Who's Bad?

I’ve spent the last couple of days with my head ‘in research’ finding out all sorts of interesting things and generally reminding myself of how ‘fun’ a good piece of well executed radio research can be. (Feel free to reclassify me as a bit of a research geek now!)

One question that was discussed in passing over the last few days was “I wonder how Michael Jackson records will test in an AMT if you did one right now?”

After the increased exposure of most of his back catalogue on not only all formats of radio for the last few weeks, but constantly on TV, what are the audiences views on these records? Do they like them more? Are they all now burned to death? Does the fact that the albums are flying off the shelves mean that people are reappraising the songs and therefore mainstream radio should be playing more of them? What’s the best testing Jacko song on the planet right now?

I don’t have any of the answers... and couldn’t ask any of these questions in the piece of research I’m now studying, as he was still alive when we wrote the questionnaire!

But I wonder if there’s...

a) Any good data out there looking at this right now
b) If anyone has any educated guesses

Answers on a postcard to Nik Goodman, 88-108 Geek Street, Testville, USA

(Or just post a reply!)