Stations that boast about not playing a particular artist or a genre, past and present

[victorres43]

Many radio stations have tried to differentiate themselves from their competition by bragging that they do not play a specific artist or genre. Think of the infamous pop rock stations that play "today's best music without the rap". How about the rock and alternative stations that have a No Nickelback Guarantee? In fact, an Edmonton pop station from yesteryear had a No Nickelback Guarantee, also. Let's not forget that KBIG was sued at one point in the 90s because they bragged about not having Barry Manilow on their playlist.

Is it effective? Results may vary.

 

[Don CT]

I'd take Barry Manilow over Nickelback.

 

[TheBigA]

Keep in mind that the only reason they do this is because there's an audience that wants this. They're not doing it for themselves. They're doing it to get ratings. And usually it works. When Chicago DJ Steve Dahl said "disco sucks," there was an audience that agreed, and over 40 years later, they still agree.

 

[tall_guy1]

Do many stations do this anymore though? It seems like this ethos has fallen away.

 

[Marcos_C]

During the late 1990s, New York's rhythmic oldies station WTJM (Jammin' 105, now WWPR-FM) boasted about not playing Elvis.

 

[michael hagerty]

Do many stations do this anymore though? It seems like this ethos has fallen away.

It was always a risky positioner. What happens when you have the genre-busting hit that your station can't ignore and you've spent months telling your audience you don't play that stuff?

 

[victorres43]

It was always a risky positioner. What happens when you have the genre-busting hit that your station can't ignore and you've spent months telling your audience you don't play that stuff?

Some music fans are confident that Nickelback will release the same song for the millionth time.

 

[vchimpanzee]

I'd take Barry Manilow over Nickelback.

I would too but for different reasons.

I remember back in the 90s reading in Billboard magazine about a "Garth free" country station. I think it was in Chattanooga. and I would agree with that, except for "Friends in Low Places", which I think is a great song, "Long Neck Bottle" and "Two of a Kind".

 

[Kelly A]

Do many stations do this anymore though? It seems like this ethos has fallen away.

Not since the days of disco.

 

[tall_guy1]

Not since the days of disco.

In the '90s-early 10s, many times Adult CHR stations would say something like "playing what you want to hear *insert Maroon 5 song* with none of this *gangster rap*."

 

[CentralFL]

WHTZ Newark, NJ (Z-100 NY) used to play snippets of songs that "sucked" in the mid 1990s.

They had promotions that went something along the lines of "This is Z100 music (insert snippet of current hit), this sucks (insert snippet of another song)". I'm pretty sure they did that with an older Elton John song when he was still having current hits which WERE being played by Z-100. It didn't sound good.

 

[Cordelia Chase]

This is sort of the opposite of the question, but about a year-and-a-half ago, I heard the jock on one of the two Norfolk, VA country stations mention that they continued playing Morgan Wallen's music despite the controversy surrounding Wallen. I don't know how often they talked about this. (I take it the other station did stop playing Wallen's music, for a while anyway.)

Also, I've never received a satisfactory explanation as to the hate Nickelback receives. Is it their music? Did lead-singer Chad Kroeger or one of the other band members say or do something offensive? Does someone not like Canadians?

 

[gr8oldies]

10 years after Disco Demolition, a Classic Hits (leaning rock) in Fort Wayne Indiana (98-9 The Bear) repositioned top 40 WMEE as "Disco 97".

 

[victorres43]

Also, I've never received a satisfactory explanation as to the hate Nickelback receives. Is it their music? Did lead-singer Chad Kroeger or one of the other band members say or do something offensive? Does someone not like Canadians?

When Nickelback first became popular, post-grunge (with the likes of Creed) was very popular on the radio. Some felt that post-grunge was derivative and dull, and Nickelback played into these prejudices. As the band's popularity grew, so did the backlash / hate. It didn't help that Nickelback's music was overplayed on basically any station that is not country, hip-hop, classical, religious, or classic rock.

Canadians had to be sorry for Nickelback, but Americans never had to be apologetic for Post Malone. Strange how that works.

 

[Saladressing]

In the '90s-early 10s, many times Adult CHR stations would say something like "playing what you want to hear *insert Maroon 5 song* with none of this *gangster rap*."

Yes I remember several stations that positioned as "Today's Best Hits Without The Rap."

 

[Don CT]

When Nickelback first became popular, post-grunge (with the likes of Creed) was very popular on the radio. Some felt that post-grunge was derivative and dull, and Nickelback played into these prejudices. As the band's popularity grew, so did the backlash / hate. It didn't help that Nickelback's music was overplayed on basically any station that is not country, hip-hop, classical, religious, or classic rock.

Canadians had to be sorry for Nickelback, but Americans never had to be apologetic for Post Malone. Strange how that works.

Nickelback is what is wrong with rock today. It's all soft.

 

[Saladressing]

I recall a new active rocker that launched 20 years ago or so with something to the effect of a 'no nickelback, no creed guarantee' as they took to the air to combat a local mainstream rock station. A few months later the station caved and began playing nickelback and creed.

 

[victorres43]

I recall a new active rocker that launched 20 years ago or so with something to the effect of a 'no nickelback, no creed guarantee' as they took to the air to combat a local mainstream rock station. A few months later the station caved and began playing nickelback and creed.

Many classic rock stations have played songs like How You Remind Me, Higher, and It's Been Awhile. But whilst the Nickelback hate is far from turbocharged nowadays, not as many people have a soft spot for post-grunge. Usually, much of the post-grunge quota is filled with Foo Fighters tracks.

No emo on classic rock, though.

 

[Don CT]

Many classic rock stations have played songs like How You Remind Me, Higher, and It's Been Awhile. But whilst the Nickelback hate is far from turbocharged nowadays, not as many people have a soft spot for post-grunge. Usually, much of the post-grunge quota is filled with Foo Fighters tracks.

No emo on classic rock, though.

Besides Foo Fighters what is there for rock that doesn't try to hard. Sure there is metal around, but what is worth radio play.

What killed the rock format was Kid Rock and Limp Bizkit. Korn had a nice run but rocks identity was lost in the mid 2000s.

 

[kevtronics]

When 102.7 in NYC was AC and competing with Lite-FM, they'd make fun of them by playing clips of Kenny Rogers, despite the fact that Lite-FM hadn't played anything by him in years.

Canadians had to be sorry for Nickelback, but Americans never had to be apologetic for Post Malone. Strange how that works.

Canadians are always saying sorry. It's part of their culture. For example if they didn't catch what you said, instead of saying "What?" or "Can you repeat that?", their standard response is "Sorry?"