The Song That Killed Rhythm and Blues
There was never enough variety on the radio. There were different Top Forty lists. They were a guide. Some songs you liked, others you did not. They scratched the surface. As radio stations were bought by conglomerates there was less variety.
With a delivery job I depended on the radio to help make it through traffic and the workday. Little by little there were songs that were played relentlessly. As Titanic became more popular My Heart Will Go On was played on every station.
That could be good or bad. If a song was played constantly that I liked it was fine. If I didn't like the first time I was not going to enjoy it on the sixth station as I was looking for variety.
Which led to Next. Not the late lamented Scottsdale nightclub that killed the perception of uppity club goers. The band that sang Too Close came up with a nice sounding song. Two problems: through no fault of their own it was played to death.
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Songs that are popular are played frequently. From this point it became to the detriment of variety and diversity. You can still hear Hotel California and Bohemian Rhapsody on the radio every day as if they are still in the Top Ten. Radio acts like The Eagles and Queen are one hit wonders.
Seek out their music. What seemed like a nice song is actually about a man who has an erection as he dances close to a woman. It can happen. Pull back because dancing does not imply consent.
Suddenly the line "You're making it hard for me" turns creepy. This has made it onto the list of sexy songs. It isn't. This band got away with something dirty. Many thought Louie Louie had dirty lyrics. That was in the interpretation. It's about taking a sea cruise and mumbling led drunken frat boys to assume it was something more. Music improved after 1962 and R&B was replaced.
Not necessarily by an overplayed song by men without impulse control. Boy bands moved people of color out of the pop charts. Things did not change for the better and overplayed song set wheels in motion to the death of variety.