I’m going to circle back around to the point I was trying to make earlier. I like the song enough to not have a problem with it, even if it’s not the first song that comes to my mind when I think of “classic rock.” With that being said, Seattle is lucky to have a decent classic rock AND classic hits radio station in the market. Without both, there would probably be only one in the market playing a hybrid of both sub genres. From what I’ve seen, the hybrid format is not as good as a station that plays each.
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They played We Belong by Pat Benetar on KZOK
- Thread starter Cobra14
- Start date
It's turned into The March of Radio Nerds.
All that's missing is Bob Hope and Dean Martin.
H
Harvey_Dogg
Guest
Some of us old men like them too.
Did a search on the track - it gets plenty of Classic Rock airplay - https://onlineradiobox.com/track/76755448172330/
I guess everyone has their own definition of what is “good” music. I rode in a car with my 55 year old boss today, and all of his radio presets were CHR so go figure.
There is a fun 2018 documentary exploring the classic rock radio format, "What Is Classic Rock?" with a bunch of interviews. The definition settled on guitar-oriented rock made from 1964 to 1979. 1964 is when the Beatles killed Fifties teen idol music, and 1979 is when punk and New Wave killed so-called "corporate" rock.
Dee Snider of Twisted Sister was in the doc, and he allowed that his band and AC/DC could qualify as classic, but by and large an ideal classic rock station should air songs ranging from the Beatles and Stones to Hendrix and Cream to Zeppelin and Springsteen to be a coherent music station. Nothing else is needed.
This obviously doesn't pencil out for KZOK and modern classic rock stations, so I understand why they throw in Pat Benatar pop songs and the best of 90s grunge. As you rightly said, they are looking for an audience and not a purist music library, and they feel their audience digs all that additional music. It's like Jack, hard-rock edition. (I personally dislike the grunge on ZOK more than the 80s songs.)
It depends on who you ask. If you ask a boomer who grew up during that period, then that's classic rock.
But that's not who KZOK is currently aiming at.
I think in any of these types of formats, you have to present variety, or it becomes boring. You pick a target, and go for it.
That's an interesting comment. I had a similar experience. Not all old people like old music. Not all young people like new music.
For me, I find something interesting in every era, and every genre of music. Is it all great? No. But if you listen with an open mind, you might find something you like. I always do. Someone asked me what's my favorite song or album, and my honest answer is it depends on the circumstances.
Very valid point. I was a kid when Little Richard and Jerry Lee Lewis were putting out their first 45's. But I never listen to any of that now, and have not for decades. Maybe a Buddy Holly cut on occasion, and a few gems from the next decade like "Midnight Train to Georgia" but that is very song specific, not era generalized.
When I listen to my own collection, it is predominantly from Y2K through today.
My exceptions are rhythmic pop of the 80's and country from the 90's. And in my culture-specific choices, it's cumbia and vallenato from the early 60's right up to today and salsa from its emergence in the later 60's through the 80's.
We are victims of our cultural environment, but as you say same some people "keep up" with newer trends and others stay with one era. In perceptual research I have done, I find that in many if not most cases where a person only likes music of their youth, it has to do with not being very happy as an adult and wanting to "feel" the period when they enjoyed life the most.
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I know some people who work in Americana music. They were trying to get me interested in it. I did research on the audience, and it basically appeals to people over 60. I was shocked first of all that people over 60 listen to music, and secondly that they listen to NEW music. But I was told that there's a large audience of boomers who want new music that relates to them, that doesn't sing about teen angst, or other similar topics. They want new music for adults. And for some, it's Americana. Who are the artists? The Avett Brothers, Margo Price, and Jason Isbell. These are young artists who make new music that appeals to mainly an older audience.
I will give them a listen. Interesting insight in your post.
Here's a lot more. To all the people looking for something new & different, here's a whole genre you've never heard:
And in many cases people who weren’t alive when music was released or new are listening to “feel” the era before their time.
I think this thread defines one certainty. We are all different and come from different music genres. Yes, mostly based on age, but going deeper is based on what we like and dislike. It really is that simple. I tend to get in useless arguments, that really are useless at the end of the day. (It has taken me almost six decades to come to terms with this)
Well said, I’m here just to have a good time and get a few laughs. Maybe learn a few things along the way.
Nine spins a week. If I can manage that these days it is indeed a good week! (Innuendo intended).
There is sometimes more art than science that goes into building a playlist, especially since the research isn't anywhere near as good as it used to be. There isn't money to do old style music tests all the time. The company has been trying to make do, sharing what research they can afford across all their stations in a format. Once they even built song scores by scraping PPM data. But you don't want to follow that data blindly, particularly in a format where the variation in regional tastes is much stronger than say country or hot AC.
There is a real risk in playing a clunker. Many more people will sit through six minutes of spots than 30 seconds of a song they don't like. But playing only the very core of a playlist makes the whole station monotonous and fade into the background. It's amazing how much more alive it becomes when you sprinkle in just a few songs that are a little unexpected.
There is a real risk in playing a clunker. Many more people will sit through six minutes of spots than 30 seconds of a song they don't like. But playing only the very core of a playlist makes the whole station monotonous and fade into the background. It's amazing how much more alive it becomes when you sprinkle in just a few songs that are a little unexpected.
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