WROR Boston is playing “Plush” by Stone Temple Pilots. Should you?
KLOL (Kool 108) Minneapolis is playing “Interstate Love Song” by STP and “Lose Yourself” by Eminem. Should you?
In the just-released May PPM, KXKL (Kool 105) Denver was No. 1, up 5.5-6.2. Should you follow it by playing “Photograph” by Nickelback and “Bring Me to Life” by Evanescence?
Some of the most popular Ross on Radio articles have been about the evolution of Classic Hits, as seen again last week in our look at recent adds to some of our biggest-name stations. In 20 years of working with the then-Oldies-now-Classic-Hits format, nothing has been more fascinating to a music lover and researcher than watching songs move in and out of the format.
At the same time, nothing has been more frustrating than seeing stations push forward for the wrong reasons. Constantly modernizing has worked for KOLA Riverside, Calif.; KRTH (K-Earth 101) Los Angeles; and Kool 105. But I’ve also seen a recent instance of that second ’90s song an hour accompanied by a gradual erosion. We’ve also seen inroads by Classic Rock in many markets recently.
Subtle changes in era or texture at a radio station often lead to fast growth at the outset: New listeners are intrigued; older listeners don’t yet feel alienated. It’s usually six months after an evolution begins when existing listeners realize “this is no longer my radio station.” Here are some thoughts on finessing the transition.
The best reason to modernize is because your happy, existing audience has songs they would enjoy hearing on your station that you haven’t uncovered yet. Even a 40-year-old didn’t grow up with “Summer of ’69,” or even “Livin’ on a Prayer,” necessarily. They learned those songs from the radio, but they also have their own songs that they’ve brought with them, which might now include TLC or Backstreet Boys. The best way to find those songs, if you are able, is through your own music research.
The wrong reason to modernize is copycatting. Those 20 years in the format have made me certain that there is more than one successful model for Classic Hits, whether it’s era or rotation or both. At last week’s panel on PPM at Radiodays North America, both KRTH and CHBM (Boom 97.3) Toronto were represented. One station plays “Take on Me” 32x a week; the latter plays it 8x. Both are successful in highly competitive markets. Neither success can be recreated merely by copying their song choices or rotations.
The guiding question in moving through the ’90s and ’00s is this. Are you “good times and great classic hits?” Or are you a gold-based AC that just happens to cut off a little earlier than most? That question does a lot to define how you move forward, especially since some of the first songs that Classic Hits reaches for during a modernization are the most AC-leaning titles. Usage has a lot to do with whether you lean to “More Than Words” or “Mambo No. 5” as you fill the ’90s category. I’ve seen both songs test. I am personally more inclined to the station whose Goo Goo Dolls song is “Slide” than “Iris,” and see it as having a better long-term point of differentiation. But the market may give you a different opportunity.
Don’t force in songs to fill categories. If you find yourself playing songs that either don’t feel like good-time Classic Hits and/or aren’t even on your AC competitor, even though they’re ballads, you probably aren’t ready for that extra ’90s (or ’90s/’00s) slot yet. I saw a lot of this during the early days of the ’90s at Classic Hits, when stations were more comfortable with, say, “If It Makes You Happy” than “This Is How We Do It,” but it’s the latter that tests and sounds more fun on the air. (And I love “If It Makes … ”) In general, there should be a high bar for both sonic fit and strength. Otherwise, you could be playing “Drive” by Incubus while your AC rival is playing “Footloose” or “Livin’ on a Prayer.”
In general, you have a right, not an imperative, to play almost any given song, although if you’re doing music testing, that’s more likely to be true for the No. 220 song than the one at No. 22. For that one, you might want to trust the listeners. But if songs are neither fun on a Classic Hits station nor strong, then what’s the point?
Be aware of generational and musical break points. Music changed in 1986-87 with the beginnings of Hip-Hop in the mainstream and the rise of hair metal. Ultimately, the early-’80s CHR audience did decide “this is no longer my radio station.” (Soon, many other listeners did, too.) But the late-’80s listeners now represent the upper-end of the Classic Hits demo, which makes it easier for KRTH to play “Mo’ Money, Mo’ Problems” 6x a week. (To put that in perspective, it still plays “September” 22x a week.)
There are musical break points again in 1997, when the CHR doldrums end and teen pop kicks in. A lot of stations are acknowledging that era now with at least Britney Spears and Backstreet Boys. The next epoch is the late ’00s and the beginning of “turbopop.” So far, only a few stations are going there, in part because that music overlaps with CHR and Hot AC libraries, especially now. Some songs feel like a fit — e.g., “Poker Face” by Lady Gaga, fun, retro, not that aggressive musically. As the era went on, and EDM becomes more of an influence, the hits of the early-to-mid-’10s start to sound like the music that one would go to Classic Hits to get away from.
Be cognizant of the male/female split at CHR. In the late ’80s, as music changed, so did research. Callout research had been less influential in the mid-’80s. When it made a comeback in the late decade, it came to involve only testing women for CHR/Hot AC/AC. As you push further forward, you are less likely to be playing records that were liked by everybody. Push too far forward and you are less likely to be playing songs that are known by everybody.
You can play whatever you can schedule. You can schedule whatever you take responsibility for. In any format, how much breadth you want as a programmer depends on how much time you want to spend finessing your music log. You can go from “Hungry Eyes” to “I Gotta Feeling” — many Mainstream AC PDs already do — but not by hitting “schedule, print” or counting on rules to do everything.
Finally, respect the audience. The evolution of a four-share station and the evolution of a 10-share station need to be handled differently. The audience of the latter may be willing to hear Lady Gaga, but they aren’t necessarily wondering where she is already. The best way to evolve the 10-share station is through research that identifies the newer songs that the existing audience already likes, not by dictating to them. Whatever your mission for a younger radio station, radio isn’t necessarily in a position to deliberately send listeners away these days, and those listeners aren’t without other choices.
