How popular was Rage Against The Machine's "Kiling In The Name" on rad!

How popular was Rage Against The Machine's "Kiling In The Name" on radio?

Okay, this is the deal. I'm having a debate with my husband over "Killing In The Name". A bit of research pointed out that KITN was the 25th most popular song in the singles charts of 1993 in Australia. That I can prove.

What we're arguing about is the amount of AIRPLAY this song got during that time. My argument is that the fact the song made it to the Top 50 singles chart of that year meant airplay was strong by default. He says that's not always the case, and that he didn't believe KITN got all that much airplay on mainstream stations at the time. I keep telling him I distinctly remember the song being very popular on radio, and that I didn't listen to anything other than mainstream stations, so he has to be wrong, LOL.

I need some way to prove to him that airplay was strong as well. It seems a no-brainer that airplay and record/singles sales are directly correlated but to what extent and where can I find the proof I need? Needs to be by a recognised authority.

Lizzie

6 days ago
Thanks for the answers so far guys. The trouble with this is I'm trying to find Australian-specific information which is a bit tricky.

I agree, radio airplay of the song is a given these days, but DH is convinced airplay back in 93-94 was restricted to the alternative stations and RATM (or at least <i>Killing in the Name</i> only made it onto the playlists at the mainstream stations after their album went ballistic on the charts. It might make it more difficult to pin down because we are talking Australia here and not the States though.

Failing the specifics of airplay of this particular song, is there anywhere on the net that has statistics relating to how airplay in general correlates with album sales? In theory, the playing of KITN on the alternative station when it first came out generated the sales necessary to make it onto the Aussie charts, but as I said, I remember listening to the song as a very mainstream teenager so I still think it was popular on mainstream.

Liz

Can't speak for any other Aust. city apart from Perth, but I don't recall KITNO getting ANY serious airtime (at all) from the commercial stations...Triple J yes - definitely. But the commercials no. I think you'll find that Rage Against the Machine was (and still is) too heavy for most radio networks. Nova would probably play it, but Austereo and Southern Cross would be highly concerned about losing advertisers.

As for how airplay / singles-charts are directly related ...I'm no expert but I do know that one does NOT necessarily require the other. I distinctly and clearly remember in 1988 at one of the music award shows (I think it was the ARIAS) "Whispering Jack" was cleaning up all the major awards - and Kevin Bloody Wilson won under the comedy category. I remember Kevin getting up and saying to the audience "All I can say is thank F**k John Farnham didn't release a comedy record!". John Farnham was next up to receive an award - and his award speech started with: "All I can say is thank god Kevin Bloody Wilson didn't get any airplay!".

If KBW can reach top of the comedy / talking voice / other charts and win awards for sales with no airtime whatsoever (*he STILL hasn't had ANY airtime on any station anywhere in Aust to my knowledge*.) then it seems to me that KITNO can reach number one without airplay too. (Austentashus did the same with Australiana as well in 1984 - number one on the Countdown charts - with no radio airplay!).

...Besides which, can you really see any commercially minded organisation happily running a song numerous times a day where the chorus screams "F**K you - I won't do what you tell me!!!" ? Myself I think it's a stretch. I think you'll find "Take the Power Back" and "Wake Up" got far more airtime than KITNO due to the fact that they can be aired with only minimal editing to remove swearing...which is impossible in KITNO.

Hope this helps.

PS: ...Great taste in music BTW. Could you see *today's* kids happily bopping along to stuff like that? :-)