What AC songs do you like?

[vchimpanzee]

This is just for those of us who like standards (the way radio defines the format nowadays) or easy listening (whether the radio station is mostly instrumental or mostly vocal).

This is by no means a complete list. For one thing, the songs I like the most are in one of three fantasy iPods, which are not complete either. I am KyleX-El on the other site. There might be some duplication, because it'll be too much trouble to check.

Pop vocals: http://lounge.cwtv.com/showthread.php?p=4537688
Country vocals: http://lounge.cwtv.com/showthread.php?p=4592503 (scroll down to #42 if your computer is slow to do it)
Instrumentals: http://lounge.cwtv.com/showthread.php?p=4537686 (scroll down to #19 if your computer is slow to do it)

Not all of these songs I like would be on a standards or easy listening station, and I wouldn't want them to be (Timeless no longer counts as a standards format). Let's just say they're songs I can enjoy if I'm stuck listening to AC in a place of business, or songs I might like if I was just going up and down the radio dial to see what I could find. A lot of these songs would be considered oldies now.

ABBA--Dancing Queen, Fernando

Ambrosia--Biggest Part of Me, How Much I Feel

Atlanta Rhythm Section--Imaginary Lover, So Into You, Spooky

Atlantic Starr--Always

Chicago--Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is, If You Leave Me Now

Commodores--Easy, Sail On, Still, Three Times a Lady

Rita Coolidge--Higher and Higher

Paul Davis--Cool Night, I Go Crazy, '65 Love Affair, Sweet Life

Doobie Brothers--Black Water, Listen to the Music, What a Fool Believes

Eagles--I Can't Tell You Why (the rest of theirs are in my fantasy country iPod; look for hits by some of the others in my fantasy pop iPod)

Earth Wind and Fire--After the Love Has Gone

England Dan and John Ford Coley--I'd Really Love to See You Tonight

Harold Faltermeyer--Axel F

Glenn Frey--The Heat Is On, The One You Love

Hall and Oates--Sara Smile, She's Gone

Whitney Houston--Saving All My Love for You

Michael Jackson--Ben, Rock with You

Billy Joel--Don't Ask Me Why, Tell Her about It, The Longest Time, Uptown Girl

Elton John--Blue Eyes, Philadelphia Freedom, Sad Songs

Elton John and Kiki Dee-Don't Go Breaking My Heart

Katrina and the Waves--Walking on Sunshine

Kenny Loggins--Footloose, Heart to Heart, I'm Alright, This Is it

Manhattans--Shining Star

Michael McDonald--Sweet Freedom

Teddy Pendergrass and Whitney Houston--Hold Me

Billy Preston and Syreeta--With You I'm Born Again

Lionel Richie and Diana Ross--Endless Love

LeAnn Rimes--How Do I Live

Diana Ross--Upside Down

Seals and Crofts--Get Closer

Bob Seger--Old Time Rock and Roll

Simon and Garfunkel--Bridge Over Troubled Water, Scarborough Fair

Paul Simon--Fifty Ways to Leave Your Lover, Slip Slidin' Away

Miami Sound Machine--Bad Boys

Al Stewart--Time Passages, Year of the Cat

Swing Out Sister--Breakout

James Taylor--Your Smiling Face

Wang Chung--Everybody Have Fun Tonight

Wham!--Everything She Wants, Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go

 

[Bongwater]

This is just for those of us who like standards (the way radio defines the format nowadays) or easy listening (whether the radio station is mostly instrumental or mostly vocal).

This is by no means a complete list. For one thing, the songs I like the most are in one of three fantasy iPods, which are not complete either. I am KyleX-El on the other site. There might be some duplication, because it'll be too much trouble to check.

Pop vocals: http://lounge.cwtv.com/showthread.php?p=4537688
Country vocals: http://lounge.cwtv.com/showthread.php?p=4592503 (scroll down to #42 if your computer is slow to do it)
Instrumentals: http://lounge.cwtv.com/showthread.php?p=4537686 (scroll down to #19 if your computer is slow to do it)

Not all of these songs I like would be on a standards or easy listening station, and I wouldn't want them to be (Timeless no longer counts as a standards format). Let's just say they're songs I can enjoy if I'm stuck listening to AC in a place of business, or songs I might like if I was just going up and down the radio dial to see what I could find. A lot of these songs would be considered oldies now.

ABBA--Dancing Queen, Fernando

Ambrosia--Biggest Part of Me, How Much I Feel

Atlanta Rhythm Section--Imaginary Lover, So Into You, Spooky

Atlantic Starr--Always

Chicago--Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is, If You Leave Me Now

Commodores--Easy, Sail On, Still, Three Times a Lady

Rita Coolidge--Higher and Higher

Paul Davis--Cool Night, I Go Crazy, '65 Love Affair, Sweet Life

Doobie Brothers--Black Water, Listen to the Music, What a Fool Believes

Eagles--I Can't Tell You Why (the rest of theirs are in my fantasy country iPod; look for hits by some of the others in my fantasy pop iPod)

Earth Wind and Fire--After the Love Has Gone

England Dan and John Ford Coley--I'd Really Love to See You Tonight

Harold Faltermeyer--Axel F

Glenn Frey--The Heat Is On, The One You Love

Hall and Oates--Sara Smile, She's Gone

Whitney Houston--Saving All My Love for You

Michael Jackson--Ben, Rock with You

Billy Joel--Don't Ask Me Why, Tell Her about It, The Longest Time, Uptown Girl

Elton John--Blue Eyes, Philadelphia Freedom, Sad Songs

Elton John and Kiki Dee-Don't Go Breaking My Heart

Katrina and the Waves--Walking on Sunshine

Kenny Loggins--Footloose, Heart to Heart, I'm Alright, This Is it

Manhattans--Shining Star

Michael McDonald--Sweet Freedom

Teddy Pendergrass and Whitney Houston--Hold Me

Billy Preston and Syreeta--With You I'm Born Again

Lionel Richie and Diana Ross--Endless Love

LeAnn Rimes--How Do I Live

Diana Ross--Upside Down

Seals and Crofts--Get Closer

Bob Seger--Old Time Rock and Roll

Simon and Garfunkel--Bridge Over Troubled Water, Scarborough Fair

Paul Simon--Fifty Ways to Leave Your Lover, Slip Slidin' Away

Miami Sound Machine--Bad Boys

Al Stewart--Time Passages, Year of the Cat

Swing Out Sister--Breakout

James Taylor--Your Smiling Face

Wang Chung--Everybody Have Fun Tonight

Wham!--Everything She Wants, Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go

Most of those songs would fit on an younger skewing standards station (However "Everybody Have Fun Tonight", "Old Time Rock N' Roll" is really pushing it.)

My style of standards is music of the '50s and '60s, a few popular big band cuts. A little smooth jazz. Lots of '70s and '80s AC standards (whatever doesn't clash next to Frank Sinatra's classy '50s stuff. "You're The Only Woman" Ambrosia doesn't clash, I'd even think "To Be With You" Mr. Big (1992) would even fit. But "Sussudio" for some reason does not.)

There's always a war going on somewhere in my mind whenever I think of this format. I want to keep it mellow, but not so light, you'd have to tether your radio to something to keep it from floating away.

 

[AM FM listener]

Here's a few more for you. I have heard Carly Simon's "The Right Thing To Do" and Carol King's "Only Love is for Real" on a Standards station and thought they fit in nicely. I wonder if some of these would work?

Van Morrison's, "Someone Like You"
Three Dog Night's "Old Fashion Love Song" or "Pieces of April"
Lauren Wood's, "Fallen"
Loggins & Messina, "House At Pooh Corner"
Little River Band, "Reminiscing"
Bee Gees, "How Deep Is Your Love"

You bring up an interesting topic: picking AC/Gold that fits in a younger leaning Standards station. Probably something that is crucial to the long-term survival of the format.

 

[vchimpanzee]

Three Dog Night's "Old Fashion Love Song"

Dial Global was playing this one, but I haven't heard it lately.

I didn't say all the songs on my list, which will soon be much longer as I keep thinking of songs, would fit in ANY standards format. I just said I liked them.

Some of the songs (even on my longer list) are in Dial Global's playlist, and even more are in the Timeless playlist.

Personally, I 'd like to keep a lot of the songs out of the standards format, because just look at what happened to Timeless. In addition to adding a lot of junk, they've taken out a lot of good stuff.

I did one of those surveys for Timeless again, this time with about 500 songs. If you'd like to comment on that format in particular, there's already a topic.

 

[vchimpanzee]

http://boards.radio-info.com/smf/index.php/topic,59834.0.html

I had this link ready to post 30 minutes ago and the computer shut down.

I knew when I turned it on that I had downloaded some new software. It was going so slow that I just left the computer for an hour. When I came back it said the download had failed. Then the next time I got on the computer it said it needed to download again and that got done in seconds, but I was told I'd have to shut down the computer for the changes to take effect. Well, why in the heck didn't they remind me of this when I shut down the computer that day? Or better yet, when I first turned it on today? I got no message. There is a warning but because I didn't put my monitor together right, it appears under the base and I'm not usually looking there.

Now the computer has been updated. :

And now that I finally got around to coming back here, I have to sign back in to nearly every site.

 

[Bongwater]

http://boards.radio-info.com/smf/index.php/topic,59834.0.html

I had this link ready to post 30 minutes ago and the computer shut down.

I knew when I turned it on that I had downloaded some new software. It was going so slow that I just left the computer for an hour. When I came back it said the download had failed. Then the next time I got on the computer it said it needed to download again and that got done in seconds, but I was told I'd have to shut down the computer for the changes to take effect. Well, why in the heck didn't they remind me of this when I shut down the computer that day? Or better yet, when I first turned it on today? I got no message. There is a warning but because I didn't put my monitor together right, it appears under the base and I'm not usually looking there.

Now the computer has been updated. :

And now that I finally got around to coming back here, I have to sign back in to nearly every site.

Your iPod list (from the links at the top) is excellent for a good modern standards station....however, I'd probably play The Chords ORIGINAL of "Sh-Boom". It sounds classier than the Crew Cuts version IMHO.

I'd probably replace "Boogie Down" Al Jarreau with "Breakin' Away"

Donny Osmond's rendition of "Go Away Little Girl" (dopey as it STILL sounds) would work. While we're on the subject of Osmonds, I think they're a band ready for this format. How 'bout "Let Me In" The Osmonds. Gets lot of airplay on UK and Australian standards stations and it sounds surprisingly good. Just lay off the corniest Donny & Marie stuff....

Are standards ready for "Nothing Compares 2 U" Sinead O'Connor? A part of me thinks so. Another part of me wants to strangle the other part of me that came up with that idea.

I think a lot about Chicago, Al Green, classic Motown ("My Guy" Mary Wells has a nice feel next to a Sinatra tune, "Send One Your Love", "That Girl" Stevie Wonder too)....

I still pondering over

"Beth" Kiss
"Angel Of The Morning" Juice Newton
"Cool Night" Paul Davis
"In The Wee Small Hours" Ben Webster & Oscar Peterson (Definately an overnight track)
"Rosalinda's Eyes" Billy Joel (one of his lesser hits, but worth a spin)
"Baker Street" Gerry Rafferty (Now here's a puzzle. Do you play the regular speed album version or the pitched up single version? Do you leave in the guitar solo at the end or edit it out? I've heard every version of this song on the radio and I kinda think with the age and popularity of this song on AC radio, it's going to be a stretch for anyone to think it's anything HARD rock by now. So I guess I'll just leave it at the six minute album version and maybe goose up the pitch a tad.....)

This is interesting.......

 

[vchimpanzee]

Are standards ready for "Nothing Compares 2 U" Sinead O'Connor? A part of me thinks so. Another part of me wants to strangle the other part of me that came up with that idea.

Nobody's ready for that, but Timeless will probably do it.
I think a lot about Chicago, Al Green, classic Motown ("My Guy" Mary Wells has a nice feel next to a Sinatra tune, "Send One Your Love", "That Girl" Stevie Wonder too)....

I still pondering over

"Beth" Kiss[/quote]Timeless might do that one.

"Angel Of The Morning" Juice Newton
"Cool Night" Paul Davis

I think Dial Global does these.
"Baker Street" Gerry Rafferty (Now here's a puzzle. Do you play the regular speed album version or the pitched up single version? Do you leave in the guitar solo at the end or edit it out? I've heard every version of this song on the radio and I kinda think with the age and popularity of this song on AC radio, it's going to be a stretch for anyone to think it's anything HARD rock by now. So I guess I'll just leave it at the six minute album version and maybe goose up the pitch a tad.....)
[/quote]Not a chance. I think the station I listen to now had it when it was local, but they were doing Memories.

This wasn't really about what standards OUGHT to do.

After all, if they let some of these songs in, there's a lot of junk (in my opinion) that would have to go with it.

 

[Otto Maddock]

Donny Osmond's rendition of "Go Away Little Girl" (dopey as it STILL sounds) would work. While we're on the subject of Osmonds, I think they're a band ready for this format. How 'bout "Let Me In" The Osmonds. Gets lot of airplay on UK and Australian standards stations and it sounds surprisingly good. Just lay off the corniest Donny & Marie stuff....

Are standards ready for "Nothing Compares 2 U" Sinead O'Connor? A part of me thinks so. Another part of me wants to strangle the other part of me that came up with that idea.

Try "Love Me For A Reason" by the Osmonds. It was a No. 2 hit in 1974 and, actually, a pretty good song you never hear anymore.

I'm not convinced the format is ready for "Nothing Compares 2 U." The background instrumentation is somewhat jarring, and she displays a sense of anger in her voice which, if you ask me, seems to ruin a lot of good contemporary songs. For a Sinead O'Connor song which might work, try "Three Babies" from that same album. It sounds like it could be used as a background theme for a figure skating routine.

If you're trying for a bit of an edge to the format, there are plenty of decent classic rock tracks available:
"Par Avion" Mike + the Mechanics
"Silver, Blue & Gold" Bad Company
"Wild Mountain Honey" Steve Miller Band
"'39" Queen
"For My Lady" Moody Blues
"Spirits (Having Flown)" Bee Gees
"Silver Dreams" The Babys
"After The Glitter Fades" Stevie Nicks
"Miracles" Jefferson Starship
"Only Women" Alice Cooper
"Love That Got Away" Firefall
"Hazard" Richard Marx
"Where Do The Children Go" The Hooters
"America" KBC Band
"Coming Up Close" 'til Tuesday
"Only You" Yaz
"The Ghost In You" Psychedelic Furs
"Beautiful People" Melanie
"Better Days" Melissa Manchester
"Fields of Gold" Sting
"Hands To Heaven" Breathe
"Rivers of Babylon" Boney M (I'd be curious how this would fare on this format since "Mary's Boy Child/Oh My Lord" is always such a big request at Christmas).

 

[Bongwater]

"Baker Street" Gerry Rafferty (Now here's a puzzle. Do you play the regular speed album version or the pitched up single version? Do you leave in the guitar solo at the end or edit it out? I've heard every version of this song on the radio and I kinda think with the age and popularity of this song on AC radio, it's going to be a stretch for anyone to think it's anything HARD rock by now. So I guess I'll just leave it at the six minute album version and maybe goose up the pitch a tad.....)
[/quote]Not a chance. I think the station I listen to now had it when it was local, but they were doing Memories.

This wasn't really about what standards OUGHT to do.

After all, if they let some of these songs in, there's a lot of junk (in my opinion) that would have to go with it.

Understood, but that seems to be the general direction of standards today. Many of today's older people are fans of classic soft rock of the '70s. Canadian, Australian and UK stations seem to mix Gold AC and standards together and those stations sound awesome. But they disagree about the added junk. You won't hear any really uptempo disco on these stations and while they do play "Babe" Styx, they wouldn't NEVER touch "Renegade" or "Mr. Roboto".

"Forever Autumn" Moody Blues is also a good track for standards....

 

[Otto Maddock]

"Forever Autumn" Moody Blues is also a good track for standards....

Yes it is, as are "Driftwood," "Voices In The Sky," and the aforementioned "For My Lady" from the Seventh Sojourn album. A great early '80s single was "Talking Out Of Turn," but that's probably a little too space-agey for this format. In 1975, Justin Hayward & John Lodge had a nice song, "I Dreamed Last Night," but I haven't been able to get that on CD yet.

Somewhat off-topic, but I'll mention it anyway. Five years ago or so, the Moodys released a Christmas CD, "December." Never got radio airplay, but one track, "Don't Need A Reindeer," could have been another contemporary classic to provide some fresh air to stoke all the burnt chestnuts on that open fire.

 

[Otto Maddock]

Another group like the Moody Blues which could fit in quite nicely is Fleetwood Mac. No, not everything... just as you would never include (or should I say you "should" never include) certain songs by some bona fide soft AC artists like Abba ("Waterloo," "Take A Chance On Me") or Olivia ("Physical," "Heart Attack"). But songs like "Over My Head," "Landslide," and "Warm Ways;" and possibly "Dreams" or "Silver Spring" might work.

There's an old thread on this board from over a year ago that talks about the laziness in programming these days. My feeling is a music program director who is really passionate about his or her job will take the time and play some of these old albums to make some discoveries that have been right under their noses all along.

Still another possibility is Heart with "These Dreams" and "Dog and Butterfly." Their big hit "Alone" may be considered mellow rock, but I feel it has certain chords too harsh for this format. There's a skill for having a good ear in determining what may or may not work, but that's the fun of it.

Know what other kind of songs I like (in an entirely different direction)? Those long lost MOR hits from the '60s:
"The Wedding" Julie Rogers
"Walk Away" Matt Monro
"Wish Me A Rainbow" Gunter Kallman Chorus
"L. David Sloane" Michele Lee
"Tar and Cement" Verdelle Smith
"Invisible Tears" Ray Conniff
"Ame Caline (Soul Coaxing)" Raymond LeFevre
"Kites Are Fun" Free Design
"Everybody Knows," "Sweet Maria" Steve Lawrence
"Hungry For Love" San Remo Golden Strings
"My Coloring Book" Sandy Stewart or Kitty Kallen
"I Looked Back" Perry Como
"Pass Me By" Peggy Lee
"Morningtown Ride" The Seekers
"Today" New Christy Minstrels
"Sailor (Your Home Is The Sea)" Lolita
"Some Velvet Morning" Nancy Sinatra & Lee Hazelwood
the Petula Clark hits other than "Downtown" ("Who Am I," "Color My World," "Sign of the Times," "Couldn't Live Without Your Love," "Look At Mine," etc)

Well, I could ramble on, but this is my prescription for a good AC format.

 

[vchimpanzee]

Another group like the Moody Blues which could fit in quite nicely is Fleetwood Mac. No, not everything... just as you would never include (or should I say you "should" never include) certain songs by some bona fide soft AC artists like Abba ("Waterloo," "Take A Chance On Me")

Dial Global has done them.

or Olivia ("Physical,").

My Worthless Classics affiliate was doing it before they were Worthless Classics.

Furthermore, my Dial Global station's morning show had it. "Material Girl" too. This is the same guy that starts the 7:00 and 8:00 hour with Sinatra.

Still another possibility is Heart with "These Dreams" and "Dog and Butterfly." Their big hit "Alone" may be considered mellow rock, but I feel it has certain chords too harsh for this format.

Westwood One did "These Dreams" during their Timeless Favorites phase, before Dial Global came along. Celine Dion's "Alone", unfortunately, has made it into the mix.

I have many more songs to list when I can find them. I certainly wasn't advocating including any of them in a standards format.

 

[vchimpanzee]

"Baker Street" Gerry Rafferty (Now here's a puzzle. Do you play the regular speed album version or the pitched up single version? Do you leave in the guitar solo at the end or edit it out? I've heard every version of this song on the radio and I kinda think with the age and popularity of this song on AC radio, it's going to be a stretch for anyone to think it's anything HARD rock by now. So I guess I'll just leave it at the six minute album version and maybe goose up the pitch a tad.....)

Not a chance. I think the station I listen to now had it when it was local, but they were doing Memories.

This wasn't really about what standards OUGHT to do.

After all, if they let some of these songs in, there's a lot of junk (in my opinion) that would have to go with it.

Understood, but that seems to be the general direction of standards today. Many of today's older people are fans of classic soft rock of the '70s. Canadian, Australian and UK stations seem to mix Gold AC and standards together and those stations sound awesome. But they disagree about the added junk. You won't hear any really uptempo disco on these stations and while they do play "Babe" Styx, they wouldn't NEVER touch "Renegade" or "Mr. Roboto". [/quote]I heard "Mr. Roboto" in the "Chuck" finale.

I do want to clarify what I mean by junk. Cyndi Lauper has been mentioned on this board a number of times. Carole King gets played on standards radio, and while "It's Too Late" might be acceptable, "I Feel the Earth Move" is beyond what I'm willing to put up with. Olivia Newton-John's "Make a Move on Me" was on Timeless Favorites, and the automation went bad on the Dial Global station and I heard "A Little More Love" when the news should have aired.

Here's some more to add to what I would find enjoyable on AC, if not standards.

Stephen Bishop--It Might Be You, On and On

Karla Bonoff--Personally

Peabo Bryson--If Ever You're in My Arms Again

Charlene--I've Never Been to Me

Billy Joel--Just the Way You Are

K.C. and the Sunshine Band--Keep It Comin' Love, Shake Your Booty, That's the Way I Like It

Roberta Flack and Peabo Bryson--Tonight I Celebrate My Love, You're Looking Like Love to Me

Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway--The Closer I Get to You

Huey Lewis and the News--Heart of Rock and Roll, I Want a New Drug

Ronnie Milsap--No Gettin' Over Me

Player--Baby Come Back

Smokey Robinson--Being with You

Boz Scaggs--Lowdown

Sister Sledge--We Are Family

Bruce Springsteen--Dancing in the Dark, Pink Cadillac

Stray Cats--Rock This Town, Stray Cat Strut

Grover Washington Jr. and Bill Withers--Just the Two of Us

Stevie Wonder--I Wish, Isn't She Lovely, Sir Duke

 

[vchimpanzee]

I'm going to add some more, and then, so I can have them all in one place, I'm going to post them on that other site where I can edit later. Just follow the link to my fantasy pop vocals iPod and look for "KramdenAntiVirus" on the last page. Or I'll post the link sometime.

I have different names on that site so it'll make more snese for me to like so many types of music. Plus I'm ebarrassed to admit I like certain shows with my "original" name.

Cher--The Way of Love

Andy Gibb--I Just Wanna Be Your Everything

Little River Band--Reminiscing

Aaron Neville and Linda Ronstadt--All My Life, Don't Know Much, When Something Is Wrong with My Baby

Ray Parker Jr.--A Woman Needs Love, You Can't Change That

Peaches and Herb--Reunited, Shake Your Groove Thing

Linda Ronstadt--Ooh Baby Baby

Barbra Streisand and Barry Gibb--Guilty

Wings--Silly Love Songs

 

[vchimpanzee]

I decided to create a more complete list of AC songs I liked on the other site, since I can continue to edit there.

http://lounge.cwtv.com/showthread.php?p=13008191

I call myself KramdenAntiVirus. I used to have a separate identity for saying I liked country music back when "Blue Collar TV" was on The WB and had a message board on the wB site. I just decided to have one dientity for both pop and country on the CW site. For heavy metal, I was DainBramage but now I'm CopFace. It wouldn't make sense for me to like heavy metal.