the shafted songs of 2003

[SyrupBoy]

So, which songs do you guys think got the biggest shaft from alternative radio this year? I'll start the list with a few:

Guster - Amsterdam
REM - Bad Day
Eve 6 - At Least We're Dreaming
Rooney - Blueside
Flaming Lips - Do You Realize
Dandy Warhols - We Used To Be Friends

Wow, and none of those are british acts either. I surprise myself sometimes...

And does anyone else find it (amusing? pathetic? outrageous?) that Radiohead's latest single is getting airplay on exactly 1 monitored station right now? Maybe they're all pissed at the cover:

imagehost.vendio.com/bin/imageserver.x/00000000/heavyrotation/apunchup.JPG

[Tayzlor]

Guster - Amsterdam
REM - Bad Day
Eve 6 - At Least We're Dreaming
Rooney - Blueside
Flaming Lips - Do You Realize
Dandy Warhols - We Used To Be Friends

Definitely those, of course. Also,

Caesars - Jerk It Out
Cave In - Inspire
Count The Stars - Taking It All Back
Datsuns - In Love
Glassjaw - Ape Dos Mil
Jack Johnson - Wasting Time
Kill Hannah - Kennedy
Longwave - Tidal Wave
Motion City Soundtrack - The Future Freaks Me Out
Nu - Any Other Girl
Pete Yorn - Burrito
Rapture - House Of Jealous Lovers
Raveonettes - Attack Of The Ghost Riders
Ryan Adams - So Alive
Simian - La Breeze
Soundtrack Of Our Lives - Sister Surround
Streets - Let's Push Things Forward
Streets - Don't Mug Yourself
Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Date With The Night

The songs that charted but were screwed:

American Hi-Fi - The Art Of Losing
Beck - Lost Cause (massive screwjob right here)
Johnny Cash - Hurt
Blur - Crazy Beat
Jack Johnson - The Horizon Has Been Defeated
Queens Of The Stone Age - Go With The Flow
Hot Hot Heat - Bandages
Transplants - D.J. D.J.
Pete Yorn - Come Back Home
Zwan - Lyric
Coldplay - The Scientist
Taking Back Sunday - Cute Without The E

[Matt4319]

I agree with "Inspire" the most out of those. I'd also add Live's "Heaven". It apparently killed their album even though it went top 40 on CHR/Pop and top 10 on Hot AC.

[Miguelín]

Matt4319 said:

I agree with "Inspire" the most out of those. I'd also add Live's "Heaven". It apparently killed their album even though it went top 40 on CHR/Pop and top 10 on Hot AC.

Yeah, I agree with live, one of their greatest songs, and it peak too low

[irice22]

Eve 6 - At Least We're Dreaming

I can't get over how well this song should have done.

But I think some of the songs listed don't really belong on Alternative in the first place. Artists like Coldplay and Jack Johnson belong on Triple A or Hot AC.

[crash46]

Artists like Coldplay and Jack Johnson belong on Triple A or Hot AC.

Disagreed. Both are far too superior for Hot AC, and while they're fine on Triple A, both are far enough left on the musical spectrum to deserve a spot on Alternative.

[irice22]

crash46 said:

Disagreed. Both are far too superior for Hot AC, and while they're fine on Triple A, both are far enough left on the musical spectrum to deserve a spot on Alternative.

Because they are good doesn't mean Alternative is the right place for them. Their music is no more alternative than Matchbox 20's.

[Rose "Payola" Nylund]

irice22 said:

Because they are good doesn't mean Alternative is the right place for them. Their music is no more alternative than Matchbox 20's.

It seems what is now Alternative has become really limited compared to what used to be Alternative. Coldplay and Jack both would have been huge on Alternative just five years ago. Personally, I don't think Alternative has changed but only what people think it us because of what radio plays. I'm no expert though.

[halo19]

I agreed with every one of those songs that SyrupBoy posted.

I agree with crash about Coldplay and Jack Johnson. Those aren't shiny pop hits that you instantly sing along to. That's what hot a/c is all about. Whereas, AAA is a format that it fits in, and they are not too AOR, so they fit the format.
Plus, many alternatives that shaft MB20s of the day still play those two often. Plus, MB20 are perfectly targeted for soccer moms, even when their songs aren't lighthearted. Plus, have you heard the albums from those two artists? "A Whisper" would be a joke on any other format than AAA and Alternative.

I would like to add:
The Damning Well - "Awakening" (I guess that the backlash of Richard Patrick is really that bad)
Yeah Yeah Yeahs - "Maps" (I think it's better than "Date" and by far)
Kenna - "Freetime" (and a track from Durst's label. Plus, it mixes new wave yet remains original)
Interpol - "Obstacle 1" (but I'll be a little nice since Matador is indie)
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club - "Stop"
... The Trail of Dead - "Intellegence"
Postal Service - their singles
Stuff that would've been played 10 years ago that's not being touched with a 10-foot pole.

Basement Jaxx's single
Jane's Addiction's two singles ("Just Because" deserved #1 and more time in the top 20 than that)
etc.

One that may be considered another format to others:
Howie Day - "Perfect Time Of Day" (Yorn-esque)


I was familiar with "Let's Push Things Forward" back in 2002, so that's why it doesn't seem shafted to me for this year.
I disagree with "The Scientist" and "Go With The Flow", since the latter was top 10 (as well as a song moved to recurrent) and they both had plenty of play after they peaked.

[allow that]

SyrupBoy said:

Eve 6 - At Least We're Dreaming

YES!

[allow that]

irice22 said:

Because they are good doesn't mean Alternative is the right place for them. Their music is no more alternative than Matchbox 20's.

Coldplay is definitely Alternative I think... a song like, for example, "In My Place" is undeniably an Alt song and would sound really out of place on HAC.

[irice22]

Jersey said:

Coldplay is definitely Alternative I think... a song like, for example, "In My Place" is undeniably an Alt song and would sound really out of place on HAC.

Well... honestly I'm not very familiar with that song.

[Tayzlor]

halo20 said:

I would like to add:
The Damning Well - "Awakening"
Yeah Yeah Yeahs - "Maps"
Kenna - "Freetime"
Interpol - "Obstacle 1"
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club - "Stop"
... The Trail of Dead - "Intellegence"
Postal Service

How could I forget Interpol and Postal Service?

In all fairness, only two of those songs were in a position to be screwed. I don't remember Trail, Kenna, Damning Well, Yeah Yeah Yeahs with Maps, and the Postal Service going for adds. It's not like they were begging to be played.

Also, add:

All-American Rejects - The Last Song (I don't much care for them but this is easily their best song and should've surpassed "Swing Swing")

Roots - The Seed 2.0 (did awesome with no support, more stations should have picked this up)

Red Hot Chili Peppers - Dosed (should've gone top ten and recurrent)

Brand New - The Quiet Things That No One Ever Knows (we'll definitely be hearing from Brand New in the future)

[allow that]

Tayzlor said:

Red Hot Chili Peppers - Dosed (should've gone top ten and recurrent)

Amen to that one!

[Matt4319]

I couldn't get into that song.

[SyrupBoy]

Yeah, The Postal Service (Such Great Heights) and Bleu (Get Up) were two of my absolute favorite singles of the year, but I can't really be angry about them getting shafted by radio since it was highly unlikely any large number of stations were going to play them in the first place.

I think I'll add some Brits to my list...

Blur - Crazy Beat (hot start, then a major fizzle. this song got ONE spin last week!)
Coldplay - Moses & The Scientist (both infinitely better than Clocks...can't figure out the success of that one)
Travis - Re-Offender (definitely the most alternative thing they've released in years)
Dave Gahan - Dirty Sticky Floors (probably too mid-90's sounding for today's playlists)

[crash46]

irice22 said:

Because [Jack Johnson and Coldplay] are good doesn't mean Alternative is the right place for them. Their music is no more alternative than Matchbox 20's.

Even though I do believe that the former two are "better", that wasn't the basis of my thinking. Hot AC is a format for females aged 18-34 who listen to modern music on their ride home from work or to the grocery store or wherever they go, and don't want to hear any of the rap music that pop's always playing.

Hot AC's listeners are probably the most casual music fans of any other format. Those stations only play zero-risk pop songs that are easy for their target audience to catch on to. Matchbox 20 is and has been as straightforward of a pop-rock band as you'll find since Mad Season, so they're probably the Hot AC band. On the other hand, Jack Johnson plays folk and blues-inflicted pop music, and Coldplay produces experimental, moody guitar and piano hooks with touching lyrical content. While both have a few tracks that may fit Hot AC very well, there's just no way Hot AC should be considered their core format.

[allow that]

SyrupBoy said:

Travis - Re-Offender

I forgot about this one.... but I agree completely.

I'll add:
The Ataris - "In This Diary"

[Tayzlor]

Jersey said:

I'll add:
The Ataris - "In This Diary"

That came off as very corny. It sounds like they forced themselves to write an anthem for high school graduation.

[irice22]

Jersey said:

I'll add:
The Ataris - "In This Diary"

I completely agree with this one. This could have been some sort of anthem!

[Adonis the DemiGod!]

irice22 said:

I completely agree with this one. This could have been some sort of anthem!

Yuk! I'm glad it did nothing. I am sick of those high school graduation anthems.

[Adonis the DemiGod!]

Tayzlor said:

That came off as very corny. It sounds like they forced themselves to write an anthem for high school graduation.

Agreed!

[crash46]

Now, how the hell can the song be about high school graduation when he's writing in his diary about the best summer he's ever had?

[Tayzlor]

crash46 said:

Now, how the hell can the song be about high school graduation when he's writing in his diary about the best summer he's ever had?

I don't know. But it is used very annoyingly as some sort of anthem for them, maybe because it sounds like it is looking at all the good times from the past or perhaps they remember the "being grown up isn't half as fun as growing up, these are the best days of our lives". I know it wasn't the Ataris intentions to make it sound so damn cheesy, but either way it is a very lame song.

[insect2]

Red Hot Chili Peppers - Dosed

Given it's (lack of) airplay on KNDD, I would think it wasn't even released as a single. I can't believe that they ignored this song (just like they did for "Boys Of Summer" and "Hands Down" too). Seems like the only places it was successful was in New York and Los Angeles. Kudos to WXRK for having it at #19 on their year-end chart. I mean, they played it before it was even announced as a single. People can talk smack about K-Rock all they want, but this is one reason why I think they're a better station than people think.

[Nicholas2.0]

Looking back over the songs of last year, I've come up with a big long list (which should come as a surprise to no one.)  Yeah, I finally had the time to devote to this, so here goes:

I'll break this up into 2 posts, starting with songs that came out and/or hit the chart in 2003:

Ra "Do You Call My Name"
Disturbed "Remember" (best song they've ever done.)
The Music "Take the Long Road and Walk It"
Transplants "D.J. D.J."
The Donnas "Who Invited You"
Third Eye Blind "Blinded (When I See You)"
Less Than Jake "She's Gonna Break Soon"
Less Than Jake "The Science of Selling Yourself Short"
The All-American Rejects "The Last Song"
Authority Zero "Over Seasons" (better than "One More Minute")
Good Charlotte "The Young & the Hopeless"
Red Hot Chili Peppers "Dosed"
Mudvayne "World So Cold"
Die Trying "Oxygen's Gone"
Alkaline Trio "We've Had Enough"
The Used "Blue and Yellow"
Metallica "St. Anger"
Metallica "Frantic"
Velvet Revolver "Set Me Free"
Alien Ant Farm "These Days"
Brand New "The Quiet Things That No One Ever Knows"
Billy Talent "Try Honesty"
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club "Stop"
Cold "Suffocate"
Hot Hot Heat "Talk to Me, Dance With Me"
Static-X "The Only"
The Ataris "The Saddest Song"
Jane's Addiction "True Nature"
Iggy Pop & Sum 41 "Little Know It All"
Stone Temple Pilots "All in the Suit That You Wear"
311 "Beyond the Grey Sky"
Rancid "Red Hot Moon"
Evanescence "My Immortal"
Thrice "Stare at the Sun"
Sevendust "Broken Down"

Don't know because I never got to hear them:
Beastie Boys "In a World Gone Mad" (heard MP3 once)
Cave In "Anchor" (heard under 5 times; didn't stick)
Ben Harper "With My Own Two Hands" (heard twice)
Alien Ant Farm "Glow" (never heard at all)
Default "(Taking My) Life Away" (never heard at all)
Dashboard Confessional "Rapid Hope Loss" (heard last 1/4 of it twice.)
Brand New "Sic Transit Gloria...Glory Fades" (never heard at all)
Fuel "Million Miles" (never heard at all)#nosmileys

[Nicholas2.0]

Now for great songs that didn't hit the chart:

Late 2002/early 2003:
dredg "Same Ol' Road"
Interpol "PDA"
Ladytron "Seventeen"
Bright Eyes "Lover I Don't Have to Love"
The White Stripes "We're Going to Be Friends"
Moby "In This World"
The Streets "Let's Push Things Forward"

2003:
30 Seconds to Mars "Edge of the Earth"
The Raveonettes "Attack of the Ghost Riders"
Fischerspooner "Emerge"
The Walkmen "We've Been Had"
Ministry "Piss" (though they sure didn't try very hard to promote this at all.)
Electric 6 "Danger! High Voltage"
Electric 6 "Gay Bar"
DJ Shadow "Six Days"
NOFX "Franco Un-American"
CKY "Attached at the Hip"
Interpol "Obstacle 1"
Interpol "NYC"
Joseph Arthur "Honey and the Moon"
Boysetsfire "Last Year's Nest"
Pete Yorn "Crystal Village"
Grandaddy "Now It's On"
No Use for a Name "Dumb Reminders"
Dropkick Murphys "Walk Away"
Mest "Jaded (These Years)" (it's got Benji Madden on it! It was hyped before it even was released! How could this have failed?)
Placebo "The Bitter End"
Godhead "The Hate in Me"
The Mars Volta "Inertiatic ESP"
Waterdown "Xerox"
Rise Against "Like the Angel"
Marilyn Manson "This Is the New Shit"
Blur "Out of Time"
Pennywise "Waiting"
Pennywise "Yesterdays"
Kill Hannah "Kennedy"
Travis "Re-Offender"
Spineshank "Smothered"
Mushroomhead "Sun Doesn't Rise"
dredg "Of the Room"
MxPx "Everything Sucks (When You're Gone)"
R.E.M. "Bad Day"
Ryan Adams "So Alive"
S.T.U.N. "Annihilation of the Generations"
Rob Zombie "Two-Lane Blacktop"
Andrew W.K. "Never Let Down"
Adam Green "Jessica"
Dave Matthews "Save Me"
Joe Strummer & the Mescaleros "Coma Girl"
Radiohead "A Punchup at a Wedding"
Ill Nino "This Time's for Real"

I skipped over a lot of songs I could probably add, had I actually heard them at some point.

[bamafan2102]

Both Ra singles got shafted. This is an awesome album that i figured would have three or four huge hits but it had 0.

[Gold Soundz]

Tayzlor said:

Guster - Amsterdam
REM - Bad Day
Eve 6 - At Least We're Dreaming
Rooney - Blueside
Flaming Lips - Do You Realize
Dandy Warhols - We Used To Be Friends

Definitely those, of course. Also,

Caesars - Jerk It Out
Cave In - Inspire
Count The Stars - Taking It All Back
Datsuns - In Love
Glassjaw - Ape Dos Mil
Jack Johnson - Wasting Time
Kill Hannah - Kennedy
Longwave - Tidal Wave
Motion City Soundtrack - The Future Freaks Me Out
Nu - Any Other Girl
Pete Yorn - Burrito
Rapture - House Of Jealous Lovers
Raveonettes - Attack Of The Ghost Riders
Ryan Adams - So Alive
Simian - La Breeze
Soundtrack Of Our Lives - Sister Surround
Streets - Let's Push Things Forward
Streets - Don't Mug Yourself
Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Date With The Night

The songs that charted but were screwed:

American Hi-Fi - The Art Of Losing
Beck - Lost Cause (massive screwjob right here)
Johnny Cash - Hurt
Blur - Crazy Beat
Jack Johnson - The Horizon Has Been Defeated
Queens Of The Stone Age - Go With The Flow
Hot Hot Heat - Bandages
Transplants - D.J. D.J.
Pete Yorn - Come Back Home
Zwan - Lyric
Coldplay - The Scientist
Taking Back Sunday - Cute Without The E

The Scientist, Cute Without The E, and Bandages were probably the three biggest hits last year on 96.5, KC's alternative station - weird.

[thisbeautifulmess]

Interesting to note the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Postal Service resurgence.