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famousdayandyear

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Who Killed Rock Radio?
« on: July 21, 2012, 10:48:45 pm »
http://spectator.org/archives/2012/07/20/who-killed-rock-radio/print
Who Killed Rock Radio
by Daniel Flynn

Another rock radio station bites the dust.

Boston’s 29-year-old WFNX, a left-of-the-dial station out of place in the middle at 101.7, plays its last song, probably a Smiths or Cure number, tonight. The sound of a venerable rock station signing off is by now a familiar one. New York’s K-Rock, Baltimore-Washington’s WHFS, Chicago’s Q101, and Los Angeles’ Indie 103 are a few of the more celebrated stations silenced in recent years.

One format’s loss is another’s gain: Spanish-language, FM talk, top-40, and all-sports are among the beneficiaries of rock radio’s decline. And that decline has as much to do with rock as with radio.

The labels “alternative” and “indie” prefixing “rock” suggest a too-cool-for-school art form shunning mainstream acceptance. Prior to this year’s monster hits “We Are Young” by fun. and “Somebody That I Used to Know” by Gotye, no song that could conceivably be labeled “rock” had claimed the top spot on Billboard’s Hot 100 since 2008. Larger-than-life lion-maned madmen in tassels once commanded everyone’s attention. Now anonymous shoe-gazers shy away from the spotlight. “Rock star” has become a contradiction in terms.

If “alternative rock” works as a redundancy, it also works as an oxymoron, too. Corporate entities playing stale songs on heavy rotation by the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Foo Fighters, and Pearl Jam -- rock brands as much as rock bands at this point -- as though they are the latest pop acts is enough to make anyone with a pulse turn the dial. And it’s not very alternative, is it?

So stale has rock music become that back catalogue has overtaken recent releases in sales and a Beatles compilation became the bestselling album of the last decade. 

If rock has made it hard for radio, radio has reciprocated.

Corporate behemoths that swallow up stations impose one-size-fits-all philosophies that ignore what works locally. DJ-by-market-research leads to oft-repeated playlists and pink slips for live-and-local talent to make way for piped-in hosts. It’s impersonal, distant, and sounds like everything else. Like Starbucks, Walmart, and Applebee’s, homogenization makes your town like every other town. Homogenization not only operates under the assumption that Chicago is Sacramento is Detroit is Savannah, but it brings that assumption closer to reality.

Diversity and distinction yield to conformity and blah.

When gray-haired guys in grayer suits effectively become the DJ, they effectively force listeners into do-it-yourself-DJ mode. Pandora, iTunes, and YouTube have democratized listening. But this isn’t all for the good. The disc jockey, who presumably gained his position by superior musical knowledge, is an authoritarian whose overthrow has hurt his subjects.

King Radio is now computer algorithms and opinion research. It’s hard enough for the listener to connect to an automaton pretending to be a DJ. The listener certainly can’t connect to a voiceless computer program determining tracks. The playlist is to radio what “press 7 for…” is to customer service.

When corporations kill local radio, they occasionally remind listeners how they’re killing an entire industry. WFNX on its death-bed has proved unpredictable, lively, free-form—everything that corporate radio isn’t. Untethered from parental controls, on-air-talent said and played what they wanted to say and play. Listeners became DJs and the ghosts of DJs past haunted the airwaves again. Everything from Frank Turner’s rollicking new “I Still Believe” to LCD Soundsystem’s “Daft Punk Is Playing in My House” to Mission of Burma’s “That’s When I Reach for My Revolver” could be heard. DJ T.J. Connelly says of his last broadcast, “All I can promise is no repeats and no Red Hot Chili Peppers.”

If only rock radio always delivered on that promise.

“We have an audience who never grew up on great radio,” music industry insider Bob Lefsetz of the Lefsetz Letter observes. “We all remember great radio. All across America there were great FM stations. Kids today under 20 never grew up with that…. They’re not building for a future, they’re not sure there is a future.”

There was a moment in the 1950s when Dragnet, Gunsmoke, and other popular radio series began appearing on television too. Listeners may not have realized that radio storytelling was in its death throes, but it was. Rock radio is already dead. But in a world of seven-second delays, it’s taking some time for reality to set in.
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Offline jmyrlefuller

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Re: Who Killed Rock Radio?
« Reply #1 on: July 22, 2012, 01:19:26 pm »
What killed rock radio? Rock itself.

Once it got into the early 1990s, rock took a nosedive. While the metal side of things still has its devoted fan base, the rest of it got caught up in this noisy, non-musical grunge sound that is very unpalatable to the common ear. Especially the voices of the lead vocals-- there's very little distinguishing between voices in modern rock. The only reason it really survived was through the work of DJs such as Howard Stern and others that didn't play rock-- they talked smut in the morning. Some of the more southern rock artists all of a sudden were now considered "country" artists, and country music as a whole got a whole lot more electric at the same time.

The Internet's also a factor. No genre has been affected more by it than rock, simply because it's very easy to put together a rock band and there are probably more of those than any other genre. So the rock bands that are out there are all competing for smaller pieces of a pie, and fewer people are familiar with them. So the classic artists, the ones that almost everyone knows from growing up with them on the oldies or classic rock stations, naturally have more name recognition at the expense of newer artists.

Take a look at The Juke Box here. Of the over 1000 songs we've put in that thread, very few are rock songs made after 1990. While that may certainly reflect the fact that most of the people here are older, even the younger among us (myself included) don't listen to it.
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famousdayandyear

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Re: Who Killed Rock Radio?
« Reply #2 on: July 22, 2012, 01:33:29 pm »
Great post, jmy.  New insight into what happened in the 90's
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Online DCPatriot

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Re: Who Killed Rock Radio?
« Reply #3 on: July 22, 2012, 02:09:53 pm »
Watched (again) School of Rock (Jack Black) just the other day.  Gets better each time.  LOL!



Idleness and electronic distractions killed Rock.
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Offline truth_seeker

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Re: Who Killed Rock Radio?
« Reply #4 on: July 22, 2012, 02:37:33 pm »
Crappy music killed rock. The 60s and 70s will not be equaled for rock.

The best music from younger people lately has been jazz, pop etc. Michael Bubble is one example, and I'm sure there are many similar younger performers who avoid doing rock.

My wife and I (in our 60s) even like Techno...because it is different, creative. Not just somebody else playing more or less the same thing over and over.

The thing about the 60s and 70s that stands out about the best groups: Each had a distinctive sound.
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Offline kevindavis007

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Re: Who Killed Rock Radio?
« Reply #5 on: July 22, 2012, 03:09:15 pm »
Quote from: truth_seeker on July 22, 2012, 02:37:33 pm
Crappy music killed rock. The 60s and 70s will not be equaled for rock.

The best music from younger people lately has been jazz, pop etc. Michael Bubble is one example, and I'm sure there are many similar younger performers who avoid doing rock.

My wife and I (in our 60s) even like Techno...because it is different, creative. Not just somebody else playing more or less the same thing over and over.

The thing about the 60s and 70s that stands out about the best groups: Each had a distinctive sound.

I think the 80's was the last good decade for Rock music..
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Offline Chieftain

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Re: Who Killed Rock Radio?
« Reply #6 on: July 22, 2012, 03:15:45 pm »
Why, video killed the radio star....


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iwuy4hHO3YQ

On a side note, this is also the very first video MTV showed when it went on the air for the first time....

 :beer:
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Offline Rapunzel

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Re: Who Killed Rock Radio?
« Reply #7 on: July 22, 2012, 03:23:59 pm »
Quote from: truth_seeker on July 22, 2012, 02:37:33 pm
Crappy music killed rock. The 60s and 70s will not be equaled for rock.

 

Yep........ and when you go to youtube it is amazing how many self-professed teens prefer to listen to the "oldies" than the newer music and many of them marvel at how lucky their parents were to have that kind of music growing up vs the choice they have on the radio today.....  I doubt if in 30 years much of the music of the 90's will bring tears to a person's eyes when listening to it because it reminds them of something special... yet how many of us can deny there is music from the 50's and 60's and even the 70's which does just that.
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Offline Lipstick on a Hillary

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Re: Who Killed Rock Radio?
« Reply #8 on: July 22, 2012, 05:20:10 pm »
Quote from: truth_seeker on July 22, 2012, 02:37:33 pm
Crappy music killed rock. The 60s and 70s will not be equaled for rock.


Amen, amen and amen.  Nothing else comes close.  I grew up outside on NYC, and got my parents' castoff radio when I was about 6 or 7.  Not knowing music terribly well at that age (except the big band sound my parents listened to) I tuned that radio in to the strongest signal around at the time-WABC- and fell in love with rock 'n roll right then.  I went to highschool 1968-1972.  A tumultuous time, but a heady time for rock music. 

When I was a teen, we wouldn't be caught dead listening to our parents' dorky music, (which I now love, BTW) but kids nowadays think our classic rock music is the coolest thing.  And they are right!
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Offline U-238

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Re: Who Killed Rock Radio?
« Reply #9 on: July 22, 2012, 06:29:45 pm »
They all went to Sirius XM radio
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Offline U-238

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Re: Who Killed Rock Radio?
« Reply #10 on: July 22, 2012, 06:42:19 pm »
Quote from: U-238 on July 22, 2012, 06:29:45 pm
They all went to Sirius XM radio

I can listen to any station anywhere in the United States and Canada commercial free. Now I can listen to Sirius XM stations on my I Phone.
« Last Edit: July 22, 2012, 06:45:57 pm by U-238 »
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Offline U-238

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Re: Who Killed Rock Radio?
« Reply #11 on: July 22, 2012, 06:58:17 pm »
Quote from: U-238 on July 22, 2012, 06:42:19 pm
I can listen to any station anywhere in the United States and Canada commercial free. Now I can listen to Sirius XM stations on my I Phone.

Sirius XM Octane plays all the new coming bands.
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Offline U-238

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Re: Who Killed Rock Radio?
« Reply #12 on: July 22, 2012, 08:15:34 pm »
Quote from: Chieftain on July 22, 2012, 03:15:45 pm
Why, video killed the radio star....


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iwuy4hHO3YQ

On a side note, this is also the very first video MTV showed when it went on the air for the first time....

 :beer:



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RbF6pCJcPo8&feature=related

The First Vee-Jay to introduce it to the world was Mark Goodman

Here is the rest of the play list that day:

1."Video Killed the Radio Star" by The Buggles
2."You Better Run" by Pat Benatar
3."She Won't Dance with Me" by Rod Stewart (Phil Chen was the first non-white musician to appear on MTV)
With further Rod Stewart videos airing at positions #15, #26, #37, #51, #66, #77, #97, #110, #122, #132, #150, #171, #181, #191, and #208, Stewart became the artist with the most videos played that day.
4."You Better You Bet" by The Who
"You Better You Bet" was both the 4th and 55th video to be aired on MTV, making it the first video to be shown more than once.
5."Little Suzi's on the Up" by Ph.D.
6."We Don't Talk Anymore" by Cliff Richard
7."Brass in Pocket" by The Pretenders
8."Time Heals" by Todd Rundgren
9."Take It on the Run" by REO Speedwagon (the video begins but ends after a few seconds due to technical difficulties.)
If counting this video as having aired, with positions also at #17, #39, #48, #69, #96, #106, #120, #131, #138, #158, #162, #175, #187, #205, and #206, makes REO Speedwagon tied with Rod Stewart as the artists with the most videos played that day.
10."Rockin' the Paradise" by Styx
11."When Things Go Wrong" by Robin Lane and the Chartbusters
12."History Never Repeats" by Split Enz
13."Hold on Loosely" by .38 Special
14."Just Between You and Me" by April Wine
"Just Between You and Me" was the first music video by a Canadian musical artist ever played on MTV.
15."Sailing" by Rod Stewart
Stewart's "She Won't Dance with Me" was the 3rd video played; with this video, Stewart became the first artist to have two different videos played on MTV.
16."Iron Maiden" by Iron Maiden
17."Keep on Loving You (Live)" by REO Speedwagon
"Keep On Loving You" was the first Billboard Hot 100 number-one hit song to be played on MTV.
18."Bluer Than Blue" by Michael Johnson
19."Message of Love" by The Pretenders
20."Mr. Briefcase" by Lee Ritenour
21."Double Life" by The Cars
22."In the Air Tonight" by Phil Collins
23."Looking for Clues" by Robert Palmer
24."Too Late" by Shoes
25."Stop Draggin' My Heart Around" by Stevie Nicks and Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
26."Do Ya Think I'm Sexy" by Rod Stewart (screen is blank while the audio still plays, stops after 15 seconds.)
27."Surface Tension" by Rupert Hine
28."One Step Ahead" by Split Enz
29."Baker Street" by Gerry Rafferty
30."I'm Gonna Follow You" by Pat Benatar
31."Savannah Nights" by Tom Johnston
32."Lucille" by Rockestra
33."The Best of Times" by Styx
34."Vengeance" by Carly Simon
35."Wrathchild" by Iron Maiden
36."I Wanna Be a Lifeguard" by Blotto
37."Passion" by Rod Stewart
38."Oliver's Army" by Elvis Costello
39."Remote Control / Illegal" by The Silencers (two songs combined into a single video)
40."Angel of the Morning" by Juice Newton
41."Little Sister" by Rockpile with Robert Plant
42."Hold On to the Night" by Bootcamp
43."Dreamin'" by Cliff Richard
44."Is It You" by Lee Ritenour
45."Tusk" by Fleetwood Mac
46."He Can't Love You" by Michael Stanley Band
47."Tough Guys" by REO Speedwagon
48."Rapture" by Blondie
"Rapture" was the first rap music video ever played on MTV.
50."Don't Let Go the Coat" by The Who
51."Ain't Love a Bitch" by Rod Stewart
52."Talk of the Town" by The Pretenders
53."Can't Happen Here" by Rainbow
54."Thank You for Being a Friend" by Andrew Gold
55."You Better You Bet" by The Who
56."Bring It All Home" by Gerry Rafferty
57."Sign of the Gypsy Queen" by April Wine
58."The Man with the Child in His Eyes" by Kate Bush
59."Message of Love" by The Pretenders
60."All Night Long" by Rainbow
61."Boys Keep Swinging" by David Bowie
62."Rat Race" by The Specials
63."Just Between You and Me" by April Wine
64."Once in a Lifetime" by Talking Heads
65."Victim" by Bootcamp
66."Tonight's the Night (Gonna Be Alright)" by Rod Stewart
67."Cruel to Be Kind" by Nick Lowe
68."A Little in Love" by Cliff Richard
69."Take It on the Run" by REO Speedwagon
70."Wild-Eyed Southern Boys" by .38 Special
71."Wuthering Heights" by Kate Bush
72."Celebrate the Bullet" by The Selecter
73."More Than I Can Say" by Leo Sayer
74."A Message to You, Rudy" by The Specials
75."In the Air Tonight" by Phil Collins
76."Heart of Glass" by Blondie
77."Oh God, I Wish I Was Home Tonight" by Rod Stewart
78."Kid" by The Pretenders
79."Wrathchild" by Iron Maiden
80."Come What May" by Lani Hall and Herb Alpert
81."I Got You" by Split Enz
82."Sister Disco" by The Who
83."Fashion" by David Bowie
84."Stop Draggin' My Heart Around" by Stevie Nicks and Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
85."Love Stinks" by The J. Geils Band
86."Johnny & Mary" by Robert Palmer
87."Tomorrow Night" by Shoes
88."Lucille" by Rockestra
89."Rockin' the Paradise" by Styx
90."Prime Time" by The Tubes
91."One Step Ahead" by Split Enz
92."Hold on Loosely" by .38 Special
93."Cruel You" by Shoes
94."Little Sister" by Rockpile with Robert Plant
95."Calling All Girls" by Hilly Michaels
96."Keep on Loving You (Live)" by REO Speedwagon
97."I Was Only Joking" by Rod Stewart
98."You Better You Bet" by The Who
99."Time Heals" by Todd Rundgren
100."Let's Go" by The Cars
101."Just Between You and Me" by April Wine
102."Mr. Briefcase" by Lee Ritenour
103."Fashion" by David Bowie
104."I'm Gonna Follow You" by Pat Benatar
105."Do You Remember Rock 'n' Roll Radio?" by The Ramones
106."Ridin' the Storm Out" by REO Speedwagon
107."Looking for Clues" by Robert Palmer
108."Little Suzi's on the Up" by Ph.D.
109."Is It You" by Lee Ritenour
110."You're In My Heart" by Rod Stewart
111."Talk of the Town" by The Pretenders
112."The Best of Times" by Styx
113."So Long" by Fischer-Z
114."In the Air Tonight" by Phil Collins
115."I Don't Want To Know" by Robin Lane and the Chartbusters
116."Don't Let Go the Coat" by The Who
117."Go Back Home Again" by Andrew Gold
118."Message of Love" by The Pretenders
119."Remote Control / Too Illegal" by The Silencers
120."Time for Me to Fly" by REO Speedwagon
121."Wrathchild" by Iron Maiden
122."She Won't Dance with Me" by Rod Stewart
123."Rough Boys" by Pete Townshend
124."History Never Repeats" by Split Enz
125."Dangerous Type" by The Cars
126."Turn It On Again" by Genesis
127."Rapture" by Blondie
128."Stop Draggin' My Heart Around" by Stevie Nicks and Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
129."Can't Happen Here" by Rainbow
130."We're So Close" by Carly Simon
131."Tough Guys" by REO Speedwagon
132."Passion" by Rod Stewart
133."Kid Blue" by Louise Goffin
134."Little Sister" by Rockpile with Robert Plant
135."Vienna" by Ultravox
136."Sign of the Gypsy Queen" by April Wine
137."(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love, and Understanding" by Elvis Costello and the Attractions
138."Don't Let Him Go (Live)" by REO Speedwagon
139."I Won't Let You Down" by Ph.D.
140."Holiday" by Nazareth
141."You Better You Bet" by The Who
142."All Night Long" by Rainbow
143."Video Killed the Radio Star" by The Buggles
144."You Better Run" by Pat Benatar
145."Surface Tension" by Rupert Hine
146."One Step Ahead" by Split Enz
147."Wild-Eyed Southern Boys" by .38 Special
148."In My Arms Again" by Shoes
149."Is It You" by Lee Ritenour
150."Oh God, I Wish I Was Home Tonight" by Rod Stewart
151."Passing Strangers" by Ultravox
152."Just Between You and Me" by April Wine
153."Turning Japanese" by The Vapors
154."Rockin' the Paradise" by Styx
155."Bluer Than Blue" by Michael Johnson
156."Message of Love" by The Pretenders
157."Rat Race" by The Specials
158."Roll with the Changes" by REO Speedwagon
159."In the Air Tonight" by Phil Collins
160."Hold On to the Night" by Bootcamp
161."Double Life" by The Cars
162."Take It on the Run" by REO Speedwagon
163."We Don't Talk Anymore" by Cliff Richard
164."Too Late" by Shoes
165."Sister Disco" by The Who
166."Celebrate the Bullet" by The Selecter
167."More Than I Can Say" by Leo Sayer
168."I Hope I Never" by Split Enz
169."Talk of the Town" by The Pretenders
170."Hold on Loosely" by .38 Special
171."Blondes Have More Fun" by Rod Stewart
172."Wrathchild" by Iron Maiden
173."Savannah Nights" by Tom Johnston
174."I'm Gonna Follow You" by Pat Benatar
175."Don't Let Him Go (Live)" by REO Speedwagon
176."Never Let Her Slip Away" by Andrew Gold
177."Time Heals" by Todd Rundgren
178."Brass in Pocket" by The Pretenders
179."Little Sister" by Rockpile with Robert Plant
180."A Little in Love" by Cliff Richard
181."Do Ya Think I'm Sexy" by Rod Stewart
182."Victim" by Bootcamp
183."Baker Street" by Gerry Rafferty
184."He Can't Love You" by Michael Stanley Band
185."Looking for Clues" by Robert Palmer
186."Stop Draggin' My Heart Around" by Stevie Nicks and Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
187."Keep on Loving You" by REO Speedwagon
188."When Things Go Wrong" by Robin Lane and the Chartbusters
189."Little Suzi's on the Up" by Ph.D.
190."The Best of Times" by Styx
191."Sailing" by Rod Stewart
192."You Better You Bet" by The Who
193."Iron Maiden" by Iron Maiden
194."Can't Happen Here" by Rainbow
195."Oliver's Army" by Elvis Costello
196."Just Between You and Me" by April Wine
197."Come What May" by Lani Hall and Herb Alpert
198."Tattooed Love Boys" by The Pretenders
199."In the Air Tonight" by Phil Collins
200."Peter Gunn Theme/Remote Control" by The Silencers
201."Dreamin'" by Cliff Richard
202."Lucille" by Rockestra
203."Boys Keep Swinging" by David Bowie
204."Johnny & Mary" by Robert Palmer
205."Only the Strong Survive" by REO Speedwagon
206."Back On the Road Again" by REO Speedwagon
207."Waiting for the Weekend" by The Vapors
208."You're Insane" by Rod Stewart
209."Kiss on My List" by Hall & Oates
210."Living in the Plastic Age" by The Buggles
211."Lonely Boy" by Andrew Gold
« Last Edit: July 22, 2012, 08:22:09 pm by U-238 »
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Offline mountaineer

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Re: Who Killed Rock Radio?
« Reply #13 on: July 26, 2012, 09:00:42 am »
Quote from: jmyrlefuller on July 22, 2012, 01:19:26 pm
What killed rock radio? Rock itself.

Once it got into the early 1990s, rock took a nosedive. While the metal side of things still has its devoted fan base, the rest of it got caught up in this noisy, non-musical grunge sound that is very unpalatable to the common ear. Especially the voices of the lead vocals-- there's very little distinguishing between voices in modern rock.
That's the bottom line - there's no musicality. There's screaming and frenetic sawing at the guitar (accompanied by much jumping up and down and shaking of the head), but there's no music there.
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