What is up with Top 40/CHR in Atlanta?!

[Wildstyle K]

Dance music doesn't do well in the Southeast - don't think it ever has

Is this true, or is this based on wishful thinking?

A few things I've noticed over the years:

- Every top 40 or rhythmic station has gone heavy to at least moderate on dance sounds and have never failed to carry a mixshow that was dance music intensive

- When WBTS and WWWQ first came into town and added their dance intensive mixshows, even WSTR was "forced" to consider trying that sound in the form of a 2 hour "remix" mix show.

- WWWQ's Saturday Night Q has remained pretty consistent (and I'd say successful) for multiple years straight, and the current WWVA has quickly jumped on the dance styled mixshows - even before their MAIN PLAYLIST music is/was completely fixed up.

In addition to this, WBTS and the older WWVA as Groove also were heavy to at least moderate on dance, especially in mixshows, and every time a rhythmic or top 40 was "flipped and replaced", the new station surely picked up some form of dance styled mix show. I doubt all these stations and the legendary Power 96 in Miami...etc etc etc. are all voluntarily deciding to offer something that nobody cares for. I also remember the big impact that WWWQ and WBTS had when they "introduced" a lot of dance sounds to Atlanta that would've otherwise never been played if it weren't for them.

I'd probably be more willing to agree that dance doesn't work in the Southeast if Florida "didn't sound the way they do", and if Atlanta wasn't more intensive with the sound during mix shows than even Phoenix is - with the 3 to 4 english rhythmic hits stations Phoenix has (that also mix more than most of the ATL stations and have the chance to easily "outdance" Atlanta!). You'd think Phoenix would be more intensive with dance in mixshows than Atlanta, based on the fact that not only has Phoenix had a dance history, but Phoenix has also had an actual dance station for 6 years!

 

[Wildstyle K]

By the way, in somewhat of an off, but related topic, I'd like to see what some people think about my suggestion in regard to the new Hot 97.5 here:

They could mix at least once a week if they adopt a WWWQ style format with dayparting, and what better place is there to have a hot mix than a hot ac named Hot 97? ;D

They could daypart and skew for the rich ac crowd during the midday then lean more top 40 pop in the evening.

I wouldn't daypart anything. The biggest problem with Moving the last 18 months was their inconsistency. They had their best ratings a few years ago when they were still rhythmic, then they went and added a bunch of 90's Hot AC and a good chunk of new pop/rock and the ratings havn't been the same since. Say what you will about mix but people know what they will get when they tune in. They are consistent with their product, almost to the point of being boring and predictable to some of us, but it works for them.

I posted a few months back that I wold like to see 97.5 go modern AC, no rhythmic stuff at all and no 80's but with a very slight alternative/AAA lean. This would take some listeners away from your current AC's and still differentiate them a bit.

 

[atlantaboy]

Dance music doesn't do well in the Southeast - don't think it ever has

Is this true, or is this based on wishful thinking?

I'd probably be more willing to agree that dance doesn't work in the Southeast if Florida "didn't sound the way they do"

Dude - NO leading CHR in Georgia, South Carolina, or North Carolina is playing Stereo Love more than 15 times a week - and those stations span Clear Channel, Cumulus, and CBS

If you seriously consider Florida part of the Southeast, especially South Florida (culturally, demographically, etc.), sorry but you need to come live here - I'd almost say that Miami is the cultural opposite of the Southeast

 

[Wildstyle K]

This isn't just about "Stereo love" all by itself anymore. This is about "dance music doesn't do well in the southeast..".

 

[atlantaboy]

^Yeah that's what I'm trying to say - not many stations around here played Heaven by DJ Sammy when it came out either (I lived in North Carolina back then and I barely heard it at all)

 

[Wildstyle K]

WBTS and I believe WWWQ were all over it (even to the point where I've seen people in various online "station opinion sites" calling WBTS "the techno station"). Atlanta wasn't always big on dance (mainly because of the huge lack of hit music stations during certain time periods), but it was amazing how responsive people were to the "new, far out" WWWQ and WBTS sounds when they first introduced certain styles. I couldn't go to (well known) music stores without a group of people asking for certain dance hits they "discovered" from Saturday Night Q (when they used to go more underground) and WBTS. On top of this, even though there wasn't much electro-dance music during it's hottest first phase in the late 90's, Atlanta still had the heavy booty bass that was highly successful and recognized (which was one reason why I knew electro-hip hop could work if done & presented correctly in Atl).

Uptempo is no stranger to Atl..

 

[atlantaboy]

I mean, I guess you're saying that stations in the Southeast could try harder to introduce dance tracks like Stereo Love

I'm just cynical about it, cause Clear Channel, for example, introduced it/added it in Raleigh and Columbia SC, and in both cases it apparently got BAD callout, since it's now down to 3 spins per week in Raleigh and 14 spins per week in Columbia

In any case, it's not just Q100, cause CHRs all across the Southeast owned by every major company are having the same hesitancy about the song

BTW Q100 when it first came out and stunted as pop/dance, was basically a failed experiment, which is how they got bought out by Cumulus (cause their ratings were so low) - I'm sure there was a core group of people that loved those underground Sat. night dance/mix shows, but it wasn't a large enough group to support a successful pop/dance station in ATL

 

[Wildstyle K]

BTW Q100 when it first came out and stunted as pop/dance, was basically a failed experiment, which is how they got bought out by Cumulus (cause their ratings were so low) - I'm sure there was a core group of people that loved those underground Sat. night dance/mix shows, but it wasn't a large enough group to support a successful pop/dance station in ATL

Well... I've heard / seen a completely different story regarding this issue, and I still can't help but to think of the time when WSTR had to mimick WWWQ and lean off of their legendary alternative lean as an attempt to stay on top during a certain part of the early decade.

 

[InSearchOfGear]

BTW Q100 when it first came out and stunted as pop/dance, was basically a failed experiment, which is how they got bought out by Cumulus (cause their ratings were so low) - I'm sure there was a core group of people that loved those underground Sat. night dance/mix shows, but it wasn't a large enough group to support a successful pop/dance station in ATL

Cumulus bought the entire Susquehanna group. It had nothing to do with ratings.

 

[Wildstyle K]

- Every top 40 or rhythmic station has gone heavy to at least moderate on dance sounds and have never failed to carry a mixshow that was dance music intensive

I forgot two important words here; "In Atlanta".

 

[mike7586]

The "dayparting" today on Q100 actually sounded good. The songs "fit" better (No Doubt, Blink 182, Linkin Park makes more sense for a current CHR that wants to sound "pop rock") and it was more subtle... but I know that means tomorrow they will probably play some weird stuff like Stereo MC's, Coolio, Crazy Town, All Saints, and who knows what (it looks like they stopped with Vertical Horizon and Smashing Pumpkins, but who knows with this station).

Also... still like the jingles, but most of their sweepers still sound lame. Why can't they come up with some better stuff? They rarely use the girl voiceover (which sounds good) and the "All the hits Q100" sweeper. Basically, they use the good stuff very little and the horrible sounding ones more. Sigh.