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Do these songs get airplay?

eriedj

eriedj

Wasn't sure which format category to post this under, but wanted radio programmer's/researchers thoughts (since nowadays I'm a listener/music fan)

Do these song titles/artists still get positive results? Either for your format or in your experiences.

Abba - Knowing Me, Knowing You
Abba - The Winner Takes It All
Andrew Gold - Thank You For Being A Friend
Andy Gibb - (Love Is) Thicker Than Water
Billy Joel - Honesty
Carly Simon - Anticipation
Carole King - Sweet Seasons
Cat Stevens - Another Saturday Night
Chicago - Wishing You Were Here
Chris Rea - Fool (If You Think It's Over)
Cliff Richard - We Don't Talk Anymore
Commodores - Sail On
Commodores - Still
Eric Carmen - All By Myself
James Taylor - Handy Man
James Taylor - Mexico
John Stewart - Gold
Joni Mitchell - Help Me
Loggins & Messina - My Music
Major Harris - Love Won't Let Me Wait
Pablo Cruise - Whatcha Gonna Do
Robert John - Sad Eyes
Suzi Quatro/Chris Norman - Stumblin' In
 
eriedj said:
Wasn't sure which format category to post this under, but wanted radio programmer's/researchers thoughts (since nowadays I'm a listener/music fan)
Carly Simon - Anticipation
Chicago - Wishing You Were Here
Commodores - Sail On
Commodores - Still
Eric Carmen - All By Myself
James Taylor - Handy Man
James Taylor - Mexico
Robert John - Sad Eyes
Click to expand...
Not an oldies format but America's Best Music plays these, or most of them.
 
Those are all songs I played when I programmed a current-based AC from 1978 to 1981 and I'd at least include them in an auditorium test if I was setting up a new AC in a market.

These days we find more and more that some songs test well in some markets and poorly in others. There are probably only a couple hundred titles that seem to uniformly appeal to everyone in a 35-54 demo, regardless of where they live.

Sadly, even if those songs tested well, they would probably appeal to the upper ends of the AC demo. A listener who was 20 in 1978 is already outside the demo, at age 57. So you'd be dependent on some slightly younger listeners who remember those as "recent gold" when they were in their 20s. Those will grey out in the next several years too.

America's Best Music is today's equivalent of Music Of Your Life from 15 to 20 years ago. Gets plugged into an otherwise too expensive to run facility (often on AM) and is lucky to get a couple of local spots sold per hour.
 
I realise this thread is six months old, but I just wanted to add that most ABBA songs including the two you mention still get a lot of airplay in the UK, not only on oldies stations but also on AC as well.

I woke up to 'Waterloo' on my clock radio this morning, in fact.....
 
K.M. Richards said:
T
Sadly, even if those songs tested well, they would probably appeal to the upper ends of the AC demo. A listener who was 20 in 1978 is already outside the demo, at age 57. So you'd be dependent on some slightly younger listeners who remember those as "recent gold" when they were in their 20s. Those will grey out in the next several years too.
Click to expand...

Well most people have musical memories from well before they were twenty. Indeed for pop it's probably the majority of my favourite songs now I first heard before I was 15.

I'm 41 so would have been just 4 in 1978, but I can just about remember hearing ABBA on mum+dad's radio. I can clearly remember Macca's 'mull of kintyre' from the following year and even singing 'hey, teacher, leave those kids alone' in the infant school playground! By the time you get to 81 or 82, when I was 7 or 8 or so I can pretty much remember every big hit.
 
eriedj said:
Wasn't sure which format category to post this under, but wanted radio programmer's/researchers thoughts (since nowadays I'm a listener/music fan)

Do these song titles/artists still get positive results? Either for your format or in your experiences.



Abba - Knowing Me, Knowing You
Abba - The Winner Takes It All
Andrew Gold - Thank You For Being A Friend
Andy Gibb - (Love Is) Thicker Than Water
Billy Joel - Honesty
Carly Simon - Anticipation
Carole King - Sweet Seasons
Cat Stevens - Another Saturday Night
Chicago - Wishing You Were Here
Chris Rea - Fool (If You Think It's Over)
Cliff Richard - We Don't Talk Anymore
Commodores - Sail On
Commodores - Still
Eric Carmen - All By Myself
James Taylor - Handy Man
James Taylor - Mexico
John Stewart - Gold
Joni Mitchell - Help Me
Loggins & Messina - My Music
Major Harris - Love Won't Let Me Wait
Pablo Cruise - Whatcha Gonna Do
Robert John - Sad Eyes
Suzi Quatro/Chris Norman - Stumblin' In
Click to expand...
Most of these songs get a lot of AirPlay on SiriusXM's 70's on 7.
 
Depending on the format - Easy Listening or specialized programming or regional classic hits, seems like all or most of the songs in my list make occasional appearances on- air.
 
Thought I'd bring this one up for discussion. There's a Facebook group devoted to broadcasters who spun primarily vinyl during their careers. A thread in that group asked if you were a PD today, would you play Debbie Boone's You Light Up My Life? There were quite a few responses from people using the "It was a hit, so yes" remark. I am fully aware that most CH stations use music testing, so I am curious if anyone tests that particular song?

R
 
Abba - Knowing Me, Knowing You (seldom but occasionally)
Abba - The Winner Takes It All (rare if ever)
Andrew Gold - Thank You For Being A Friend (occasionally)
Andy Gibb - (Love Is) Thicker Than Water (sometimes)
Billy Joel - Honesty (often)
Carly Simon - Anticipation (fair to middlin' amount of plays)
Carole King - Sweet Seasons (sometimes)
Cat Stevens - Another Saturday Night (sometimes)
Chicago - Wishing You Were Here (often)
Chris Rea - Fool (If You Think It's Over) (rare-extra category)
Cliff Richard - We Don't Talk Anymore (often)
Commodores - Sail On (often)
Commodores - Still (sometimes)
Eric Carmen - All By Myself (sometimes)
James Taylor - Handy Man (sometimes)
James Taylor - Mexico (almost never)
John Stewart - Gold (almost never)
Joni Mitchell - Help Me (often)
Loggins & Messina - My Music (often)
Major Harris - Love Won't Let Me Wait (rare)
Pablo Cruise - Whatcha Gonna Do (often)
Robert John - Sad Eyes (often)
Suzi Quatro/Chris Norman - Stumblin' In (never)




Robert Bass said:
Thought I'd bring this one up for discussion. There's a Facebook group devoted to broadcasters who spun primarily vinyl during their careers. A thread in that group asked if you were a PD today, would you play Debbie Boone's You Light Up My Life? There were quite a few responses from people using the "It was a hit, so yes" remark. I am fully aware that most CH stations use music testing, so I am curious if anyone tests that particular song?

R
Click to expand...
 
Robert Bass said:
Thought I'd bring this one up for discussion. There's a Facebook group devoted to broadcasters who spun primarily vinyl during their careers. A thread in that group asked if you were a PD today, would you play Debbie Boone's You Light Up My Life? There were quite a few responses from people using the "It was a hit, so yes" remark. I am fully aware that most CH stations use music testing, so I am curious if anyone tests that particular song?

R
Click to expand...

Generally, if we test something and it "flunks" more than once, we don't test it again.

And any station that is testing will find that songs like that appeal, if at all, to folks over 55. Since nobody is testing against 55+, it is likely that the song will not test at all well against today's targets.
 
DavidEduardo said:


Generally, if we test something and it "flunks" more than once, we don't test it again.

And any station that is testing will find that songs like that appeal, if at all, to folks over 55. Since nobody is testing against 55+, it is likely that the song will not test at all well against today's targets.
Click to expand...

Thanks David!

R
 
I had a groom request "Daisy Jane" at a wedding a month ago. There's a long forgotten song from radio. :)
 
eriedj said:
I had a groom request "Daisy Jane" at a wedding a month ago. There's a long forgotten song from radio. :)
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Was the bride's name Daisy Jane?

R
 
Actually, it was for his dance with his Mom. It's one of her favorite songs.
 
WCBS-FM spins Mexico every now and then, I've seen it on some iHeart playlists too.
 
Robert Bass said:
A thread in that group asked if you were a PD today, would you play Debbie Boone's You Light Up My Life? There were quite a few responses from people using the "It was a hit, so yes" remark.
Click to expand...

#1 for 10 weeks in 1977, #1 ranked song of all the 70's. Yes, I would play it. Certainly not everyday or in regular rotation, but during a 70's weekend show, yes.
 
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