70's-style AM radio - anywhere locally?

landtuna · May 24, 2021

DavidEduardo said:
(Emphasis mine)

That is where this argument fails. 60's and 70's music is great to those who lived the era when those songs were "currents". It is far less relevant to someone born in the 70's who grew up on 80's and 90's songs. Or someone born in the 90's who grew up on 00's and 10's songs.

It's not an argument. It's an opinion.

DavidEduardo said:
Each generation has their music. And many, born further in the past, also accept and enjoy the music of subsequent decades and eras. But, to most of us, the music of prior generations is not appealing (unless you look at timeless music like classical and some jazz); it was "our parent's music".

My parents listened primarily to Swing and some Classical. I've got some favs from those era's but I am not turned off just because it was "my parent's music". Music has to stand on its own and not because someone else liked it or its popularity on a radio station or chart. You would probably be surprised at the number of One Hit Wonders I have in my library.

DavidEduardo said:
I grew up on Buddy Holly and the Four Seasons. There are some songs from that era I still like to hear... but most are tiring and, just, old. I loved a lot of the 70's, including the Bee Gees and even Manilow. I don't want to hear "Born to be Alive" or "YMCA" any more. 80's the same... lots of great songs from Michael, Police, Madonna, Dire Straits, REO Speedwagon. Some are still very listenable.

We are not that different in age but we are very different in music taste (your oldies taste, not the Latin type). Today's pop music is more about personalities and their videos and not genre or diversity (yes, that modern definition going back to the 50's). My definition consists of a wide variety of music and not just the warbling of some over-cosmetically applied singer with weird hair singing songs that sound virtually alike.

DavidEduardo said:
But my point is that each decade and every year seems to have plenty of songs that are just as good as a year ago and a decade ago and two decades ago and...

On this we will never agree. I will say that anything put on pop radio in any decade will become the goto music of that generation but that does not make it the best ever. I have often said this generation has the technology to create some very good music but they have failed miserably.

DavidEduardo said:
It's a lot more fun not to be stuck in an era. That means ever time I hear the radio playing a current based station (or ask Alexa to spin some songs), I can be surprised with something new to add to my repertoire.

I am not stuck in one era. I am stuck in many. Doo Wop, Be Bop, Beach, Protest, Folk and Folk Rock, <some> Disco, <very little> Jazz, Instrumental, <some> Country (and more Classic Country), and some Swing (the best dance music ever although these bones are way too old for that kind of dancing). About the only music I tend to like after the mid-80's is some New Age.

I think that is enough variety for one old soul.

DavidEduardo · May 24, 2021

landtuna said:
It's not an argument. It's an opinion.

All the research that I have been conducted over the last 40 years shows that people are, overwhelmingly, partisans first to the music they liked as a teen. Anything else is an expansion, and there is generally less passion for music that precedes their adolescence.

landtuna said:
My parents listened primarily to Swing and some Classical. I've got some favs from those era's but I am not turned off just because it was "my parent's music". Music has to stand on its own and not because someone else liked it or its popularity on a radio station or chart. You would probably be surprised at the number of One Hit Wonders I have in my library.

But, in general, "parent's music" has nowhere near the passionate appeal that the music of one's peer group does.

landtuna said:
We are not that different in age but we are very different in music taste (your oldies taste, not the Latin type). Today's pop music is more about personalities and their videos and not genre or diversity (yes, that modern definition going back to the 50's). My definition consists of a wide variety of music and not just the warbling of some over-cosmetically applied singer with weird hair singing songs that sound virtually alike.

That's your opinion because you are not involved in the music. Were that different, you'd see the variety and differences. What you are finding is similar to what happens when an American meets people from Southeast Asia for the first time and thinks "they all look the same". They don't, of course, but the reaction is due to lack of exposure not reality.

landtuna said:
On this we will never agree. I will say that anything put on pop radio in any decade will become the goto music of that generation but that does not make it the best ever. I have often said this generation has the technology to create some very good music but they have failed miserably.

It's, as I said, the "best" for that generation. Some love to hear new music, others stay with the familiar. But that does not make music of any decade or era "better" and that is my point.

landtuna said:
I am not stuck in one era. I am stuck in many. Doo Wop, Be Bop, Beach, Protest, Folk and Folk Rock, <some> Disco, <very little> Jazz, Instrumental, <some> Country (and more Classic Country), and some Swing (the best dance music ever although these bones are way too old for that kind of dancing). About the only music I tend to like after the mid-80's is some New Age.

Doo-wop, be-bop, beach, protest, folk and folk rock and even disco are all very slight variants of the music of the mid-50's to the later 70's. Disco collapsed in 1980.

A lot of country is pop with slightly different instrumentation, and many of us have made the transition or expansion to include country in our preferences.

But my point is that CHR stations today get plenty of 35-44 and even some 45-54 listeners because many people have "kept up" with music. Remember, even hip hop is 42 years old, with "Rapper's Delight" being the 1979 benchmark. And that is still a great song!

landtuna said:
I think that is enough variety for one old soul.

Kelly A · May 24, 2021

Back in the 80's a Portland Oregon station AM station went all-Elvis, catering to an older audience even back then. The station lasted six months before they ran out of money and shut down. I ended up getting their transmitter after it had been seized when they stopped making the payments.

semoochie · May 25, 2021

Kelly A said:
Back in the 80's a Portland Oregon station AM station went all-Elvis, catering to an older audience even back then. The station lasted six months before they ran out of money and shut down. I ended up getting their transmitter after it had been seized when they stopped making the payments.

That was a special situation where the new owner failed to make payments and the station went back to the previous one. It was right after the first All Elvis station debuted and he obtained a slew of Elvis songs, got interns to play the music and ran with it until another new owner could be found. The first new owner had a format of old time radio shows with corresponding older music. I don't think a station playing Elvis in 1980 would be catering to an older audience. I was 26 in 1980 and just missed his heyday. 30-45 sounds about right.

gr8oldies · May 25, 2021

semoochie said:
That was a special situation where the new owner failed to make payments and the station went back to the previous one. It was right after the first All Elvis station debuted and he obtained a slew of Elvis songs, got interns to play the music and ran with it until another new owner could be found. The first new owner had a format of old time radio shows with corresponding older music. I don't think a station playing Elvis in 1980 would be catering to an older audience. I was 26 in 1980 and just missed his heyday. 30-45 sounds about right.

WCVG in Covington, KY went all-Elvis for a time. They got good publicity, but it didn't last long.

semoochie · May 25, 2021

gr8oldies said:
WCVG in Covington, KY went all-Elvis for a time. They got good publicity, but it didn't last long.

That's right. It was the first station on the format. KLVS was the second, right on its heels.

landtuna · May 25, 2021

DavidEduardo said:
All the research that I have been conducted over the last 40 years shows that people are, overwhelmingly, partisans first to the music they liked as a teen. Anything else is an expansion, and there is generally less passion for music that precedes their adolescence.

If that were true for my generation then Buddy Holly, Fats Domino and Rick Nelson would still be popular. Instead, the most popular music for my gen appears to be the 70's (excluding Disco).

DavidEduardo said:
That's your opinion because you are not involved in the music. Were that different, you'd see the variety and differences. What you are finding is similar to what happens when an American meets people from Southeast Asia for the first time and thinks "they all look the same". They don't, of course, but the reaction is due to lack of exposure not reality.

I've heard that refrain many times but it was not true with me when I first landed in Japan, Taiwan and Vietnam. Nor has it ever been true with another culture close to me: Mexicans.

DavidEduardo said:
It's, as I said, the "best" for that generation. Some love to hear new music, others stay with the familiar. But that does not make music of any decade or era "better" and that is my point.

I understand your point but if I'd never listened to "new" music I would not like 60's or 70's or all their variations. I listened to Disco (didn't like most of it). I listened to Grunge (hated all of it). I listened to "Hair bands (it's junk). I couldn't help listening to Rap (it's not real music). You get the idea. I've been known to spend a few evenings listening to Mariachi and even though I can't follow all the lyrics I like the presentation (and the beer).

DavidEduardo said:
A lot of country is pop with slightly different instrumentation, and many of us have made the transition or expansion to include country in our preferences.

Here is a genre where the artist means more to me than the individual song. I much prefer the older, classic C&W to the newer "video cowboys" where big belt buckles, t-shirts and cowboy hats are essential to a presentation. Reminds me of the old time movie cowboys like Roy Rogers all decked out in fringe and silver saddles and much more suited to life on the Grand Old Opry than a working ranch. And yes, I remember him as Leonard Slye when he was a member of the Sons of the Pioneers.

DavidEduardo said:
But my point is that CHR stations today get plenty of 35-44 and even some 45-54 listeners because many people have "kept up" with music. Remember, even hip hop is 42 years old, with "Rapper's Delight" being the 1979 benchmark. And that is still a great song!

I couldn't tell you - I doubt I've ever heard it. I have 4 kids. One listens to Foreign (because she was adopted from Eastern Europe). One listens to Country (he learned the habit in the Marine Corps but before that he listened to Oldies). The other two don't use the radio at all (in fact, they don't listen to much of anything). I don't have a single example of Hip Hop, Blues or Rap in my library (or any of the other genres I listed before). I have enough music in rotation that I don't have to worry about hearing the same one very often. If I do have the radio on in the car (about the only time radio is on anywhere near me) it is on an Oldies digital station. I can hear songs from over 30 years of great music and don't have to listen to the garbage being produced these days. I cannot imagine what it is like for a modern DJ to have to listen to people like Lady Gaga or Justin Bieber for 4 or 5 hour shifts these days.

semoochie · May 26, 2021

landtuna said:
If that were true for my generation then Buddy Holly, Fats Domino and Rick Nelson would still be popular. Instead, the most popular music for my gen appears to be the 70's (excluding Disco).

I've heard that refrain many times but it was not true with me when I first landed in Japan, Taiwan and Vietnam. Nor has it ever been true with another culture close to me: Mexicans.

I understand your point but if I'd never listened to "new" music I would not like 60's or 70's or all their variations. I listened to Disco (didn't like most of it). I listened to Grunge (hated all of it). I listened to "Hair bands (it's junk). I couldn't help listening to Rap (it's not real music). You get the idea. I've been known to spend a few evenings listening to Mariachi and even though I can't follow all the lyrics I like the presentation (and the beer).

Here is a genre where the artist means more to me than the individual song. I much prefer the older, classic C&W to the newer "video cowboys" where big belt buckles, t-shirts and cowboy hats are essential to a presentation. Reminds me of the old time movie cowboys like Roy Rogers all decked out in fringe and silver saddles and much more suited to life on the Grand Old Opry than a working ranch. And yes, I remember him as Leonard Slye when he was a member of the Sons of the Pioneers.

I couldn't tell you - I doubt I've ever heard it. I have 4 kids. One listens to Foreign (because she was adopted from Eastern Europe). One listens to Country (he learned the habit in the Marine Corps but before that he listened to Oldies). The other two don't use the radio at all (in fact, they don't listen to much of anything). I don't have a single example of Hip Hop, Blues or Rap in my library (or any of the other genres I listed before). I have enough music in rotation that I don't have to worry about hearing the same one very often. If I do have the radio on in the car (about the only time radio is on anywhere near me) it is on an Oldies digital station. I can hear songs from over 30 years of great music and don't have to listen to the garbage being produced these days. I cannot imagine what it is like for a modern DJ to have to listen to people like Lady Gaga or Justin Bieber for 4 or 5 hour shifts these days.

I'm intrigued that someone who remembers Roy Rogers as Leonard Slye gives a whit about Buddy Holly, Fats Domino and Rick Nelson, Ozzie Nelson maybe. He changed his name in 1938.

landtuna · May 27, 2021

semoochie said:
I'm intrigued that someone who remembers Roy Rogers as Leonard Slye gives a whit about Buddy Holly, Fats Domino and Rick Nelson, Ozzie Nelson maybe. He changed his name in 1938.

When I was a little boy (early 50's) and began listening to radio and watching TV, Westerns were a staple. Although I didn't especially like Roy Rogers (I thought he was way too much a "dimestore cowboy" I was aware he was a member of the Sons of the Pioneers and his real name was not Roy Rogers. Cowboy groups were reasonably popular on the radio where I grew up and "Sons" one of the most popular of these.

Buddy Holly was one of the original Rock and Rollers and very popular until his tragic death in 1959. Likewise Fats who created ideal music to dance to and was one of the most popular Black musicians with White teen audiences.

Rick Nelson was one of the most popular singers of the late 50's and appeared almost every week on his parent's TV show "The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet" - one of America's most popular early sitcoms. Ozzie's given name was Oswald so his natural nickname was Ozzie. I am not aware he ever changed his name.

landtuna · May 27, 2021

johndavis said:
I can't tell you what makes one song endure over another as time passes, but I can tell you that it has nothing to do with where it peaked on the chart.

My late sister and I (16 months apart in age) used to engage in discussions about "covers" and "originals". She tended to like covers and I went the other way. Over the years we kept an unofficial tally. I chalked up a grand total of one (1) cover that I liked more than the original but I can't remember it now. Her score was far higher. No idea why we were so different.

semoochie · May 28, 2021

landtuna said:
When I was a little boy (early 50's) and began listening to radio and watching TV, Westerns were a staple. Although I didn't especially like Roy Rogers (I thought he was way too much a "dimestore cowboy" I was aware he was a member of the Sons of the Pioneers and his real name was not Roy Rogers. Cowboy groups were reasonably popular on the radio where I grew up and "Sons" one of the most popular of these.

Buddy Holly was one of the original Rock and Rollers and very popular until his tragic death in 1959. Likewise Fats who created ideal music to dance to and was one of the most popular Black musicians with White teen audiences.

Rick Nelson was one of the most popular singers of the late 50's and appeared almost every week on his parent's TV show "The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet" - one of America's most popular early sitcoms. Ozzie's given name was Oswald so his natural nickname was Ozzie. I am not aware he ever changed his name.

Here is the sentence that made me jump to the wrong conclusion: "I remember him as Leonard Slye when he was a member of the Sons of the Pioneers." This is like my kids saying they remember "My Girl"! They remember it as an oldie.

CTListener · May 28, 2021

landtuna said:
I cannot imagine what it is like for a modern DJ to have to listen to people like Lady Gaga or Justin Bieber for 4 or 5 hour shifts these days.

I wonder if you or any of the many others who always cite Bieber as the epitome of the decline of popular music have ever listened to any of his songs. I have, and the ones I've heard are catchy and pleasant to listen to, and this is coming from a 66-year-old. I'm not really sure he can sing, as his vocals often sound processed in some way, but the songs themselves and their production values don't really bother me.

As for Lady Gaga, she CAN sing, and her music as not at all bizarre or non-melodic. Her silly baby-talk performing name may be a turn-off to you personally, and might lead you to the conclusion that she has neither substance nor talent. I can see that, but remember, "our" musical generation had performers who went by names like Lobo and Engelbert Humperdinck. How were they that different from Lady Gaga and The Weeknd?

AbrahamJSimpson · May 28, 2021

They aren’t. And the tiresome “my generation was better” nonsense is nothing if not predictable.

gr8oldies · May 28, 2021

CTListener said:
: I wonder if you or any of the many others who always cite Bieber as the epitome of the decline of popular music have ever listened to any of his songs. I have, and the ones I've heard are catchy and pleasant to listen to, and this is coming from a 66-year-old. I'm not really sure he can sing, as his vocals often sound processed in some way, but the songs themselves and their production values don't really bother me.

As for Lady Gaga, she CAN sing, and her music as not at all bizarre or non-melodic. Her silly baby-talk performing name may be a turn-off to you personally, and might lead you to the conclusion that she has neither substance nor talent. I can see that, but remember, "our" musical generation had performers who went by names like Lobo and Engelbert Humperdinck. How were they that different from Lady Gaga and The Weeknd?

Gary Lewis (of The Playboys) couldn't sing to the point that his lead vocals were doubled by background singers. There's a Twitter chat that started that happens every Saturday along with the airing of American Top 40: The 70s o"n Sirius XM. Its full of comments about "what the hell was that"? and "how did we ever like cheese like that?". Some compliments for some songs of course. People claiming "radio should play everything that ever charted" would get a lesson why it's not.
Sean Ross wrote about it. ‘AT40’ vs. The Lost Factor - RadioInsight

Kelly A · May 28, 2021

AbrahamJSimpson said:
They aren’t. And the tiresome “my generation was better” nonsense is nothing if not predictable.

Exactly. That, and it's unlikely a radio station running ultra-oldies could remain viable. For radio, ad agencies aren't interested in reaching that demo. Unlike TV, drug companies aren't interested in reaching Boomers via radio.

Over the years this forum has addressed the question; What about a format specifically for my generation? Many times, with the same answer.
I suggest subscribing to SiriusXM, where you can hear old DJ's playing old music to an old audience, just like back in the day.

gr8oldies · May 28, 2021

Kelly A said:
Exactly. That, and it's unlikely a radio station running ultra-oldies could remain viable. For radio, ad agencies aren't interested in reaching that demo. Unlike TV, drug companies aren't interested in reaching Boomers via radio.

Over the years this forum has addressed the question; What about a format specifically for my generation? Many times, with the same answer.
I suggest subscribing to SiriusXM, where you can hear old DJ's playing old music to an old audience, just like back in the day.

Our music has had a longer run than it should have as is, some of the remaining attempts to play oldies on terrestrial are pathetic. We have one locally that sounds like it literally ripped a GoldDisc library and plays it in random order. Most of the jocks who could perform the format like it was have passed on or died. There are thousands of hours of airchecks online, and plenty of internet streams.

AbrahamJSimpson · May 28, 2021

I don’t even necessarily want to hear the format “as it was presented.” Maybe some do, no doubt some do. But tastes can change both in terms of the musical content and the trappings.

I don’t need either the meandering MOR style presentation, pleasant as it may have been, or the over the top “hot hits” style, both of which were part of my formative years. Many of the songs retain a soft spot, but the packaging? Meh. Kelly’s point about XM is interesting. With tastes than lean heavily 80s, “80s on 8” is a frequent choice. The old personalities are there, granted in audio format only vs MTV, but they’re not trying to recreate 80s radio per se (jingles aside).

The past is lovely and memories are grand, but it’s not a place to live nor a reason to not recognize that these will be the good old days to someone else.

Kelly A · May 28, 2021

gr8oldies said:
Our music has had a longer run than it should have as is, some of the remaining attempts to play oldies on terrestrial are pathetic. We have one locally that sounds like it literally ripped a GoldDisc library and plays it in random order. Most of the jocks who could perform the format like it was have passed on or died. There are thousands of hours of airchecks online, and plenty of internet streams.

But that's my point; several of the old jocks out of markets like Chicago, LA, San Diego, and NYC are still tracking shows over at SiriusXM "60's on 6". It's a subscription, but a more reliable place to find exactly what you're talking about right now, today. SXM also has several niche'-era streaming channels, minus the jocks featuring even more splintered era music like: (gawd awful) doo wap, disco, soul, you name it.

CTListener · May 28, 2021

DavidEduardo said:
It's a lot more fun not to be stuck in an era. That means ever time I hear the radio playing a current based station (or ask Alexa to spin some songs), I can be surprised with something new to add to my repertoire.

Over the last few months, I've returned to listening to contemporary country after years of Sirius XM's '60-thru-'90s country channels. Seems like every time I'm in my car I'm discovering some new song, or a recurrent I missed totally, that is catchy melodically, clever and insightful lyrically, and has a lot going for it instrumentally and production-wise. Does it sound like Merle Haggard or Ricky Skaggs or Patty Loveless? No, but it sure sounds country at its core just as much as records by those other artists did. A boomer who last bought country music when Travis Tritt and John Michael Montgomery were ruling the charts is now filling his library with Dierks Bentley and Zac Brown Band.

landtuna · May 28, 2021

gr8oldies said:
Our music has had a longer run than it should have as is, some of the remaining attempts to play oldies on terrestrial are pathetic. We have one locally that sounds like it literally ripped a GoldDisc library and plays it in random order. Most of the jocks who could perform the format like it was have passed on or died. There are thousands of hours of airchecks online, and plenty of internet streams.

I think a little definition is in order. I was not talking about radio stations, their DJ's, ad agencies, or the people who listened to whatever genre was being played. My subject was about the quality of the music. That, and that only.

I'm no longer a teenager and I'm not in the radio station business. If they play the music I like then I listen. More often I do not (too many commercials). They tend to flip formats way too often. If today's music is so good why can't they make it work?

DJ's come and go. My favorites are all gone. Mostly because radio is such a miserable business they all went elsewhere.

It doesn't matter to me whether anyone but me listens to my music or not. I have no vested interest in your interests. I have everything I like. I'm not looking for anything new.

70's-style AM radio - anywhere locally?

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