WROR'S Schizo playlist

[Garrett]

Ok,

Was just looking at the playlist.
Explain this one to me:

"Commodores Brick House 8:12 PM"

Somebody please tell me how this song fits in with Billy Joel and the Eagles?

Or, more to the point, what exactly IS WROR'S format?

 

[jockitch]

> Ok,
>
> Was just looking at the playlist.
> Explain this one to me:
>
> "Commodores Brick House 8:12 PM"
>
> Somebody please tell me how this song fits in with Billy
> Joel and the Eagles?
>
> Or, more to the point, what exactly IS WROR'S format?

They're classic hits & soul music isn't unusual on this format,or at least for the 2 stations in this area playing it: WROR & B101 in Providence. I don't know what other stations running this format around the country are doing with classic soul since it's considered to be basically a rock format that's safer than classic.

 

[Eli Polonsky]

> Ok,
>
> Was just looking at the playlist.
> Explain this one to me:
>
> "Commodores Brick House 8:12 PM"
>
> Somebody please tell me how this song fits in with Billy
> Joel and the Eagles?
>
> Or, more to the point, what exactly IS WROR'S format?

"Classic Hits". Not exclusively classic rock, but "classic" pop hits including some pop/R&B hits (of the 60's, 70's and 80's, 70's heavy).

How does it fit in?

Commodores - "Brick House" - #5 national POP hit October 1977

Billy Joel - "Just The Way You Are" - #3 national POP hit February 1978

The Eagles - "Hotel California" - #1 national POP hit April 1977

Do you question how The Temptations or James Brown fit in with The Beatles, Beach Boys or Frankie Valli on an Oldies station? All POP hits of the same era. Same difference.

"Classic Hits" is mainly an updated "oldies" format for the generation who no longer apply the word "oldie". It's my opinion that Mike, Jack, etc... is an even further updated "oldies" format for the next generation coming up behind them, though sacrificing the jocks.

 

[Garrett]

No, you don't understand what I am asking, sorry.
Yes, I know that Classic Hits is not the same as Classic Rock.

The problem is, they play tons and tons of Classic Rock tunes. And, their formatic is deifnately not a "pop" style formatic like 'ODS. There are no jingles, and the dj's frequently intro songs dry or without music beds.

So, to me, playing the Commodores seems out of place.
Now, if they played a heavy dose of Classic R & B and Disco among all the Pop-Rock, I might unerstand.

My point is, is it Oldies? If so, they sure don't sound like an oldies station... They sound like AOR: All Over the Road!

> > Ok,
> >
> > Was just looking at the playlist.
> > Explain this one to me:
> >
> > "Commodores Brick House 8:12 PM"
> >
> > Somebody please tell me how this song fits in with Billy
> > Joel and the Eagles?
> >
> > Or, more to the point, what exactly IS WROR'S format?
>
> "Classic Hits". Not exclusively classic rock, but "classic"
> pop hits including some pop/R&B hits (of the 60's, 70's and
> 80's, 70's heavy).
>
> How does it fit in?
>
> Commodores - "Brick House" - #5 national POP hit October
> 1977
>
> Billy Joel - "Just The Way You Are" - #3 national POP hit
> February 1978
>
> The Eagles - "Hotel California" - #1 national POP hit April
> 1977
>
> Do you question how The Temptations or James Brown fit in
> with The Beatles, Beach Boys or Frankie Valli on an Oldies
> station? All POP hits of the same era. Same difference.
>
> "Classic Hits" is mainly an updated "oldies" format for the
> generation who no longer apply the word "oldie". It's my
> opinion that Mike, Jack, etc... is an even further updated
> "oldies" format for the next generation coming up behind
> them, though sacrificing the jocks.
>

 

[Eli Polonsky]

> No, you don't understand what I am asking, sorry.
> Yes, I know that Classic Hits is not the same as Classic
> Rock.
>
> The problem is, they play tons and tons of Classic Rock
> tunes.

Yes, but the Classic Rock tunes they play are only ones that were ALSO Top 40 pop hit singles. They do not also delve into popular AOR album-only non-hit tracks as a Classic Rock station like WZLX does.

(The one exception may be for The Beatles, who were so huge all around that even many of their album-only tracks are considered to have the same "classic hit" value as their singles).

WROR also includes a small smattering of non-rock pop hits of the era that were soul/R&B, disco, and some pop hits that are too "light" for a Classic Rock station.

> And, their formatic is deifnately not a "pop" style
> formatic like 'ODS. There are no jingles, and the dj's
> frequently intro songs dry or without music beds.

It's an updated "oldies" format for the generation who no longer uses the word "oldie". As such, the format had changed from the old AM radio jingle style of the "oldies" stations of the 50's and 60's generation.

WROR and most Classic Hits stations are heaviest on the 70's. Think of what was happening in current radio back in that era of the generation that they're targeting.

In the mid-to-late 70's, jingle-heavy Top 40 style radio was dying. It was considered the realm of remaining teenybopper AM stations, or of "oldies" stations for people reliving the 50's and early 60's. At that time, adult contemporary pop/rock hit stations became more like AOR stations in their delivery, but without the progressive AOR deep album tracks of the late 60's and early 70s that were already losing the interest of the mainstream.

It was this era of FM pop/rock hit radio without AM style jingles and song intro talkovers that Classic Hits stations such as WROR are emulating, and those stations often also included some soul/R&B hits. It was Top 40 radio on FM for the generation that followed the 60's AM Top 40 jingle generation, but before the CHR/Morning Zoo next generation of Top 40 stations in the 80's which by then replaced AM Top 40 for the even younger audience.

Listen to how often WROR includes liners such as "The Songs You Grew Up With" between just about every couple of songs, both on pre-recorded drop-ins, and voiced live by the DJ. That's a way of positioning without jingles, just as traditional "oldies" stations did with jingles.

> So, to me, playing the Commodores seems out of place.
> Now, if they played a heavy dose of Classic R & B and Disco
> among all the Pop-Rock, I might unerstand.

Listen more closely. WROR includes late 70's disco hits by artists such as The Bee Gees and KC & The Sunshine Band (granted they're white in race, but their music is still disco). Also, big 70's hits by Motown artists such as Marvin Gaye and Stevie Wonder are also often played. A couple of big hits by 70's black pop/dance groups such as Earth Wind & Fire are heard on their playlist as well. The Commodores "Brick House" hit therefore fits in. It's all about what made the mainstream audience "feel good" in that 70's era, which was some of the larger crossover R&B and disco hits along with the classic pop/rock hits.

> My point is, is it Oldies? If so, they sure don't sound like
> an oldies station... They sound like AOR: All Over the Road!

It's a pop hit heavily 70's "oldies" station for the first generation after traditional 60's jingle "oldies" stations. They still want the hits, but not the jingles and as much music talkover.

AOR was harder rock hits including deeper, longer progressive album tracks. With the exception of rock crossover artists such as Jimi Hendrix and Sly Stone, no R&B/soul, disco or any other black artists were played on AOR stations, and still are not on Classic Rock stations which emulate 70's AOR stations today.

 

[2longinbiz]

At the risk of serious embarassment, that segue wouldn't seem out of place to me as a 40 year old male either as a listener or programmer. The era is right, and (not that this is gospel) the song fills the dance floor at parties. As an aside, to those of us tired of 275 song playlists, these so-called "schizo" stations are rather refreshing. Does WROR NEED a format label? Listeners know what it is, and are happy to tell their friends about the "really cool station I found". I was in NYC this fall and fell in love with Jack, BTW. I listened 12ish hours over 3 days and didnt hear either a repeat or some over-researched burnt out chestnut like "Brown Eyed Girl". Mike seems much more female-leaning/poppy for my taste.

> >
> > Was just looking at the playlist.
> > Explain this one to me:
> >
> > "Commodores Brick House 8:12 PM"
> >
> > Somebody please tell me how this song fits in with Billy
> > Joel and the Eagles?
> >
> > Or, more to the point, what exactly IS WROR'S format?

 

[channelsurf]

Well...I also understand his confusion about WROR. Many times I have heard another Classic Hits station, out near Albany, NY, WNYQ, also on 105.7FM. That station, is very close to AOR/Classic Rock, although a bit softer, but it certainly doesn't play the Commodores, or KC and the Sunshine Band. The only song that they play, that even heads, at all in that direction, is Stevie Wonder's "Superstition".


> No, you don't understand what I am asking, sorry.
> > Yes, I know that Classic Hits is not the same as Classic
> > Rock.
> >
> > The problem is, they play tons and tons of Classic Rock
> > tunes.
>
> Yes, but the Classic Rock tunes they play are only ones that
> were ALSO Top 40 pop hit singles. They do not also delve
> into popular AOR album-only non-hit tracks as a Classic Rock
> station like WZLX does.
>
> (The one exception may be for The Beatles, who were so huge
> all around that even many of their album-only tracks are
> considered to have the same "classic hit" value as their
> singles).
>
> WROR also includes a small smattering of non-rock pop hits
> of the era that were soul/R&B, disco, and some pop hits that
> are too "light" for a Classic Rock station.
>
> > And, their formatic is deifnately not a "pop" style
> > formatic like 'ODS. There are no jingles, and the dj's
> > frequently intro songs dry or without music beds.
>
> It's an updated "oldies" format for the generation who no
> longer uses the word "oldie". As such, the format had
> changed from the old AM radio jingle style of the "oldies"
> stations of the 50's and 60's generation.
>
> WROR and most Classic Hits stations are heaviest on the
> 70's. Think of what was happening in current radio back in
> that era of the generation that they're targeting.
>
> In the mid-to-late 70's, jingle-heavy Top 40 style radio was
> dying. It was considered the realm of remaining teenybopper
> AM stations, or of "oldies" stations for people reliving the
> 50's and early 60's. At that time, adult contemporary
> pop/rock hit stations became more like AOR stations in their
> delivery, but without the progressive AOR deep album tracks
> of the late 60's and early 70s that were already losing the
> interest of the mainstream.
>
> It was this era of FM pop/rock hit radio without AM style
> jingles and song intro talkovers that Classic Hits stations
> such as WROR are emulating, and those stations often also
> included some soul/R&B hits. It was Top 40 radio on FM for
> the generation that followed the 60's AM Top 40 jingle
> generation, but before the CHR/Morning Zoo next generation
> of Top 40 stations in the 80's which by then replaced AM Top
> 40 for the even younger audience.
>
> Listen to how often WROR includes liners such as "The Songs
> You Grew Up With" between just about every couple of songs,
> both on pre-recorded drop-ins, and voiced live by the DJ.
> That's a way of positioning without jingles, just as
> traditional "oldies" stations did with jingles.
>
> > So, to me, playing the Commodores seems out of place.
> > Now, if they played a heavy dose of Classic R & B and
> Disco
> > among all the Pop-Rock, I might unerstand.
>
> Listen more closely. WROR includes late 70's disco hits by
> artists such as The Bee Gees and KC & The Sunshine Band
> (granted they're white in race, but their music is still
> disco). Also, big 70's hits by Motown artists such as Marvin
> Gaye and Stevie Wonder are also often played. A couple of
> big hits by 70's black pop/dance groups such as Earth Wind &
> Fire are heard on their playlist as well. The Commodores
> "Brick House" hit therefore fits in. It's all about what
> made the mainstream audience "feel good" in that 70's era,
> which was some of the larger crossover R&B and disco hits
> along with the classic pop/rock hits.
>
> > My point is, is it Oldies? If so, they sure don't sound
> like
> > an oldies station... They sound like AOR: All Over the
> Road!
>
> It's a pop hit heavily 70's "oldies" station for the first
> generation after traditional 60's jingle "oldies" stations.
> They still want the hits, but not the jingles and as much
> music talkover.
>
> AOR was harder rock hits including deeper, longer
> progressive album tracks. With the exception of rock
> crossover artists such as Jimi Hendrix and Sly Stone, no
> R&B/soul, disco or any other black artists were played on
> AOR stations, and still are not on Classic Rock stations
> which emulate 70's AOR stations today.
>

 

[Oldbones]

> At the risk of serious embarassment, that segue wouldn't
> seem out of place to me as a 40 year old male either as a
> listener or programmer. The era is right, and (not that this
> is gospel) the song fills the dance floor at parties. As an
> aside, to those of us tired of 275 song playlists, these
> so-called "schizo" stations are rather refreshing. Does WROR
> NEED a format label? Listeners know what it is, and are
> happy to tell their friends about the "really cool station I
> found".

I'm not sure I'd consider WROR a "really cool station", but realistically how many who post on these boards even vaguely resemble the listening public? Stations stick to tight playlists of "burnt out" songs because that's what works...it's been proven again and again. We (radio geeks) may not like it, but we're a very small minority.


> I was in NYC this fall and fell in love with Jack,
> BTW. I listened 12ish hours over 3 days and didnt hear
> either a repeat or some over-researched burnt out chestnut
> like "Brown Eyed Girl". Mike seems much more
> female-leaning/poppy for my taste.
>

We'll see how long the jack/variety hits format lasts. I give it 2 years max.

 

[2longinbiz]

I agree, unfortunately. One only has to look at what Nassau (not to single them out, just using them as an example) has done in NH and other markets...slashed the playlist, boring liner-card jocks and generally doing bland, cookie-cutter radio... and were rewarded with higher ratings. That said, I'm confident the "small minority" is bigger than you think, but a minority nonetheless...kinda like Ipod owners. Methinks businesses like Audible or Itunes wouldn't be so popular if millions of people weren't fed up with the same 250-300 songs.
Still can't understand how anyone can listen to "Freebird" or "Lola" again and again without putting their fist through the radio.


Stations stick to tight playlists of "burnt out" songs because that's what
> works...it's been proven again and again. We (radio geeks)
> may not like it, but we're a very small minority.

 

[Garrett]

> I agree, unfortunately. One only has to look at what Nassau
> (not to single them out, just using them as an example) has
> done in NH and other markets...slashed the playlist, boring
> liner-card jocks and generally doing bland, cookie-cutter
> radio... and were rewarded with higher ratings. That said,
> I'm confident the "small minority" is bigger than you think,
> but a minority nonetheless...kinda like Ipod owners.
> Methinks businesses like Audible or Itunes wouldn't be so
> popular if millions of people weren't fed up with the same
> 250-300 songs.
> Still can't understand how anyone can listen to "Freebird"
> or "Lola" again and again without putting their fist through
> the radio.
>

I'm glad I'm not the only one who gets it...