i've been listening to WZLX all day, i haven't listened to classic rock radio in a looooong time Options

[anatomicallyincorrect]

Its the playlist. They don't play classic rock, they play classic hits (the same shit over and over). If they just dipped into the vast library of b-sides and lesser songs it could be really cool.

aka "The Vault", Channel 16 on Sirius

[Greg D]

Barry Scott's "The Lost 45's" is pretty good.

[shagrath9]

apparently U2 is now classic rock?

the 80's is now classic rock ......

[the other dave]

Its the playlist. They don't play classic rock, they play classic hits (the same shit over and over). If they just dipped into the vast library of b-sides and lesser songs it could be really cool.

But it's also the core artists they focus on - Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, Allman Brothers, The Doors, Hendrix - I like a few of their songs but really I don't give a shit about any of them. A classic rock station for me would have lots of 60s stuff like the Creation and the Zombies, 70s glam and power pop stuff, some punk and early new wave/post-punk.

[Fat Togue]

But it's also the core artists they focus on - Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, Allman Brothers, The Doors, Hendrix - I like a few of their songs but really I don't give a shit about any of them. A classic rock station for me would have lots of 60s stuff like the Creation and the Zombies, 70s glam and power pop stuff, some punk and early new wave/post-punk.

I completly agree. They play "train in vain" and think they dip into punk.

But yeah, lots of 60-80's artists and songs that never get play. It would make it enjoyable..

Hell, if they even dipped more into those bands above it would be better..

[Muso]

But it's also the core artists they focus on - Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, Allman Brothers, The Doors, Hendrix - I like a few of their songs but really I don't give a shit about any of them. A classic rock station for me would have lots of 60s stuff like the Creation and the Zombies, 70s glam and power pop stuff, some punk and early new wave/post-punk.

You're a music fan and therefore not part of the demographic they're after.

Common wisdom holds thatif you played 'em a Creation track, the entire audience would tune out because they didn't recognize the song. Recognizable equals good-- the idea that someone might actually get sick of an overplayed song just doesn't exist.

[Christóbal]

No offense to Anngelle and the other fine folks I know over there, but I can't listen to classic rock radio. Too much southern rock and early 70s stuff for me.

Go on... take the money and run...





I totally agree. Had to listen to WZLX for 2 years when I worked in a warehouse and it was nauseating.

[plcmat]

I completly agree. They play "train in vain" and think they dip into punk.

But yeah, lots of 60-80's artists and songs that never get play. It would make it enjoyable..

Hell, if they even dipped more into those bands above it would be better..

What is amazing is that the album rock station in freaking Utica, NY in 1980 played:
I Don't Like Mondays
Is She Really Going Out With Him?
And THREE tracks from London Calling (title cut, Train In Vain, Lost In The Supermarket)

Along with utter shit of course.

[Postman Pat]

Try working on a carpentry crew all day. Listen to ZLX (or any Clear Channel station for that matter) for 8 hours, 5 days a week and it's like less than 50 songs on "random".It's the lowest common denominator. It's what market research "says" people like.

"Brown Eyed Girl" or any Jimmy Buffet.i If I ever hear them again, I'm gonna kill someone.

[oaennj]

You're a music fan and therefore not part of the demographic they're after.

Common wisdom holds thatif you played 'em a Creation track, the entire audience would tune out because they didn't recognize the song. Recognizable equals good-- the idea that someone might actually get sick of an overplayed song just doesn't exist.

yeah, but these assholes at classic rock stations shoot themselves in the foot by constantly narrowing their own demographic...countless people no longer listen to commercial radio because they have discriminating taste, and they are factored out of the equation - meanwhile the stations all go lowest common denominator for the remaining listeners...thereby creating a generation of people who know even less "classic rock"...it's a downward spiral, and NONE of these corporate stations have the guts to ever play even a less famous song by a major group. that obviously would give too much credit to the listeners.
classic rock tourniquet their own playlists, overlap increasingly with other formats, and they can't believe that people will pay for satellite radio? fuck them! every time the station here in philly does their "beatle break" they basically choose from hey jude, yellow sub, drive me car, and sgt pepper's. it's no wonder there are casual listeners who hate the beatles.

[Muso]

"Brown Eyed Girl" or any Jimmy Buffet.i If I ever hear them again, I'm gonna kill someone.

In all honesty I'd rather hear Jimmy Buffett than, say, the five classic rock-approved U2 songs. The good thing about Buffett is that he's considered so uncool that you hardly ever hear him.

[HomerRamone]

yeah, but these assholes at classic rock stations shoot themselves in the foot by constantly narrowing their own demographic...countless people no longer listen to commercial radio because they have discriminating taste, and they are factored out of the equation - meanwhile the stations all go lowest common denominator for the remaining listeners...thereby creating a generation of people who know even less "classic rock"...it's a downward spiral, and NONE of these corporate stations have the guts to ever play even a less famous song by a major group. that obviously would give too much credit to the listeners.
classic rock tourniquet their own playlists, overlap increasingly with other formats, and they can't believe that people will pay for satellite radio? fuck them! every time the station here in philly does their "beatle break" they basically choose from hey jude, yellow sub, drive me car, and sgt pepper's. it's no wonder there are casual listeners who hate the beatles.

Let's say a station could have 300,000 listeners listen to a 300 song playlist all the waking day. But they could have 3 groups of 300,000 listeners who only want to hear the 100 most popular songs, and will tune out after a 5-hour cycle. The station will choose the latter, because the advertisers would rather that their commercials get heard by 3 times as many people, rather than 3 times as many times by the same people.

There's the problem with commercial radio in a nutshell (and some satellite stations are getting very repetitive--here's hoping their listeners won't support that direction)...

[coughlin]

But it's also the core artists they focus on - Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, Allman Brothers, The Doors, Hendrix - I like a few of their songs but really I don't give a shit about any of them. A classic rock station for me would have lots of 60s stuff like the Creation and the Zombies, 70s glam and power pop stuff, some punk and early new wave/post-punk.

"lost and found," weekdays noon to 2, WMBR, 88.1 FM
the BEST

[1960s_DJ]

Listen to ZLX (or any Clear Channel station for that matter) for 8 hours, 5 days a week and it's like less than 50 songs on "random".It's the lowest common denominator.

WZLX isn't owned by Clear Channel. It's owned by CBS. Not that it makes any difference in their playlists.

Some major corporate radio ownerships in metro Boston:

CBS:
WBZ 1030 AM News/Talk
WBMX 98.5 FM Adult Hits
WZLX 100.7 FM Classic Rock
WODS 103.3 FM 60's/70's Oldies
WBCN 104.1 FM Rock/Talk

Clear Channel:
WJMN 94.5 FM "Jam'n" Urban/Hip-Hop
WSRS 96.1 FM Soft Rock (Worcester)
WXKS 107.9 FM "Kiss 108" Top-40
WKOX 1200 AM Spanish
WXKS 1430 AM Spanish

Entercom:
WRKO 680 AM Talk/Red Sox
WEEI 850 AM Sports/Talk
WMKK 93.7 FM "Mike" Adult Hits
WKAF 97.7 FM relay of WAAF
WAAF 107.3 FM Rock

Greater Media:
WBOS 92.9 FM Adult Rock
WTKK 96.9 FM Talk
WKLB 102.5 FM Country
WROR 105.7 FM Classic Hits
WMJX 106.7 FM "Magic" Soft Rock

Nassau:
WCRB 99.5 FM Classical

[1960s_DJ]

The good thing about Buffett is that he's considered so uncool that you hardly ever hear him.

Except for "Margaritaville", which is still played every day. Not so much on WZLX, but on WODS (Oldies), WROR (Classic Hits), and various other "adult" music stations.

[dillirgaff]

12 bucks a month, and never having to bitch about this = money well spent

[1960s_DJ]

I've been sometimes listening to WZLX's HD-2 channel "Lost Classics and Deep Tracks". It plays all kinds of stuff that they would never play on their main signal. The playlist sounds like a good old progressive album rock station from the 70's, with some additional blues and blues/rock thrown in.

It's all automated, no DJ's, no commercials. The program does seem to repeat songs every day or two, but at least many of them are songs you don't hear on regular commercial radio anymore.

It's also free, no subscription (the HD tuner cost me $160, on sale).

Of course, one reason it's good is because relatively few people have radios yet that can hear it. When more people eventually get HD receivers and they have to start worrying about ratings and sellings ads on HD-2 channels, it'll probably head toward mediocrity for the masses like everything else.