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I mean, we can all look at the Pop charts and the Soul/R&B or Hip-Hop/R&B charts, bring it back to the "race music" chart but the point is the Soul/R&B chart used to me a month, if not three months, ahead of pop in terms of success. An album could already be on its 3rd or 4th single while the pop chart would still be on the only pop hit that may have peaked at 38 or 39, lucky if it was over #20. If it was, it was then and only then that it *might* be considered "pop". Look at Earth, Wind & Fire. We can all point fingers at songs like "Evil", "Devotion", "Mighty Mighty", "Kalimba Song", all the album tracks on ALL'N'ALL and what will pop radio usually focus on? "Shining Star", "That's The Way Of The World", "Got To Get You Into My Life", "September", and "Boogie Wonderland", maybe "After The Love Is Gone". To have five songs continuously have pop airplay is a major feat, if not a goal, and that keeps EW&F on pop radio, which equals to a lifetime of healthy royalties.
In rock, let's look at Loggins & Messina. Pop radio only plays "Your Mama Don't Dance" and if you're lucky, "My Music", maybe "House At Pooh Corner"? Does pop radio play "Angry Eyes", "Vahevala", "Peacemaker", "Traveling Blues", "Peace Of Mind", "A Love Song", "Thinking Of You", "Nobody But You", or "Watching The River Run"? To most people, L&M are a one-hit wonder and in truth, they are. No other singles ever charted as well as "Your Mama Don't Dance", Poison covered the damn song and turned it into a hard rock/heavy metal hit. Pointer Sisters covered "Angry Eyes" and it became a soul hit for them too but did THAT make an impression? Now think about The Pointer Sisters. Avoid their early Blue Thumb, avoid the funky tracks and avoid soul/R&B stations. Hell, avoid the one country song that also became a hit. Concentrate on what they made for Planet Records. On pop, you'll only hear "He's So Shy", "Slowhand", "The Neutron Dance", "Automatic", "Twist My Arm", "Jump (For My Love)", and "I'm So Excited" over and over continuously, they have seven songs that keep them being heard, keep their name alive. On pop radio, you're lucky if you ever hear "Yes We Can Can", "Salt Peanuts", "How Long (Betcha' Got A Chick On The Side)" or "You Gotta Believe", and you will never hear the singles they released on Atlantic in 1971 and 1972. What is their money song, in more ways than one? "I'm So Excited", and it's a money song because all three sisters share co-songwriting credit so when you hear it, they're getting a nice slice. They wrote other songs throughout their careers, some of which were used as B-sides on singles, where sales helped bring them more money, but it was the almighty airplay that kept them alive. Television and movie appearances? That's pop money.
My point is, as much as I love the album song and know that these songs are getting airplay *somewhere*, if we are to continue talking about things in a baseball card fashion, then you have to realize most of your favorite artists aren't making shit from radio airplay. Think of Kool & The Gang too, I can name all of the pop hits and some of us also know some of the members of the group wrote the songs. They maintain the power of "Hollywood Swingin'" and "Jungle Boogie" while we all know the songs that have been used in samples, including a certain one used in a well known hip-hop song every summer. We also know a soul/R&B that also samples "Jazz Jungle", that's a cut for them.
In the pop world, as much as it hurts to say, most people may only know De La Soul for "Feels Good Inc." When they hear the word "ass crack", they're like "wow, that De La Soul guy is deep, especially when he talks about Care Bears." Meanwhile, he knows nothing about "Transmitting Live From Mars", "Bitties In The BK Lounge", "Swingalokate", or "4 More". Pos said it best when he said "life can get all up in your ass, baby, you better work it out" and if you don't, you can only be as successful (i.e. make money) as your biggest hit. Was it "Me, Myself & I"? Maybe. Should it have been "Ring Ring Ring (Ha Ha Hey)" Chart statistics only matter if you want to make it matter but if you love the music, good. They are the real reasons why they are all in our personal hall of fame's. Otherwise, most jazz radio stations out there would play the better jazz and not just "Breezin'" or "Give Me The Night".
Some artists deal with what they have and go for it, some will play around the system to keep themselves running, keep themselves making money. If Herbie Hancock didn't get tips early on to not publish his own songs under his own company, he would just be the hot jazz pianist that had some funky moments and that was it. It is through his publishing that lead to part of his success and when he got massive sales with his 1973 album HEAD HUNTERS, that kept him surviving much better than he did. Having MTV success with "Rockit"? More success. With each of those successes lead to more, which is why he continues to write, record, and release music at 75 years old. Not only that, but he has a love of technology that lead him to electrifying his sounds, bringing in outside influences and made him go beyond what everyone else, which then lead to others copying. Then he played on other albums, including SONGS IN THE KEY OF LIFE. My point is if you limit yourself to what you want to be (and maybe I should be taking my own tips here), you're forever going to be there. Go beyond, then go further than that. Many of us got into music in order to play the myth of "the game" but if you're not really playing, it's playing you. As Biggie once said, UPS is hiring. Otherwise, go for what you know, then learn about alternate routes.
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