Why is rock the only genre that Classic Hits stations tend to lean toward?

[new_friends_gr]

My take is that the more "rhythmic" classic hits tend to be heard on the R&B oldies stations, thus there is less of a need to play them on the other classic hit stations.

Good point, but there are a lot of markets that don't have R&B oldies stations. Those markets are just out of luck when it comes to hearing "rhythmic" classic hits (unless it's lucky enough to have a good Classic Hits station!).

 

[AM FM listener]

My take is that the more "rhythmic" classic hits tend to be heard on the R&B oldies stations, thus there is less of a need to play them on the other classic hit stations.

However, there are also a lot of Classic Rock stations on which to hear the rock hits, yet Classic Hits stations still lean rock.

 

[firepoint525]

My take is that the more "rhythmic" classic hits tend to be heard on the R&B oldies stations, thus there is less of a need to play them on the other classic hit stations.

Good point, but there are a lot of markets that don't have R&B oldies stations. Those markets are just out of luck when it comes to hearing "rhythmic" classic hits (unless it's lucky enough to have a good Classic Hits station!).

We have had that situation here. I remember when there were TWO such stations here (at the same time, ironically), but both only kept their urban-leaning oldies formats for about a year apiece. If I want to listen to such music now, I must usually go to my music collection.

My take is that the more "rhythmic" classic hits tend to be heard on the R&B oldies stations, thus there is less of a need to play them on the other classic hit stations.

However, there are also a lot of Classic Rock stations on which to hear the rock hits, yet Classic Hits stations still lean rock.

There is an urban AC station near me, but their signal is not strong enough for me to pick it up here. I live in a county which is about 97% white, so there just is not much demand for that music here. The situation may be the same where you live.

Why can't a classic hits station just be straight-up "pop" without "leaning" in one direction or another? Yeah, I've got a classic rocker here, too, if I am in the mood for that type of music.

 

[AM FM listener]

My take is that the more "rhythmic" classic hits tend to be heard on the R&B oldies stations, thus there is less of a need to play them on the other classic hit stations.

However, there are also a lot of Classic Rock stations on which to hear the rock hits, yet Classic Hits stations still lean rock.

There is an urban AC station near me, but their signal is not strong enough for me to pick it up here. I live in a county which is about 97% white, so there just is not much demand for that music here. The situation may be the same where you live.

Why can't a classic hits station just be straight-up "pop" without "leaning" in one direction or another? Yeah, I've got a classic rocker here, too, if I am in the mood for that type of music.



I live in LA county, which is about 40% non-Hispanic white. We have one Rhythmic Oldies, KHHT, two Classic Rock stations, KLOS and KSWD, and an Adult Hits station that leans rock, KCBS-FM. Our Classic Hits station, KRTH, plays some R&B and 70's dance, but still leans rock, overall.

 

[stevations]

I asked a similar question about rock stations on the NYC board......years ago every city had a station calling themselves the Home Of Rock and Roll. Now many big cities do not have a rock station. The answer I got back was that rock splintered. I guess it is like those meteors that fall to earth. They shine brightly and get a lot of attention then fall apart. As mentioned back in the 60s and 70s people who listened to radio never asked themselves if a song was country, dance or rock. Some where a little of each and but it did not matter. Seems today it does matter. Maybe it is one reason radio is faltering. The music keeps splintering more.

 

[firepoint525]

Back in the early '80s, the AM top 40 station in the small town where I lived added an FM station, and moved the top 40 format over to that FM station. But the "country crossover" tunes largely remained on their AM signal. The first full year that that FM station was on the air (1983), I heard maybe two "country crossover" songs on that frequency all year. One was "Swingin'" by John Anderson, and the other was "Islands in the Stream" by Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton. Both were such big hits that top 40 could not ignore them. But by the following year, even those were gone.

 

[landtuna]

... and the other was "Islands in the Stream" by Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton. Both were such big hits that top 40 could not ignore them.

Not to take this off-track but why was this song considered "Country"?

Because Kenny Rogers was primarily a Country artist?

Because Dolly Parton was primarily a Country artist?

Because the song sure wasn't.

 

[firepoint525]

... and the other was "Islands in the Stream" by Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton. Both were such big hits that top 40 could not ignore them.

Not to take this off-track but why was this song considered "Country"?
Because Kenny Rogers was primarily a Country artist?
Because Dolly Parton was primarily a Country artist?
Because the song sure wasn't.

Yeah, it was written by the Gibb brothers, who in 1983 could not get a hit of their own (anymore) but were still white-hot as writers and producers for other artists. But yet, it was still a #1 country hit for two weeks, a #1 pop hit for two weeks, and a #1 AC hit for four weeks. Still, I believe that this one was the proverbial "straw that broke the camel's back" with regards to country crossovers. After this one, it was years before another predominantly "country" song crossed over to the pop charts. I believe that pop fans had had it with country "crossovers." I know that I had.