Highest-charting song that your station ignores

[Walking Contradiction]

I've become fascinated by the discussion of certain alternative stations refusing to add really big hits. Usually, it's a case of a song not being "indie" enough for the more progressive stations, or not being "rock" enough for the more active-leaning stations.

My station (WHTG) leans more towards the "indie" side of the spectrum, but is generally pretty good about keeping up with the biggest hits. The only songs in the top 30 that they haven't touched are "Pain", "Lips of an Angel", and "...Arms Race". I'm a bit surprised that they're ignoring FOB's new one considering that they were all over "Sugar We're Going Down" and "Dance Dance", but I can't really complain about it, or about the lack of Hinder for that matter. I'm sure they'll add "Pain" eventually, as they were a bit hesitant with "Animal" but eventually put it into heavy rotation.

[singingsparrow]

My Portland, Oregon Alternative station is much more eclectic in their single selections than a vast majority of other Alternative stations nationally.

Thus, there's so many high-peaking songs that the station seldom plays or ditches altogether. They haven't even played the current #1 hit ("Welcome To The Black Parade") while the new Incubus single has only been spun twice-a-day within the past week.

In fact, the only current big songs right now you can expect them to play considerably are "Snow ((Hey Oh))", "Level", "When You Were Young" and "Chasing Cars".

Here's what their Top 20 looks like currently:

*

1 1 PETE YORN For Us 30 29 1 0.161
3 2 MUSE Starlight 29 27 2 0.1538
6 3 SHINS Phantom Limb 27 26 1 0.1382
2 4 GNARLS BARKLEY Gone Daddy Gone 25 28 -3 0.1378
8 5 RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS Snow (Hey Oh) 25 25 0 0.1374
5 6 BLUE OCTOBER Into The Ocean 24 26 -2 0.132
7 7 BECK Think I'm In Love 23 25 -2 0.1262
10 8 KILLERS Bones 17 17 0 0.0745
16 9 REGINA SPEKTOR Fidelity 17 15 2 0.0677
17 10 DECEMBERISTS O Valencia! 16 13 3 0.065

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

13 11 JET Shine On 16 15 1 0.0753
19 12 KEANE Nothing In My Way 16 12 4 0.0637
15 13 RACONTEURS Level 15 15 0 0.0677
12 14 SHINY TOY GUNS Le Disko 15 16 -1 0.0725
4 15 U2/GREEN DAY The Saints Are Coming 15 27 -12 0.0877
9 16 INCUBUS Anna Molly 14 17 -3 0.0668
11 17 SWITCHFOOT Oh Gravity 11 17 -6 0.0471
23 18 GORILLAZ Feel Good Inc 10 10 0 0.0513
29 19 MEW Special 10 9 1 0.0444
31 20 RACONTEURS Steady, As She Goes

*

Sincerely,
Noah Eaton

[oscillations.]

Wow, Noah, your station's playlist is top-notch!

To me, that's what everyone's playlist should look like

[oscillations.]

mikibacsi1124 said:

I've become fascinated by the discussion of certain alternative stations refusing to add really big hits.  Usually, it's a case of a song not being "indie" enough for the more progressive stations, or not being "rock" enough for the more active-leaning stations.

My station (WHTG) leans more towards the "indie" side of the spectrum, but is generally pretty good about keeping up with the biggest hits.  The only songs in the top 30 that they haven't touched are "Pain", "Lips of an Angel", and "...Arms Race".  I'm a bit surprised that they're ignoring FOB's new one considering that they were all over "Sugar We're Going Down" and "Dance Dance", but I can't really complain about it, or about the lack of Hinder for that matter.  I'm sure they'll add "Pain" eventually, as they were a bit hesitant with "Animal" but eventually put it into heavy rotation.

G106.3=life

I worked there last summer.
I don't even listen to it much anymore (no time), but they are definitely one of the few decent Alt. stations left in this country. I hope & pray no one ever buys them out.

[audiogarden]

I have never heard Audioslave's Revelations on WJRR in central Florida. Obviously given my screen name, that is an irritant.

[American Idiot]

This is an interesting topic.  Lets see, according to the mediabase Top 50 playlists and the Alternative & Active Rock charts.

WPBZ (West Palm - Alt.) - Red Hot Chili Peppers - Snow ((Hey Oh))

WOCL (Orlando - Alt.) - My Chemical Romance - Welcome To The Black Parade

WJRR (Orlando - Alt.) - Red Jumpsuit Apparatus - Face Down

WHDR (Miami - Active Rock) - Army Of Anyone - Goodbye

[Pipa]

I'm going with the Canadian rock's Top 50:

Tragically Hip - Lonely End of the Rink
Snow Patrol - Chasing Cars
(+44) - When Your Heart Stops Beating
Beck - Nausea
Army Of Anyone - Goodbye
U2 - Window In The Skies
AFI - Love Like Winter
Papa Roach - To Be Loved
Saliva - Ladies and Gentlemen
Stone Sour - Sillyworld
Fall Out Boy - This Ain't A Scene, It's an Arms Race
Muse - Starlight
City and Colour - Comin' Home
Champion - No Heaven
Starewell - Those Who Matter
K-os - Sunday Morning
Alexisonfire - This Could Be Anywhere In The World
Hostage Life - This Song Was Written By a Committee
Rise Against - Ready To Fall
Buckcherry - Crazy Bitch
Ill Scarlett - Heaters
OK Go - Here It Goes Again

They usually don't touch something until it goes Top 20.

[jdmasta289]

If anyone's wondering, I'm actually pretty attached to my station, KRBZ, because I might be interning there beginning in January.  If anyone (especially in the Seattle area), has heard of Lazlo, who recently became programmer of your station, 107.7, he, along with two other former Buzz DJ's, will be returning to the air beginning tomorrow (Monday) for the Church of Lazlo.  A truly exciting (and, at times, controversial) talk/music show which centers on everything from politics, current events, and relationship issues.  I am truly pumped for that.

Much like Noah's Portland station, my station is particularly indie-leaning.  Which is ironic considering the alternative stations in the Midwest and southern parts of the country are generally Active-Rock leaning or a conglomeration of everything that is on the chart right now (a la Nicholas's St. Louis stations).

Here's a link to my station's top 50.  Of course, most of these songs are overshadowed by '90s golds.

w2.mediabase.com/mmrweb/AllAccess/stations.asp?c_let=KRBZ-FM

2 1 BECK Nausea 35 20 15 0.1635
6 2 DEATH CAB FOR CUTIE I Will Follow You Into The ... 35 17 18 0.1696
3 3 MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE Welcome To The Black Parade 34 20 14 0.1647
1 4 AFI Love Like Winter 33 20 13 0.173
7 5 SNOW PATROL Chasing Cars 31 15 16 0.143
16 6 ANGELS AND AIRWAVES The War 28 9 19 0.1272
5 7 KEANE Is It Any Wonder 28 18 10 0.1337
4 8 PLACEBO Infra-red 27 19 8 0.1377
19 9 RACONTEURS Level 26 8 18 0.1086
11 10 INCUBUS Anna Molly 23 11 12 0.1066

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

12 11 PLAIN WHITE T'S Hate (I Really Don't Like You) 22 11 11 0.1036
9 12 JACK'S MANNEQUIN Dark Blue 21 12 9 0.1108
13 13 MUSE Knights of Cydonia 20 10 10 0.0799
10 14 RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS Snow (Hey Oh) 20 12 8 0.0873
14 15 PETE YORN For Us 20 10 10 0.0907
15 16 (+44) When Your Heart Stops Beating 18 9 9 0.0745
8 17 GNARLS BARKLEY Gone Daddy Gone 15 12 3 0.0634
26 18 SAOSIN Voices 15 7 8 0.0243
27 19 SHINY TOY GUNS Le Disko 15 7 8 0.0654
28 20 BRAND NEW Sowing Season (Yeah) 14 6 8 0.0213

On the songs currently on DuckHead's alternative year-end collaboration, my station has not touched these songs once.

Three Days Grace - Animal I Have Become
10 Years - Wasteland
Breaking Benjamin - The Diary of Jane
Stone Sour - Through Glass
Avenged Sevenfold - Bat Country
Evanescence - Call Me/Sober
Shinedown - I Dare You
Hinder - Lips/Angel
Godsmack - Speak
Papa Roach - To Be Loved
Korn - Coming Undone
Lostprophets - Rooftops
Buckcherry - Crazy b**ch
Disturbed - Confusion
HIM - ...Butterfly
Nickelback - Animals
OK Go - Here It Goes Again
Staind - Falling
Three Days Grace - Pain
Blue October - Into The Ocean

It's estimated that 20% of the stations in the country purposely do not include some perfectly legitimate alternative songs onto their playlist.  And we wonder why the ratings in Alternative radio continue to suffer? 

[crash46]

(with #30 being the cutoff point)

Missing from 89x of Detroit:
6. Red Jumpsuit Apparatus - "Face Down"
10. Raconteurs - "Level"
14. 30 Seconds To Mars - "The Kill"
16. Muse - "Starlight"
17. 30 Seconds To Mars - "From Yesterday"
27. Killers - "Bones"
28. Army Of Anyone - "Goodbye"
29. Pepper - "No Control"
30. Gnarls Barkley - "Gone Daddy Gone"

Missing from 106.5 of Toledo:
26. Taking Back Sunday - "Liar (It Takes One To Know One)"
29. Pepper - "No Control"
30. Gnarls Barkley - "Gone Daddy Gone"

These stations are prime examples of what bugs me about corporate radio and is keeping my CD player running. 106.5 basically just looks at the top 50 and picks its playlist straight from the chart. They'll rarely surprise you, and if they do, it'll be with some song that died two months ago like they did recently with "Mojo" by Peeping Tom, and Rehab's "Bump". Nothing says "I'm just the same as everybody else" like a playlist consisting entirely of top 50 hits.

Furthermore, these are some huge hits that 89x is ignoring. These songs were never added. How do you know that it's not what your people want to hear if you never even give the songs a chance. Part of the reason is that they have an obligation to play a percentage of Canadian music, and that could be exactly what 106.5 is failing to provide me with, except that they'll just take these Canadian songs and latch onto them for years at a time, which makes it no better than the same stale golds I always hear. But, I mean, "The Kill" was at #2 and they still weren't even playing it. Just set the song up for four plays a week and see what people think. By not even doing that, I'd say it's simple proof that they were just holding out for the right sum of money to play that song.

[jdmasta289]

Radio shouldn't be corporate, but the modern-day Alternative Rock spectrum can and should extend to many branches - alt-metal, indie, emo, punk, hard rock, grunge - and all that is in-between.

When stations narrow their playlist or pick and choose from artists they CAN play (whether they be commercial or not), then that is a problem for ratings. Obviously, for those stations, ratings aren't a concern. If they were, they would choose from all categories, and they don't. But remember for every person who praises the station for not playing what's "corporate", there are people like me complaining that they are essentially way too closed-minded.

And, if I judge by what's in my playlist right now, I'm certainly not of the underground indie hipster type, but, at the same time, I'm certainly not loaded with more commercially well-known bands. In fact, even I will admit I like mostly recent-day Warped/pop-punkish music, which is accessible but not commercial.

Take it from me. I want a VARIETY in my radio stations. When that doesn't happen, then I'll tune out.

[friday]

jdmasta289 said:

If anyone's wondering, I'm actually pretty attached to my station, KRBZ, because I might be interning there beginning in January.  If anyone (especially in the Seattle area), has heard of Lazlo, who recently became programmer of your station, 107.7, he, along with two other former Buzz DJ's, will be returning to the air beginning tomorrow (Monday) for the Church of Lazlo.  A truly exciting (and, at times, controversial) talk/music show which centers on everything from politics, current events, and relationship issues.  I am truly pumped for that.

I might be as enthused about this if Lazlo didn't fire the guy he replaced to take over his spot. I thought Dick Rossetti was just fine in the afternoon timeslot, and it seems like he got a raw deal just so his boss could be on the air in two different cities. Plus, this is the second time in a year where KNDD fired a talented DJ so they could pipe in programming from another city. They eventually brought that guy back, but if you ask me, between a year ago and now, The End's daily schedule has taken a pretty bad turn for the worse.

As for the show itself, from what I've heard, even though I know they're broadcasting from Seattle, it sounds like it's canned; sorta like when they briefly aired the imported "Marconi Show" back in '03. It's probably because they have to accomodate Kansas City's time zone, but I hate when programs sound like that. Plus, it feels like they're trying to compete with KISW, the more talk-oriented active rock station in town, and I think that's a major mistake.

[Nicholas2.0]

I don't have time anymore to keep track of KPNT's actual playlist, but I don't beleive I've ever heard these on there before. (Ones marked "so far" I expect to be added soon):

Snow Patrol "Chasing Cars"
Blue October "Into the Ocean" (unsure)
The Killers "Bones"
Pepper "No Control"
U2 "Window in the Skies"
Shiny Toy Guns "Le Disko"
Rise Against "Prayer of the Refugee" (so far)
Audioslave "Revelations"
Jet "Shine On" (so far)
Flyleaf "Fully Alive"
The Shins "Phantom Limb"
Pete Yorn "For Us"
Placebo "Meds"
Shinedown "Heroes"
Saliva "Ladies and Gentlemen"
Switchfoot "Oh! Gravity"
Beck "Think I'm in Love" (so far)

And the following I don't believe I've ever heard on KNSX:
Incubus "Anna Molly" (so far)
Tool "The Pot" (they just recently added in a huge chunk of new music since August, but they don't play this, which is interesting because "Vicarious" [with most of the intro chopped off] is their only song they've ever played in regular rotation.)
Muse "Starlight" (so far)
30 Seconds to Mars "From Yesterday" (so far)
Three Days Grace "Pain" (unsure)
Fall Out Boy "Arms Race" (so far)
Angels & Airwaves "The War" (so far)
Pepper "No Control"
Gnarls Barkley "Gone Daddy Gone" (They never added "Crazy.")
U2 "Window in the Skies" (so far)
Sparta "Taking Back Control"
Shiny Toy Guns "Le Disko"
Rise Against "Prayer of the Refugee" (They were the first station to introduce me to them 3 years ago with "Like the Angel," but I never heard them play "Give It All" or "Ready to Fall.")
Say Anything "Alive with the Glory"
Audioslave "Revelations" (I don't know if it's still worth their while to start playing this at this point, but they played the hell out of every one of their previous singles.)
Jet "Shine On" (so far)
The Shins "Phantom Limb"
Pete Yorn "For Us" (Though I heard "Life on a Chain" the other day...)
Saosin "Voices"
Placebo "Meds" (But I think they just got around to adding "Infra-Red")
Shinedown "Heroes" (Which is really odd, because they still play the hell out of the two previous ones.)
Saliva "Ladies and Gentlemen"
Beck "Nausea"
Beck "Think I'm in Love" (so far)

[friday]

Meanwhile, here's what I haven't heard to date on KNDD:

3) Stone Sour - Through Glass
4) Breaking Benjamin - The Diary of Jane
6) The Red Jumpsuit Appartus - Face Down
11) Evanescence - Call Me When You're Sober
13) Three Days Grace - Animal I Have Become
18) Three Days Grace - Pain
19) Hinder - Lips of an Angel
20) Blue October - Into the Ocean
25) Papa Roach - To Be Loved
28) Army of Anyone - Goodbye
29) Pepper - No Control

[jdmasta289]

For what it's worth (hey, I'm bored), my station has never touched any of these songs:

3. Stone Sour - Through Glass
4. Breaking Benjamin - Diary of Jane
11. Evanescence - Call Me When You're Sober
13. Three Days Grace - Animal I Have Become
18. Three Days Grace - Pain
19. Hinder - Lips of an Angel
20. Blue October - Into The Ocean
23. OK Go - Here It Goes Again
25. Papa Roach - To Be Loved
28. Army of Anyone - Goodbye
38. Audioslave - Revelations
40. Flyleaf - Fully Alive
45. Shinedown - Heroes
46. Saliva - Ladies And Gentlemen
48. Switchfoot - Oh Gravity

[pen]

jdmasta289 said:

For what it's worth (hey, I'm bored), my station has never touched any of these songs:

3. Stone Sour - Through Glass
4. Breaking Benjamin - Diary of Jane
11. Evanescence - Call Me When You're Sober
13. Three Days Grace - Animal I Have Become
18. Three Days Grace - Pain
19. Hinder - Lips of an Angel
20. Blue October - Into The Ocean
23. OK Go - Here It Goes Again
25. Papa Roach - To Be Loved
28. Army of Anyone - Goodbye
38. Audioslave - Revelations
40. Flyleaf - Fully Alive
45. Shinedown - Heroes
46. Saliva - Ladies And Gentlemen
48. Switchfoot - Oh Gravity

I sense a pattern forming there. Mostly hard rock and nu-metal songs I see.

[American Idiot]

Alright, since I'm just here killing time until I have to go get yelled at with a meeting with my Converging Media professor in half an hour, I'll add the songs that my stations haven't touched from the Mediabase Alternative Top 50.

WPBZ (West Palm Beach)
4. Red Hot Chili Peppers - Snow ((Hey Oh))
9. Snow Patrol - Chasing Cars
20. Fall Out Boy - This Ain't A Scene, It's An Arms Race
27. The Killers - Bones
28. Army Of Anyone - Goodbye
32. U2 - Window In The Skies
36. Rise Against - Prayer Of The Refugee
39. Jet - Shine On
41. Shins - Phantom Limb
44. Saliva - Ladies and Gentlemen
49. Beck - Think I'm In Love

WOCL (Orlando)
10. Raconteurs - Level
28. Army Of Anyone - Goodbye
34. Sparta - Taking Back Control
37. Say Anything - Alive With The Glory Of Love
41. Shins - Phantom Limb
42. Saosin - Voices
43. Pete Yorn - For Us
44. Saliva - Ladies and Gentlemen
45. Placebo - Meds
46. Shinedown - Heroes
49. Beck - Think I'm In Love

WJRR (Orlando)
6. Red Jumpsuit Apparatus - Face Down
7. AFI - Love Like Winter
9. Snow Patrol - Chasing Cars
10. Raconteurs - Level
13. The Killers - When You Were Young
15. +44 - When Your Heart Stops Beating
16. Muse - Starlight
20. Fall Out Boy - This Ain't A Scene, It's An Arms Race
22. Blue October - Into The Ocean
23. OK Go - Here It Goes Again
24. Angels and Airwaves - The War
26. Taking Back Sunday - Liar (It Takes One To Know One)
27. The Killers - Bones
30. Plain White T's - Hate (But I Really Don't Like You)
31. Gnarls Barkley - Gone Daddy Gone
32. U2 - Window In The Skies
33. Panic! At The Disco - Lying Is The Most Fun A Girl Can Have Without Taking Her Clothes Off
35. Shiny Toy Guns - Le Disko
36. Rise Against - Prayer Of The Refugee
37. Say Anything - Alive With The Glory Of Love
39. Jet - Shine On
41. Shins - Phantom Limb
42. Saosin - Voices
43. Pete Yorn - For Us
45. Placebo - Meds
47. Switchfoot - Oh! Gravity
48. Beck - Nasuea
49. Beck - Think I'm In Love
50. Jet - Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is

[Pipa]

crash46 said:

14. 30 Seconds To Mars - "The Kill"

Wow, that's pretty bad. "The Kill" only touched the Top 30 in Canada, but our station added it.

Then again, they added "Attack" too.

[jdmasta289]

penance said:

jdmasta289 said:

For what it's worth (hey, I'm bored), my station has never touched any of these songs:

3. Stone Sour - Through Glass
4. Breaking Benjamin - Diary of Jane
11. Evanescence - Call Me When You're Sober
13. Three Days Grace - Animal I Have Become
18. Three Days Grace - Pain
19. Hinder - Lips of an Angel
20. Blue October - Into The Ocean
23. OK Go - Here It Goes Again
25. Papa Roach - To Be Loved
28. Army of Anyone - Goodbye
38. Audioslave - Revelations
40. Flyleaf - Fully Alive
45. Shinedown - Heroes
46. Saliva - Ladies And Gentlemen
48. Switchfoot - Oh Gravity

I sense a pattern forming there. Mostly hard rock and nu-metal songs I see.

Eeexxxactly.

[pen]

americanidiot said:

WPBZ (West Palm Beach)
4. Red Hot Chili Peppers - Snow ((Hey Oh))
9. Snow Patrol - Chasing Cars
20. Fall Out Boy - This Ain't A Scene, It's An Arms Race
27. The Killers - Bones
28. Army Of Anyone - Goodbye
32. U2 - Window In The Skies
36. Rise Against - Prayer Of The Refugee
39. Jet - Shine On
41. Shins - Phantom Limb
44. Saliva - Ladies and Gentlemen
49. Beck - Think I'm In Love

The Buzz really hasn't touched Saliva or AOA? What the fuck, Buzz. What the fuck.

[American Idiot]

penance said:

americanidiot said:

WPBZ (West Palm Beach)
4. Red Hot Chili Peppers - Snow ((Hey Oh))
9. Snow Patrol - Chasing Cars
20. Fall Out Boy - This Ain't A Scene, It's An Arms Race
27. The Killers - Bones
28. Army Of Anyone - Goodbye
32. U2 - Window In The Skies
36. Rise Against - Prayer Of The Refugee
39. Jet - Shine On
41. Shins - Phantom Limb
44. Saliva - Ladies and Gentlemen
49. Beck - Think I'm In Love

The Buzz really hasn't touched Saliva or AOA? What the f**k, Buzz. What the f**k.

I think they may have played Army Of Anyone at one point, but aren't currently. Don't worry about Saliva. Once its added, I guarantee it will be one of their most played songs. Look at how many songs Real Rock 101.1 ignored though. This is why I say they should be an Active Rock station.

[fatalthirteen]

jdmasta289 said:

For what it's worth (hey, I'm bored), my station has never touched any of these songs:

3. Stone Sour - Through Glass
4. Breaking Benjamin - Diary of Jane
11. Evanescence - Call Me When You're Sober
13. Three Days Grace - Animal I Have Become
18. Three Days Grace - Pain
19. Hinder - Lips of an Angel
20. Blue October - Into The Ocean
23. OK Go - Here It Goes Again
25. Papa Roach - To Be Loved
28. Army of Anyone - Goodbye
38. Audioslave - Revelations
40. Flyleaf - Fully Alive
45. Shinedown - Heroes
46. Saliva - Ladies And Gentlemen
48. Switchfoot - Oh Gravity

Man, I would HAAAAAAAATE your station!