Why is AC radio so far behind?

[PerPlexied]

I don't get it. Why does it take so long for AC radio to pick up on a song. If they were more on par with POP and Hot AC, the Billboard chart might look a bit different and some great songs ('Eighth World Wonder') may have been bigger hits altogether.

[Devil Marlena Nylund]

Because that's the nature of the AC chart. It's not meant to be "current" or fast paced. AC is meant to be slow and have songs be current for months at a time. It's because of the audience of the format.

[j]

The said:

Because that's the nature of the AC chart. It's not meant to be "current" or fast paced. AC is meant to be slow and have songs be current for months at a time. It's because of the audience of the format.

Well, it used to be pretty current and fast in the 80s and early 90s.

I think expectations have changed. Now people tune in to AC to hear 80's and 90's Golds, so the format plays mostly those and becomes pretty reluctant to pick up new music, even if it's by Celine Dion. (Sort of begs the question of what they will play in 2010, doesn't it? Still 80s and 90s Hits or 00's Golds? Also, isn't it a vicious cycle - don't play currents -> AC listeners aren't familiar with them -> no expectations to hear the latest songs -> don't play currents ->...)

Not sure which came first tho - playing more golds and recurrents or expectations that they will play golds and recurrents. Probably a chicken and egg situation.

Lots of issues and problems with AC radio that I can see. Ratings-wise I bet it still does relatively well, but I suspect has the potential to do much better yet.

[Deleted]

j said:

Well, it used to be pretty current and fast in the 80s and early 90s.

But the style of music that AC plays was also what was topping the pop charts so it was easier to be more fast paced.

[reception]

In Honolulu, check the playlists for KSSK and KRTR. I rarely listen to KRTR because they are extremely slow in picking up current AC hits. KUMU (not monitored by R&R or Mediabase) is a pretty good AC station.

[Marv]

AC radio isn't necessarily 'behind'; it may seem that way because there are substantially fewer songs which a top 40 station and an AC station can play because the CHR/Pop has gone far to the right with over 70% rhythmic material.

Consequently, the adults who used to be able to listen to CHR started leaving in the late eighties when vulgar rap songs (and lighthearted ones, such as 'Bust A Move') started showing up on what was allegedly a CHR/Pop station, and the CHR format has been on a downward trend ever since, having blown off most of its adult listeners in the process.

Nowadays AC stations have the variety that CHR/Pop stations were built with; when your AC station routinely plays Avril Lavigne, Sheryl Crow, Sting, Don Henley, Aerosmith, Michael Jackson, Phil Collins, Celine Dion, Roxette & the Doobie Bros. in a single hour, you don't need to check the dial to know that you're NOT listening to a CHR/Pop station, since Ms. Lavigne is the only artist on that list who's still welcome at CHR/Pop stations nowadays.

[chebingeo]

It's a case of what's "familiar" and less of what's "Popular."

[Arson]

I guess since each new song is played less times per week than the average CHR/Pop or even Hot AC station, it takes a longer time first for listeners to recognize the song, and then an even longer time for listeners to be bored of the song.

[j]

Marv said:

AC radio isn't necessarily 'behind'; it may seem that way because there are substantially fewer songs which a top 40 station and an AC station can play because the CHR/Pop has gone far to the right with over 70% rhythmic material.

Hmn... not sure what your argument exactly is.

1. AC doesn't have to look at CHR/Pop playlists to find songs to play. They can find their own stuff that CHR/Pop is ignoring. Sarah McLachlan?

2. CHR/Pop plays more rap => Less material for AC to draw from to play. OK... but it still doesn't explain why they couldn't start playing Alicia Keys months ago instead of only recently! In that sense, they are "behind".

[Marv]

That's my point; thanks to the fact that CHR/Pop stations have plunged over the past 15 years due to loading up on CHR/Rhythmic material, and blowing off millions of adults in the process, the format has had to look to other formats to get SOME of it's music.

If you go back to 1990, one of  the best years in recent memory for BOTH the AC & CHR/Pop formats, there were LOTS of HUGE singles which could be sent to AC & CHR/Pop stations simultaneously because they were HITS at CHR/Pop and PERFECT for AC's core 25-54 women audience.

Top 10 Singles of 1990---Consensus


1)---Another Day In Paradise
2)---It Must Have Been Love
3)---Vision Of Love
4)---Nothing Compares 2 U
5)---Vogue
6)---Hold On (Wilson Phillips)
7)---Escapade
8)---Don't Wanna Fall In Love
9)---Opposites Attract
10)--Love Will Lead You Back

EIGHT of the 10 songs on that list (excluding #8 & #9) were sent simultaneously to AC and CHR/Pop stations because of their appeal to the CHR/Pop and AC audience/targeted listeners.

Those days are essentially gone, until the CHR/Pop returns to being a mass-appeal format, which it clearly isn't anymore.

At AC radio, it's not about being 'behind', it's about being 'familiar' musically speaking.

Needless to say, those eight songs are all still staples at AC radio nationwide.

If you go farther down that list you would have found more singles from Phil & Mariah, Whitney Houston, Wilson Phillips & other artists who are still format staples at AC radio.