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What constitutes an "Oldie"?

F

Fakeem

On sunday night [ March 4, 2012 ], the last song played on "The Wide Wonderful World Of Butter", was a 3 year old rap song. It happens to have a line dance that goes with it, but has Mr. Tamburro jumped a shark by playing something THAT recent on what he claims is an oldies broadcast?

Discuss......
 
Please remember that you asked...... ;D

IMHO an Oldie is not a chronological characteristic of any particular song but rather one that belongs to either the first or second generation of Rock n Roll (or BeBop for the earliest songs).

Roughly the chronology begins in the mid 1950's and is generally attributed to Bill Haley & the Comets rendering of "Rock Around the Clock" and ends in the early 1980's but there are exceptions such as Ronnie Milsap's "Lost In The 50's Tonight".

The genre includes BeBop, ballads, Surf, Protest Rock, Psychedelic Rock, Pop, girl groups, hard rock (but not metal, grunge or other hair bands), soft pop (ala Mathis, Earl Grant etc.), and even some crossover Country.
 
For me personally, it is a song that reminds me of my youth and teenage years. That makes an oldie a song from roughly 1954 (Earth Angel) to 1969, the year I graduated from high school.

In the early 70's, as oldies stations develped, the WLS PD said an oldie could be a song that was only 2 or 3 years old. If the song reminded a young listener of something pleasant from a few years ago. It could be the first song they really remember hearing. Or their first "special" song. Dont's forget, in 1964, oldies were less than ten years old, because that is how young rock and roll was!

An oldie depends on your age!
 
jhguthlac said:
For me personally, it is a song that reminds me of my youth and teenage years. That makes an oldie a song from roughly 1954 (Earth Angel) to 1969, the year I graduated from high school.

In the early 70's, as oldies stations develped, the WLS PD said an oldie could be a song that was only 2 or 3 years old. If the song reminded a young listener of something pleasant from a few years ago. It could be the first song they really remember hearing. Or their first "special" song. Dont's forget, in 1964, oldies were less than ten years old, because that is how young rock and roll was!

An oldie depends on your age!
Click to expand...

Oldies are music from the first tow decades of Rock & Roll...the 50s and 60s. Music with a few exceptions is generally irrelevant to today's wanted consumer by advertisers. It's no mistake that stations that once called themselves oldies now refer to themselves as Classic Hits or Greatest Hits. And the idea that a three year old song by Beyonce would be considered an "oldie" using the logic of the WLS PD is ridiculous.
 
jhguthlac said:
For me personally, it is a song that reminds me of my youth and teenage years.
Click to expand...

If I used your definition my first "oldie" would have been Little Orly. ;D
 
I like to think in terms of "50's oldies", "60s oldies", "70s oldies", "80s oldies". But then again I'm just a radio listener, not a radio employee. (The 90s and beyond are too recent IMO to warrant the "oldies" label from me... yet.)

ixnay
 
ixnay said:
I like to think in terms of "50's oldies", "60s oldies", "70s oldies", "80s oldies". But then again I'm just a radio listener, not a radio employee. (The 90s and beyond are too recent IMO to warrant the "oldies" label from me... yet.)

ixnay
Click to expand...

Perhaps folks in radio over think this. With the exception of a few places where the term is being used, radio generally has been running from the term "oldies" for years. Because it has been believed that the term equates 50s-60s Top 40 hits and that does not do a station any good with advertising agencies to be associated with that term. This may be another example where radio has forgotten the listener. Describe your station in their terms, not the terms of some ad agency exec.
 
Of course, if you just stop and think for a moment, what Butterball did was logical. He runs the station. If he wants to play a songthat mentions his nickname, that is his right. If we don't like it, tough!
 
Oldies to me is in several catigory's.
Real Oldies (pre british invasion, doowop, early rock 'n Role.
50's-70's Oldies (WOGL,CBS-FM) until around 2000 or so. Includes motown, pop, British invasion, some softer rock acts and Soul with ranges from 1957-1974.
60's-80's Oldies as in Today's WOGL and CBS-FM.
Classic hits to me is WODE (Easten, PA) The Eagle branding (such as heard in Tampa and Jacksonville, FL)
Rhythmic Oldies as in Jammin Gold WEJM
80's Oldies as in The Point WPOI (former in tampa) WPTP here in Philly.
I'm not old enough to consider 90's as Oldies.
 
I would classify classic hits as Early 70's to mid 80's. Greatest hits oldies 1955-1979. True oldies 1955-1964. Most stations now cover from 1964 to 1985 based on market research. most of the soft hits of the era listed are now on soft Ac and adult standards station. The MOR purists are having a cow now that light rock hits are being added to MOR playlists. I am now now old when I hear Pat Benetar songs on my local AC station. :eek:
 
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