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LARadioRewind said:Some of the British groups---most notably the Beatles and Rolling Stones---were recording in 1962 or 1963. I wonder why US radio didn't play them then? Anyway, I've heard many people say that American rock'n'roll might have died out if the "British invasion" hadn't happened. A year that saw top-ten hits by the Angels, Miracles, Kingsmen, Impressions, Chiffons, Drifters, Surfaris, Beach Boys, Four Seasons, Dion, Jackie Wilson, Jimmy Gilmer, Jan & Dean, Randy & the Rainbows, Martha & the Vandellas, Peter Paul & Mary, Lesley Gore and Stevie Wonder certainly didn't make me think rock'n'roll was dying. (You'll notice I omitted Elvis Presley's name. That's because I don't want anyone bringing up Bossa Nova Baby.)
But still, none of these great artists could shock the hell out your parents and the rest of the nation like Little Richard, Jerry Lee Lewis or pre-Hollywood/Army Elvis could. All were very polite, well dressed and very polished groups. Rock and Roll was becoming more producer (Phil Spector) and outside writers (Brill Building) influenced, and maybe that would have continued into the 60's.
And besides the Beach Boys, Four Seasons, Impressions, Jackie Wilson and the Motown artists, most faded in a few years after a few big hits.
It's hard to predict what would have happened to Rock & Roll by the mid-late 60's without the Beatles and British Invasions huge influence.
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Thomps2525
Guest
If the "British invasion" hadn't taken place, the late 1960s would probably have seen number-one hits by MOR artists such as Henry Mancini, Herb Alpert, Paul Mauriat and Frank Sinatra.
Oh wait.....
Oh wait.....
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hornet61
Guest
LARadioRewind said:
in the 70's with the exception of two #1'S by the carpenters and one by Sammy davis Jr..the door was slammed shut on MOR for that decade.
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Thomps2525
Guest
Oh, really? How about the number-one hits Rise, The Morning After, The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face, Killing Me Softly With His Song, The Way We Were, I Write The Songs, Love Theme From A Star Is Born, You Needed Me, You Light Up My Life and Disco Duck? (I put that last one in there just to see if you're paying attention.)
LARadioRewind said:
LOL Like it was in the 60's it was the whole idea of "mass appeal" that allowed MOR-AC records to get played on Top 40. I still remember in 1979-82 the Top 40 was full of mush and crossover country. So many AM Top 40 stations were basically AC stations though they were still reporting to Billboard and R&R as Top 40 stations.
I was very happy when CHR exploded in 1983-4 under the influence of Mike Joseph and MTV that artists like Barbara Streisand and Kenny Rogers were shown the exit door.
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desertv
Guest
LARadioRewind said:Some of the British groups---most notably the Beatles and Rolling Stones---were recording in 1962 or 1963. I wonder why US radio didn't play them then? Anyway, I've heard many people say that American rock'n'roll might have died out if the "British invasion" hadn't happened. A year that saw top-ten hits by the Angels, Miracles, Kingsmen, Impressions, Chiffons, Drifters, Surfaris, Beach Boys, Four Seasons, Dion, Jackie Wilson, Jimmy Gilmer, Jan & Dean, Randy & the Rainbows, Martha & the Vandellas, Peter Paul & Mary, Lesley Gore and Stevie Wonder certainly didn't make me think rock'n'roll was dying. (You'll notice I omitted Elvis Presley's name. That's because I don't want anyone bringing up Bossa Nova Baby.
Well, there were the UK artists The Springfields (including Dusty), The Caravelles and Cliff Richard hitting the lower end of the charts in the early 60s. The first UK group to have a #1 on the US charts was Joe Meek's Tornado(e)s at the end of '62 with Telstar-approx 1 year before the Beatles topped the US charts.
This might sound crazy, but "Surfin Bird" has a sound to it like a forerunner to hard rock. Am I crazy or do you agree?
Maybe for the harsh vocals, but lyrically, the BA BA BA BA BA BA BA BA BA BA BA BA BA BA BA BA BA BA EEW MAH MOW MOW BABA EEW MAH MOW MOW sounds more doo-wap to me.BobSmolarek said:
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hornet61
Guest
yes the tornadoes as a group beat the Beatles..but, Aker Bilk and David Rose Both Brits had #1's in the summer of 62..to beat The tornadoes by a few months..but, litlle Lawrence London (born in London England) aka Laurie London beat them all in 1958, with "Whole World in his hands"..........record execs thought he was a girl and released it as "Laurie london".....desertv said:LARadioRewind said:Some of the British groups---most notably the Beatles and Rolling Stones---were recording in 1962 or 1963. I wonder why US radio didn't play them then? Anyway, I've heard many people say that American rock'n'roll might have died out if the "British invasion" hadn't happened. A year that saw top-ten hits by the Angels, Miracles, Kingsmen, Impressions, Chiffons, Drifters, Surfaris, Beach Boys, Four Seasons, Dion, Jackie Wilson, Jimmy Gilmer, Jan & Dean, Randy & the Rainbows, Martha & the Vandellas, Peter Paul & Mary, Lesley Gore and Stevie Wonder certainly didn't make me think rock'n'roll was dying. (You'll notice I omitted Elvis Presley's name. That's because I don't want anyone bringing up Bossa Nova Baby.
Well, there were the UK artists The Springfields (including Dusty), The Caravelles and Cliff Richard hitting the lower end of the charts in the early 60s. The first UK group to have a #1 on the US charts was Joe Meek's Tornado(e)s at the end of '62 with Telstar-approx 1 year before the Beatles topped the US charts.
Agree with you there. Far too much country "crossover" on what was supposedly "pop" radio back then. Now you can only hear those "crossovers" on stations like WSM-AM here in Nashville. And that is how it should be. With the exception of maybe Charlie Daniels Band and Alabama, you could keep all the country "crossovers." All of us back when I was in high school absolutely HATED hearing "Elvira" on what was supposedly "pop" radio back then.billyg said:
Life ain't easy for a boy named Laurie!melan8tr said:yes the tornadoes as a group beat the Beatles..but, Aker Bilk and David Rose Both Brits had #1's in the summer of 62..to beat The tornadoes by a few months..but, litlle Lawrence London (born in London England) aka Laurie London beat them all in 1958, with "Whole World in his hands"..........record execs thought he was a girl and released it as "Laurie london".....desertv said:Well, there were the UK artists The Springfields (including Dusty), The Caravelles and Cliff Richard hitting the lower end of the charts in the early 60s. The first UK group to have a #1 on the US charts was Joe Meek's Tornado(e)s at the end of '62 with Telstar-approx 1 year before the Beatles topped the US charts.LARadioRewind said:Some of the British groups---most notably the Beatles and Rolling Stones---were recording in 1962 or 1963. I wonder why US radio didn't play them then? Anyway, I've heard many people say that American rock'n'roll might have died out if the "British invasion" hadn't happened. A year that saw top-ten hits by the Angels, Miracles, Kingsmen, Impressions, Chiffons, Drifters, Surfaris, Beach Boys, Four Seasons, Dion, Jackie Wilson, Jimmy Gilmer, Jan & Dean, Randy & the Rainbows, Martha & the Vandellas, Peter Paul & Mary, Lesley Gore and Stevie Wonder certainly didn't make me think rock'n'roll was dying. (You'll notice I omitted Elvis Presley's name. That's because I don't want anyone bringing up Bossa Nova Baby.
firepoint525 said:
The summer of '81....those CC's were offset by songs like, "Double Dutch Bus", "Shaddap You Face" and "Don't Stop the Music". Actually I didn't mind "Elvira". The song that bothered me more that summer/fall was "Endless Love"....that higher pitch singing by Diana Ross towards the end of the song, just irritated me at the time.....of course what do you expect from a 14 year old.... ;D
You're only a little younger than me. I was wrapping up my junior year of high school at the time. That spring, I remember the above-mentioned hatred for "Elvira," yet I looked back at the charts from about that time, and I see that it was STILL in the top five late that summer, when school started back for my senior year!oldies76 said:
I also remember some intense hatred back about that time for "Boy from New York City"! ;D
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Thomps2525
Guest
Oh boy, we're done discussing 1964 and we've moved on to 1981. The biggest single of that year was Olivia Newton-John's Physical and hardly any oldies (or "classic hits") stations play it now. That got we wondering how many other such songs are ignored today. I'm talking about classic-hits stations, not AC stations. The top song of 1985 was Say You Say Me by Lionel Richie and nobody plays it anymore. The top song of 1986 was That's What Friends Are For by Dionne Warwick, Elton John, Gladys Knight and Stevie Wonder, four of the biggest artists of the 1970s-80s, and not even that song gets played anymore. We also no longer hear You Light Up My Life (1977), Love Will Keep Us Together (1975), The Way We Were (1974) or The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face (1971). David Eduardo is right: a hit then isn't necessarily a hit now.
LARadioRewind said:
It's supposedly estimated that only 10-15% of the songs that hit top 20 from 1964 to 1985, ever get aired anymore...and that might be pushing it. Sad isn't it!
David may be right from a business standpoint, but from a listener, it's far too many songs being ignored. There are others that should be played, besides the #1's you listed above.
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hornet61
Guest
Worse even for a "Boy Named Sue"..firepoint525 said:Life ain't easy for a boy named Laurie!melan8tr said:yes the tornadoes as a group beat the Beatles..but, Aker Bilk and David Rose Both Brits had #1's in the summer of 62..to beat The tornadoes by a few months..but, litlle Lawrence London (born in London England) aka Laurie London beat them all in 1958, with "Whole World in his hands"..........record execs thought he was a girl and released it as "Laurie london".....desertv said:Well, there were the UK artists The Springfields (including Dusty), The Caravelles and Cliff Richard hitting the lower end of the charts in the early 60s. The first UK group to have a #1 on the US charts was Joe Meek's Tornado(e)s at the end of '62 with Telstar-approx 1 year before the Beatles topped the US charts.LARadioRewind said:Some of the British groups---most notably the Beatles and Rolling Stones---were recording in 1962 or 1963. I wonder why US radio didn't play them then? Anyway, I've heard many people say that American rock'n'roll might have died out if the "British invasion" hadn't happened. A year that saw top-ten hits by the Angels, Miracles, Kingsmen, Impressions, Chiffons, Drifters, Surfaris, Beach Boys, Four Seasons, Dion, Jackie Wilson, Jimmy Gilmer, Jan & Dean, Randy & the Rainbows, Martha & the Vandellas, Peter Paul & Mary, Lesley Gore and Stevie Wonder certainly didn't make me think rock'n'roll was dying. (You'll notice I omitted Elvis Presley's name. That's because I don't want anyone bringing up Bossa Nova Baby.
LARadioRewind said:
Except for two possible modifiers.....
A hit then was competing against a fixed number of songs also in rotation at the time. Maybe two dozen?
An Oldie now competes against tens of thousands of songs (going back to '55 or so).
It would be more interesting to know why a hit song then is not a playable song now.
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Thomps2525
Guest
This thread was originally a discussion of 1964. Remember Ringo, Hello Dolly, Mr. Lonely, Everybody Loves Somebody and There I've Said It Again? I hope you do, because these are five number-one hits from what is arguably the mostest bestest year for music...and they're ignored by classic hits stations in 2013.
landtuna said:
Heck, any song is playable today, every last one of them. The reason why 90% of them get ignored is listener preferences, based on music testing and scoring that David and Michael Haggerty have countered with (the business side of things). I've said this before and I will say it again: "Every song is somebody's favorite"
Not everyone likes the same songs, that are heard on radio on any particular station, at any given time. Some tune away, most stay on.
Many complain about lack of quality music, frequent repetition and lengthy stop-sets, but other posters mention that as a result of testing, the results are replicated, meaning that since most will generally choose positives for frequently heard songs, others will do the same as a whole, so those are the songs that radio will play and nothing else.
My argument is that how can a test of 100 participants represent the entire listnener base for that station? How? How can 100, represent 1,000,000? They mention replication. I still don't understand the in's and out's of that theory, but that process is insisted.
This argument has gone on for years on these boards and I'll never get, as to how 100 can represent a population of one million. Everyone has their favorites and many of those songs do not get aired, that's a fact. Who says that an opinion of 100 can decide what the other 999,900 will want to listen on such station? That's absurd. I hear many complaints about the songs that are never aired, or personal hit favorites that are not in rotation.
I'm not going to ramble on anymore about this, because frankly, it's unfortunate that 90% of the hits don't get aired and it's rediculous! It is what it is, even though many of us cannot agree.
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