But, the other question is, how does this affect the whole music industry? How do you have a non entity of AI go tour and sell merchandise in turn produce $$$$?
Concerts are what drive the music industry these days, along with other product sales. No longer music spins on the radio are the leader, since everyone can download them off of YT and other IP based sources. Radio is more of the catalyst, along with all its competition, to expose music to a certain set of ears to turn those concerts and supplemental sales in action.
The other side effect is, this will further erode "new" song content. If you think people are ripping off ideas and sounds from others, just wait. AI is just ripping off aggregated data to begin with.
On a personal note the "song" is atrocious. It is a bad replica of Jelly Roll or Post Malone.
BUT, are the Billboard charts what they once were? To me, they have been irrelevant for YEARS. Every Christmas, some 50 year old song is #1, and this is every year? I've looked at Mediabase for decades as, to me, Billboard really, really lagged behind.
"And the countdown continues..." as someone once said.
John, as weird as it seems, the Billboard charts have never been as accurate, as they are now. That is why you see those Christmas songs pop up, they are actually getting airplay and selling copies! In previous years, they were ineligible to chart more than once, unless officially re-released.
Overall, you are correct, the Billboard name lost relevance years ago due to technological advancement, if not competition.
The charts overall, also indicate the trouble that Top40 or Contemporary radio overall, faces. When you have songs lingering for 52+ weeks or for example, The Weeknd "Blinding Lights" rank for 90 weeks in the Hot100 and 52+ weeks in the Top 10, it indicates the illness. It also indicates lack of good product and adult numbers driving the format.
Z said "It also indicates lack of good product and adult numbers driving the format."
OR is it the fact that 2 or 3 companies (all cash strapped) control so much. There are stations here and there that have their own MD's or PD's, er, Brand Managers, and there's quite a different product than on let's say CC, Audacy, Cumulus, Townsquare....
In the past, and this is ancient history now, 1974, charts went from 30 to 16/17 songs. KCBQ WOKY WDRQ were examples, and songs stayed on for LONG times, but when one has so few controlling the product....
John the consolidation has also affected it but that has been in effect for 30 years. It did take time for it to breakdown, but, the industry imploded from Covid. All of them were not ready to endure it or adapt. Others were worse off. (Milwaukee Radio Alliance is one example).
You are correct about 1974. You are also correct there was much less competition. The thing is those songs were gold records after being currents. These titles today are never reaching gold status, they are currents for 1 year+ straight. The average age for CHR is @ 50 last time I read the research. FIFTY, that is the age group for oldies/Classic Hits.
I interact with young kids & young adults often. Pre Covid, you might remember my post in the past, 95% of the informal surveyed group had blank stares mentioning "AM Radio". > 50% stated they knew FM radio but majority of them said it was their 2nd choice or were passive listeners forced to do it in a car where they have no control. Post Covid, >90% when asked about FM Radio, the #1 reply was "Who listens to that except old people" or "My Mom listens to that crap". They are NOT finding new music or musical trends on FM radio, CHR, etc.... hence the high end adult numbers. There is a lost generation that will never come back. You can't convince them to listen to 20+ minutes of commercials and be told what to listen to. I can go on, but I blame commercial radio for this, mainly ignoring the trends in the 90s when they tried ignoring digital formats and online streams or sued sharing platforms. The banks and shareholders can also go pound sand. At some point there will be no more bankruptcy path, consolidation or refinancing debt where someone will come along and reinvest in a dying/dead format.
In my humble opinion, record labels and artists werw against streaming. In the early stages of music sharing, labels and artists were missing out on royalties because the music was getting played butchered were no sales generated and no royalties being paid. Radio sided with them because the record industry was their primary source for attracting listeners to get paid by advertisers. Those services were a direct threat to their survival. Labels pivoted to maintain their own survival and radio stations were left behind.
Z: I do remember your research from a few years ago.
Two stories: A cousin bought a NEW Toyota. Asked the salesman to set the radio. (Something I find easy.) She gave her list. "Oh, you listen to AM?" God forbid.
2nd story: Told an acquaintance on a station she might like. "Oh, that's AM. I won't listen to AM."
Per CHR: Was just looking and there are markets with TWO CHRS! Louisville WDJX WRNW Both UP! Raleigh-Durham WPLW WDGC Jacksonville FL WAPE WKSL Hartford-New Britain-Middletown WKSS WKCI both UP! Biloxi has TWO! The Gorilla 953gorilla.com and The Monkey 1059themonkey.com Sioux Falls Hot104.7 & Q101-9 (went earlier this month) hot1047.com q1019fm.com
The ones I've listed: NO 5 MINUTE BREAKS. NO DEBT? Wider variety on some and possibly, radio, to me, sounds better out of market!
Earlier today, I was thinking of radio, formats and there are so many choices! Not all on radio, either. TV was once 3 locals and now it's "57 channels and nothin' on!"
on November 12, 2025, 4:00 am