Another One Bites The Dust on AC! Really?

Just today, as I was checking the playlist of our local AC station "Magic 93" here in the NEPA region, they were playing Queen's "Another One Bites The Dust" in their rotation. That is kinda odd for such a station to be playing this song because it is commonly heard on classic rock and oldies stations. I know there are others that played this song, most of them are owned by Cumulus. On the other hand, I checked the playlist of an AC station out of Philly and they don't include this song, they mostly played stuff from 80's through today. That station has played more recent hits than my local one does. Are we seeing more harder edge classic rock tunes being included alongside with today's AC artists?

I have to think that maybe it is a part of Cumulus' aggressive move to change the landscape of some of its top AC stations to basically include more 70's and much older tunes. This is one reason I don't like how Cumulus is running things. They mess up their programming, and to top it all off, this could eventually end up becoming another iHeartMedia where they might opt for a Premium Choice-type programming to replace live personalities.

I heard it on WMAP back in the early 80s, so it's not really that unusual. Apparently WMAP wasn't a "soft" AC. Those were new back then.

Just kidding. So apparently the question is why play such an old song?

How is it a problem?

I heard both "Go Your Own Way" and Rod Stewart's song about Maggie on an AC in the same hour. Both are from the 70s. And as I said on another thread, this is one of those Hot AC sounding ACs.

Ok...and....?

Bob Eubanks said:

Ok...and....?

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And even as they move away from "soft" AC to Katy Perry and Lady Gaga, some of these stations are not abandoning the 70s. It seems strange but it's true.

That individual stations have mildly different approaches to things doesn't seem all that surprising.

Lines are blurring--Robin Thicke puns aside. If the audience is willing to accept selected 70s tunes alongside modern artists, then that makes sense to incorporate them. And you have to look at each statiion's respective competitive situation, right?

I heard this song yesterday coming from someone's car. I don't know whether it was a radio station or which one.

Which doesn't seem to provide much information.

Bob Eubanks said:

Which doesn't seem to provide much information.

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He (or she) was going by a little fast for me to find out more.

The bass is similar to Chic's "Good Times". I learned that from "Jeopardy". Actually, on Friday evenings an urban AC where I live would play that and then "Rapper's Delight" or some other song that just fit. There was no break. It was like a medley. The songs just fit together. But "Another One Bites the Dust" never seemed to be a prt of that.

WKTK (Gainesville, Fl) will play Joan Jett, AC/DC and Def Leppard (and not the ballads either, try "Pour Some Sugar on Me".) They are owned by Entercom BTW. That was a year ago though, not sure if they still have those songs on their playlist.

"Another One Bites The Dust" gets a lot of airplay on KMGL, even all the way back in 2011. "I Love Rock 'N Roll" gets airplay on KMGL quite a bit in 2012 and 2014, occasionally on an Awesome 80's Weekend in 2013. I used to hear "Simply Irresistible" by Robert Palmer occasionally on an Awesome 80's Weekend on KMGL back in 2011, but then I also would hear "Mercy Mercy Me" by Robert Palmer once in a while on an Awesome 80's Weekend back in 2011. They're pretty good at mixing the hard stuffs with the soft stuffs back in 2011.

Heard the song on a construction site but didn't hang around to hear a station ID.