I have seen a few articles over the last few months asking, “Where are the hits?”. It does appear to be true. There have not been many Pop hits this year as in the past. I will argue that radio, and Hot-AC in general has not done a great job finding those potential hits.
I write the Hits On Horizon article for Barrett Media each week. It arrives in your inbox on Friday mornings. Just this past week I put out two potential Hot-AC songs that could become hits. Due to sound and texture both warrant consideration from program directors. Those two hits are Olivia Dean’s “Man I Need” which had 10 million streams last week, more than 80 million since its release. Sombr’s “12 to 12” had 8 million streams last week. When I found those two, Olivia had zero radio airplay. Sombr had just two Top 40 stations spinning it.
Hot-AC radio has long been positioned as the “comfort zone” of music formats, bridging the gap between Top 40 hits and the familiarity of mainstream adult favorites. For years, this positioning has kept the format stable, attracting adults who want contemporary music without the more aggressive trends of CHR. But today’s audience expectations have shifted. Listeners don’t just want familiar songs, they crave discovery, albeit at a measured pace. Hot-AC stations must deliver it or risk fading into irrelevance.
Yes, streaming has changed the game. I’m not advocating going from 20mph to 120mph. I am though saying Hot-AC as a format needs to step on the gas a little harder to continue to matter when it comes to music. As a format I believe today’s listener, even the adults that Hot-AC caters too are deeply engaged with music discovery platforms. When they tune to radio, they don’t expect only the hits they’ve already heard 1,000 times. They want a balance of familiarity and freshness. If a station fails to provide that mix, listeners will simply stay with streaming, which scratches the discovery itch better.
Too many Hot-AC stations lean too heavily on recycling proven Top 40 crossovers, sometimes months after they’ve peaked, or even worse waiting on a record label person to tell them what track the label wants to focus on. While that guarantees safety and broad recognition, it undercuts the station’s value proposition. Why would a listener wait to hear a track on Hot-AC when they’ve already burned out on it via streaming, TikTok, or your Top 40 competitor?
Discovery needs to be part of the format’s DNA, curating not only big hits but also identifying and breaking songs that will matter for the target audience in six months. You can achieve this in a variety of ways. Make it a point to have 1-2 records your radio competitor is not currently playing. You could create a specialty feature that exposes these songs and not just in the overnight where not many people are listening. Music discovery can build your brand loyalty and authority. Stations that help listeners discover music develop brand credibility and loyalty.
If a Hot-AC station consistently introduces a handful of exciting, relatable tracks before they blow up, listeners start to rely on that brand for guidance. This doesn’t mean flooding the playlist with unproven songs. It means carefully identifying artists and tracks that fit the lifestyle and taste of the format’s demo and serving them with context. Discovery builds anticipation, and anticipation builds listening occasions.
Hot-AC targets adults who grew up in the 90s and 2000s, generations that discovered music through radio first. But now, many in this demo feel radio has ceded its leadership role to algorithms. They still want a trusted human filter, especially one that gives them both the reassurance of familiar hits and the excitement of fresh tracks.
Now, to be honest there are a handful of Hot-AC stations that do this currently. A few immediately come to mind. They are Mix in Chicago, Alice in San Francisco, Mix in Boston, and Cities in Minneapolis. All are pretty successful in their markets. I’m sure there are others, but not enough as a whole.
This is not just a Hot AC issue. All music radio that plays current music should be taking a more active stance in music discovery for their audiences. Country radio is currently best at delivering this position. Simple fact is in today’s landscape, ignoring discovery risks alienating listeners, particularly younger Hot-AC fans who expect their station to reflect the evolving culture of music.
So, the path forward means Hot-AC programmers must rethink their role as curators. This includes:
- Integrating emerging hits earlier instead of waiting for CHR or Alt burnout.
- Spotlighting artist discovery features, short vignettes or on-air stories that add personality to new music.
- Leveraging social media to tie radio discovery to digital buzz.
- Balancing familiarity and freshness so that new music feels additive, not disruptive.
In a landscape where music discovery is a daily expectation, Hot-AC can’t afford to be reactive. To stay relevant, the format must lean into its strength as a trusted, human-driven curator of both the hits we love and the songs we’ll love next!
