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Post by Partridge on Mar 19, 2019 22:13:47 GMT -5
Today I was listening to the Sirius-XM 1980s station and I heard Pat Benatar's Heartbreaker, a #23 Billboard hit for the singer in 1980. Linda Ronstadt had two Top 10 Billboard hits in 1980, How Do I Make You and Hurt So Bad. You'll never hear either of these songs on the 1980s station. Those two hits were from Linda's album Mad Love, which entered the Billboard album charts at #5, a record high placement for any female artist at that time. Linda Ronstadt was also the Billboard #1 female vocalist for the year of 1980. You will hear a lot of Pat Benatar on the 1980s station, but not much Linda Ronstadt. Even with all the non-pop music that Linda performed during that decade, she still had more Top 10 pop/rock hits during the 1980s than Pat Benatar. Two of her duets were #1 sellers. Why does a station that devotes itself to the music of the 1980s totally disregard Top 10 and million-selling hit rock and pop songs by Linda Ronstadt, not to mention some of her hits that did not make the Top 10? In fact, the only time you will ever hear Linda Ronstadt on the Sirius-XM 1980s station is when they are playing a Top 40 countdown from a week during that decade. I would like to know who at Sirius-XM is blacklisting Linda Ronstadt. Do you have any ideas?
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Post by erik on Mar 19, 2019 22:50:55 GMT -5
I can only come up with one theory at the moment (whether it's right or wrong is up to others to decide for themselves): I feel that Linda's eclecticism during the 1980s, which we fans consider a strength, is considered by many others to be a sign of artistic "confusion", not staying in "One Place", so to speak. That mentality, however, seemed to take hold in the early 1990s, when Linda's music started really disappearing from the radio.
In a newspaper article I read in 1995, right about the time Feels Like Home came out, its headline read "Linda Ronstadt's diversity may be her own worst enemy.". Again, you can argue whether that was actually the case or not, but it was how the media perceived it.
But I would point out, as I often have done, that the revelations of her Parkinson's condition, her induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and the release of Live In Hollywood, have only continued this streak of Linda not getting much radio airplay, including, most egregiously, in Los Angeles, the place where she spent so much of her life recording, performing, and cultivating a significant amount of her fan base and her friends. It's not only unfair, it's sickening and deplorable (IMHO).
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Post by germancanadian on Mar 19, 2019 23:44:31 GMT -5
Sirius 80s isn't the only station that doesn't play Linda as often as they should. There's 70s, country, classic vinyl, bridge, deep tracks, jazz, easy listening, love songs. Her music would fit in perfectly there. I don't think sexism is a reason, because they play lots of other female singers from that era. The criticism about changing styles too much is stupid, her fans loved her style changes and they matter more than critics. A singer can't please critics no matter what they do. If they stick to one style, they get called boring and if they change a lot, they get flak for that too.
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Post by Partridge on Mar 21, 2019 16:45:05 GMT -5
Speaking of the '70s station, they are even worse in some ways.
Today while out doing my errands I heard Heartbeat It's A Lovebeat by the DeFranco Family featuring Tony DeFranco. I hear that song a lot on Sirius, at least twice a week, so I was wondering why it's so popular. I checked my big book and I see that Heartbeat It's A Lovebeat peaked at #3 in 1973. This was their only Top 10 hit, and it was featured on their album that did not even make the Top 100.
Contrast that with Linda Ronstadt's Blue Bayou. This song peaked at #3 in 1977 and 1978. It was a million-selling single. It was from an album that went to #1 and sold 3 million copies that year. This song is not even on the '70s channel playlist. A song that many consider Linda's signature song is again blacklisted from the channel. WTF Sirius?
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Post by musedeva on Mar 22, 2019 3:28:00 GMT -5
I think its politics....who OWNS sirius? ?...or politics to "please" the central advertiser??? perchance
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Post by erik on Mar 22, 2019 8:59:46 GMT -5
Quote by germancandian:
To a large extent, I agree with what you have said there. But the critics have a way of influencing the general public--not the fans, but the general public---into believing it, and that is a problem.
I myself don't have a problem with legitimate criticism of Linda; I've even done it a few times myself. Where I draw the line, however, is when it just becomes gratuitous and starts to resemble personal attacking; and certain critics are downright guilty of that (IMHO).
Quote by musedeva:
Well, "politics" as such is a thorny thing; and in this instance, I don't think anything can be proven. But I believe someone, perhaps Tony, once raised the issue of noted rock critic (and Springsteen homer) Dave Marsh being a culprit in why Linda isn't heard on Sirius. Marsh is one of those critics I'm talking about that has had it in for Linda by gratuitously attacking her covers of R&B and 1950s rock classics, and, in my opinion, implying that she, as a White (though half-Hispanic) woman, should not be doing Motown songs. And on that particular score, I have no problem accusing Dave Marsh of being a reverse racist.
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Post by Sad on Mar 22, 2019 10:46:24 GMT -5
Statistics-
Linda Ronstadt Blue Bayou XM 7 - 70s on 7 Last Played: November 05, 2008 12:50 PM ET
Linda Ronstadt Tracks Of My Tears XM 7 - 70s on 7 Last Played: June 04, 2009 12:58 AM
Linda Ronstadt Hurt So Bad XM 8 - 80s on 8 Last Played: December 06, 2007 3:15 PM ET
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Post by Guest on Mar 22, 2019 11:27:39 GMT -5
Marsh was/is a program consultant for Sirius. He has a misogynistic hatred of Linda. The Dwight Yoakum Programmed Channel on Sirius plays Linda often and so does The Bridge(unfortunately often linking her with light weights like C. Simon. However, the 70s, 80s and Singers and Swing Music Choice Channels on cable do play Linda. I hear Linda on WFUV in NYC as well as other Public Radio stations and college alternative stations. I do believe Marsh, a dreadful hack, was given too much value as a consultant as the baby-boomer music transferred from the mainstream to legacy. Still Linda outsells her contemporaries - Emmylou, Bonnie etc even though they still tour and she is far more deeply and passionately revered. I do believe she was "black listed" on Sirius.
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Post by musedeva on Mar 22, 2019 13:46:08 GMT -5
we should just email and request/demand they "UP" date their programming....maybe I'll find time to get the contact info and list it back here.............
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Post by musedeva on Mar 22, 2019 13:48:34 GMT -5
...we could also collectively get some voodoo dollies and have a fling with ol Marsh
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Post by the Scribe on Mar 22, 2019 14:21:36 GMT -5
Marsh was/is a program consultant for Sirius. He has a misogynistic hatred of Linda. The Dwight Yoakum Programmed Channel on Sirius plays Linda often and so does The Bridge(unfortunately often linking her with light weights like C. Simon. However, the 70s, 80s and Singers and Swing Music Choice Channels on cable do play Linda. I hear Linda on WFUV in NYC as well as other Public Radio stations and college alternative stations. I do believe Marsh, a dreadful hack, was given too much value as a consultant as the baby-boomer music transferred from the mainstream to legacy. Still Linda outsells her contemporaries - Emmylou, Bonnie etc even though they still tour and she is far more deeply and passionately revered. I do believe she was "black listed" on Sirius. Maybe we need a letter campaign to those above Marsh? Not sure who that would be though but everyone has a boss or investors. Find out who pays the bills. The guy has a chip on his shoulder for some reason. That isn't very professional and is an age old problem with some critics of the arts but especially music. They often go for the "clever" phrase and twist rather than be truthful. I remember writing scathing letters to Robert Christgau and another to Georgia Christgau (after her ridiculous review of Heart Like A Wheel). Letters to Robert must have sunk in because in a later review of his he bemoaned criticizing Linda for fear of the wrath from her fans. Letters do work. I wrote letters to the editor of Crawdaddy magazine to get him to interview Linda until he finally did but in his case he was very nice and wrote back to me as he liked Linda very much too. I don't know much about Sirius but all of these outlets seem so removed today. Everything is an algorithm. At least that is their excuse. Linda is quite "loved" now and in the minds and hearts of many more than ever before. It should behoove the powers that be to air more of her music. It could only add to their bottom line. She has a large catalog to choose from. She is the rare artist whose best songs were not necessarily her hits. That would be my focus if I were them.
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Post by Rocio Blanco on Mar 26, 2019 16:17:23 GMT -5
I don't understand why Linda Ronstadt's music isn't played either. She had so many hits from 1975 to the late 80s and yet I agree that she is ignored by radio.
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Post by Rocio Blanco on Mar 26, 2019 16:18:59 GMT -5
I just read a lot of these comments. Marsh sucks! I will boycott Sirius
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Post by Jody on Mar 30, 2019 2:33:17 GMT -5
How about those perfect renditions with Nelson Riddle?
Many people do not know about this. You Linda fans should take a listen.
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Post by Den on May 6, 2019 21:41:19 GMT -5
Why pay for Sirius when you can make your own Linda playlist on Amazon Music which has an extensive Linda Ronstadt catalog! With Bluetooth and apple car play it’s easy to play everywhere.
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Post by Partridge on May 7, 2019 0:10:08 GMT -5
I still have a few days left on my free trial subscription to Sirius/XM. I switched to the '80s channel today and they started playing "Hurt So Bad" by Linda Ronstadt. My initial thought was they ended the Linda blacklisting but after the song was over it was clear they were playing the Top 40 countdown from this week in 1980, and Linda was #15. Again, you will not hear Linda unless they are playing a countdown and she was on the survey that week.
I like Sirius for some of the other programming. I like a couple of the deejays on the Outlaw Country station. I like listening to John Fugelsang. I like some of the programming on the Andy Cohen channel. But it's just not worth $20 a month for the few hours I'm in my car. They are offering me an enticement of about $5 a month for 6 months and I may take that. I don't just want to hear only Linda when I'm in the car. I just want to feel that she is being representing properly on the stations that fit her music, and she was indeed a hitmaker in the 1980s. Maybe when Dave Marsh dies his insidious influence will dissipate.
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Post by Richard W on May 7, 2019 8:53:04 GMT -5
Just canceled my Sirius sub after 10 years. Just wasn't worth it. I'll miss a few stations, Willie's Roadhouse in particular, but having found a local FM oldies station, 87.7 ME, that plays a great mix of 50s - 80s songs, with plenty of Linda, more obscure hits, and the occasional album cut (when was the last time I heard Baez's Diamonds and Rust on Sirius? never), I find I don't need Sirius's decade channels, particularly their non-Linda 80s channel. (Having listened to that channel for 10 years I can verify that Linda has never been played on it except in the context of a weekly countdown).
Be aware, Tony, that you can't cancel your subscription online. If you try you'll find yourself in a loop wasting time. You'll ultimately have to call them and talk to a sales rep who will do their very best to keep you.
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Post by Partridge on May 7, 2019 11:57:02 GMT -5
I'm already gone. I cancelled my subscription because I got rid of my car, so there's no way around that. I bought a new car that came with a 4-month free trial period, and unless I renew, it cancels automagically.
I may take the $5 per month deal. If you are now paying full price, if you cancel, they will offer you a come back deal for $5 a month.
I used to listen to their classic country station when it was just called The Roadhouse but they turned it into Willie's Roadhouse and dropped a lot of classic songs. That was the beginning of my dissatisfaction with them.
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Post by Partridge on May 8, 2019 2:19:17 GMT -5
As I got into my car tonight to go grab a meal, the radio again blared Hurt So Bad from the 80s station. They were playing again the Top 40 countdown from May 3, 1980.
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Post by the Scribe on May 8, 2019 4:37:39 GMT -5
As I got into my car tonight to go grab a meal, the radio again blared Hurt So Bad from the 80s station. They were playing again the Top 40 countdown from May 3, 1980. Why would anyone pay for that? I mean that countdown was free back in 1980.
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Post by Partridge on May 8, 2019 17:49:51 GMT -5
There is a value to satellite radio. They have a lot of exclusive content that is not available elsewhere. If you're a Howard Stern fan, you must have satellite radio to enjoy his wisdom. Unfortunately, the $90,000,000 a year they pay him has run the cost of service up to a level of twice was it was originally.
The promise of satellite radio music-wise was that it would be better than terrestrial radio with an open playlist and less repetition but over the years the formats have become stale. The curators who decide what each station will play aren't doing a very good job. As far as Linda is concerned, you not only won't hear Back in the USA on the 70s station, they don't even play her biggest-selling song (Blue Bayou). Their thinking is if you want to hear Linda you should tune to one of the easy listening or "love song" stations, but I don't want to have to listen to that shite to hear a Ronstadt song. They play the Carpenters easy-going hits on the 70s station, and there is no bigger female snooze-fest than Karen Carpenter, well there is Sarah McLaughlin. Another artist I never hear that had a lot of radio hits is Barbra Streisand. They must also have her relegated to easy listening. But Donna Summer (Dave Marsh's favorite for some reason) I hear almost every time I go to that station.
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Post by Richard W on May 8, 2019 18:20:41 GMT -5
I can testify to all that, Tony.
Remember the Streisand / Gibb album, Guilty? Huge hit, several hit singles.
In 10 years of Sirius, I never heard any track from that album on the '70s station, even if I heard such dreck as Chirpa-Chirpa-Cheep Cheep, One Tin Soldier, and Seasons in the Sun so many times I developed song cancer from them.
The thing I did like about satellite radio was when you are on a road trip you can keep the station no matter how far you drive. But I don't do enough of that.
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Post by erik on May 8, 2019 18:51:09 GMT -5
Quote by Richard W. re/ Streisand/Gibb Guilty album:
At the risk of playing semantics here, that album came out in the fall of 1980.
In any case, I pretty much can develop my own LR playlist by getting her stuff off of YouTube, along with some other favorites of mine.
As for other "hits" from the 70s that don't get any airplay (besides most of Linda's), here's one that:
A. Reached #2 on the Hot 100 in March 1973 B. Won a Grammy for Best Pop Instrumental Performance C. Was a classical work popularized by director Stanley Kubrick's use of it (in its original form) in his 1968 sci-fi masterpiece 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY:
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Post by Tony on May 8, 2019 23:53:33 GMT -5
You can email almost anyone at Sirius. I think I have emailed them 4 times. Twice to Alan Hunter requesting him to play Ronstadt and asking him if he was even allowed to play her music. No response. I emailed Peter Asher with a general question once and he very politely responded to my question. Mojo Nixon also responded to a question I had.
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Post by the Scribe on May 8, 2019 23:58:28 GMT -5
You can email almost anyone at Sirius. I think I have emailed them 4 times. Twice to Alan Hunter requesting him to play Ronstadt and asking him if he was even allowed to play her music. No response. I emailed Peter Asher with a general question once and he very politely responded to my question. Mojo Nixon also responded to a question I had. Peter Asher works at Sirius XM?
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Post by Richard W on May 9, 2019 9:23:33 GMT -5
My error, Erik.
Still, never heard anything from Guilty played on the Sirius '80s channel, either!
It must be in the bottom of the same box in the storage locker as Mad Love.
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Post by Tony on May 9, 2019 14:15:50 GMT -5
Peter Asher has a programme on the Beatles Channel. A very good show... he does tend to get caught up in the minute details.
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Post by moon on May 9, 2019 17:57:39 GMT -5
I can testify to all that, Tony. Remember the Streisand / Gibb album, Guilty? Huge hit, several hit singles. In 10 years of Sirius, I never heard any track from that album on the '70s station, even if I heard such dreck as Chirpa-Chirpa-Cheep Cheep, One Tin Soldier, and Seasons in the Sun so many times I developed song cancer from them. The thing I did like about satellite radio was when you are on a road trip you can keep the station no matter how far you drive. But I don't do enough of that. Barbra gets the shaft too on radio
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Post by the Scribe on May 9, 2019 18:06:23 GMT -5
For the #1 best selling female vocalist (Barbra) in the US to also be shafted makes one wonder what is really going on there. They must have cliques and niches abounding at Sirius. I wonder if all programming is done through marketing research?
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Post by Partridge on May 9, 2019 21:50:20 GMT -5
I do hear Linda on Sirius. Especially on the '60s station, even though they only have the one Stone Poneys song in rotation I hear it a lot.
But I never hear Barbra. They probably play her on the stations I don't sample. I think I may have heard Barbra's Stoney End once.
I have noticed a trend on the Outlaw Country channel, which you think would include Linda's classic country and country-rock but really not so much. She is played so infrequently I can remember the times. When Joe South died, they played Linda singing I Knew You When, even though it really is not a song that fits the format. When Mel Tillis died, they played Linda singing his song Mental Revenge. When Chuck Berry died, they played Linda singing Back in the USA. The group of artists they play on Outlaw Country are sort of a clique- I suppose Linda doesn't fit in the clique but they let her visit to attend funerals. One time I flipped on this station and they were playing a song from Canciones de mi Padre I don't have a clue why. Oddly I've also never heard this station play any Trio tracks or Linda-Emmylou songs even though Emmylou Harris was once played so often that I flipped the station when I heard her voice.
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