Scream by Usher debuts on the CHR Top 40 thanks to Clear Channel

[CatCall]

Yesterday local Kiss 95.3 WXKS played "Scream" at the top of every hour. Today Mediabase has it as a nationwide debut at #36 with all stations reporting spins owned by Clear Channel Communications. They did something similar with Madonna's "Give Me All You Love" by playing that every hour, allowing it to chart (and eventually crash and burn).

Will this be a new approach, paying a hugely owned group (like Clear Channel and all of the CHRs they own) to promote a song by giving it hourly airplay? Seems like too much artificial manipulation for my likes...

 

[atlantaboy]

It's really stupid, especially since half the time the promoted songs turn out to be flops

 

[The Outsider]

It's really stupid, especially since half the time the promoted songs turn out to be flops

"Give Me All Your Luvin" by Madonna is the textbook example of this. It never would have seen the light of day if it wasn't for the arrangement made with Clear Channel. What is odd with "Scream" is that Usher didn't need that kind of push. It was going to get added out of the box by most CHR's anyway simply beacuse it is a pop song by Usher.

 

[MarioMania]

Is it the Record Labels trying to push a song so it be a success

 

[Frank72]

I think it's a stiff. Digital sales aren't matching the hype. At least not where I am. Forgettable song. May go top 5 but has the same shelf life potential as OMG.

 

[CatCall]

OMG was a #1 song, and I bet Scream will be a big hit too. It didn't need the push when it was launched. But I miss the old-style Usher that the new song Climax reminded me of, kind of like Burn.

 

[carolinaradio]

Clear Channel also seems to be pushing "Paradise" by Coldplay, but not to the same extent - there's an ad for the track on AllAccess, and most of the stations that added it last week were Clear Channel...

 

[The Outsider]

Clear Channel also seems to be pushing "Paradise" by Coldplay, but not to the same extent - there's an ad for the track on AllAccess, and most of the stations that added it last week were Clear Channel...

I wonder why they had the change of heart about that song? It has been out for several months. One of the CHRs in my city has been playing it since at least January, but Clear Channel and Cumulus wanted nothing to do with it. Now it is getting a new life through Clear Channel. I wonder if Coldplay signed on to be part of this fall's iheartradio music festival.

 

[carolinaradio]

Our Hot AC is running a national 565-WINS contest to meet Coldplay, but they were playing the song a while before that was announced. I don't hear a mention of the contest on WHQC in Charlotte though and they recently added it.

I like "Paradise" much, much more than "Princess Of China" which is actually more recent. Unfortunately, I don't see it going far on CHR.

 

[atlantaboy]

Clear Channel also seems to be pushing "Paradise" by Coldplay, but not to the same extent - there's an ad for the track on AllAccess, and most of the stations that added it last week were Clear Channel...

I wonder why they had the change of heart about that song? It has been out for several months.

It was originally the second single going to CHR, but a couple weeks after it went for adds major stations started playing Princess Of China instead, and within a few weeks most stations dropped Paradise for Princess Of China - meanwhile, Paradise was a huge hit on Hot AC, Alternative, and AAA, so Cumulus stations started adding it back after Princess Of China's chart run was over - since then, a large number of pop stations have followed...