Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site dartvax.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!mgnetp!ihnp4!zehntel!hplabs!hao!seismo!cmcl2!floyd!harpo!decvax!dartvax!merchant From: merchant@dartvax.UUCP (Peter Merchant) Newsgroups: net.music Subject: Re: In defense of musical snobbery Message-ID: <1842@dartvax.UUCP> Date: Thu, 14-Jun-84 10:07:56 EDT Article-I.D.: dartvax.1842 Posted: Thu Jun 14 10:07:56 1984 Date-Received: Fri, 22-Jun-84 04:20:27 EDT References: <246@tellab1.UUCP> Organization: Dartmouth College Lines: 40 { DEE FENSE! } Is it the radio stations fault? Well, as someone so well put it (and I'm terrible with names) "Radio Stations Are In The Market To Make Money." There are some people who are automatic adds at a radio station. Bruce Springsteen. Journey. Michael Jackson. These people get added automatically because listenners want to hear the latest music from them. They like their style, their voice, whatever. These people are the hit-makers. They have proven that people like them. Then you have the lesser knowns. They need some catchy music to get a Music Director's attention. If a song happens to get noticed by a music director and added because he thinks listeners will like it, he reports this fact to other music directors. Now, depending on who the music director is, other people might decide to give it a try. They like it too and add it. More stations add it, more people hear it, more people like it, more stations add it because more people are beginning to like it, etcetera. At least, this is how I have noticed it seems to work. Sometimes hits are regional, too. Todd Rundgren's last album had a very cute song (which is kind of pusy towards reggae) called "Bang The Drum." WCOZ and a few other Boston stations were playing it. Lots of people in the Northeast loved it. It didn't get much play outside of the Northeast, though, that I noticed. When they released it as a single, it flopped. Another example is Sparks' and Jane Wiedlin's song "Cool Places." Barely made it into the Top 40, but it was a major hit on the West Coast (primarily in California). The thing is, you have to attract a music director's attention to get airplay. Some bands which only play to a particular audience are not going to attract the attention of a music director who is trying to program music for a large and diversified audience. -- "We need a pop song." Peter Merchant -- Wreckless Eric