A ? for Daughtry fans.

[chyam]

I like him! And I never watch AI, his show here sold out in 20 minutes, small but still the same people like the guy..........and although his "package" is not edgy, not all of us have to be into those wired out, punked out, and far out rockers, music is that, each person likes different sounds, and apparently alot of people like his sound, I never listen to music critics and their critiques on what sounds good or looks good cause quite honestly most of the time I don't agree with them, and all the write ups and photos won't change what my "ear" likes to or wants to hear.

 

[pfishgirl]

I Love Daughtry!!!!

 

[ducklite]

Depending on how you look at it, that's always a safe or always a hazardous prediction to make. The reality is that, for no reason whatsoever, the vast majority of artists don't appeal to any audience for any length of time. It's therefore pretty safe to make that prediction about anyone. People are fickle, though, so anyone with more than a minimal threshold level of talent (which Daughtry clearly has) could end up having enough appeal to stand the test of time. Over that threshold point, who "wins" and who "loses" is almost a random process.

You're quite correct with most of your points, but in general--historically speaking--a "pop star" will fizzle out faster than a "rock star." I'm talking about artists tha have a modicom of success, not the ones that release a CD that sells a whole 17,000 units. They were never "stars" to begin with.

It's extraordinary when an artist continues to appeal to a crossover market for any length of time, and usually happens more with an R&B/AC crossover--Justin Timberlake or Beyonce for example.

Anne

Anne

 

[ducklite]

I like him! And I never watch AI, his show here sold out in 20 minutes, small but still the same people like the guy..........and although his "package" is not edgy, not all of us have to be into those wired out, punked out, and far out rockers, music is that, each person likes different sounds, and apparently alot of people like his sound, I never listen to music critics and their critiques on what sounds good or looks good cause quite honestly most of the time I don't agree with them, and all the write ups and photos won't change what my "ear" likes to or wants to hear.

All I'm saying is that he's going to need to make a choice moving forward to either appeal more to listeners like you who prefer a softer rock/AC sound or to an edgier rock fan. It's going to be difficult at best to continue to sit on the fence between the two, as history has shown many artists.

I'm not saying either way is right or wrong.

Anne

 

[Figment22]

He's #3 this week on Mainstream Top 40, #29 on AC, #1 on Hot AC. Those are the stations that play pop and soft rock.

Anne,
What's the difference between AC and Hot AC? Would Hot AC just be a more limited playlist? Say, just the top 20?

I enjoy reading your posts.

 

[SillyMe]

He's basically a pop artist packaged just edgy enough to appeal to a segment of the rock audience while still being conservative and pop enough to appeal to the pop/soft rock market.

That said, the pop market is fickle and he'll likely be yesterdays news with them after his second CD. He's not quite edgy or heavy enough to appeal to a rock audience for any length of time. He's going to need to make up his mind moving forward, because packaged like he is right now, he's not going to last in either market long term.

Anne

Chris Daughtry is not pop, and I very highly doubt he'll be yesterdays news after his second CD.

 

[ducklite]

Chris Daughtry is not pop, and I very highly doubt he'll be yesterdays news after his second CD.

YOU might think he's not pop, but his label is heavily marketing him to POP radio. That's a FACT, it is NOT my opinion. The odds are stacked VERY high against him to be able to continue sitting on the fence between the two genres. I think he's talented but generic, and frankly either needs to get more edgy to continue to appeal to an Active or Mainstream Rock audience moving forward, or will want to focus towards an AC audience.

Anne

 

[RadioNate]

YOU might think he's not pop, but his label is heavily marketing him to POP radio. That's a FACT, it is NOT my opinion. The odds are stacked VERY high against him to be able to continue sitting on the fence between the two genres. I think he's talented but generic, and frankly either needs to get more edgy to continue to appeal to an Active or Mainstream Rock audience moving forward, or will want to focus towards an AC audience.

Anne

I agree, all the marketing I'm getting for him is for my CHR-Pop and Hot AC stations. In fact we have a Daughtry feature launching next week that is Pop and Hot AC, no 'rock' stations in there at all.

Hot AC is more current than main AC (there is also soft AC, urban AC and more subsections). Less of the AC staples like Elton John or Phil Collins and more current artists like Natasha Bedingfield, Norah Jones, Daniel Powder, James Blunt, Daughtry, Matchbox 20, Dave Matthews, Sheryl Crow, John Mayer, The Fray.....it is marketed towards women most target an 18-54 demo with focus on 25-35ish. AC would be more of your 'at work' type stations.

 

[korbbec]

Depending on how you look at it, that's always a safe or always a hazardous prediction to make.

I hope you are not the decision maker in your household.

 

[ducklite]

Anne,
What's the difference between AC and Hot AC? Would Hot AC just be a more limited playlist? Say, just the top 20?

I enjoy reading your posts.

Basically the difference is target audience--but with that comes generational discernment as well. AC aims at people age 30-50, primarily female, and an AC station usually plays a well rounded mix of music from the past twenty years without being too edgy. They will play pop, soft rock, R&B, and crossover country but not harder rock or rap. You'll expect to hear anything from Elton John to Shania Twain to later Bon Jovi or Rob Thomas, and then of course current artists like Daughtry and John Mayer and The Fray.

Hot AC targets a younger audience, more in the 14-30 age range--pretty equally mixed male and female. The playlist is a lot tighter. The songs can have a little more edge to them, but will never be considered "hard rock". They will often play some pop-hop--an artist like Gwen Stefani will fit in well in this format. This format also ventures into pop, with artists like Pink and Avril Lavigne being represented. You'll seldom hear a song that's more than two years old on a hot AC station, and it's rare to hear cross-over country. On the highest rated hot AC stations, you'll almost never hear a song that's been off the charts for longer than six months.

Hope that helps!

Anne

 

[korbbec]

Agian, your opinion ducklikte. I don't think he's pop at all. However I do agree that he will need to be more edgy with future albums.

Chris Daughtry is not pop, and I very highly doubt he'll be yesterdays news after his second CD.

If he is not pop, then what is he. IMO, he is 100% pop. I still do like the music, but it is pop music played on the pop stations. Just because it is not bubblegum does not mean it is rock.

 

[ckay87]

Disclaimer first: I love love love Daughtry - he was my second choice for a winner. That said...

He is pop.

Pop, meaning that which is popular. His music is current, it is what the majority of music consumers want to hear and purchase now, today. He is pop.

He is no pioneer, he hasn't broken any molds or ventured where no one has dared to go before. He doesn't appeal to some obscure indie audience. I so often hear things like "I'm glad Chris didn't win because now he can do his own thing." But you know, if he had won, this is exactly the music he would have been recording anyway. I hardly think they would have strapped him with bubble-gum pop. "They" are not stupid.

It's not a bad thing - he's still as talented as they come.

Edited to add (for purposes of flame-proofing myself) that I am a proud owner and avid listener of "Daughtry" the CD. Also waiting for a concert that I can GO to.

 

[chyam]

The point is whether you consider him Pop, rock or crossover or anything else in between, a lot of people like him, and are buying his CD whether he is around 5 years from now, makes little difference, there are very few artists around with the longevity of the Beatles, Stones, Aerosmith etc etc. Most hit a peak and then wane, although most of their original audience will still be interested in anything new they put out there if they liked them enough to begin with.
As far as me.......no one can say I am into soft pop, rock etc. my library has everything from the Beatles, Evanessence, Panic Channel, My Chemical Romance, Bryan Adams and a new favorite Juke Kartel. Peoples music tastes are varied and whether their favorites will be around next year, who cares? It's what they are buying now and listening to.

 

[ducklite]

The point is whether you consider him Pop, rock or crossover or anything else in between, a lot of people like him, and are buying his CD whether he is around 5 years from now, makes little difference, there are very few artists around with the longevity of the Beatles, Stones, Aerosmith etc etc. Most hit a peak and then wane, although most of their original audience will still be interested in anything new they put out there if they liked them enough to begin with.

I strongly suspect that he'll have a hard time keeping the buzz going as today's "it" boy. Unfortunately stars taht rise too fast usually fall very fast as well.

As far as me.......no one can say I am into soft pop, rock etc. my library has everything from the Beatles, Evanessence, Panic Channel, My Chemical Romance, Bryan Adams and a new favorite Juke Kartel. Peoples music tastes are varied and whether their favorites will be around next year, who cares? It's what they are buying now and listening to.

Juke Cartel were great live! I described them as being a band that should be on everyone's 2007 watch list in my review. I've been in touch with their manager, and he's been keeping me up-to-date, lots of good things happening there.

Panic Channel has great songs, but their singer sounds too "Jared Leto-sih" for the music. I would rather have seen someone along the lines of Scott Weiland, Elias Soriano, or even Josie Scott fronting that band.

Anne

 

[bicker]

You're quite correct with most of your points, but in general--historically speaking--a "pop star" will fizzle out faster than a "rock star." I'm talking about artists tha have a modicom of success, not the ones that release a CD that sells a whole 17,000 units. They were never "stars" to begin with.

Well, that's a bit like stacking the deck. Folks can decide to call him a "pop star" instead of a rock star to substantiate the assertion that he's therefore more likely to fizzle out, or can decide to call him a "rock star" and use that to support their contention that he's therefore less likely to fizzle out.

 

[bicker]

YOU might think he's not pop, but his label is heavily marketing him to POP radio.

Billy Joel was heavily marketed to pop radio both after Piano Man and Streetlife Serenade were released, yet he was nothing like what was pop music back then. Indeed, his ascendancy, both within that time period and for a while afterwards, can be completely credited to alternative rock stations, like the ol' WLIR-FM. Some progressive musicians help redefine what is pop music, and then-alternative rock musician Billy Joel did just that. And it wasn't until Turnstiles that the qualities that he had that made him such a trendsetter became so readily apparent... his fourth solo album.

Regardless, Billy Joel's marketing to pop radio didn't dictate his destiny. And Captain Jack, about as far as you could get from mainstream pop music of the time, is still one of Billy Joel fans' favorite.

The point is that you cannot impose subjective judgments to both sides of an equation, and use the equation to say that the left side implies the right side. These are all just opinions without justifiable implication.

 

[bicker]

I hope you are not the decision maker in your household.

I think I am.

 

[ckay87]

You know, the only thing that matters, if you are a fan....the ONLY thing....is that he continues to make music. All he really has to do is stay just popular enough to hang on to recording contracts. He's got that, it doesn't matter whether or not he "fizzles out" on the charts. If you're a fan, you're going to buy his music anyway.

I hear about Taylor not doing well on the charts and I think I could give a rip. How does that impact me as a fan? Heck, just try being a fan of a wildly popular band. How many U2 fans sit up in the rafters of the arenas? Might be a little more fun if they weren't quite as well-loved, you know?

I went off there a little. Just my rant about keeping this "fizzling out" talk in perspective.

 

[ducklite]

Billy Joel was heavily marketed to pop radio both after Piano Man and Streetlife Serenade were released, yet he was nothing like what was pop music back then. Indeed, his ascendancy, both within that time period and for a while afterwards, can be completely credited to alternative rock stations, like the ol' WLIR-FM. Some progressive musicians help redefine what is pop music, and then-alternative rock musician Billy Joel did just that. And it wasn't until Turnstiles that the qualities that he had that made him such a trendsetter became so readily apparent... his fourth solo album.

Regardless, Billy Joel's marketing to pop radio didn't dictate his destiny. And Captain Jack, about as far as you could get from mainstream pop music of the time, is still one of Billy Joel fans' favorite.

The point is that you cannot impose subjective judgments to both sides of an equation, and use the equation to say that the left side implies the right side. These are all just opinions without justifiable implication.

All I'm talking about is objective facts based on today's radio market. What happened with Billy Joel almost 30 years ago is as relevant as what happened with R.E.M. 20 years ago when thier entire market was college radio and it was absurd to consider them being playing on AC--of course they are now a mainstay of that market, and the thought of R.E.M. being played on college radio today is as absurd as them being played on AC back then. In other words there is no relevency in today's marketplace.

For the records, I am completely nuetral on Daughtry. I think he's a talented but generic artist. I don't turn him off when he's on the radio, but I'm not gushing about him either.

Anne

 

[ducklite]

You know, the only thing that matters, if you are a fan....the ONLY thing....is that he continues to make music. All he really has to do is stay just popular enough to hang on to recording contracts. He's got that, it doesn't matter whether or not he "fizzles out" on the charts. If you're a fan, you're going to buy his music anyway.

I hear about Taylor not doing well on the charts and I think I could give a rip. How does that impact me as a fan? Heck, just try being a fan of a wildly popular band. How many U2 fans sit up in the rafters of the arenas? Might be a little more fun if they weren't quite as well-loved, you know?

I went off there a little. Just my rant about keeping this "fizzling out" talk in perspective.

Unfortunately some of the best bands I've ever seen fizzled out either prior to getting a recording contract or got one and didn't sell enough units to keep from being dropped six months after the first single was released.

Like I said earlier--the third piece is just the dumb luck of being in the right place at teh right time.

Anne