Classic Hits 80s

I've never encountered a radio station that I could pick up on my radio that identified itself as playing "adult standards". Are there any stations out there where the DJ actually says, "You're listening to the bland sounds of ADULT STANDARDS!"

Avid Listener said:

What qualifications does one need to express an opinion? As for a thread like that, if you want to start one, start one. No one is stopping you.



Honey was so syrupy that it was rumored to have caused diabetes in laboratory mice. It appealed to some housewives the same way their soap operas did.

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Here's an opinion: Yellow Submarine sucks just as much as Winchester Cathedral. And you can throw in Strawberry Fields Forever. If anyone but the Beatles had recorded those songs you would have never heard them. Some people think that every song with the Beatles' name on it is a masterpiece.

Avid Listener said:

I've never encountered a radio station that I could pick up on my radio that identified itself as playing "adult standards". Are there any stations out there where the DJ actually says, "You're listening to the bland sounds of ADULT STANDARDS!"

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No. They say "You're hearing the greatest music ever recorded."

Or to quote one station: "They don't make 'em like this any more. As a matter of fact, they made so many of them back then that they really don't have to." Except adult standards still is making them like that.

A co-owned classic country radio station did that one first.

DavidEduardo said:

No, stations that are or were broadcasting a standards based format used listener oriented positioning such as "Music of Your Life" and not the internal industry term for the format.

I don't know why you raise the question. Industry terms, used in different areas to segregate format types, are in many cases not used on the air... CHR, Adult Hits, Adult Album Alternative, Urban AC, AC, Regional Mexican and such are terms generally unknown by the audiences they serve but widely used in sales and music circles.

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Yet stations are increasingly using "classic hits." Did it start out as an industry term or did one of the chains come up with it?

TheFonz said:

Here's an opinion: Yellow Submarine sucks just as much as Winchester Cathedral. And you can throw in Strawberry Fields Forever. If anyone but the Beatles had recorded those songs you would have never heard them. Some people think that every song with the Beatles' name on it is a masterpiece.

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But here's the thing. Those songs don't suck, they are "art forms" by their respective groups. Why do you think "Yellow... & Strawberry....." sound the way they sound? Not everything has to sound so mainstream and simple. It's a work of art, one of many reasons why the Beatles had 20 #1 songs and always will stand the test of time.

A song that truly sucks? Try "To Be With You" by Mr. Big!

TheFonz said:

Here's an opinion: Yellow Submarine sucks just as much as Winchester Cathedral. And you can throw in Strawberry Fields Forever. If anyone but the Beatles had recorded those songs you would have never heard them. Some people think that every song with the Beatles' name on it is a masterpiece.

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Some do. I don't. On a scale of one to ten, with ten at the top, I think Winchester Cathedral is a 2, and Yellow Submarine is a 4. I thought Strawberry Fields was a 5.

oldies76 said:

But here's the thing. Those songs don't suck, they are "art forms" by their respective groups. Why do you think "Yellow... & Strawberry....." sound the way they sound? Not everything has to sound so mainstream and simple. It's a work of art, one of many reasons why the Beatles had 20 #1 songs and always will stand the test of time.

A song that truly sucks? Try "To Be With You" by Mr. Big!

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I would argue that Winchester Cathedral is an art form as well.

TheFonz said:

I would argue that Winchester Cathedral is an art form as well.

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I would argue that "Winchester Cathedral" is to art what paintings of large dogs playing poker are to art, or pictures of Elvis painted on black velvet. If you happen to like tacky kitsch, great. I find tacky kitsch to be, well, tacky. And kitschy.

"Winchester Cathedral" is to musical art what McDonalds hamburgers are to nutrition. "Winchester Cathedral" is to music what Kim Kardashian is to people with talent, unless large breasts count as "talent". "Winchester Cathedral" is to musical art what Velveeta is to cheese.

Don't get me wrong, I can appreciate and enjoy low-brow crap. But just because someone can appreciate and enjoy low-brow crap shouldn't blind them to the fact that it's low-brow crap.

TheFonz said:

I would argue that Winchester Cathedral is an art form as well.

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It was really good knock-off of a style of song and singing that went out of fashion 40 years before. As a novelty song, it was unquestionably catchy and spawned several other revivals of old songs and styles: The Innocense's "Mairzy Doats," for example, and the Happenings' remake of "My Mammy." Even Sopwith Camel's "Hello, Hello" and Dr. West's Medicine Show's "The Eggplant That Ate Chicago" had an old-timey sound to them. All these songs hit the charts within a year of each other and only "Winchester Cathedral" was a major hit. All were part of a very minor musical fad. It's easy to see why they haven't aged well and are seldom heard today outside of SiriusXM and vanity LPFMs or small market standalones like WLNG.

As for "Yellow Submarine" and "Strawberry Fields Forever," I thought the former was great when I was 11, but it really isn't much of a song, although I don't switch the station when it comes on. I've always loved "Strawberry Fields" and would give it a 7 or 8, but that's my personal taste. I realize that, for most people, the most accessible Beatles songs 45-50 years on are the ones we still hear on classic hits radio: "Got to Get You Into My Life," "Day Tripper," "Ticket to Ride," "Something," "Sgt. Pepper/A Little Help From My Friends" and maybe three or four others. That's way more than we hear from the Dave Clark Five or Herman's Hermits, and even the Stones are largely represented by their '70s and '80s hits, so that testifies to the lasting impact of the Beatles on popular music.

The late Al Ham said that the audience that his format, at the time, targeted, 55+, had the highest disposable income (purchased cars, went on cruises, mortgages were paid off etc). Does radio now consider 55+ the highest disposable LISTENERS?

eriedj said:

The late Al Ham said that the audience that his format, at the time, targeted, 55+, had the highest disposable income (purchased cars, went on cruises, mortgages were paid off etc). Does radio now consider 55+ the highest disposable LISTENERS?

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I don't know about MOYL but about 30 years ago, "AM Only" was touted to stations as geared to 35-54. I was about 30 at the time and all I could do was just roll my eyes!

Avid Listener said:

I would argue that "Winchester Cathedral" is to art what paintings of large dogs playing poker are to art, or pictures of Elvis painted on black velvet. If you happen to like tacky kitsch, great. I find tacky kitsch to be, well, tacky. And kitschy.

"Winchester Cathedral" is to musical art what McDonalds hamburgers are to nutrition. "Winchester Cathedral" is to music what Kim Kardashian is to people with talent, unless large breasts count as "talent". "Winchester Cathedral" is to musical art what Velveeta is to cheese.

Don't get me wrong, I can appreciate and enjoy low-brow crap. But just because someone can appreciate and enjoy low-brow crap shouldn't blind them to the fact that it's low-brow crap.

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That also describes "Yellow Submarine" perfectly!

TheFonz said:

Here's an opinion: Yellow Submarine sucks just as much as Winchester Cathedral. And you can throw in Strawberry Fields Forever. If anyone but the Beatles had recorded those songs you would have never heard them. Some people think that every song with the Beatles' name on it is a masterpiece.

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You kinda miss the point here. The individual Beatles sometimes did not like each other's songs! In particular, John Lennon railed against "Ob La Di, Ob La Da" and "Hello Goodbye," but apparently he still did not mind having his name listed on those as a co-writer. John also had to record "Cold Turkey" as a solo song, since Paul did not want to do it with the Beatles. But yet Paul's name shows up as a cowriter on "Ballad of John & Yoko," even though it was clearly about their wedding. And Paul's name showed up as a cowriter on "Give Peace a Chance," despite it being a Lennon solo song. And then of course there was George's argument with Paul during the filming of Let It Be, preserved for all to see. And don't even get me started on each of the Beatles ranting against the other Beatles' solo work!

Avid Listener said:

Some do. I don't. On a scale of one to ten, with ten at the top, I think Winchester Cathedral is a 2, and Yellow Submarine is a 4. I thought Strawberry Fields was a 5.

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"Winchester Cathedral" is indeed silly but I like it.

Timeless Classics used to play what someone told me was the Hollyridge Strings version and I think I've verified that on Youtube or somewhere. That one is a 10.

CTListener said:

Yet stations are increasingly using "classic hits." Did it start out as an industry term or did one of the chains come up with it?

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I first heard the term on two separate stations around the same time. WXLY in Charleston SC was playing oldies from the 50s, 60s and 70s in the mid-80s but it was more uptempo that most oldies stations, and they called it "classic hits". At Myrtle Beach SC I heard a station in Orlando at 105.9 call its music "classic hits". I can't remember when but it had to be before WNMB moved from 105.5 to 105.9, and that took place sometime in the 90s.