(By John Shomby) By now, you have likely seen or heard the song “Rich Men North of Richmond” by a young Virginian named Oliver Anthony. With more than 45 million views on YouTube, 29 million-plus Spotify streams, going #1 on iTunes, plus airplay in one week ranking it in the 60’s at Mediabase, what a few weeks this gentleman has had!
I’m not here to talk about the song, though. I am here to talk about the impact of the song and the artist on radio and the music industry. Think about the song’s progress. It showed up on YouTube on August 9th and the views amassed in just two weeks’ time. From there, it became a streaming sensation and some very observant radio stations started spinning it.
Yes, this is not the first time this has happened, but this is the fastest, without a doubt. Florida Georgia Line, Olivia Rodrigo, Luke Combs, and others have similar stories but they took months to develop. This is the first time, I believe, that DSP’s and radio got behind an independent artist so fast and so strong. All this with no label help. All this with no major publicity. All because of one group – the listening audience.
If the message has not been clear prior to this, it should be now – the audience is TOTALLY in charge. Their “chart” is their playlist. Their playlist is what they like and what they listen to. They don’t care what’s number one or what has been there. In our technologically advanced world of instant gratification, if they hear something they like, they will find and download it some way, no matter where and how. They talk to each other. Word of mouth, more than ever, has driven this song.
My brother sent me the YouTube video three days after its release and then, I sent it on to five people I knew would want to hear it. Multiply that and you get to the 45 million plus. I would bet that if this would have been played for a group of PDs prior to any of this, it would have been cast aside as a marginal song from an unknown artist without a label. The audience doesn’t care. They tell US what they like. It is up to us to listen.
Remember last summer and the success of Kate Bush’s ’80’s midchart song “Running Up That Hill” that was revived from a Netflix series? That should have told us all something then.
As Bob Dylan sang years ago, and it applies so well here, “The Times They Are A-Changin’”. For radio to grow amid all the choices, we MUST listen to the audience more than ever. Forget about custom playlists. Forget about corporate music lists. Forget about generic air personalities. For radio to survive, we must know that, from this point forward, the audience is totally in charge and that’s not going to change. We can no longer make assumptions.
We can no longer lean on past programming formulas for success. The model is not changing – it HAS changed. Come to terms with it. Learn as much as you can about your listeners. Communicate with them. A survey or focus group alone won’t cut it. Take the time in any way you can. If they know they have your personal attention, they will be there for you. Ask Oliver Anthony.
Based in Nashville, TN, John Shomby is the owner and CEO of Country’s Radio Coach. He is focused on coaching and mentoring artists, radio programmers, and on-air talent to help them grow and develop inside the radio station and the industry. Reach John at [email protected] and 757-323-1460. Read John’s Radio Ink archives here.
Absolutely! Every programmer needs to always be examining new ways of staying connected to the audience. I spent half my career in research and I still have a sign in my office which reads, “In the Final Analysis, it’s Not What We Think… It’s What They Say!” Thanks for pointing this out, John!