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.
Friday, April 14, 2017
Dave Matthews Band - "What Would You Say"
The year 1995 was a pivotal one for the Adult Contemporary format. While format stalwarts like Gloria Estefan, Elton John, and Bryan Adams still provided plenty of radio-friendly ballads, bands such as Hootie & The Blowfish, Blues Traveler and Dave Matthews Band also entered the musical landscape. Suddenly, the format faced music decisions that would mean bringing a new sound to the office-friendly Adult Contemporary format. AC Program Directors rarely added an unfamilar song to their rotation as they tended to play proven and "safe" songs. A year later, stations grappled over whether or not to add music from Alanis Morissette's edgy Jagged Little Pill album. Soon stations would branch off into "Bright AC' and "Soft AC" sub-formats causing Bright AC stations to adopt the "no light, sleepy music" positioning statement. In the case of Dave Matthews Band's "What Would You Say" only managed to chart at #30 on the Adult Contemporary Chart, but the tune helped usher in a more upbeat sound that would soon become commonplace.