What 80s songs fit?

[Tom Wells]

Advertisers have a much lower tolerance for a deeper playlist than listeners.

What "works" is a guessing game betwen advertisers and listeners tastes.

Too careful and studied is as worse than not enough.
Are we programming to satisfy the advertiser or listener?

Please list the songs that you feel are "off the chart". Then explain why.

Reasearch as a tool for controlling playlists is inversely productive.
When perfectly done, there's no reason to tune in, because you already know every song they'll play by heart.

 

[fang39]

AMFMSW's list is heavy on early '80s, but that is probably a good thing. I like Bonnie Pointer's "Heaven Must Have Sent You," but did any of you know there was a so-called "Motown" version of that one? The disco version, which became the (minor) hit, is the only one anyone remembers nowadays, if they remember it at all.

In NYC, the legendary 99X played the original "Motown" version when the record broke in the summer of 1979. The funny thing about that was they also ran American Top 40 (2 plays) on Sundays, in which the "Disco Version" was featured. The station was winding down as a Top 40 and morphing into their AC mode. They were promoting the "Last Summer at 99X" as they would become 99FM and then FM99 over the next few months.

 

[firepoint525]

AMFMSW's list is heavy on early '80s, but that is probably a good thing. I like Bonnie Pointer's "Heaven Must Have Sent You," but did any of you know there was a so-called "Motown" version of that one? The disco version, which became the (minor) hit, is the only one anyone remembers nowadays, if they remember it at all.

In NYC, the legendary 99X played the original "Motown" version when the record broke in the summer of 1979. The funny thing about that was they also ran American Top 40 (2 plays) on Sundays, in which the "Disco Version" was featured. The station was winding down as a Top 40 and morphing into their AC mode. They were promoting the "Last Summer at 99X" as they would become 99FM and then FM99 over the next few months.

I'm glad someone besides me remembers the "Motown" version. She was on the Motown label at the time, but I believe the "Motown" version referred to the '60s sound that was so common at Motown. They didn't really do much disco (comparatively speaking) at Motown. They left that for Atlantic and Casablanca, among others.

The reason why AT40 always played the disco version was because AT40 is a syndicated program, and it was sent to affiliate stations on LPs back in those days. And the LP contained the disco version, because it was the better known version, and was the "hit." (I believe the "Motown" version was considered the "B" side.) The only way the station could have gotten around playing the disco version during the countdown would have been to edit in the "Motown" version, or produce their own countdown, or not carry the countdown at all.

 

[TheFonz]

Obviously, "Uptown Girl" and "Tell Her about It" by Billy Joel, "Crazy Little Thing Called Love" by Queen and "Rock This Town" and "Stray Cat Strut" by The Stray Cats.

And I heard "Roll with It" by Steve Winwood on the Muzak in the grocery store. That's a good one.

Not sure if these are '80s songs, but:

Walk Of Life Dire Straits

Rock & Roll Is King ELO

Let's add "Hold On Tight" by ELO (used in the Honda commercial)

 

[amfmsw]

Well said Tom. As I said, this isn't rocket science, it's popular music. Overthinking, soliciting requests, then NOT playing them, and poor rotation has made this format a snore at many stations.

Let's play Hang on Sloopy and Wooly Booly for the two hundredth million time. "They tested well." Cut me a break.

Test this...MORE songs, LESS rules (that aren't working)

 

[firepoint525]

Well said Tom. As I said, this isn't rocket science, it's popular music. Overthinking, soliciting requests, then NOT playing them, and poor rotation has made this format a snore at many stations.

Let's play Hang on Sloopy and Wooly Booly for the two hundredth million time. "They tested well." Cut me a break.

Test this...MORE songs, LESS rules (that aren't working)

I have two theories on this, but I'm guessing that only one of them could be correct, as they seem contradictory.

1. Stations only play (over the air) the calls from listeners who actually request songs that the station can or will play.

OR

2. Listeners (those who remain, anyway) instinctively (somehow) know what the station can and cannot play, or will or will not play, and only request songs that are on that station's "sanitized" list.

I agree that when you refer to songs on someone's list as "dogs," you should specify which songs you are referring to as "dogs."

I personally like Rocky Burnette's "Tired of Toein' the Line," (see AZJoe's list) and I even have it on an old 45, (and it was a top 10 hit, it got to #8 in 1980), but I also find it highly repetitive (the chorus repeats over and over). That said, I do not consider it a "dog," mainly because of how well it charted back in the day, but I would put it on low to medium rotation, mainly because of how repetitive it is. I think it would burn out with listeners rather quickly.

 

[CTListener]

Here are the '80s songs noted over the past three weeks at WDRC-FM Hartford:

Abracadabra -- Steve Miller Band
All Those Years Ago -- George Harrison
Celebration -- Kool and the Gang
Coming Up -- Wings
Drive -- Cars
Emotional Rescue -- Rolling Stones
Footloose -- Kenny Loggins
Gloria -- Laura Branigan
Harlem Shuffle -- Rolling Stones
Hungry Heart -- Bruce Springsteen
I Can't Go For That -- Hall and Oates
It's Still Rock & Roll to Me -- Billy Joel
Jack and Diane -- John Mellencamp
Jessie's Girl -- Rick Springfield
Kokomo -- Beach Boys
Maneater -- Hall and Oates
Old Time Rock & Roll -- Bob Seger
Out of Touch -- Hall & Oates
Rock 'n' Roll Is King -- ELO
Start Me Up -- Rolling Stones
Take Me Home Tonight -- Eddie Money and Ronnie Spector
Tell Her About It -- Billy Joel
The Power of Love -- Huey Lewis and the News
Upside Down -- Diana Ross
Uptown Girl -- Billy Joel
What's Love Got to Do With It -- Tina Turner
When She Was My Girl -- Four Tops
Woman -- John Lennon
You Got It -- Roy Orbison
'65 Love Affair -- Paul Davis

That's not much '80s content for a station that's blown through 1,200 titles this month and bills itself as "good time rock and roll of the '60s, '70s and '80s." Guess they're too busy trying to squeeze in spins for "Last Chance to Turn Around," "Forever Came Today," "Ebony Eyes." "Too Weak to Fight" and other eyebrow-raising '60s and '70s songs to do much with the '80s.

 

[TheFonz]

That said, I do not consider it a "dog," mainly because of how well it charted back in the day.....................

Whoa! You can't talk about "charts" on this board. The radio guys will go ballistic.

 

[amfmsw]

"Dominique" by the Singing Nun charted Top 5. I wouldn't touch it, other than a "this day in rock history" feature...then only play about :20 seconds of it. You would never put it hot rotation because it was a hit. Same with Winchester Cathedral, and other novelty crap.

 

[GridLeakBias]

"Dominique" by the Singing Nun charted Top 5. I wouldn't touch it, other than a "this day in rock history" feature...then only play about :20 seconds of it. You would never put it hot rotation because it was a hit. Same with Winchester Cathedral, and other novelty crap.

LOL. ;D ;D

 

[CTListener]

"Dominique" by the Singing Nun charted Top 5. I wouldn't touch it, other than a "this day in rock history" feature...then only play about :20 seconds of it. You would never put it hot rotation because it was a hit. Same with Winchester Cathedral, and other novelty crap.

That's why "Daydream Believer," a No. 1 hit, is in hot rotation at every oldies station you can name, while "Snoopy Vs. the Red Baron," No. 2 behind the Monkees' smash for two weeks, never airs, I suppose.

BTW, my little brother loved "Winchester Cathedral" when it was out. Of course, he was all of 2 years old at the time ...

 

[Tom Wells]

"Dominique" by the Singing Nun charted Top 5. I wouldn't touch it, other than a "this day in rock history" feature...then only play about :20 seconds of it. You would never put it hot rotation because it was a hit. Same with Winchester Cathedral, and other novelty crap.

That's why "Daydream Believer," a No. 1 hit, is in hot rotation at every oldies station you can name, while "Snoopy Vs. the Red Baron," No. 2 behind the Monkees' smash for two weeks, never airs, I suppose.

BTW, my little brother loved "Winchester Cathedral" when it was out. Of course, he was all of 2 years old at the time ...

I play Snoopy vs the Red Baron, but not Daydream Believer! 'Course that's what part 15 is for.
Almost nothing so "normal" in this last aircheck.

http://thomasjwells.podOmatic.com/entry/2008-01-28T16_09_39-08_00

 

[kirkiefan]

Okay now you got me going about 80s oldies on a 50s oldies message board.....what 'da hey?

Rock This Town-Stray Cats
Mickey-Toni Basil
Eat It-"Weird Al" Yankovic
Magic-Olivia Newton-John
Fish Heads-Barnes and Barnes
Shaddap You Face-Joe Dolce
Everybody Have Fun Tonight-Wang Chung
That Was Then This Is Now-Mickey Dolenz and Peter Tork
Come On Eileen-Dexy's Midnight Runners
We Got The Beat-The Go-Gos
I Only Want to Be With You-Nicolette Larson
'65 Love Affair-Paul Young
Love Letters Staraight From The Heart-Joe Walsh
Take Me Home Tonight-Eddie Money w/Ronnie Spector
Take It Away- Paul McCartney
Handle With Care-Travellling Willburys
Love Shack-The B-52s
The Homecoming Queen's Got A Gun-Julie Brown
Only The Lonely-The Motels
White Wedding-Billy Idol
Queen Of Hearts-Juice Newton
Jump-Van Halen
Girls Just Wanna Have Fun-Cindi Lauper


Sorry Cool Bobby B and Little Walter DeVenne...but I must admit there were some good fun 80s songs out there...so I saved the best for last.

Morse Code of Love-The Capris

 

[TheFonz]

"Dominique" by the Singing Nun charted Top 5. I wouldn't touch it, other than a "this day in rock history" feature...then only play about :20 seconds of it. You would never put it hot rotation because it was a hit. Same with Winchester Cathedral, and other novelty crap.

Then, of course, you also wouldn't touch crap like Yellow Submarine, Admiral Halsey, and Back Off Boogaloo.

 

[amfmsw]

Fonz, Excellent subject! Good point.

Where IS that line between a Novelty song, and a fun hit?

To be fair, "Chewy, Chewy" is not in the same ballpark as "Submarine". Sub was an animated movie. Ringo's "Backoff" was a repetitive groove song, like "Bang A Gong", while his "No No Song" while clever, was Novelty.

The Beatles gave Ringo 1 song to sing (at least) on every album. They were usually left fiels stuff like Sub, Act Naturally, Octopus' Garden... The Monkees, meanwhile, had both Serious Music: "Last Train", "Pleasant Valley" were social comment, "Valerie" was a serious attempt at rock; and fluff: "A Little Bit Me..." "Daydream Believer".

But I'll stand by "Winchester", "Dominique", "Does Your Chewing Gum Lose It's Flavor On The Bedpost Overnight", "Here Comes The Judge" as obvious Novelty.

 

[firepoint525]

Obviously, "Uptown Girl" and "Tell Her about It" by Billy Joel, "Crazy Little Thing Called Love" by Queen and "Rock This Town" and "Stray Cat Strut" by The Stray Cats.

I wish someone out there would still play "Sexy and 17" by the Stray Cats.  It was top 5 (as was "Stray Cat Strut"), but no one seems to want to play anything off their second album anymore!

And I heard "Roll with It" by Steve Winwood on the Muzak in the grocery store. That's a good one.

Not sure if these are '80s songs, but:
Walk Of Life      Dire Straits
Rock & Roll Is King   ELO

Let's add "Hold On Tight" by ELO (used in the Honda commercial)

"Hold on Tight to Your Dreams" was also used in the "coffee generation" commercials back in the early '80s.  Apparently, someone out there thought that my generation would not be coffee drinkers!    It was just that our time had not come yet!  ;D

 

[firepoint525]

Obviously, "Uptown Girl" and "Tell Her about It" by Billy Joel, "Crazy Little Thing Called Love" by Queen and "Rock This Town" and "Stray Cat Strut" by The Stray Cats.
And I heard "Roll with It" by Steve Winwood on the Muzak in the grocery store. That's a good one.

I wish someone out there would still play "Sexy and 17" by the Stray Cats. It was top 5 (as was "Stray Cat Strut"), but no one seems to want to play anything off their second album anymore!

 

[firepoint525]

That said, I do not consider it a "dog," mainly because of how well it charted back in the day.....................

Whoa! You can't talk about "charts" on this board. The radio guys will go ballistic.

They can bite me, because I just did! ;D

 

[firepoint525]

"Dominique" by the Singing Nun charted Top 5. I wouldn't touch it, other than a "this day in rock history" feature...then only play about :20 seconds of it. You would never put it hot rotation because it was a hit. Same with Winchester Cathedral, and other novelty crap.

It was actually a #1 hit, but it is not a good example of the point you are trying to make, because almost no one plays pre-Beatles '60s anymore, if they still play the '60s at all. "Disco Duck" would have been a better example of the point you were trying to make.

The very fact that "Dominique" spent four weeks at #1 proves just how badly we needed the Beatles to come in and shake things up! (Of course, this was right after the JFK assassination, so maybe no one was paying attention to the charts in December of 1963.)

 

[firepoint525]

"Dominique" by the Singing Nun charted Top 5. I wouldn't touch it, other than a "this day in rock history" feature...then only play about :20 seconds of it. You would never put it hot rotation because it was a hit. Same with Winchester Cathedral, and other novelty crap.

That's why "Daydream Believer," a No. 1 hit, is in hot rotation at every oldies station you can name, while "Snoopy Vs. the Red Baron," No. 2 behind the Monkees' smash for two weeks, never airs, I suppose.
BTW, my little brother loved "Winchester Cathedral" when it was out. Of course, he was all of 2 years old at the time ...

Still airs at Christmas time.