I am always surprised when I hear that Classic Rock DJs or salespeople are “bored” with their station’s music…or even their format. As the guy credited with signing on the first true FM Classic Rock station coming up on 30 years ago, I can’t think of another format that has been more successful for so long during these past decades.
Paul Jacobs has been providing Jacobs Media with great sales support for these stations in what we call “format championing.” He reminds Classic Rock staffs about the power of the music, its prominence at mega events like Super Bowl halftime shows, along with its presence in umpteen TV commercial soundtracks. None of this is an accident – agencies (yes, the same ones telling you your demos skew too old) choose this music carefully, to connect and enchant their clients along with the consumers they are trying to reach.
From Cadillac using Zeppelin’s “Rock N’ Roll” to revive their brand to the NFL going with the sure thing in Paul McCartney (following the Janet Jackson/Justin Timberlake debacle), Classic Rock isn’t just a reliable go-to genre – it is mainstream music that has endured for decades, now appealing to younger and younger consumers who recognize its brilliance.
People will be listening to the Beatles, the Stones, Led Zeppelin, Floyd, and the Who 100 years from now, just as we listen to Mozart and Bach today.
But unlike Chopin and Haydn, many Classic Rockers are alive today, touring, innovating, and making news. Perhaps the most amazing thing about the artists who provided the foundation for what we now call Classic Rock is that many of them remain vital; they continue to make news, share their art with us, and help keep the format fresh.
From the aforementioned eternally young McCartney collaborating with the surviving members of Nirvana earlier this year to the brilliant Brian May taking his Queen-infused musical We Will Rock You to the States, there’s never a shortage of “current news” about Classic Rock artists.
Maybe the best example, however, occurred this week with the release of a video concept from none other than Bob Dylan. This amazing version of “Like A Rolling Stone” is probably the most eye-catching, clever video you’ve seen this side of “Sledgehammer” back in the MTV days.
Using interactivity and 16 different TV channels, one of rock’s most iconic songs comes to life in a groundbreaking way. What else would you expect from Bob Dylan?
>Click here to watch Bob Dylan’s Interactive “Like a Rolling Stone” video<
And it proves once again that the creative energy behind the music is what has kept Classic Rock alive for the generation that grew up with it, along with legions of new consumers who have discovered its greatness.
Rock on.
Jacobs Media has consistently walked the walk in the digital space, providing insights and guidance through its well-read national Techsurveys.
In 2008, jacapps was launched - a mobile apps company that has designed and built more than 1,300 apps for both the Apple and Android platforms. In 2013, the DASH Conference was created - a mashup of radio and automotive, designed to foster better understanding of the "connected car" and its impact.
Along with providing the creative and intellectual direction for the company, Fred consults many of Jacobs Media's commercial and public radio clients, in addition to media brands looking to thrive in the rapidly changing tech environment.
Fred was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame in 2018.
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