2003 Channel 9-5-5 Aircheck

[stopnswop2]

Beau Daniels on Channel 955.

I miss the diverse music genres on Top 40 radio

[ChrisWL1980]

This was around the time I stopped listening to CHR radio for good. There was nice stylistic variety around 1999-2001, when a typical hour might include Destiny's Child, Filter, Faith Hill, 'N Sync and Cher. 2002 was the year hip-hop seemed to take over. Meanwhile AC was getting stale as last year's Christmas fruitcake, holding onto its currents for literally years at a time. No wonder I started listening mainly to CFCO and CKWW around that time...

[stopnswop2]

This was around the time I stopped listening to CHR radio for good. There was nice stylistic variety around 1999-2001, when a typical hour might include Destiny's Child, Filter, Faith Hill, 'N Sync and Cher. 2002 was the year hip-hop seemed to take over. Meanwhile AC was getting stale as last year's Christmas fruitcake, holding onto its currents for literally years at a time. No wonder I started listening mainly to CFCO and CKWW around that time...

I'm not so sure took over is correct, considering "How You Remind Me" by Nickleback was the most played song of 2002. Song was released in 2001 and I remember still hearing it on Channel 955 well into 2003.
There sure was a lot of Hip Hop though, but it didn't quite take over yet.
But the hip hop on the radio in the early 2000s was fantastic. Then by 2004 it started to get weird.

[MotorCityRadioFreak]

This was around the time I stopped listening to CHR radio for good. There was nice stylistic variety around 1999-2001, when a typical hour might include Destiny's Child, Filter, Faith Hill, 'N Sync and Cher. 2002 was the year hip-hop seemed to take over. Meanwhile AC was getting stale as last year's Christmas fruitcake, holding onto its currents for literally years at a time. No wonder I started listening mainly to CFCO and CKWW around that time...

I'm not so sure took over is correct, considering "How You Remind Me" by Nickleback was the most played song of 2002. Song was released in 2001 and I remember still hearing it on Channel 955 well into 2003.
There sure was a lot of Hip Hop though, but it didn't quite take over yet.
But the hip hop on the radio in the early 2000s was fantastic. Then by 2004 it started to get weird.

True. Eminem got weird for a little bit too.

[bmw]

For me, Top 40 radio's hayday was roughly 1996 through 2004. By 2007 it had become completely unlistenable. There was a brief time like 2013-2014 where I ended up liking quite a bit of current music but since then the new songs I like have been farther and farther in between.

[ChrisWL1980]

This was around the time I stopped listening to CHR radio for good. There was nice stylistic variety around 1999-2001, when a typical hour might include Destiny's Child, Filter, Faith Hill, 'N Sync and Cher. 2002 was the year hip-hop seemed to take over. Meanwhile AC was getting stale as last year's Christmas fruitcake, holding onto its currents for literally years at a time. No wonder I started listening mainly to CFCO and CKWW around that time...

I'm not so sure took over is correct, considering "How You Remind Me" by Nickleback was the most played song of 2002. Song was released in 2001 and I remember still hearing it on Channel 955 well into 2003.
There sure was a lot of Hip Hop though, but it didn't quite take over yet.
But the hip hop on the radio in the early 2000s was fantastic. Then by 2004 it started to get weird.

Looking at the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100 from the end of August '02... only two non-Urban songs in the Top 10: Avril Lavigne's "Complicated" at #3 and the Dixie Chicks' "Long Time Gone" at #7. The top two songs of the week were by Nelly. The Top 20 also included Pink, DJ Sammy, John Mayer, Vanessa Carlton, Creed, Jimmy Eat World and Daniel Bedingfield. Maybe it seemed to me that hip-hop was "taking over" by then because Rhythmic/Urban has always been the dominant flavor of CHR in the Detroit market and 955 wasn't playing the pop/rock hits as much. Clear Channel was doing a lot of those "fast on rhythm, slow on rock" type CHR stations at the time. Whatever the reason, I've never gotten into hip-hop, at least not mainstream commercial hip-hop which doesn't necessarily represent the best of the genre.
The "turbo-pop" era (Sean Ross's term) was probably the best CHR has sounded in the past 20 years. After the years of trap sludge, it's starting to sound a bit better since it seems like the success of "Blinding Lights" started a new trend for '80s-influenced mid-tempo pop-rock again and artists like Bruno Mars and Lizzo have made quite enjoyable neo-disco records.

[Mega Hertz]

For me, Top 40 radio's hayday was roughly 1996 through 2004. By 2007 it had become completely unlistenable. There was a brief time like 2013-2014 where I ended up liking quite a bit of current music but since then the new songs I like have been farther and farther in between.

I couldn't agree more. Punk and metal were always my thing, but I always had time for DRQ. As mentioned above, the genres covered were endless. You had a band with its first album in 1973 that had a hit on CHR in 2001. Aerosmith. Same with Bon Jovi. CHR play in the early 00s. Could be pure pop. Could be pop punk. Could be dance. Could be rap. All sorts of crossovers.

I also agree on the 2013-2014 music. That was about the last time I Could go anywhere near CHR.

[bmw]

I just looked at the current Top 40 chart. By title, I recognize a whopping 2 songs. There's probably 10 songs I might recognize if I heard them.

Then I pulled up a random chart from the late 90s. Week ending Nov 13, 1999. My recognition is at 29 of the 40 songs. And I suspect of the other 11, I'd probably know half of those if I heard them.

I'm either getting old or music really is going downhill (or both).

[Matt]

I just looked at the current Top 40 chart. By title, I recognize a whopping 2 songs. There's probably 10 songs I might recognize if I heard them.

Then I pulled up a random chart from the late 90s. Week ending Nov 13, 1999. My recognition is at 29 of the 40 songs. And I suspect of the other 11, I'd probably know half of those if I heard them.

I'm either getting old or music really is going downhill (or both).

I'm at just about that number as well. The eye opener for me on that list is:

34 24 IF I COULD TURN BACK THE HANDS OF TIME –•– R. Kelly – 12 (12)

I bet R would love to turn back time...

Looking at the week ending 7/2/22 - woof! I know or am aware of maybe 20% of the songs.

[stopnswop2]

Top 20 hits, week of February 23, 2002

1. Ja Rule ft. Ashanti - Always on Time
2. Nickelback - How You Remind Me
3. Usher - U Got It Bad
4. Jennifer Lopez ft. Ja Rule - Ain't It Funny (Murder Remix)
5. Linkin Park - In The End
6. No Doubt - Hey Baby
7. The Calling - Wherever You Will Go
8. Creed - My Sacrifice
9. Pink - Get The Party Started
10. Brandy - What About Us?
11. Alicia Keys - A Woman's Worth
12. Craig David - 7 Days
13. Shakira - Whenever, Wherever
14. Leann Rimes - Can't Fight The Moonlight
15. Kylie Minogue - Can't Get You Out of My Head
16. Mary J. Blige - No More Drama
17. Puddle of Mudd - Blurry
18. Mary J. Blige - Family Affair
19. Outkast - The Whole World
20. Enrique Iglesias - Hero

Bonus
21. Michael Jackson - Butterflies

More than half these songs are some of my all time favorite songs of all time.
I abuse the Facebook music story feature to just spam music on it everyday, and every song on this list has been on my story at least once

[Matt]

Top 20 hits, week of February 23, 2002

1. Ja Rule ft. Ashanti - Always on Time
2. Nickelback - How You Remind Me
3. Usher - U Got It Bad
4. Jennifer Lopez ft. Ja Rule - Ain't It Funny (Murder Remix)
5. Linkin Park - In The End
6. No Doubt - Hey Baby
7. The Calling - Wherever You Will Go
8. Creed - My Sacrifice
9. Pink - Get The Party Started
10. Brandy - What About Us?
11. Alicia Keys - A Woman's Worth
12. Craig David - 7 Days
13. Shakira - Whenever, Wherever
14. Leann Rimes - Can't Fight The Moonlight
15. Kylie Minogue - Can't Get You Out of My Head
16. Mary J. Blige - No More Drama
17. Puddle of Mudd - Blurry
18. Mary J. Blige - Family Affair
19. Outkast - The Whole World
20. Enrique Iglesias - Hero

Bonus
21. Michael Jackson - Butterflies

More than half these songs are some of my all time favorite songs of all time.
I abuse the Facebook music story feature to just spam music on it everyday, and every song on this list has been on my story at least once

A lot of those songs make me nostalgic, because I was 19 at the time, but none would be favorites.

[Mega Hertz]

There's definitely a lot of good memories on that list. I used to have that Outkast song on often.

[MotorCityRadioFreak]

Top 20 hits, week of February 23, 2002

1. Ja Rule ft. Ashanti - Always on Time
2. Nickelback - How You Remind Me
3. Usher - U Got It Bad
4. Jennifer Lopez ft. Ja Rule - Ain't It Funny (Murder Remix)
5. Linkin Park - In The End
6. No Doubt - Hey Baby
7. The Calling - Wherever You Will Go
8. Creed - My Sacrifice
9. Pink - Get The Party Started
10. Brandy - What About Us?
11. Alicia Keys - A Woman's Worth
12. Craig David - 7 Days
13. Shakira - Whenever, Wherever
14. Leann Rimes - Can't Fight The Moonlight
15. Kylie Minogue - Can't Get You Out of My Head
16. Mary J. Blige - No More Drama
17. Puddle of Mudd - Blurry
18. Mary J. Blige - Family Affair
19. Outkast - The Whole World
20. Enrique Iglesias - Hero

Bonus
21. Michael Jackson - Butterflies

More than half these songs are some of my all time favorite songs of all time.
I abuse the Facebook music story feature to just spam music on it everyday, and every song on this list has been on my story at least once

A lot of those songs make me nostalgic, because I was 19 at the time, but none would be favorites.

As a Linkin Park fan, they are the exception.