Radio Airplay--Can someone explain this to me?

GailsFriend · Post by **GailsFriend** » Wed Aug 27, 2008 11:24 pm

Today, I went into work. I work in a small business, so we listen to Jack FM 93.1 everyday....this is one of those radio stations not run by people but by a computer. And they usually play classic rock, 80's pop...nothing current.

While at work, I heard the new AC/DC song, "Rock and Roll Train" at least 6 times....every hour. The new song by AC/DC is not even coming out until tomorrow, the 28th.

So here is my question: Why can they play the new song by AC/DC every hour, before the single is released, AND 2 months before the album release, but can't/don't play songs from Along Came a Spider?

I don't understand if it is determined by the radio station, record label or by demand....AC/DC hasn't had an album out in a long time. What makes them so special?

mattcoddington · Post by **mattcoddington** » Wed Aug 27, 2008 11:32 pm

6 times every hour? i doubt that.

WickedYoungMan · Post by **WickedYoungMan** » Wed Aug 27, 2008 11:42 pm

Because a new AC/DC is bigger news than a new AC release would be as far as the mass public/corp radio stations are concerned unfortunately.

Also, radio stations didn't get a Spider radio single 2 months before the album's release, so if that is part of your complaint that's not fair to compare with different circumstances.

I don't understand if it is determined by the radio station, record label or by demand....

From experience, all three. As far as the record label is concerned, one possibly angle could be if Joe Blow Records sends a single to the Clear Channel stations, and Sony sends a single to the Clear Channel stations, who do you think will get a better chance at airplay? AC/DC are a big name in music, they are on a big label.

AC/DC hasn't had an album out in a long time. What makes them so special?

They are one of the biggest rock bands in the world and can probably still sell out arenas. They have more pull mass radio play.

mattcoddington · Post by **mattcoddington** » Wed Aug 27, 2008 11:57 pm

WickedYoungMan wrote:
I don't understand if it is determined by the radio station, record label or by demand....
From experience, all three.

cool, so you've worked in the music/radio biz? what have you done?

WickedYoungMan · Post by **WickedYoungMan** » Thu Aug 28, 2008 12:35 am

mattcoddington wrote:cool, so you've worked in the music/radio biz? what have you done?

Local radio part time during/after high school, which I'm contemplating going back to.

GailsFriend · Post by **GailsFriend** » Thu Aug 28, 2008 1:19 am

I know I am not the only person excited to hear new Alice.
I know I am not the only person excited to hear new AC/DC.

but, when it comes to radio stations....I guess I thought they:
1) were informed of the new releases
2) interested in promoting new releases

especially from big names....any of them. Unfortunately, it is frustrating to see some promoted heavily while others are ignored because of:

1) money
2) demand (or lack of)

Wouldn't an Alice Cooper fan be frustrated to be working at a "classic rock station" where no new Alice was promoted?
What about the sheer appreciation of good music in radio?

For example: I was shocked to hear Kiss' "Love Gun" on the radio on Monday the 25th. Why? because the last time I heard that song on the radio was in 1977, when the album just came out when Kiss was at the height of their popularity.

The song was always good.....why did it go away?
The same situation with Alice. Alice has always put out good music, why ignore his songs?

mattcoddington · Post by **mattcoddington** » Thu Aug 28, 2008 1:20 am

why would a classic rock station play NEW music?!?!?!?

Loomis · Post by **Loomis** » Thu Aug 28, 2008 1:24 am

They do all the time. Whenever the Rolling Stones or any of the other artists and bands they play release an album of new material, classic rock stations will play it. At least the ones around here do.

mattcoddington · Post by **mattcoddington** » Thu Aug 28, 2008 1:27 am

hmmm.. i never heard it on classic rock stations in seattle, l.a., phoenix or salt lake city.

MovieDemon · Post by **MovieDemon** » Thu Aug 28, 2008 3:44 am

GailsFriend wrote:Today, I went into work. I work in a small business, so we listen to Jack FM 93.1 everyday....this is one of those radio stations not run by people but by a computer. And they usually play classic rock, 80's pop...nothing current.

While at work, I heard the new AC/DC song, "Rock and Roll Train" at least 6 times....every hour. The new song by AC/DC is not even coming out until tomorrow, the 28th.

So here is my question: Why can they play the new song by AC/DC every hour, before the single is released, AND 2 months before the album release, but can't/don't play songs from Along Came a Spider?

I don't understand if it is determined by the radio station, record label or by demand....AC/DC hasn't had an album out in a long time. What makes them so special?

AC/DC are still big selling artists on a major label while Alice hasn't had a big album in nearly 20 years, plus he's currently on a small label.

AC/DC's last studio album, Stiff Upper Lip, peaked at #7 and was certified Platinum in just over a year from its release. It had four singles on the Top 25 Mainstream Rock Tracks Chart.

Not to mention, there's always "payola," which is a common but an illegal practice perpertrated by major labels. Essentially, "payola" consists of a label paying (or lavishing a radio station with gifts) to get their artists in consistent rotation. That's not to say that is the case with AC/DC (I'm a big fan of that band, BTW), but just throwing out the difference between what a major label can do as opposed to what a financially strapped independent label can do.

BellaDonna · Post by **BellaDonna** » Thu Aug 28, 2008 6:31 am

I don't think it has much to do with the radio station at all, because:

Though I don't know how radio stations work; I worked for a record store when I was 18 years old and in college. It can't be much different....It went like this:

On Monday morning: the lable PR people would call in and state who they wanted to be in the "top 5", the top 2, the top 10 etc...and the list of the top 10 would be 'built' from there....There were 'perks': promo stuff (posters, one offs - at the time even "45's" if anyone actually remembers those, sometimes event tix to shows...invites to signings etc...etc...) that would get sent in should the artist/song get where the PR person wanted it...And don't get me wrong: more then one of those promises 'never arrived via mail'...but they got what they wanted....

I have no idea if it's the same now: but that's how it was then. And we NEVER got any Trash, Poison, Hey Stoopid, Alice stuff whatsoever. If we did: I had claim to it: and I have nothing whatsoever. Crappy PR, I guess... It might still be...

Much Well,
BD

WickedYoungMan · Post by **WickedYoungMan** » Thu Aug 28, 2008 6:32 am

mattcoddington wrote:hmmm.. i never heard it on classic rock stations in seattle, l.a., phoenix or salt lake city.

Yep, though in the sense of "new music" it won't be My Chemical Romance or one of them, but mainly new material from the classic rock artists on their roster. The big Clear Channel station here, WFBQ which is a classic rock station out of Indianapolis, will do it sometimes. Though oddly, they also play Nickleback (explain that one to me.)

"Vengeance" also had airplay on the big classic rock station out of Fort Wayne quite a bit too.

If anyone wants, you might be interested in checking out www.yes.com, and type in "Alice Cooper" or any artist you like and you can get a gauge of what's being played and on what station, etc. Very cool even if for curiosity's sake. May not be a complete list, but it is what it is.

Jumping Jack · Post by **Jumping Jack** » Thu Aug 28, 2008 9:33 am

Black Ice will sell a million copies the first week out, that's why. They will likely have the highest grossing tour next year because they are one of the last great rock bands, focus on the music instead of the shtick, and are news because they have been away for quite a while now. BTW, bombastic guitars will always trump gore when it comes to airplay.

scotty · Post by **scotty** » Thu Aug 28, 2008 10:24 am

the classic rock station here in cleveland talked about ACAS,then proceeded to play "mr nice guy"! better than nothing I guess.

shock rock · Post by **shock rock** » Thu Aug 28, 2008 10:39 am

Your right,,it will sell a truckload.Thats what i call an "advanced single",not issuing a single the weekend before the cd comes out (Vengeance).Speaking of Yes.com,its very interesting to see whats being played,but it must not include satellite radio (XM radio)or Alice's syndicated radio show.

Does anybody think that ACAS can return to the Billboard charts?

Both From the Inside and Flush the Fashion are being reissued by Rhino on Sept 22

glamprincess · Post by **glamprincess** » Thu Aug 28, 2008 2:26 pm

Jumping Jack wrote:Black Ice will sell a million copies the first week out, that's why. They will likely have the highest grossing tour next year because they are one of the last great rock bands, focus on the music instead of the shtick, and are news because they have been away for quite a while now. BTW, bombastic guitars will always trump gore when it comes to airplay.

Well, Alice's previous two efforts, "The Eyes of Alice Cooper" and "Dirty Diamonds" did not have "gore" and were just straight-ahead garage rock and they didn't really get any radio airplay either. So, it's not the "shtick" or "gore" that is stopping Alice from getting radio airplay. He was considered pretty "gory" back in the early 70s and he sure got plenty of radio airplay then!

The main reason that AC/DC gets radio airplay for new stuff and Alice does not is because AC/DC are HUGE and one of the most popular rock bands in the world while Alice does not have that kind of huge popularity anymore. Why did AC/DC manage to remain huge when Alice didn't keep that level of popularity? I think it's because AC/DC remained true to their original image and never really changed. Alice, on the other hand, changed his image too much back in the mid and late 70s and alienated fans. So it's not due to the "shtick" as you keep telling us. Alice had plenty of "shtick" during the "Billion Dollar Babies" era and that album had FOUR hit singles on the radio!

Shoesalesman · Post by **Shoesalesman** » Thu Aug 28, 2008 3:33 pm

scotty wrote:the classic rock station here in cleveland talked about ACAS,then proceeded to play "mr nice guy"! better than nothing I guess.

Same thing here, except it was Welcome To My Nightmare. I've only heard a few new Coop songs on the radio and that was on his show. I've called in to request the new ones MANY TIMES but with no success thus far.

cooperrocks · Post by **cooperrocks** » Fri Aug 29, 2008 8:56 pm

It is frustrating to me as well, but what each of you have said is correct. AC/DC is still a huge band, while unfortunately Alice has a much smaller following these days. Of course, one of the reasons why Alice is not still huge today is due to LACK OF AIRPLAY. It always shocks me when people don't realize Alice is still performing.

Radio is a business and basically there are only a select group of bands that are going to get radio airplay. Very few 70's rockers who still record get their new songs played with a few exceptions. Many of the 80's hairbands have reunited but they won't be receiving any radio airplay either. That is one of the reasons having major label support is important. Major labels have the financial means to push the artist of their choice. A label like SPV has a ton of hard rock and metal artists most of whom haven't had big hits in years. Once a band is considered "past its prime" it is hard to ever get radio airplay again. Let's take the Brutal Planet album. It had a very modern, industrial sound and if someone like Nickleback, Lincoln Park, etc had put out an album with the exact same riffs and basically sound, it would have been a huge hit. That is not how radio works.

The only shot an artist with the size of Alice's fanbase has (in terms of radio airplay) is a few stations that still use people instead of computers in terms of music programming. Bands like Alice also have to get their songs played on speciaility shows like the Tour Bus, Eddie Trunk, etc.

The only way anything would change is if an album like ACAS shocked the music world and cracked the Top 10 and sold let's say 100,000 copies or more in its first week. That's one of the reasons why less and less bands even fool with music videos anymore. There are few avenues to have their videos shown and if their albums aren't selling very many copies, it is not really worth the expense.

Jumping Jack · Post by **Jumping Jack** » Fri Aug 29, 2008 9:19 pm

Many people think of AC/DC and think of a hard rocking, no frills, no BS band, that has maintained its rep based the strength of their guitar playing.

Many people think of Coop as a cartoon character who spawned the likes of no talent pure BS bands like Kiss and Marilyn Manson while changing guitarists more often than putters. The perception by many is 90% style (shtick) and 10% substance (musicianship). Hell, Coop didn't even use his band for the new CD. How humiliating is that?

While we know this is not correct at all, Coop clearly has image problems that limits airplay, record sales, HOF, concert attendence, etc.

I wish when people spoke of Coop they first thought of his great songs and outstanding musicianship, but they sadly think of snakes, guillotines, and golfing first. AC/DC has their brand, and Coop has his. He created it and now must live with it. BTW, playing HS auditoriums and fair grounds do not help his image at all.

Another beef while I am ranting, why don't they attribute Bowie to Cooper? Ziggy was a complete Coop ripoff!

A_MichaelUK · Post by **A_MichaelUK** » Fri Aug 29, 2008 9:35 pm

>Hell, Coop didn't even use his band for the new CD. How humiliating is that?

Not at all. What difference would that make?!

>While we know this is not correct at all, Coop clearly has image problems that limits airplay, record sales, HOF, concert attendence, etc.

So what's your big solution then? By your definition, The Ramones would constantly be on the radio. Was it not just yesterday or the day before that glamprincess pointed out how Alice Cooper used to get TONS of airplay all over the world precisely when he and the band were at their most controversial and notorious?! For crying out loud, we went through all this nonsense last year and you're repeating yourself. Are you saying that he should pander to what radio stations want in terms of his "image" just to get more airplay? For one thing, terrestrial radio listening figures (generally speaking) are going through the floor all over the world, so radio is not as important as it used to be (now that there's this amazing new thing called the internet that's available). If Alice found it hard to get airplay ten or twenty years ago, then how is it going to be any easier now that there are so many more radio stations (including online / satellite stations) for the audience (which incidentally broadly stays the same in terms of numbers) to choose from?! The pie is the same size, but the slices are getting thinner and thinner.

>I wish when people spoke of Coop they first thought of his great songs and outstanding musicianship, but they sadly think of snakes, guillotines, and golfing first.

Well, maybe he should have thought of that before he started wearing make - up and chopping up dolls. If Alice Cooper (the band or solo artist) thought the way ou do, we'd have none of the stff that you think has affected him in such a negative way.

>AC/DC has their brand, and Coop has his. He created it and now must live with it.

Exactly, so stop complaining. Things are not perfect, but you don't seem to understand how much worse they could be.

> BTW, playing HS auditoriums and fair grounds do not help his image at all.

You really haven't been paying attention.

>Another beef while I am ranting, why don't they attribute Bowie to Cooper? Ziggy was a complete Coop ripoff!

Some do, some don't. Besides, who are "they"?

Radio Airplay--Can someone explain this to me?

Radio Airplay--Can someone explain this to me?

Re: Radio Airplay--Can someone explain this to me?