Colorado Media Newsroom
July 8th, 2022, 10:01 AM
From Radio Insight:
https://radioinsight.com/wp-content/images/1970/06/styx-194x200.jpgClassic Hits radio is a different place than it was two years ago. The ’70s have been whittled down even further. Some stations are pushing into the 2000s in a way that not only obscures the difference between Classic and Adult Hits, but between Classic Hits and Mainstream AC. KRTH (K-Earth 101) Los Angeles is starting to play “California Love.” Streaming is threatening to usurp radio as the leader of the past, and has propelled “Running Up That Hill” by Kate Bush back on to the charts to prove it.
But without a sync as phenomenal as “Running Up That Hill,” songs continue to move relatively slowly in and out of the public consciousness. This week, I returned to the Lost Factor, (https://radioinsight.com/lost-factor/) a series of calculations that began two years ago to determine what songs had travelled the furthest between hit and obscurity in the time since they made Billboard’s Top 100 Hits of their respective year.*
In updating our original calculations, I chose 1983 for a few reasons:*
I began the Lost Factorwith 1982 more than two years ago. In that time, much of the music from the first half of the year feels more like a holdover from a previous era than ever;
1984 is considered the epicenter of Top 40’s ’80s heyday by many, but it is the year that was featured last weekend on syndicated reruns of American Top 40, meaning that songs on the chart this week would have an atypical boost. (You will see the anniversary of Michael Jackson’s death figure into this week’s calculations, although only one song appears to be significantly changed.)
1983 was a beloved year. It also gives me a chance to look at one song whose fortunes you would expect to change, Musical Youth’s “Pass the Dutchie,” propelled back into prominence by Stranger Things, but not at the same level as Bush.
I wanted to include “Pass the Dutchie” because this year’s fluctuations in spin count are actually the precursor to another column using 1983 data, “The Lost Factor vs. Streaming.” With relatively glacial changes in airplay for 1983’s Top 100 hits over the last two years, we’ll instead compare those songs to on-demand streams for the same week — to see which songs might have eluded normal radio decision-making, and also to what extent radio is still setting the agenda for our musical memories.
I also chose 1983 because it is the year used in last year’s AT40 vs. the Lost Factor, but it’s not a year I’ve profiled individually before. For the first time, I’m showing Lost Factor ratings for an entire year’s Top 100 so that you can see the year-to-year movement, or relative lack thereof. *
As always, the Lost Factor formula is determined by assigning points to each song on the year-end chart and dividing those by BDSradio spins over the last seven days for the U.S. and Canada. A song can have a low Lost Factor because it remains heavily played, but some modestly spun songs that weren’t as big to begin with can also have a lower Lost Factor. While you can make a case for recalculating Lost Factor against a longer period, our seven-day numbers have been surprisingly stable over the years.
Soft pop has always been vulnerable to the lost factor, and those are the songs showing the greatest percentage loss of spins since 2022: Lionel Richie’s “Truly,” Laura Branigan’s “How Am I Supposed to Live Without You,” and Dionne Warwick’s “Heartbreaker” are the top three, despite Warwick’s improved currency. The Soft AC radio resurgence of the last five years has boosted some titles, but those not chosen are falling away faster.
There’s also been a falloff in some early-’80s “corporate rock” titles. The ’80s are still the center lane of Classic Hits, but there’s enough Guns ‘N’ Roses and Bon Jovi that some early-’80s rock is starting to fall away, such as “Twilight Zone” by Golden Earring, which has the greatest loss in number of spins. The No. 2 declining song is “Sexual Healing” by Marvin Gaye, a song that does indeed feel like it was more of an AC and Classic Hits library staple two years ago (or five years ago) than today.
We’ve always used 1.0 as the dividing line between “lost” — songs receiving disproportionately low airplay to their hit status at the time – and “not lost.” Six songs have crossed the line over 1.0 in the last two years:
Asia, “Don’t Cry” (1.0)
Greg Kihn Band, “Jeopardy” (1.0)
Adam Ant, “Goody Two Shoes” (1.1)
Patti Austin & James Ingram, “Baby Come to Me” (1.1)
Sergio Mendes, “Never Gonna Let You Go” (1.3)
Styx, “Mr. Roboto” (1.3)
As for “Pass the Dutchie,” there is a noticeable change in its fortunes over the last two years, although maybe not as much as you’d expect from a song that streamed on the same level as some current hits last week. “Pass The Dutchie” was already under 1.0 because of low year-end points, but it gained only about 20 spins this week over our comparable week in 2020.
Here’s how the Top 100 songs of 1983 changed over a two-year period. Join us here next time for The Lost Factor vs. Streaming.
2020 Rank
2022 Rank
Artist
Title
2022 Factor
2022 Spins
2
1
Styx
Don't Let It End
21
2
3
2
Quarterflash
Take Me to Heart
18
1
4
3
Shalamar
Dead Giveaway
15
1
1
4
Laura Branigan
Solitaire
14
3
11
5
Laura Branigan
How Am I Supposed to Live Without You
13
3
7
6
Little River Band
The Other Guy
12
3
9
7
Toto
I Won't Hold You Back
11
3
10
8
Rick Springfield
Affair of the Heart
9
5
8
9
Frank Stallone
Far From Over
8
6
10
Bob Seger & Silver Bullet Band
Shame on the Moon
7
13
21
11
Lionel Richie
Truly
5
10
5
12
Hall & Oates
Family Man
5
7
16
13
Christopher Cross
All Right
4
7
15
14
Frida
I Know There's Something Going On
4
23
28
15
Kenny Rogers & Sheena Easton
We've Got Tonight
3
18
26
16
Kenny Loggins
Heart to Heart
3
10
27
17
Dionne Warwick
Heartbreaker
3
8
20
18
Moving Pictures
What About Me
3
5
25
19
Hall & Oates
One on One
3
24
17
20
Eddie Rabbitt & Crystal Gayle
You and I
2
37
14
21
Billy Joel
Allentown
2
25
19
22
Stray Cats
(She's) Sexy + 17
2
8
18
23
Men at Work
It's a Mistake
2
12
12
24
Men at Work
Overkill
2
24
29
25
Culture Club
I'll Tumble 4 Ya
2
13
24
26
Human League
(Keep Feeling) Fascination
2
39
22
27
Taco
Puttin' on the Ritz
2
43
13
28
Michael Jackson & Paul McCartney
The Girl Is Mine
2
32
36
29
Styx
Mr. Roboto
1
57
30
30
Duran Duran
Is There Something I Should Know?
1
36
42
31
Sérgio Mendes
Never Gonna Let You Go
1
67
35
32
Patti Austin & James Ingram
Baby, Come to Me
1
82
23
33
Jackson Browne
Lawyers in Love
1
13
34
34
Adam Ant
Goody Two-Shoes
1
47
41
35
Greg Kihn Band
Jeopardy
1
80
40
36
Asia
Don't Cry
1
3
39
37
Air Supply
Making Love Out of Nothing at All
0.7
50
33
38
Stray Cats
Stray Cat Strut
0.7
87
38
39
Kinks
Come Dancing
0.6
58
32
40
Culture Club
Time (Clock of the Heart)
0.6
105
43
41
Thomas Dolby
She Blinded Me With Science
0.6
127
37
42
Lionel Richie
My Love
0.5
53
31
43
Champaign
Try Again
9.5
31
53
44
Peabo Bryson & Roberta Flack
Tonight, I Celebrate My Love
0.5
10
45
45
Earth, Wind & Fire
Fall in Love with Me
0.5
2
44
46
Sammy Hagar
Your Love Is Driving Me Crazy
0.5
48
47
47
After The Fire
Der Kommissar
0.4
158
52
48
David Bowie
China Girl
0.4
89
48
49
Eric Clapton
I've Got a Rock 'n' Roll Heart
0.4
16
49
50
Joe Cocker & Jennifer Warnes
Up Where We Belong
0.4
175
59
51
Joe Jackson
Breaking Us in Two
0.4
5
50
52
Pretenders
Back on the Chain Gang
0.4
194
46
53
Kajagoogoo
Too Shy
0.3
147
51
54
Lionel Richie
You Are
0.3
223
60
55
Billy Joel
Tell Her About It
0.3
212
57
56
DeBarge
All This Love
0.3
91
61
57
Stevie Nicks
Stand Back
0.2
240
62
58
Joe Jackson
Steppin' Out
0.2
87
71
59
Golden Earring
Twilight Zone
0.2
436
56
60
Naked Eyes
Promises, Promises
0.2
213
63
61
Michael Sembello
Maniac
0.2
533
67
62
Culture Club
Do You Really Want to Hurt Me
0.2
525
58
63
Donna Summer
She Works Hard for the Money
0.2
503
64
64
Toni Basil
Mickey
0.2
392
54
65
Stephen Bishop
It Might Be You
0.2
37
66
66
Bryan Adams
Straight from the Heart
0.2
187
69
67
Don Henley
Dirty Laundry
0.2
349
68
68
Tubes
She's a Beauty
0.1
342
55
69
Musical Youth
Pass the Dutchie
0.1
84
65
70
Loverboy
Hot Girls in Love
0.1
220
78
71
Marvin Gaye
Sexual Healing
0.1
593
72
72
Men Without Hats
The Safety Dance
0.1
600
70
73
Laura Branigan
Gloria
0.1
450
77
74
David Bowie
Let's Dance
0.09
841
75
75
Bonnie Tyler
Total Eclipse of the Heart
0.09
983
76
76
Irene Cara
Flashdance ... What a Feeling
0.09
1057
73
77
Eddy Grant
Electric Avenue
0.09
862
74
78
Madness
Our House
0.09
527
79
79
Dexys Midnight Runners
Come On Eileen
0.08
1049
81
80
Hall & Oates
Maneater
0.06
1450
83
81
Prince
Little Red Corvette
0.06
1207
84
82
Duran Duran
Hungry Like the Wolf
0.06
1387
82
83
Michael Jackson
Beat It
0.06
1727
86
84
Phil Collins
You Can't Hurry Love
0.05
1234
87
85
Men at Work
Down Under
0.05
1950
88
86
Clash
Rock the Casbah
0.05
1065
85
87
Michael Jackson
Billie Jean
0.04
2216
80
88
Elton John
I'm Still Standing
0.04
643
92
89
Journey
Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)
0.04
1758
90
90
Toto
Africa
0.03
2268
91
91
Eurythmics
Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)
0.03
2683
89
92
Police
Every Breath You Take
0.03
3025
93
93
Prince
1999
0.03
1818
95
94
Michael Jackson
Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'
0.03
1076
94
95
Naked Eyes
Always Something There to Remind Me
0.03
1906
96
96
Michael Jackson
Human Nature
0.01
625
98
97
Journey
Faithfully
0.01
1551
97
98
Spandau Ballet
True
0.01
777
99
99
Tom Petty & Heartbreakers
You Got Lucky
0.01
374
100
100
Def Leppard
Photograph
0.007
1524
more (https://radioinsight.com/blogs/230741/the-return-of-the-lost-factor/)
https://radioinsight.com/wp-content/images/1970/06/styx-194x200.jpgClassic Hits radio is a different place than it was two years ago. The ’70s have been whittled down even further. Some stations are pushing into the 2000s in a way that not only obscures the difference between Classic and Adult Hits, but between Classic Hits and Mainstream AC. KRTH (K-Earth 101) Los Angeles is starting to play “California Love.” Streaming is threatening to usurp radio as the leader of the past, and has propelled “Running Up That Hill” by Kate Bush back on to the charts to prove it.
But without a sync as phenomenal as “Running Up That Hill,” songs continue to move relatively slowly in and out of the public consciousness. This week, I returned to the Lost Factor, (https://radioinsight.com/lost-factor/) a series of calculations that began two years ago to determine what songs had travelled the furthest between hit and obscurity in the time since they made Billboard’s Top 100 Hits of their respective year.*
In updating our original calculations, I chose 1983 for a few reasons:*
I began the Lost Factorwith 1982 more than two years ago. In that time, much of the music from the first half of the year feels more like a holdover from a previous era than ever;
1984 is considered the epicenter of Top 40’s ’80s heyday by many, but it is the year that was featured last weekend on syndicated reruns of American Top 40, meaning that songs on the chart this week would have an atypical boost. (You will see the anniversary of Michael Jackson’s death figure into this week’s calculations, although only one song appears to be significantly changed.)
1983 was a beloved year. It also gives me a chance to look at one song whose fortunes you would expect to change, Musical Youth’s “Pass the Dutchie,” propelled back into prominence by Stranger Things, but not at the same level as Bush.
I wanted to include “Pass the Dutchie” because this year’s fluctuations in spin count are actually the precursor to another column using 1983 data, “The Lost Factor vs. Streaming.” With relatively glacial changes in airplay for 1983’s Top 100 hits over the last two years, we’ll instead compare those songs to on-demand streams for the same week — to see which songs might have eluded normal radio decision-making, and also to what extent radio is still setting the agenda for our musical memories.
I also chose 1983 because it is the year used in last year’s AT40 vs. the Lost Factor, but it’s not a year I’ve profiled individually before. For the first time, I’m showing Lost Factor ratings for an entire year’s Top 100 so that you can see the year-to-year movement, or relative lack thereof. *
As always, the Lost Factor formula is determined by assigning points to each song on the year-end chart and dividing those by BDSradio spins over the last seven days for the U.S. and Canada. A song can have a low Lost Factor because it remains heavily played, but some modestly spun songs that weren’t as big to begin with can also have a lower Lost Factor. While you can make a case for recalculating Lost Factor against a longer period, our seven-day numbers have been surprisingly stable over the years.
Soft pop has always been vulnerable to the lost factor, and those are the songs showing the greatest percentage loss of spins since 2022: Lionel Richie’s “Truly,” Laura Branigan’s “How Am I Supposed to Live Without You,” and Dionne Warwick’s “Heartbreaker” are the top three, despite Warwick’s improved currency. The Soft AC radio resurgence of the last five years has boosted some titles, but those not chosen are falling away faster.
There’s also been a falloff in some early-’80s “corporate rock” titles. The ’80s are still the center lane of Classic Hits, but there’s enough Guns ‘N’ Roses and Bon Jovi that some early-’80s rock is starting to fall away, such as “Twilight Zone” by Golden Earring, which has the greatest loss in number of spins. The No. 2 declining song is “Sexual Healing” by Marvin Gaye, a song that does indeed feel like it was more of an AC and Classic Hits library staple two years ago (or five years ago) than today.
We’ve always used 1.0 as the dividing line between “lost” — songs receiving disproportionately low airplay to their hit status at the time – and “not lost.” Six songs have crossed the line over 1.0 in the last two years:
Asia, “Don’t Cry” (1.0)
Greg Kihn Band, “Jeopardy” (1.0)
Adam Ant, “Goody Two Shoes” (1.1)
Patti Austin & James Ingram, “Baby Come to Me” (1.1)
Sergio Mendes, “Never Gonna Let You Go” (1.3)
Styx, “Mr. Roboto” (1.3)
As for “Pass the Dutchie,” there is a noticeable change in its fortunes over the last two years, although maybe not as much as you’d expect from a song that streamed on the same level as some current hits last week. “Pass The Dutchie” was already under 1.0 because of low year-end points, but it gained only about 20 spins this week over our comparable week in 2020.
Here’s how the Top 100 songs of 1983 changed over a two-year period. Join us here next time for The Lost Factor vs. Streaming.
2020 Rank
2022 Rank
Artist
Title
2022 Factor
2022 Spins
2
1
Styx
Don't Let It End
21
2
3
2
Quarterflash
Take Me to Heart
18
1
4
3
Shalamar
Dead Giveaway
15
1
1
4
Laura Branigan
Solitaire
14
3
11
5
Laura Branigan
How Am I Supposed to Live Without You
13
3
7
6
Little River Band
The Other Guy
12
3
9
7
Toto
I Won't Hold You Back
11
3
10
8
Rick Springfield
Affair of the Heart
9
5
8
9
Frank Stallone
Far From Over
8
6
10
Bob Seger & Silver Bullet Band
Shame on the Moon
7
13
21
11
Lionel Richie
Truly
5
10
5
12
Hall & Oates
Family Man
5
7
16
13
Christopher Cross
All Right
4
7
15
14
Frida
I Know There's Something Going On
4
23
28
15
Kenny Rogers & Sheena Easton
We've Got Tonight
3
18
26
16
Kenny Loggins
Heart to Heart
3
10
27
17
Dionne Warwick
Heartbreaker
3
8
20
18
Moving Pictures
What About Me
3
5
25
19
Hall & Oates
One on One
3
24
17
20
Eddie Rabbitt & Crystal Gayle
You and I
2
37
14
21
Billy Joel
Allentown
2
25
19
22
Stray Cats
(She's) Sexy + 17
2
8
18
23
Men at Work
It's a Mistake
2
12
12
24
Men at Work
Overkill
2
24
29
25
Culture Club
I'll Tumble 4 Ya
2
13
24
26
Human League
(Keep Feeling) Fascination
2
39
22
27
Taco
Puttin' on the Ritz
2
43
13
28
Michael Jackson & Paul McCartney
The Girl Is Mine
2
32
36
29
Styx
Mr. Roboto
1
57
30
30
Duran Duran
Is There Something I Should Know?
1
36
42
31
Sérgio Mendes
Never Gonna Let You Go
1
67
35
32
Patti Austin & James Ingram
Baby, Come to Me
1
82
23
33
Jackson Browne
Lawyers in Love
1
13
34
34
Adam Ant
Goody Two-Shoes
1
47
41
35
Greg Kihn Band
Jeopardy
1
80
40
36
Asia
Don't Cry
1
3
39
37
Air Supply
Making Love Out of Nothing at All
0.7
50
33
38
Stray Cats
Stray Cat Strut
0.7
87
38
39
Kinks
Come Dancing
0.6
58
32
40
Culture Club
Time (Clock of the Heart)
0.6
105
43
41
Thomas Dolby
She Blinded Me With Science
0.6
127
37
42
Lionel Richie
My Love
0.5
53
31
43
Champaign
Try Again
9.5
31
53
44
Peabo Bryson & Roberta Flack
Tonight, I Celebrate My Love
0.5
10
45
45
Earth, Wind & Fire
Fall in Love with Me
0.5
2
44
46
Sammy Hagar
Your Love Is Driving Me Crazy
0.5
48
47
47
After The Fire
Der Kommissar
0.4
158
52
48
David Bowie
China Girl
0.4
89
48
49
Eric Clapton
I've Got a Rock 'n' Roll Heart
0.4
16
49
50
Joe Cocker & Jennifer Warnes
Up Where We Belong
0.4
175
59
51
Joe Jackson
Breaking Us in Two
0.4
5
50
52
Pretenders
Back on the Chain Gang
0.4
194
46
53
Kajagoogoo
Too Shy
0.3
147
51
54
Lionel Richie
You Are
0.3
223
60
55
Billy Joel
Tell Her About It
0.3
212
57
56
DeBarge
All This Love
0.3
91
61
57
Stevie Nicks
Stand Back
0.2
240
62
58
Joe Jackson
Steppin' Out
0.2
87
71
59
Golden Earring
Twilight Zone
0.2
436
56
60
Naked Eyes
Promises, Promises
0.2
213
63
61
Michael Sembello
Maniac
0.2
533
67
62
Culture Club
Do You Really Want to Hurt Me
0.2
525
58
63
Donna Summer
She Works Hard for the Money
0.2
503
64
64
Toni Basil
Mickey
0.2
392
54
65
Stephen Bishop
It Might Be You
0.2
37
66
66
Bryan Adams
Straight from the Heart
0.2
187
69
67
Don Henley
Dirty Laundry
0.2
349
68
68
Tubes
She's a Beauty
0.1
342
55
69
Musical Youth
Pass the Dutchie
0.1
84
65
70
Loverboy
Hot Girls in Love
0.1
220
78
71
Marvin Gaye
Sexual Healing
0.1
593
72
72
Men Without Hats
The Safety Dance
0.1
600
70
73
Laura Branigan
Gloria
0.1
450
77
74
David Bowie
Let's Dance
0.09
841
75
75
Bonnie Tyler
Total Eclipse of the Heart
0.09
983
76
76
Irene Cara
Flashdance ... What a Feeling
0.09
1057
73
77
Eddy Grant
Electric Avenue
0.09
862
74
78
Madness
Our House
0.09
527
79
79
Dexys Midnight Runners
Come On Eileen
0.08
1049
81
80
Hall & Oates
Maneater
0.06
1450
83
81
Prince
Little Red Corvette
0.06
1207
84
82
Duran Duran
Hungry Like the Wolf
0.06
1387
82
83
Michael Jackson
Beat It
0.06
1727
86
84
Phil Collins
You Can't Hurry Love
0.05
1234
87
85
Men at Work
Down Under
0.05
1950
88
86
Clash
Rock the Casbah
0.05
1065
85
87
Michael Jackson
Billie Jean
0.04
2216
80
88
Elton John
I'm Still Standing
0.04
643
92
89
Journey
Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)
0.04
1758
90
90
Toto
Africa
0.03
2268
91
91
Eurythmics
Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)
0.03
2683
89
92
Police
Every Breath You Take
0.03
3025
93
93
Prince
1999
0.03
1818
95
94
Michael Jackson
Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'
0.03
1076
94
95
Naked Eyes
Always Something There to Remind Me
0.03
1906
96
96
Michael Jackson
Human Nature
0.01
625
98
97
Journey
Faithfully
0.01
1551
97
98
Spandau Ballet
True
0.01
777
99
99
Tom Petty & Heartbreakers
You Got Lucky
0.01
374
100
100
Def Leppard
Photograph
0.007
1524
more (https://radioinsight.com/blogs/230741/the-return-of-the-lost-factor/)