Classic Hits or Classic Rock?

[Steppenwolf]

It's interesting that the format or concept of "Classic Hits" is, at least in the opinion of Radio-Info, tied to the 60's/70's. I've also noticed that most of the time on most "classic hits" stations that they're merely just another classic rock station. I don't say "merely" in a negative way but to suggest that a true classic hits format will work. When I say "classic hits" I'm talking about the more pop side of music. I also think of the time period from 1967 to 1986. Grassroots, Gladys Knight, Steely Dan, Harry Chapin, Blood, Sweat & Tears, Chicago, Three Dog Night, Elton John, Doobie Brothers, Melanie, Spinners, etc., etc. The pop/top 40 side of music from the late 60s thru the mid 80s. A few rockier tunes that were big like Born To Be Wild, but 80% on the pop side. Opinions?

 

[amfmsw]

I believe most traditional "Oldies" stations will have morphed into a Classic Hits in the next two years, or, unfortunately, perish to talk, even if on FM. Sorta "Pop Rock Oldies".

 

[jal41]

I've also noticed that most of the time on most "classic hits" stations that they're merely just another classic rock station.

This is true with WSRV "97.1 The River", Cox's Classic Hits station in Atlanta. Since launch on New Year's Day, they have been Top 5 station in Atlanta. They are threatening the existance of CC heritage rocker (now classic rock) WKLS "96 Rock". Their secret recipe - very little jock talk. Cox dubs their other Classic Hits stations elsewhere "The Eagle".

The problem - 300 song playlist. This has been the standard at sister AC WSB-FM for some time now (and other Cox stations nationwide regardless of format), where the playlist changes only once a year. This lack of playlist matenance could cause a problem with burnout.

The classic hits format is more of a fad, like the all-80's fad and the AC all-Christmas holiday flips (And the Jacks and the Movins). It is a also a short-term way to preserve 60s and 70s music, since Oldies and classic rock stations are dying off. In fact, WATG 95.7 in nearby Rome, Georgia (70 miles from Atlanta, with a population of 35,000) flipped from oldies to Classic Hits last month. It seems to be a last-ditch effort to keep older music on the radio. While I hope this works, The problems with advertisers discriminating against older demos will haunt this format, and in 2-3 years, we will see all of these classic hits stations changing formats.

 

[eyg2181]

there are 3 classic hits stations that i know of, and i just call them classic rock b/c its the same thing...the have the same exact music as all the classic rock i know.

107.5 Frank FM
99.9 The Hawk
98.5 The Peak

all 3 of those are just like classic rock, they might as well just change their name to classic rock, b/c its the same thing

 

[semoochie]

This must be covered somewhere in this thread but: Classic Hits is a rock based hit format intended to attract more females than Classic Rock, which is more album based. If the station is pop based, it isn't Classic Hits. It's a form of Oldies albeit newer.

 

[amfmsw]

I think my point was that the "oldies" format has already begun to evolve to include what were once Classic Hits. It's become a hybrid. It has divorced itself of the roots of rock or "True Oldies".

 

[semoochie]

My post was regarding the comments made just before yours.

 

[KillerOldiesJock]

Classic hits should contain more than just classic rock in my humble opinion.

Merging such artists as lynyrd skynyrd and aerosmith with older stuff like bread, the outsiders, etc etc.

 

[vchimpanzee]

I've read more than a few compliments about 95.7 The Ride, a locally owned Charlotte market station. I have trouble with the signal, but when I have sampled it, I've heard some Temptations, some Stevie Wonder, some James Taylor. They describe the format as "progressive rock", but it's much more than that.

 

[RMarino]

I've read more than a few compliments about 95.7 The Ride, a locally owned Charlotte market station. I have trouble with the signal, but when I have sampled it, I've heard some Temptations, some Stevie Wonder, some James Taylor. They describe the format as "progressive rock", but it's much more than that.

95.7 The Ride is probably one of my favorite stations in the country right now. I would describe it as a "mature classic rock station." It's too bad its the lowest rated FM in the market. I can't believe Charlotte listeners would rather hear the cookie-cutter classic rock on WRFX.

 

[Evenste]

Classic hits or classic rock both suck because they use the same stale playlists forever.

TK-99 here in Sorrycuse, NY is the worst. they play the same 3 Aerosmith songs all day long and it's an insult to my intelligence every time i hear the voice-over say "the best classic rock" as if only 150 songs that TK plays could only be considered the best classic rock. they are allegedly a classic rock station in my opinion. they are a playlist posing as a radio station.

 

[vchimpanzee]

95.7 The Ride is probably one of my favorite stations in the country right now. I would describe it as a "mature classic rock station." It's too bad its the lowest rated FM in the market. I can't believe Charlotte listeners would rather hear the cookie-cutter classic rock on WRFX.

One problem may be the signal. Anyone know how to figure out where their tower actually is? I heard talk of moving closer to Charlotte but it may still be in Burke County.

 

[Radiologist]

I think that most traditional Oldies stations are forced to become more of a Classic Hits/Oldies/Classic Rock hybrid in order to compete and to make sure that they stay strong in the 25-54 demos as opposed to becoming 45+.

All the Oldies stations that I've worked for throughout my career have been programmed (I'm not a programmer -- just a closet programmer) based on the sound of the song and how it fits with the rest of the playlist -- as opposed to putting artists into "Classic Rock" or "Oldies" categories.

For example, The Who's "Won't Get Fooled Again." Most of us would say, "that's a Classic Rock title." But now, because of CSI, it's become more mainstream. (Although, it did hit #15 in 1971 which could have made a good case for being an Oldies song all along.) So, now, I think that "Won't Get Fooled Again" can play along with "Time Won't Let Me", "Love Child" and "Diary" and it all sounds right.

Same goes as we venture into the 80's. Songs like "Jesse's Girl" or "Private Eyes" fit with the songs from the 60s and 70s that most Oldies/Classic Hits stations are playing. But once you start getting into too much of the sythesized drum machine sounds, it doesn't work anymore.

Of course, we tend to over-analyze everything in the business, but the average 38 year old female doesn't hear a song and say, "this song is a Classic Rock song" or "this song didn't chart high enough." They just care if they like the song or not and if it brings back a good memory.

 

[vchimpanzee]

For example, The Who's "Won't Get Fooled Again." Most of us would say, "that's a Classic Rock title." But now, because of CSI, it's become more mainstream. (Although, it did hit #15 in 1971 which could have made a good case for being an Oldies song all along.)

In a mall I go to, they played oldies, although they have since switched to 80s music or Hot AC. But they did play this.

 

[Radiologist]

In a mall I go to, they played oldies, although they have since switched to 80s music or Hot AC. But they did play this.

What does that mean? Are you saying that "Won't Get Fooled Again" is a wimpy song that should be played on a Mall Muzak system?

 

[markoni]

Of course, we tend to over-analyze everything in the business, but the average 38 year old female doesn't hear a song and say, "this song is a Classic Rock song" or "this song didn't chart high enough." They just care if they like the song or not and if it brings back a good memory.

Exactly, most people in the audience just think, "Do I like this song or not?" Most of this radio format stuff doen't apply to them. Just like today's top 40 is hip hop and what they call top 40 is probably adult top 40 or perhaps Hot AC.

 

[vchimpanzee]

In a mall I go to, they played oldies, although they have since switched to 80s music or Hot AC. But they did play this.

What does that mean? Are you saying that "Won't Get Fooled Again" is a wimpy song that should be played on a Mall Muzak system?

No. The oldies format this mall used was more agressive than most oldies radio stations.

 

[vibe]

Maybe this belongs on a seperate thread but would a format called "Classic Album Rock" be successful. I don't like most of Elton John's stuff, for example, but really enjoy long cuts like "Burn Down the Mission" and "Funeral For a Freind." My argument is that a lot of groups first album (maybe 2) had some real great and truly classic cuts before they became mainstream. "Vanilla type groups such as Blood Swat and Tears (w/ Al Kooper) and Chicago had greatfirst albums. Traffic had some great album cuts on their first 2 albums that you don't hear much on the radio. When was the last time you heard "Come Dancing" by the Kniks? I could go on and on but so can y'all. There's just a lot of great musci than simply just isn't played much anymore at a time where we are subjected to on by Aerosmith, Fleetwood Mac, Steely Day, Joan F. Jett etc.

And w/ a classic album rock format, you're not limited to a very ridiculously small (and insulting to the audience) playlist. Classic Hits implies 3 or 4 minute songs that listeners have been subjected to thousands of times while classic album rock gives people a multitude of songs that have almost been forgotten by the suits and ties of corporate radio, the same folks who will soon be selling pencils and apples on the sidewalk after terrestial radio has died a long and painful death. And the death of terrestial radio would truly be a "funeral for a friend", a sad funeral because the "body" didn't have to die.

 

[vchimpanzee]

Maybe this belongs on a seperate thread but would a format called "Classic Album Rock" be successful. I don't like most of Elton John's stuff, for example, but really enjoy long cuts like "Burn Down the Mission" and "Funeral For a Freind." My argument is that a lot of groups first album (maybe 2) had some real great and truly classic cuts before they became mainstream. "Vanilla type groups such as Blood Swat and Tears (w/ Al Kooper) and Chicago had greatfirst albums. Traffic had some great album cuts on their first 2 albums that you don't hear much on the radio. When was the last time you heard "Come Dancing" by the Kniks? I could go on and on but so can y'all. There's just a lot of great musci than simply just isn't played much anymore at a time where we are subjected to on by Aerosmith, Fleetwood Mac, Steely Day, Joan F. Jett etc.

And w/ a classic album rock format, you're not limited to a very ridiculously small (and insulting to the audience) playlist. Classic Hits implies 3 or 4 minute songs that listeners have been subjected to thousands of times while classic album rock gives people a multitude of songs that have almost been forgotten by the suits and ties of corporate radio, the same folks who will soon be selling pencils and apples on the sidewalk after terrestial radio has died a long and painful death. And the death of terrestial radio would truly be a "funeral for a friend", a sad funeral because the "body" didn't have to die.

You've got a good point, but I think that's what "classic rock" used to be.

95.7 The Ride in Charlotte, which is a moderately successful locally owned station, ironically is categorized as "classic hits", but has been described as being what album rock was in its early days.

It doesn't sound like such a format can be successful on commercial radio, but that's what XM, HD and the Internet can do.

 

[Radiologist]

You know what I find interesting about the entire Classic Rock/Classic Hits/Oldies genre?

I think that you'll find a majority of adults say that they like "a little bit of everything." They might say, "I hate country." Or, "I hate rap." But for the most part, they'll say they like a little bit of everything.

When it comes to Oldies (or whatever you want to call it), I don't think that you'll hear people say, "I just can't wait until that station plays 'Satisfaction' again today!" They want VARIETY!

So, why do stations program a 300 song playlist? That's why satellite is gaining popularity. People want variety.

The Oldies station that I work for is somewhere up around 1200 songs now. Our Ops Manager will move 300 in, play them for a month or two, move them out, move another 300 in. Keeps it fresh and keeps people saying, "Oh wow, I remember that song. I loved that song."

The other key is bringing in some of those hits that don't get over-played like "Satisfaction" or "Pretty Woman."

I'd love to hear this station in Charlotte. Do they stream?