Email Newsletter icon, E-mail Newsletter icon, Email List icon, E-mail List icon Join our Email Newsletter
Compassion International

Sunday Edition


01
Aug
2006
If It’s Broke Just Ignore It


Add this entry to Your Favorites | [0] Favorites [35] Comments

image

We're all familiar with the saying, “If It Ain't Broke, Don't Fix It” – and that's sound advice.   Why fiddle with something that's working just fine?   However, I'd have to say that when it comes to Southern Gospel Radio, it appears that we might have a whole new saying we've invented all by ourselves – “If It Is Broke, Just Ignore It And Hope That It Will Fix Itself”.  

I know we've been down this road before in my monthly articles, but I cannot stop addressing something in our industry that's really broke and needs fixin' . . .   Southern Gospel Radio .   We simply cannot ignore the problem any longer.   We're ignoring our future if we act like it ain't broke.   It's broken…….   Bad.

Another famous saying, “Believe half of what you see and none of what you read” must have been uttered by someone reading the charts in some of the leading Southern Gospel Music Publications.   Why do I say such a thing?   Below are the charts from four of our leading publications.   I've listed the top twenty.   They are all from the same time period (July 2006), and they clearly illustrate why I say “Southern Gospel Radio is Broken”.

There are about six songs that even appear on all the charts, which I've highlighted.   There are a total of SIXTY-THREE different songs listed in the Top TWENTY .   How is it possible for four different publications in the same industry to be so far off in the twenty slots?   We must have some radio stations on Jupiter and Mars.   I've listed them below so you can see for yourself.   And you can believe what you are reading below.

The only song that all the charts are somewhat close on is “Sky Full of Angels”

 

SOGOSPELNEWS SINGING NEWS US GOSPEL NEWS THE SOUTHERN GOSPEL
1.Sky Full of Angels 1.I’ve Come Too Far 1.I Will Trust You 1.If It Takes A Valley
2.He Knows My Name 2.I Will Trust You Lord 2.If It Takes A Valley 2.He Knows My Name
3.Peace 3.Sky Full of Angels 3.Sky Full of Angels 3.Sky Full of Angels
4.I Will Go On 4.My Past Has Passed 4.Table of the King 4.Heavens Hero
5.The Grace That I'm 5.The Debt 5.He Knows My Name 5.Bright New Day
6.Hold Me While I Cry 6.I Will Go On 6.I Will Go On 6.I've Come Too Far
7.I Will Trust You Lord 7.Nothing But the Blood 7.I’ve Come Too Far 7.The Race
8.Just Imagine That 8.Don’t Let the Sandals 8.Don’t Let The Sandals 8.It's A Wonderful Life
9.I've Come Too Far 9.He Knows My Name 9.Shoutin’ On the Hills 9.Just Imagine That
10.Morning Glory Jubilee 10.Table of The King 10.The Grace That I’m 10.Pray For Me
11.Bright New Day 11.Shoutin’ On the Hills 11.My Past Has Passed 11.I Will Go On
12.Days of Elijah 12.Paid in Full 12.Gods Word 12.Sweet By and By
13.If It Takes A Valley 13.Who Am I 13.River of Peace 13.With Me Always
14.Livin' For the Moment 14.Out of My Darkness 14.Nothing But The 14.Livin' For the Moment
15.The Race 15.If It Takes A Valley 15.Peace 15.Try A Little Kindness
16.Don't Let the Sandals 16.Heaven Awaits 16.Who Am I 16.What the Church Is
17.Table of The King 17.God’s Still God 17.Scars 17. Nothing but the Blood
18.Lovin' Out Loud 18.Too Many Times 18.Too Many Times 18.Old Fashioned Altar Call
19.Nothing But the Blood 19.Jesus Listens 19.Heaven Awaits 19.Sing Your Blues Away
20.Heavens Hero 20.New Day Dawning 20.Sing Your Blues 20.Watcha Need

Southern Gospel Music is the only area of the music industry that has such a ridiculous attitude toward its own radio charts.   Why don't we just let every group make up their own radio charts?   Each group would put themselves in the #1 position, and then every one of their ads in every leading SGM Publication would have the claim – “#1 Song”.   Sure, it's false as science fiction, but in reality, what we have is just as absurd.

Until and unless we adopt a unified and uniform method of compiling accurate and honest charts then what's the point in having charts at all?   I'm not one to give up the fight and go home, and so I keep believing that if we just keep telling the Gospel Music Truth, then someday we might have accurate radio charts in SGM.   I still believe that “honesty is the best policy”.

I have my own opinions about how to fix Southern Gospel radio and I would love to hear yours.

As always, I welcome your comments.

God Bless You,

Nick Bruno
http://www.songgardenmusic.com

Reader Comments

You are soooo right. There are so many ways to manipulate??? a chart for certain charting systems. As long as I am getting airplay, the charts don't really mean that much to me. If the songs are being heard, that's the main thing. Great article


Commented by On 08/03/2006
Chris D. Unthank's avatar Well one of the thing that you have to look at is that Singing News, USGN, TSG, are all MONTHLY charts that are all about 2 or 3 months behind. SGN's is a weekly chart that is only a week behind. Often times, what is going on on SGN or SGUSA's weekly charts is a good indicator of what is going to happen on SN and USGN.

Plus, SGN never claims to have the most accurate radio chart. Our chart is a combination of radio (60%) and fan voting (40%) - as we are trying to make it a bit more like the Billboard Hot 100 (which is a mixture of radio airplay and album sales). We don't want to be like all the other charts. We aren't unique that way. SGN's chart is what it is and has never claimed to be anything other than that.

For an accurate sampling of a weekly radio (and I mean strictly radio) chart - I highly recommend Gary Wilson's SGUSA Weekly Chart. (sgusa.com)


Commented by On 08/03/2006
Chris D. Unthank's avatar I also meant to say - that the chart used to represent SGN's Top 40 for this article is already 3 or 4 weeks behind.


Commented by On 08/03/2006
We have to look at the charts as a reflection of how things are in the Southern Gospel industry and not the cause. If radio, the producing and publishing sectors, and the artists improve their quality and become more professional, that will be reflected in the charts.

If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit

- Galatians 5:25. 

My Blog



Commented by Keith Prater On 08/04/2006
Hey Nick, why not have each label make their own chart? Who really benefits from the charts? Artists? Labels? The Publications? Radio?

Charts in other genres don't vary as much because the amount of music shipped to radio from major labels is not nearly as great as in SG. When you offer radio 100 choices a month vs 30 choices, the charts will vary accordingly. (Hard to imagine that in AC music there is only one, ONE, only one, comp disc that is issued verses 10+ in SG --- could this be a problem??)

Radio can't take all the blame here. Its an industrial disease that needs weeded out at all levels.


Commented by Tim-He's Alive On 08/04/2006
I don't think Nick is placing the blame on the radio stations perse but only trying to raise awareness toward fixing the problem of politics and chart positions. What if we had a 3rd party monitoring system? It seems to work fine for other genres.


Commented by knight On 08/04/2006
Who cares about charts! I would just like to hear a SG station in my area.
There needs to be SG radio, not computer but real radio that you can listen in a car, clear across tis country!!!! There is a lot of areas in this country with no SG radio. Just thik of the new areas of the country that would open up for SG if people could hear a good radio station! That's where SG is failing!


Commented by On 08/04/2006
Knight,
What other genres use a third party monitoring system? Just curious.


Commented by Tim-He's Alive On 08/04/2006
I think one of the main issues with the variance in the charts is that each entity that puts out a chart has different reporting stations or methodologies. The Singing News has their own reporting radio stations, and the US Gospel News has their own reporting stations. This website uses totally different methods to put out a chart than does SN or US Gospel News. As long as there are different methods and stations reporting, there will always be charts with widely different results.

Also, radio DJs and music programmers are to blame. One of the biggest southern gospel FM stations in Kentucky (50,000 watts) plays as much locals who can barely carry a tune as national groups and soloists. It's a shame. I've heard stories that the reason so many mediocre-sounding locals are played is that the station is "pay for play". In other words, if you can't sing, but you've got some greenbacks, they will play you (pun intended). Some of this hypocrisy, believe it or not, eventually leeches into the national charts.


Commented by On 08/04/2006
ransomed's avatar I hope there isn't really a pay-for-play going on at that radio station. I believe that happened in the 50's and people went to jail for it.
Anyway, we have two stations here that play SG, only one is full time SG and I haven't always heard the best on there either.
While I appreciate that SG radio will play local and regional groups along with the national (secular music won't do this), I wish they would be pickier in what they play. Some sort of quality standards to start with would help alot.

Ransomed

Go therefore, and teach all nations,…



Commented by ransomed On 08/05/2006
Page 1 of 4 Comment Pages  1 2 3 >  Last »

Add Comments

If you are seeing this form you are not a Member or have not logged in. Why not consider becoming a Member?

Membership allows you to have a prepared signature of your choice applied to every comment you make, as well as the ability to choose an avatar to display next to your name to help identify your posts. Members are also given opportunity to vote weekly in our Weekly Chart as well as special Members Only contests, polls and giveaways during the year. If you are already a member, login here, otherwise please register here.

**Note: Forums membership is a seperate membership.

By posting you agree to our Comments Policy

Name:
Email:
Location:
URL:
Comment:
Remember my personal information
Notify me of follow-up comments?
Please enter the word you see in the image below: