WOGL 2000 song A to Z Memorial Weekend Special

[oldies76]

Glad a station like WOGL can still throw out a HUGE special like this over a holiday weekend. Over 2000 different timeless songs in alpha order, which began last Monday and is continuing thru Memorial Day. Mainly 70's and 80's, with a touch of 60's and some 90's. Thanks WOGL for your continued importance, on how radio should sound over a holiday to kick off summer. You guys have rocked over the years and continue to rock.....into the future. And as of the April 2017 book, you guys are NUMBER ONE....and it deservedly shows.

 

[Fakeem]

Has anyone posted the 2000 songs they allegedly play? I know from previous years that some of what is in the countdown is rarely put into regular rotation. I am also curious about what 90's songs they've added since I last listened to them about two years ago.

By the way, I hope they skip the Christmas songs in their playlist. Those really should only be played around the holiday.

 

[AbrahamJSimpson]

Technically I suppose it's not a countdown, but that's neither here nor there.

I tried giving it a listen, but--yikes--there's some serious clunker material interspersed in there. I'm also randomly catching pieces of Ben FM's 1000 song countdown, and though there are more than a handful of forgotten songs there, none of them have made me cringe--yet. But hey, if it works for them, more power to 'em. Keep it going. I'll be back afterward. (And of course they skip Christmas songs--that's a given.)

But "should" sound? By what standard? What defines what a holiday weekend "should" sound like?

 

[oldies76]

Has anyone posted the 2000 songs they allegedly play? I know from previous years that some of what is in the countdown is rarely put into regular rotation. I am also curious about what 90's songs they've added since I last listened to them about two years ago.

You'll probably have to look up under the playlist tab on their site and check out each day since last Monday and look at the titles. The 90's stuff is limited, I haven't heard any yet, but there are some titles listed. Yes, skip the Christmas stuff. That should never be played until after Thanksgiving anyways.

 

[oldies76]

But "should" sound? By what standard? What defines what a holiday weekend "should" sound like?

It's a kickoff to the summer season I suppose musically. More people listen during time off or during this time of year? So playing 2000 songs A to Z, like a grand entrance to this time of year. They'll do one at Labor Day also and the 4th of July, of sorts.

 

[CTListener]

It's a kickoff to the summer season I suppose musically. More people listen during time off or during this time of year? So playing 2000 songs A to Z, like a grand entrance to this time of year. They'll do one at Labor Day also and the 4th of July, of sorts.

I think the whole idea is that FEWER people are listening during holiday weekends. They're out doing stuff with friends and family. The countdowns and A to Z's give the stations' staff some time off of their own, and fewer people listening means fewer people to risk losing to unfamiliar or disliked songs.

As for WOGL, do you think this might be their last A to Z, or at least their last with any '60s/early '70s music in it? One of the station's top programming people just left, so maybe the updating of the WOGL sound will proceed faster now.

Additional info on the changes at WOGL, from another thread:

In the wake of WOGL programmer Anne Gress’ sudden exit on Monday, CBS Radio Philadelphia has promoted a pair of programmers to expanded roles. Country WXTU (92.5) program director Shelly Easton is upped to the newly created role of VP of music programming for the cluster’s three music FMs. Also promoted is “Today’s 96.5” WTDY program director/morning host Bobby Smith.

Easton will oversee classic hits WOGL (98.1) and four-month-old hot AC WTDY while continuing to program WXTU. She’s also tasked with directing digital, marketing and promotion strategies for the three stations.

Meanwhile, Smith tacks on the WOGL program director role to his existing WTDY duties. He joined the cluster in April 2015 as PD of WTDY predecessor CHR “96.5 Amp Radio.”

 

[DavidEduardo]

It's a kickoff to the summer season I suppose musically. More people listen during time off or during this time of year? So playing 2000 songs A to Z, like a grand entrance to this time of year. They'll do one at Labor Day also and the 4th of July, of sorts.

It's a way of trying to attract a few more listeners on holiday weekends where all radio listening drops significantly. If they offer something different, perhaps a few of the listeners they do retain over the weekend will listen a bit more.

 

[AbrahamJSimpson]

As for WOGL, do you think this might be their last A to Z, or at least their last with any '60s/early '70s music in it? One of the station's top programming people just left, so maybe the updating of the WOGL sound will proceed faster now.

Additional info on the changes at WOGL, from another thread:

In the wake of WOGL programmer Anne Gress’ sudden exit on Monday, CBS Radio Philadelphia has promoted a pair of programmers to expanded roles. Country WXTU (92.5) program director Shelly Easton is upped to the newly created role of VP of music programming for the cluster’s three music FMs. Also promoted is “Today’s 96.5” WTDY program director/morning host Bobby Smith.

Easton will oversee classic hits WOGL (98.1) and four-month-old hot AC WTDY while continuing to program WXTU. She’s also tasked with directing digital, marketing and promotion strategies for the three stations.

Meanwhile, Smith tacks on the WOGL program director role to his existing WTDY duties. He joined the cluster in April 2015 as PD of WTDY predecessor CHR “96.5 Amp Radio.”

I don't see how one impacts the other. It's not as if the prior PD hadn't been bringing the station forward anyway, so if, perhaps, this is the swan song for much of the 60s and early 70s, that might have been the case anyway.

 

[DavidEduardo]

I don't see how one impacts the other. It's not as if the prior PD hadn't been bringing the station forward anyway, so if, perhaps, this is the swan song for much of the 60s and early 70s, that might have been the case anyway.

Specialty weekends take extra work in scheduling, production and on-air execution. With one PD doing several stations, some of these added hours tasks will have to go.

 

[Fakeem]

And of course they skip Christmas songs--that's a given.

It may be a "given", but a few years back, when I discovered that they did a "countdown" over the Memorial Day weekend, they actually did play some of the Christmas songs, which caught me off-guard, but I accepted, seeing that they were playing their catalog, and I found that interesting.

 

[CTListener]

And of course they skip Christmas songs--that's a given.

It may be a "given", but a few years back, when I discovered that they did a "countdown" over the Memorial Day weekend, they actually did play some of the Christmas songs, which caught me off-guard, but I accepted, seeing that they were playing their catalog, and I found that interesting.

WDRC-FM Hartford used to do a post-Christmas A to Z that stretched over 8 or 9 days, beginning on the 26th. One year, they folded numerous Christmas songs into the playlist. Maybe hearing "Winter Wonderland" on Jan. 2 isn't as jarring as hearing it on May 28, but those songs were only played that once. The next year, the A to Z aired minus the holiday tunes.

 

[oldies76]

As for WOGL, do you think this might be their last A to Z, or at least their last with any '60s/early '70s music in it? One of the station's top programming people just left, so maybe the updating of the WOGL sound will proceed faster now.

I hope not. If they go by way of typical classic hits radio stations and that sort of programming, I won't be streaming them any more. WOGL is a standout and unique and I'm sure the listeners in Philly will want to keep it that way, as well as the thousands of online listeners, like myself. They are #1, so why mess with success?

 

[AbrahamJSimpson]

I hope not. If they go by way of typical classic hits radio stations and that sort of programming, I won't be streaming them any more. WOGL is a standout and unique and I'm sure the listeners in Philly will want to keep it that way, as well as the thousands of online listeners, like myself. They are #1, so why mess with success?

Keep in mind, it's number one 12+, which as we all know...well, it isn't worth much. That's not to say they're down in the dumps by any means, but let's be honest that "#1" is a kind of meaningless phrase out of context. Lots of things are "#1" depending on how you parse the data.

And I'm not sure the online listeners are really worth all that much (outside the DMA). This is not by any means intended to be cold, but if "you" and others well outside the market stopped streaming--however many there are--do you think that would make a difference? (And I say that as someone who does stream out of town stations sometimes--and I know full well I'm not a value to them; if anything, I'm a drain on some of those outlets, broadly speaking.)

 

[CTListener]

Keep in mind, it's number one 12+, which as we all know...well, it isn't worth much. That's not to say they're down in the dumps by any means, but let's be honest that "#1" is a kind of meaningless phrase out of context. Lots of things are "#1" depending on how you parse the data.

WDRC-FM hit No. 1 12+ a couple of books before its sale, and the first thing the new owners did was dump all the jocks but one, dump all the old pop and soul and become a '70s-'80s rock-oriented classic hits station, then after a few months, a straight-ahead classic rocker. Apparently most of the listeners who made the station such a "success" 12+ were unusable to advertisers.

 

[DavidEduardo]

WDRC-FM hit No. 1 12+ a couple of books before its sale, and the first thing the new owners did was dump all the jocks but one, dump all the old pop and soul and become a '70s-'80s rock-oriented classic hits station, then after a few months, a straight-ahead classic rocker. Apparently most of the listeners who made the station such a "success" 12+ were unusable to advertisers.

Interestingly, the sales in the last few years as a classic hits station were greater than the most recent few years as a classic rocker.

 

[CTListener]

Interestingly, the sales in the last few years as a classic hits station were greater than the most recent few years as a classic rocker.

I have a feeling DRC-FM is being sold as a combination with its New Haven sister station WPLR. The stations are virtually identical musically -- DRC-FM sounds slightly older, IMO -- and I hear ads for a lot of New Haven-area businesses on the Hartford station.

I've read that Connoisseur Broadcasting wanted WCCC as well as WDRC-FM and was willing to keep the latter classic hits, since WCCC was already doing classic rock. But EMF stepped in and snapped up WCCC for K-Love, forcing Connoisseur to flip DRC-FM. Whether that was the actual scenario, I haven't a clue.

 

[oldies76]

With over 2000+ songs in this countdown, you'd think the song that was #1 for 10 weeks in 1977 (and the #1 song of the entire decade) would have been played, but no. I suppose the "forbidden" song is very untouchable, even over a holiday. A little surprising there considering all the other dated-70's sappy-similiar type sounding songs played during this special. Love it or hate it, that song should have been played in this instance. Oh well...that's radio for ya. Still a great special by all stretches of the imagination. The Z song should play just before midnight Philly time. Thanks WOGL for the great memories again.

 

[DavidEduardo]

With over 2000+ songs in this countdown, you'd think the song that was #1 for 10 weeks in 1977 (and the #1 song of the entire decade) would have been played, but no. I suppose the "forbidden" song is very untouchable, even over a holiday. A little surprising there considering all the other dated-70's sappy-similiar type sounding songs played during this special. Love it or hate it, that song should have been played in this instance.

I would imagine that in past music tests, "You Light Up My Life" had such high negatives that they chose to skip it, Grammy or not.

 

[gr8oldies]

I noticed the whole A to Z list was available as a PDF file on their website earlier today but I can't find it now.

 

[ixnay]

I would imagine that in past music tests, "You Light Up My Life" had such high negatives that they chose to skip it, Grammy or not.

Debby can have it. It's been overplayed.

BTW when my mother married my stepdad, YLUML was played by the church organist prior to the wedding. My mom loves that song. I would've preferred "Crazy Little Thing Called Love".

ixnay