why are the beach boys excluded from classic rock stations?

[wiggbuggie]

topic, their are tons of great songs from the late 60's and early 70's that they can play on the radio sadly they are seen more as an oldies band.

[LostArt]

Don't get me started on radio stations.  I don't know about the stations where you are from, but in my little corner of Wisconsin, the programming is terrible.  It doesn't matter if you tune to a modern top 40 station, or a 'classic rock' station, or a country station, or an 'oldies' station, they all seem to have a playlist of 20 or 30 songs, and they play those same 20 or 30 over and over.  Now, I can understand a top 40 station playing the top 40, or a country station playing the recent hits, but I can not for the life of me figure out why a 'classic rock' or an 'oldies' station, with hundreds, no, thousands of good songs to choose from, would pick 20 or 30 songs and play those over and over.  I don't get it.  As much as I love Good Vibrations and God Only Knows and California Girls and Wouldn't It Be Nice, it would be nice to hear a few of the other great Beach Boys songs, of which there are dozens.  Peh.  No wonder I listen to talk radio or my mp3 player while in the car.

[pixletwin]

Thats because in most people minds the Beach Boys are filed away under 1950's, Leave It To Beaver, Pre-Kennedy.

Its wrong, but I do think thats how most people think of them. (Thats how I thought about them until I learned better).

[carl r]

It's the same in the UK, with some rare exceptions (BBC radio, mainly)

Big exception, the interview with sex pistol Steve Jones on Indie 103.1 which is linked from Brian Wilson's main site - great to hear Good Vibrations and God Save the Queen back-to-back...

[SG7]

Because they kick more a$$ then everyone else 

[Aegir]

I heard Do It Again on my local oldies AM station occasionally. I always get so excited whenever it comes on. They use the album version, though, with the Workshop sound effects on the fadeout.

[JimC1702]

At work I listen to Boomerradio.com on the internet.  They play a lot of Beach Boys, albeit mostly the older songs.  One surprising song that they play regularly is "In the Parking Lot".  The newest song I've heard is "Sail On Sailor".

[Shady]

I hear do it again a lot, kokomo, and Darlin a lot on my local classic rock stations

[Fun Is In]

There's not much from before 1970 on the radio where I live.
And when I say "not much" I mean next to nothing and essentially nothing at all from the Beach Boys.

Does satellite radio offer early pre-psychedlic 60s music options?

[tpesky]

On the CT oldies station, I have heard all within the past few months: They play a decent amount of the Boys

Surfin Safari, 409, Shut Down, Surfer Girl, In My Room, Catch A Wave, Be True to Your School, Deuce Coupe, Fun Fun Fun, Don't Worry Baby, I Get Around, All Summer Long, Wendy, ( a few times surprisingly), Dance Dance Dance, Do You Wanna Dance, When I Grow Up, California Girls, Rhonda, Barbara Ann, Sloop John B, Wouldn't It Be Nice, God Only Knows, Good Vibes, Heroes, Darlin (more often that you would expect!), I Can Hear Music (also a fave of theirs), Do It Again, Rock and Roll Music, (several times this summer) and Kokomo.  I almost fell over when I heard Surfs Up in the grocery store  a few months back!

[melissalynn]

I've heard several early 70s BB songs on XM radio, but absolutely NONE on my local classic rock station. And my 'oldies' station has recently almost totally stopped playing 60s, and started on soft 70s (think Carpenters...I like them a lot, but I don't want an entire station of that type of 'oldies').  I've lost my faith in the radio...errm...umm...what little faith I DID have in it.

[oldsurferdude]

FM Classic Rock stations dumped the Beach Boys in Philly around the time of "Angel Come Home". That is about the last time any BB song was played around here on a regular basis-and that was due to Micheal Tozzi who was a big fan and a good friend of Dennis-But Micheal moved on and there went the last DJ who would play them arouing here-except for the oldies station-it appears that the most beloved song played by classic rock stations is the incomparable "Maggie May"-I have heard that miserable song played 4-5 times per day on these stations-Basically, FM radio is just about dead and buried-I've had satellite radio for 3 years and I'll never go back-If you have XM, listen to The Loft-somebody up there is a big fan of Brian, Dennis and Carl, plus the Post Pet Sounds era.

[sherryluvsbrian]

I have lot's of radio stations to lisen to but, hardly ever hear the beach boys or brian wison and I'm in California

[shelter]

I listen to 3FM, a Dutch national radio station that almost never plays any oldies (they play mostly recent Top 40 and some alternative music), but they do play God Only Knows or Good Vibrations every once in a while.

[Ron]

XM Radio sh*ts all over regular radio stations.  I listen to it pretty much exclusively anymore, and on the 60's channel at least, they play a ton of Beach Boys.  They'll even play that long "mega-mix" from time to time. 

They have this thing where they play a Beatles track at the top of every hour... so it'll go "THE BEATLES!!!!" and play one of the Beatles songs somewhere near the top of the hour.  It's pretty awesome.

Well, in the afternoons, they have ANOTHER D.J. on who's a big Beach Boys fan.  So at the top of his hour this summer, this computer-controlled voice will say like a robot "The beaaaccchh boyyzzzzz" and it'll play a Beach Boys song instead of a Beatles track, or the mega-mix thing from time to time that's about 10 minutes long.  I'm not positive when "I can hear music" came out but they even play it from time to time.... plus they like playing some of the stranger cuts that nobody plays, one of the d.j.'s especially likes "Car Crazed Cutie". 

They also made an XM jingle to the tune of "Surfin U.S.A." that's called "Surfin' XM" or something like that where they name every channel.  They also have a jingle that swipes "Catch a Wave" and "Sidewalk Surfin' " called "Wax your woodie" that's to advertise their surf show. 

They play the HELL out of things like Good Vibrations or "I Get Around" or "Surf City" (Brian wrote) etc. 

I also hear consistantly on the 80's channel, The Fat Boys and the Beach Boys "Wipeout" (which I happen to love, btw, lol).

I've also heard them on the Loft a ton like oldsurfer dude said. 

So basically, on XM, they run things.  XM radio is definately a great, great value, it's like 13 bucks a month and they play things the way they used to be played.  I also like listening to Wolfman Jack on the 60's channel in the evenings, they bought all his old tapes and 'ressurrected' him, he even does an XM call, and they made this funny Jingle "... so XM pulled some TRICKS!!! and before you know it, he's baaaack!!!! (wolfman yells I'm BACK!!!), the one-and-only WOLFMAN JA-a-ack!!!!"

It's just a great service, and their 60's channel especially rocks. 

[kshane]

One station on XM (I forget which one) is doing a full weekend of songs about cars and driving to celebrate Labor Day weekend. In the promos, one of the songs they use is "Don't Worry Baby".

[Pretty Funky]

Music Matty on the BBBritain site asked the same and got this reply from DJ Lee Bortel

World Famous Lee Bortel...your perspective on the BBoys....
Posted on August 29, 2007 at 09:53:14 PM by MusicMatty

Lee Bortel
As a DJ personallity on the #1 Oldies station in America, could you tell me just where the BBoys rank as far 'Air Play' on your station?? are the #1-2-3 or what? Also the BBoys of the 70s you could count on one hand there biggest hits compared to the 60s. But now that this decade where in at the present time is closing quickly..the 70s music is starting to take center stage on the oldies formats..how are the BBoys viewed in your opinion as a 70s band? Also Rolling Stone Mag named them Band of the year in 1974 but really not based on powerful new material compared to other 70s great bands.
Thanks Lee Bortel
Music Matty
Germantown MD USA
 
Lee Bortel...your perspective on the BBoys....
Posted on August 30, 2007 at 04:24:18 AM by leebortel

There are several ponts "in play" here. The "oldies" radio stations of today are being driven into 70's music by marketing/sales forces as opposed to listener demand. We could speak at length about the programming of oldies radio in America; however, that is a different conversation. Now, to answer your question regarding how the BB's rank in current airplay...top three (along with the Beatles and Motown)! Regading the BB's 70's music, I recall the album "Surf's Up" with songs like "Don't Go Near The Water" and the title track as well. These songs were terrific, but did not receive airplay at that time and are not part of the music mix now. As for the Rolling Stones ranking in 1974, it may have related to "touring bands" in concert or paying tribute to one of the few power house bands of the 60's who made it through the radical changes in music during the early counter culture music scene of the late 60's and early 70's. The very early 70's "flip" to album oriented rock and the rise of FM radio (in stereo with better fidelity and signal strength) were classic examples of change in "culture" and "technology" that resulted in a shake up of the music/record industry. I believe that Rolling Stone Magazine was right...The Beach Boys remained while most others did not. Think back to the power of the British Invasion in early 1964...many, many American artists were swept away from air play and artists/songs that charted #15 or #20 may have placed top 5...who really knows. The one music that really flourished along with the British bands was MOTOWN!! As always, change is good and with music, as in nature, some adapt and some fade away. The Beach Boys never did...and never will...they are as iconic to "oldies" music as Elvis Presley and Motown! It is my personal opinion that a true oldie's song falls between the period of 1956 to 1972...PERIOD. That is a specific era of music just like Big Band or any othere segment of music evolution. I would love to see and hear more in depth from that early era and less of a linear timeline...where we add more years on the 70's end..so, therefore songs must be subtracted from the front end...great music is GREAT music no matter WHEN it was created!

Thanks Matty,

Lee Bortel

[Aegir]

That was a whole load of nonsense, I don't understand what he was trying to say there.

[punkinhead]

the only reason i heard "rarities" was because I'd request...though they're not rarities at all...stuff like H&V, Sail on Sailor or Caroline No...the DJ would be like...hey, we havnt played this tunes in a while... 

i also used to play stump the DJ...i'd ask him stuff easy smile stuff

[Pretty Funky]

That was a whole load of nonsense, I don't understand what he was trying to say there.

You have to remember that on the whole, marketing and sales rule.
Lets use the 40-49yr old demographic. Near the top of the income ladder. Family people who are in the market for new cars, airlines, vacations etc. People who have money and time to spend on those expensive items radio and TV stations advertise.

That 40-49 age group in 1997 would have grown up listening to the songs of the sixties. Beach Boys, Beatles, Stones etc so that was what the oldies stations played in 97 to keep them listening, and listening to the commercials.

The 40-49 age class of 2007 grew up with music of the seventies. Eagles, Doobies, Elton and the like. Thats what the oldies station in my area plays.

In ten years expect a lot of 80s music on the oldie stations for the 40plus group.

By then I'll be and doing more of

[Magic Transistor Radio]

FM radio sucks. When will it die? Don't the listeners get sick of the same old songs after awhile?