The Next Classic: Classic MTV
Written Oct. 20, 2008 by Sean Ross in Terrestrial Radio with 1 Comment
NRG's KOOO (the Big O 101.9) Omaha, Neb., evolved from its original '70s Rock AC position to more of a '70s/'80s companion piece to Modern AC/Rock 40 sister KQKQ (Q97.9), also programmed by Nevin Dane. Clear Channel's KQLL (Cool 106.1) has been evolving from traditional Oldies since last year under PD Kevan Seal. It's now positioned as "Classic Top 40."
They're very different stations. KQLL can segue from "Le Freak" by Chic into "Magic" by Pilot and has the same "greatest party songs of all time" feel that KQQL Minneapolis was also experimenting with for a while. (One of its liners promises "a lot of songs that no one else has had the guts to play.") Big O has more of a '80s Modern emphasis with some things like the Plimsouls' "A Million Miles Away" or Peter Murphy's "Cuts You Up" that probably didn't get a lot of local airplay when they were new. But both have the MTV '80s at their center with a smattering of late '70s. And, as Seal notes, Tulsa was one of the test markets for MTV.
Both are also examples of how many different angles the '80s are being attacked from. Late '70s/early '80s rock was the initial center of the Bob- and Jack-FMs. At least a few '80s titles are now a part of most Oldies/Classic Hits stations. From an era standpoint, only the lack of recurrents and (in Tulsa's case) the '90s keep these from being Jack or Bob, but the packaging and texture is completely different.
Here's the Big O last week at 11 a.m.:
Cars, "Just What I Needed"
Phil Collins, "I Missed Again"
Def Leppard, "Rock Of Ages"
R.E.M., "Losing My Religion"
Peter Gabriel, "Sledgehammer"
Yes, "Leave It"
Spin Doctors, "Little Miss Can't Be Wrong"
Stray Cats, "(She's) Sexy And 17"
Electric Light Orchestra, "Do Ya"
Prince, "I Would Die 4 U"
Frankie Goes To Hollywood, "Relax"
EMF, "Unbelievable"
Steve Miller Band, "Take The Money & Run"
Genesis, "No Reply At All"
Here's KQLL at 9:15 this morning:
Climax Blues Band, "Couldn't Get It Right"
A Taste Of Honey, "Boogie Oogie Oogie"
Stories, "Brother Louie"
Lipps, Inc., "Funkytown"
Wham, "Wake Me Up Before You Go Go"
Santana, "Winning"
Rod Stewart, "Love Touch"
Hall & Oates, "Kiss On My List"
Elton John, "Philadelphia Freedom"
Power Station, "Some Like It Hot"
Billy Joel, "Only The Good Die Young"
Donna Summer, "Hot Stuff"
Mike & the Mechanics, "All I Need Is A Miracle"
Billy Ocean, "Loverboy"
Reader Comments
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I'd perhaps phrase this as "The Next Classic Returns".
Much of this playlist was done early in the present decade when 80s stations appeared to pop up everywhere. In my opinion though, nobody did it better, nor came closer to the MTV feel than Big City Radio's "80s Channel" (WXXY) on a suburban Chicago signal, programmed by Chris Shebel.
Few did it better...from the music to the personalities to the audio processing.