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Hot AC shunning non-CHR hits?

C

carolinaradio

Star Participant
I'm noticing an intensifying trend on Hot AC stations. There are several exceptions, but it's seeming more and more like for a track to hit top-10 (or even sometimes 15) on Hot AC, it has to be a massive or at least decent CHR or Alternative hit. Katy Perry, Justin Timberlake, Bastille, Lorde, Pharrell, John Legend, Paramore, and such that are making up the top 10 on Hot AC currently are/have been big CHR or Alternative hits.

The current highest peaking more "typical" Hot AC tracks, that aren't really crossing over and have limited potential to do so, like Ingrid Michaelson's "Girls Chase Boys", Sara Bareilles' "I Choose You", and even Christina Perri's "Human" are going sideways, and seem to have limited potential to advance up the chart compared to more CHR-friendly artists. They're being shut out from higher positions on the chart, or surpassed by up-and-coming CHR hits from blockbuster artists that skyrocket up the chart. There are a lot of adult artists commonly in the upper teens and 20's on the Hot AC chart, but they rarely become hits because they haven't been huge CHR or Alternative hits.

Anybody else feel like it's getting harder for MAINSTREAM adult-oriented artists to achieve success on the format if they haven't already done so on CHR or Alternative? Why can't the Hot AC format have any original material anymore? There have been a lot of great, Hot AC-friendly tracks in recent years that have had limited to no success due to the fact that they weren't mainstream, well known artists.
 
I agree, although I like the Ingrid Michaelson track. However, the chart is so slanted towards CHR/Alternative material now that I'm not sure any adult artist could have an easy time pushing through with even a solid song. Sara Bareilles had an exception with "Brave" last year, but I don't think there was as much CHR material hitting the Hot AC charts at that time. I just miss the difference between CHR and Hot AC that there used to be.
 
Back in the day (mid-2000's) I would listen to Hot AC because I thought it was a nice balance between more adult-oriented artists (like KT Tunstall, Gavin Degraw and Sheryl Crow) with a few Top 40 hits mixed in. Plus Hot AC will even play a few country crossovers, as well as a healthy 90's mix and even an occasional 80's tune.

Now Hot AC primarily plays that Top 40 Dance sludge. With less emphasis on Adult Artists and more on Robin Thicke. Occasionally an early 2000's or 90's song is played. The submission of 80's music isn't a big deal however considering the music is 30 years old, plus it already gets played on Adult Hits, Classic Hits and even Mainstream AC.
 
I actually liked "Brave" a lot, but I haven't heard it very much lately. I actually liked it and "King Of Anything" (remember that?) quite a bit more than "Love Song."

I'm surprised that "Girls Chase Boys" has made it to #12 on Hot AC so far.
 
Surprisingly, one of the songs I mentioned in the original post ("Girls Chase Boys") is in the top 10 and about to hit #9 on the Hot AC chart.
 
Yeah! I remember "King of Anything" and even "Uncharted!"

I do afternoons on a Hot AC and have noticed this trend over about the last five years. As mentioned, the format has not only became more CHR like...but it has also lost it's variety as far as how many "not-new" songs are played. Five years ago, Hot AC was more of an 80s, 90s, and now format. Today it's more of a TODAY format with a few songs only occasionally sprinkled in from the past few years...rarely anything from before 2005 on a lot of stations. I think that's a large part of why Hot AC "thinks" it's a CHR format. Plus...have you noticed how much more acceptance there is now for edgy top40 and rap songs? Katy Perry's "dark horse" would have never scored a Hot AC chart position if it were 2009. At least not with the long rap verse.
 
"Brave" was fine the first 93 times...now, I am a little annoyed of it.

-crainbebo
 
The Hot AC were I live actually calls itself "Today's Hit Music Station". Power rotations are also very popular on the station, like hearing "Timber" every hour. Interesting because both CHR's near me go by "All the Hits" or "1# Hit Music Channel".

Only a few token 90's songs ever get airplay, usually Alanis or Dave Mathews.
 
I think today's Hot AC has pretty much morphed into a CHR recurrents format. Instead of the exclusive singer songwriter artists & 90s gold, Hot AC is now basically a format based on big hits that CHR has already broken a few months earlier.
 
No, Sara Barailles. Her "Brave" song has been played too many times.

-crainbebo
 
Brave did well because of award show appearances and was used in TV commercials and shows. The potentional of going from recurrent to gold is minimal. Was not.a very strong selection for Airplay.
 
carolinaradio said:
Surprisingly, one of the songs I mentioned in the original post ("Girls Chase Boys") is in the top 10 and about to hit #9 on the Hot AC chart.
Click to expand...

This song has done well. It was a slow start, but is doing well now.
 
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