Rotation of gold songs in regular playlist

[davideduardo]

Gold titles would reoccur semi-regularly, currents or recurrents would be the main focus, and lunar would hardly happen.

Different stations have different titles or names for their music categories.

In my own experience, in order of rotation, they are: power, currents, new songs, power recurrent, recurrent, power gold, gold, and “fill gold “.

There are no rules for category names or rotations. Every program director will have a slightly different preference for both of these.

In general, each category has its own determined rotational speed. Together all the categories work like the gears in a mechanical clock; when properly designed the same of songs will not repeat four weeks or even months.

 

[davideduardo]

Gold titles would reoccur semi-regularly, currents or recurrents would be the main focus, and lunar would hardly happen.

“Lunar“ is not a normal category name, at least in my experience. We may refer to certain songs as being in “lunar rotation“ but by that we mean that ppthe song is in a category that comes up infrequently.

Stations that play gold will generally have several gold categories with the highest researching songs rotating faster than the ones that got lower scores. Very often you will see three gold categories for the best scoring ones the best scoring ones and the ones that are used mostly as fill at the end of a sweep or in overnights and late nights when there are a few commercials.

 

[K.M. Richards]

Stupid question, do PDs look at Spotify Or Apple Music charts to see what older songs are most popular. If people are listening to random older songs would that mean they deserve airplay.

Not a stupid question, but in a word, no.

 

[K.M. Richards]

Can I ask what lunar rotations are? Super Power, Power Gold and Library Gold are general categories?

For once, I don't need to expand on what David already said in reply.

I will only add that the listener doesn't need to know what the programmer names their rotations.

 

[tall_guy1]

Not a stupid question, but in a word, no.

But do they look at those as songs to test?

 

[K.M. Richards]

But do they look at those as songs to test?

Maybe. Depends on the individual programmer. Given the nature of those services, much more likely to be a source of currents to add to testing; the gold listening is so scattered that it would take a huge increase in any song's listening for it to get any attention (and gold-based programmers likely are not looking).

 

[Don CT]

I know everyone hates the term “yacht rock”. However I seem to be hearing some of those songs more often. Yes they are technically classic rock but somehow they were sub genre’d into a new made up term.

 

[tall_guy1]

Case in point, heard my local Audacy Hot AC spin Whatever You Like by T.I. today. Never heard them spin that one before except for Throwback 2k. Interesting choice...never thought of that as a Hot AC song. Wonder if many stations in the format spin that one now?

 

[K.M. Richards]

I know everyone hates the term “yacht rock”. However I seem to be hearing some of those songs more often. Yes they are technically classic rock but somehow they were sub genre’d into a new made up term.

It's the novelty format du jour at the moment.

 

[davideduardo]

Not a stupid question, but in a word, no.

Adding to your remark….

The problem with data from streaming sources is that it does not identify what your own station’s listeners want to hear. In other words, you get data on everyone covering all age ranges and ethnicities. The purported demographic data is not specific enough to be actionable.

For those not aware about how stations or station groups research music, it is important to know that they only speak to the listener base of the format each station is involved with. In other words, a country station does not test their music against alternative rock partisans. In fact, we do not even test against all of our own listeners; we recruit people who listen enough time each week to be thoroughly familiar with the individual songs.

 

[tall_guy1]

Maybe. Depends on the individual programmer. Given the nature of those services, much more likely to be a source of currents to add to testing; the gold listening is so scattered that it would take a huge increase in any song's listening for it to get any attention (and gold-based programmers likely are not looking).

How do they consider which "new" old song to test to periodically add to their individual station?

 

[Huff]

How do they consider which "new" old song to test to periodically add to their individual station?

Just a thought, but maybe you should arrange a call or zoom with a programmer or consultant in which you could ask them all of your questions on programming... you would probably be able to answer a LOT more questions than on here and come up with answers to questions you might not have even thought of yet. There are dozens of folks on here with decades of experience who might be willing to share some of their insight upon request.

 

[davideduardo]

How do they consider which "new" old song to test to periodically add to their individual station?

New songs:

First, stations receive "promo copies" of new releases. They can look through those, often focusing on "star artists" and newer ones who have had several recent hits.

They will get calls and messages from the record company pushing the release.

Then they may scan the data online to see what new songs have done well in streams. They will look over the next few days at what other stations they respect are doing with the latest releases.

They look at format-specific programmer / music websites to see if there is a "buzz" on any new song.

At any time they may decide to add the song, or wait or push it aside. Often, a new song by a huge artist may be instantly added. One by an unknown artist may to to the "maybe -- let's watch it" group.

Old songs:

Generally, everything that charted has been tested multiple time. If one never did well, we don't test again. Otherwise, we test over and over the songs we play and ones that are borderline that a long rest may have "mellowed" and made playable again.

Usually, a long-time in-format station will look first at its own past research (corporate or local) and look for songs that might be playable. But generally, we move songs that are sustainable from current to recurrent to gold, adjusting play based on test scores.

There are not that many songs that we never played that suddenly might become playable.

The idea that old songs played in hit movies or TV shows are suddenly playable ignores the fact that the percentages of people exposed to music that way is minimal.

And then each PD and MD has their own "sense" of what might be "the right add" to give some variety or change to the current playlist, Some songs are just impulse adds.

Example: in 2000 a record promoter played a test pressing for me and my PD in San Diego. We asked to be given the test CD. Nobody had played it yet, and it was not yet released. The PD and I listened several times to the song, "A Puro Dolor" by an unknown Puerto Rican group, "Son by Four". We liked it so much we took it to the studio and said, "This is next". And we called the promoter who was driving back to LA and said "Listen right now. We are playing your song".

That song became the most played single on Latin radio for about the next 20 years. And it was an impulse add. I hope this anecdotal experience shows how things work "inside" the station.

 

[tall_guy1]

Just a thought, but maybe you should arrange a call or zoom with a programmer or consultant in which you could ask them all of your questions on programming... you would probably be able to answer a LOT more questions than on here and come up with answers to questions you might not have even thought of yet. There are dozens of folks on here with decades of experience who might be willing to share some of their insight upon request.

I was thinking playlists a lot more years past. Don't think I ever thought of "new gold" though. But would be a good idea, if I think of anymore programming questions.

 

[davideduardo]

I was thinking playlists a lot more years past. Don't think I ever thought of "new gold" though. But would be a good idea, if I think of anymore programming questions.

"New Gold" is often a category... with a variety of names... on stations, particularly ones like Hot AC, that want to specifically program the most recent titles to enter the gold categories. That allows era balance.

At the Recuerdo Network in the 2000-2015 era, we had several gold categories that were based on age, as we had a "variety hits" format. As we played as old as the later 50's and as recent as about 2005, we had "old-medium-young" categories or sound codes.

As Huff and I have said, each format and every programmer has their own system. There is no Category Police.

 

[R.D.P.]

@davideduardo In my case, I don't get much new music for free. I have to buy what I can, when I can. And yes...that runs me up some big bucks but that's the price one must pay, when one doesn't get much love from the labels and/or musicians I spotlight. In most cases, I'm usually late adding the new tunes, because it takes time for me to get them, once I make the purchase. When I'm able to buy the new releases, I get up to 5 CD's at one time, depending on if I like what I'm seeing, I'm being led by God to get it and think it'll test well.

Dan <><​

 

[Bongwater]

Stupid question, do PDs look at Spotify Or Apple Music charts to see what older songs are most popular. If people are listening to random older songs would that mean they deserve airplay.

I don't think that would hurt. Especially the Viral Charts because depending on how fast one is at capturing zeitgeists of the moment, they're a great source of immediately trending Oldies.

 

[b-turner]

Here's a simplistic rotation from the mid 1980s at a CHR I worked:

17 Hot Currents played 4 per hour
21 Medium Currents played 4 per hour
13 Light Currents played 2 per hour (heavy commercial load may lower to 1 per hour)
100 Recurrents played 4 per hour
200 Recent Gold (up to 5 years old) 2 per hour (heavy commercial load may lower to 1 per hour)

Each group updated weekly. Typical 4 adds & drops.

Some currents given a 30/60/90 day rest before playing as a recurrent depending on song.

In the last year at that station, we began experimenting with classic rock songs of the past 15 years for about 1/3rd of Recent Gold.

Generally speaking Recurrents from the summer of 2024 got more play in summer of 2025 than the typical recurrent except the new adds. The same on Recent Gold.

I know I followed the lead of certain stations across the country while still formulating things to my Program Director's desires.

The heavier rotation on songs from that month or season in prior years was based on the memories listeners carried with a song. Frequently we were the station heard when those memories were created.

This was a Top 40 in a town of about 30,000 with a town of 60,000 a city limits sign away. There were 6 local stations: An AM Christian station, an adult leaning Top 40 with heavy gold rotation (1960s & 1970s) and our brother, a country full-service. On the FM you had one hit country, a CHR that opted to be the 'cool' station and the Top 40 FM I worked for that was pretty mainsream with the biggest contests. Listening designed for all day/night listening. Nobody in town did a 2 hour rotation or less on currents. I think our FM competition repeated hot currents every 3 hours and 45 minutes whereas we went 4 hours and 15 minutes. This was a market where there was no budget for research. Most was 'gut' programming and musically, to hear a song and say that is going to be a hit (and be correct).

 

[CTListener]

How is it determined which currents become recurrents (either immediately or after a pause) and which are simply dropped from further airplay? Is it based strictly on their popularity as currents or are all the big hits retested after they've been replaced by newer songs in the current playlist, with only the ones listeners say they aren't tired of entering the recurrent library?

 

[b-turner]

For us it was no research on what became a recurrent as this was not a big market. If the jocks were geting complaints about playing a song and they were burned out on it, we'd give it a rest. Generally speaking, the biggest hits moved to recurrents, the rest fell off the charts in a less than stellar showing and were never played again (most songs). We looked at the trades to decide as well. We paid close attention to Gavin, for example.