Extras on AT20...

[Shadoe Fan]

It seems to me that lately AT20 has been less extras from the 80s and more from the 90s and 00s. I guess since some HAC stations are dropping 80s songs, this sorta makes sense. However, this past week's show had an extra that didn't make sense to me.

The extras usually are at least from 1 year ago. However, this past weekend he played Jet's "Look What You've Done". He said that the song was a big hit "earlier this year". The song just fell out of the top 20 in late June (6/15 R&R Chart I believe). Why play this? It's not even in the top 40 of the "recurrentless" HAC chart, so it's not that popular at the moment. I say give a song a rest a while before playing it as an extra.

[Note: Yes, I've made negative comments recently about AT20. Let me state for the record that I love the show and listen each week. I just hate to see the show lose quality.]

[Radioman]

I believe it's only natural to put in more 90's and 00's hits, as the 80's are moving far and far behind and becoming more like "oldies" today. Other's the show would've get an 80's format, wich I believe there are already to many shows for that segment on air.
Don't forget about the typical age for a HAC listener ....... these are not all 80's people.

As for the Jet song I think it's nothing very unusual. They've done it many times before and I think this song still has lot's of airplay on HAC radio outlets, even it's not one of the Top 5 recurrents. I believe there is still a need for a song like this.
Other's were discussed before: Like when Finger Eleven or Maroon 5 had a "big hit from one year ago this week" ...... even they were just at the beginning of their countdown marathon.

I can't see a loss in quality @ AT20 lately. Maybe just some small accuracy like always before on the AT20's.
With the outstanding performance Casey does recently and with no stupid guesthosts lately, I think the show has get in a win situation.

[BrettVW]

I also thought it was a bit strange that Casey played the Jet song, which a) never really took off on Hot AC, b) wasn't around all that long, and c) just fell off the chart a few weeks ago

That is also the first time on AT20 or CH20 that I ever remember Casey playing a song simply from "earlier this year".

While I do understand the 80's extras slowly fading, as 80's is fading on many Hot AC's, it always seems to me that it is inconsistant. Some weeks, it seems as if all the extras on AT20 are from the last 5 years, and at most, 2 80's extras will be played. Other weeks, half the extras seem to be from the 80's and the other half from the earlier 90's. I think it would make more sense to be a bit more consistant. Maybe 1 80's extra an hour?

I'm all for AT20 leaving the 80's extras in for more variety, but the inconsistancy is a bit strange. Again...directly from the mouth of one of my AT20 affiliates that dropped the 80's and most early 90's a while back, they still like it when Casey plays some 80's or early 90's to give a different sound and variety to the weekend.

The only loss of quality I have seen as of recently is back when a bunch of the chart facts on the extras was off...but that will always happen.

And Radioman, while the guest hosts may not be your cup of tea....I don't think it is fair to call them "stupid guest hosts". While none of them are Casey, they have all given their time and effort to do shows in place of a man that can not be replaced. Give credit where credit is due.

[BROWNJB1]

I do remember on one occasion, although this was back in September 1998, that Casey played "Ray Of Light" by Madonna as a extra even though the song had only been out for a few months.

[Radioman]

BrettVW

What ever the reason for playing that Jet song might be, it happened several times over the past few years, that they might play an extra from "earlier this year". I think it happend more on the AC show, than on the HAC show. But it DID happen several times before.

Eventually they don't look that close on what years to pick songs from the past.
Maybe they just look back what hit was really big and/or seemed to be good for a play.

As for the guesthosts: When I called them "stupid", this was more for the choice of the producers, by going with the wrong people ( and too many times with them ). They really haven't brought a big radio talent for guesthosting for the biggest of all.
The hosts themselves are not really stupid on their own jobs. But they might sound stupid doing it for Casey. But it's not to blame for them, only for the people who choose the ones.

[Scott Lakefield]

I think we may be trying to read too much into the choice of extras. While I haven't seen a list of "gold" tracks on average HAC stations, my guess is that Casey's staff is trying to satisfy all the stations...some weeks you get a few 80s songs to satisfy the stations that still play them, while other weeks you get none, to satisfy the stations that have dropped most of their 80s music. Sounds like nothing much more than compromise to me.

[Deleted]

hmmmm.....do you think you'll ever see a split of AT20? Where one has extras that focuses on 80's and early 90's primarily, and then one like my station which has moved away from a lot of the 80's? It wouldnt take much more to tape a few extra extras for each week. It isn't like Casey would have to do an extra show.

[BrettVW]

While that thought has crossed my mind, I would have to say no. The main focus of American Top 20 is to count down the 20 biggest hits of the week. Extras are just that -- extras. Plus...for the stations still playing the 80's and early 90's, it's not as if they aren't also playing the more recent recurrents and golds...or else they wouldn't be playing the new stuff and wouldn't be running a Top 20 countdown.

A show with the Top 20 countdown and many extras from the 80's and early 90's makes the PD of a station running a current based format question much more than a show with the Top 20 countdown and other songs from the last few years.

[Shadoe Fan]

This week the show played an excellent extra, IMHO. They played "The Promise" by When in Rome, from 1988. Great job AT20. :-)

[Deleted]

it wasn't until the mid 90's I even found out who sang that song. That was one of those songs they would seemingly never give the artist name or title of and when it was popular I wasn't really listening to pop music.

[nenad]

It's kind of strange that on the HotAC 80's are losing airplay, when there's the whole (let me call it) New Wave revival on the CHR (and Alternative charts)...

For several months artists like The Killers, Modest Mouse, Franz Ferdinand, Kieser Chiefs and lots more that are influenced by 80's music and you can even "hear" artists like New Order and The Cure through their songs have been getting quite a noticable airplay!

Some artists that were around in the 80's, f.e. New Order, Madonna & Depeche Mode are releasing new albums (or recently did)... the sound is (what I have heard) back to the roots, very 80's-like... maybe, they won't get the same airplay as they used to, but...

...maybe that will bring some (little?) change to the choice of the songs playing on AT20...

...at least in 5 to 10 years all of the above artists will be Hot AC, so maybe then?

[BrettVW]

This weekend brought some great extras and songs I hadn't heard in a while, such as "What I Like About You" by The Romantics, "Rock The Casbah" by The Clash, "True" by Spandau Ballet, "Heaven" by Bryan Adams, "What Is Love" by Howard Jones, and what seemed like an 80's overload to make up for the recent lack of 80's. Since I love the 80's, it was a great weekend of AT20 in my book. Much better variety than the shows that never seem to venture far from "5 years ago this week..." Great show AT20!

[Topay]

brettvw said:

This weekend brought some great extras and songs I hadn't heard in a while, such as "What I Like About You" by The Romantics, "Rock The Casbah" by The Clash, "True" by Spandau Ballet, "Heaven" by Bryan Adams, "What Is Love" by Howard Jones, and what seemed like an 80's overload to make up for the recent lack of 80's. Since I love the 80's, it was a great weekend of AT20 in my book. Much better variety than the shows that never seem to venture far from "5 years ago this week..." Great show AT20!

Not only that, but Casey also seemed a bit more enthusiastic this time around. In the second to last segment, he said "we're coming around the home stretch to the #1 song in the USA" or something like that. And then, after the #3 song, he said "and before we get to the two biggest songs, let's check out this song from 6 years ago in 1999: Kiss Me by Sixpence None The Richer".

[BrettVW]

He has started some new catch phrases and stuff this week and last week as well. Such as the optional segments starting with "Before we get into the next hour..." and then "We're just about there, getting closer and closer." He's also added a little note after the LDD about "Do you want to send a LDD to someone special? Here's the address..." Casey definately has seemed to be more "into it" the last few weeks...and especially this week.

[Radioman]

What we hear recently on AT20 is very simpel: Just a little more in Variety. Nothing special behind some small changes. For example the "AT20 is hear in the 50 states and around the world" - thing. It is back and / or mixed with the other phrase "AT20 is heared in the 50 states coast to coast". And it has nothing to do with if there are international affiliates or not. Because you can hear the show around the world if you like.

I believe it's the same for the extra's: Some week we have lot's of 80's, in other weeks we have only 90's and 00's. Can't think of some argue like: "Can we play another 80's song this week, or may this hurt some stations" ......
I'm doing absolutely fine with this kind of variety. It makes the show fresh and a surprise to listen every week.