Maybe that's what Madonan was trying to say when she sung Hollywood live at the VMAs in 03 "Music stations always play the same song, we're bored with the concept of right and wrong"
- and radio returned the favour

haha wow i didnt even think of that..

Well they ignored American Life, too. Die Another Die got decent airplay.

This is pathetic. There is nothing that can be done here, not exactly unfair play, but rather that America realizes how overrated and bitchy Madonna is and doesn't play her music. = X

Hi Keith,

I just read the Madonna article U.S. Radio Hangs Up On Madonna. It made a lot of sense. It put into perspective how radio handled each of Madonna's tracks.

My first question is, what is "call out research?" This phenomenon is supposedly responsible for her previous three tracks not getting the airplay that her fans feel they deserve.

To be fair, I am aware that her fans alone can't decide whether a song is going to be played. I also just recently found out after hearing that "Get Together" was going to be her last single released off her album, "Jump" is in fact going to be released. I am so excited about this news. I think that this song is more pop-oriented than her previous releases off the record -- even though I think that "Hung Up" and "Sorry" were great songs. I wonder, what changed Warner Bros.' minds?

As everyone knows, Madonna's Confessions tour is hugely successful. Does this say anything to radio about Madonna's continuing appeal to attract and excite people? Also, her tour is going to be aired on NBC, I hear. This would also be great exposure for her, as I'm sure people will tune in simply out of curiosity. I've said quite a bit, but what I really want to know is the concept behind callout research and your professional opinion on Madonna's "Jump."

You were right on in your opinions on "Sorry" and "Get Together" facing an uphill battle. They both failed on the radio in the U.S. Do you think "Jump" will face the same fate here in America?

Thank you,

Matthew Tarantino
Boston

Hi Matthew,

Glad you enjoyed the article on Madonna -- and why her singles aren't getting play on American radio but are successful overseas.

Call out research is where radio listeners are reached by telephone (hence the term "call out") and are played short samples of songs. The listener is then asked their opinion on the tune –- usually by rating the song with a number. This research is then used to determine what stations should play what song, how often, at what time of day, etc.

Regarding "Jump" as the fourth single from "Confessions" -- I'm pretty sure it was always slated to be a single. I think the order of the third and fourth singles got re-arranged at some point. But, as far as I'm aware, "Jump" was almost always going to be a single.

Now, will "Jump" succeed on American radio? Warner Bros. is optimistic and they seem committed to getting it on the airwaves. They are aiming to make it a genuine hit on Adult Top 40 and Adult Contemporary radio stations before they bring it to Mainstream Top 40 outlets.

Personally, I really think "Jump" is a great pop song -- way better than "Get Together." The latter was probably just too odd for American radio. "Jump," however, is very accessible and stands a chance at success on U.S. airwaves.

http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/ask_bb/index.jsp

usa loves crap music, that's all

Exodus: Madonna bitchy? Nah, I was watching her interviews and her new behind-the-scenes documentary. She's not bitchy at all actually. I think she used to be though. These days she's into Kabbalah, which I think has made her a lot better a person. She's very empowering these days it seems, like how she cared a lot for her dancers from her Re-Invention show.