Since the majority of oldies stations nowadays play hits from the '60s and '70s, what did "oldies" stations play back then? Were there even any oldies stations around? When did the first station like this pop up?
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Oldies stations from years ago
- Thread starter radioguy555
- Start date
D
dustyvinyl
Guest
> Since the majority of oldies stations nowadays play hits
> from the '60s and '70s, what did "oldies" stations play back
> then? Were there even any oldies stations around? When did
> the first station like this pop up?
>
I don't really know when the first "official" oldies station popped up,but I do remember Joe Niagara of WIBG 990, in Philly playing "knocked out Niagara nifties of the past" in the early sixties. The "nifties" were from the mid to late fifties! The oldies were only seven or eight years old!
> from the '60s and '70s, what did "oldies" stations play back
> then? Were there even any oldies stations around? When did
> the first station like this pop up?
>
I don't really know when the first "official" oldies station popped up,but I do remember Joe Niagara of WIBG 990, in Philly playing "knocked out Niagara nifties of the past" in the early sixties. The "nifties" were from the mid to late fifties! The oldies were only seven or eight years old!
> Since the majority of oldies stations nowadays play hits
> from the '60s and '70s, what did "oldies" stations play back
> then? Were there even any oldies stations around? When did
> the first station like this pop up?
In Boston, the original WROR 98.5 FM became the first full-time commercial oldies station in 1973, riding the 50's nostalgia wave spawned by the movie "American Graffiti" and the TV show "Happy Days". They played hits from the mid-50's to the very early 60's. This was the period when many oldies stations first debuted in many cities.
There were weekly oldies specialty shows on some commercial and non-commercial stations in Boston well before that. The MIT college station WTBS (now WMBR) had a weekend show called "Rock & Roll Memory Time" when they signed on in 1961, playing "oldies" that were then only less than ten years old. The program remained a 50's and early 60's oldies show until it was finally cancelled in the late 1980's. It aired for something like 25 years.
WTBS at MIT was also the very first home of "Little Walter's Time Machine" in 1968, now nationally syndicated.
> from the '60s and '70s, what did "oldies" stations play back
> then? Were there even any oldies stations around? When did
> the first station like this pop up?
In Boston, the original WROR 98.5 FM became the first full-time commercial oldies station in 1973, riding the 50's nostalgia wave spawned by the movie "American Graffiti" and the TV show "Happy Days". They played hits from the mid-50's to the very early 60's. This was the period when many oldies stations first debuted in many cities.
There were weekly oldies specialty shows on some commercial and non-commercial stations in Boston well before that. The MIT college station WTBS (now WMBR) had a weekend show called "Rock & Roll Memory Time" when they signed on in 1961, playing "oldies" that were then only less than ten years old. The program remained a 50's and early 60's oldies show until it was finally cancelled in the late 1980's. It aired for something like 25 years.
WTBS at MIT was also the very first home of "Little Walter's Time Machine" in 1968, now nationally syndicated.
A
apco25
Guest
> Since the majority of oldies stations nowadays play hits
> from the '60s and '70s, what did "oldies" stations play back
> then? Were there even any oldies stations around? When did
> the first station like this pop up?
>
I'll answer that for you.....back in the late 60's, many top 40 stations held the hit archives of the golden age of Rock on their shoulders. Since there really weren't any defined formatic oldies stations in the late 60's in practically every market...there was a thing called Million Dollar weekends, or Hot wax , Golden Oldies etc....weekends. The playlist by Friday afternoons would become 50 percent currents or less and feature anything that was a year or more older dating back to 55-54.
By the time WOR-FM became a full oldies station, many other major market FM oldies stations formed in the early 70's. They pretty much played anything roughly TOP 20 hit singles or better that ranged from "In The Still Of The Night"- Five Satins, "Wayward Wind", - Gogie Grant, Pat Boone,- "Moody River", to all the Motown, Cameo Parkway to the Garage rockers, Pop/Rock artist and the British Invasion bands that were no longer current.
Anything that became a hit one year or more was considered an oldie. Pretty much everything was played that was a hit on Top 40 radio no matter what it is was played. That roughly continued until the late 70's. Then they became re-currents or non-currents.<P ID="edit"><FONT class="small">Edited by apco25 on 07/09/05 12:56 AM.</FONT></P>
> from the '60s and '70s, what did "oldies" stations play back
> then? Were there even any oldies stations around? When did
> the first station like this pop up?
>
I'll answer that for you.....back in the late 60's, many top 40 stations held the hit archives of the golden age of Rock on their shoulders. Since there really weren't any defined formatic oldies stations in the late 60's in practically every market...there was a thing called Million Dollar weekends, or Hot wax , Golden Oldies etc....weekends. The playlist by Friday afternoons would become 50 percent currents or less and feature anything that was a year or more older dating back to 55-54.
By the time WOR-FM became a full oldies station, many other major market FM oldies stations formed in the early 70's. They pretty much played anything roughly TOP 20 hit singles or better that ranged from "In The Still Of The Night"- Five Satins, "Wayward Wind", - Gogie Grant, Pat Boone,- "Moody River", to all the Motown, Cameo Parkway to the Garage rockers, Pop/Rock artist and the British Invasion bands that were no longer current.
Anything that became a hit one year or more was considered an oldie. Pretty much everything was played that was a hit on Top 40 radio no matter what it is was played. That roughly continued until the late 70's. Then they became re-currents or non-currents.<P ID="edit"><FONT class="small">Edited by apco25 on 07/09/05 12:56 AM.</FONT></P>
I remember the policy for WAXY-106 an automated RKO station that played oldies in South Florida. They would not play anything that was less than six month's old. I assume that has not been current for that long.
They took requests on an answering machine. They played someone requesting a current record at the time, Disco Duck, and laughed her off the air, then reminded everyone that they only play Solid Gold.
> Anything that became a hit one year or more was considered
> an oldie. Pretty much everything was played that was a hit
> on Top 40 radio no matter what it is was played. That
> roughly continued until the late 70's. Then they became
> re-currents or non-currents.
>
<P ID="signature">______________
[email protected]</P>
They took requests on an answering machine. They played someone requesting a current record at the time, Disco Duck, and laughed her off the air, then reminded everyone that they only play Solid Gold.
> Anything that became a hit one year or more was considered
> an oldie. Pretty much everything was played that was a hit
> on Top 40 radio no matter what it is was played. That
> roughly continued until the late 70's. Then they became
> re-currents or non-currents.
>
<P ID="signature">______________
[email protected]</P>
WCAU-FM was one of the first oldies stations. Their jingles were adapted to WCBS-FM, their sister station, when they started playing oldies. WROR also used the "WCAU Goldmine Series."
There were oldies shows going way back. I remember a 1970 show on WFUN in Miami called The Music Museum. It was hosted by newsman Paul Henderson.
WOR-FM had a high percentage of oldies in 1969 and maybe earlier.
I have never been sure of the answer to the question, who was first? I know that WMOD 98.7, Washington's Oldies Station, goes back to about 1971 and maybe 1970. I think they used Oldies in their name too.
WAXY goes back to. At least to 1972 if not 1971. Another candidate would be KHJ-FM or later KRTH.
As far as music played, I posted a WCBS-FM two hour play log from 1985 about two months ago, and it may be in the archives here or on the NYC board.
> I don't really know when the first "official" oldies
> station popped up,but I do remember Joe Niagara of WIBG 990,
> in Philly playing "knocked out Niagara nifties of the past"
> in the early sixties. The "nifties" were from the mid to
> late fifties! The oldies were only seven or eight years old!
>
<P ID="signature">______________
[email protected]</P>
There were oldies shows going way back. I remember a 1970 show on WFUN in Miami called The Music Museum. It was hosted by newsman Paul Henderson.
WOR-FM had a high percentage of oldies in 1969 and maybe earlier.
I have never been sure of the answer to the question, who was first? I know that WMOD 98.7, Washington's Oldies Station, goes back to about 1971 and maybe 1970. I think they used Oldies in their name too.
WAXY goes back to. At least to 1972 if not 1971. Another candidate would be KHJ-FM or later KRTH.
As far as music played, I posted a WCBS-FM two hour play log from 1985 about two months ago, and it may be in the archives here or on the NYC board.
> I don't really know when the first "official" oldies
> station popped up,but I do remember Joe Niagara of WIBG 990,
> in Philly playing "knocked out Niagara nifties of the past"
> in the early sixties. The "nifties" were from the mid to
> late fifties! The oldies were only seven or eight years old!
>
<P ID="signature">______________
[email protected]</P>
O
OldiesCat
Guest
first Oldies station
Actually, WCBS-FM debuted before WROR, signing-on in early 1972.
>
> In Boston, the original WROR 98.5 FM became the first
> full-time commercial oldies station in 1973, riding the 50's
> nostalgia wave spawned by the movie "American Graffiti" and
> the TV show "Happy Days". They played hits from the mid-50's
> to the very early 60's. This was the period when many oldies
> stations first debuted in many cities.
Actually, WCBS-FM debuted before WROR, signing-on in early 1972.
>
> In Boston, the original WROR 98.5 FM became the first
> full-time commercial oldies station in 1973, riding the 50's
> nostalgia wave spawned by the movie "American Graffiti" and
> the TV show "Happy Days". They played hits from the mid-50's
> to the very early 60's. This was the period when many oldies
> stations first debuted in many cities.
Back in the 70's there weren't that many true oldies stations. In the 60's, there were so few music stations--most people didn't care about FM then--and there weren't many formats available, so most were Top 40 or MOR.
I started listening to CBS-FM around 1974. They had quite a variety, which not only included 50's rock hits but the MOR stuff too, like Nat King Cole. CBS-FM also played currents sparingly, but it eventually allowed them to play "oldies" much later than most stations (even into the 80's) and they never sounded out of place.
It really wasn't till the latter part of the 80's that oldies stations started showing up just about everywhere. Most played a sprinkle of 50's and 70's (not many past 1973 or so) and the heavy concentration was always 1964-1969.
I started listening to CBS-FM around 1974. They had quite a variety, which not only included 50's rock hits but the MOR stuff too, like Nat King Cole. CBS-FM also played currents sparingly, but it eventually allowed them to play "oldies" much later than most stations (even into the 80's) and they never sounded out of place.
It really wasn't till the latter part of the 80's that oldies stations started showing up just about everywhere. Most played a sprinkle of 50's and 70's (not many past 1973 or so) and the heavy concentration was always 1964-1969.
J
Joseph_Gallant
Guest
Even before Boston got an all-oldies format, there was a time circa 1969 when the late Bud Ballou on the old WMEX-1510 would devote his entire Friday-evening show (his airshift was weeknights from 6 to 10 P.M.) to oldies.
At the time, WMEX was (apart from Ballou's Friday-night oldies show) a top-40/CHR format.
My guess was that his show played hits that were more than a couple of years old.
Anyone who listened to that show on a regular basis is welcomes to respond and provide more details.
At the time, WMEX was (apart from Ballou's Friday-night oldies show) a top-40/CHR format.
My guess was that his show played hits that were more than a couple of years old.
Anyone who listened to that show on a regular basis is welcomes to respond and provide more details.
> Back in the 70's there weren't that many true oldies stations.
Wasn't that satellite format started just last year by Scott Shannon?
Wasn't that satellite format started just last year by Scott Shannon?
> I don't really know when the first "official" oldies
> station popped up,but I do remember Joe Niagara of WIBG 990,
> in Philly playing "knocked out Niagara nifties of the past"
> in the early sixties. The "nifties" were from the mid to
> late fifties! The oldies were only seven or eight years old!>>
And also on Wibbage in the early '60's Hy Lit had his Sunday night "Hall of fame" show, the first oldies show I remember. He played '50's music, which seemed old to me then as a kid. He still has this show Sunday nights on WOGL!
> station popped up,but I do remember Joe Niagara of WIBG 990,
> in Philly playing "knocked out Niagara nifties of the past"
> in the early sixties. The "nifties" were from the mid to
> late fifties! The oldies were only seven or eight years old!>>
And also on Wibbage in the early '60's Hy Lit had his Sunday night "Hall of fame" show, the first oldies show I remember. He played '50's music, which seemed old to me then as a kid. He still has this show Sunday nights on WOGL!
>
> It really wasn't till the latter part of the 80's that
> oldies stations started showing up just about everywhere.
> Most played a sprinkle of 50's and 70's (not many past 1973
> or so) and the heavy concentration was always 1964-1969.
>
Dunno about that...when WODS in Boston debuted in 1987 (?) they were quite heavily pre-1962. Don't think that changed much until the mid-ish 90s.
> It really wasn't till the latter part of the 80's that
> oldies stations started showing up just about everywhere.
> Most played a sprinkle of 50's and 70's (not many past 1973
> or so) and the heavy concentration was always 1964-1969.
>
Dunno about that...when WODS in Boston debuted in 1987 (?) they were quite heavily pre-1962. Don't think that changed much until the mid-ish 90s.
> I remember the policy for WAXY-106 an automated RKO station
> that played oldies in South Florida. They would not play
> anything that was less than six month's old. I assume that
> has not been current for that long.
>
> They took requests on an answering machine. They played
> someone requesting a current record at the time, Disco Duck,
> and laughed her off the air, then reminded everyone that
> they only play Solid Gold.
Kind of puts things into perspective doesn't it? Back then a 6 month old song would be considered an oldie, yet today many on this board think a 30 year old song is too new.
> that played oldies in South Florida. They would not play
> anything that was less than six month's old. I assume that
> has not been current for that long.
>
> They took requests on an answering machine. They played
> someone requesting a current record at the time, Disco Duck,
> and laughed her off the air, then reminded everyone that
> they only play Solid Gold.
Kind of puts things into perspective doesn't it? Back then a 6 month old song would be considered an oldie, yet today many on this board think a 30 year old song is too new.
A
apco25
Guest
> Even before Boston got an all-oldies format, there was a
> time circa 1969 when the late Bud Ballou on the old
> WMEX-1510 would devote his entire Friday-evening show (his
> airshift was weeknights from 6 to 10 P.M.) to oldies.
>
> At the time, WMEX was (apart from Ballou's Friday-night
> oldies show) a top-40/CHR format.
>
> My guess was that his show played hits that were more than a
> couple of years old.
>
> Anyone who listened to that show on a regular basis is
> welcomes to respond and provide more details.
>
But the topic of this thread is what was the first oldies format playing. Nothing to do with weekend dayparts, speciality shows, or certain features even if they date back in 62'.
You can date back to Art Laboe the man who first phrased non- current music as "oldies". But were not talking speciality or featured shows.
> time circa 1969 when the late Bud Ballou on the old
> WMEX-1510 would devote his entire Friday-evening show (his
> airshift was weeknights from 6 to 10 P.M.) to oldies.
>
> At the time, WMEX was (apart from Ballou's Friday-night
> oldies show) a top-40/CHR format.
>
> My guess was that his show played hits that were more than a
> couple of years old.
>
> Anyone who listened to that show on a regular basis is
> welcomes to respond and provide more details.
>
But the topic of this thread is what was the first oldies format playing. Nothing to do with weekend dayparts, speciality shows, or certain features even if they date back in 62'.
You can date back to Art Laboe the man who first phrased non- current music as "oldies". But were not talking speciality or featured shows.
J
JohnnyMorganWXJX
Guest
Re: first Oldies station
> Actually, WCBS-FM debuted before WROR, signing-on in early
> 1972.
I thought the same thing, then re-reading it, I think he was referring simply to WROR being the first oldies station in Boston.
> >
> > In Boston, the original WROR 98.5 FM became the first
> > full-time commercial oldies station in 1973, riding the
> 50's
> > nostalgia wave spawned by the movie "American Graffiti"
> and
> > the TV show "Happy Days". They played hits from the
> mid-50's
> > to the very early 60's. This was the period when many
> oldies
> > stations first debuted in many cities.
>
> Actually, WCBS-FM debuted before WROR, signing-on in early
> 1972.
I thought the same thing, then re-reading it, I think he was referring simply to WROR being the first oldies station in Boston.
> >
> > In Boston, the original WROR 98.5 FM became the first
> > full-time commercial oldies station in 1973, riding the
> 50's
> > nostalgia wave spawned by the movie "American Graffiti"
> and
> > the TV show "Happy Days". They played hits from the
> mid-50's
> > to the very early 60's. This was the period when many
> oldies
> > stations first debuted in many cities.
>
J
JohnnyMorganWXJX
Guest
> >
> > WOR-FM had a high percentage of oldies in 1969 and maybe
> > earlier.
> >
>
> I thought WOR-FM went Drake Top 40 in 1967/68, eventually
> evolving into 99X, then rhythmic "Kiss". When were they
> oldies?
>
When it originally came to 98.7, WOR-FM under Bill Drake was a pseudo-oldies station, leaning heavily adult rather than Top 40. The Top 40 cuts they'd play would be softer and almost chicken rock; the majority of the format was what we'd term oldies--stuff from back to the mid-late 50s.
It became more a prototypical Drake Top 40 operation in 1969-70.
Check out the WOR-FM Composite at Reelradio.com for an example of what I mean.
> > WOR-FM had a high percentage of oldies in 1969 and maybe
> > earlier.
> >
>
> I thought WOR-FM went Drake Top 40 in 1967/68, eventually
> evolving into 99X, then rhythmic "Kiss". When were they
> oldies?
>
When it originally came to 98.7, WOR-FM under Bill Drake was a pseudo-oldies station, leaning heavily adult rather than Top 40. The Top 40 cuts they'd play would be softer and almost chicken rock; the majority of the format was what we'd term oldies--stuff from back to the mid-late 50s.
It became more a prototypical Drake Top 40 operation in 1969-70.
Check out the WOR-FM Composite at Reelradio.com for an example of what I mean.
Re: first Oldies station
I think he meant for Boston, not for the USA.
> Actually, WCBS-FM debuted before WROR, signing-on in early
> 1972.
>
>
> >
> > In Boston, the original WROR 98.5 FM became the first
> > full-time commercial oldies station in 1973, riding the
> 50's
> > nostalgia wave spawned by the movie "American Graffiti"
> and
> > the TV show "Happy Days". They played hits from the
> mid-50's
> > to the very early 60's. This was the period when many
> oldies
> > stations first debuted in many cities.
>
<P ID="signature">______________
[email protected]</P>
I think he meant for Boston, not for the USA.
> Actually, WCBS-FM debuted before WROR, signing-on in early
> 1972.
>
>
> >
> > In Boston, the original WROR 98.5 FM became the first
> > full-time commercial oldies station in 1973, riding the
> 50's
> > nostalgia wave spawned by the movie "American Graffiti"
> and
> > the TV show "Happy Days". They played hits from the
> mid-50's
> > to the very early 60's. This was the period when many
> oldies
> > stations first debuted in many cities.
>
<P ID="signature">______________
[email protected]</P>
Not only that, WOR-FM had a jock named Bill Brown, and another by the name of Joe McCoy.
> >
>
> When it originally came to 98.7, WOR-FM under Bill Drake was
> a pseudo-oldies station, leaning heavily adult rather than
> Top 40. The Top 40 cuts they'd play would be softer and
> almost chicken rock; the majority of the format was what
> we'd term oldies--stuff from back to the mid-late 50s.
>
> It became more a prototypical Drake Top 40 operation in
> 1969-70.
>
> Check out the WOR-FM Composite at Reelradio.com for an
> example of what I mean.
>
<P ID="signature">______________
[email protected]</P>
> >
>
> When it originally came to 98.7, WOR-FM under Bill Drake was
> a pseudo-oldies station, leaning heavily adult rather than
> Top 40. The Top 40 cuts they'd play would be softer and
> almost chicken rock; the majority of the format was what
> we'd term oldies--stuff from back to the mid-late 50s.
>
> It became more a prototypical Drake Top 40 operation in
> 1969-70.
>
> Check out the WOR-FM Composite at Reelradio.com for an
> example of what I mean.
>
<P ID="signature">______________
[email protected]</P>
I was listening to some old CBS-FM jingles today and when they had jingles with years sung, they went back to 1954. When was the last time they played a 1954 song during a regular show?
>
> I started listening to CBS-FM around 1974. They had quite a
> variety, which not only included 50's rock hits but the MOR
> stuff too, like Nat King Cole. CBS-FM also played currents
> sparingly, but it eventually allowed them to play "oldies"
> much later than most stations (even into the 80's) and they
> never sounded out of place.
> <P ID="signature">______________
[email protected]</P>
>
> I started listening to CBS-FM around 1974. They had quite a
> variety, which not only included 50's rock hits but the MOR
> stuff too, like Nat King Cole. CBS-FM also played currents
> sparingly, but it eventually allowed them to play "oldies"
> much later than most stations (even into the 80's) and they
> never sounded out of place.
> <P ID="signature">______________
[email protected]</P>
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