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Post by joshb80 on Apr 3, 2012 19:50:22 GMT -5
OK, so I just recently acquired an episode of AT40 hosted by Shadoe Stevens, for the chart date of 4/1/89. I must first mention that this is my very first listen at D'Shadoe counting down the hits. I can honestly say that I enjoyed the show very much. I don't know if it was the music from this period or what, but I really don't think the show was bad at all.
After reading Rob Durkee's book fairly recently, I learned that Shadoe had a rough time during his run of hosting the show. Does anyone remember when all of the heavy editing of the program began and when things started to decline?
I thought this Shadoe show was a very good update and not shying away from the format that made the show famous. I liked the theme music and thought Shadoe had a nice voice and hosting style. Hopefully I can locate some earlier and later shows of this era to compare, but as for 4/1/89 I thoroughly enjoyed it.
As for Ryan Seacrest....never can stomach that one!! Rick Dees gets my ear when it comes to counting down todays hits.
Anyone else have opinions of Shadoe's shows?
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Post by dukelightning on Apr 3, 2012 20:01:01 GMT -5
It just so happens that I am listening to the top 50 of 1994 right now. Shadoe does a fine job. He has his own style that has no connection to the way Casey did it in the 80s and 90s. Now if I had the choice and back then I did, I would rather hear Casey. That said, Shadoe still provided an entertainment value and a reason to listen to the show.
Not sure what you are referring to as to editing and such. There was no blatant editing in this show or others I have heard in the Shadoe era. Maybe you are referring to the Ryan Seacrest era in which case others will have to weigh in on that issue.
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Post by bestmusicexpert on Apr 3, 2012 20:10:49 GMT -5
Wow, you have the top 50 of 1994? Sounds like a good show!
I have the CT40 Top 100 of 1994, wonder how different the lists are!
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Post by Deleted on Apr 3, 2012 20:11:31 GMT -5
The early Shadoe years are good. I remember liking 88-91/early 92 both when I heard the show originally on the radio (88-91) and in later years via trading. Sometime in 92 though things went to hell in my mind. The show changed. I'm not going to gripe about no song intro given at times in the show, the chart changes, etc. Shadoes presentation changed. Whether it was all him, all editing, or a combination of both something went awry and it sounded unpleasant.
People (including me) talk about there wasn't room for 3 shows in CHR radio then. Well, yes there was....we never mention there were 4 and then 5 and maybe more. Scott Shannon's Rockin America Top 30 Countdown aired on many stations. So did the Top 30 Hitlist. Sad thing about AT40 in my mind is what was once its greatest asset became the biggest liability. That being Billboards Hot 100. The liability came not in people caring about the chart changes because I don't think most did, but the station affiliates that dropped the show because of the music that began filtering in on it before they did change. It made the decision of which show to drop (if they aired more than 1 and decided to drop others) easier. By the time they changed the chart it was too late.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 3, 2012 20:11:59 GMT -5
Wow, you have the top 50 of 1994? Sounds like a good show! I have the CT40 Top 100 of 1994, wonder how different the lists are! I have both. Never heard the AT40 one though. |
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Post by joshb80 on Apr 3, 2012 20:49:08 GMT -5
Not sure what you are referring to as to editing and such. There was no blatant editing in this show or others I have heard in the Shadoe era. Maybe you are referring to the Ryan Seacrest era in which case others will have to weigh in on that issue. Sorry, I was referring to Shadoe's speaking, where they would edit him if he took too long of a breath etc. |
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Post by joshb80 on Apr 3, 2012 20:52:09 GMT -5
Sad thing about AT40 in my mind is what was once its greatest asset became the biggest liability. That being Billboards Hot 100. The liability came not in people caring about the chart changes because I don't think most did, but the station affiliates that dropped the show because of the music that began filtering in on it before they did change. It made the decision of which show to drop (if they aired more than 1 and decided to drop others) easier. By the time they changed the chart it was too late. I couldn't agree with you more. In my opinion, it's hard to believe that some of todays songs have made it onto the Billboard Hot 100. |
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Post by Caseyfan4everRyanfanNever on Apr 3, 2012 21:12:09 GMT -5
The CT40 Top 100 of 1994 chart can be found at www.oldradioshows.com/at100/1994ct40.htmlThe AT40 Top 50 of 1994 chart can be found at www.oldradioshows.com/at100/1994.htmlOverall, both charts had many of the same hits, the #1 song was the same (BTW:the #3 song on the CT40 list is wrong--it's actually "Don't Turn Around by Ace of Base" ) The AT40 chart had more carryovers from 1993 while CT40 had quite a few songs that would peak in 1995. Aside from that almost all of the songs that were on the AT40 chart were also on the CT40 chart. |
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Post by OldSchoolAT40Fan on Apr 4, 2012 7:50:51 GMT -5
Among the carryovers from 1993, I think I found at least 8 of them in the Top 50 of 1994:
Mr. Vain - Culture Beat
Dreams - Gabrielle (surprisingly the song didn't likely make the top 20, yet it made the year end top 50!)
Linger - Cranberries
Because The Night - 10,000 Maniacs
All For Love - Sting, Rod Stewart, and Bryan Adams
Again - Janet Jackson
Please Forgive Me - Bryan Adams
Hero - Mariah Carey
As for Shadoe's era, my opinion? He did a good job of counting down the hits, but because of the discontinuing of use of the Billboard Hot 100 as a source, AT40 went downhill and ratings went down as a result. Took barely over 3 years for the show to disappear from the radio airwaves. The chart format change occurred around late-November or the beginning of December 1991, if I recall. Casey Kasem handled the countdown better, though Shadoe did a pretty good job.
Though, oddly enough, when Casey Kasem revived AT40 in 1998, the countdown was more an extension of CT40 using the Radio & Records chart format. At some point in the early 2000's, they changed to Mediabase, and oddly enough, the show is still popular today with Ryan Seacrest at the helm despite the chart format change.
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Post by matt on Apr 4, 2012 10:14:16 GMT -5
As for Shadoe's era, my opinion? He did a good job of counting down the hits, but because of the discontinuing of use of the Billboard Hot 100 as a source, AT40 went downhill and ratings went down as a result. Took barely over 3 years for the show to disappear from the radio airwaves. The chart format change occurred around late-November or the beginning of December 1991, if I recall. Casey Kasem handled the countdown better, though Shadoe did a pretty good job. Though, oddly enough, when Casey Kasem revived AT40 in 1998, the countdown was more an extension of CT40 using the Radio & Records chart format. At some point in the early 2000's, they changed to Mediabase, and oddly enough, the show is still popular today with Ryan Seacrest at the helm despite the chart format change. That's been my feeling as well--a theory is that during the whole transition between August 1988 and January 1989 when Casey left and then eventually began the CT40 show, AT40 fans were somewhat split, but there was an interest in both shows. Many fans listened into CT40 for the obvious reason of Casey himself. However, there were many fans (myself included) who stuck with AT40 because it used the Billboard Hot 100, and as a result, you felt like you were getting the "most authoritative chart" as Casey used to say. Shadoe was not Casey, though he was pretty good and I enjoy listening to his shows from those first few years. In retrospect, he and the show's staff probably made a wise move by letting Shadoe use his own style and delivery while keeping many of the same elements of AT40 in tact. However, that changed over time with things like ultimately removing his intros completely from several songs (which became a common occurrence by 1993 or so) in desperate attempts to revive the shows ratings. I have said before in another thread that IMO, changing from the Hot 100 to the Radio Monitor chart, though necessary due to the Soundscan change, was the beginning of the end for Shadoe's AT40--for the exact reason I mentioned above: the AT40 fan base that stuck with the show after Casey left to hear the Hot 100 chart, no longer had that as a reason to tune in. With both shows using a radio airplay chart at that point, unless you really liked Shadoe better than Casey, there was no reason not to go solely with CT40 (or even Rick Dees). |
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Post by dukelightning on Apr 4, 2012 10:26:17 GMT -5
My biggest question about the 90s and it has existed since the 90s is of all the charts out there at the time, which one was closest to what the Hot 100 had been before Dec. 1991? At the time, I surmised that it was Cashbox and so kept tabs on that chart for a few years. But some of you seem to know all the ins and outs of the various charts used by these countdowns and may have an answer for me.
BTW, I had little interest at the time in any of those countdowns because I thought airplay only charts were not close to what the Hot 100 was prior to Soundscan. i.e. all the data on R&R that is thrown around on this site is worthless IMO because it was based just on airplay.
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Post by Mike on Apr 4, 2012 14:54:41 GMT -5
My biggest question about the 90s and it has existed since the 90s is of all the charts out there at the time, which one was closest to what the Hot 100 had been before Dec. 1991? At the time, I surmised that it was Cashbox and so kept tabs on that chart for a few years. But some of you seem to know all the ins and outs of the various charts used by these countdowns and may have an answer for me. Good God, no. I remember looking at a list of Cashbox #1s from 1992, and there was a Wayne Newton song - I forget the title - that Cashbox put at #1 for a week that didn't even chart anywhere else. Plus, in any case, Cashbox I believe shut down for a time in 1996. |
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Post by Deleted on Apr 4, 2012 16:59:47 GMT -5
As for Shadoe's era, my opinion? He did a good job of counting down the hits, but because of the discontinuing of use of the Billboard Hot 100 as a source, AT40 went downhill and ratings went down as a result. Took barely over 3 years for the show to disappear from the radio airwaves. The chart format change occurred around late-November or the beginning of December 1991, if I recall. Casey Kasem handled the countdown better, though Shadoe did a pretty good job. Though, oddly enough, when Casey Kasem revived AT40 in 1998, the countdown was more an extension of CT40 using the Radio & Records chart format. At some point in the early 2000's, they changed to Mediabase, and oddly enough, the show is still popular today with Ryan Seacrest at the helm despite the chart format change. That's been my feeling as well--a theory is that during the whole transition between August 1988 and January 1989 when Casey left and then eventually began the CT40 show, AT40 fans were somewhat split, but there was an interest in both shows. Many fans listened into CT40 for the obvious reason of Casey himself. However, there were many fans (myself included) who stuck with AT40 because it used the Billboard Hot 100, and as a result, you felt like you were getting the "most authoritative chart" as Casey used to say. Shadoe was not Casey, though he was pretty good and I enjoy listening to his shows from those first few years. In retrospect, he and the show's staff probably made a wise move by letting Shadoe use his own style and delivery while keeping many of the same elements of AT40 in tact. However, that changed over time with things like ultimately removing his intros completely from several songs (which became a common occurrence by 1993 or so) in desperate attempts to revive the shows ratings. I have said before in another thread that IMO, changing from the Hot 100 to the Radio Monitor chart, though necessary due to the Soundscan change, was the beginning of the end for Shadoe's AT40--for the exact reason I mentioned above: the AT40 fan base that stuck with the show after Casey left to hear the Hot 100 chart, no longer had that as a reason to tune in. With both shows using a radio airplay chart at that point, unless you really liked Shadoe better than Casey, there was no reason not to go solely with CT40 (or even Rick Dees). Yes, there were those who listened to AT40 because it used the Hot 100. Most didn't. Most listened for the music and did not notice a difference in chart unless they went to Turtles Records & Tapes right after and looked at the Hot 100. They might have noticed it moved slower, but not what chart it was. Same thing with program directors. I am not sure how you can think the Hot 100 remaining would have been better long term for AT40. Have you looked at 92, 93, 94? The stations charged with airing this show could not have identified with it and the show would have been on far, far fewer stations than it was when it ceased domestic distribution. The Hot 100 had to go. There was no way around it. Had ABC been smarter than they were though they would gone with BBs radio chart for a short time and then after the 1991 YE show gone with R&R. If for no other reason, they could have eliminated the $10,000 a week or whatever it was costing to use them when it was of no benefit to use it any longer. I must also say that by then I was predominately a radio listener and cared much more about AirPlay charts than I did any of the others personally. |
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Post by Mike on Apr 4, 2012 17:28:59 GMT -5
Yes, there were those who listened to AT40 because it used the Hot 100. Most didn't. Most listened for the music and did not notice a difference in chart unless they went to Turtles Records & Tapes right after and looked at the Hot 100. They might have noticed it moved slower, but not what chart it was. Same thing with program directors. I am not sure how you can think the Hot 100 remaining would have been better long term for AT40. Have you looked at 92, 93, 94? The stations charged with airing this show could not have identified with it and the show would have been on far, far fewer stations than it was when it ceased domestic distribution. The Hot 100 had to go. There was no way around it. Had ABC been smarter than they were though they would gone with BBs radio chart for a short time and then after the 1991 YE show gone with R&R. If for no other reason, they could have eliminated the $10,000 a week or whatever it was costing to use them when it was of no benefit to use it any longer. Wasn't it posted that there was little or no explanation as to the change in charts in late 1991? Wonder if more would have stuck with AT40 had there been better explanation. As for going with R&R over Billboard right away - that only validates wahoo's theory that it comes down to a direct comparison of hosts. With Rick in his own category due to the drastically different style of his show (his own chart manipulations notwithstanding), it comes down to Shadoe Vs. Casey - who do you think would win such a comparison in the minds of listeners? Unless of course your theory is that Shadoe would at least come in second over Rick, in which case...I suppose that would've been possible. In any case, three shows all using the same chart source is just plain overkill, regardless of what those shows are. |
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Post by Deleted on Apr 4, 2012 17:39:32 GMT -5
Yes, there were those who listened to AT40 because it used the Hot 100. Most didn't. Most listened for the music and did not notice a difference in chart unless they went to Turtles Records & Tapes right after and looked at the Hot 100. They might have noticed it moved slower, but not what chart it was. Same thing with program directors. I am not sure how you can think the Hot 100 remaining would have been better long term for AT40. Have you looked at 92, 93, 94? The stations charged with airing this show could not have identified with it and the show would have been on far, far fewer stations than it was when it ceased domestic distribution. The Hot 100 had to go. There was no way around it. Had ABC been smarter than they were though they would gone with BBs radio chart for a short time and then after the 1991 YE show gone with R&R. If for no other reason, they could have eliminated the $10,000 a week or whatever it was costing to use them when it was of no benefit to use it any longer. Wasn't it posted that there was little or no explanation as to the change in charts in late 1991? Wonder if more would have stuck with AT40 had there been better explanation. As for going with R&R over Billboard right away - that only validates wahoo's theory that it comes down to a direct comparison of hosts. With Rick in his own category due to the drastically different style of his show (his own chart manipulations notwithstanding), it comes down to Shadoe Vs. Casey - who do you think would win such a comparison in the minds of listeners? Unless of course your theory is that Shadoe would at least come in second over Rick, in which case...I suppose that would've been possible. In any case, three shows all using the same chart source is just plain overkill, regardless of what those shows are. There were always 3. Again, people forget Scott Shannons show and he use R&R |
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