The Beatles, Lionel Richie voted among top 10 artists of the 60s, 70s and 80s in nationwide poll
Listeners from across the country voted The Beatles, Whitney Houston and the Bee Gees as being among the top ten artists or bands of the 60s, 70s and 80s, in a poll competition hosted by digital radio station, East Coast Gold (ECG).
The poll, which was open for two weeks, online and on East Coast Gold’s social media platforms, received over 2 000 entries and provided valuable insights into which musical acts South Africans deem to be the most timeless from the golden years.
From a list of artists, separated into three categories for the 60s, 70s and 80s, East Coast Gold’s listenership narrowed down their top classic artists to some of the most ubiquitous names to grace the global stage.
The Beatles came in at number one, with Whitney Houston and the Bee Gees taking the second and third spots. Elton John was voted number four, followed by history-makers, Michael Jackson and Elvis Presley. Next on the list were Madonna, The Beach Boys, Lionel Richie and finally, Donna Summer in the number ten slot.
The poll findings revealed an equal spread in terms of how influential each of these eras was in the history and development of music. The top three acts; the Beatles, the Bee Gees and Whitney Houston dominated the 60s, 70s and 80s respectively.
For East Coast Gold Programming Manager, Zane Derbyshire, this was illustrative of the fact that these three seminal decades in history marked a timeless era in music that is deserving of its own dedicated space on-air.
On the ECG listenerships overwhelmingly positive response to the promotion, Derbyshire commented: “It was such a thrill to hear from our audience on who their favourite classic hits artists are. You can see by the list that some of the biggest artists of all time appear in the top 10. This is a testament to the power of nostalgia and to the timeless talent that emerged from one of the most remarkable periods in music history. As a station, this reaffirms our focus on classic hits and the pleasure we find in taking our listeners on a trip down memory lane.”
The poll formed part of ECG’s national “Times change, the music doesn’t” campaign which aims to highlight the special place that classic hits hold in the hearts and minds of South Africans. Aiming to win over the hearts (and ears) of more listeners across the country, East Coast Gold plans to use the results to inform its playlist with more emphasis on the top-performing artists.
As Derbyshire concludes: “This poll has been an extremely valuable exercise for our radio station and has produced learnings that we will take into our music selection process going forward. Over the next few months, listeners can expect more hits from these top ten artists as we further our objective to become the leading music destination for classic hits. We have had such an incredible response to the poll that we aim to make this annual poll a permanent part of our programming strategy.”
The top ten classic hits artists as voted by South Africa:
1. The Beatles
2. Whitney Houston
3. Bee Gees
4. Elton John
5. Michael Jackson
6. Elvis Presley
7. Madonna
8. The Beach Boys
9. Lionel Richie
10. Donna Summer
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