Neither WLS nor WCFL played "Taxi". Was it that he went flying so high when he was stoned, or that he learned about love in the back of a Dodge, or what? Maybe it was too long for head to head competitive Top 40? But they played "MacArthur Park", which was 7:21. It says the album version was 6:44. Seems like the 45 was about a minute shorter.
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Why Did Neither WLS Nor WCFL Play "Taxi" By Harry Chapin?
- Thread starter Schroedingers Cat
- Start date
I wasn't aware that both stations didn't play "Taxi". "Rhapsody In The Rain" by Lou Christie referred to "making Love in the Rain". They played that song. How long was "Bohemian Rhapsody?" They played that and it was pretty long. I don't know why they didn't play "Taxi" it was a very good song.
Interesting that WLS didn't; the ABC O&O in NYC (WABC) played it, but then Chapin was a local NY artist and the song was already very popular on the FM rock stations. However, it wasn't that big a national hit, peaking at #24 in Billboard. So it was easy for a lot of stations to ignore.
I'm guessing that song length and/or subject matter didn't factor into why it died in Chicago. It was one of the most boring songs of the early '70s. Chapin did better work later on. Cat's in the Cradle was a far better song, and is considered a classic. Taxi is sleep-inducing.
It did get played on Chicago FMs. I remember WBBM-FM playing it.
What about "WOLD"
That song charted worse than Taxi. It didn't even make Top 30.
His only #1 was "Cats In the Cradle," and they did an edit to make it 3:29. That probably helped it get to #1.
I think a lot of Harry's music got FM airplay because the songs were longer and more intricate. They fit better with what FM radio was doing at the time. Unfortunately there weren't any airplay charts for FM rock radio in 1972, otherwise Taxi might have shown up.
But that was back when WBBM-FM was an album-rock station, a decade before it became B-96. WXRT probably played it as well. I heard it in Indy on WNAP, another FM station. I have only one survey from WIFE, 4/27/1972, but it wasn't on that list either.
What about "WOLD"
I only heard it a few times, and they were much later than when it was allegedly a "hit" in 1973. I was in Phoenix at the time, and I don't remember it being played on any station there. Maybe KDKB aired it once in awhile, but if it ever aired on KRIZ, KRUX, KUPD, or KBBC, I must have missed it.
The fact that it got played at all later in the decade might have been due to it supposedly being the inspiration for WKRP in Cincinnati. It was another of Chapin's boring songs.
It was played on a carrier current station, “WERA” , in Joliet, and on WIRL Peoria. In Michigan, it used to be played on WDRQ, WWCK, WFMK and other Top 40/AOR Dayparted Hybrid formats.
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James Dobson even touted the message of "Cat's In The Cradle" in one of his short "Focus On The Family" snippets that were run on a lot of AC/Full Service stations back in the day. Can't see him doing that with "Taxi" .
.In the special radio version, they "fell in love in the rain". In the special radio version of "Brown Eyed Girl" they slipped and slided behind the stadium. I think censorship (though those were tame by today's standards, we could use some now for sure) kept those from higher chart positions. Consider that you still hear "Brown Eyed Girl" a lot to this day, and it only reached #10 Hot 100 for a single week. I can't even believe what's #1 Hot 100 now. Oh, I see it already fell to #2 in its second week on the chart. Please "Don't Look Ethel!".
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I was in Dallas and I recall Taxi being played as a hit but only evenings and overnights. While I listened to several top 40s, KLIF 1190 played it and KNUS 99 FM played it.
KLIF tended to daypart extensively. Middays were very AC, almost heavy MOR. KNUS likely aired it in all dayparts. Their image was the 'cool' top 40. I do not recall Taxi being heard on KFJZ, KXOL or late to the party in 1973, KFWD 102.1 that avoided a couple of the heaviest top 40 chart hits. I will say I listened to KFJZ least followed by KXOL mostly because on the east side of Dallas these Ft. Worth stations either could not be heard at night or were scratchy during daylight. The album oriented rock stations played the tune.
KLIF tended to daypart extensively. Middays were very AC, almost heavy MOR. KNUS likely aired it in all dayparts. Their image was the 'cool' top 40. I do not recall Taxi being heard on KFJZ, KXOL or late to the party in 1973, KFWD 102.1 that avoided a couple of the heaviest top 40 chart hits. I will say I listened to KFJZ least followed by KXOL mostly because on the east side of Dallas these Ft. Worth stations either could not be heard at night or were scratchy during daylight. The album oriented rock stations played the tune.
At the time WBBM-FM was part album and part Top 40, but you're right it didn't fit the Top 40 format.
According to wikipedia "Taxi" reached #24 on Billboard's Hot 100 and stayed on the chart for 16 weeks. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taxi_(song)
So apparently quite a few Top 40 stations played it.
So apparently quite a few Top 40 stations played it.
"Taxi" got significant Top 40 airplay in Boston. I remember hearing "W-O-L-D" on Syracuse radio, but not on the Top 40 station, WOLF, but on a couple of uptempo MORs, WHEN and WFBL. Again, these are two Eastern markets, where Chapin was more popular.
For years, WOLD was on 1330 in Marion, VA. WOLD remains as the callsign of the station on 102.5 in Marion, VA. WOLD (AM) was donated a few years ago and is now WSNQ, which was previously a station on 900 in Gaylord, MI, now called DWSNQ by the FCC. Marion is about 70 miles from Big Stone Gap, VA, where the legendary WLSD 1220 is located. It was WLSD long before LSD, and continues with that callsign today. 30 odd years ago, there were news stories nationwide reporting about station callsigns which would not have been allowed later, including WLSD. Not sure if KLSD 1360, the legendary heritage KGB ran into problems. Apparently Russian government agency acronyms are not taboo, as KGB was recently assigned to 760 in San Diego, where KGB-FM was already assigned. Even WRMN Elgin would not have been allowed on 1410 Elgin, if Richard Milhouse Nixon was President when the callsign was applied for. Oddly enough, WDJT remains on a TV station in Milwaukee, WI, and is also grandfathered. Many many stations were grandfathered with Presidential initials.
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