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Post by mkarns on Jul 12, 2024 23:34:46 GMT -5
And Radio and Records did not yet exist in 1971, but if there was R&R in 1971, would "Stairway to Heaven" have hit #1 on R&R? I bet "Stairway to Heaven" never even made the Cash Box or Record World charts. I wonder how it fared on radio stations WABC New York City, WLS Chicago, and WCFL Chicago local airplay charts back in 1971? This #1 talk assumes pop radio would have played the song in heavy rotation. In 1971, "Black Dog" didn't even make the top 10. Considering what was popular in late '71/early '72 when Stairway might've been released, I'm not sure it would have had enough plays to hit the top: "Theme From Shaft," "Family Affair," "Brand New Key," and "American Pie." Considering Led Zep was an album act and their fans purchased the album when it came out, I'm not sure sales would have been enough to send it to #1, either. I think the song's legendary status is something it has gained over time and not immediately bestowed on it when the album came out. WPGC in Washington DC, a fairly typical top 40 station at the time (and one that aired AT40 from Day One), added "Stairway to Heaven" to its playlist in summer 1972--one of several top 40 stations that evidently did so around that time--and it peaked at #11 there in September. That suggests that an official single release and promotion to top 40 stations would likely have at least gotten it into the top 20 on the Hot 100, and maybe the top 10, but probably not #1--especially as by then it was nearly a year since the album's release and most fans already had it, and there probably wouldn't have been enough people who just wanted that one song buying the 45 to take it all the way to the top.
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Post by dth1971 on Jul 13, 2024 6:46:28 GMT -5
This #1 talk assumes pop radio would have played the song in heavy rotation. In 1971, "Black Dog" didn't even make the top 10. Considering what was popular in late '71/early '72 when Stairway might've been released, I'm not sure it would have had enough plays to hit the top: "Theme From Shaft," "Family Affair," "Brand New Key," and "American Pie." Considering Led Zep was an album act and their fans purchased the album when it came out, I'm not sure sales would have been enough to send it to #1, either. I think the song's legendary status is something it has gained over time and not immediately bestowed on it when the album came out. WPGC in Washington DC, a fairly typical top 40 station at the time (and one that aired AT40 from Day One), added "Stairway to Heaven" to its playlist in summer 1972--one of several top 40 stations that evidently did so around that time--and it peaked at #11 there in September. That suggests that an official single release and promotion to top 40 stations would likely have at least gotten it into the top 20 on the Hot 100, and maybe the top 10, but probably not #1--especially as by then it was nearly a year since the album's release and most fans already had it, and there probably wouldn't have been enough people who just wanted that one song buying the 45 to take it all the way to the top. WPGC by the 1980's or 1990's became an R&B/hip hop station. When did WPGC drop AT40 before it moved to WRQX 107 FM Washington, D.C.?
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Post by at40petebattistini on Jul 13, 2024 7:26:00 GMT -5
Casey says that "Stairway to Heaven" probably would have hit #1 had it been released and that it is an 8 minute song. Would have been interesting if that had happened since another 8 minute song did hit #1 back then.."American Pie". If Stairway was released as the first single instead of "Black Dog" which debuted on 12/25/71, it might have replaced Pie at #1. Pie would still be the longest #1 hit at the time as it was about 20 seconds longer than Stairway. With a complete running time of more than 7 minutes, gotta wonder if, given the opportunity, Casey would’ve said something similar about “Nights In White Satin” by the Moody Blues had Deram Records not released it as a single five years after its album debut. Similar to “Stairway To Heaven”, both songs continued receiving airplay, both becoming rock radio staples.
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Post by mkarns on Jul 13, 2024 9:10:01 GMT -5
WPGC in Washington DC, a fairly typical top 40 station at the time (and one that aired AT40 from Day One), added "Stairway to Heaven" to its playlist in summer 1972--one of several top 40 stations that evidently did so around that time--and it peaked at #11 there in September. That suggests that an official single release and promotion to top 40 stations would likely have at least gotten it into the top 20 on the Hot 100, and maybe the top 10, but probably not #1--especially as by then it was nearly a year since the album's release and most fans already had it, and there probably wouldn't have been enough people who just wanted that one song buying the 45 to take it all the way to the top. WPGC by the 1980's or 1990's became an R&B/hip hop station. When did WPGC drop AT40 before it moved to WRQX 107 FM Washington, D.C.? Sometimes in 1983; I don't know the exact weeks WPGC stopped playing it or WQRX started. At the WPGC tribute site the last clip they have of Casey mentioning it as one of AT40's "great radio station" affiliates is from January 29, 1983.
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Post by at40petebattistini on Jul 13, 2024 10:19:05 GMT -5
By the time the July 16, 1988 show was produced, future AT40 host Shadoe Stevens was spending time at the ABC Watermark studios recording ‘rehearsal’ countdowns.
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Post by dukelightning on Jul 14, 2024 7:27:00 GMT -5
Casey says that "Stairway to Heaven" probably would have hit #1 had it been released and that it is an 8 minute song. Would have been interesting if that had happened since another 8 minute song did hit #1 back then.."American Pie". If Stairway was released as the first single instead of "Black Dog" which debuted on 12/25/71, it might have replaced Pie at #1. Pie would still be the longest #1 hit at the time as it was about 20 seconds longer than Stairway. With a complete running time of more than 7 minutes, gotta wonder if, given the opportunity, Casey would’ve said something similar about “Nights In White Satin” by the Moody Blues had Deram Records not released it as a single five years after its album debut. Similar to “Stairway To Heaven”, both songs continued receiving airplay, both becoming rock radio staples. I was going to make a similar point regarding the comment that because "Black Dog" was not a top 10 hit, it was hard to imagine Stairway being a #1 hit. "I'm Just a Singer in a Rock & Roll Band" had similar chart success as "Black Dog". But the Moody Blues still threatened the #1 position with Satin. You really can't predict the chart performance of one hit based on what another hit by that artist did. Especially when one is a ballad and the other is a rocker. Many rock bands either hit #1 or came close with ballads while their rockers came up well short.
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Post by kani on Jul 14, 2024 9:08:04 GMT -5
Few 1988 notes:
Hank Ballard, Chubby Checker snippets The Twist
1971: Stairway to Heaven snippet played
Guns n Roses #1 Sweet Child o Mine, with Shadoe as host (around Aug 1988)
duo rap: DJ Jazzy Jeff and Fresh Prince never does drugs
David on Breathe, about vaccuum cleaner
INXS Michael Hutchinson Hong Kong, opium illegal drug
13 British acts
at the end continued to promote America's Top 10, a tv show hosted by Casey
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Post by lasvegaskid on Jul 14, 2024 15:12:11 GMT -5
Did Tom Rounds always hated that Helen Reddy "You and Me Against the World" song? This wasn’t a decision based on personal music preference. Tom Rounds was a radio pro and, putting on his ‘affiliate cap’, he recognized that the Helen Reddy recording no longer had a life on most contemporary/Top 40 radio stations. And more importantly, if airplay on AT40 could be avoided, it should be. Not sure if I'm buying into this one Peteski. You could say the same about many LDDs late in Casey's run. For example this week in 88 I doubt any of the affiliates still had Key Largo on their recurrent list.
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Post by at40petebattistini on Jul 14, 2024 18:27:49 GMT -5
This wasn’t a decision based on personal music preference. Tom Rounds was a radio pro and, putting on his ‘affiliate cap’, he recognized that the Helen Reddy recording no longer had a life on most contemporary/Top 40 radio stations. And more importantly, if airplay on AT40 could be avoided, it should be. Not sure if I'm buying into this one Peteski. You could say the same about many LDDs late in Casey's run. For example this week in 88 I doubt any of the affiliates still had Key Largo on their recurrent list. If you listened to the closing credits of 7/16/88, Elizabeth Rollins was program producer, not Tom Rounds. He was working other facets outside of program production by then, including the addition of more international affiliates. In other words, a different decision maker was in charge.
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Post by dukelightning on Jul 15, 2024 9:27:22 GMT -5
2 weeks before this week's show, something occurred that many people may not be aware of on the chart. The week of 7/7/84, hits by artists that used to be in the same group were back to back. At #20 was Jerry Knight of Ollie and Jerry and at #19 was Ray Parker Jr. They were both in Raydio with Jerry actually doing the lead vocals on "Jack and Jill".
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Post by OnWithTheCountdown on Jul 15, 2024 9:36:41 GMT -5
Elizabeth Rollins would be named producer in the closing on the same show the theme music changed, 4/4/1987. Tom Rounds is mentioned as a show creator at this point, no longer a producer.
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Post by lasvegaskid on Jul 15, 2024 9:40:15 GMT -5
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Post by OnWithTheCountdown on Jul 15, 2024 9:45:33 GMT -5
Weekends are on Sundays now? 🤦♂️
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Post by dukelightning on Jul 15, 2024 9:50:49 GMT -5
Ah finally 1982. Thought it would be this week. But it has the same calendar as 1971 and for me anyway, both years were a lot better in the second half.
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Post by lasvegaskid on Jul 15, 2024 9:57:41 GMT -5
Not sure if I'm buying into this one Peteski. You could say the same about many LDDs late in Casey's run. For example this week in 88 I doubt any of the affiliates still had Key Largo on their recurrent list. If you listened to the closing credits of 7/16/88, Elizabeth Rollins was program producer, not Tom Rounds. He was working other facets outside of program production by then, including the addition of more international affiliates. In other words, a different decision maker was in charge. Just an example Peteski... you can go back to 86 and 87 and find plenty of Bread and England Dan/ John Ford Coley in the same boat.
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