Sample playlist

[radiolover78]

What do you think of this playlist? Consider the songs being played in the order listed. I would say "Cool Night" looks out of place, but overall it sounds like it would be a 'modern' mainstream AC station. My goal is for it to not sound too edgy. What, if any, 80s hits would fit into such a playlist?

10:55PM Paul Davis "Cool Night"
10:59PM Five for Fighting "100 Years"
11:03PM Maroon Five "Payphone"
11:06PM Backstreet Boys "As Long as You Love Me"
11:10PM The Calling "Wherever You Will Go"
11:13PM John Mayer "No Such Thing"

11:21PM Coldplay "Viva La Vida"
11:25PM Rob Thomas "Ever the Same"
11:30PM Kelly Clarkson "Mr. Know It All"
11:34PM Fun "We Are Young"
11:38PM Daughtry "Life After You"
11:41PM Deep Blue Something "Breakfast at Tiffany's"
11:46PM No Doubt "Its My Life"

11:53PM Goyte "Somebody That I Used to Know"
11:58PM Blues Traveler "Run Around"
12:02AM Goo Goo Dolls "Iris"
12:07AM Train "Drive By"
12:11AM Green Day "Time of Your Life"
12:13AM The Cranberries "Dreams"
12:18AM The Fray "How to Save a Life"
12:22AM Pink "Please Don't Leave Me"
12:26AM Demi Lovato "Give Your Heart a Break"
12:30AM Whitney Houston "I Will Always Love You"

 

[vchimpanzee]

Anyone who knows me knows what I think of it.

"Cool Night" is the one song I like.

Also Dolly's version of "I Will Always Love You". NOT Whitney's.

Oh, wait. I did sort of like "Viva La Vida" when I heard it on The Grammys.

 

[new_friends_gr]

Looks like a pretty typical mainstream AC station. Most of those songs are played on the AC stations in my market of Grand Rapids, except for "Cool Night".

There are a lot of '80s songs that would fit well in this playlist: lots of songs by Michael Jackson, Madonna, Richard Marx, Paula Abdul, Phil Collins (solo or with Genesis), Stevie Wonder, Elton John, Billy Joel, Peter Gabriel, Chicago, Cyndi Lauper, Steve Winwood, more Whitney Houston songs, and so on.

 

[vchimpanzee]

I think we're all in agreement that "Cool Night" is a curious choice.

If I like it, there must be something wrong with it.

I saw Cyndi Lauper in the movie "The Opportunists" over the weekend. She's really good. Of course she still has that cutesy voice, but it's a tough cutesy. As a singer, I can't stand her, but she is adorable in an edgy way.

 

[radiolover78]

Looks like a pretty typical mainstream AC station. Most of those songs are played on the AC stations in my market of Grand Rapids, except for "Cool Night".

There are a lot of '80s songs that would fit well in this playlist: lots of songs by Michael Jackson, Madonna, Richard Marx, Paula Abdul, Phil Collins (solo or with Genesis), Stevie Wonder, Elton John, Billy Joel, Peter Gabriel, Chicago, Cyndi Lauper, Steve Winwood, more Whitney Houston songs, and so on.

Good list. The selection of 80s songs would have to be chosen carefully. Unless they test well, some may sound dated, out of place, and stale. Any specific song ideas? This is just for fun. It seems it would be harder to program a mainstream AC station today than it was 15-20 years.

 

[new_friends_gr]

Looks like a pretty typical mainstream AC station. Most of those songs are played on the AC stations in my market of Grand Rapids, except for "Cool Night".

There are a lot of '80s songs that would fit well in this playlist: lots of songs by Michael Jackson, Madonna, Richard Marx, Paula Abdul, Phil Collins (solo or with Genesis), Stevie Wonder, Elton John, Billy Joel, Peter Gabriel, Chicago, Cyndi Lauper, Steve Winwood, more Whitney Houston songs, and so on.

Good list. The selection of 80s songs would have to be chosen carefully. Unless they test well, some may sound dated, out of place, and stale. Any specific song ideas? This is just for fun. It seems it would be harder to program a mainstream AC station today than it was 15-20 years.

Well, I guess there are two questions I could answer. First, what songs are realistic for a playlist like this? Realistic would be songs like these:

"The Way You Make Me Feel" by Michael Jackson
"Like a Prayer" by Madonna
"Right Here Waiting" by Richard Marx
"Straight Up" by Paula Abdul
"Sussudio" by Phil Collins
"Part Time Lover" by Stevie Wonder
"I Guess That's Why They Call It The Blues" by Elton John
"Tell Her About It" by Billy Joel
"You're The Inspiration" by Chicago
"Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" by Cyndi Lauper
"Higher Love" by Steve Winwood
"I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me)" by Whitney Houston

The second question I could answer is, what songs would I love to hear on a playlist like this? (These are not realistic because many of these songs have become too obscure for mainstream radio anymore.)

These are my fantasy songs for such a playlist (same artists as above):

"I Just Can't Stop Loving You" by Michael Jackson
"Who's That Girl" by Madonna
"Angelia" by Richard Marx
"Cold Hearted" by Paula Abdul
"Don't Lose My Number" by Phil Collins
"Healing Hands" by Elton John
"You're Only Human (Second Wind)" by Billy Joel
"Hard Habit To Break" by Chicago
"True Colors" by Cyndi Lauper
"Don't You Know What The Night Can Do?" by Steve Winwood
"You Give Good Love" by Whitney Houston

These songs are all great, but they've become too obscure for mainstream radio anymore. This is just my fantasy.

 

[carolinaradio]

Looks like a pretty typical mainstream AC station. Most of those songs are played on the AC stations in my market of Grand Rapids, except for "Cool Night".

There are a lot of '80s songs that would fit well in this playlist: lots of songs by Michael Jackson, Madonna, Richard Marx, Paula Abdul, Phil Collins (solo or with Genesis), Stevie Wonder, Elton John, Billy Joel, Peter Gabriel, Chicago, Cyndi Lauper, Steve Winwood, more Whitney Houston songs, and so on.

I'm afraid that some of those artists, like Richard Marx, Chicago, Stevie Wonder, Elton John, Steve Winwood, and even Phil Collins/Genesis' softer songs are disappearing from AC radio, at least around here. It seems more likely to hear Survivor, Whitesnake, Bon Jovi, Prince, (burned out) Madonna, or John Mellencamp.

 

[oldies76]

Bottom line, radio never plays what we like. They just throw it at us and we all have to somehow accept and live with it. Not too "customer friendly" in my opinion.

Frankly, any Paula Abdul song played today, is a trainwreck. I'd rather play Debbie Gibson or Tiffany for that matter. Or heck, why not the New Kids on the Block's "Hangin' Tough".....

For a station to avoid Chicago's "Hard Habit to Break" is just head-turning! We're talking 1984..

 

[new_friends_gr]

Bottom line, radio never plays what we like. They just throw it at us and we all have to somehow accept and live with it. Not too "customer friendly" in my opinion.

But we as listeners are not the "customers" at all. The advertisers are the customers.

 

[crainbebo]

"Hard Habit to Break" Chicago is occasionally aired on Dial Global's AC network. "True Colors" Cyndi Lauper is an AC staple in my area, sometimes I hear "Don't Lose My Number" Phil Collins.
I heard "Vogue" Madonna on KXXO a couple days ago. Seems like it is a less-played song.

But the real surprise was hearing Glenn Frey's "The One You Love" on Dial Global AC today. I don't think that song has played on AC for YEARS! [Except maybe WDUV].

-crainbebo

 

[andrewduong77]

"Hard Habit to Break" Chicago is occasionally aired on Dial Global's AC network. "True Colors" Cyndi Lauper is an AC staple in my area, sometimes I hear "Don't Lose My Number" Phil Collins.

I remember seeing KODA/Houston playing it once in a while last year or 2010. It still gets played on WLMG/New Orleans occasionally, WLTW/New York once in a while, and WMGF/Orlando rarely.

But the real surprise was hearing Glenn Frey's "The One You Love" on Dial Global AC today. I don't think that song has played on AC for YEARS! [Except maybe WDUV].

-crainbebo

WLMG/New Orleans was the only AC I knew playing "The One You Love" by Glenn Frey occasionally earlier this year before they dropped it after their playlist update back in February this year. I see a few AC's including KMGL/Oklahoma City and WLTW/New York playing "The Heat Is On" by Glenn Frey.