JPF Home Page Forums General Messages Brian Austin Whitney Blog Saturday, August 11th, 2007

Hi Folks,

So I got a call today from the Radio Records and Rating folks again. What this is is a service that polls people what radio stations they listen to and which one you listen to most. If that meets their criteria, they ask if they can play clips of music for you and get a rating:

Unfamiliar
Never Liked
Tired Of
No Opinion
Like
Favorite

Over the past 5 years I suspect they have called me at least 50 times. (So roughly once a month). I believe they do it each week, but I am probably not allowed to do it more often than that and sometimes I am not available to talk to them (they know my wife Linda at this point who let's them know if I am out on the road like I was the last time they called).

I found it odd that they kept calling me to rate their newest batch of 30-40 songs every month. So I called my friend who works in radio at a fairly high level and he told me that it was because I was most likely nailing the songs correctly and using me was an easy way of programming their station. I told him who I was listening to (both stations and types of music) and he said that it was likely a particular huge broadcaster. He said he was very certain I was having a profound affect on what that network was playing on the radio because I was proving my choices were very good programming ones. Kind of fun in an tiny ego stroke sort of way right? I guess I have good taste in music. I never would have suspected.

But here's what is really interesting to me. They never seem to fail to nail a few songs that are among my all time favorites. In fact, in an odd coincidence (well maybe not.. read on) they played for me today several of the songs that I listed yesterday on my list of Songs I Love To Turn Up post started by Bob Young. Hmmm.. perhaps they are just common songs that everyone loves right and that they play all the time on the radio already and it was a coincidence. Well.. you be the judge.

First, they played several songs I really dislike. (Wish I had written them down.. but I didn't.. I do this survey too often to even bother). (It's always a different collection of songs, mostly classic rock with a little pop thrown in and a few current songs thrown in as well). I was actually annoyed by the choices thinking "surely they wouldn't play that crap on the radio..." But then, in a row, they played:

The Baby's: Isn't It Time
David Bowie: Fame

That got my attention after hearing 4 awful songs in a row. (Both songs were on the Songs You Love To Play Loud list I posted yesterday). So then I started paying closer attention to what they were playing in relationship to each other. Next, they played songs from my favorite band.. songs I knew.. but songs I really don't like from them (Aerosmith and songs like their cover of "Walking In The Sand" which is likely my least favorite Aerosmith song..). With their entire catalog, they played 2 songs I really didn't like by them within the next few snippets.

Next they played an older Bowie song that did nothing for me.. a couple of ho hums from The Greatful Dead, a couple southern rock bands and then they played Let It Roll by Bachman Turner Overdrive.. another of my favorites (but one I forgot to put on my list of Loud Songs). It kept going back and forth between songs I strongly disliked and songs I strongly liked. I was already thinking how weird it was that they were hitting both extremes (usually it's all over the board).

Next they played my #1 turn it up loud favorite song:
The Who: Emminence Front

I was thinking.. wow.. out of only 30-40 songs.. what are the odds they'd hit a third on my top list of turn it up loud songs... Then next they played:

We Built This City: Starship

Not only was it on my list... I even called attention because it was such a LAME song, but I couldn't help but love it anyway... this was getting really weird.

Then after a couple forgettable songs.. they played the worst song ever written by Paul McCartney, his new one, which we've had previous talks about on the boards being the all time low point for Paul. (Can't even think of the title of the horrible song.. but it's the one he's been promoting of late.. it's really written like an entry level writer actually wrote it.. terrible in all ways...). I thought.. wow.. weird that song would also get played.. I really really hate it. Then they played 2 Beatles songs over the next few. And here's where it got creepy. Yesterday I was watching a Biography channel documentary on Beatles Wives and one of the few Beatles songs they featured was Hard Days Night. I remember going to my computer and looking up info on that song in Wikipedia. And here it was on the survey. The next Beatles song they played, a couple after it.. was Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds. Now, one of my all time favorite songs is the Elton John Version of it which I have written down here on the site before. But get this.. I have, on my active playlist on my computer desktop, both the Beatles versions and the Elton version at the very start of my list. Wow.. how bizarre.

So next they play "I'm Going Home" by Daughtry, a song I actually like from the Idol kids. Then they play something which I don't recognize.. which almost never happens on these surveys because I recognize about everything. But they finish it all off with:

Would I Lie To You: Eurythmics
Jack and Diane: Mellancamp

And the weirdest:

Digging In The Dirt: Peter Gabriel

All 3 songs were on my post of songs I like to turn up loud. And all 3 have little more in common with each other as far as I can tell. They are all 3 different styles and from different years.

I even told the surveyor it was a really weird survey and that I had just had a discussion about many of these songs.. she just laughed and that was the end of the call.

So let's hear your theories. And before you say I must have heard those songs on the radio, so I had them on the brain, the fact is I just got off the road where I only listend to talk radio and member CD's for the last several months. When they asked what stations I had listened to, I told them the stations panned through on my way to the State Fair where my parents were showing their Mini Donkeys (We got 1 first place and a third place by the way) and I know for sure I didn't hear ANY of those songs because I was listening to 3 commedians on one station, talk on another and info on the fair on another. So it wasn't subliminal.

So what was it? Something to ponder on this Saturday afternoon!

Brian

I dunno Brian, but I just saw a black helicoptor fly over my house. (Kidding) Ben

http://benwillismusic.com

Actually it was a green military surplus Apache the the Misquito Control uses for spraying. Brian is it like a Nielson rating thing and you are a member or do they call you because they know what you do?

Actually neither. They don't know what I do. They asked me if I worked for an Ad Agency, which I don't. That was about it. What are the odds I'd run a music org? And I am not a member of anything. They called me at random I am guessing. When my responses met their success/failure formula for the playlist, they likely called again.. then again.. and now I am most likely a "go to" person for them. I wouldn't have thought that, but my friend in radio (who I am confident knows what he's talking about) said I am probably having a significant impact on the programming of a large radio network, because they can verify my accuracy/success each time I do it and they keep calling back.

I enjoy doing it and if I can get some music I like played more on the radio, then it's great for me.. (and those that like the same music. hahahaha). He said they should just hire me to do it, but they've never offered since they are getting it free. And that's fine with me. It's a nice distraction that I actually enjoy doing and look forward to. Everything doesn't have to be about money in my life. I learned that when I started JPF and have been very happy with that too. One of these days I'll have the money and power to do more good.. rather than simply to get rich and buy stuff. (Although a new vehicle would be nice.. my Roadtrip van has probably survived it's last roadtrip to be honest).

Brian

Brian

Its really a weird surveys. This people owe a free meal or probably a new CD of your choice next time they ask your opinion. I just imagine how you nail it by forcing you to listen to a series of a ramdom song not in your playlist is already a violation of personal freedom.

Like Digging The Dirt, Aaaarggh!

Maybe the design of their series of songs brings out the needdle in the haystack.

Opinion really matters these days and combining all this opinion can be used for better tool for their station.

Lynman

I say they know who you are...

Ditto, Doug.

Seems like they are reading your mail(or checking out this board)
Too bad you can't influence them to play some of the indie stuff from this board.

Hey! Wasn't this an episode of Twilight Zone??

I really doubt they have any idea who I am or even if they did that they'd care enough to track down my message board posts. Most likely they found me by coincidence and when my initial choices turned out to be good ones, they came back over and over. Now, I seem to be an automatic call for them, but I doubt they're clued in enough to know more than that. = )

But it is some weird coincidences though.

Brian

Maybe God is sick of what the radio stations are playing and is trying to get better music on the air,so He is pulling a few strings.LOL

You know one possibility is that they folks choosing these songs they played for me are just really good at what they do? Is that possible?

Brian