American Top 40 - October 9, 2004

chebingeo will be mad.

I imagine the use of recurrents has got to have boosted the chances of more acts having 2 or more spots on the countdown.

It is indeed the most pathetic thing I've seen on this show yet, however the show in itself is pathetic, so not really surprised.

Rick Dees' credibility increases by 1.

Now there is just no excuse for this. >:(

Putting Avril in the Top 10 was one thing, since she peaked at #11. But #14-peaking Terror Squad?? I can't find a good reason for that.

You don't believe that it is from Mediabase because... ?

I know for a fact that it is from Mediabase, there's no point in even questioning that.

Further, because of the way they compile things, songs that you might not understand being high depend on who plays them. Since they draw from a smaller market than R&R, goofy things can happen.

I would prefer a return to the Billboard Hot 100 chart personally. But it's not going to happen.

chebingeo-I have to ask why you even post in these threads regarding AT40 when all you ever do is bash it. You've made it clear that you don't like it, however, so many of your comments are plain rude and come off as immature and uneducated. If you don't like the show, well, you let us know, but no point in even posting in these threads anymore. Let dead dogs lie, PLEASE!

No, it peaked at #11 (though it did make the top 10 for several days in the middle of the week).

They are targetting at a different audience, clear and simple.  "Better" is subjective.  There are also people who think that it is great, or simply don't care.  Here we are tearing our hair out becuase of the way it is now oriented.

When Shadoe was the host, they tried to make it appeal to a wide audience--chart buffs and "pre-pubescents" as well.

The interesting thing is, I specifically remember people saying in the past when Ryan Seacrest guest-hosted for Casey that they would like to hear Seacrest on there more often, that he did a good job, that they'd like him to be the host if he passed away (God forbid).  I think that some people just are still in shock and don't know what to do with their Sunday mornings.

But, if you don't like it, you don't have to listen to it.

I can tell you that if I were going to make my own countdown show, it would be a "back-to-the-basics" approach.  I would try to make money at it, but if a station doesn't like what is on the Hot 100, tough.  That's the entire reason that when Casey's Top 40 debuted it had to do with politics and money, not to do with charts.  Going to R&R was a concession they made to continue to pull in more money.

And this new chart is also a concession.  It allows them to market their show better to stations because then they can feel like they can influence it more.

Also, I ahve to take offense at the "let's see some improvement in the show" remark.  Perhaps you don't know how hard the staff works?  My contact there has been working 12 hour days, and even goes in on the weekend.  And the rest of the staff also works their asses off to collect interviews, compile information, etc, and you say "make some improvement"?  That's really quite a ridiculous statement.  Besides a few feature changes, chart change and a more edgy feeling, the core of the show hasn't changed; now the artists tell their stories instead of the host doing it, and idea which was very new and popular in the 90s and still is popular today.

And if you are mailing it to the show, you are taking it up with the wrong people.  If you wish to let the higher-ups who made the decisions to chage it in the first place know, you need to write letters or call either Kraig Kitchin (Premiere Radio Networks' President) or Ray DeLaGuarza (executive in charge of programming).  Mailing AT40 itself will do absolutely no good as the staff is stuck in the middle.

In fact, I highly encourage you to mail those two people if you care as much as you say you do.  Let them know and give them a piece of your mind, but RESPECTFULLY. If it isnt respectful and you mail them the way you post messages about your dislike of AT40 here, then they won't take you seriously? And why should they? Think your letter out, make it mature, write multiple drafts, and when you think that you have it to a point where it is clear, concise and doesn't come across as juvenile, it'll give them something to think about rather than an angry heated letter.

Yes. The Hot 100 is what supported the show and kept the fanbase strong for it's first 22 years. There was a lot of negative reaction when they went away from it from music fans, just as there is now negative reaction from going away from R&R. Here are some excerpts from actual letters sent to the show:

"Why after 21 and a half years of using Billboard's Hot 100 chart to count down the forty most popular songs in the US did you switch to a new chart this weekend? I can't begin to tell you how upset I was... Please, please go back to using the Top 40 of Billboard's Hot 100!"

"What you are practicing is near to fraud."

"If your goal was to make the program more compatable with the restrictive playlists that plague Top 40 radio, you haven't done so. As if to add insult to injury, the change in methodology was not announced. In summary, AT40 is no longer an entertaining and informative program. I've been listening to it for as long as I can listen to radio, but I shall listen no more."

"When you hear Shadoe Stevens saying "The Number 1 song in the country is 'All 4 Love' by Color Me Badd,' and the Hot 100 number 1 song is 'Black or White' by Michael Jackson, you can't help but think that Shadoe isn't totally right. One would think sales is a more accurate reflection than airplay of what the number one song really is."

"I think that really hurt. The Hot 100 is the granddaddy of the charts. I don't think many stations play all the chart's songs, but I think it always offered a refreshing insight into what's going on in music. I think that's why people liked it. It was such a nice variety, and when you broke from the variety, it became stagnant. People lost interest in the show."

As you can tell, I'd really like for a return to what truly made
AT40 unique in the first place. However, they are working for a corporation, and the aim of the corporation is to make money. If that means changing charts yet again, adding new features, and heavily promoting a popular person for the host's job, those all bring in money. Too bad that money has done so much speaking for AT40. Which is why I'd like to create my own show someday. It might not ever happen, but at any rate it wouldn't be about making more and more money, but about entertainment.

If AT40 went back to the Hot 100, we would be hearing COUNTRY songs and at least half the chart would be hip-hop and rap!! Oh wait, it already is. I mean, we would be hearing songs that are just on the Urban chart and not on the actual Pop chart. Like "Diary" and the new song by Snoop Dogg and Pharrell.

You just don't get it do you? I feel sad. Please do a quick search of the older AT40 topics and look up the reason.

this guy is a good politician,he's always with his long speeches trying to impose his ideas/change our minds.
Radio & Record is the best,this guy seacrest has long ago turned boring.
Cerebro should change the topic to:American Top 40:the complaints

Casey,I love you and my respects.

I've stated my opinion many times but I'll try to make this as concise as possibly.

Billboard's charts are more accurate about what is going on in popular music, and are recognized by most people on a national level. The Hot 100 reflects everything as a whole.

R&R's charts are more accurate about radio trends and directly reflect issues and the strict competitiveness that the various formats have. They reflect specific formats, but not the whole.

That's the way I feel the way I do. I'm not trying to change anyone's minds, but the best posts come out of people defending their positions about the way they feel.

One thing that I have noticed is that I bring you all the news about what is going on "behind the scenes" at Premiere, especially AT40. And what I've noticed is that often times people act like I am defending the decisions are being made. I am neither defending nor rejecting what they are saying. I'm telling you about what they are doing, and why they are doing it. Wouldn't it be dull if every week this thread was posted and all you did was complain without any real substance or insight?

charlypp, remember that when Casey started AT40 that Billboard was the officially endorsed chart before you say that R&R is the best without any insight as to why. Also, please respect his decision to step down and to endorse Ryan Seacrest. Before Ryan even started Casey took a liking to him.

I can't quite follow what you mean, but I think I know what you mean. There will always be anomallies and abnormalities between the charts. That's just a fact of the way things work. However, in general, that argument does hold. For those of you who say that R&R is the best, I would really like to see why you think so. I haven't seen any arguments yet.

I don't think that it is accurate to simply say "pop chart" but "CHR/Pop chart" since CHR is the operative part of it.

He ain't the only one. That song fuckin' sucks! So much that I'd rather hear "Hero", "In Da Club", "I Love You Always Forever" and Matthew West's "The End" all in a row.

But the song peaked at number 14 on R&R? GOOD!!