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Programming & Music
This essay, Twelve Songs That Used To Test, was written by Sean Ross for Radio-Info.com's Programming & Music column.
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Twelve Songs That Used To Test
One of the best things about music research is that it sometimes gives listeners the opportunity to bring back songs that program directors didn’t want to play. After many years on PD punishment, the Bee Gees or KC & the Sunshine Band return, too big to deny. Or, even better and rarer, a song that was never a hit builds up familiarity elsewhere to perform well (e.g., Ingrid Michaelson’s “The Way I Am”).But the audience exiles songs, too. In my eight years at Edison Research, seeing the data from hundreds of music tests, I’ve also seen once-reliable testers fall out of that category. The passage of time is the most obvious culprit—scores of once-playable ’60s Oldies have fallen away as a new audience that graduated high-school in the late ’70s/early ’80s becomes the target of Oldies/Greatest Hits stations.
But even some relatively newer songs don’t sustain as reliable testers after a few years of heavy airplay. In recent years, I’ve seen one slightly goofy late ’70s hit that lately has been testing strong enough for power rotation every other test. Being pounded is enough to send it from the top 100 to barely playable. Being rested is enough to bring it back. And as stations that used to be able to do two tests a year now have to make do with one, or one every few years, there are more songs like that.
If you look at a music test from a decade ago, you won’t necessarily find a front page full of songs that are all unplayable now. The “top-of-the-page” songs have, in many cases, sustained pretty well throughout the years. “Brown Eyed Girl” has been passed down through several generations of listeners. It’s the secondary songs that are marginalized by time. So a lot of the songs that have fallen off the radio were songs that were working test-to-test, station-to-station already, and went away incrementally.
Just as there’s no true “safe list,” these songs don’t represent an “unsafe list.” Readers will undoubtedly find a song or two here that still works for them. Songs are on different life-cycles in different markets due to different exposures. That’s why music testing is always worthwhile. And what PDs want to play still figures into a song’s durability—just not being on the radio anymore helps a few songs but diminishes many more. Here, in chronological order, are a dozen songs that were once reliable across various formats that are now less so.
Cascades, “Rhythm Of The Rain” (1963) – If you don’t like this song, it represents everything that was wimpy about rock ’n’ roll at the time. But Oldies listeners loved it. It held on in music tests well into the mid-’00s, showing the same kind of endurance as say, “Stand By Me,” even without the same sort of ’80s second life that Ben E. King’s song had. Now, most PDs wouldn’t even consider testing it, although KRTH (K-Earth 101) Los Angeles still plays it 4-6 times a week.
Lee Michaels, “Do You Know What I Mean” (1971) – This was never a “top of the page record,” but it was always a go-to song for Oldies PDs, especially when they began looking harder for ’70s hits that would fit. In the mid-’00s, any early ’70s song with tempo that sounded like an oldie, and not an AC record, got pounded by PDs who were looking to modernize the format, and as a result, a lot of songs from that era, including the Three Dog Night hits and even “Brandy (You’re A Fine Girl)” by Looking Glass are not quite what they used to be.
Al Green, “Love & Happiness” (1972) – For many years, this was the “Stairway To Heaven” of Urban AC. Never a single until many years later, “Love & Happiness” is virtually unknown to the pop audience, but it was often No. 1, even with competition from a half-dozen Luther Vandross classics. In the mid-’90s, its multi-generational appeal was such that Mainstream Urbans like WGCI-FM Chicago and KKBT (The Beat) Los Angeles played it like a recurrent for a while. In recent years, however, it’s become “just another record” at many Urban ACs. For the most part, that’s a function of a younger audience that didn’t grow up with it. But as the passage of time whittles down the number of playable early-’70s R&B songs at Urban AC, I also wonder if it got hurt a little by being one of so few songs that represented the era, making listeners feel like they were hearing it over and over again.
Emotions, “Best Of My Love” (1977); Cheryl Lynn, “Got To Be Real” (1978) – For a while, they were both reliable testers for both pop Oldies/Greatest Hits stations and for the Mainstream ACs that did well with disco in the early-to-mid ’00s. Their resurgence paralleled that of Gloria Gaynor’s “I Will Survive,” but these female R&B workouts (really only “disco” by dint of timing) became spottier.
Human League, “Don’t You Want Me” (1982) – It used to be a safe bet, but it hasn’t shown quite the same endurance or universal appeal as the Eurythmics’ “Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This)” or Soft Cell’s “Tainted Love.”
Stevie Nicks, “Stand Back” (1983) – Another great-sounding, uptempo radio record that PDs always want to play (and sometimes play anyway). It’s interesting to consider how the harder “Edge Of Seventeen” has held up better, even at AC radio.
Bette Midler, “Wind Beneath My Wings” (1989) – Still a front page record as recently as the mid-’00s. This week, Nielsen BDSRadio shows it with less than 35 spins across all formats. Most of those are nighttime airplay, although supersoft AC WFEZ (Easy 93.1) Miami plays it about once a day. It’s not impossible that it would still come through if PDs were willing to test it. The same goes for…
Stereo MCs, “Connected” (1993) – I’m cheating a little with this one. In the early days of the CHR revival, it was one of the callout secret weapons passed from station to station, or used when CHR returned to the market after a few years. In library tests, where familiarity across a market and sustained airplay make a difference, it never had the same success, although now that there are ’90s-based formats, it’s starting to resurface on the radio anyway.
Celine Dion, “The Power Of Love” (1994) – By the early ’00s, she had a hard time getting airplay for her new music, but Dion’s ’90s hits, also including “Because You Loved Me” and even her duet remake of “When I Fall In Love” were usually top-of-the-page records for Mainstream AC.
Jeffrey Gaines, “In Your Eyes” (2001) – The Peter Gabriel original was a reliable tester for years. This Modern AC hit remake was controversial. Did it also do well in some music tests because listeners appreciated Gaines’ even mellower take on the song? Or were they just mistaking it for the original? (To me, it didn’t matter; if they were fooled, they’d also be fooled into leaving the radio on.) But eventually, it was lost to time.
Enya, “Only Time” (1991) – The nation’s song of post 9/11 contemplation stood out for a few years at Mainstream AC, especially at a time when there wasn’t that much new pop for the format to play. It’s less common at AC now that the tenor of the format has changed.
What songs do you recall moving from power to barely playable to unplayable? Leave a comment.
This article is part of the Dec. 1 “Ross On Radio.” Read this week’s “Radio’s Best & Worst.”
About the Writer
Sean Ross, one of the radio and music industry’s most widely respected writers and programming analysts, is the author of the newsletter Ross On Radio, an extension of his long-running column of the same name.
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38 Special-2nd Chance. A song that was designed to research well, but went away quickly.
Sean – Your story on music testing reminded me of my first experience with music research. In 1982 at a small market Midwest AC we conducted our first ever auditorium music test. The number one best testing highest favorable song – “The Gambler” by Kenny Rogers. In the meeting the discussion centered on novelty song values etc. when the research company rep began to insist that, based on this test, The Gambler had to become a power rotation song. So, every day and a daypart, our listeners knew when to hold ‘em and when to fold ‘em – a minimum of 4 plays a week (not counting all nights) for the next year. The following summer, the same research company showed us the bad news – “The Gambler” was the most burned out unplayable song in our library. In that meeting, the NEW research company rep looked at the GM and I and said “What idiot decided to play that song as a power?” Our response was “The idiot from your company last year.” He was quiet the rest of the meeting
With all of the tools we have today, Sean – you could have 15 different answers to those songs you posted. M Score, Mediabase and of course those stations that actually DO music tests (there might be 2 or 3) can still get a ton of different answers. What it boils down to is the programming creativity that goes into the station. Of course you don’t want to play songs the listener hates, but some common sense might be in order. “Brandy” has always been a through the roof tester. “Say You Love Me” by Fleetwood Mac had a 6 month ride in the negative column on MScore- but all of a sudden bounced back, and there it says we should play it 12 times a week. You need the tools, but also need a feel for the market, the station’s audience and knowing what will make the station flow. The smart guys can get technical and make the station emotionally compelling at the same time. Just my 2 cents.
Sean: Another great article. I can't comment regarding the AC format as my reputation was made by my contemporary way of programming the format going all the way back to 1993 when I dropped ALL of the 1960s songs from my playlist and our station (WKWK/Wheeling) became the 4th highest rated AC station in the nation by 1994. Those '60s staples like Stand By Me; Build Me Up Buttercup and California Dreaming were history on my stations almost 20 years ago - which was perfect as they would have clashed with the Hootie & the Blowfish and pop alternative stuff of the mid-90s (and the last 15 years in general) anyway. I was able to beat te top 40 giants WOMP-FM; Electric 102 and WZOK in Wheeling; Charleston and Rockford, by stealing their 35+ numbers by being attractive to adult women who didn't want the teeny-pop; but still embraced the music of the youth and young adulthood - which at the time - was represented in the music of the 1970s and 1980s. Specific AC high testers that I sent packing five to 10 years ahead of everyone else included: (Almost everything from the 1960s except Brown Eyed Girl by 1993) If-Bread All the Jim Croce (Which I personally loved) All the Little River Band Poco-Crazy Love Gerry Rafferty-Baker's Street Robert John-Sad Eyes Bette Midler-The Rose (This song would test high no matter what - but if you played it you were making the statement that you were "B/EZ" and in the early 1990s - a lot of the new AC stations had once been B/EZ stations so you had to distance yourself from the old image) Up Where We Belong-Cocker & Warnes (One day this was a Power and the next it was gone. You have to decide who you are and who you want to attract and this song - as good as it was - left my playlist by 1995) Simply Red-Holding back the Years (There comes a time in a ballad's life cycle where it falls from grace. This Simply Red song, like it's Anita Baker/Sade cousins which were HUGE AC records in the mid to late 1980s - had lost their mojo less than 10 years later. They even started falling off the Delilah/Love Song playlist. Maybe it had something to do with the rise of Urban AC in the major markets - but most the the 1980s soul personified by Billy Ocean; Freddie Jackson; Peabo Bryson and, even Whitney Houston, have vanished from the mass appeal adult formats. It is curious that the Chicago song:"Look Away" in 1989, like the 38 Special "Second Chance" - were "looked away" and got no "second chance" at AC in the 1990s. I'm still puzzled to this day why these ultra catch songs did not hold up. Could it be they were too "formulatic"? many of the giant Diane warren penned hits of the 1980s and 1990s have faded from the pop airwaves. maybe just a little bit too much sugar in the coffee? The Gloria Estefan songs that were airing - every hour in the early 1990s like "Anything For You" and "Can't Stay Away from You" were filler and overnight tunes by the end of the 1990s. I always anticipated that the harder ballads from that era would have taken their place on mainstream AC playlists such as Warrant's "Heaven" ; Poison's "Every Rose has It's Thorn"; Bon Jovi's "Never say Goodbye - "Always" and "I'll Be There for You" but they really haven't. (yet) And why hasn't the Janet Jackson material gotten a second go round like the late 1970s disco did? "Miss You Much" and "Escapade" are great sounding pop records from a pop icon but her songs never got the extended play of Paul Abdul's "Straight Up" from the same year. Add Jody Watley's "Real Love" to a list of rhythmic songs that, unlike the rhythmic hits of the 60s (Motown) 70s (Philadelphia International) and early 80s (Michael Jackson; Billy Ocean; Whitney Houston) never gained a sold foothold at mainstream AC after their CHR runs. Examples would be:"Hold On"-En Vogue; the Bel Biv Devoe hits; "All Around the World"-Lisa Stansfield; Calloway "I Wanna Be Rich"; Jane Child-"Don't Wanna fall in Love; "Everything"-Jody Watley; "With Every Beat of My Heart"-Taylor Dayne; the After 7 songs; "Whip Appeal"-Babyface. And that's just 1990!!! "Rush. Rush" by Paul Abdul was a HUGE record but the song and her career was over less than a year later when she looked like a Bouncey Clown at on one of the awards shows performing "Vibeology". Which brings us to one of the factors that is almost always at play with the bell curve of a record: The image of its artist. It really helps to have a cool and relatively stable image, such as with Elton John, than a helter skelter image such as Michael Jackson. Did it surprise you that - only after his death - did "Man in the Mirror"; "Beat It" and "Billie Jean" reemerge as powers and secondaries at AC radio? I remember getting the memos from consultations in the mid 1990s, and again in 2001, suggesting we shelve any Michael Jackson songs during the 'controversy". Before I finish - here are a few other once mega playable AC songs that have long lost (or are quickly losing) their flavor on many playlists: Baby, Baby-Amy Grant Almost all of the 1985-199 era Whitney Houston songs Almost all the 1990-2005 Celine Dion songs Almost all of the 1970s Billy Joel songs Almost all of the 1970s James Taylor songs Almost all of the 1980s era Billy Ocean songs Almost all of the 1990s era Mariah Carey songs Almost all of the 1990s era Michael Bolton songs The question - and has been - what do you play from the 1990s if you don't still play what you once did play? It would be interesting to see if any of these 1990 songs could "live again" at mainstream AC radio- maybe if there is some 1990s nostalgic Renaissance because of a movie? Roam-B52s I Remember You-Skid Row MotownPhilly-Boyz-II-Men High Enough-Damn Yankees I've Been Thinking About You-Londonbeat Can't Stop this Thing We Started-Bryan Adams Crazy-Seal Groove is in the Heart-Dee Lite My Lovin'-En Vogue I Love Your Smile-Shanice Unbelievable-EMF Right Here, Right Now-Jesus Jones Black or White-MJ Finally- Ce Ce Peniston Diamonds & Pearls-Prince Damn, I Wish I Was Your Lover-Sophie B. Hawkins Mysterious Ways and One-U2 The SWV songs? Ace of Base songs? The pickings become very slim during this era (1993) as it is part grunge; rap; club/dance; urban; with only some mainstream rock. Maybe it's time to look at some of the pop-laden Aerosmith songs from that era as potential finds? 'Crazy""Cryin"; "Amazing"; "Angel"; Hitmaker Glen Ballard was involved in the production of these radio and video smashes/songs - maybe they need to be considered and tested as 1990s replacements for the unplayable Houston-Carey-Dion-Bolton songs that were the dominate AC fare of that time. I believe that some of Madonna's 1990s stuff was undervalued because of her erratic behavior - being associated with Warren Beatty one moment and vanilla Ice and Dennis Rodman the next had listeners and program directors asking - would you mind just creating some hits? maybe there were some and it was US who missed (or dismissed) them? OK - I could go on and on. Hope I touched on the subjects: 1.) Songs that no longer are staples of the format and 2.) Possible replacements. To Your Sucess ~Doug Daniels (Holzmeier)
From January through May 1989 I couldn't escape "The Look" by Roxette. Then I went to Spain for the summer ... and Los 40 Principales played it every two hours, supplemented by former rival Radio Espana 97.2. It was inescapable, but a solid hit that I never hear anymore, likely because it was burnt to a crisp at CHR's descent into disposable dance, Hair Bands and NKOTB. On another note, I pulled an aircheck of Jojo Morales on Z100/NY from Thanksgiving Day 1990 and the number of then-currents that aren't played anymore is striking: Heart/Breathless, Will To Power/I'm Not In Love, The Adventures of Stevie B/Dirty Cash and what was a Power Gold track on the station for nearly five years: T'Pau/Heart and Soul. What's hot today may not be hot in 10 years -- a good lesson for all of the stations pounding Pitbull records.
Perhaps the most striking example of "Songs that used to test" affecting radio programming on a large scale was music radio's handling of Michael Jackson's death in 2009. In the 80s and 90's, pop radio teemed with Michael Jackson songs. Led by "Billie Jean" and "Beat It," there were always multiple MJ songs to choose from in your music sort. But by the time of Michael Jackson's death in 2009, the King Of Pop's library of playable songs had all but disppeared, save for a score at Mainstream AC, for titles like "The Way You Make Me Feel," or "You Are Not Alone." And did those songs even fit anymore? Flashback to August 1977 when the news of Elvis's death stunned us in a simliar manner as Jackson's. WIthin hours of Presley's passing (and in some cases minutes) the airwaves of pop radio stations everywhere were filled with Elvis songs. Listeners had a place to go to absorb the shock of that news, to share in the grieving experience and to celebrate the "King's" body of work. That event, just as John Lennon's murder in 1980, played to one of radio's strengths: immediacy. The ability to change on a dime and to capture the moment! But, radio was much different by late afternoon in June 25th, 2009, when the shocking news of Jackson's death flashed across our TV and computer screens. Radio programmers were no longer able to quickly or easily go into pop icon tribute mode. The evening's programming was already set, voicetracks cut, playlists fixed. And there was the bigger question: Whose event was it? In our narrow casting world, did MJ's songs even fit the format anymore? Maybe we should just let the morning show handle it in the morning. That's probably best since his songs no longer test!
