At the risk of re-offending you, I also have to wonder why a format that's focused on the 80s would be playing a relatively insignificant mid-charter from 1964by some "me too" British invasion act, even in some sort of lunar rotation. To my ears it would stick out like a sore thumb. I assume you're referring to "Hippy Hippy Shake".
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Radio stations that are "chestnuts"/anomalies
- Thread starter jp1996
- Start date
K.M. Richards
Program Director, The Eighties Channel™
The version we play is by the Georgia Satellites and charted in 1988. I think that perhaps that was unclear after the Chimp posted about the original getting airplay.
The version we play is one that I toss into the rotation about every two years or so to add a little variety. In fact, the last time was a total of nine plays, across all dayparts, in the (less than) three-week span of September 6-September 23 of last year.
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My intention in mentioning that station was to point out that I had seen a lot of songs from the 70s and 80s that I had not heard of or at least heard in a long time. It had nothing to do with who would be listening to the station. To me, it doesn't seem any different from any other classic hits station in a larger city except for the presence of 60s and maybe even 50s songs (justified by the age of the potential listeners), along with the occasional Lady Gaga or Kelly Clarkson that is much newer.
But in trying to find those songs that weren't common on classic hits radio and post here, I didn't really succeed.
If I'd had any idea that the Satellites had charted with, or even recorded, a cover of that song in the '80s, I'd never have gotten into that minor dust-up with you in the first place! As a once-in-a-blue-moon spin as a "lost 45", it definitely makes sense in your format.
I'm always surprised by how many people here have the fascination for classic hits, oldies, or whatever you want to call it. I'm with you, David. I prefer all of the above from that era - but in small doses. I happen to live where KYNO comes in off-air, and they have a preset. But I'm able to tolerate it for maybe 1/2 hour at best - then it's time for something else. I still prefer the curated music of non-commercial radio and the discovery that comes along with it. I gave WVLG a try for about an hour, and yes - it's well done - complete with jingles. I heard 60s to 90s. But nothing I hadn't heard before. The Big Mountain cover of "Baby I Love Your Way" might qualify as a chestnut. Three or four live reads for open houses and homes for sale at The Villages. They also had quite a few ads for live shows likely to be attended by the retirees of the area. So I can see how it works for that unique area, and I can see it as a subsidized business extension for its owners.
Dave B.
I know right? Someone is touchy, and about the friggin Georgia Satellites? One of the most annoying least impactful bands of the 80's?
I just checked. Not "Pop Muzik" by M?
I guess it's unique. But it's also uniquely bad. For my taste at least. To me a song has to have at least interesting lyrics or musicianship that's above the level of a high school music student. That one doesn't make the cut, IMHO.
Dave B.
I believe John Garabedian (new WJIB owner) either has or had a connection to WVLG, especially in programming it.
WJIB is a standards station and in a retirement community that's what one would expect.
WLML West Palm Beach is a real standards station (very few songs that would have been considered AC). That one should probably be listed here. Even though it is a commercial station, the owner is connected with the Society For The Preservation of the Great American Songbook.
WLML West Palm Beach is a real standards station (very few songs that would have been considered AC). That one should probably be listed here. Even though it is a commercial station, the owner is connected with the Society For The Preservation of the Great American Songbook.
K.M. Richards
Program Director, The Eighties Channel™
Hey, I play that one too, during our Flashback Weekend program of all New Wave songs ...
K.M. Richards
Program Director, The Eighties Channel™
It's not just the people here, Dave. Classic Hits is one of the most popular radio formats these days.
I didn't care for it when I was in college but now it's one of those songs that's so bad it's good.
K.M. Richards
Program Director, The Eighties Channel™
It works as a once a month spin in a specialty program targeted at listeners of the genre. Like the Forgotten 45s, the idea is to occasionally throw in a song that evokes a "ohmygodIhaven'theardthatsonginalongtime" reaction.
True that. Same with Sports Talk, A/C, Country, Alternative, and a few others. Maybe it's just the discussions I read, but there seems to be a lot more emphasis on Classic Hits and how we wish they would go "deeper". I don't read the same kinds of posts about how the Classic Rock station should play Atlanta Rhythm Section. Or how the Country station should play Drive By Truckers.
I do understand why all of the above is not commercially viable, and for that reason I don't typically even mention such things here. But I'm always looking for stations that can satisfy my eclectic tastes, so I've made it a point to check out the ones listed in this thread. It's interesting that most of the stations posted here play music from the last millennium.
Dave B.
K.M. Richards
Program Director, The Eighties Channel™
Oh, that discussion has been going on for a couple of decades now.
What people do not understand -- even after all this time -- is that radio in general is a mass appeal medium, and every format has to play "consensus favorites" to hold an audience. Taking Classic Hits as an example:
When someone tunes in, they have a reasonable expectation of hearing songs they like. And the programmer's job is to make sure that the songs in rotation are ones that the vast majority like. It does not mean "every song that any potential listener likes." And that's where the complaints about "going deeper" come from.
We do research and the songs that get the highest ranking among the majority are the ones that get played. Everyone is going to have their own personal favorites, and a lot of those are not going to rank high among a cross-section of listeners. And the absolute last thing any programmer wants to do is play a song that the majority didn't rate high ... because that leads to tune out.
And to those who say "if you would just take a chance on a wider playlist, the audience will stay tuned in": You're wrong, and it has proven over and over again. The typical listener (and BTW, advocates of "going deeper" are not typical) will not sit through a lot of songs that aren't ones they really like, waiting for one that they do. Every time a station -- regardless of format -- comes in and challenges a "tight playlist" station wiyj a "deeper" one, the challenger always loses and the original station's numbers go up instead of down.
The first time I held the PD post was 1978. That's right, almost a half-century ago. And "consensus favorites" was already gospel; it's only become more so as radio has become more competitive. The only way to go even slightly deeper is to make a feature out of it, like my own hourly Forgotten 45. But even then, I do a lot of research to determine which songs fit, and how often they can come up in active rotation after a rest period. Those still aren't going be the songs three people out of 1000 want me to play "because they like it".
Let me put it into perspective: The number of songs in my Forgotten 45 category is a little over 500. The power and accent categories that play everywhere in the hour outside of that feature total around 425. I guarantee you my audience want to hear those 425 a lot more often than the other 500. They want familiar. They want the aural equivalent of comfort food.
If you want to hear songs that mainstream radio doesn't play, do what I do. Listen to your own MP3 collection. You'd be surprised at how man songs are on my player that I could never program.
WJIB's CoL is Cambridge, Mass., part of the Boston metro. Hardly a retirement community. I can't imagine that even in Florida there are enough people old enough to want a true standards format. 60s-70s oldies, yeah but not so much anything older.
But in West Palm Beach apparently there are.
A lot of the recordings are newer than the 60s and 70s.
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