Adult Hits vs Classic Hits

Can someone please explain the difference between the two. I have googled them, but most of the time Adult Hits seem to say no DJ's compared to DJ's on classic hits. The thing is Ben-FM does have DJ's. Does Adult Hits dig a lot deeper into variety compared to classic hits stations? I mean i hear some of the same songs on both, but then you tend to hear some more genre's of 80s on Ben-FM(80s Rock, 80s hip hop etc.) I have noticed that they def update their playlists a lot more than WOGL, but WOGL's ratings are pretty good, so why would they change. Any ideas?

Typically, an Adult Hits station would be Jack. Of course Ben is a Jack knock-off, so they don't use the trademarked format. But they tend to be more rock oriented than a classic hits station, which is designed to recreate a CHR station from the 80s.

In the 80s, thanks to various consultants, rock stations became as formatted as pop stations, just with different artists. But then, some rock artists crossed over to pop. So you might hear some Supertramp songs on CHR, some on rock. Once Supertramp had a big hit, they got less airplay on rock stations. But you may hear them on both.

TheBigA said:

Typically, an Adult Hits station would be Jack. Of course Ben is a Jack knock-off, so they don't use the trademarked format. But they tend to be more rock oriented than a classic hits station, which is designed to recreate a CHR station from the 80s.

In the 80s, thanks to various consultants, rock stations became as formatted as pop stations, just with different artists. But then, some rock artists crossed over to pop. So you might hear some Supertramp songs on CHR, some on rock. Once Supertramp had a big hit, they got less airplay on rock stations. But you may hear them on both.

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I feel like "Adult Hits" can be MUCH more flexible than "Classic Hits"

In some markets, the "Adult Hits" station is the de facto Classic Hits station. In other markets, the "Adults Hits" station may sprinkle in some newer AC (or even Hot AC) tunes since no one else is doing it. And in some markets, the "Adult Hits" station can be the Classic Rocker.

Adult Hits seems to have started as the "younger" Classic Hits option. But as many haven't pushed the library much out of the 80s, the Classic Hits stations are starting to sound similar as THEY move heavily into the 80s.

Long story short... there WAS A difference at first, but it has faded recently... and of course it varies market to market!

At one point, Ben had “almost currents,” before moving back to a more 80s centered (albeit sprinkled with newer songs) focus. So they’ve at times straddled several variations.

In some markets, adult hits station plays a lot of 90s and even 2000s, especially alternative from those decades. Classic hits are starting to enter the 90s, but at a much slower pace.

atthestars said:

Long story short... there WAS A difference at first, but it has faded recently... and of course it varies market to market!

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I agree, and that's what local radio should do, play the songs that attract the target demo, whatever genre those songs belong to. That's how radio has worked for over 60 years. Keep in mind these formats are using songs that were played on loose formats originally. You can't really hold to some hard rules about songs now when those artists and songs were played on multiple formats when they were currents. Sure there are some songs or artists who crossed over in the 80s. But some who never did. Those are the songs that define one station or another.

Some years ago, when Adult Hits was still a relatively new format in the U.S., I once heard it described as a cross between Classic Hits and Hot AC (Adult Top 40). The music spanned from the mid 1970s to, as someone else called it, "not quite current" (adult top 40 hits that have been around for six months at least).

atthestars said:

I feel like "Adult Hits" can be MUCH more flexible than "Classic Hits"

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There's a station up in Brattleboro, VT, that is mostly '70s/'80s rock-based classic hits, but will surprise now and then with a '90s track from Natalie Merchant, a disco track from The Emotions or even "God Bless the USA" by Lee Greenwood. Small-market, seat-of-the-pants programming, I'm sure, but in a tiny market like Brattleboro/Keene with no bigger market's stations competing for its listeners and advertisers, that probably doesn't matter.

That's basically it. Classic Hits stations mostly concentrate on the top hits of the 70s, 80s and 90s, although in some markets, its more 80s and 90s with a few 70s. Adult Hits will hit you with a few unusual songs per hour ("Can't Touch This" and "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" are often heard on Jack). Plus Adult Hits stations play more rock titles that weren't Top 40 hits, and they're more likely to include more recent songs. Basically you expect more variety from Adult Hits stations, with larger playlists. Jack stations often use the slogan "Playing What We Want." Meanwhile, you expect Classic Hits stations to play the same researched 400 songs over and over.

If you look at a market like Austin, with no Classic Hits station, KBPA "Bob" is always #1. While in Los Angeles, CBS/Entercom own both the Adult Hits and Classic Hits stations and both get good ratings, KCBS-FM Jack and K-Earth KRTH.

Here's our local radio scene, 100 miles NW of Philadelphia.

https://ratings.radio-online.com/cgi-bin/rol.exe/arb434

'Hanna-FM' -- the Susquehanna's Greatest Hits -- and 'Eagle 107' (WEGH) are both joys to hear in the car.

Median age of our usual car audience is 64.

Both stations are listed as Classic Hits. But Eagle 107 has an immense AoR-ish library. Hanna 92.3 plays some of the most bizarre music sweeps I can remember hearing (the Sunshine Company then BAD Company?!?!) but all their songs were Top 40 hits. It's a real coin flip in the car but a good one. When one starts in with a :45 minute marathon of commercials, we go to the other.

Another car button is WHLM 930 Bloomsburg. They're 'Oldies', the kind that many here remember them from the time WCBS-FM ditched their Jack format and went back in somewhat chicane form to what put The Golden 101 on the map in the first place.
Besides, a Long Island buddy of ours works at WHLM -- Bob Gale.

Of course, agency buys up here in un-rated Schuylkill County are un-heard of. But I have not heard a paucity of spots on any of those three stations. They are all reaching people they want to reach.

Adult Hits include titles that are 80's, 90's and in some cases currents (without the sleepy AC titles). You will hear very few pre 80's songs. Many are rock leaning.

Classic hits are mostly very familiar 70's and 80's tracks (and a few titles from the 90's that are testing well). Think classic American Top 40.

a Long Island buddy of ours works at WHLM -- Bob Gale.

Is this the same guy that did the news on WIBBAGE in the 60's during the Joe Niagara show, if so, a really great guy...

I was trying out my 3-year old Grundig S450 on the terrace as we had breakfast just today.
For what it's worth, here is an actual music sweep on what the ratings people call 'Classic Hits' WHNA-FM from Danville PA, Thursday morning, June 21:

'A Little Bit Me; A Little Bit You' -- Monkees
'You Can't Hurry Love' -- Phil Collins
'Smoke On The Water' -- Deep Purple (in morning DRIVE ?!?)
Some Mellencamp song -- 'young and restless' in the lyrics ; some gal sang a measure
'Thank You For Letting Me Be Myself' -- Sly & The Family Stone
'Come On Feel The Noise' -- Quiet Riot

Now, both Hanna-FM and the equally-pigeonholed Eagle 107 are listed in the ratings as 'Classic Hits'. And
doubtless they both are, in a way. But those demo lines are getting blurred between Oldies and Classic Rock.

As the wifester and I both age -- as if we had a choice -- it's nice having this kind of music variety in the car, as quarrelsome a time as the programmers might be having.

Steve Green NEPA said:

As the wifester and I both age -- as if we had a choice -- it's nice having this kind of music variety in the car, as quarrelsome a time as the programmers might be having.

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My suspicion is that the person programming the music at this station is not in the same demo as the audience, if you know what I mean.

Yikes.

I've no idea if the MD/PD is in or out of the desired demo. Big A. You, of course, know full well that the markets within a hundred miles of us here in Schuylkill County don't rely on agency buys (or even ratings all that much). I merely was suggesting that, irrespective of format label, music stations that serenade their audience (and which have no detectable dearth of sponsors) somehow are moseying along just fine in terms of revenue and comfort.

WHLM 930 is more along the lines of WOGL musically, maybe 5-10 years ago. Hanna-FM plays only hit singles but seemingly has complete -- and delightful -- disregard for 'genre' . Eagle 107 plays more album cuts than the other two do. To the wife and I, it's all the same Boomer music. Depends on the mood. Hooks is hooks.
And the commercial clutter, lol.
Markets such as Philly have other priorities.

Steve Green NEPA said:

I've no idea if the MD/PD is in or out of the desired demo. Big A.

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I said that because the music selection seems to be similar to Variety Hits, but ten years earlier.

I've heard WCBS out of New York play hits from the Early 2000's such as Counting Crows- Big Yellow Taxi and Hey Ya by Outkast and they identify as a Classic Hits station. But, New York also doesn't have an Adult Hits station so it may be in between formats

Sonic37 said:

New York also doesn't have an Adult Hits station so it may be in between formats

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They did at one time. WCBS flipped to Adult Hits for a short period, and listeners rebelled. So it kind of killed the format for NY.