THE END OF THE WGAJ TOP 40 SURVEYS
What happened to the charts?
From 1975 to 1995, I charted popular music here in Western Massachusetts. In the early 1990's pop music and the way it became tracked nationally became skewed, with Billboard Magazine using Soundscan technology to track sales. Although that method appeared fine on the surface, the sales of popular music of ALL formats was tracked, and there was a perception that many songs and formats were being embraced by the pop music community, especially Country and Rap; and they were to some extent, but it is my argument still to this day not nearly to the extent that was reported. Radio became and still is fragmented, with a bunch of similiar formats on the dials...HOT AC and Top 40, how could satellite radio miss? The door was wide open.
Where is this going? In 1995, I made the decision to halt charting music as determining what was popular and trying to find it (buying CD singles of your favorite pop hit had become a treasure hunt, another story for another time) was difficult to say the least. The end, part one.
In April of 2002, the pendulum appeared to start swinging back toward the very early 90's and I decided to come "out of retirement." I had found a reliable music service in 1999 and had still followed pop music during my 6 1/2 year absence form charting it and missed doing it. And with Al Gore's nifty internet invention gripping the nation, I had a forum to post what was going on here in the Pioneer Valley. The WGAJ Top 40 Survey returns and makes it's debut on the world wide web.
But, as 2007 has progressed, I ran into some of the same problems I saw in the fall of 1995. Although I never say never, it's hard to imagine the third time being a charm and I've hung the charting up for good....something I've done since I was 14 years old. I will miss it, again.
What's next?
I will do the same thing I did back in the fall of 1995: Continue to follow pop music. It's still one of my favorite things to do, it's just become too laborious to chart for many of the reasons stated above. I will continue to broadcast UMass hockey. Music and sports, two great things.
************************ UPDATE MAY 2009***************************************
WGAJ WILL BE GOING OFF THE AIR FOR GOOD ON MAY 19, 2009. MY LAST SHOW WILL BE ON THAT DAY AT 5PM. I HAVE MANY SPECIAL GUESTS LINED UP WHO HAVE BEEN AN INFLUENCE ON ME HERE AT WGAJ AS I TURN THE TRANSMITTER ON AND OFF FOR THE VERY LAST TIME FOR ME & THE STATION.
The last three shows prior to that are May 5th, 8th & 12th, all at 5pm, as I finish off the countdown of my favorite 500 songs (revised) of the pop music era.
Brock
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