What effect do you think "payola" had on rock and roll music in the 50s and 60s?
Payola, for those of you that are too young to remeber, was when a record company, would pay a radio station or disc jockey, money or other enticement to play a particular song over and over again. This form of payola was strictly illegal and several dj’s were arrested because of it. Several songs would never have made it into the top 20, without the use of payola. Many of the radio stations in Chicago, denied accepting a bribe, but were given a “play list” of songs to play once or twice each hour. One dj admitted to taking a payola bribe of $22,000 plus dollars to play a particular song.
Question: do you believe that payola still exists today? And, what song do you believe, would never have made a hit, without someone taking a bribe or payola?
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Surely loads of dj’s must have taken bribes in order to get Celine Dion airtime…
I can’t find a list of songs involved in the Payola scandal, but I would put cash on the barrel head that “Who Put The Bomp (In The Bomp-de-bomp-de-bomp)” would be there. It’s a crappy song that shouldn’t be remembered today.
Payola can only go so far. A song may get more airplay, but it isn’t going to change peoples opinions. It can only get the song more exposure.
If Disney paid 5,000 people to go see John Carter, it would have gotten more word of mouth, but it may not be thought of any better.
@filmfann You have a lot more faith in the taste of the American Public than I do. H. L. Mencken’s old saw, “Nobody ever went broke underestimating the taste of the American public.” seems accurate to me to this day. And if bribery did not work, cost conscious executives wouldn’t waste the money.
Bribery in any area produces mediocrity and a calcifying of the existing supply chain. That’s it’s purpose. It ensures that great new entrepreneurial ideas stand no chance. The public never sees them. Instead, the existing powers can get ever richer serving up tasteless pablum.
Is payola any different than Product Placement in movies, except that it may effect you on a subconscious level?
I don’t listen to top 40 radio. I’m sure payola is in existence today, though. It’s how the major recording studios do their thing. But then again, maybe the top labels own their own radio stations. Whatever or however they do it, they have a big investment in their artists and they can not afford to let them sing anything but hits.
Boy, you have a good memory. I remember when the payola scandals hit radio people were shocked that companies actually paid disk jockeys to play records. I expect that it happens all of the time now a days. The way the problem was solved was by making it legal.
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