That drives me crazy, i mean when i'm in class they have the radio on. Luckily it's usually to some station that play's a lot of old song's! but with some new ones mixed in...

Why are radio stations so keen on playing certain hits

I mean maybe it's just the one's i listened to in my life

GREAT EXAMPLE

MJ- Beat it, Thriller, Billy Jean, White Or Black, Bad, Don't Stop Till You Get Enough, Wanna Be Starting Something. Over here in Hollywood i swear i hear one of these song's daily, it burnt me out on MJ for awhile

Why do they never play She's out of my life?, Human nature? Off The Wall?

Those where all hits and some of his best song's....

Stevie Wonder- He has had TONS of hits yet they only play Superstition, Sir Duke, My Cherie Amor & Uptight?

Madonna- She's had like the most hits out of any female artist yet all i ever hear is Like A Virgin, Papa Don't Preach, 4 Minutes, Hung Up & Like A Prayer

And don't even get me started on the radio's Prince Playlist

Some stations will tell you they are "most requested" so maybe there is some more research behind that.

I think it has a lot to do with previous chart performance, perhaps according to your area. Maybe MJ had other hits, but they didn't stay at #1 for as many weeks.

There are probably some standard format criteria that playlists have too, because I hear "Vogue" a hell of a lot more often than... well I can't tell you the last time I heard "Like A Virgin" here.

You need to move out of Hollywood and come to the D. (Detroit). We love all types of music. Have all types of radio stations. And when we play new or old songs (the case you're pointing out), it's a variety. For example, you brought up Michael Jackson. Okay! Just last week I heard the song Working Day and Night on the radio. And that song wasn't even a released single. You also brought up Stevie Wonder right! Okay. When was the last time you heard Knocks Me Off My Feet on the radio in Plastic Town. You haven't right? The great thing about DJs here in the D, we not only just enjoy and play the commercial stuff, but sometimes we also like those not as popular album cuts as well. Back in the day they called them underground hits. So I don't think its radio just playing certain hits, I think it's just the environment of radio where you at that's all. Cause I been around and not every city's radio DJs do that alot. True, you will always hear the commercial hits everywhere you go. No matter the city. But certain staions and certain DJs give you just a little something more special every now and then. I hoped I helped you out a little bit. Peace!

Mainstream sucks

Gunsnhalen said:

That drives me crazy, i mean when i'm in class they have the radio on. Luckily it's usually to some station that play's a lot of old song's! but with some new ones mixed in...

Why are radio stations so keen on playing certain hits

I mean maybe it's just the one's i listened to in my life

GREAT EXAMPLE

MJ- Beat it, Thriller, Billy Jean, White Or Black, Bad, Don't Stop Till You Get Enough, Wanna Be Starting Something. Over here in Hollywood i swear i hear one of these song's daily, it burnt me out on MJ for awhile

Why do they never play She's out of my life?, Human nature? Off The Wall?

Those where all hits and some of his best song's....

Stevie Wonder- He has had TONS of hits yet they only play Superstition, Sir Duke, My Cherie Amor & Uptight?

Madonna- She's had like the most hits out of any female artist yet all i ever hear is Like A Virgin, Papa Don't Preach, 4 Minutes, Hung Up & Like A Prayer

And don't even get me started on the radio's Prince Playlist

Co-sign what Cinnie and LoDog said, it all depends on where you live pretty much.

Here in Philly Human Nature is on regular rotation on our two old school R&B stations, most everything off Off The Wall, Thiller, and Bad get played on the regular.

With Stevie they tend to stick mainly with his late 70's - early to mid 80's output, I rarely hear any 60's Stevie unless it's on the Sunday night oldies show that's 90% 60's music. They throw in some jams from the 70's, 80's on that show also BTW.

They stick to 80's Madonna on our radio here, which I actually prefer

The regular Prince & side acts cuts that get played are the usual suspects:

I Wanna Be Your Lover

Controversy

1999

Little Red Corvette

When Doves Cry

The Beautiful Ones

Glamorous Life

Jungle Love

Love Bizzare

Kiss

Adore

Here's my advice. Simple and you can follow through.

TURN

YOUR

FUCKING

RADIO

THE

FUCK

OFF.

I don't listen to the radio except for a morning show in my area. After that, it's my music library I listen to. I learned that the radio station I listen to in the morning (and possibly others as well), only play songs that are in the Top 40. So, only the most popular 40 songs in America get played. Which explains, on some level, for me why I hear repeated songs over and over and over and over. I hear the same song within the same hour sometimes during the morning show I listen to on weekdays. I was done with radio years ago. Your Ipod, Zune, or other mp3 player is your radio station now. You are your own DJ. LOL.

Timmy84 said:

Here's my advice. Simple and you can follow through.

TURN

YOUR

FUCKING

RADIO

THE

FUCK

OFF.

Been following that for years...

Except for Talk Radio...

But thats only because to hear all the nut jobs that are in the world.

Or they have this thing called "classic rock," where they replay a few Zep, Black Sabbath, Van Halen (sorry guns), Yes, Pink Floyd, Aerosmith, Stones and that's classic rock. Why isn't Frank Zappa classic rock? The Fugs? Television? Moby Grape? Electric Rooster? They should be honest and call it, Classic, commercial rock hits.

2freaky4church1 said:

Or they have this thing called "classic rock," where they replay a few Zep, Black Sabbath, Van Halen (sorry guns), Yes, Pink Floyd, Aerosmith, Stones and that's classic rock. Why isn't Frank Zappa classic rock? The Fugs? Television? Moby Grape? Electric Rooster? They should be honest and call it, Classic, commercial rock hits.

Lol no need to apologize

Yes Zappa is one of my heroes, and as i said on here quite a few times my best friend's dad played keyboards for him in the 80's so Zappa means a lot to me.

But have i ever heard a Zappa song on the radio? ONCE on nights with Alice Cooper

Zep? psssh i want to hear Misty Mountain Top, Good Times, Bad Times, You Shook Me, why not those?

I adore Black Dog, Stairway, Whole lotta Love etc. but damn Zep had many other song's

As for VH they need to quit being such prick's and play some stuff rom Fair Warning, and more of Sammy's output not just DLR

LoDog said:

You need to move out of Hollywood and come to the D. (Detroit). We love all types of music. Have all types of radio stations. And when we play new or old songs (the case you're pointing out), it's a variety. For example, you brought up Michael Jackson. Okay! Just last week I heard the song Working Day and Night on the radio. And that song wasn't even a released single. You also brought up Stevie Wonder right! Okay. When was the last time you heard Knocks Me Off My Feet on the radio in Plastic Town. You haven't right? The great thing about DJs here in the D, we not only just enjoy and play the commercial stuff, but sometimes we also like those not as popular album cuts as well. Back in the day they called them underground hits. So I don't think its radio just playing certain hits, I think it's just the environment of radio where you at that's all. Cause I been around and not every city's radio DJs do that alot. True, you will always hear the commercial hits everywhere you go. No matter the city. But certain staions and certain DJs give you just a little something more special every now and then. I hoped I helped you out a little bit. Peace!

Sigh that sounds amazing lol

know that is a good ass radio station or stations

Timmy84 said:

Here's my advice. Simple and you can follow through.

TURN

YOUR

FUCKING

RADIO

THE

FUCK

OFF.

you bastard lol jk

I Never listen at home, but at school, they let us listen to the radio [No ipods=[

And that's the main place i hear it. Or when i go shopping, to restaurants etc.

Abdul said:

Gunsnhalen said:

That drives me crazy, i mean when i'm in class they have the radio on. Luckily it's usually to some station that play's a lot of old song's! but with some new ones mixed in...

Why are radio stations so keen on playing certain hits

I mean maybe it's just the one's i listened to in my life

GREAT EXAMPLE

MJ- Beat it, Thriller, Billy Jean, White Or Black, Bad, Don't Stop Till You Get Enough, Wanna Be Starting Something. Over here in Hollywood i swear i hear one of these song's daily, it burnt me out on MJ for awhile

Why do they never play She's out of my life?, Human nature? Off The Wall?

Those where all hits and some of his best song's....

Stevie Wonder- He has had TONS of hits yet they only play Superstition, Sir Duke, My Cherie Amor & Uptight?

Madonna- She's had like the most hits out of any female artist yet all i ever hear is Like A Virgin, Papa Don't Preach, 4 Minutes, Hung Up & Like A Prayer

And don't even get me started on the radio's Prince Playlist

Co-sign what Cinnie and LoDog said, it all depends on where you live pretty much.

Here in Philly Human Nature is on regular rotation on our two old school R&B stations, most everything off Off The Wall, Thiller, and Bad get played on the regular.

With Stevie they tend to stick mainly with his late 70's - early to mid 80's output, I rarely hear any 60's Stevie unless it's on the Sunday night oldies show that's 90% 60's music. They throw in some jams from the 70's, 80's on that show also BTW.

They stick to 80's Madonna on our radio here, which I actually prefer

The regular Prince & side acts cuts that get played are the usual suspects:

I Wanna Be Your Lover

Controversy

1999

Little Red Corvette

When Doves Cry

The Beautiful Ones

Glamorous Life

Jungle Love

Love Bizzare

Kiss

Adore

I must disagree on the madge i love Ray Of light, Erotica, American Life albums.... ahahah

WOW! those are not bad cuts...... i have never EVER heard The Beautiful Ones on radio or Controversy

Back in Texas on the classic rock station it was only Let's Go Crazy, When Doves Cry & Little Red Corvette

In L.A it's the same except they play Kiss, 1999... once or twice i heard Diamonds & Pearls

And another one that always gets me is Springsteen, they only play the hits from Born In The U.S.A & the song Born To Run that's it!@

Timmy84 said:

Here's my advice. Simple and you can follow through.

TURN

YOUR

FUCKING

RADIO

THE

FUCK

OFF.

Gunsnhalen said:

Timmy84 said:

Here's my advice. Simple and you can follow through.

TURN

YOUR

FUCKING

RADIO

THE

FUCK

OFF.

you bastard lol jk

I Never listen at home, but at school, they let us listen to the radio [No ipods=[

And that's the main place i hear it. Or when i go shopping, to restaurants etc.

Why would you wanna hear it in school?!

Timmy84 said:

Gunsnhalen said:

you bastard lol jk

I Never listen at home, but at school, they let us listen to the radio [No ipods=[

And that's the main place i hear it. Or when i go shopping, to restaurants etc.

Why would you wanna hear it in school?!

I go to the film and recording school. So it's only fitting

Gunsnhalen said:

Timmy84 said:

Why would you wanna hear it in school?!

I go to the film and recording school. So it's only fitting

Oh Lord. So you're stuck with it.

Timmy84 said:

Gunsnhalen said:

I go to the film and recording school. So it's only fitting

Oh Lord. So you're stuck with it.

Pretty much Mr.Tim lol

See the people in my class, we are all close and we all have good taste

But the next class is all modern rap. and there all wannabe rappers , And i stress the word wannabe as big as Kanye & Prince's ego combined

Gunsnhalen said:

Timmy84 said:

Oh Lord. So you're stuck with it.

Pretty much Mr.Tim lol

See the people in my class, we are all close and we all have good taste

But the next class is all modern rap. and there all wannabe rappers , And i stress the word wannabe as big as Kanye & Prince's ego combined

Ugh... that's what a school needs - fake ass rappers.

Radio is a joke and i dont even have to listen to tell U that. The last time, gods honest truth, that i listened to the radio alot was in 1984-85. As the next few years passed i realized the business side, and what was going on, i use to look at Billboard (when it had a couple of charts) and i always looked at Radios Playlists, back then it use to be printed just as MTV's playlist was printed too, and there was variety all over the place, and also songs were in and out pretty quick, but as the years wore on you would see a 60 song list dwindle to 40 to 30 to 20 and as you looked cross country EVERYONE was playing the same 20 songs.

lastdecember said:

Radio is a joke and i dont even have to listen to tell U that. The last time, gods honest truth, that i listened to the radio alot was in 1984-85. As the next few years passed i realized the business side, and what was going on, i use to look at Billboard (when it had a couple of charts) and i always looked at Radios Playlists, back then it use to be printed just as MTV's playlist was printed too, and there was variety all over the place, and also songs were in and out pretty quick, but as the years wore on you would see a 60 song list dwindle to 40 to 30 to 20 and as you looked cross country EVERYONE was playing the same 20 songs.

Ick.... i can only imagine!

My mom told me back in the 80's in our town. There was only one modern station that played everything not a rock, pop, hip hop station like there is nowaday's

Interesting...

Timmy84 said:

Gunsnhalen said:

Pretty much Mr.Tim lol

See the people in my class, we are all close and we all have good taste

But the next class is all modern rap. and there all wannabe rappers , And i stress the word wannabe as big as Kanye & Prince's ego combined

Ugh... that's what a school needs - fake ass rappers.

Lot's of them

I Ask them if they like Public Enemy, Run DMC, N.W.A, Grandmaster Flash, Kool Moh Dee. There like ow there ok or there cool but i'm all about 50, Lil Wayne, Young money etc.

UGH And they claim they like 2pac and biggie but when i ask them deep album cuts from say Me Against The World Or All Eyez On Me they have no clue.

Gunsnhalen said:

Timmy84 said:

Ugh... that's what a school needs - fake ass rappers.

Lot's of them

I Ask them if they like Public Enemy, Run DMC, N.W.A, Grandmaster Flash, Kool Moh Dee. There like ow there ok or there cool but i'm all about 50, Lil Wayne, Young money etc.

UGH And they claim they like 2pac and biggie but when i ask them deep album cuts from say Me Against The World Or All Eyez On Me they have no clue.

Young and dumb. I swear it's like they're stupid for no reason.

[img:$uid]http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j220/gowes/Turntheradiooff-1.jpg[/img:$uid]

You do realize there's limited airtime / hour, day etc, right? They cannot cycle through hit catalogs of the artist, they need to play the recognized and familiar stuff alongside the new stuff. That's how certain songs become "classics", they are used as flagships for nostalgia (like Madonna's 80s stuff) but other big hits get forgotten because the programmers don't think they are good enough to push out the older stuff. I know it hurts the fans, but amount of the 'recognized' hits is small for practically every artist (maybe Beatles and Elvis are the exception), but you can't expect everyone to remember every single top 10 hit. Madonna for example has 37 top 10 hits, but only half of that are considered classics, it's unrealistic to expect a song to still be played and remembered only because it was a hit at one point.

That said, I echo the statements about you needing to turn the radio off, at this day and age it's useless, you can make endless playlists of your fav acts and you shouldn't care about what "other people" know or hear.

We have an Old School R&B station in my area that I listen to.They play some great songs,but it's always the same songs over and over.It's usually the biggest hits by the artists...

"Always and Forever" by Heatwave

"Brick House" by the Commodores

etc,etc.

Sometimes I wanna shout "How about playing "Too Hot Ta Trot" instead of "Brick House" all the time?"

SoulAlive said:

We have an Old School R&B station in my area that I listen to.They play some great songs,but it's always the same songs over and over.It's usually the biggest hits by the artists...

"Always and Forever" by Heatwave

"Sexual Healing" by Marvin Gaye

"Brick House" by the Commodores

etc,etc.

Sometimes I wanna shout "How about playing "Too Hot Ta Trot" instead of "Brick House" all the time?"

I used to freak out at my previous job 2 yrs ago when the music you heard over the speakers

would play songs like Too Hot Ta Trot, Fancy Dancer, Move Your Boogie Body and the Grooveline(12 inch version)

Two words....Clear Channel. And if it's not a Clear Channel station, then it's usually a station owned by some other corporate giant that owns stations all over the country. These stations believe in playing only the songs that were huge hits and they take those handful of songs and play the hell out of them several times a day, every day.

What trips me out, is there is a Clear Channel station in my area that started out around 1998 or so as an oldies R&B station that played songs from the 1960s and 1970s. They played certain songs from that era and played only those songs, over and over, several times a day, every day. I noticed another thing too, even though it was an R&B oldies station, every single song they played was either a huge crossover hit, or a song that later became well known to white people from being sampled to death in rap songs in later years. It was obvious the audience they were going after....a white audience. Well, naturally, when the new wore off the station and people got tired of hearing those same songs over and over, do you think they added more R&B songs to their format by artists like The Barkays or Con Funk Shun? No, they didn't. Why, because most white people have never heard of those type of artists. The format they had could have worked if they had the good sense to play all R&B from that era, not just crossover R&B. Instead, they expanded their format to include pop/rock with the R&B from that era and even expanded the era on into the 1980s. It was very clear to see the audience they wanted to attract even from day one when it was an all R&B format....a white audience. That's who they think will spend the most money from their sponsors and radio since the 1990s has been about all business and could care less about entertainment. Hell, even some of their DJs have absolutely no knowledge about the music they are playing whatsover. One of them pronounced the group Chic as "Chick".

.

.

.

[Edited 11/30/10 11:30am]

vainandy said:

Hell, even some of their DJs have absolutely no knowledge about the music they are playing whatsover. One of them pronounced the group Chic as "Chick".

I thought conglomerate radio were pre-recorded programs and/or played by computer, because although I don't listen to the radio at home, there is radio played at work and I've heard the exact same songs in the same order on different days. That's why those newer digital radios have the song listed that is playing. The local college radio stations, the classical music station, the jazz station, and the low wattage stations don't display what is playing. They also have actual DJ's. Also the adult/oldies R&B station never changes their playlist, you can stop listening to it for a few years, then put it on and the the same stuff is playing (ie. Maze's Golden Time Of Day, The Isley's That Lady) with maybe 3 or 4 new release songs (Charlie Wilson, Jahiem, Sade, El DeBarge).

MickyDolenz said:

vainandy said:

Hell, even some of their DJs have absolutely no knowledge about the music they are playing whatsover. One of them pronounced the group Chic as "Chick".

I thought conglomerate radio were pre-recorded programs and/or played by computer, because although I don't listen to the radio at home, there is radio played at work and I've heard the exact same songs in the same order on different days. That's why those newer digital radios have the song listed that is playing. The local college radio stations, the classical music station, the jazz station, and the low wattage stations don't display what is playing. They also have actual DJ's. Also the adult/oldies R&B station never changes their playlist, you can stop listening to it for a few years, then put it on and the the same stuff is playing (ie. Maze's Golden Time Of Day, The Isley's That Lady) with maybe 3 or 4 new release songs (Charlie Wilson, Jahiem, Sade, El DeBarge).

I don't know about during the day but they definately have some sort of local connection during the "drive time" of 7 a.m. to 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. which is mainly the only time I listen to the station. I know it's somewhat live because they mention the traffic and where the accidents are located. Other than that, they sound pretty much like a computer playing the music with some pre-recorded DJs added. The funny thing was, one on station (it was on a Sunday evening when I was going to the store) they said it was sunny and clear when it was raining cats and dogs outside. I've seen them also announce a song and artist at the end of a song that was totally wrong altogether (Teena Marie "Portuguese Love" over a male artist like maybe Glenn Jones or something).

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[Edited 11/30/10 13:00pm]