What happened to the variety on country radio??

[carriefan15]

Ok so I think at this point, we can all agree that for the most part, no matter where you live or what mainstream country station you listen to, 80-90% of the music played is new stuff. Here in Phoenix, I have been noticing this more and more over the past few years. At one point (I think 2008 was the last year), I would hear some great older stuff mixed in...The Night The Lights Went Out In Georgia, Slow Hand, That's My Job, Grandpa, Why Not Me, I Wouldn't Have Missed It For The World, lots of Alabama's songs, JoDee songs, Three Wooden Crosses, etc. It was like every other song (or every third song at the least) was a good older one. I can't even think of the last time I heard a Brooks & Dunn, Shania, or Alan song.

Do you think older country will make a comeback and be played in with the new stuff ever again?? To me, it seems like country radio is becoming a lot like pop, and the same songs get played all day long. Are there any stations out there that still play a good mix??

I challenge you to listen to your local country station for 30-40 minutes and post the songs you hear.

[matty005]

2008 was 6 years ago. Since then thousands of songs have replaced current "old" classics. So while they may still be playing "old" songs, it is now possibly from the mid to late 90s instead of the late 80s and early 90s. Old country will not make a comeback on current radio. My hope is that they will add an oldies country station - not so much 60s and 70s, which I think they already have, but more so songs of the 80s and 90s.

[countrygirl918]

I think country radio is currently hyper-focused on pleasing one specific segment of their audience, and in the is process alienating other segments that may be smaller but are still important. I have a gut feeling that the tides will start turning within the next year or two, though. I don't really have any statistics to back this feeling up, I'm just noticing more and more people speaking out about the current state of country radio, including current artists.

My station is Canadian so I think it plays a good bit more variety than a lot of American stations, but I still struggle to sit through listening to the radio for more than a handful of songs most of the time. I actually rarely turn on the radio these days, instead listening to albums on my iPod. Here's the 20 most recent songs played on my station:

-Dean Brody, "Crop Circles"
-Dan and Shay, "19 You and Me"
-Frankie Ballard, "Helluva Life"
-Miranda Lambert, "Heart Like Mine"
-Jason Blaine, "Friends of Mine"
-Kenny Chesney, "Live a Little"
-Aaron Lines, "Love Changes Everything"
-Kira Isabella, "A Real Good Radio"
-Darius Rucker, "Radio"
-Tebey, "Wake Me Up"
-Blake Shelton, "God Gave Me You"
-Carrie Underwood, "See You Again"
-Brad Paisley, "Then"
-Alee, "Don't Say You Love Me"
-Luke Bryan, "Do I"
-Lady Antebellum, "Compass"
-Gord Bamford, "When Your Lips Are So Close"
-Randy Houser, "Runnin' Outta Moonlight"
-Jason Aldean, "When She Says Baby"
-Autumn Hill, "If She Wants This Town"

[carriefan15]

The last 10 or so songs played here were:

Sweet Annie- ZBB
This- Darius Rucker
Goodnight Kiss- Randy Houser
When She Says Baby- Jason Aldean
Over- Blake Shelton
If I Didn't Have You- Thompson Square
Compass- Lady A
Beachin- Jake Owen
She Won't Be Lonely Long- Clay Walker
Night Train- Jason Aldean

That's what...one, maybe 2 songs not from this decade.

[Spacey_Kacey]

My Monmouth County, NJ station never played anything older than 5 years except occasionally Dust on the Bottle, Youre Gonna Miss This, and maybe a little Alan or Brooks and Dunn. NYC has slightly more, but it's a cumulus station so not much.

Now my Philly station - incredible. I hear Garth Brooks every other hour. Tons of Toby Keith. A bit of old Alan Jackson. Good amounts of Brooks and Dunn and who knows what else. For me I've seen improvement station-to-station, but long term trends for each individual one are probably more in line with your point.

[George Strait Junkie]

Feb 23, 2014 16:51:12 GMT -5 carriefan15 said:

I challenge you to listen to your local country station for 30-40 minutes and post the songs you hear.

Sorry but i'd rather shove a knife down my ear drums then go thu that kinda torture. I've been 5 years sober from Current radio and thats gonna stay.

[killintime]

As bad as it is, what makes it worse is that our stations only play a select few of the songs that are in Billboard's or Mediabase's top 40... So if I get the rare chance to hear Bob Kingsley or Kix play the top 40, half the songs I haven't heard before because our station will only play about 10 of them regularly... Luke, FGL, Tim, etc.

Our other country station has a ever so slightly better variety, but ClearChannel makes them speed up their music so it sounds a pitch higher. This station is KSD-FM in St. Louis. Screw them.

Nice sig, LLTC.

[Andy]

Like a few others, I stopped listening to current country radio years ago. The lack of variety the OP described was a chief reason why. There a few mainstream artists I like, but for the most part I've learned to accept that popular terrestrial radio just isn't for me anymore. I listen to my personal collection at home and satellite radio in the car.

[mep]

It must be way worse here in Oklahoma than in Phoenix, because when we were in Phoenix over the New Year, we found a great country station there that I can only wish we had one like it in Oklahoma. 96.3 there played many older songs that I haven't heard on the radio for years, mixed in with the newer stuff.

[Spacey_Kacey]

When I was in Phoenix, I loved their radio station. Absolutely incredible depth because they actually played current songs outside the top 40. I remember a few older songs mixed in, but my favorite was the low charters. I wish I could tell you which one it was because there were three, but the one I found was incredible.

[fe_lipeoliveira]

Well, I think Blake Shelton has the answer. 'Nobody wants to listen to their grandpa’s music. And I don’t care how many of these old farts around Nashville going, “My God, that ain’t country!” Well that’s because you don’t buy records anymore, jackass. The kids do.' It's all about the younger generation who's not familiar with traditional country music.

[George Strait Junkie]

Feb 23, 2014 21:08:15 GMT -5 fe_lipeoliveira said:

Well, I think Blake Shelton has the answer. 'Nobody wants to listen to their grandpa’s music. And I don’t care how many of these old farts around Nashville going, “My God, that ain’t country!” Well that’s because you don’t buy records anymore, jackass. The kids do.' It's all about the younger generation who's not familiar with traditional country music.

nope that is Bulls**t. i buy all my music on CD and all i listen to is strait up country. Grandpa's music is the greatest and i'm only 23 but i refuse to listen to this crap they call country.

[McCreerian]

When it comes to variety, there is just needs to be more females in the mix like there were in the 90s. Not the same females, but the newer ones. We have had some great women in the last 10 years release music just to have it shoved aside for more men who sound pretty much the same and sing about the same things. I don't buy the argument for one second that it's what the listeners want. Listeners can't choose when radio dictates who to listen to by what they are "persuaded" to play.

[Markus Meyer]

I'd have no issue with bro-country if Worsham, Monroe, Clark, Musgraves, Stapleton, etc. were getting played as well. As it stands now though, radio playlists are ridiculously dull.

[carriefan15]

Feb 23, 2014 20:55:09 GMT -5 Spacey_Kacey said:

When I was in Phoenix, I loved their radio station. Absolutely incredible depth because they actually played current songs outside the top 40. I remember a few older songs mixed in, but my favorite was the low charters. I wish I could tell you which one it was because there were three, but the one I found was incredible.

KNIX (Clear Channel) and KMLE (CBS) are the main two. Then there is 96.3 (not sure of the call letters), as was mentioned above. It is tough to get good reception on that station though. They do mostly play older songs though.

[Almost Honest]

"We listen to the radio to hear what's cookin' but the music ain't got no soul..." (Not to beat a dead horse or anything)

[mep]

Feb 24, 2014 0:20:28 GMT -5 jhomes87 said:

Feb 23, 2014 20:46:25 GMT -5 mep said:

It must be way worse here in Oklahoma than in Phoenix, because when we were in Phoenix over the New Year, we found a great country station there that I can only wish we had one like it in Oklahoma. 96.3 there played many older songs that I haven't heard on the radio for years, mixed in with the newer stuff.

Feb 23, 2014 20:55:09 GMT -5 Spacey_Kacey said:

When I was in Phoenix, I loved their radio station. Absolutely incredible depth because they actually played current songs outside the top 40. I remember a few older songs mixed in, but my favorite was the low charters. I wish I could tell you which one it was because there were three, but the one I found was incredible.

Really? I live in Phoenix, and I don't think either station is that good. Clear Channel's KNIX is on 102.5 and CBS' KMLE is on 107.9. Neither station is exactly terrible --every now and then I'll hear a good segment of songs --but they've gotten progressively worse since I moved here nearly 2 years ago. KMLE, especially, as they play a multi-hour segment of Dee Jay Silver's puke syndicated show "The Country Club" on Friday and Saturday evenings/nights. They started doing that back in October or November, if I remember correctly, not long after WSIX in Nashville was the first to broadcast the show.

KMLE also plays far too much bro-country. Their top songs right now are either popular recurrents or in the top 20 on the airplay charts. The only newer songs they've added have been Jake's "Beachin'", Austin Webb's "Slip On By", Miranda's "Automatic", Joe Nichols' "Yeah", Gloriana's "Best Night Ever", Billy Currington's "We Are Tonight", and Chris Young's "Who I Am With You"...but most of these newer songs get played 1-2 times a day, maybe 3 at best (and most of those plays are at night). And just this past week they increased the airplay for "Sunny And 75" from 41 spins to 64 spins. Cassadee Pope's "Wasting All These Tears" jumped 29 spins this past week, from 9 spins the week before to 38 spins in the last 7 days. Other "WTF" moments: Florida Georgia Line's "'Round Here" went from 3 spins a week ago to 29 spins in the past week, and Randy Houser's airplay for "Goodnight Kiss" got slashed in half, from 61 spins to 31 spins. ???

And KNIX has been blasting nothing but "Stay", "Mine Would Be You", and...yep, Craig Campbell's "Keep Them Kisses Comin'" all week.

I'm sure there are other country stations that reach Phoenix but these are the only two that "matter" because they are the only big ones that Billboard and Mediabase monitor.

Sounds like we found the right one to listen to at least in 96.3 then. I figured they wouldn't qualify to be monitored though because their percentage of current material is likely lower than the threshold needed to be on the panel.

[rbundy1987]

99.5 WKDQ in my hometown of Evansville, IN has the best Country station around the tri-state, here is a playlist of their last 50 songs played!!!! They usually play a #1 hit from Billboard for a certain year during their broadcasts and they have Country Classics every Saturday morning and they also still play Restless Heart, Conway Twitty, lots of George Strait, Alabama and YES, Ronnie Milsap during those broadcasts.

1. David Nail - Whatever She'S Got
Played Today 11:53 PM


2. Darius Rucker - Radio
Played Today 11:46 PM


3. Carrie Underwood - Good Girl
Played Today 11:42 PM


4. Keith Urban - Cop Car
Played Today 11:38 PM


5. Justin Moore - Lettin' The Night Roll
Played Today 11:30 PM


6. Dierks Bentley - Am I The Only One
Played Today 11:27 PM


7. Parmalee - Carolina
Played Today 11:23 PM


8. Florida Georgia Line Ft/ Luke Bryan - This Is How We Roll
Played Today 11:16 PM


9. Lonestar - I'M Already There
Played Today 11:12 PM


10. Eric Church - Give Me Back My Hometown
Played Today 11:08 PM


11. Taylor Swift - Sparks Fly
Played Today 11:04 PM


12. Lady Antebellum - Compass
Played Today 11:01 PM


13. Jason Aldean - Big Green Tractor
Played Today 10:57 PM


14. Blake Shelton W/ Pistol Annies - Boys 'Round Here
Played Today 10:53 PM


15. Trace Adkins - Just Fishin'
Played Today 10:46 PM


16. Brad Paisley - The Mona Lisa
Played Today 10:43 PM


17. Jerrod Niemann - Drink To That All Night
Played Today 10:33 PM


18. Dierks Bentley - What Was I Thinkin'
Played Today 10:30 PM


19. Cassadee Pope - Wasting All These Tears
Played Today 10:26 PM


20. Tim Mcgraw - Looking For That Girl
Played Today 10:17 PM


21. Montgomery Gentry - Lucky Man
Played Today 10:14 PM


22. George Strait - I Got A Car
Played Today 10:10 PM


23. Brooks & Dunn W/Reba Mcentire - Cowgirls Don'T Cry
Played Today 10:06 PM


24. Cole Swindell - Chillin' It
Played Today 10:03 PM


25. Carrie Underwood - Temporary Home
Played Today 9:59 PM


26. Luke Bryan - That'S My Kind Of Night
Played Today 9:55 PM


27. Randy Houser - Runnin' Outta Moonlight
Played Today 9:47 PM


28. The Band Perry - If I Die Young
Played Today 9:43 PM


29. Thomas Rhett - Get Me Some Of That
Played Today 9:40 PM


30. Jason Aldean - When She Says Baby
Played Today 9:32 PM


31. Billy Currington - People Are Crazy
Played Today 9:28 PM


32. Blake Shelton - Mine Would Be You
Played Today 9:24 PM


33. Easton Corbin - Clockwork
Played Today 9:18 PM


34. Gary Allan - Best I Ever Had
Played Today 9:14 PM


35. Thompson Square - Everthing I Shouldn'T Be Thinking About
Played Today 9:11 PM


36. Lady Antebellum - Love Don'T Live Here
Played Today 9:07 PM


37. Dierks Bentley - I Hold On
Played Today 9:03 PM


38. Luke Bryan - Drink A Beer
Played Today 8:59 PM


39. Brooks & Dunn - Red Dirt Road
Played Today 8:55 PM


40. Carrie Underwood - See You Again
Played Today 8:47 PM


41. Randy Houser - Goodnight Kiss
Played Today 8:43 PM


42. Blake Shelton - Doin' What She Likes
Played Today 8:34 PM


43. Clay Walker - She Won'T Be Lonely Long
Played Today 8:30 PM


44. Keith Urban Ft./ Miranda Lambert - We Were Us
Played Today 8:27 PM


45. Austin Webb - Slip On By
Played Today 8:18 PM


46. Rascal Flatts - Life Is A Highway
Played Today 8:14 PM


47. Brantley Gilbert - Bottoms Up
Played Today 8:10 PM


48. Gary Allan - Life Ain'T Always Beautiful
Played Today 8:06 PM


49. Justin Moore - Lettin' The Night Roll
Played Today 8:03 PM


50. Craig Morgan - That'S What I Love About Sunday
Played Today 8:00 PM

[onebuffalo]

Three words folks: consolidation of media. That is why every station plays the same song over and over again.

[bjer127]

I agree, more variety is needed. I would love to see more female artists on the charts, what if females like Ashley Monroe, Kacey Musgraves etc were constantly getting #1 singles? Everyone would be happy. I sometimes think if i was PD or DJ, I'd be the most popular..I would play a huge variety of songs.
For instance, the local Clear Channel station here (DC area) USED to have a segment titled "America's Music", Saturday nights from 8 PM until Midnight. I grew up listening to that. They played only country from 50's, 60's, 70's and 80's. We used to sit around and drink beers and sing along (IN HIGH SCHOOL!). Then they moved it to Sunday night. Then by 2009 it was gone for good.

However, silver lining, there is a station in Southern Maryland (WKIK), not clear channel owned, who play a great variety. I can pick up sometimes , but I am a little too far north, their signal strength is weak. You will hear all kinds of very obscure 80's and 90's songs, then all of a sudden a Taylor Swift or Luke Bryan song, then back to playing Rick Trevino, Mark Chesnutt, Patty Loveless etc.

I picked it up yesterday while cleaning out my car, and heard Blackhawks "I'M Not Strong Enough To Say No" I was singing along the whole time...I am sure other people would to if country radio would LISTEN to their audience. I know I am not the minority on this one.

[flyingsilvereagle]

I'm lucky to live in a small town and not have to listen to a Cumulus or Clear Channel station. Here is the last 20 songs played on Froggy 103.7 WFGS located in Murray, KY. Also, one of their most played songs of the last 2 years is Holly Williams song Drinkin'.

1. Homeboy - Eric Church
2. Drink to that All Night - Jerrod Nieman
3. Bye Bye -Jo Dee Messina
4. Parking Lot Party - Lee Brice
5. Whatever It Is - Zac Brown
6. Whiskey In My Water - Tyler Farr
7. Beer Money - Kip Moore
8. Friday Night - Eric Pasly
9. Before He Cheats - Carrie Underwood
10. See You Tonight - Scotty McCreery
11. We Were Us - Keith Urban & Miranda Lambert
12. It's A Little To Late - Mark Chesnutt
13. Creepin' - Eric Church
14. Everything I Shouldn't Be Thinking About - Thompson Square
15. People Are Crazy - Billy Currington
16. When She Says Baby - Jason Aldean
17. The Gambler - Kenny Rogers
18. Radio - Darius Rucker
19. Old Alabama - Brad Paisley & Alabama
20. Helluva Life - Frankie Ballard

[renee75]

Lately I've barely been listening to country radio at all. It makes me sad, but why bother when every other song has me flipping over to the classical station? I might as well just keep it on the classical station in the first place and save myself the trouble.

If the "bro country" trend passes, someone let me know so I can start listening again!

[cufan7]

Carrie's between albums.

[.indulgecountry]

I always enjoy country radio in Kansas City and Wichita (both tend to have good variety), but the stations here in St. Louis has terrible playlists. It's one of the things I'm most excited for when I go home, because I can actually listen to radio without constantly having to change stations.

[Deleted]

Feb 23, 2014 21:57:44 GMT -5 Almost Honest said:

"We listen to the radio to hear what's cookin' but the music ain't got no soul..." (Not to beat a dead horse or anything)

Post of the thread right here...

[Almost Honest]

^Thank you, thank you very much. Any chance I have to reference the Dixie Chicks I make sure to take it.

[Marv]

Legendary KSON/San Diego starting this afternoon @ 4PM, with top-of-the-hour songs in bold....

Blame It On Your Heart---Patty Loveless
Rewind
I Like It, I Love It
Stay
Where I Come From
She Thinks My Tractor's Sexy
Slow Me Down
(Kissed You) Goodnight
Little Bit Of Everything
I Swear
Lettin' The Night Roll
Gunpowder And Lead
When She Says Baby
True

Wanted---Hunter Hayes
Helluva Life
Ten Rounds With Jose Cuervo
Doin' What She Likes
What Hurts The Most
This Is How We Roll
The Heart Of Dixie
Remind Me
Cop Car
Carolina
Love Story
You Know Me Better Than That
Merry Go Round

19 You & Me---Dan And Shay
Redneck Yacht Club
Goodnight Kiss
Colder Weather
Don't Happen Twice
Get Me Some Of That
You're Gonna Miss This
Anywhere With You
Drink To That All Night
Life Is A Highway
19 Somethin'
If Heaven Wasn't So Far Away

This standout station is a lot more listenable than far too many country stations out there; plenty of George Strait & Alan Jackson, and a minimal amount of 'bro-country' compared to lots of other stations out there.

[Ten Pound Hammer]

^ You'd like WATZ. They're generally light on the bros, and slip in a lot of classic cuts from the 80s backward.

[Marv]

Thanks for that tip; I'll definitely check them out.

Meanwhile, here's KSON's most recent hour...

Old Red
Back When
The Heart Of Dixie
Nothin' But The Tailights
I Got A Car--- (33 spins this week, up from 17 last week--that's why I bailed from WWKA/Orlando after they slashed spins on this great tune (46/29)
Round Here
Tim McGraw
Night Train
Last Name
Helluva Life
How Do I Live? (Trisha Yearwood version, as opposed to the LeAnn Rimes version)
Sober
When She Says baby