Phil Collins, Elton John, and Gloria Estefan dominated Adult Contemporary radio back in the 1980s and '90s, yet have disappeared from modern radio. Seemingly, the only time you ever hear them is at the grocery store or your local CVS. This blog remembers the music, the stories and the quirky characters from my days working in Adult Contemporary radio.
Thursday, December 25, 2014
Bruce Springsteen - "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town
The nation's largest radio owner decided that all of it Adult Contemporary stations would air wall-to-wall Christmas music in December of 2001. The stunt garnered huge ratings and now is an annual tradition in cities all across America. In finding the perfect blend, most stations air a "safe" playlist comprised of standards (Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, Burl Ives) mixed with more contemporary songs (Michael Buble, Mariah Carey, Coldplay). Much like the music, the same arguments arise each year:
1. Why do you start playing it so early in November? -because that's when the ratings period begins
2. Why do you play the same songs over and over every year? -because those songs scored the highest in focus groups
3. Why do radio stations always play that gawd-awful "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town" by Bruce Springsteen?
-because men run stations that target women and since men like Bruce Springsteen they play that song despite the fact that most women either do not like Springsteen or are indifferent to his music