weak for a CHR. And I guess i'm def beating an already dead horse with this whole subjuect but, I spent a week in Charlestion, SC recently and the energy of the CHR's between Augusta, Columbia and Charleston compared to Atlanta STILL just baffles me!! That "11am" list above should've included, Usher's, "OMG", or Jay-Z’s “Young Forever”, (along with the Colbie Calait , Shinedown, etc). Where’s Emenim’s “Not Afraid” why not mix it into the in the same playlist with the Lady Antebellum and Coldplay?? There’s just no excitement, no surprises in CHR radio….(in, what seems like Atlanta ONLY)

 

[Nyte Ryder]

I don't completely disagree with you but if you're going to slash and burn like that, you have to be "sorta close" to accurate. And you weren't. Which means a lot of what you're putting out there is not fact. It's your opinion or to the best of your knowledge.

Also, many of the songs you point out that Top 40's in Atlanta are not big national hits but relegated to the bottom of the chart. You might like those but the largest part of the available audience do not.

You make some good points. Don't clutter it up with trying to make a slam dunk when it's simply not appropriate or even worse, wrong.

 

[electroboy73]

Okay, I understand but it's not like "Falling For You", "Someday" and "Heartbreak Warfare" are or were huge chart toppers. Point blank, Q does not play "All the Hits", they never will under cumulus management. They play litterally a handful of big hits. And when it comes to playing recurrents in between those hits, they decide to pick songs that are flat out AC-recurrents.

In the smallest most conservative market....seriously, what CHR STILL plays "Never Say Never" by The Fray as much as Q does....or "Waiting On The World To Change" by John Mayer....or even, "Time Of My Life" by David Cook....(as much as Q does)? 

And it's not about me liking any of the songs I mentioned earlier. I can't stand most hip-hop and R&B. But, I do know what an awesome, exciting CHR playlist should sound like and when you can always hear that kind of "exciting playlist"...(without fail) in markets like Columbia, SC, Chattanooga, TN and Wilkes-Barre, PA but....not Atlanta, (the #7 market)??

It's pathetic.

 

[Wildstyle K]

The horse died a very very very long time ago, but at least the Q100 weekend mix shows do play and acknowledge OTHER THINGS that would normally just pass by as non existent in ATL if it weren't for the mix. You must admit that if we had Q formatted and programmed as it is now back in the 90's, things probably would've been a little better. We would've had Captain Hollywood Project played on time, the ENTIRE version of "runaway" by Real McCoy added, maybe even some Fun Factory would've been played along with some Jocelyn Enriquez. Oh, and "hey jealousy" by Gin Blossoms wouldn't have been played two years late. Star is much better as an AC. I really don't know what Q should do at this point, but another station is surely needed - with CURRENT rhythmic top 40 hits, even if that means they will start playing "teach me how to dougie". Not sure how that made it... but then again it's no worse than KE$HA.

 

[burksy]

Okay, I understand but it's not like "Falling For You", "Someday" and "Heartbreak Warfare" are or were huge chart toppers. Point blank, Q does not play "All the Hits", they never will under cumulus management. They play litterally a handful of big hits. And when it comes to playing recurrents in between those hits, they decide to pick songs that are flat out AC-recurrents.

In the smallest most conservative market....seriously, what CHR STILL plays "Never Say Never" by The Fray as much as Q does....or "Waiting On The World To Change" by John Mayer....or even, "Time Of My Life" by David Cook....(as much as Q does)?

And it's not about me liking any of the songs I mentioned earlier. I can't stand most hip-hop and R&B. But, I do know what an awesome, exciting CHR playlist should sound like and when you can always hear that kind of "exciting playlist"...(without fail) in markets like Columbia, SC, Chattanooga, TN and Wilkes-Barre, PA but....not Atlanta, (the #7 market)??

It's pathetic.

According to Mediabase in the last week, Q played Fallin' for You 4 times, Someday 0 times, Waitin on the World to Change 4 times, and Time of my Life 6 times. Once again, you seem to be building quite the straw man to swing at, mixing opinion with fact. While it's true they don't play some rhythmic records as much as other CHR's, they do tend to add them eventually outside of a few exceptions. OMG is #11 on their most played records from it's amount of night spins alone, I'd expect to start hearing that in all dayparts pretty soon. They were on B.o.B with everyone else for Nothin On You, so I'm sure Airplanes will be hitting the airwaves soon as well.

This is nothing new for Q. In the last month their ratings have been the highest in the history of the station, so I think they're comfortable in the direction they're heading in. If they were faltering like Star and the Beat, who are both WAY in Q's rear-view mirror right now, then yes I'd say they should consider switching up their music. But right now they have zero reason to fiddle with what is clearly working.

 

[Wildstyle K]

By the way, does anyone remember back when this Q style of top 40 used to be the traditional sound of top 40? Good ol' days. That was back when everything was well rounded and you had many different sounds in hit music. It was also back when music still made sense lyrically. Q would've been the perfect sound for last decade - or at least closer to the perfect sound than Star. The Fine Young Cannibles, UB40, TLC, Sophie B Hawkins, Ace of Base, Coolio, Amber, Candlebox...etc. days would've been right up their alley. Oh, and if they are cutting out the rap in certain songs like "California Gurls" and stuff, that would be equivalent to playing the rapless version of "Be my lover" by La Bouche or the super edited version of "boom boom boom" by Outhere Brothers. Ok, so the Outhere Brothers was another one absent from Atl radio, but I'm sure some of you reading this are aware of them.

Anyway, there is really nothing wrong with that style of top 40 radio, despite the fact it may be rather outdated in 2010. It is good for the AC style. However, there is still a hole in Atlanta radio, and I'm wondering how much longer will Atlanta radio go on excluding many rhythmic top 40 hits? Who is really deciding what top 40 hits Atlanta wants to hear, and why?

Anyway, good luck Atl on your top 40 wishes. Let me get back to my KZON.
Hopefully they will add in the new Ne-yo "Beautiful Monster". KZZP already did...