Top 40 Radio Back in the Day, circa 1985

[radiorama1]

Re: Top 30 Radio Back in the Day, circa 1970

Yea - the weekly WRKO top 30 lists. I would ride
my bike up to the local music store in town,
and get the weekly list, every week. On the wall were all of
the Top 30 45 rpm singles (vinyl, baby!).
The first ones I ever bought with my own money -
Keep Me Hangin' On by Vanilla Fudge, (did not know for
years that it was a Supremes song, originally)
and Sunshine of Your Love by Cream.

Back when there was killer music as current stuff -
nothing like the junk that passes for music these days...

Starting in approximately 1971, we discovered FM radio.
I used to tune that in was WKOX-FM 105.7. They used to do a top 30
(40?) countdown during a weekday afternoon, after school.
This was, of course, when were didn't run home to tune in
the 3 Stooges on the "Frito Sports Club" on channel 38!

Yes! Likewise with the WHTT "Hitlists" years later... and what was so cool about it was that Musicland (well, the one my mom used to take me to anyway) would have their singles arranged by the chart placement of WHTT!

And back then (1984,85) I would say a 45 rpm went for about.. oh $1.75-$1.99, meaning you could actually buy a few for little $$$ (the only problem though was that I would sometimes spend up to an HOUR trying to decide which 4-5 singles I would buywith the $10 bucks I was given! haha)

I imagine during the period you are talking about (late 60's-early 70's) you could walk out of a store with TWICE as many singles for under HALF the dough!

 

[WLYNWAZNgm]

Back in the Day...

Hey, I was allowed to stay up, past my bedtime,
to watch the Beatles on Ed Sullivan - my teeth
were brushed, and I was already in my p.j.'s! ;D

 

[jimcutler]

Chuck Igo: I remember that well. And thank you for doing it, again.

Radiorama1: I was a jock in NYC, Detroit, Hartford and New Haven before coming to ZOU. I was production director at ZOU when they spin the "Who's PD this month" wheel and my name came up. It was 3 months of not being the boss that I never want to repeat. Thanks for the good words. I'm just another mook doing this.

Jim Slutler

 

[Chuckigo]

Chuck Igo: I remember that well. And thank you for doing it, again.

(snip)

Jim Slutler

you're welcome. and i am LMAO. (check your fingers on the home row next time you type.... you lost that potential-moniker the first time you took a radio paycheck. ;D )

 

[mcmannors]

(I remember one of my favorite nighttime jocks of the 80's, Alex Stone, being replaced by the AWFUL Tony "Wild Child" _________ (can't remember his last name) after they made the switch from "Hitradio" to "Power"...

Tony "Wild Child" Hamilton is probably who you're thinking of. He's the brother of Sean "Hollywood" Hamilton, currently at WKTU/New York and formerly at Z-100/New York and KIIS-FM/Los Angeles. I didn't even know "Wild Child" worked in Boston. He worked at Z-95 in Milwaukee in 1984, then went on to WBBM-FM in Chicago for a time. I lost track of him after that, until he re-surfaced as a part timer at Z-100 in New York around 1987. I lost track of him after that.

Both brothers worked at the old "Y-107" (WMJY) in Long Branch, New Jersey back around 1981-82. "Hollywood" then went on to Q-105 in Tampa before being hired by Scott Shannon again to do late nights at Z-100.

Speaking of Alex Stone, does anybody know if that's the same Alex Stone who is now a news reporter for ABC radio?

 

[radiorama1]

(I remember one of my favorite nighttime jocks of the 80's, Alex Stone, being replaced by the AWFUL Tony "Wild Child" _________ (can't remember his last name) after they made the switch from "Hitradio" to "Power"...

Tony "Wild Child" Hamilton is probably who you're thinking of. He's the brother of Sean "Hollywood" Hamilton, currently at WKTU/New York and formerly at Z-100/New York and KIIS-FM/Los Angeles. I didn't even know "Wild Child" worked in Boston. He worked at Z-95 in Milwaukee in 1984, then went on to WBBM-FM in Chicago for a time. I lost track of him after that, until he re-surfaced as a part timer at Z-100 in New York around 1987. I lost track of him after that.

Both brothers worked at the old "Y-107" (WMJY) in Long Branch, New Jersey back around 1981-82. "Hollywood" then went on to Q-105 in Tampa before being hired by Scott Shannon again to do late nights at Z-100.

Speaking of Alex Stone, does anybody know if that's the same Alex Stone who is now a news reporter for ABC radio?

Tony "Wild Child" Hamilton is probably who you're thinking of. He's the brother of Sean "Hollywood" Hamilton, currently at WKTU/New York and formerly at Z-100/New York and KIIS-FM/Los Angeles. I didn't even know "Wild Child" worked in Boston. He worked at Z-95 in Milwaukee in 1984, then went on to WBBM-FM in Chicago for a time. I lost track of him after that, until he re-surfaced as a part timer at Z-100 in New York around 1987. I lost track of him after that.

Yeah, that must be him. And take it from me, he wasn't at HTT very long...

Speaking of Alex Stone, does anybody know if that's the same Alex Stone who is now a news reporter for ABC radio?

Hmmmmmmm.... very interesting question! ???

 

[Retro]

Speaking of WHTT, anyone remember either Cindy Balin or Doug Elling? (is that how you spelled his name?)

Also there was morning guy Bruce Kelly, and he had his own song on the station Wrestlemia! Which was a cool tune as well! He was just let go from a station in Phoenix after being there for a long while.

 

[radiorama1]

Speaking of WHTT, anyone remember either Cindy Balin or Doug Elling? (is that how you spelled his name?)

Also there was morning guy Bruce Kelly, and he had his own song on the station Wrestlemia! Which was a cool tune as well! He was just let go from a station in Phoenix after being there for a long while.

I remember them all... think Doug's last name was ALLING with an A, but I could be wrong... Cindy Balin IIRC did weekends there, she ended up somewhere else after WHTT but I can't quite recall right now...

Also IIRC I think Doug held down the midday shift on HTT.

And as for Bruce Kelly, he left HTT to do morning drive at KZZP, 104.7 fm In Phoenix.

Here's one for the panel: does anyone know who took over morning drive on HTT after Bruce Kelley left? I can't remember...

 

[radiorama1]

No, no come to think of it-- I think it was in fact Elling lol. (I recall seeing his name on some aircheck sites)

(Retro, I know you'll remember this one! ;D ) Who here remembers "Hot Hit Video" ... that aired I think late Saturday nights on Channel 7 in Boston... WHTT jocks (I think they would rotate in and out for each show) would host an "MTV" style-music video program that would be simulcast on 103.3 FM!!! ;D 8)

 

[Retro]

I have on cassette when they did a salute to local bands. The local scene was really good back then! Also, I have one of the Top 10 at 10's on tape also.

 

[Garrett]

Ok, now just think... Look at the popularity of the topic thread.
Consider this: 103.3 is still an Oldies station, and which songs are "Oldies" today? YUP! Just about all the songs that WHTT played are getting airplay on Classic Hits stations like 103.3 today. So imagine the attention CBS would get for 103.3 if they brought back Power103 close to how it was in the 80s? All this would fit together, don't you think? They'd get the younger demo, and everyone would be familiar with the personalities (not to knock the great people who are on there right now, they'd fit too).

 

[Retro]

Ok, now just think... Look at the popularity of the topic thread.
Consider this: 103.3 is still an Oldies station, and which songs are "Oldies" today? YUP! Just about all the songs that WHTT played are getting airplay on Classic Hits stations like 103.3 today. So imagine the attention CBS would get for 103.3 if they brought back Power103 close to how it was in the 80s? All this would fit together, don't you think? They'd get the younger demo, and everyone would be familiar with the personalities (not to knock the great people who are on there right now, they'd fit too).

But they are not really playing those 80's titles yet though.

 

[Retro]

BTW Mix is much more closer to what WHTT was back during the 1980's than Oldies is. When Mix starts pushing more towards the 90's and the new millennium, then we might see Oldies slowly drop the 60's and go more 70's/80's instead. However, this is a topic for a new thread instead.

 

[radiorama1]

Garrett, expanding on Retro's point here...

I know what you're getting at... and I would love to see it happen. But I think there's zero chance...

Yes it's true that Oldies is/or will soon be playing "All Night Long" by Lionel Richie, "Time After Time" by Cyndi Lauper, and "Let's Hear It For The Boy" by Denice Williams, all in heavy rotation on HTT back in the day. But notice how they are only touching the stuff that leans AC/light AC? What about other HTT regulars such as "Love My Way" by The Psychedellic Furs? Or "Wouldn't It Be Good" by Nik Kershaw, or even something like "Loverboy" by Billy Ocean? I don't think that Oldies would ever touch those (and if you start to comb over those "Hitlists" that Retro posted on page one of this thread, there are many, many more that would never get airplay today on 103.3.)

I know there are exceptions to the rule, and it can be done if executed properly (such as CBS FM in NYC)... and I would LOVE to see WHTT come back... but Garrett, I mean it's been over 20 years now. Nobody outside of our circle here on Radio-Info, knows or even cares who Alex Stone or Doug Elling is...

1985 is far distant in the rear-view mirror, and the WHTT call letters mean NOTHING in Boston anymore. That ship has sailed.

 

[Garrett]

Garrett, expanding on Retro's point here...

I know what you're getting at... and I would love to see it happen. But I think there's zero chance...

Yes it's true that Oldies is/or will soon be playing "All Night Long" by Lionel Richie, "Time After Time" by Cyndi Lauper, and "Let's Hear It For The Boy" by Denice Williams, all in heavy rotation on HTT back in the day. But notice how they are only touching the stuff that leans AC/light AC? What about other HTT regulars such as "Love My Way" by The Psychedellic Furs? Or "Wouldn't It Be Good" by Nik Kershaw, or even something like "Loverboy" by Billy Ocean? I don't think that Oldies would ever touch those (and if you start to comb over those "Hitlists" that Retro posted on page one of this thread, there are many, many more that would never get airplay today on 103.3.)

I know there are exceptions to the rule, and it can be done if executed properly (such as CBS FM in NYC)... and I would LOVE to see WHTT come back... but Garrett, I mean it's been over 20 years now. Nobody outside of our circle here on Radio-Info, knows or even cares who Alex Stone or Doug Elling is...

1985 is far distant in the rear-view mirror, and the WHTT call letters mean NOTHING in Boston anymore. That ship has sailed.

Nor do many of today's college freshmen realize JJ was at Kiss, or that Karen Blake was on WZOU. But the audience that listens to Oldies DOES (that's why all of Kiss 108's old staff on WODS now). Look, maybe I shouldn't say "it would sound EXACTLY like WHTT did" back in the day, but there could be others from that era who would fit in. By and large, I think it would be a waste to not take advantage of the station's popularity. WHTT was such a hit, I would bet money that the audience that WROR and WODS goes after would flock to the station! If I know Boston, and I think I do, this is a demographic that would remember WHTT.

I should also have pointed out that there are plenty of opportunities for either Mix or ODS to pick up the imaging. The current WHTT is Buffalo currently goes by "MIX" so it's not a stretch to consider that CBS could very easily work out a Call letter swap, and those calls would fit 98.5's format nicely. Or Oldies could move over to 98.5 (where it was as WROR for many years), and the contempery 80s and 90s would fit well on WHTT.

Will it ever happen? Probably not. But why not consider it? Just for fun?

 

[Eli Polonsky]

WHTT was such a hit, I would bet money that the audience that WROR and WODS goes after would flock to the station! If I know Boston, and I think I do, this is a demographic that would remember WHTT.

Some people a few years older thought the same thing would happen when 105.7 became the new WROR in the mid-'90s.

Some people a few years older than that thought the same thing would happen when 1150 became the new WMEX in the mid-'80s.

It didn't happen in either case, and it wouldn't happen again if 103.3 became the new WHTT "Power103". Also, the originals WMEX and WROR both had much longer heydays of popularity than WHTT's three years.

Bringing back twenty-plus year-old call letters and formatics does nothing but maybe attract a little initial curiosity among a small group of local radio nostalgics. After any initial nostalgia quickly wears off, the station is left to stand on its current programming and presentation, as it would be anyway regardless of the call letters.

 

[Retro]

I think that when Greater Media flipped WKLB to WROR that they were on the right track. While the station hasn't had the power ratings at all, it has certainly served its niche with people who remember the original WROR. The only problem is that most of these listeners are listening to Oldies 103.3 much more as well.

As far as bringing back WHTT, I think that a lot more people would identify with WZOU instead. Just a thought.

 

[Oldbones]

Also, the originals WMEX and WROR both had much longer heydays of popularity than WHTT's three years.

Bringing back twenty-plus year-old call letters and formatics does nothing but maybe attract a little initial curiosity among a small group of local radio nostalgics. After any initial nostalgia quickly wears off, the station is left to stand on its current programming and presentation, as it would be anyway regardless of the call letters.

Agreed.

I'm sort of surprised the WROR calls were brought back on 105.7 myself. While they had longevity in the market, there really wasn't much of an "image" attached to them. Oldies, various flavors of AC, a brief stab at CHR then back to various flavors of AC. I certainly wouldn't call them "heritage" calls like WBZ, WRKO, WBCN, etc.

 

[mgpt6]

These stations mean little to me compared to WBCN, WCAS, WCOZ and even WRKO in the 70s.

 

[Eli Polonsky]

I'm sort of surprised the WROR calls were brought back on 105.7 myself. While they had longevity in the market, there really wasn't much of an "image" attached to them. Oldies, various flavors of AC, a brief stab at CHR then back to various flavors of AC. I certainly wouldn't call them "heritage" calls like WBZ, WRKO, WBCN, etc.

I recall that, after a few mediocre years, WROR made a big splash from about 1973 through 1975 as Boston's first full-power, full-time Oldies station during the '50s/early '60s nostalgia wave, following the popularity of "American Graffiti" and "Happy Days".

Then, when they tried to go AC, CHR, etc... later on, everyone was still expecting the "Golden Great 98". It wasn't until they finally made the full flip, with new call letters and branding, to current Hot AC as "Mix" that the station finally shed its leftover oldies image, and built itself a whole new younger demo.