Is it the end of Hot AC?

Its arguable that the decline in popularity of rock music over the past decade has forced Hot AC to transition and include more rhythmic based product as well. There is an American study that shows the decline in the prevalence of rock music in America between 2000 and 2010, but I can't find it.

Here is a similar story about the top 100 hits in the UK last year, though:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-12151129

It can be said that rock as a singles-driven business in the age of iTunes doesn't succeed in the same way as when the album was king; combined with being in a PPM era when stations are rewarded for running catchy pop songs into the ground at the speed of 170 spins a week. It lends itself to a shift in formats where rhythmic product is not only on top at CHR but making in-roads at Hot AC that would have been unimaginable ten years ago.

No surprises here. Between 2009 and the rise of Gotye, I could count the number of alternative or rock songs that hit the top 10 on one hand. Not too many more than that even hit the top 40 of the Hot 100. Will this year's outbreak of Alternative material push Hot AC into adding more Alternative? Who knows? By the way, the estimations of Alt/rock crossover does not include Train or Maroon 5.

The title of this thread is pretty funny, considering Hot AC currently has its highest ratings in years, with many major markets having TWO Hot ACs

Albany, NY has a gold-leaning Hot AC (99.5 The River) and an Hot AC/Rhythmic-leaning Mainstream AC (B95.5), and both are often neck-and-neck in ratings... this year I'd love to see 99.5 The River go Christmas (last year B95 came in second for Christmas, with WTRY down in like 7th place... if CC went Christmas on 99.5 instead however, WGNA would probably still be #1 with River and B95 in #2 and #3)

I can't stand Delilah, so I almost always switch to the River after 7pm B95 should consider dropping Delilah if they want to do better (several ACs in the Northeast have dropped Delilah as well, wondering if B95 would go local after 7pm or at least the more tolerable IMO John Tesh)

I had a talk with a radio friend some years ago and he has a decent theory about the popularity of music and how it pertains to Hot AC. I really believe this is just a phase. Hot AC moves back and forth between the rock/pop alternative sound to poppy-popness. Sure it may take some time but I think eventually the pop-alternative will be back and popular. It may sound different than MB20, Goo Goo Dolls, etc. but we won't be hearing a Rihanna type song over and over. I think groups like fun. will become increasingly popular.

Just my 2 cents.

Jasonthegreat said:

As you may know, many Hot AC stations are evolving into at least Adult Top 40 (WDVD in Detroit, KYKY in St. Louis, and KHMX in Houston to name a few.) Is Hot AC slowly dying? Why do you think Hot AC is changing? Obviously, times are always changing, but it seems that Hot AC is changing with them.

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Well its just evolving to lure in the latest artists for now.

I've noticed, at least in the major markets, that AC and Hot AC are getting perilously close together musically, just as Hot AC and CHR have also covered a lot of similar musical ground. If this trend continues, I think you could see the three formats coalesce into two, CHR and a hybrid AC/Hot AC, depending on the market. When AC was a softer, more gold-based format, there were very distinct differences between AC, Hot AC and CHR. Right now the formats are as close to eachother as I ever remember them, especially with AC picking up the tempo and playing more currents.

It's very similar to what happened with the rock formats around Y2K...you had Active Rock and Alternative (which became essentially the same format, one being more gold based than the other but targeting the same demos) and Mainstream Rock. As the genre declined, and stations dropped the music for talk-based programming, eventually you had two formats, Active/Mainstream (gold based, no pop) and Alternative, which has taken a pop-indie turn over the last few years.

As more talk & sports stations make the jump from AM and FM sticks become a premium, I wouldn't be surprised if the same thing happens with AC & Hot AC.

Jasonthegreat said:

There actually is a difference between Hot AC and Adult Top 40. Hot AC usually plays the top songs from the 90s, 2000s, and today (though some Hot ACs played 80s music a few years back.) Adult Top 40 usually plays adult-leaning currents or recurrents.

Remember I mentioned those former Hot AC stations that were leaning toward Adult Top 40? They are still considered Hot AC, but are leaning heavily toward Adult Top 40 (meaning a majority of the songs in their playlist are currents or recurrents.)

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Mix 107.7 in Dayton is literally stuck in the 80s. The station hasn't evolved in 15 years. They're almost sound AC-ish.

KDMX (currently branded as "102.9 Now") has tried switching from Hot AC to Adult Top 40 last year. It didn't work so well.