• Get involved.
    We want your input!
    Apply for Membership and join the conversations about everything related to broadcasting.

    After we receive your registration, a moderator will review it. After your registration is approved, you will be permitted to post.
    If you use a disposable or false email address, your registration will be rejected.

    After your membership is approved, please take a minute to tell us a little bit about yourself.
    https://www.radiodiscussions.com/forums/introduce-yourself.1088/

    Thanks in advance and have fun!
    RadioDiscussions Administrators

Songs that didn't get much radio airplay

Re: Star Baby

> AND, one of their best songs. RCA never really worked that
> song as hard as they could have.
>
> > the Guess Who's "Star Baby"* instead of "These Eyes" and
> "American Woman."
> * peaked at #39 in 1974
>

Agreed that it was a good song, but you can't totally blame RCA...the group hadn't had a hit for several years...they're not gonna put as much effort into an act whose career has peaked. I'm pretty sure "Clap For THe Wolfman" came out after this.
 
Re: Songs

> I'm not of those "newbie" programmers and I'd bet a month's
> pay you could put "Keep The Fire" in a local music test and
> it would be a huge stiff.
>
> "it was a huge local hit" still has to be kept in
> perspective- based on what criteria ("the local station"
> playing it a lot doesn't count)?

Which brings the question...what is a "hit"? Even songs that sold well back when they were new (most teen-pop acts fall in this category) burned out fast. Will anyone admit to having bought an Osmonds or Leif Garrett record?

How DO some songs that were only mid-charters during their chart run become classics? Despite having been in the biz for 20-odd years, that has intrigued me.
 
correction

"Shilo" peaked at 24 and is NOT even close to being an Oldies staple today. It's almost exclusively used on theme weekends and special programming but is in regular rotation at almost no Oldies stations.


> "Shiloh" by Neil Diamond peaked, IIRC somehwhere in the mid
> 30s but is an oldies staple today.
>
 
Songs

I never bought an Osmonds record but was forced to listen to a few 'cause a chick I was after LOVED Donny (we never did hit it off <<LOL>>).

What's a hit? Pretty simple: a familiar, popular song that's still an audience favorite. How do we determine that? Not with charts or old surveys but a continuous process of researching the music we play with our listeners. It's a process that never ends- I don't subscribe to the tail-that-wags-the-dog that "the research" is taken literally but that we do our homework and compile as much useable information as possible to help us Programmers make the best decisions for our audience.
>
> Which brings the question...what is a "hit"? Even songs
> that sold well back when they were new (most teen-pop acts
> fall in this category) burned out fast. Will anyone admit
> to having bought an Osmonds or Leif Garrett record?
>
> How DO some songs that were only mid-charters during their
> chart run become classics? Despite having been in the biz
> for 20-odd years, that has intrigued me.
>
 
Re: Songs

Excuse me but KOVE Houston/Galveston is a spanish format
station, not an oldies station.

Mike Dane
WSTB-FM 88.9
SundayOldiesJukebox.com

> > > Actually, my oldies staiotns in Dallas, Houston, San
> > > Antonioo, McAllen, Houston, Albuquerque, Phoenix, San
> > Diego,
> > > LA, San Francisco and Fresno uhave libraries of actives
> > and
> > > fill that are over 1,100 songs. But that is because all
> > the
> > > titles test, and we moved out of the 60's focus years
> and
> > > years ago.
> >
> > Im guessing when you say "Houston" your dont mean KLDE -
> no
> > way they have more than 400 titles in their active
> > library....
>
> KOVE.
> >
>
 
Re: correction

I have heard it a lot around here over the years.
<P ID="signature">______________
"Your right to know supersedes your right to exist"..Gary Burbank</P>
 
Re: Songs

Chris, you might as well hang it up. It's like talking to a
brick. The so called experts are really clueless and you can't
blame them on us republicans. More like the greens or earth
firsters.

Mike Dane
WSTB-FM 88.9
SundayOldiesJukebox.com


> Did I say anything about programming it???? It was just an
> aside comment. Some of you people on this board take
> everything
> way too literally and seriously.
> I haven't seen so many experts assembled in one spot since
> the
> last Republican National Convention....
>
 
Neil

Just ran a MB 24-7 analysis and "Shilo" has played 4 times over the past 3 months on a combination of Oldies stations in the Top 50 markets. Your market must be the exception.


> I have heard it a lot around here over the years.
>
 
Re: Songs

> Excuse me but KOVE Houston/Galveston is a spanish format
> station, not an oldies station.

Spanish is not a format, it is a language.

KOVE is an oldies station.
 
Re: Songs

> > You should say so, then. We're not mindreaders. We're
> just
> > stupid "experts", not Ms. Cleo.
>
> Well you're not even a "stupid expert" let alone a real one.
>
> Too many suits listening to people like you is what causes
> goofs like WCBS.

Changing WCBS from Oldies was absolutely the right move. The mistake was what they moved to and we can definitely debate that. But the fact taht WCBS-FM was losing billing while the market was gaining is proof enough that the format was on its last legs and deserved to be changed.
 
Re: Songs

> Chris, you might as well hang it up. It's like talking to a
> brick. The so called experts are really clueless and you
> can't
> blame them on us republicans. More like the greens or earth
> firsters.

Actually, the blame for the demise of oldies stations consists of these factors:

1) failure of most to move out of the 60s slowly and into the 70's and later.
2) 55+ demos are not desirable to advertisers in rated markets and radio has no control of this.
3. the songs in the format are inncreasingly tiresome to even the core, leaving very few that are playable... and reducing the core of listeners who care about he music.

The solutions given by folks like you, such as increasing library, going further back into the 50's,e tc., are all either impractical (getting older demos is not a solution) or proven over and over to fail (increasing the library with songs that do not test well).

All this data comes from two sources: the listeners and the advertisers. None of it comes from consultants. In fact, it appears that it takes a consultant to make the average person here see reality.
 
Re: Neil

> Just ran a MB 24-7 analysis and "Shilo" has played 4 times
> over the past 3 months on a combination of Oldies stations
> in the Top 50 markets. Your market must be the exception.

Awww. You spoiled the party. Perception is reality around here, and actual facts are punhched until they fall, and then kicked to an ugly death.

(My favorite today is the statement that Spanish is a format.)
 
advice

But, David- you might as well hang it up. It's like talking to a brick. The so-called wannabe experts are really clueless and you can blame them on us everyday radio people

:-}
>
> Actually, the blame for the demise of oldies stations
> consists of these factors:
>
> 1) failure of most to move out of the 60s slowly and into
> the 70's and later.
> 2) 55+ demos are not desirable to advertisers in rated
> markets and radio has no control of this.
> 3. the songs in the format are inncreasingly tiresome to
> even the core, leaving very few that are playable... and
> reducing the core of listeners who care about he music.
>
> The solutions given by folks like you, such as increasing
> library, going further back into the 50's,e tc., are all
> either impractical (getting older demos is not a solution)
> or proven over and over to fail (increasing the library with
> songs that do not test well).
>
> All this data comes from two sources: the listeners and the
> advertisers. None of it comes from consultants. In fact, it
> appears that it takes a consultant to make the average
> person here see reality.
>
 
uh,

forgive me for asking, but are they:

Spanish CHR
Spanish AC
Spanish Rock
Spanish Talk
Spanish (fill in the blank)?

"Spanish" is a language. What derivation/format are they within the language?


> Excuse me but KOVE Houston/Galveston is a spanish format
> station, not an oldies station.
>
> Mike Dane
> WSTB-FM 88.9
> SundayOldiesJukebox.com
 
Re: Neil

That is something you need to take up with Arbitron since
that is how it is described in the arbitrends.

> (My favorite today is the statement that Spanish is a
> format.)
>

Mike Dane
WSTB-FM 88.9
SundayOldiesJukebox.com
 
Re: uh,

> forgive me for asking, but are they:
>
> Spanish CHR
> Spanish AC
> Spanish Rock
> Spanish Talk
> Spanish (fill in the blank)?
>
> "Spanish" is a language. What derivation/format are they
> within the language?
>
Acording to Arbitrons Arbitrends Spanish is also a format.
Look it up. Of course I wouldn't expect you to know that.

Mike Dane
WSTB-FM 88.9
SundayOldiesJukebox.com
 
Re: Songs

As I said above, as far as Arbitrons Arbitrends are
concerened it's Spanish with no sub-genre. You don't
like it take it up with them. I even tried to check
KOVE's web site but it is non functional.

>
> Spanish is not a format, it is a language.
>
> KOVE is an oldies station.
>

Mike Dane
WSTB-FM 88.9
SundayOldiesJukebox.com
 
Re: KOVE website

> As I said above, as far as Arbitrons Arbitrends are
> concerened it's Spanish with no sub-genre. You don't
> like it take it up with them. I even tried to check
> KOVE's web site but it is non functional.
>
>
Mike, I checked it yesterday and it seemed to work. Try the link from radio-locator.com and key in KOVE... choose the FM (KOVE-AM is a country music station in Wyoming). That will lead you to the link... Oh but better brush up on your Spanish in order to read it :>)
 
uh,

Right- and Arbitron also lists all derivations of "Oldies" under just that name, regardless of whether your approach is 50s, 60s/60s, 60s, 60s/70s, Jammin' Oldies.

Look THAT up.

> Acording to Arbitrons Arbitrends Spanish is also a format.
> Look it up. Of course I wouldn't expect you to know that.
>
> Mike Dane
> WSTB-FM 88.9
> SundayOldiesJukebox.com
>
> > forgive me for asking, but are they:
> >
> > Spanish CHR
> > Spanish AC
> > Spanish Rock
> > Spanish Talk
> > Spanish (fill in the blank)?
> >
> > "Spanish" is a language. What derivation/format are they
> > within the language?
 
Status
This thread has been closed due to inactivity. You can create a new thread to discuss this topic.


Back
Top Bottom