Songs You Remember And Like But Never Get Played

[R_F_Burns]

Hi all, yeah I'm new here but thought I would jump in with both feet and start a thread.I see there are a lot of like minded people like me that post here so I would like to see songs that we all remember but never get any airplay and yeah yeah I know all about the "didn't test well theory"I still live by the mantra if you play it they will remember. Even though I left the biz a long time ago I still dabble around in my home studio on the net and I have played a lot of songs and have had the "Oh wow haven't heard that one in years" comment.Just wanted to get some thoughts.Here are some that come to mind for me.

Glory Bound-Grass Roots
Get Down-Gilbert O'Sullivan
Fools Paradise-Don McLean
Gypsy Man-War

These are just few off the top of my head there are so many more and a lot the charted pretty high.If you search on youtube they all show up so somebody remembers them don't ya think?

 

[Avid Listener]

These are some I really like, and have on my MP3 player that I don't recall hearing on any "classic hits" stations recently. I have to be honest. I remember these songs from hearing them on the radio around three or four decades ago, more or less. That would have been in the 1960's, 1970's, and 1980's. I don't remember which ones I heard on Top 40 stations, and which ones I heard on AOR stations. They're just songs from that era that I still like hearing, but I don't recall ever hearing on the radio for a long, long time.

Bob Welch - Sentimental Lady
Bryan Adams - Straight From The Heart
Byrds - Eight Miles High
Canned Heat - Going Up The Country
Cream - Sunshine of your Love
Crosby. Stills & Nash - Wooden Ships
Deep Purple - Child in Time
Donovan - Atlantis
ELP - Lucky Man
Eric Burdon & the Animals - We Gotta Get Out Of This Place
Fever Tree - San Francisco Girls
Focus - Hocus Pocus
Grass Roots - Where Were You
Jaggerz - The Rapper
Knack - Good Girls Don't
Led Zeppelin - Immigrant Song
Quicksilver Messenger Service - What About Me
Small Faces - Itchycoo Park
Spirit - I Got A Line On You
Them - Here Comes the Night
Zombies - She's Not There

 

[R_F_Burns]

Good list and at this point in time I really don't think it should matter to much as to where they were heard on top 40 or aor stations they are all mass appeal songs.You would think that Classic Hits stations would have a deep library to rotate from here are a few more:
Bob Welch-Ebony Eyes
John Lennon-#9 Dream
America-Women Tonight
Seals&Croft- We May Never Pass This Way Again
Ian Thomas-Painted Ladies
Lighthouse-Pretty Lady
Tower Of Power-So Very Hard To Go
Sly And The Family Stone-If You Want Me To Stay
Absolutely Right-Five man Electrical Band

And the list go on and on.These are all songs I remember playing and getting requests for I just don't see how they can't be rotated to avoid repetition.Just my humble opinion.

 

[firepoint525]

I like "If I'd Been the One" by 38 Special, but radio seems hard-pressed to play that one anymore. They would rather play "Hold On Loosely" for the zillionth time. Even "Second Chance," which was their biggest hit, doesn't get much play anymore. Granted, that one was a little out of character for them, but great song, nonetheless.

 

[oldies76]

Most contemporary songs from the 1980-1982 period, which are ignored today. Those were some really good songs!

 

[oldies76]

Deep Purple - Child in Time

The 10 minute version is something else!!

 

[Avid Listener]

The 10 minute version is something else!!

All of the "long versions" from albums were usually great. Maybe if stations that programmed more "deep cuts" at night might actually get some of us to turn off the TV and turn on the radio. I realize that when they're programming for people in their cars for 20 minutes at a time, there are different requirements. But they're missing out on getting more listeners at other times of the day.

 

[davideduardo]

I realize that when they're programming for people in their cars for 20 minutes at a time, there are different requirements. But they're missing out on getting more listeners at other times of the day.

Actually, only about a third of listening takes place in the car.

 

[Avid Listener]

Actually, only about a third of listening takes place in the car.

Yes, but when they play a radio station at work on the background music system, not many people can change stations easily when a song they don't like comes on. In the car, where the listener has pre-set buttons for his favorite stations, is where the risk of losing a listener over a bad song is greatest.

I'd also challenge that assumption about only a third of "listening" based on the difference between actually paying attention to the audio (listening) and merely having something making a pleasantly distracting noise in the background (hearing).

 

[oldies76]

All of the "long versions" from albums were usually great. Maybe if stations that programmed more "deep cuts" at night might actually get some of us to turn off the TV and turn on the radio. I realize that when they're programming for people in their cars for 20 minutes at a time, there are different requirements. But they're missing out on getting more listeners at other times of the day.

I totally agree. I can understand the power hits being played throughout the day for the commuters, at work listening.....but at night and during weekends, is when a station should "let loose", be creative and play music that can attract a different audience, or even the same audience looking for more variety. But yes, you are right they are missing out big time.

Sort of like playing Robotron (circa...1983) and destroying everything on the screen and not getting all those bonus points by saving all the people. Frustrating!

 

[oldies76]

Actually, only about a third of listening takes place in the car.

Maybe, maybe not. During long commutes on freeways in L.A. (ie..from the Moreno Valley to Cerritos on that dreaded 91), listening time in the car is much, much longer...two hours+, no matter which station they choose....from KOLA to KRTH to KIIS.

 

[Thomps2525]

And did you see the report yesterday that said Los Angeles has the worst freeway congestion of any city in America? This is the second year in a row for this "honor." The average commuter spends 68 hours a year stuck in freeway traffic.

Most oldies/classic-hits stations ignore the fun pop songs of the late 1960s and early '70s. Among the ones I'd love to hear again are:

Lay Down - Melanie
Playgirl - Thee Prophets
Won't Find Better - New Hope
Early In The Morning - Vanity Fare
Mrs. Bluebird - Eternity's Children
I Think I Love You - Partridge Family
That's Where I Went Wrong - Poppy Family
Where Do You Go To My Lovely - Peter Sarstedt
Up The Ladder To The Roof - Supremes
Welcome Me Love - Brooklyn Bridge
Sugar On Sunday - Clique
Make Believe - Wind (Tony Orlando)
Summer Sand - Tony Orlando & Dawn
Rainbow - Marmalade
We Can Fly - Cowsills
Oh Me Oh My - Lulu
Tracy - Cuff Links

 

[davideduardo]

Maybe, maybe not. During long commutes on freeways in L.A. (ie..from the Moreno Valley to Cerritos on that dreaded 91), listening time in the car is much, much longer...two hours+, no matter which station they choose....from KOLA to KRTH to KIIS.

A Moreno Valley resident is not in the LA PPM panel. So they are not of much interest to an LA station, and don't contribute to the LA numbers.

As stated, listening time, even in LA, is split rather evenly between at-home, at-work and in-car.

For every person living far from work, there are many people who don't commute at all, use public transit, use the car for short trips only or live very near work. If you look at the commute times, San Juan, PR, has longer commutes on average than LA does.

 

[davideduardo]

In the car, where the listener has pre-set buttons for his favorite stations, is where the risk of losing a listener over a bad song is greatest. .

That is only partially true. "Bad songs" lower listener expectations when they are regularly heard. That translates into "they repeat the songs too much" which, as I have said, really means "they play songs I don't like waaaay too often". That, in turn, means that listeners go to that station less times, and PPM is all about how many times a person tunes in.

 

[TheBigA]

Most oldies/classic-hits stations ignore the fun pop songs of the late 1960s and early '70s. Among the ones I'd love to hear again are:

I hate to tell you this, but that's the absolute worst list I've ever seen. Every song is an instant tune out for me. On the first note. Especially Melanie. And don't even mention Brand New Key. That's even worse.

 

[oldies76]

Most oldies/classic-hits stations ignore the fun pop songs of the late 1960s and early '70s. Among the ones I'd love to hear again are:

Lay Down - Melanie
Playgirl - Thee Prophets
Won't Find Better - New Hope
Early In The Morning - Vanity Fare
Mrs. Bluebird - Eternity's Children
I Think I Love You - Partridge Family
That's Where I Went Wrong - Poppy Family
Where Do You Go To My Lovely - Peter Sarstedt
Up The Ladder To The Roof - Supremes
Welcome Me Love - Brooklyn Bridge
Sugar On Sunday - Clique
Make Believe - Wind (Tony Orlando)
Summer Sand - Tony Orlando & Dawn
Rainbow - Marmalade
We Can Fly - Cowsills
Oh Me Oh My - Lulu
Tracy - Cuff Links

It's a good list RR (Big A, would rather settle for "Brown Eyed......... , "Hotel............ & "Go Your Own........" xx number times a week....).

But you also might have to settle for mainly late 70's and 80's now, so you'll have to update that list to today's demo expectations...lol

 

[oldies76]

That is only partially true. "Bad songs" lower listener expectations when they are regularly heard. That translates into "they repeat the songs too much" which, as I have said, really means "they play songs I don't like waaaay too often". That, in turn, means that listeners go to that station less times, and PPM is all about how many times a person tunes in.

The repetition effect, applies to any song played numerous times, whether it's "Seasons in the Sun" or "Hotel California". Not everyone likes the Eagles or Terry Jacks. It goes both ways.....50/50.

 

[oldies76]

Especially Melanie. And don't even mention Brand New Key. That's even worse.

If you were featuring a flashback special to early 70's music, you would not even feature Melanie? One of the prominent artists of that time?? Number one songs, were #1 for a reason then......today they are just memories, innocent times many people enjoyed and like to revisit.

 

[TheBigA]

It's a good list RR (Big A, would rather settle for "Brown Eyed......... , "Hotel............ & "Go Your Own........" xx number times a week....).

But you also might have to settle for mainly late 70's and 80's now, so you'll have to update that list to today's demo expectations...lol

Just pointing out that when you pick fringe songs, you have a chance to really alienate some people. With me, those would be my all time most hated songs. With anything by Bobby Goldsboro, Ray Stevens, or Tiny Tim.

 

[davideduardo]

And did you see the report yesterday that said Los Angeles has the worst freeway congestion of any city in America? This is the second year in a row for this "honor." The average commuter spends 68 hours a year stuck in freeway traffic.

Most oldies/classic-hits stations ignore the fun pop songs of the late 1960s and early '70s. Among the ones I'd love to hear again are:

Lay Down - Melanie
Playgirl - Thee Prophets
Won't Find Better - New Hope
Early In The Morning - Vanity Fare
Mrs. Bluebird - Eternity's Children
I Think I Love You - Partridge Family
That's Where I Went Wrong - Poppy Family
Where Do You Go To My Lovely - Peter Sarstedt
Up The Ladder To The Roof - Supremes
Welcome Me Love - Brooklyn Bridge
Sugar On Sunday - Clique
Make Believe - Wind (Tony Orlando)
Summer Sand - Tony Orlando & Dawn
Rainbow - Marmalade
We Can Fly - Cowsills
Oh Me Oh My - Lulu
Tracy - Cuff Links

As a programmer who played that kind of song when they were released, I can tell you that I did not even play half of them... and my station was extremely #1 in its market at the time.

Of the ones that I did play, only a couple like Tracy and Welcome Me Love and I Think I Love You lasted any significant amount of time on the chart "in the day". Of the others, none got enough play to register as "memory" songs to any but the chartists and collectors out there.

In other words, as Big A said already, that is a terrible, tune-out laden and non-passion-arrousing list with maybe one or two exceptions (which are too old for Classic Hits play anyway).