Money behind No. 1 hits raises crucial eyebrows | Tennessean

[Ediacara]

Money behind No. 1 hits raises crucial eyebrows


Country singer Reba McEntire performs
at the Quest Center in Omaha, Neb., as
part of her 2004 tour.
AP

By JEANNE ANNE NAUJECK
Staff Writer

When Reba McEntire's song Somebody hit No. 1 last summer, it was hailed as a comeback for a country legend who had dominated the charts in the 1990s but hadn't reached No. 1 in seven years.

But it ignited a furor on Nashville's Music Row because of the way McEntire's record label bought radio time to play the song as one of its marketing tactics.

While label managers occasionally talk about reaching record buyers over the Internet, the key to hooking customers and selling large volumes of music remains what it has been for years: radio play. And lots of it.

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[sally343434]

1. Not many are aware of this

In radio today we have, essentially, legalized payola. Instead of a song gaining traction on its own merits, through the decision of a DJ or PD who likes the sound, stations will actually sell time slots to a label. They can do this if they say something that indicates the song was played in return for money. Usually, it's a short and, they hope, unnoticed utterance like, "that was (song title) brought to you by (record label)."

If you're like me and wonder why contemporary popular music played on CHR radio is so laughably abysmal, this is why. Like most everything else in our Potemkin culture, it's all a charade. The Billboard listing is now just for sale. The songs played most are those that pay the most in airtime purchase. The "#1 hit" is #1 only because they've paid for the most airplay, and the label then uses that purchased designation to promote the song, enhancing its retail sales. In other words, it's created out of whole cloth.

[acmavm]

2. It's about all you can expect from a culture who determines who's got

talent via 'American Idol', whatever kid has a show on Disney Channel, and agents auditioning kids to find the ones with the 'right look'.

Talent, real talent, doesn't mean much nowdays.

[progressivebydesign]

4. Yeah, does anyone realize how faked American Idol is?

I can't bring myself to watch the show.. but I've seen clips. Do people not realize that the future-non-stars are being used and abused to hype the chosen ones that are predetermined and groomed to be the next product out of American Idol? I can't believe people actually watch that stuff.. ugh. It's so fake!

Country music used to be appearance-neutral. Now everyone has to be model thin, good bones, and slightly skanky, to get a hit.

[ashmanonar]

6. hell.

country music used to be "if you look like a hick, you're hired".

[Occulus]

10. not only does it not mean much- in some cases it's beaten out of 'em n/t

[oneold1-4u]

5. "It's All In The Game"

I'd sure rather hear Reba sing Mary Had A Little Lamb (paid for) than the propaganda the president and republicans are paying everyone to promote! More war and draft propaganda will hit your eyes and ears in the next few months than Reba or any other performer!
The Democratic Party better get busy with some kind of promotions for a counter attack. I can't think of a better way than using every performer, artist, and writer willing to help. bush is using your taxes to pay for a lot of their propaganda, so let's create finance for counter programming even if we don't pay our taxes for a while or longer.

[reprobate]

7. Question: What "Democratic Party"?

If you mean those spineless repug lite corporate toadies, I think you'll find little help there.

A well trained dog does not bite the hand that feeds him.

[mediaman007]

16. Just a question...

I used to be a country fan in the early 90's. One thing that I remember is that most Reba albums (CD's) had only one song worth listening to. It led me to believe that she was real calculated when she was making music.

Personally, I don't blame her if she paid to make her song #1, probably everyone else does it.

Just an observation.

[reprobate]

9. No big thing. Just a reflection of the corruption in the whole society.

The ancient Greeks, those creators of democracy, defined 'corruption' as government being run to the benefit of special interests, rather than the benefit of the population.

Sure seems to fit our current situation.

[wildeyed]

11. The more I learn about radio,

the more I understand why I haven't listen to popular radio in years. So boring, and this is yet another reason why.

[AndyTiedye]

12. Two Words -- Clear Channel

They practically own the radio airwaves these days.

[wildeyed]

15. And to Clear Channel, I have one word to say -

ipod. Now I make my own radio :)

[mediaman007]

17. Three cheers, I love my iPod.

Its the best thing to happen to music in a long time. The other good thing is iTunes. I've learned about lots artists that don't make it on the radio. There's lots of good music that gets censored by stations and record company execs.

[progressivebydesign]

3. The other legal Payola goes like this.... (it's a corporate thing),

See... the record labels are all part of mega corps that HAPPEN to also own film studios or distribution or restaurants, etc. How this works is 'you play this song, and we'll buy X amount of ads for our film that's coming out. The corporate whores have tried their hardest to kill the music industry. Tho I've never been a huge fan of country music, I have some very talented friends in that genre who have been chewed up and spit out by the corporate whores.. (you know, wildly popular with the fans, top 10 songs, only to be spit out for the likes of Faith Hill and Toby Keith's latest corporate hit). It goes for all genres now.

On EDIT: They left out an important part of the story... the artists, themselves, usually pay for all the crap out of their advance, often finding themselves penniless after having an #1 hit. It's a dirty, sad biz. LOng live the indies!!

[johnfunk]

8. Same as it ever was...

Reba's probably being nickeled-and-dimed out of royalties by her label using decades-old reptilian advance-and-recoup contract tactics. They take the money and dump it into legally and ethically questionable schemes to promote the music -- which serves to:
-- enrich the label itself rather than the artist
-- nurture a culture of corruption and dependency in the broadcast biz
-- disempower the artist

This fits with the history laid out in Frederic Dannen`s invaluable book Hit Men.

[PROGRESSIVE1]

13. Elliot Spitzer is going to investigate her!

Wahoooooooooo@

I hope Spitzer does a "Ken Starr" on her! I'd love to see a Bushbot made miserable!

:kick:

Country "Music" :puke:

[MGKrebs]

14. And why does being "#1" increase sales anyway?

It's sad to me that so many people buy things because it's #1. I guess the thinking is that if that many people like it, it can't be that bad. But that then leads to stuff like this and a Microsoft monopoly.

[jmowreader]

18. Record rankings are based on sales as well as airplay

The rankings are based on three things:

1. Radio audience impressions measured by Nielsen Broadcast Data Systems
2. Sales data compiled by Nielsen SoundScan
3. Playlists from selected non-monitored radio stations

This from Billboard Magazine.

At one time this ranking was ALL sales--until they figured out that a lot of people didn't buy records, just listened to them on the radio.

Also, I don't know if online places like Napster 2, Apple's store, Wal-Mart's online music venture and so on are counted, though it wouldn't surprise me if they were not.

Look, I'm still trying to figure out how Clay Aiken and Fantasia Barrino are doing so well in their manufactured careers.

[juajen]

19. Ok. Don't pick on Clay Aiken

N/T