# Music groups that used to be very popular and get very little radio play today. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 21, 2014, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-groups-that-used-to-be-very-popular-and-get-very-little-radio-play-today/688930 "2014-05-21T14:59:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Face\_Intentionally\_Left\_Blank](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/face_intentionally_left_blank/32/288_2.png) [@Face\_Intentionally\_Left\_Blank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Face_Intentionally_Left_Blank)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2014, 5:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-groups-that-used-to-be-very-popular-and-get-very-little-radio-play-today/688930/41 "2014-05-22T05:15:41Z")
> [@CheshireKat](#): > > I remember all of them, and I do hear “Joy to the World” on the radio here. > > This is off topic, but I had to comment on your name - it made me laugh! I carry a plastic card in my wallet that was attached to my insurance card. It is all white, and printed across the middle is “INTENTIONALLY BLANK”. It’s my official business card. 😃 Damn, now I want a business card like that! ---
**Author:** ![Kyrie\_Eleison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kyrie_eleison/32/7682_2.png) [@Kyrie\_Eleison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyrie_Eleison)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2014, 5:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-groups-that-used-to-be-very-popular-and-get-very-little-radio-play-today/688930/42 "2014-05-22T05:49:19Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > Whats some other popular groups that radio seems to have forgotten? Isn’t that kind of the definition of popular group? Seasons in the Sun, baby (that would be Terry Jacks.). Shaun Cassidy, Styx, Journey, Foreigner, Supertramp, many more, days gone by and passed now. Just because the OP reminded me, in the early 80s, I helped tear down the stage after a Nashville hotel ballroom Lisa Welchel presentation, and then stuck around to set up for a Dr. Hook concert. The Dr. Hook crew was much nicer than the Welchel one, and they offered me free concert admittance to boot. ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Captor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2014, 6:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-groups-that-used-to-be-very-popular-and-get-very-little-radio-play-today/688930/43 "2014-05-22T06:24:18Z")
I used to love prog rock, there are a lot of bands I don’t EVER hear any more: Curve Air ([Piece of Mind](https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=BVYjU4rauJs#t=1777), or better yet, listen to the whole album while smoking pot, it’s niiiice.) Renaissance – [Running Hard](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y7sRO7Kqn-c), [The Black Flame](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LfJ1-vfuLOU) I’ll second “Its A Beautiful Day” – check out[Don and Dewey](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoz4aNwIB5w)with a guest shot with Jerry Garcia. ---
**Author:** ![wolf\_meister](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolf_meister/32/15202_2.png) [@wolf\_meister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolf_meister)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2014, 12:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-groups-that-used-to-be-very-popular-and-get-very-little-radio-play-today/688930/44 "2014-05-22T12:15:27Z")
As **kunilou** said > [@](#): > > Paul Revere and the Raiders – except for Kicks, the act got a reputation as too teeny-bopperish they could never shake. Talk about being almost totally forgotten - they still have yet to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. (Only one of their songs (“Just Like Me”) made it into their Top 500). However, since the Dave Clark Five **did** get inducted a few years ago, being snubbed by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame isn’t nearly such an insult. (No doubt the Archies, Josie and the Pussycats and the Banana Splits will someday meet the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s stringent standards.) ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2014, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-groups-that-used-to-be-very-popular-and-get-very-little-radio-play-today/688930/45 "2014-05-22T12:52:22Z")
> [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#): > > That Rolling Stone list came out 11 years ago. Feeling old yet? They’re replacing all albums recorded before 2000 even as I type. Holy shit. That was 11 years ago, really? Yeah, feeling a bit old. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2014, 1:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-groups-that-used-to-be-very-popular-and-get-very-little-radio-play-today/688930/46 "2014-05-22T13:08:45Z")
> [@Gatopescado](#): > > Are you suggesting I might find a good deal on The Bay City Rollers at a garage sale someday? 😃 These are my role models for people of the ilk the OP is referring to. Hot acts for tweens and such for a short while. Cover of _Tiger Beat_ and all that. Then pffft. (I did see an ad for them a long while back, apparently circa 2000, in the local free paper appearing at one of the smaller clubs in town. Just another group in the list of upcoming acts.) You can look at the One Direction, Justin Bieber types and just know they are going the way of Hanson and similar acts into the Bay City Rollers Hall of No Fame. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2014, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-groups-that-used-to-be-very-popular-and-get-very-little-radio-play-today/688930/47 "2014-05-22T13:17:31Z")
> [@Mister\_Rik](#): > > Several years ago, my local classic rock station tried something new (for them). They greatly expanded their playlist, and made the promise to listeners, “You won’t hear the same song twice in a day!” They actually went above and beyond that promise. I listened to that station 8 hours a day at work, and I’m pretty certain that I didn’t hear the same song twice during the first _two weeks_ after the format change. > > But that experiment lasted about a month, and then they switched back to their old format. I can see why. When your playlist is “everything” (or almost everything), you’re going to inevitably end up having long stretches in which one listener or another is not going to hear _anything_ they really like. While those streaks are going to be different from one listener to the next, collectively you’re going to have a bunch of listeners changing the dial because, “Man, they never play anything _good_ any more!”. For some inexplicable reason the 4th largest city in the US, Houston, just has one classic rock station (Eagle) and it’s got the preformatted, limited selection playlist mentioned several times in this thread. Thankfully I heard recently that a new, low power station is coming to the NW side that will play what I think they called an “open DJ” format, no set playlist, just whatever classic rock he wants to spin, requests included. I believe they said it’ll be 9 or 10 watts but they’re hoping it’ll become popular enough that it’ll be picked up and rebroadcast via the internet to a more regional audience. I hope this works and that we do indeed experience a revitalization of many of the worderful, overlooked period pieces out there. [Trend article](http://www.wired.com/2013/02/the-reprise-of-radio/) ---
**Author:** ![Count\_Blucher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Count\_Blucher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Count_Blucher)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2014, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-groups-that-used-to-be-very-popular-and-get-very-little-radio-play-today/688930/48 "2014-05-22T13:52:26Z")
Jackson Browne. They might play ‘Load Out’ or ‘Running On Empty’… maybe ‘She’s Got To Be Somebody’s Baby’ when “Fast Times At Ridgemont High” is going to be on TV. So Many good songs, if even they’d look even a Little deeper into his collected works… [One they Never play; One I called out in concert once and he played… (and Thank You, by the way…!)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=arUl7VK_vsY) ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2014, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-groups-that-used-to-be-very-popular-and-get-very-little-radio-play-today/688930/49 "2014-05-22T14:20:25Z")
> [@lieu](#): > > For some inexplicable reason the 4th largest city in the US, Houston, just has one classic rock station (Eagle) and it’s got the preformatted, limited selection playlist mentioned several times in this thread. Thankfully I heard recently that a new, low power station is coming to the NW side that will play what I think they called an “open DJ” format, no set playlist, just whatever classic rock he wants to spin, requests included. I believe they said it’ll be 9 or 10 watts but they’re hoping it’ll become popular enough that it’ll be picked up and rebroadcast via the internet to a more regional audience. I hope this works and that we do indeed experience a revitalization of many of the worderful, overlooked period pieces out there. > > [Trend article](http://www.wired.com/2013/02/the-reprise-of-radio/) I love the idea myself, but unfortunately, I understand why this approach either scares program directors or fails. I love all kinds of lengthy art-rock songs from the Seventies. But would I play those songs if I were a DJ or program director? Maybe not. People who hate “Satisfaction” usually won’t change the station because they know it will be over in 2 and a half minutes. But if I play a 10 minute Yes or ELP or King Crimson song, some people will get bored and turn the dial. There are dozens of Zeppelin and Who songs I love besides the chestnuts that get played to death. I think it would be nice to hear “A Legal Matter” instead of “Baba O’Riley” occasionally. But people often switch the channel when they hear an unfamiliar song, even if it’s by an established artist. ---
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2014, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-groups-that-used-to-be-very-popular-and-get-very-little-radio-play-today/688930/50 "2014-05-22T20:27:25Z")
Donny & Marie Leif Garret Shaun Cassidy Captain & Tennille ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2014, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-groups-that-used-to-be-very-popular-and-get-very-little-radio-play-today/688930/51 "2014-05-23T02:41:51Z")
> [@NDP](#): > > I don’t recall Roxy Music really getting that much airplay even when their music was new. They were always more of a cult favorite whose songs and albums maybe got into the bottom tier of the charts. You might hear their songs on sporadic occasions on your typical AOR or Top 40 station during the 1970s but there was far more airplay given to whatever artists that were in the Top 10 at that time. > [@lieu](#): > > Thankfully I heard recently that a new, low power station is coming to the NW side that will play what I think they called an “open DJ” format, no set playlist, just whatever classic rock he wants to spin, requests included. I believe they said it’ll be 9 or 10 watts but they’re hoping it’ll become popular enough that it’ll be picked up and rebroadcast via the internet to a more regional audience. Aw, now you guys got me nostalgic for when I worked College Radio in the early 80s – WJHU, 10 mighty watts of power, on a good day we made it to the other side of Baltimore harbor. Where I learned about Eno and Roxy Music, playlists were completely up to whoever found her/himself in the chair, and midnight-to-5am were entirely freeform resulting in some confused people over at CMJ (College Media Journal, who did the charts for college stations) when we filed airplay reports (our Big Hit of 1983: Understanding Gout, the Remix). Good times… ---
**Author:** ![GreenElf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9de053/32.png) [@GreenElf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreenElf)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2014, 6:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-groups-that-used-to-be-very-popular-and-get-very-little-radio-play-today/688930/52 "2014-05-24T06:07:57Z")
Neil Sedaka, Helen Reddy, Anne Margaret, Boy George, George Michael, INXS ---
**Author:** ![NDP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ndp/32/55_2.png) [@NDP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NDP)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2014, 7:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-groups-that-used-to-be-very-popular-and-get-very-little-radio-play-today/688930/53 "2014-05-24T07:14:18Z")
> [@GreenElf](#): > > Neil Sedaka, Helen Reddy, Anne Margaret, Boy George, George Michael, INXS I hear INXS, Boy George, and George Michael (both as a part of Wham and solo) quite a bit on oldies stations that play 80s stuff. INXS also still gets airplay on “Adult Alternative” formatted stations. As for Sedaka and Reddy, I hear them a lot less often. I’ve actually heard Sedaka’s early 60s songs more often then his hits from the 70s. ---
**Author:** ![Critical1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@Critical1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Critical1)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2014, 7:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-groups-that-used-to-be-very-popular-and-get-very-little-radio-play-today/688930/54 "2014-05-24T07:26:44Z")
> [@astorian](#): > > I love the idea myself, but unfortunately, I understand why this approach either scares program directors or fails. > > I love all kinds of lengthy art-rock songs from the Seventies. But would I play those songs if I were a DJ or program director? Maybe not. People who hate “Satisfaction” usually won’t change the station because they know it will be over in 2 and a half minutes. But if I play a 10 minute Yes or ELP or King Crimson song, some people will get bored and turn the dial. [http://kexp.org/](http://kexp.org/) a Seattle station, kinda low power at least compared to the bigger ones, has a full on Dj plays whatever the hell they want format. I personally love it, I love not hearing the same god damned band every 3 hours (I am looking at you Nirvana and 107.7) or the same song 3 times a day. For the most part you can listen to this station for Weeks and the only songs you will hear multiple times are the Dj theme songs for some of their shows (they have 3 hour Dj sets with a set genre each day of the week). You can check them out online. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2014, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-groups-that-used-to-be-very-popular-and-get-very-little-radio-play-today/688930/55 "2014-05-24T14:45:15Z")
As for the “they only play one or two songs by famous person X” part, that is a major rule in programmed radio. In the later part of Wolfman Jack’s career, he had a weekend oldies show. But he could only select songs from a short playlist. The list had something like one Buddy Holly song, two Elvis songs, etc. Most DJs are lucky to have that flexibility. Why certain _really_ popular at one time groups don’t make the list at all is a good question. Would it kill the programmers to make the list longer??? If you want a recommendation of an oldies online station, my favorite is [KISN Good Guys](http://v5.player.abacast.com/v5.1/player/index.php?uid=6444). 50s-70s with a lot of rare stuff. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2014, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-groups-that-used-to-be-very-popular-and-get-very-little-radio-play-today/688930/56 "2014-05-24T22:03:47Z")
> [@nearwildheaven](#): > > There’s currently a commercial featuring the studio version of “Dreamer” as the theme song. > > You’re more likely to hear the Goo Goo Dolls’ remake of “Give a Little Bit” than you are the Supertramp original. Funny that I mentioned this, because I did indeed hear the original Supertramp version yesterday. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2014, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-groups-that-used-to-be-very-popular-and-get-very-little-radio-play-today/688930/57 "2014-05-24T22:09:15Z")
> [@JRDelirious](#): > > Aw, now you guys got me nostalgic for when I worked College Radio in the early 80s – WJHU, 10 mighty watts of power, on a good day we made it to the other side of Baltimore harbor. Where I learned about Eno and Roxy Music, playlists were completely up to whoever found her/himself in the chair, and midnight-to-5am were entirely freeform resulting in some confused people over at CMJ (College Media Journal, who did the charts for college stations) when we filed airplay reports (our Big Hit of 1983: Understanding Gout, the Remix). Good times… My brother and his wife were college radio DJs in the late 1980s (in fact, that’s how they met 🆒) and he would sometimes work the midnight to 6am shift - AS A VOLUNTEER. That’s how much he enjoyed doing it, plus between those hours, FCC regulations didn’t apply, so he could literally play ANYTHING.HE.WANTED. 😃 He would go through the stacks and pull anything with profanity on the cover, regardless of what it might have sounded like, just to play it. 😛 When Nirvana hit the big time, I asked him if he ever played stuff from “Bleach”, and he replied that he did, and if a time traveler had come from the fall of 1991 and told him that this band would release an album that would hit #1 in every country in the world that kept a chart and totally turn popular music on its ear, he’d have thought they were nuts. And I certainly wouldn’t have predicted that DAVE GROHL was actually the heart and soul of that band, and that he would go on to have a long, extremely successful, and largely scandal-free career. As for Krist Novoselic, he’s used his fortune to do his own thing, which I understand has mostly been working in Washington state politics. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2014, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-groups-that-used-to-be-very-popular-and-get-very-little-radio-play-today/688930/58 "2014-05-24T22:13:10Z")
p.s. I recently found the CD with this song on it at a rummage sale. In the mid 1990s, my city had a terrific alt-rock station that played this song. Oh, I knew it was heavily programmed, but for a while, it was fabulous. I knew the format was going to change when it suddenly switched to The Sheryl Crow Channel. I kid you not; for several months, they literally played her for every 3rd or 4th song. The song is “Black Steel” by Tricky. SFW. [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/9ZJTM03UByU/hqdefault.jpg "Tricky - 'Black Steel' (Official Video)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ZJTM03UByU) ---
**Author:** ![NDP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ndp/32/55_2.png) [@NDP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NDP)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2014, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-groups-that-used-to-be-very-popular-and-get-very-little-radio-play-today/688930/59 "2014-05-24T23:58:49Z")
This isn’t a popular music group that gets very little radio play today so much as an entire popular music genre that gets very little radio play today: [bubblegum rock](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bubblegum_pop) (or just “bubblegum”). The term “bubblegum” is now used to describe a large number of artists and music styles but during the late 60s and early 70s it usually referred to inoffensive rock music aimed at pre-teens (especially girls) by fictitious producer-created “groups” of interchangeable studio musicians. I never realized how much bubblegum rock made up the playlist of your typical Top 40 radio station until I listened to the air-check for Chicago’s WLS covering [the end of New Year’s Eve 1968](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iR2VH6El8IM)and [the beginning of New Year’s Day 1969](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bhVyL3RnDHY). Yet today, about the only bubblegum rock song you hear oldies stations play is “Sugar Sugar” by The Archies and that’s probably because it was also connected with the “Archie” Saturday morning cartoon show. (On a related note, if an oldies station has to play “Sugar Sugar”, could they occasionally mix things up and play [the Wilson Pickett version](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KnG5bwaNs7s)?) ---
**Author:** ![salinqmind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3ec8ea/32.png) [@salinqmind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2014, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-groups-that-used-to-be-very-popular-and-get-very-little-radio-play-today/688930/60 "2014-05-25T15:37:51Z")
well, I think they play “Sugar Sugar” because it’s a GREAT HAPPY SONG. I never heard of an Archies cartoon, though I suppose the song had to come from somewhere. I would add, instrumentals. In general. They seem to be passe. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-groups-that-used-to-be-very-popular-and-get-very-little-radio-play-today/688930.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-groups-that-used-to-be-very-popular-and-get-very-little-radio-play-today/688930.md?page=4)