Posted on 06/04/2005 2:42:15 PM PDT by My Favorite Headache
Rock shock: Nation's No. 1 oldies station changes formats
NEW YORK It's the day the music died.
W-C-B-S F-M in New York, the top oldies station in the nation for more than three decades, stunned its legion of listeners by abruptly switching formats this weekend.
Goodbye, Buddy Holly and the Beach Boys.
Hello, Duran Duran and Jet.
The station had switched to an oldies format in 1972, initially as a bastion for the doo-wop sounds of the '50s. Although the playlist changed over the years, W-C-B-S F-M always remained the outpost for classic Top 40 radio in the nation's largest radio market.
The station's new format is called "Jack," an eclectic mix of hit music from the '70s through the present. The station's owner, Infinity Broadcasting, made the same format shift Friday at its Chicago oldies station, W-J-M-K F-M, where classic Top 40 had aired for the past 21 years.
Copyright 2005 Associated Press.
Lady Bo is still around playing too. Women in rock? Female guitar players? Hello?
She's on Bo's earliest hits (and the recently departed Dutchess will not get a Hall acknowledgement either).
If I am stuck with an AM only radio in the tractor, I usually tune the radio to KMON in Great Falls. It's country, but it's better than nothing, or CBC Radio One.
You got that straight, ethel - Larry Lujack and Tommy Edwards every morning and Herb Kent 'the cool gent' on weekends.
OMG. This is the #1 station I listen to, but by chance I haven't listened to it since Thursday. I'm going to cry.
The mid-late 70s sucked; disco and generic pop like Journey, for example, provided the soundtrack of the Liberal Golden Age (August '74 to November '79.) The only real good stuff came out of the emergence of punk/new wave. And I have my doubts that rock music actually made it into the 21st century.
****************
Maybe. If you listen to Jet's "Get Born", it seems to me that there is quite a bit of Beatle's influence. :)
I do like the Stones and Beatles, btw.
I saw Jet in concert a couple years ago. They were on tour with The Star Spangles and The Paybacks.
The Paybacks share members with The Hentchmen (who have been around over a decade and are the better band even if they don't have the "traction" or push).
The Star Spangles played the best set that night (and were the friendliest of the show, making an effort to meet with the crowd after they played). I've seen the Star Spangles again and did not like them as much but they didn't suck that time either. They've got a "near" radio hit that is not their strong song. I actually prefer the flip side to that single (and it was surprising to see a picture sleeved 45 from Capital in this day).
None of these bands are the notables for this generation. But they do get the press in mainstream publications. Hype has never been about "the best".
Rock and rock and roll both made it into the 21st century but the dominant youth culture never sees or hears it.
Then again to hear Bill Clinton tell it in 1992, there was no grunge or electronic or garage... he said that growing up in "this" era he would only have the "choice" of listening to heavy metal or rap so he would probably grow up listening to rap. He was trying to be PC and to show he was hip but it showed just out of touch he was with Generation X.
**************
I can't disagree with that. I'm just pathetically grateful when a melody is involved these days in a piece of music.
And if a group can play instruments and sing, I'm almost beside myself.
To be fair to the stations, that's exactly what they're dealing with, particularly with adults. They listen to the radio, if they hear a song they don't like, they scan away. If they hear a song they like, they stick with it.
The Bell-Rays
The Detroit Cobras
The Dirtbombs
The Ponys
The Brian Jonestown Massacre
I think that station programmers have conceded the point that their audience will not stay tuned to their station. They look to see "how long" you will stay tuned, 5 minuites, 10 minutes, 20 minutes, etc.
If they've already got me trained to keep changing the dial rather than leaving it tuned it, I will be SURE to tune out during the advertising. Their advertisers should realize this when they are told "how many listeners" are potentially tuned in at any time of day.
It is a bad way to program and it concedes some of your audience to competitors every few minutes. Once I've tuned out, there is nothing to do to bring me "back" except a bad cut on another station. I may have gone to my CD player by that point.
What's XM radio ? Is that something you have to pay for ?
It is satellite radio. Yes you have to pay. Google for it.
Let me add the Sadies to that list of current bands.
I'm sure that more will come to me over time. Since they are not the subject of cover features or constant radio airplay, this may take a little longer.
I realize that not everything I listen to is worth a strong recommendation (Jon Spencer's side project Heavy Trash, while a step up from his last album, pales in comparison to the REAL alt-roots tracks (some of which he appears on) on the Root Damage album from Sympathy For The Record Industry.
It's like looking at a movie like Miss Congeniality 2 or Road Trip and insisting that there are NO good movies made today anywhere in the world. Depends on where you look, who you listen to for guidance, and what you are looking for.
The Detroit Cobras
The Dirtbombs
The Ponys
The Brian Jonestown Massacre
***************
I've never heard of any of these groups, but I will look them up. It's possible that WBCN might play their music, but most of the stations here play oldies, soft rock, hip-hop or Christina Aguilera/Mariah Carey style music. It's a wasteland.
Thanks.
I remember having my SHE bumper stickers on my car back in the day. Now it's a rap station? Pity.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.