What's In A Word?

[texasradio]

Here is something for the group to chew on...

Maybe it's time to re-think the nicely labled boxes that we have attempted to put our music in.

What is a Standard? Is it an "evergreen" recording? And just how long will it remain evergreen?

What about the "Great American Songbook?" Is it still being written, or has the cover been slammed shut?

Depends on who you ask.

My listeners seem to be split on the subject. The old folks (those who tell us their age or are obviously calling from home) want to hear Bunny Berrigan, Benny Goodman, Vaughn Monroe, etc. Those listeners still in the workforce, (identified by cell phone calls while commuting) are asking for the Fifth Dimension, Rightous Brothers, Elvis, Ray Charles. Then there are those who ask for both...I've heard requests for Glen Miller and Lou Christie from the same listener.

Frankly, I don't think you can put the Standards format in a box. If your target audience is 45 years old, their "feel good" music was being performed when they were 10-20 years old. That works out to music recorded from 1972 to 1982 plus the oldies still receiving airplay during that period.

Correctly identifying those oldies (whether they are from the Glen Miller Band or the Steve Miller Band) is the real trick.

 

[Chuck]

Here is something for the group to chew on...

Maybe it's time to re-think the nicely labled boxes that we have attempted to put our music in.

What is a Standard? Is it an "evergreen" recording? And just how long will it remain evergreen?

What about the "Great American Songbook?" Is it still being written, or has the cover been slammed shut?

Depends on who you ask.

Those are good questions. A lot of what works for your station depends on what else is readily available in the market. If you already have three soft AC stations, you probably aren't going to win over many listeners by playing "more of the same."

It is also a mistake to think that any Standards station is going to have huge numbers. It isn't, but it can develop a very loyal audience who will stick with you. If you could somehow combine that loyalty with a terrific sense of community, I think you'd have a winner. As far as I know, it has never been done better than it was by Ron Chapman at KVIL in Dallas in the late 80's and early 90's. I honestly doubt that his listeners really cared what kind of music he was playing, just so long as the occasional tune was a good one.

Sadly, most (probably all) standards stations can't afford that kind of talent. But that doesn't mean that you should throw in the towel and settle for mediocrity. Unfortunately, most stations do.

 

[Bugler]

Wow. I just hit "reply" and here I am. Didn't even know I was a member here. But the topic question grabbed my attention.

Categorizing music is a challenge. Standards is a word I don't use, but to me it generally means old material, but not including Come On A My House or whatever it was called.
Instead I have all my music set up, based on a specific formula. The result is popular music, and "pop" music.

Popular music is material which has and will withstand time. It's the material we'll say in 20 years and beyond "it's nice to hear that again". Popular music is re-recorded, re-worked, sells much sheet music, is done vocally and/or instrumentally, and is offensive to virtually nobody.

"Pop" music on the other hand is short-lived material, but can be very nice. "Pop" music can offend or tuen off people, and rarely is material that's re-done as, well, it's just not good enough. And we don't miss it if we never hear it again.

To use the obvious as examples, popular music might include Come Fly With Me (still used in some commercials), Put on A Happy Face (still used in commercials today), Don't Get Around Much Anymore, Just In Time etc.
Other genres can be in included as popular music such as Any Time by Eddy Arnold, Galveston by Glen Campbell etc.
Today we hear newer versions of popular music by people like Linda Rondstadt. I've Got a Crush on You... unbelievable popular material. And there are more.

On the other side of the coin there is "pop" material. This is short lived material. Rarely if ever re-done. The kind of music we'd only like to hear again once, but not often.
Some "pop" material is good. Some "pop" songs even go on to win awards.
The best examples of "pop" songs I can think of include Hey Nineteen by Steely Dan. Cute little thing. Catchy. But certainly not worthy of singing in a karaoke bar as nobody would enjoy it. Few if any have ever re-done it. Just not a memorable thing, but cute at the time.
The second example of a "pop" tune was Christopher Cross' Sailing. I believe it was only re-done once, without success, but it did win an award. Would you love to hear it tonight? Doubtful.

On the other hand, take the world's worse singer in a karoake bar and start the first two notes of New York News York. Whenever I've seen anyone "attempt" that song, no matter how good or bad, the response is always positive. It's simply a very popular song.

As for popular stations not doing well in ratings, AM740 out of Toronto only broadcasts in mono and has continued to do very well thank you, staying totally away from "pop" material. They've averaged something like #8 to #10 in a market of about 25 or more signals.

Sorry to drag on do long. I did an internet show based strictly on popular material (and standards). Callers were regular from 3 countries. After a year I switched to "pop" material. Listenership dwindled to next to nothing. Popular music ain't "cool". But there are sure a ton of people who enjoy it.

Finally, I wasn't listening to any of the popular stuff or standards when I was in my 20s. I was into the current rock stuff of the day because... well, I was young. Over time I positioned myself to "pop" material. But after turning about 40 I developed less of a tasts for "pop" stuff and seek out popular music (and standards if you will). But it's not because I grew up with them. I didn't.

 

[Chuck]

Maybe we should call it "Songs that everyone knows the words...."

 

[vchimpanzee]

Those are good questions. A lot of what works for your station depends on what else is readily available in the market. If you already have three soft AC stations, you probably aren't going to win over many listeners by playing "more of the same." [/quote]
I have a problem with the term "soft AC". What is that?

Some people use that term to describe soft rock stations, the "Lite" stations that are playing "Delilah".

That's AC. Those stations haven't been "soft AC" since about '93. Or is that soft AC now? If so, this board shouldn't even have "soft AC" in its name.

Radio and Records shows the Arbitron ratings on their web site. WRLX Palm Beach, Fla., is called "soft AC". WDUV Sarasota, Fla., and WLOW Hilton Head, S.C., are listed as AC even though they are soft AC (by the definition used for WRLX).

At the same time, none of those stations seems to be playing current hits. The first two list their last played songs on the web. They're like Pointless Classics, and a lot of people on this site have called that format soft AC. I decided to do a Wikipedia entry for them to expand on what I had said in the entry I did for my affiliate. I called it "soft oldies" and "new standards".