Sean Ross, who used to be editor of Billboard's Airplay Monitor, has picked the songs he thinks changed radio this year - do you agree?
- Kid Rock & Sheryl Crow, "Picture" - It wasn't being worked aggressively to radio, but radio found it - even at a time when programmers are less inclined to go digging for their own hits. It was the fourth single from "Cocky," even though labels are wont to give up on a project (or an artist) after an unsuccessful single or two. And it not only forced Top 40 PDs to reconsider what might work sonically on their stations, it forced a similar reassessment at a Country format that was mostly allergic to pop crossovers or songs that sounded "too country."
White Stripes, "7 Nation Army" - Like a group of guys who'd watched "Swingers" the night before, Modern Rock programmers had spent the last year trying not to act too interested in the neo-garage movement. Then one of those records actually tested, even there were echoes of AC/DC's "T.N.T." involved, and we stopped hearing neo-garage dismissed as "the new electronica." There's no sign of hard rock and nu-metal going anywhere yet, but "7 Nation Army" proved that Rock PDs were playing these songs for someone beside themselves.
Trapt, "Headstrong" - Proof, in fact, that hard rock isn't going anywhere at Modern Rock. And also the record that forced Top 40 PDs to reconsider whether they were really going to sit out hard rock hits, just because those artists wouldn't play their station concerts. In fact, it wasn't until after Trapt's hard-fought Top 40 crossover that programmers finally came around on Linkin Park.
Outkast, "Hey Ya" - Genre smasher of the year: USA Today's Ken Barnes calls it this generation's "Super Freak." I have to go back to Smokey Robinson & the Miracles' self-described "soul hootenanny," "Mickey's Monkey," before I can find any R&B hit to use as a frame of reference. Yet, at year's end, this was shaping up as an R&B hit, a Modern Rock hit, and one of two Top 40 hits for the group at a time when other hip-hop crossovers were starting to slow down. One other difference between 2003 and 1981: "Super Freak" helped break down the resistance to R&B at an Air Supply-driven pop radio; "Hey Ya" and Maroon 5's "Harder to Breathe" fused rock and rap to put pop/rock back on Top 40.
Article comments
1 - Unhip Chris Arabia
I don't think I know any of those tunes. I thought I'd be older before ending up such a square, man.
2 - Eric Olsen
Chris, You've probably heard most of them, just not heard the names. Radio isn't real good about identifying songs anymore.
3 - Dave
I'm Unhipper than Chris.
I think I might have heard the Outkast song, if that was the one they played when the guy was singing on SNL with what looked like Dr. Scholl's heel pads stuck on his face, but I have no idea. I pretty much gave up on listening to the radio for music when Michael Jackson was black.
4 - Craig Lyndall
With CD players and things and the limited playlists it's no wonder that a lot of people don't know these songs.
I can't help myself but to keep up with it, but I think more and more I am in the minority of people who even cares what drivel is "successful" on the radio.
5 - Sandra Smallson
I dont think age has anything to do with whether you've heard the above tracks or not. Though, I am getting an idea of what the average age is of Blogites. Those tracks are different genres and appeal to different ages if not all ages. I think the defining factor, if there is any, is your personal taste in music. I have heard every song on the list except HEADSTRONG and WAVE ON WAVE. I like all the ones I've heard except "Where is the love" which the whole world liked. I'm not even sure if people liked it or just found it an anti-war anthem since it was during that period...LOL. Thats how much I dislike it..Often when you dislike something, you can see why others might like it, but this track just did not register with me. I could not see why any one enjoyed it.
As far as radio, I have never listened to it in all my life for more than 30 mins. I have not listened to it at all, in the last 10 or so years except when an Artist I like is being interviewed. I never saw it as a source of music at all. Considering how much I love my music, friends find that odd, but I just never got the hang of listening to the radio for music. Its influence or impact, etc is therefore, lost on me. I am aware that it is crap now as I know people who listen to the radio once they wake up and on the drive in to work. Hip hop based they tell me. Personally, I just refuse to listen to music chosen by somebody else because of his/her own personal tastes or what his/her boss told him/her to do. Its too complicated and nothing is radio friendly but hiphop these days. I never listened to the thing before. I don't think I'll be starting now. I am one of those who is delighted with Ipods and Cd players etc. Pick my own music. Think of long flights and the tortue one would have to endure if forced to listen to the carrier's radio stations. Impossible! I've packed my discman ready to go, charging batteries for the next 4 hrs, hopefully come take off, it will work through out the long haul. Hopefully, I'll come across some duty free Ipods. They are ridiculously priced in the UK. One must only spend exorbitant sums on bags and shoes not electronics:):)
6 - Eric Olsen
I don't think age has anything directly to do with it either, although in general the older you are the less likely you're going to make the effort to keep up with such things. If you are interested in "keeping up," you will. And obviously, radio isn't the only way these days, and maybe not the primary way, to do it. Radio is so fragmented that even close listeners may only know the genre they like best.
7 - degustibus
Radio?
8 - Gerald Ball
70% of Americans support the Iraq War according to latest polls, so the majority was probably listening to Toby Keith instead of Black Eyed Peas, who MTV hypocritically promotes as an "acceptable integrated" rap group, the same channel that refused to even play black artists not 20 years ago.