https://top40musiconcd.com/forum/ Copyright (c) 2006-2013 Web Wiz Forums - All Rights Reserved. Wed, 06 May 2026 09:01:05 +0000 Thu, 23 Jan 2020 07:21:57 +0000 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Web Wiz Forums 12.07 360 https://top40musiconcd.com/forum/RSS_post_feed.asp?TID=9220 https://top40musiconcd.com/forum//images/Top-40-Music-on-CD-Forum-Logo.png https://top40musiconcd.com/forum/ https://top40musiconcd.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=9220&PID=53372&title=later-instrumental-hits#53372 Author: AndrewChouffi
Subject: 9220
Posted: 23 January 2020 at 7:21am

Hykker wrote: Dunno if the quality of the music has declined, or if, again tastes have changed but when was the last time you heard a 20something guy with a mega-loud stereo system in their car that was playing rock music?

That is a very astute observation!

But one thing I HAVE noticed are 20something guys with a mega-loud stereo system in their trucks blasting Eric Church, or Brantley Gilbert, or Jason Aldean, et al.

These (excellent) Country artists have Rockin' bands that oftentimes play on the records and if you analyze it, the actual sound coming from the speakers is rather similar to a 70s 80s 90s Rock sensibility.

The primary difference is Country radio plays it instead of Rock radio.

(The more things change, the more they stay the same.)

Andy

Edited by AndrewChouffi]]> Thu, 23 Jan 2020 07:21:57 +0000 https://top40musiconcd.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=9220&PID=53372&title=later-instrumental-hits#53372 https://top40musiconcd.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=9220&PID=53369&title=later-instrumental-hits#53369 Author: eric_a
Subject: 9220
Posted: 23 January 2020 at 12:19am

Hykker wrote: As far as the lack of rock in the top 40..

My theory is that EDM and rap have crowded out guitar rock in large part because everyday technology has made it so much easier to create professional-sounding recordings with consumer gear. With enough millions of kids experimenting with a Mac at home, instead of starting rock bands, the world gets some compelling electronic music and hip-hop.

Hykker wrote: Dunno if the quality of the music has declined, or if, again tastes have changed but when was the last time you heard a 20something guy with a mega-loud stereo system in their car that was playing rock music?

That must depend where in the country you're driving! Funny, just this week, the Wall Street Journal wrote a story about Breaking Benjamin, and how active rock radio is under the radar in most of the U.S.

The article quotes BB's manager: "They’re just not a part of the mainstream conversation, so to speak, but they do a tremendous business and have a lot of fans … Those bands have a lot of fans in the sort of tertiary market; the red states, if you will."

"The Chart Topping Band You've Never Heard Of"

Edited by eric_a]]> Thu, 23 Jan 2020 00:19:30 +0000 https://top40musiconcd.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=9220&PID=53369&title=later-instrumental-hits#53369 https://top40musiconcd.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=9220&PID=53362&title=later-instrumental-hits#53362 Author: Hykker
Subject: 9220
Posted: 21 January 2020 at 7:24am

MMathews wrote: This has puzzled me for years. I wondered why the instrumental has become a lost art - at least as far as radio and charts are concerned. Have humans just changed so much that there's no longer any interest in them? Have artists that play an instrument as lead in a song just faded away?   I don't get it. Just as I've been baffled lately at the lack of rock music in the Hot 100 top 20. Once again I ask ... are humans just "evolving" to the point where auto-tuned electro-pop and rap are the only kinds of music worth selling? Perhaps so. I remain puzzled. MM

My only theory is times change and tastes change.
Instrumental hits have been few and far between since the
70s. I guess people just prefer songs with lyrics.

As far as the lack of rock in the top 40...well, rock in
general seems to have gone out of style (with the
exception of classic rock). How many cities don't even
have a contemporary rock station, and those that do,
they're rarely big players in the market.
Big change from the 70s or 80s when the local AOR was
often one of the top stations in town.

Dunno if the quality of the music has declined, or if,
again tastes have changed but when was the last time you
heard a 20something guy with a mega-loud stereo system in
their car that was playing rock music?

Rap seems to be the new rock...for sure it's almost
guaranteed to annoy your parents!


Edited by Hykker]]> Tue, 21 Jan 2020 07:24:47 +0000 https://top40musiconcd.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=9220&PID=53362&title=later-instrumental-hits#53362 https://top40musiconcd.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=9220&PID=53360&title=later-instrumental-hits#53360 Author: eric_a
Subject: 9220
Posted: 20 January 2020 at 11:34pm

PopArchivist wrote: I can't think of one non-vocal instrumental to make the top 40 since both of those songs fell off the charts...

With the rise of EDM over the past decade, a handful of instrumentals have gotten CHR airplay, at least here in LA, including Avicii's "Le7els" and Martin Garrix's "Animals" (#21 on the Hot 100).

Still, to your point, even the big EDM producers have had better mainstream chart success with vocal hits -- Chainsmokers with Halsey and Coldplay, Zedd with Maren Morris and Alessia Cara, etc.

Edited by eric_a]]> Mon, 20 Jan 2020 23:34:38 +0000 https://top40musiconcd.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=9220&PID=53360&title=later-instrumental-hits#53360 https://top40musiconcd.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=9220&PID=53359&title=later-instrumental-hits#53359 Author: MMathews
Subject: 9220
Posted: 20 January 2020 at 10:40pm

This has puzzled me for years. I wondered why the
instrumental has become a lost art - at least as far
as radio and charts are concerned. Have humans just
changed so much that there's no longer any interest in
them? Have artists that play an instrument as lead in
a song just faded away?   I don't get it.

Just as I've been baffled lately at the lack of rock
music in the Hot 100 top 20. Once again I ask ... are
humans just "evolving" to the point where auto-tuned
electro-pop and rap are the only kinds of music worth
selling? Perhaps so.

I remain puzzled.
MM
]]> Mon, 20 Jan 2020 22:40:20 +0000 https://top40musiconcd.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=9220&PID=53359&title=later-instrumental-hits#53359 https://top40musiconcd.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=9220&PID=53357&title=later-instrumental-hits#53357 Author: PopArchivist
Subject: 9220
Posted: 20 January 2020 at 10:41am

aaronk wrote: In the summer of 1996, my former top 40 station had both “...Mission:Impossible” and “Children” (Robert Miles) in power rotation. That’s probably the last time two instrumentals were charting on CHR simultaneously.

I can't think of one non-vocal instrumental to make the top 40 since both of those songs fell off the charts...]]> Mon, 20 Jan 2020 10:41:59 +0000 https://top40musiconcd.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=9220&PID=53357&title=later-instrumental-hits#53357 https://top40musiconcd.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=9220&PID=53354&title=later-instrumental-hits#53354 Author: aaronk
Subject: 9220
Posted: 20 January 2020 at 1:14am

In the summer of 1996, my former top 40 station had both
“...Mission:Impossible” and “Children” (Robert Miles) in power rotation.
That’s probably the last time two instrumentals were charting on CHR
simultaneously. ]]> Mon, 20 Jan 2020 01:14:27 +0000 https://top40musiconcd.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=9220&PID=53354&title=later-instrumental-hits#53354 https://top40musiconcd.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=9220&PID=53352&title=later-instrumental-hits#53352 Author: PopArchivist
Subject: 9220
Posted: 19 January 2020 at 9:15pm

1) Candy Dulfer and David A. Stewart's Lily Was Here just missed the top 10 in 1991...
2) Kenny G- Songbird hit the top 10 in 1987

Technically “Auld Lang Syne (The Millenium Mix)” by Kenny G was instrumental with clips in it. Kenny G never sang. So I guess like Harlem Shake, you can eliminate it on a technicality. But then you would have to eliminate Tequila from 1958 and many other instrumentals that even mention one word....

Always fun to read:

https://medium.com/cuepoint/what-do-the-harlem-shake-star-wa rs-gary-glitter-hawaii-five-o-and-barry-white-have-in-common -542dc7c0c545

Edited by PopArchivist]]> Sun, 19 Jan 2020 21:15:58 +0000 https://top40musiconcd.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=9220&PID=53352&title=later-instrumental-hits#53352 https://top40musiconcd.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=9220&PID=53348&title=later-instrumental-hits#53348 Author: EdisonLite
Subject: 9220
Posted: 19 January 2020 at 7:43pm

PopArchivist wrote:
an instrumental top 10 single hasn't hit the Hot 100 since The Theme From Mission Impossible in 1996.

I was just thinking how there haven't been too many top 40 instrumental hits since "Love Theme from St. Elmo's Fire", #15, and "Axel F", #1 - both 1985. Maybe some Miami Vice stuff. What other top 40 instrumental hits were there in between these and 1996's "Theme from Mission Impossible"? Instrumental top 40 hits sure were dwindling, and it's kind of hard to believe there have been 0 in the last 24 years. (I'm excluding songs with some words like "Harlem Shake").

]]> Sun, 19 Jan 2020 19:43:38 +0000 https://top40musiconcd.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=9220&PID=53348&title=later-instrumental-hits#53348