When do songs from your youth become “classics”? 

Have you ever wondered how radio stations choose the songs they play? And why do some stations seem to have the same songs year after year? The easy answer lies in the format of the station, their target demographic and what they believe their listeners want to hear.

Source: Dmitriy83 / Getty

For Classic Hits stations, this means playing familiar songs that have stood the test of time. However, these stations are also looking to stay relevant, which is why they occasionally add newer tracks and get rid of some.  When is it time to say good-bye to the “same old song, year after year”? When do songs from your youth become the “classics”?

By looking at Mediabase charts and 5-year trends, you can note who’s coming and who is going.

Source: EyeEm Mobile GmbH / Getty

Songs that are moving down:

Some of the top songs have moved down a tier, but are still represented at the classic hits format:

• Lynyrd Skynyrd, “Sweet Home Alabama” – No. 1 most played in 2019, No. 39 now
• Boston, “More Than a Feeling”—No. 2 to No. 41
• Billy Joel, “My Life” — No. 9 to No. 78
• Steve Miller Band, “The Joker” — No. 10 to No. 86
• Fleetwood Mac, “Go Your Own Way” — No. 13 to No. 92
• Manfred Mann, “Blinded by the Light” — No. 4 to No. 165
• Jimmy Buffett, “Margaritaville”— No. 7 to No. 155
• Fleetwood Mac, “Don’t Stop” — No. 17 to No. 154
• Electric Light Orchestra, “Don’t Bring Me Down” — No. 23 to No. 196

Source: EyeEm Mobile GmbH / Getty

Classics that are moving out:

Then there are the songs that are disappearing from the format. These songs are below the place where a song is considered strong enough to be on a “safe list”.

• John Travolta & Olivia Newton-John, You’re the One That I Want” (No. 338)
• Greg Kihn Band, “The Breakup Song” (No. 296)
• Doobie Brothers, “What a Fool Believes” (No. 299)
• Supertramp, “The Logical Song” — (No. 448)
• Bachman-Turner Overdrive, “You Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet” — (No. 413)
• Rod Stewart, “Maggie May” — (No. 332)
• Gerry Rafferty, “Baker Street” — (No. 528)
• Steely Dan, “Do It Again” — (No. 597)
• Bee Gees, “Night Fever” (No. 359)
• Police, “Roxanne” (No. 452)
• Eagles, “Heartache Tonight” (No. 480)
• Billy Joel, “Movin’ Out (Anthony’s Song)” (No. 456)

If those classics are going away, what will they be replaced with? Here are some songs that are gaining airplay…

Source: MarkPiovesan / Getty

Songs that are moving in:

These songs show the format has shifted significantly over the last decade from ’70s-driven to ’80s-dominated. Here are some tracks with the biggest debuts over the last five years.

• Roxette, “Listen to Your Heart” (1989) (No. 200)
• Tiffany, “I Think We’re Alone Now” (1987) (No. 230)
• Billy Ocean, “Get Outta My Dreams, Get into My Car” (1988) (No. 248)
• Roxette, “It Must Have Been Love” (1990) (No. 255)
• Poison, “Nothing but a Good Time” (1988) (No. 263)
• Third Eye Blind, “Semi-Charmed Life” (1997) (No. 282)

Source: cagkansayin / Getty

Classics that are moving up and will stay for a while:

This is a set of songs that might become the “new” classics.

• Cure, “Friday I’m in Love” (1992) (No. 207)
• No Doubt, “Don’t Speak” (1995) (No. 137)
• R.E.M., “The One I Love” (1987) (No. 124)
• Goo Goo Dolls, “Iris” (1998) (No. 118)
• Aerosmith, “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing” (1998) (No. 235)
• Cranberries, “Dreams” (1993) (No. 264)
• Michael Jackson, “Smooth Criminal” (1988) (No. 135)
• Proclaimers, “I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles)” (1993) (No. 198)

As some ’70s hits fade, newer songs from the late ’80s and ’90s are making their way into the rotation. This shows how classic hits stations try to balance nostalgia with staying current.