Since Entercom’s
KBZC (The '90s Buzz) Sacramento, Calif., became the first major station to adapt a ‘90s-based format last Memorial Day, I’ve gotten a call with each new launch from a well-respected industry friend, dubious about the format’s prospects. There are too many types of music that don’t go together, he says; it’s a weekend special, not a format. And with new launches of “Gen X Radio” having become a weekly occurrence, my friend and I are on the phone a lot.

The criticisms of the ‘90s format are, in many ways, the criticisms of every gold-based format since the first all-‘70s station signed on in 1993; (a time at which you could have barely conjured two hours of legitimate ‘90s pop hits, much less an entire station). And the mortality rate of all-‘70s, all-‘80s, or Jammin’ Oldies stations tends to embolden the critics. It’s pretty safe to say that, regardless of the ultimate legitimacy of the ‘90s format, not every station switching in to the format these days is going to exist in 3-5 years.

But the years have borne out that every generation wants the music they grew up with. The issue with new gold-based formats always turns out to be the delivery system. Even when the stations don’t persevere, much of the music does prove to be durable.

And here’s how it typically happens:

It always starts with sheer willpower—PDs who are quite aware of what songs currently test, but think the timing is right to start bringing back the rest of the hit music from those years. The music that tested well for a sustained period at the outset of the ‘70s format was almost entirely Classic Rock. The ‘90s music that currently endures at other formats is mostly Alternative and a handful of Hip-Hop titles. The often-rhythmic oh-wow songs that PDs have been waiting to play on the radio again since their childhood generally don’t test. One of the reasons that Clear Channel’s version of Gen X got quicker traction at WLGX Louisville than KBZC did may have been because it allowed itself to bring in some ringers—playing some proven hits from the late ‘80s (particularly the hair band era) and the early ‘00s.

All-‘90s PDs have started like their previous counterparts did, by going heavy on “oh wow” records and tempo-driven jock faves. “I Wonder What She’s Doing Tonight” by Boyce & Hart was a staple of Oldies in its early days on FM. “Jump Into The Fire” by Nilsson was on most Classic Rock stations in that format’s first few years. When the all-‘80s stations came along, it was “Missionary Man” by the Eurythmics that you heard everywhere. And in the early days of Bob- and Jack-FM in America, it was “Smoke From A Distant Fire” by Sanford Townsend Band and “Lick It Up” by Kiss, and a dozen others that weren’t safe but became part of the “safe list” anyway.

Now, at the ‘90s stations monitored thus far by Nielsen BDS, the most played songs also include nuggets like New Radicals’ “You Get What You Give” and Gin Blossoms’ “Follow You Down” that aren’t reliable testers elsewhere. (The lean is still to the rock side, with more enduring hits like Stone Temple Pilots’ “Interstate Love Song,” Black Crowes’ “Hard To Handle,” and Sublime’s “Santeria” in there, too.) The rhythmic “oh-wows” come further down: Mark Morrison’s “Return of the Mack,” DJ Jazzy Jeff & Fresh Prince’s “Summertime,” Wreckx-N-Effect’s “Rump Shaker.” (Even proven ‘90s rhythm hits like “Killing Me Softly” and “Hypnotize” are further down on the list.) Then you get to the truly lost songs: Nelson’s “(Can’t Live Without Your) Love & Affection” or Sophie B. Hawkins’ “Damn, I Wish I Was Your Lover.”

Most of the tempo stiffs will select themselves out at some point. But some songs that don’t test will take hold over the next decade—long after some of the Gen X converts are gone—and they won’t be the ones you’d expect. Few would have predicted at the time that “Don’t Bring Me Down” by Electric Light Orchestra would still be in Classic Rock and Greatest Hits libraries, but “Turn To Stone” wouldn’t. Or that “Magic” by Pilot would test anywhere. Or that disco would get three years on the radio as a current style, but a decade as a significant part of AC and Greatest Hits libraries.

Even anthems like “I Will Survive” and “Get Down Tonight” needed a few years on the radio before they started testing again. A truly lost song like Pilot’s one American hit needs longer than that for an audience to even remember what it is. Having ‘90s pop and rhythm back on the radio then becomes the first step to letting the audience figure out which ones they’re glad to have back. Some PDs will use research to triage; others, as is typically the case, will use each other’s “safe lists.”
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Fresh Listen
WLGX (Gen X Radio) Louisville

This seemed like a good time to check in with Clear Channel’s first entrant into the ‘90s-based format, WLGX (Gen X Radio) Louisville, which has spurred sister stations in Tulsa, Okla., and Tallahassee, Fla., since launching last summer. In the fall, WLGX was up 3.8-4.3 and fourth in the market 12-plus. (Citadel, meanwhile, has launched similarly positioned stations in Baton Rouge, La., Memphis, Harrisburg, and Salt Lake City.)

WLGX is now hosted in mornings by Matthew Blades, based out of KMXP (Mix 96.9) Phoenix. Blades was doing about 4-5 very brief breaks an hour – divided almost evenly between short bits and PPM-style “coming up in eight minutes” teasers for those bits. As you might expect, there were also ongoing references to this being Kentucky Derby Week.

Here’s Gen X Radio at 6:15 a.m. yesterday:

• Coolio, “Fantastic Voyage”
• Green Day, “When I Come Around”
• Spice Girls, “Wannabe” (staged as a “Lost Hit”)
• Toad The Wet Sprocket, “All I Want”
• Neneh Cherry, “Buffalo Stance”
• Incubus, “Drive”
• Technotronic, “Move This”
• Dave Matthews Band, “Ants Marching”
• Michael Jackson, “Do You Remember” (Lost Hit)
• Collective Soul, “December”
• Paperboy, “Ditty”
• Verve, “ Bitter Sweet Symphony”
• Cece Peniston, “Finally”
• Smash Mouth, “Walking On The Sun”

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Ross on Records
Why Not To Be Through At Two

Not that Rihanna exactly needed a “comeback” at Mainstream Top 40, but “Rude Boy,” No. 1 at the format this week, is still the sort of success most of us would have wished for her. And it comes after the “Rated R” album’s odd first calling card, “Russian Roulette,” which peaked mid-chart, and the second single, “Hard,” which glanced off the Top 10.

In other words, it’s another case of the real hit from an artist’s project being the third single. And a quick look at the most-played gold at Mainstream AC reveals a long honor roll of third and fourth singles that might not have been the first to become airplay hits, but still turned out to be more enduring at radio than the songs that preceded them: Tom Petty’s “Free Fallin’,” Bryan Adams’ “Heaven” and “Summer Of ‘69” (third and fourth, respectively, from “Reckless”), Fergie’s “Big Girls Don’t Cry,” Michael Jackson’s “Man In The Mirror” and “The Way You Make Me Feel,” and Hootie & the Blowfish’s “I Only Wanna Be With You” among them.

Like the above list, “Rude Boy” is more proof that what’s enduring at radio isn’t always obvious. And proof that the “two and we’re through” mentality, which seemed to take hold as labels looked to cut costs in the mid-‘00s, doesn’t always have the best yield. It’s hard to imagine a label bailing on Rihanna after two singles didn’t yield a clear smash. But an artist further down the food chain might not get the same consideration.

At the other end, Fergie’s success seemed to reactivate the notion that a successful project could go deep; now that she’s back with Black Eyed Peas, they’re currently at single No. 5. Label mate Lady Gaga is either on the seventh single from “The Fame” or the third from “The Fame Monster,” depending on how you count. During the worst of Top 40’s mid-‘00s product slump, “two and we’re through” seemed like a lose-lose situation: labels and radio both needed those hits. At this point, Top 40 may feel like it isn’t struggling for music. I’m guessing the labels still don’t have enough hits to throw anything back.

Have a great week. Back with more Ross On Radio on Thursday.
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Hughes Cruise

Radio One chairman/CEO Cathy Hughes leads the closing celebration of the broadcaster’s five day “One Love Gospel Cruise” which gave listeners the chance to set sail with Shirley Caesar, Donnie McClurkin, Vickie Winan, James Fortune, Regina Belle, Vanessa Bell Armstrong, the Clark Sisters, and numerous others. In the second photo, McClurkin leads a Bible study for listeners.

Your Man In Lima

WFGF (New Country 92.1 The Frog) Lima, Ohio’s Josh Turner concert raised over $53,000 for St. Jude Children Research Hospital. Pictured, from left, are St. Jude’s Kayla Sechler and Emily Toney, WFGF PD/p.m. driver Dave Crosser, WFGF promotions/middayer Liz Mantel, Turner, and WFGF morning hosts Big D & Bubba.

Sean Ross is Executive Editor of Music and Programming for Radio-Info.com. He is also a consultant to the radio and music industries, and VP of music and programming for Edison Research. He can be reached at 973.763.1306. Stations he has recently worked with in his Edison capacity are asterisked.