HRD Radio Report – Week Ending 8/20/16

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.

2016 Active Rock Radio / Octane Quarterly Report: Q2  

The following is the Active Rock Mediabase Chart for the week ending 8/20/16.  All exclusive HRD content is featured below the chart:

CHART	CHART	ARTIST	SONG TITLE	RADIO
POSITION	POSITION			SPINS
THIS WEEK	LAST WEEK			THIS WEEK
1	1	CHEVELLE	“Joyride”	1752
2	2	RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS	“Dark Necessities”	1613
3	5	PRETTY RECKLESS	“Take Me Down”	1536
4	4	POP EVIL	“Take It All”	1502
5	6	BLINK-182	“Bored To Death”	1338
6	22	GREEN DAY	“Bang Bang”	1316
7	3	SHINEDOWN	“Asking For It”	1206
8	8	3 DOORS DOWN	“Still Alive”	1204
9	10	PROPHETS OF RAGE	“Prophets Of Rage”	1155
10	7	VOLBEAT	“The Devil’s Bleeding Crown”	1152
11	11	KORN	“Rotting In Vain”	1046
12	12	HOLY WHITE HOUNDS	“Switchblade”	906
13	13	DEFTONES	“Phantom Bride”	878
14	15	SKILLET	“Feel Invincible”	801
15	17	DISTURBED	“Open Your Eyes”	795
16	16	HELLYEAH	“I Don’t Care Anymore”	753
17	14	ROB ZOMBIE	“Get High”	715
18	19	THRICE	“Black Honey”	674
19	0	METALLICA	“Hardwired”	654
20	18	AVATAR	“The Eagle Has Landed”	636
21	23	ZAKK WYLDE (f. COREY TAYLOR)	“Sleeping Dogs”	550
22	20	BREAKING BENJAMIN	“Ashes Of Eden”	507
23	24	TWENTY ONE PILOTS	“Heathens”	452
24	25	SIXX: A.M.	“Prayers For The Damned”	430
25	28	KALEO	“Way Down We Go”	423
26	32	FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH	“I Apologize”	414
27	26	FROM ASHES TO NEW	“Lost And Alone”	346
28	29	CITIZEN ZERO	“Go (Let Me Save You)”	345
29	27	STITCHED UP HEART	“Monster”	265
30	30	THROUGH FIRE	“Stronger”	257
31	35	ALTER BRIDGE	“Show Me A Leader”	253
32	43	RED SUN RISING	“Amnesia”	205
33	34	THE RECORD COMPANY	“Off The Ground”	188
34	48	THOUSHAND FOOT KRUTCH	“Push”	177
35	40	ISLANDER	“Bad Guy”	174
36	42	SEPTEMBER MOURNING	“Eye Of The Storm”	169
37	44	DINOSAUR PILE-UP	“11:11”	162
38	47	GEMINI SYNDROME	“Remember We Die”	161
39	31	TRIVIUM	“Dead And Gone”	160
40	41	FOALS	“What Went Down”	156
41	38	MACHINE HEAD	“Is There Anybody Out There?”	148
42	46	LETTERS FROM THE FIRE	“Give In To Me”	145
43	45	BRING ME THE HORIZON	“Avalanche”	144
44	36	FAILURE ANTHEM	“First World Problems”	144
45	50	PARKWAY DRIVE	“Devil’s Calling”	134
46	52	SHAMAN’S HARVEST	“Here It Comes”	133
47	49	PIERCE THE VEIL	“Circles”	131
48	54	BRIDGE TO GRACE	“Left  Inside”	123
49	53	VIMIC	“My Fate”	112
50	58	RIVAL SONS	“Thundering Voices”	102

 

 

GEMINI SYNDROME – “Remember We Die”

These days, the average rock music fan’s taste is narrower than those who grew up in the ’70s and ’80s.  That may be the only thing that keeps Gemini Syndrome’s latest single, “Remember We Die,” from being a song that touches an entire generation of fans.

Two classic songs from the ’70s – “Dust In The Wind” (Kansas) and “Time” (Pink Floyd) – continue to serve as a stark reminder to this day that life is nothing more than a fleeting moment in the scheme of things.  In the late ’80s, the phrase “carpe diem” was introduced to the masses by Robin Williams in his unforgettable role in Dead Poet’s Society. The phrase translates in English to “seize the day.”  A decade ago, this concept was brought to life once again in a powerfully thought-provoking song by Avenged Sevenfold, aptly titled, “Seize The Day.”  

Like A7X, Gemini Syndrome has a way of making you feel things in a visceral way, with haunting melodies that stay with you long after the song has ended.  “Remember We Die” is just as deep and inspirational as all of the aforementioned songs.  In a world that grows busier by the day as attention spans continue to recede, this song should serve as a wake-up call to those who reminisce about yesterdays and/or dream of tomorrows.  None of us knows when our time on earth will end, but as Gemini Syndrome poignantly points out, we should all be squeezing every ounce of life out of today (while we’re here). The future is about the other side.  

The term “thinking man’s metal” is not bandied about these days as often as it once was, but it should be when it comes to Gemini Syndrome.  This song deserves to make a strong run up the Active Rock charts.
 

 

 

PUBLISHER’S PREDICTIONS (by Adam Waldman)

On the 7/30/16 HRD Radio Report, I predicted that Pretty Reckless would ascend to the top of the chart with their latest single, “Take Me Down.”  There is a 90% chance that it happens next week.  I’m leaving a 10% opening for the x-factor that is “Bang Bang” – the latest single by Green Day that is flying up the charts, but was not yet released when the prediction was initially made.  Unless there is a change in the trend, Pretty Reckless will only have a one-week stay at #1 before being overtaken by Green Day.  As the saying goes, timing is everything.  Green Day shouldn’t get too comfortable though. Metallica’s latest single – “Hardwired” – has taken the rock world by storm, with a throwback sound that is reminscent of their early thrash days.  Their debut at #19 this week makes them a virtual lock to rise to #1 sooner, rather than later.
 

 

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…

SHALLOW SIDE – “Rebel”

ONE LESS REASON – “Break Me”

SCATTERED HAMLET – “Swamp Rebel Machine”

CROBOT – “Not For Sale”

LOLA BLACK – “Sorrow And Sin”

I PREVAIL – “Stuck In Your Head”

YOUNG GUNS – “Bulletproof”

SILVERTUNG – “Devil’s Advocate”

 

DROP IT…

Kaleo – “Way Down We Go”

Dinosaur Pile-Up – “11:11”

Holy White Hounds – “Switchblade”

Twenty One Pilots – “Heathens”

Foals – “What Went Down”

Red Hot Chili Peppers – “Dark Necessities”

Deftones – “Phantom Bride”

Blink 182 – “Bored To Death”

 

 

THE BREAKDOWN by Jon Loveless

KING OF THE HILL

Despite suffering a noticeable drop in airplay, Chevelle easily remained at the top of the Mediabase Active Rock Airplay chart for another week.  A decline of around 15% wasn’t really an obstacle, as the former #1 (Red Hot Chili Peppers) also slipped a bit and Pretty Reckless had far too much ground to make up in a single week to be a real threat.  That will change, possibly as soon as next week.
 

 

NOTABLE CHART MOVEMENT

Green Day roars into the Top 10 in only the second week on the chart with a nearly 150% increase in spins over their debut…

The most talked about song in quite a while makes a strong debut, as Metallica’s “Hardwired” as the only Top 20 newcomer…

Five Finger Death Punch shows a more modest improvement, but makes the jump into the Top 30…

A major shakeup takes place in the 30-40 segment of the chart, with seven songs moving into the tier, led by Red Sun Rising and Thousand Foot Krutch…

Two songs make their Top 50 debut in the final ten spots, including Bridge To Grace, who finally breaks through with a song that first showed signs of airplay back in mid-April.
 

 

THREE UP & THREE DOWN

RISING

Pretty Reckless – “Take Me Down”

Green Day – “Bang Bang”

Metallica – “Hardwired”

 

FALLING

Chevelle – “Joyride”

Shinedown – “Asking For It”

Volbeat – “The Devil’s Bleeding Crown”
 

 

TRENDS AND OBSERVATIONS

Go big or go home continues as the major theme of the year, with more smashing debuts and more rapid ascensions.  At some point, you almost have to wonder whether there will be a break in the trend, or if rock radio is content to be a steadily increasing domain of haves and have-nots.

 

WRAP-UP

That’s all for this week.  Tune in to HardRockDaddy.com every Tuesday for the HRD Radio Report. \m/