First, I must give it up for Kiss because they did help the Phoenix dance music scene to a degree. They also played The Freestylers "don't stop" and "Mambo Italiano" (Fx2 Remix) by Shaft
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YkNo-QD2asU (No one else in Phoenix played that song in regular rotation that I know of).
AND they were the ONLY one to play "Masquerade"by Science when it was a hit
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=73WnZrMjEvo&feature=related
OK, 103.9 did also play "masquerade" once, in a mix.
Kiss FM played Sonique in 1999, way before anyone else I knew of. That was shortly before I went to Cuba for the 2nd time in January 2000. By the time I got back to Phoenix in April 2000, Kiss was all over Alice Deejay, Amber, and even had "I do both Jay & Jane" in mix shows (in addition to Power 92 and the new 103.9 The Party which "re-debuted"
Back Again, For a SECOND Time, in January 2000).
I must say Kiss FM played a big role in keeping dance music known to people who would've otherwise never known a lot of dance material for a few years (up until the point when they decided to drop ALL dance music and dance artists (Including Kylie Minogue) from their playlist during a Jan. 2004 format change, following a New Years Weekend All Weekend Mix, which was also when they also introduced "Toxic" by Britney Spears for the first time (soon to be their ONLY uptempo hit in regular rotation)). (By the way, that format flip did end their short rhythmic attempt when they went up directly against Power 92 and they switched back to CHR top 40, adding alternative and Pop Rock back into the format.)
For quite a while, after Kiss FM decided to drop all their dance music, the only hope for dance outside of Energy was whenever KISS FM did their specialty "back in the day weekends" for Holiday's, and after 2005, listening to Club 95 Latino Vibe, or Knick Knack on Power 92 at 9:00pm and during Power Mix Weekends (The Year Round Throwdown) when he did his best attempt to take things uptempo occasionally during HIS sets).
For a while, tt was like a drought for uptempo music on chr rhythmic and top 40 radio up until Rihanna's "SOS" by Rihanna was released, followed shortly after by "Lose Control" by Missy & Ciara, "Control Myself" by LL Cool J, "Sexy back" by Justin Timberlake, "Ain't no other man" by Christina Aguilera, "Man Eater" by Nelly Furtado, and I guess you can include "My Humps" (both original and Lil Jon Mix) from Black Eyed Peas. Yes, Kiss FM did have "Don't Phunk With My Heart" by Black Eyed Peas in rotation before all of that other stuff, so that was the first sign of "uptempo-ness" they had going at the time. This is where the chain reaction began as the "Dance Music Comeback" began to unfold in mid to late 2005..............
...And flash forward to now, and dance music is officially Back Again, for the First Time.
