HRD RADIO REPORT
The HRD Radio Report showcases the weekly Active Rock Mediabase Charts (compiled by AllAccess.com), and appears every Tuesday on HardRockDaddy.com. The HRD Radio Report digs deeper into the weekly Active Rock charts, providing commentary, reviews, recommendations and predictions. It also features opinion pieces on chart action and the music business in general.
Many of the artists featured on the Active Rock charts have already been reviewed on HardRockDaddy.com.
Click on the hyperlinked song titles to read song reviews, and the hyperlinked artist names to read album reviews.
The following is the Active Rock Mediabase Chart for the week ending 11/1/15. All exclusive HRD content is featured below the chart:
2015 Mid-Year Recap: HRD Radio Report Active Rock and Octane Big ‘Uns Countdown
| CHART | CHART | ARTIST | SONG TITLE | RADIO |
| POSITION | POSITION | SPINS | ||
| THIS WEEK | LAST WEEK | THIS WEEK | ||
| 1 | 1 | BREAKING BENJAMIN | “Angels Fall” | 1915 |
| 2 | 2 | RED SUN RISING | “The Otherside” | 1758 |
| 3 | 5 | BRING ME THE HORIZON | “Throne” | 1599 |
| 4 | 3 | CHRIS CORNELL | “Nearly Forgot My Broken Heart” | 1561 |
| 5 | 6 | PAPA ROACH | “Gravity” | 1328 |
| 6 | 4 | POP EVIL | “Footsteps” | 1287 |
| 7 | 8 | DISTURBED | “The Light” | 1096 |
| 8 | 10 | FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH | “Wash It Away” | 1056 |
| 9 | 9 | HALESTORM | “I Am The Fire” | 1048 |
| 10 | 7 | SHINEDOWN | “Cut The Cord” | 1046 |
| 11 | 11 | GHOST | “Cirice” | 925 |
| 12 | 13 | THREE DAYS GRACE | “Fallen Angel” | 834 |
| 13 | 14 | SEVENDUST | “Thank You” | 773 |
| 14 | 19 | SEETHER | “Save Today” | 689 |
| 15 | 15 | DISTURBED | “The Vengeful One” | 665 |
| 16 | 17 | ASKING ALEXANDRIA | “I Won’t Give In” | 641 |
| 17 | 20 | LIKE A STORM | “Become The Enemy” | 543 |
| 18 | 12 | FOO FIGHTERS | “Outside” | 498 |
| 19 | 38 | SHINEDOWN | “State Of My Head” | 455 |
| 20 | 21 | FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH | “Jekyll And Hyde” | 415 |
| 21 | 24 | TRIVIUM | “Until The World Goes Cold” | 387 |
| 22 | 27 | IN THIS MOMENT | “Big Bad Wolf” | 383 |
| 23 | 26 | THEORY OF A DEADMAN | “Blow” | 360 |
| 24 | 28 | WILSON | “Right To Rise” | 354 |
| 25 | 25 | TRAPT | “Passenger” | 351 |
| 26 | 22 | ARCS | “Outta My Mind” | 320 |
| 27 | 23 | WE ARE HARLOT | “Someday” | 303 |
| 28 | 35 | NOTHING MORE | “Here’s To The Heartache” | 302 |
| 29 | 29 | ISLANDER | “Cold Speak” | 294 |
| 30 | 31 | NATHANIEL RATELIFF / NIGHTSWEATS | “S.O.B.” | 293 |
| 31 | 33 | FROM ASHES TO NEW | “Through It All” | 260 |
| 32 | 34 | PARKWAY DRIVE | “Vice Grip” | 238 |
| 33 | 32 | AWOLNATION | “I Am” | 227 |
| 34 | 43 | HIGHLY SUSPECT | “Bloodfeather” | 214 |
| 35 | 39 | TURBOWOLF | “Rabbits Foot” | 213 |
| 36 | 42 | ATREYU | “Do You Know Who You Are” | 203 |
| 37 | 36 | MUMFORD & SONS | “The Wolf” | 168 |
| 38 | 37 | BRIDGE TO GRACE | “Everything” | 164 |
| 39 | 49 | GODSMACK | “Inside Yourself” | 158 |
| 40 | 51 | ARANDA | “We Are The Enemy” | 155 |
| 41 | 52 | ALL THAT REMAINS | “Victory Lap” | 149 |
| 42 | 41 | SEPARATIONS | “Dream Eater” | 147 |
| 43 | 44 | ART OF DYING | “Everything” | 146 |
| 44 | 48 | RUBIKON | “Live That Lie” | 129 |
| 45 | 46 | FIRST DECREE | “Stop” | 121 |
| 46 | 45 | BUTCHER BABIES | “Never Go Back” | 119 |
| 47 | 87 | TWENTY ONE PILOTS | “Stressed Out” | 118 |
| 48 | 40 | P.O.D. | “This Goes Out To You” | 113 |
| 49 | 50 | I PREVAIL | “Crossroads” | 102 |
| 50 | 47 | MIGGS | “Ordinary” | 102 |
PUBLISHER’S RANT (by Adam Waldman)
Before we get to the pick of the week (a song that was just released today) by a band that deserves more attention at Active Rock radio, I wanted to take the time to point out that opportunities for legitimate Active Rock artists to gain airplay are being stolen by songs that have absolutely no place in the format.
The Mainstream Rock chart still exists, but it’s basically become irrelevant because of the limited spins that it measures. With the amount of competition that radio has in this day and age for listeners’ attention, it is mind-boggling to think that programmers still operate as if they hold the only keys to the kingdom. Record labels never saw Napster as a credible threat, but look at where they are now. The former behemoth is now a paper tiger. So, anyone who thinks that the Active Rock format has endless staying power, should think about the old adage…“those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it.”
Since the launch of the HRD Radio Report, we have made it a priority to give coverage to deserving bands, while also pointing out the songs that have no place in the format. While there are always songs featured on the Top 50 that don’t belong, this rant was brought on by the addition of a song this week that is so egregiously inappropriate for Active Rock, that it made me wonder if we are seeing the beginning of the end of the format. It’s fair to say that 118 utterly wasted spins this week has me more than a little…“Stressed Out.”
PUBLISHER’S PICK OF THE WEEK (by Adam Waldman)
ANOTHER LOST YEAR – “Wolves”
Another Lost Year is back with their latest single, “Wolves” (released earlier today). These Carolina rockers have toured relentlessly since making their debut in 2011, often times supporting some of the most recognizable Active Rock bands today. The band garnered radio attention with “War On The Inside” (off of 2012’s Better Days). and their music has also been featured on some popular television shows. In the same vein as bands like Breaking Benjamin, Sevendust and Pop Evil, “Wolves” will fit perfectly into any Active Rock playlist. Frontman Clinton Cunanan once again delivers with his soulful, emotive style.
HRD SPIN CONTROL (by Adam Waldman and Jon Loveless)
Each week, we will share the songs that we think should be added to rotations, alongside the songs that we feel should be dropped from rotations, either because they are a bad fit for the format, or because they have run their course and it’s time for a new single from the artist.
SPIN IT…
UGLY KID JOE – “She’s Already Gone”
SKINDRED – “Under Attack”
STITCHED UP HEART – “Finally Free”
SHALLOW SIDE – “Stand Up”
WAYLAND – “Bloody Sunrise”
GEMINI SYNDROME – “Eternity”
AUDIOTOPSY – “The Calling”
DROP IT…
Twenty One Pilots – “Stressed Out”
Nate Rateliff & The Nightsweats – “S.O.B.”
Ghost – “Cirice”
Awolnation – “I Am”
In This Moment – “Big Bad Wolf”
Mumford & Sons – “The Wolf”
The Arcs – “Outta My Mind”
THE BREAKDOWN by Jon Loveless
KING OF THE HILL
Breaking Benjamin remains atop the Mediabase Active Rock airplay chart for a second week despite essentially flat airplay. Red Sun Rising continued their descent from the top (remaining at #2), and the new #3 from Bring Me The Horizon (“Throne”) had far too much ground to make up to pose any real threat. Chris Cornell holds on to the #4 spot, as Active Rock radio seems to still be wondering how far it can push what is essentially an Adult Rock song.
NOTABLE CHART MOVEMENT
Not a single new entry in the Top 10 this week, only position shuffling…
Only one new arrival in the Top 20, as Shinedown more than doubled their airplay from the previous week for a major jump up the chart with their latest single, “State Of My Head.”…
Nothing More and Nathaniel Rateliff both enter the Top 30, the latter being another song borrowed from the Adult Rock chart where it’s #1…
The busiest part of the chart movement this week is the Top 40, as four songs climbed into that tier, bookended by the latest singles from Highly Suspect and Aranda…
All That Remains provides one of two new songs to crack the Top 50 this week, the other being so utterly ridiculous that I can’t even describe it.
THREE UP & THREE DOWN
MOVING UP
Bring Me The Horizon – “Throne”
Five Finger Death Punch – “Wash It All Away”
Shinedown – “State Of My Head”
DROPPING DOWN
Red Sun Rising – “The Otherside”
Pop Evil – “Footsteps”
Foo Fighters – “Outside”
FUTURES REPORT
While there’s certainly no shortage of legitimate Active Rock songs in the marketplace – if anything, there’s actually an overabundance of them – the format continues to borrow heavily from Alternative and now even from the Adult Rock charts. That’s a really bad combination, since it reduces exposure and opportunity for acts that are clearly deserve to be a part of the genre/format musically. The failure of radio to devote proper attention to those artists (old and new), and the insistence of consultants and programmers to try to soften and morph the format into something considerably less “active” and less “rock” feels more and more like nothing short of format suicide.
WRAP-UP
That’s all for this week. Tune in to HardRockDaddy.com every Tuesday for the HRD Radio Report. \m/
Leave a Reply