Jon Zellner programmed many of the artists on our list of the 50 Greatest Minivan Rock Songs. We spoke to him about working these songs to Top 40 and Hot AC radio, the state of pop music in the late ‘90s, and more.
, which we published earlier today -- from Lifehouse to Matchbox Twenty and more. Decades later, he's still programming stations, but as the President of Programming Operations for iHeartMedia.’s de-facto Minivan Rock parent-behind-the-wheel for the project. Below, he reminisces about working these songs to Top 40 and Hot AC radio, the state of pop music in the late ‘90s, and if “Minivan Rock” is a fair term to use for this genre of music.
In the ‘90s, the majority of those artists either disappeared or didn’t come out with songs that were accessible to a Top 40 music fan. So stations had to decide whether to take a stand against rap and become AC stations -- Hot AC didn’t exist yet -- or completely abandon the format altogether and flip to country or rock. Some Top 40 stations tried to weather the storm and played “Hit music without the rap," as they called it.
When this music started coming back in 1996, how did you know there was a need for it in Kansas City? Absolutely. Everything we did was laser-focused on a mom, with kids in the backseat. And that's what great radio stations do -- match and exceed listener expectations.I would just call it pop rock, or guitar-driven pop.
I’d also question Clay Aiken, Josh Joplin and Hanson. We never really played those and I wouldn’t call those guitar-driven.Wheatus doesn't fit. Top 40 stations never played it… more of a novelty song.Blessed Union of Souls were like the Mix 93.3 house band. They did Red, White, and Boom! Twice and a few others shows for us. One of the band members actually works at iHeartMedia today. [
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