The Subtle Early Resurgence of Rock (An Alternative to Modern Pop Sounds)

[Wildstyle K]

^I think the problem with R&B right now is that, with the exception of Alicia Keys, it's not selling well - "Adorn" by Miguel just hit #1 on the Rhythmic chart, and it didn't even crack the Top 100 on I-Tunes

Wow, I didn't realize there was so much disparity between that Top 100 chart and Rhythmic!

Anyway, just for the sake of variety, I'd hope that rock music continues to do well and that R&B and non-dance rap music can make a sort of "comeback". I remember just a few years ago when there was almost no rock music on pop radio and some pop stations were basically rhythmic stations. So variety has increased a lot in recent years.

Well 2 Chainz, Kanye West, French Montana, Trey Songz, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, Wiz Khalifa, and Kendrick Lamar may influence a sort of non-dance hip hop comeback for those stations that follow a rhythmic leaning top 40 format. If anything, I feel like "Clique" by Kanye ft Jay-Z and 2 Chainz has a big chance at making it into top 40, and that style of hip hop sound is going back to the roots of real 90's/early 00's style rap.

Not sure what R&B is going to do. It's already shocking enough to see Miguel and Alicia Keys cross over. Maybe it's time for Keri Hilson, Beyonce, or even Ciara to try something new.

I wonder what Jay Sean is up to.

 

[Wildstyle K]

As far as the harder rock type sound, it seems as if Neon Trees are the ones using the hardest alternative rock type sound out of all current mainstream top 40 pop rock acts. I wonder if anyone else will try to use a more full on rockish-type sound as oppose to the soft more acoustic or extremely watered down pop/rock. Will we eventually get back to the old Linkin Park, Shinedown, or Green Day type alternative rock type sound with full rock guitar?

 

[atlantaboy]

Will we eventually get back to the old Linkin Park, Shinedown, or Green Day type alternative rock type sound with full rock guitar?

Remember, anything that sounds remotely like Nickelback now sounds dated and too "adult" for CHR - so I'd say not for the next 5 years

 

[Wildstyle K]

Will we eventually get back to the old Linkin Park, Shinedown, or Green Day type alternative rock type sound with full rock guitar?

Remember, anything that sounds remotely like Nickelback now sounds dated and too "adult" for CHR - so I'd say not for the next 5 years

What about this type of full alternative rock sound?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i87uV7dqdIc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=klq89RXOX9o

I'm talking about a modernized version of the old full alternative rock type sound. At some point things are going to have to get harder than they are now for pop/rock.

 

[chrocket87]

Alternative stations won't even play the harder rock-why would CHR? Just about with a riff has been flushed from Alt-"rock" stations.

 

[atlantaboy]

Will we eventually get back to the old Linkin Park, Shinedown, or Green Day type alternative rock type sound with full rock guitar?

Remember, anything that sounds remotely like Nickelback now sounds dated and too "adult" for CHR - so I'd say not for the next 5 years

What about this type of full alternative rock sound?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i87uV7dqdIc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=klq89RXOX9o

My Darkest Days definitely doesn't appeal to females IMO - it's extremely rare for Active Rock to cross over to CHR, because the demographics are complete opposites

 

[Wildstyle K]

My Darkest Days definitely doesn't appeal to females IMO

LOL I can see why now, now that I think of it.

 

[atlantaboy]

KIIS/Los Angeles just added Mumford & Sons!! I can't believe it!

 

[carolinaradio]

I guess I'm in a minority, since I listen to Alternative regularly - but the last thing I really want is to hear tracks that I'm tired of/have been played to death on Alternative to start getting played on CHR (examples would be Fun, The Lumineers, Alex Clare, etc)....

 

[bluestar4]

I guess I'm in a minority, since I listen to Alternative regularly - but the last thing I really want is to hear tracks that I'm tired of/have been played to death on Alternative to start getting played on CHR (examples would be Fun, The Lumineers, Alex Clare, etc)....

I agree with you and it's the same the other way as well. Some alt stations have decided to play "Home" by Phillip Phillips even though Pop is playing it to death now. It's not "alternative" and it's not rock. It's inevitable that some songs are going to crossover from alternative to pop, but when 50% of the songs on alternative are being played on pop, alternative really needs to take a better look at what they're playing.

 

[atlantaboy]

I guess I'm in a minority, since I listen to Alternative regularly - but the last thing I really want is to hear tracks that I'm tired of/have been played to death on Alternative to start getting played on CHR (examples would be Fun, The Lumineers, Alex Clare, etc)....

That's how almost all new bands get started, though - once they're established on CHR (possibly by the time the follow-up CD comes out), the label will start sending new tracks to Alternative and CHR simultaneously

 

[Wildstyle K]

Muse - Madness

Now playing on KMVA Hot 97.5!
Not the first time I heard it here.

 

[atlantaboy]

Z100/New York just added Mumford & Sons! (It's now on Z100 and KIIS)

I think we're definitely in a new era, here...weird that a year ago only 2 or 3 stations in the country would even consider it

 

[justpassingthough]

Z100/New York just added Mumford & Sons! (It's now on Z100 and KIIS)

I think we're definitely in a new era, here...weird that a year ago only 2 or 3 stations in the country would even consider it

How many CHR stations ultimately added "Little Lion Man"? It seems like that was a bigger pop hit than "I Will Wait" (which quite frankly seems like a retread of their material from their last album).

 

[atlantaboy]

Z100/New York just added Mumford & Sons! (It's now on Z100 and KIIS)

I think we're definitely in a new era, here...weird that a year ago only 2 or 3 stations in the country would even consider it

How many CHR stations ultimately added "Little Lion Man"? It seems like that was a bigger pop hit than "I Will Wait" (which quite frankly seems like a retread of their material from their last album).

Only 3 or 4 stations nationwide (on the Mediabase panel) ever played "Little Lion Man", all in tiny markets, so "I Will Wait" is already the bigger pop hit - I agree about it sounding similar to their previous stuff, but I'm guessing a lot of the pop audience never heard their last CD, so it probably sounds novel to them

 

[justpassingthough]

Z100/New York just added Mumford & Sons! (It's now on Z100 and KIIS)

I think we're definitely in a new era, here...weird that a year ago only 2 or 3 stations in the country would even consider it

How many CHR stations ultimately added "Little Lion Man"? It seems like that was a bigger pop hit than "I Will Wait" (which quite frankly seems like a retread of their material from their last album).

Only 3 or 4 stations nationwide (on the Mediabase panel) ever played "Little Lion Man", all in tiny markets, so "I Will Wait" is already the bigger pop hit - I agree about it sounding similar to their previous stuff, but I'm guessing a lot of the pop audience never heard their last CD, so it probably sounds novel to them

Thanks for the clarification. With KROQ and KYSR in LA, its hard to remember that some people never hear the alternative artists like Mumford & Sons. I could have sworn they got play on CHR but I guess I was wrong.

 

[steve82655]

Has anyone heard the new Bruno Mars "locked our of heaven" track? This may become one of my favorites of this season. Notice how it not only sounds absolutely well done, but it's heavily on the pop-rock / modern soft alternative side of sound! I'm also sure it's going to be a huge hit. I don't know if people are noticing, but pop/rock and alternative seem to slowly be sneaking back into the mainstream top 40 sound around the same time more pop artists begin to drift away from the faster dance beats and start using various beats of slower tempos. I'm not saying dance is dying, but I am saying it looks as if things are slowly beginning to change

I wonder how many people will jump on the "Bruno Mars - Locked Out of Heaven" type sound. There may be a new r&b/pop/rock hybrid sound to be born from the things that are going on these days. Not only that, but more pop/rock artists may start leaning away from the soft "conservative pop rock" sound and start going back more towards actual full guitar rock sounds.

I bet if Peter Bjorn and John were singing on this track instead of Bruno Mars, it would be all over alternative radio. I've heard other things that made me feel as if the alternative sound may return, but when I first heard the Bruno Mars track on the radio and found out it was Bruno Mars, I was SHOCKED!

I like more faster beats I just hope chr/top 40 is not going to become lame again! Like to was in the mid to late 2000's! Now however I do like "Bruno Mars - Locked Out of Heaven" and "Imagine Dragons - It's time".

 

[atlantaboy]

On CHR...
56 45 MUMFORD & SONS I Will Wait 440 223 217 3.181
32 31 OF MONSTERS AND MEN Little Talks 1474 1284 190 7.381
23 23 IMAGINE DRAGONS It's Time 3830 3750 80 25.379
12 13 ED SHEERAN The A Team 7974 7899 75 52.856
3 2 LUMINEERS Ho Hey 12461 12135 326 92.471

Keeping in mind these are bullets during the holiday freeze...