Rock Radio 50 Years Ago ♪ APRIL 1976

Country, Classical, Opera, Blues? All in a Rhapsody of Rock & Roll!

Updated—04/13/26: Finally! The BFYP final edition is here! The bulk of the delay is due to the vagaries of life, but as mentioned already, I became enmeshed in research for the monthly Song of Note. Seriously, I could make a movie on my discoveries. Oh … well … it’s already been done. Hopefully you’ll enjoy the storytelling as much as I did learning what I missed as a young’un, and sharing it.

There’s no disputing that this era was musical history in the making. And it all played out on Rock Radio music charts. Those Top Ten-Twenty-Thirty-Forty lists of the Seventies especially, told the history of Rock & Roll, while foretelling the future of it.

Bubblegum Pop evaporated into edgier lyrics and stretched to include instruments in other musical realms. By the middle ‘70s, a subtle battle waged up and down the charts between Pop, Disco, Glam Rock and mushrooming experimental melodies with unusual instruments and sounds. Lyrics continued to reflect events of the day, surrounded by the ever-present love songs. Every month brought more mind-altering music and wild-‘n’-crazy DJs to test the limits of former boundaries and what Radio stations would allow.

This month’s Featured Radio Survey heads into the decade’s end flaunting ever-growing raw talent on the charts. For better or worse, those on the inside were often fueled by the Seventies’ banner of “Sex, Drugs & Rock & Roll.” The rest of us gobbled it up and craved more. We weren’t disappointed.  

Even those who were too young to understand it or care, found the early progressive Rock as the years tore on, never letting go of the essence of Rock & Roll—innovation. Welcome to APRIL 1976 as we Spring into memories or learn anew, true tales behind the mic …Enjoy 50 Years Ago this Month … 

º APRIL 1976 Radio News & Muse ♪ 
What was your fave DJ playing when you turned on your tinny transistor radio 50 Years Ago? Oh, I’m well aware that many of you readers, like me, have forgotten many details of “back in the day.” And then there are those who love Rock & Roll, but aren’t blessed with the memories, so let’s look back together, to pioneering Rock & Roll Radio in the making …

You might find interesting, April 1976’s KRIZ 1230/Phoenix, Arizona, Top 30 survey (ARSA link is NOT secure; enter at own risk). Their “Hits” list for April 17^th – 30^th, flaunts WINGS’ new “Silly Love Songs” at #2, while their album, [Wings] At The Speed of Sound, is firmly entrenched at #1 of their Top 10 Albums list.

       KRIZ became a Top 40 powerhouse just as Rock & Roll was really hitting its stride in 1963. Were you listening when it fueled a ratings feud with KRUX (1360 AM) that raged into the early ‘70s? Popular DJ Shotgun Tom Kelly was, hitting their airwaves for a few of their best years (later, as a San Diego KCBQ icon, he donned his trademark ranger hat). But when Top 40 faltered, as new music and listening habits evolved, Shotgun left and KRIZ eventually flipped to KFLR in 1978. More failed format and call sign changes landed its 1230 AM dial on KOY, now featuring what’s considered a regional Mexican radio format.

Or were you around in the mid-‘70s to enjoy the dulcet tones of DJ Dennis Elliot on the short-lived WPEZ in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania? From 1976 to sometime in ‘77, Pittsburgh listeners tuned into Dennis’s spirited commentary and smooth, energetic voice.
       We know from this aircheck that he was there at least through New Year’s 1977, giving away t-shirts and making winners of his listeners … take a listen and enjoy the past with Dennis and our history-making music. Last heard, Dennis spent 1996 (and more?) in Pittsburgh with WZPT during their radio tenure 1994-2011. But couldn’t find further current news.
       WPEZ’s hits were heard over the airwaves from November 1973 until it, too, gave up on Top 40 and opted for an adult contemporary format in September 1980, flipping to WWSW-FM. It’s now broadcasting classic hits as 94.5 3WS.  

Movin’ on … notes & news about music of the day … 

♪ APRIL 1976 Song of Note ♪   
Grab a cuppa something, sit back and enjoy the read. It’s gonna be a long one … just like the song … 
       During the 1950s and ‘60s there were one or two songs and artists that defined each decade. But the 1970s was an era in transition that continued building on the late ‘60s’ creative energy.
       The first half-decade represented a sound mix of Pop and a little edgier Rock, while the second half split the sound between even more musical nuances as we explored with innovative enthusiasm. The APRIL 1976 Song of Note is tinged with Disco, infused with waning Pop, even hinting at the Blues and Opera, while reverberating with ever-edgier, Rock & Roll. Coined “progressive Rock,” you’ll find it at #6 on the WPEZ Featured Radio Survey …   
       There is nothing about British band Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody” (from their fourth album, A Night at the Opera) that hasn’t already been said … over … and over … and over. But maybe you’ve forgotten or don’t even know who Queen was (!). There are great, classic Rock & Roll songs and artists, and then there are those that transcend all musical genres.  

       Often referred to as a Hard Rock masterpiece … “Bohemian Rhapsody” urges a response, whether you love(d) it or hate(d) it. I watched the biographically dramatic movie of the same name (2018, now showing on Netflix*) to remind me of the story behind it. The song and the movie both won a slew of awards. After watching, the lyrics took on a whole new meaning that I never paid attention to, back in the day …
       Without the 1970s story context, “Bohemian Rhapsody,” the song, could be construed as depressing, morose, or simply sad, and an extremely long musical piece for that era, that doesn’t know what it wants to be when it grows up. But there’s no denying Freddie Mercury (1946-1991) was a one-of-a-kind person and a music innovator/genius. He didn’t just create the music. He felt it in every fiber of his being.
       It didn’t matter that Freddie had prominent buckteeth that belied his worth as a band frontman. Would he fix those teeth? Heck no. Freddie credited the anomaly he was born with, four extra incisors, for his incredible vocal range.

       And he couldn’t have expressed it quite as well without the original members of Queen. All genius musicians in their own right, Roger Taylor (76, drums), John Deacon (74, bass) and Brian May (78, guitar), didn’t always like Freddie, but totally understood him.  
       We could even argue Freddie was tinged with mysticism. “Bohemian Rhapsody’s” lyrics were begun as a teen, way back in 1960 … was it a metaphor for his life? How would he know then, his life would end so early? Perhaps he didn’t know the how then, but he surely foretold the way-too-soon final outcome.
       Freddie suspected he’d contracted Aids by the time Queen reunited and performed at Wimbley Stadium for the first Live Aid concert in 1985 (for the Ethiopian famine). And yet, he kept performing. 
♪ …

I'm just a poor boy, nobody loves me | He's just a poor boy from a poor family | Spare him his life from this monstrosity … ♪    
       Why the extended section on the Song of Note? I delved more into Queen largely due to my son, Scott, who was too young to know them in the ‘70s and became an ardent fan near the end of their journey, in the mid-1980s. I’m so glad he urged me to look further into the incredible story of Queen, proving we’re never too old to learn a thing or two. I’m embarrassed to admit that back in the '70s, though I loved Queen’s music, I didn’t care about the background. I just wanted to know … can I dance to it?!  
       While you may think you don’t like them, I guarantee you’ve had a reason to sing at least one refrain of Queen’s 1977 mega-hit, “We Are The Champions.” They certainly were. And like true monarchs, they meant the “royal we,” to include us all. ♪ … We are the champions, my friends | And we'll keep on fighting 'til the end … ♪    

April 1^st – April 30^th: No one disputed Paul and Linda McCartney’s love when they co-wrote the April 1976 hit, "Silly Love Songs." For an April 1^st US release date, it didn’t waste any time climbing the charts. By April 16^th its album At the Speed of Sound by WINGS reached #6 on WPEZ/Philadelphia’s “Albums” Top 20, without the song’s appearance yet in the singles; but KRIZ/Phoenix listeners must have been crazy about love, speeding it up to #2 by April 17^th on their singles “Hits” Top 30 and the album already at #1. With a whole month of accolades under its belt, “Silly Love Songs” is finally released on April 30^th in the UK.
       Rumor has it, McCartney hasn’t had the heart to sing it again on stage since Wings’ breakup in 1981. That’s too bad. It’s really something we all need to remember … ♪ … You'd think that people would have had enough of silly love songs | But I look around me and I see it isn't so, oh no | Some people want to fill the world | With silly love songs | And what's wrong with that? …  ♪    

April 20^th:  Did you know, former Beatles member, George Harrison, had a sneaky sense of humor? On this date, oh, so long ago, he blended into the cast on Monty Python’s "The Lumberjack Song" in New York City. Dressed as a Mountie, he surreptitiously slipped into the chorus role.

♪ April 2026 Music Events & More ♪   
Can you spot the tunes on this month’s Featured Radio Survey with the best guitar solos? Don’t ask me, I love ‘em all! But you music aficionados can likely pick them out just by the titles. Since it’s International Guitar Month, what better way to take a break and enjoy a few riffs?  

Although by the time I was able to post this article, the first two dates were done and over with, they’re still notable and worthy of your thoughts and memories …

April 11^th: Holy moly, it’s 8-track Tape Day! If you were listening to music from mid-1960s through the early 1980s, you’ll remember the quality sound. But, man, I don’t miss messing with one that was all wound up!  

April 11^th: What?! Another vintage “special day” on the same day?! Cool. If you’re too young to remember, International "Louie Louie" Day will mean nothing to you. The rest of us recall the sketchy lyrics and funky tune as the ultimate party song, since 1963!  I highjacked its special day, since the original sponsor is MIA.

April 18^th: Not really for “the public,” today’s Record Store Day is meant for the industry to pat themselves on the back. However, it’s also a great time for you to actually visit—yes, get up off your duff and GO TO—a record store. Amazingly, vinyl records are still being produced, and in record numbers. 😊 Groovy.

♪♪ BFYP Featured Radio Survey ♪♪  
April 16, 1976 ~ WPEZ/Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania … normally, I’d chat about a survey’s ‘70s graphics when it’s as prevalent as this month’s WPEZ chart, but we’ve seen this one before … and before that … and before that … and … In fact, most of this station’s surveys sported the same graphics for a couple of years (at least). So, I’ll just point out how progressive their listeners were to have picked up on “Bohemian Rhapsody’s” unique sound and reveled in its 6-minute length. MORE … 50 Years Ago this Month in Rock & Roll Radio! Where were you that groovy day when your radio played … 

Rock APRIL 1976 with a little … avant-garde rhapsody!  

BFYP Book 1 (1954-1959) on Amazon         
BFYP Book 2 (Swinging ‘60s) on Amazon 
Blast from Your Past Gifts 
Share your Golden Oldies R&R fun on X: @BlastFromPastBk 

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LinDee Rochelle is a writer and editor by trade, and author by way of Rock & Roll. Two books (of three planned) are published in her Blast from Your Past^TM series, available on Amazon: Book 1 – Rock & Roll Radio DJs: The First Five Years 1954-1959^TM (eBook only; coming soon in updated print edition) and Book 2 – Rock & Roll Radio DJs: The Swinging Sixties^TM (eBook & print). Coming soon-ish … Book 3 – The Psychedelic Seventies!^TM 

Note: FYI – All links in the BFYP site are personally visited, verified, and vetted. Most are linked to commonly accessed sites of reputable note. Occasionally, since I often feature real people and/or singular sources there may be an unsecured link. As with everything cyber-security, use at your own discretion and risk. This site is wholly owned by LinDee Rochelle & sponsored by PenchantForPenning.com^TM. No compensation is received for any mentions of businesses, products, or other commercial interests. *All holiday and special event days are found at Brownielocks.com’s calendar site. Enjoy! 
            RE: AI – The Blast from Your Past site has never and will never (knowingly) be written or assisted, by Artificial Intelligence. It’s just stupid ol’ “I” and I enjoy writing these articles. They soothe my soul. So why would I hand that indulgence over to an artificial, soulless entity that can’t feel pleasure?!

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Rock Radio 50 Years Ago ♪ ~ MARCH 1976

Wearin’ the Green & Rockin’ Out to Golden Oldies!  

Have you ever wished you could go back to where you started from, oh, so many years ago?  

With that provocative query, let’s just say that I managed to finish the text of our March article, but the images will take a tad longer. In the meantime, use your imagination, your memories, or make something up! Rock Radio History, though, is the important part, right? Enjoy … 

As I was cruising down Memory Lane, it was a perplexing toss-up to choose March’s Featured Radio Survey! Originally, I wanted to go with WHYI/Ft.Lauderdale, Florida, because it’s the only music chart I have for that station, and a fun one!  

But when I saw KERN/Bakersfield, California’s, survey with a “Junk Food” crossword puzzle we can all have fun with, I had to go with the Middle Earth in California. That’s what we Bay Area brats called Bakersfield, Fresno, Stockton, Sacramento and all the farm towns of Cally’s Central Valley.

That isn’t all for this month though. We have another WTAC/Flint, Michigan, music chart for March, right on the heels of February’s WTAC Featured Radio Survey posting.

Busy month with three vintage Rock Radio surveys! So let’s have some Rockin’ fun … 50 Years Ago this Month …   

º MARCH 1976 Radio News & Muse ♪ 

What was your fave DJ playing when you turned on your tinny transistor radio 50 Years Ago? Our radio stations were the center of our musical world. What we heard and loved on the air, is what we bought to slap on the ol’ turntable, to keep our world spinning.
       Wanna know a secret? Vinyl record sales, both new and vintage records, have been climbing again, to its highest in two decades! Vinyl Sales Rose For The 19th Consecutive Year in 2025, screams the headline in the Cue Burn newsletter article on Vinyl Alliance’s Substack, February 26, 2026. Who’d a-thunk it back in the day when Pop, Rock, Heavy Metal and Disco were still evolving?! 
       Let’s enjoy the memories of what and who you were listening to … 50 Years Ago this Month! 

March 7^th: To you, it may have been an average day 50 Years Ago (or not even born yet!), but to Elton John, it isn’t every day one is immortalized in wax. Especially at London’s famed Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum. Although the Beatles beat him to the honor of being the first Rock-themed display, in 1964 (says SuperSeventies), there hadn’t been another until the Rocket Man zoomed in. Now he has several and the latest in 2024 is downright supersonic … or so I hear. Never had the pleasure.  

March 9^th: Unfortunately for Keith Moon of The Who, this date in 1976 was not his finest hour. But then, by this time, he’d been destroying his finest hours for about ten years. Unable to continue after only two songs, he caused their Boston Garden appearance to be rescheduled for the next night. It didn’t help … the whole US tour was ultimately delayed after he demolished his hotel room and landed himself in the hospital. Sadly, Moon battled alcoholism to the point of self-destruction. 
       Said one report, “… notorious as ‘Moon The Loon’, [he was] the incorrigible clown who respected no authority whatsoever and never knew the meaning of the word embarrassment.” After more tries and fails, Keith Moon died in September 1978, in the same London flat where the Mamas & Papas’ Cass Elliot died, both at the age of 32.  

March 20^th: It was today in 1976, that “Rhiannon,” a tune written and sung by Stevie Nicks and released with Fleetwood Mac in February, hopped on the KERN/Bakersfield, California, chart on its way up to the Top Ten. Of our three featured music charts for March, only KERN already saw its potential. DYK moments … It’s reported (unsubstantiated) that Stevie was a hit hostess at a Bob’s Big Boy hamburger joint before her phenomenal singer-songwriter achievements! Part of her success no doubt came from an active imagination. Reportedly, she read about Rhiannon, a dynamic figure in Welsh mythology, and became enamored of her. In the song, “Rhiannon,” was she revealing something about herself as well? ♪ …  She rings like a bell through the night | And wouldn't you love to love her? | She rules her life like a bird in flight | And who will be her lover? …  ♪   

March 26^th: Love the title of the new album Wings released on this day … Wings at the Speed of Sound. It does rather boost the ethereal image, doesn’t it? All set to promote the album in McCartney’s first US tour in a decade, they were delayed after the final show in Paris. Guitarist, Jimmy McCulloch, broke a finger slip-sliding on his hotel bathroom floor. Kind of a bad whoopsie!    

March 29^th: Reminiscing over the past brought a certified gold honor to the Four Seasons’ first #1 hit since 1964. Appropriately titled, "December, 1963 (Oh, What a Night)," it deserved the distinction, still riding high on Radio charts. The tune jumped four spots from the week before to #4 at KERN/Bakersfield, while earlier in the month, Ft. Lauderdale’s WHYI listeners set it at #3, and it hit #2 at WTAC/Flint, Michigan.  

Speaking of WTAC, were you in Flint when DJ Peter C. Cavanaugh was best buds with The Who and flaunted The Who by Numbers album, to the delight of their listeners? WTAC ran a coveted contest for “The Who and San Francisco too!!!” trip featured in their March 12, 1976, Radio survey. The caricature style is quintessential 1970s’ art. “Squeeze Box” from the album was a hit on both WHYI & WTAC music charts this month. “The Big 600” made their mark on Pop & Rock until early 1980s when you could still hear Stevie Nicks, if you liked WTAC’s switch to Country. (Think her ’82 hit, “Leather and Lace.”)  

Next, let’s cruise the ol’ surf bus from Michigan all the way down to South Florida, as we peek into the studio at WHYI-FM/Ft. Lauderdale. Who was your fave DJ while tanning on the beach? If you didn’t have a job, it was likely Bill Tanner (1945-2021), who liked to tease listeners with, “Get up and get off with Tanner in the Morning.” The longtime area DJ helped homegrown artists like KC and the Sunshine Band (on the March charts with “Queen of Clubs”) and loved his listeners. Bill honed his relatable and knowledgeable broadcast skills from the start, at thirteen years old; and before he even arrived in Florida, was recognized as an innovative format developer.
       Y-100’s March 20, 1976 “official music sheet #95” flaunted its artistic prowess for listeners as they dove headlong into Disco, keeping “Disco Lady” by “Johnny” (Johnnie) Taylor at #1 for a second week. 

Hoping the exhaust-chugging bus will hold together, we trek cross-country, from the right coast to the left coast, stopping in the rural countryside of middle California. What’s so great about KERN/Bakersfield that it’s this month’s Featured Radio Survey? The March 20, 1976, music chart boasts more great artwork and a Junkfood Crossword Puzzle! Just too good to past up! DJ Mark Thomas invites you to solve the puzzle—and so do I! Print it and have fun wallowing in nostalgia as you munch on some junk food. Trust me, you’ll want to by the time you solve it!
       “Mark Thomas” may be a case of Radio’s annoying DJ aliases habit. I couldn’t find the name in research, not as a DJ in general, or specific to KERN, so let me know if you know his story!  

♪ March 1976 Song of Note ♪  

Sometimes when you have an urge to write, it doesn’t matter where you are, but who you’re thinking about could be of utmost importance and just won’t wait. Write it now! Even if it’s on the way to the hospital to be with your wife when your daughter’s born!
       That’s how we came to know Pierre Tubbs and J. Vincent Edwards’ poignant hit (recorded by Maxine Nightingale), “Right Back Where We Started From,” this month’s Song of Note and #7 on KERN’s featured survey. History says the title was created a long while before the lyrics were penned. But inspiration for the song in totality struck in less than ten minutes while the duo raced to the hospital for Pierre’s family. Can’t you just imagine how the urgency of the moment—and reports hinting at wedded bliss distress—may have prompted Pierre’s creativity.
       Talk about dedicated to work—a rough demo was cut the very next day. ♪ … Love is good, love can be strong | We gotta get it right back to where we started from … ♪   

♪ March 2026 Music Events & More ♪    
The music world—and indeed, all of us who love music—is still talking about talented and beloved, Neil Sedaka (1939-2026), who passed away on February 27, 2026. As a child, Sedaka asked his mother to buy him a piano and at nine years old, began serious classical piano training at the Julliard School. The rest of his life was dedicated to music and performing. Do you remember, “Breaking Up is Hard To Do”? It’s #14 on WHYI/Ft. Lauderdale’s March 20, 1976 Radio survey. ♪ … Don't take your love away from me | Don't you leave my heart in misery | If you go then I'll be blue | Cause breaking up is hard to do …  ♪     

March 29^th: Speaking of the piano, where would we be without it?! Celebrating the instrument that so many musicians begin their love of music with, it’s World Piano Day! Imagine Rock & Roll without the Killer, Jerry Lee Lewis, the Rocket Man, Elton John, or the Piano Man, Billy Joel. Nevermind, I don’t even want to think about it. PianoDay.org has the scoop on today’s celebrating, which “… takes place on the 88th day of the year because of the number of keys on the instrument being celebrated.” Go before today and learn how you can join the celebration. In the meantime, listen to a hit piano tune still lingering on this month’s Top 30 charts, “I Write the Songs,” by Barry Manilow.  

♪♪ BFYP Featured Radio Survey ♪♪  
MARCH 20, 1976 ~ KERN/Bakersfield, California … I’ve written about KERN DJ Russ Gerber in past articles, so this month, it’s a focus on its connection with listeners. Radio stations had more gimmicks than we can count. Concerts, contests, and crossword puzzles! Problem is, not all 1976 music charts survived the years, and I’ve not been able to locate the one for the week after our featured KERN survey, to retrieve answers to the March 20^th puzzle! Hopefully, I’ll figure it out. If you do, let me know! (Larger size available on FRS page.) While we work on it, give a listen to your fave songs from … 50 Years Ago this Month in Rock & Roll Radio! Where were you that groovy day when your radio played … 

Rock MARCH 1976 and … Rockin’ the Pot of Golden Oldies!  

BFYP Book 1 (1954-1959) on Amazon         
BFYP Book 2 (Swinging ‘60s) on Amazon 
Blast from Your Past Gifts 
Share your Golden Oldies R&R fun on X: @BlastFromPastBk 

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ 

LinDee Rochelle is a writer and editor by trade, and author by way of Rock & Roll. Two books (of three planned) are published in her Blast from Your Past^TM series, available on Amazon: Book 1 – Rock & Roll Radio DJs: The First Five Years 1954-1959^TM (eBook only; coming soon in updated print edition) and Book 2 – Rock & Roll Radio DJs: The Swinging Sixties^TM (eBook & print). Coming soon-ish … Book 3 – The Psychedelic Seventies!^TM 

Note: FYI – All links in the BFYP site are personally visited, verified, and vetted. Most are linked to commonly accessed sites of reputable note. Occasionally, since I often feature real people and/or singular sources there may be an unsecured link. As with everything cyber-security, use at your own discretion and risk. This site is wholly owned by LinDee Rochelle & sponsored by PenchantForPenning.com^TM. No compensation is received for any mentions of businesses, products, or other commercial interests. *All holiday and special event days are found at Brownielocks.com’s calendar site. Enjoy! 
            RE: AI – The Blast from Your Past site has never and will never (knowingly) be written or assisted, by Artificial Intelligence. It’s just stupid ol’ “I” and I enjoy writing these articles. They soothe my soul. So why would I hand that indulgence over to an artificial, soulless entity that can’t feel pleasure?!

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Rock Radio 50 Years Ago ~ JANUARY 1976

We Rock to a New Beat & Dream On to a New Retro Year   

Updated 01/12/2026:
Happy 2026 Rock & Roll fans! Are ya ready to Rock around the clock for another year of nostalgic reverence with the iconic Music of 1976?! 

From vintage Radio surveys to a Wolfman Jack birthday tribute, to our perfect-for-the-moment January vintage Song of Note, we’re ready to dream on about the good ol’ days.

Welcome to the New Year at Blast From Your Past as once again we venture into Rock & Roll Radio’s Solid Gold Oldies and the pioneering Rock Radio Jocks who brought them to us, 50 Years Ago this Month …!  

º JANUARY 1976 Radio News & Muse ♪ 

What was your fave DJ playing when you turned on your tinny transistor radio 50 Years Ago? Were
you Rockin’ out in Augusta, Georgia, Great Falls, Montana, or Rochester, New York? You might remember …

This month we’re treated to three storied Rock Radio Stations of the 1970s that, however long or short their fan popularity, helped shape the broadcast landscape of the decade. Were you listening to Wolfman Jack at …

Along with our annual salute to Wolfman Jack’s birthday (January 21^st) he is also featured on the cover of WAUG/Augusta, Rockin’ 105, January 1976. He slips into syndicated weekend duty in the healthy DJ lineup of eight energetic jocks. Do you remember listening to (in order, starting at 6a.m.): Jim Chase, Brian Scott, Jack Dillon, Trashman, Pamela Sweet; and weekenders: Rick Spires, Ed Turner and Rick Shaw? 
       In the beginning of its broadcast life in 1952, WAUG was a daytimer (required to go off-air at night). Both its longer broadcast hours and Rock format flaunted on the January ’76 survey, seems to have been short-lived, as its Christian format power is greatly reduced at night. Everything was more fun back in the ‘70s! 

Join us as we jog west to Great Falls, Montana, where the locals knew KEIN Radio 1310 is pronounced “keen.” It’s the grandaddy of Montana Radio, becoming its oldest Radio station, on the air since 1922.

       Licensing to “dime stores” became a thing, around the time the F. A. Buttery & Company department store set up its transmitter in Havre, Montana, known as KFBB. After several station call letter changes, it settled on KEIN in 1972 and is currently broadcasting a comedy format. What makes it special this month?
       KEIN’s “The Electric Thirty” music chart sports a classic New Year boo-boo … the survey is stamped January 3, 1975, but the tunes are clearly from January 1976. Oops! Their goof makes it that much more valuable in my Rock Radio survey collection 50 Years later.  

Let’s zigzag back to the east for our Featured Radio Survey station’s “Official Copy 1” for their 1976 “new BBF,” best known as WBBF 95/Rochester, New York. Mind you, it had been around since 1947 originally branded as WARC, and WBBF since 1953. But hey, who are we to question its New Year need to refresh?

Ironically, the January 7, 1976, “The New BBF” survey, flaunting flashy 1970s cartoon art, reaches backwards to feature their Top 100 of 1975. They were, though, not inclined to change their standard chart headings, so “The Albums” section begins the Top 100 tunes, the center’s “Better Music” still lists their current Top 30, and “The Words” likely used for featured song lyrics, continues the Top 100 list. Um, are you confused yet?
       Although lauded sports journalist and talk radio host, Chuck Wilson, began his broadcast career at WBBF, cover DJ Mike O’Brian gets the spotlight this month. Mike may have been a popular Rock Radio DJ in 1976, but by 1995 he traded in his studio microphone for a local TV studio to whisk you away on great summer day-trips!
       As of a fairly recent report, Chuck remains active as Mike the Getaway Guy on Facebook and YouTube and still talking travel.

 Enjoy the memories of what and who you were listening to … as we dive into the news of 50 Years Ago this Month! 

January 15^th: Released on this date, Frampton Comes Alive double live album is a coup for Frampton, following four mediocre albums. In a 25^th anniversary salute, a remixed and extended album was released in January 2001, with Frampton and the band performing live at Tower Records in L.A. (Remember them? The online version is a click away.)  

January 16^th: Pop icons, Donny & Marie (Osmond) have been in the public eye since the early 1960s. But it was January 1976 when they became the darlings of the TV musical variety shows. In addition to records, the siblings made TV their home in the studio until 1979. She’s a li’l bit Country and he’s a li’l bit Rock & Roll—well, siblings don’t always get along, ya know.  

January 19^th: It was on this date in 1976 that for the second time, promoter, Bill Sargent, offered The Beatles big bucks to reunite for a concert. And for the second time, they turned him down. It was 1974 when he first waived $10 million in front of them. Not impressed, he tried again today in 1976, tripling his offer to $30 million and escalated it again to $50 million in February. The Beatles considered it, but ultimately said they were not interested in reuniting just for money and the altruistic or creative reasons were just not there. Their millions of adoring fans were the real losers.

January 20^th: Turn your Radio UP—it’s National Disc Jockey Day! Yet another richly deserving special day no longer has a sponsor, but this monthly article would not exist without the likes of revolutionary Rock Radio DJ Alan Freed. Today marks the anniversary of his death in 1965. A casualty of the payola scandals, Freed died of alcoholism–-and some say a broken heart—at a youthful 43 years old. (Link above is for your historical perusal.) 
       The more imminent existence of Blast from Your Past books and this article, are the pioneering Rock Radio DJs who followed in Freed’s footsteps (sans the payola, of course), bringing energy and excitement to Radio in the 1960s-1990s. Those who piqued my interest* and I count as friends, include our DJ extraordinaire, Bill Gardner/WIBG-Philly, his buddy and another BFYP mentor, Shotgun Tom Kelly/SoCal stations, Joey Reynolds/WKBW-Buffalo; Cousin Brucie/WABC-NYC, and William F. Williams/KMEN-San Bernardino, just to name a few. *Radio stations noted are just their most well-known, since DJs have a long list of nationwide stations on their lifelong lists. All in my 2^nd Blast From Your Past book, The Swinging Sixties! 

January 21^st: On the heels of National Disk Jockey Day, the illustrious pioneering Radio DJ, Wolfman Jack (January 21, 1938-July 1, 1995), to whom our Blast From Your Past books are dedicated, is again in our thoughts as we celebrate what would have been his 38^th birthday in 1976. 
       One can only imagine the eyebrows he would have raised as he aged through various decades of the past 50 Years of societal upheavals. Hmmmm, I wonder how he and President Trump would have gotten along … 
       Consider Wolfman’s comments from his book Have Mercy! Confessions of the Original Rock ‘n’ Roll Animal (1995) about changes and challenges in Radio and music industry … nowadays a new artist has to practically go through a computer bank just to get on the air. They’ve gotta have a perfect video, and have sex appeal written on their face in big letters. They’ve got to be a whole lot like what’s already popular, so program directors won’t be scared to play their records. Sound familiar? And that was 31 years ago!

January 23^rd: David Bowie’s 10^th studio album, Station to Station, was released today, just a couple of weeks after the single “Golden Years” from it, hit the bottom of Radio charts, on its way to #1. WAUG/Augusta, Georgia, listed the song at #33 the first week of January, eventually climbing to Top Ten status. The album is considered in the industry, to be one of Bowie’s most noteworthy projects.

January 31^st: Although this date is Billboard’s “official” #1 hit date for the Ohio Players’ “Love Rollercoaster,” the energetic tune hit the top of both WBBF/Rochester, New York, and WAUG/Augusta, Georgia, charts the first week of January. The song took its time getting there, though, as its album, Honey was released six months earlier. Check out the YouTube link to Wolfman Jack’s Midnight Special show. It’s classic Wolfman introducing a future classic funk and Disco song  ♪ … Your love is like a rollercoaster baby, baby | All you do is ride (I like to ride, I like to ride, high) … ♪   

♪ January 1976 Song of Note ♪  
The beginning of a New Year is all about looking forward and dreaming big. What can you accomplish this year? Inspiration comes in music form from our monthly Song of Note. Steven Tyler of Aerosmith learned what can happen when you don’t give up and “Dream On.”* 
       Eventually becoming one of Aerosmith’s most played tunes, when “Dream On” hit the lower rungs of January 1976 music charts, it was on its second trip around the Radio dial. Its first release June 27, 1973, was less than stellar, but Tyler, who completed the lyrics at fourteen years old, knew the song had legs … he just needed to stretch ‘em.
       On December 27, 1975, Aerosmith released a longer version of “Dream On”—and more of what young Tyler had dreamt of. It pleased a larger audience than the first release and by first week of January, was well on its way to helping us all Dream On.
       At KEIN/Rochester, New York, “Dream On” was still hanging on its chart at the end of March, grasping for a star ♪ … Sing with me, sing for the year | Sing for the laughter and sing for the tear … Dream on, dream on, dream on | Dream until your dreams come true … ♪   
       * Steven Tyler lives a life making musical dreams come true, and while still “making music,” his trademark screams have been largely silenced since 2024. In September 2025, Tyler performed a tribute to Ozzy Osbourne (1948-2025). 

♪♪ BFYP Featured Radio Survey ♪♪   
January 3, 1976 ~ WBBF/Rochester, New York. As we know, the 1970s were over-the-top in all the arts, and Radio music charts are a prime artistic example. WBBF’s January graphics are alternately insane and brilliant. DJ Mike O’Brian on the cover as the man-in-the-moon with a nearby flying saucer and fun art, turns to chaos. 
       Inside, the chart’s massive spread of irreverent cartoon characters includes Zappa, Elton John and ‘70s quintessential duo, Cheech & Chong. I think it’s more fun looking back, than it was back in its prime … 50 Years Ago this Month in Rock & Roll Radio! Where were you that groovy day when your radio played … 

Let's Rock JANUARY 1976 and … Dream On!  

BFYP Book 1 (1954-1959) on Amazon         
BFYP Book 2 (Swinging ‘60s) on Amazon 
Blast from Your Past Gifts 
Share your Golden Oldies R&R fun on X: @BlastFromPastBk 

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LinDee Rochelle is a writer and editor by trade, and author by way of Rock & Roll. Two books (of three planned) are published in her Blast from Your Past^TM series, available on Amazon: Book 1 – Rock & Roll Radio DJs: The First Five Years 1954-1959^TM (eBook only; coming soon in updated print edition) and Book 2 – Rock & Roll Radio DJs: The Swinging Sixties^TM (eBook & print). Coming soon-ish … Book 3 – The Psychedelic Seventies!^TM 

Note: FYI – All links in the BFYP site are personally visited, verified, and vetted. Most are linked to commonly accessed sites of reputable note. Occasionally, since I often feature real people and/or singular sources there may be an unsecured link. As with everything cyber-security, use at your own discretion and risk. This site is wholly owned by LinDee Rochelle & sponsored by PenchantForPenning.com^TM. No compensation is received for any mentions of businesses, products, or other commercial interests. *All holiday and special event days are found at Brownielocks.com’s calendar site. Enjoy! 
            RE: AI – The Blast from Your Past site has never and will never (knowingly) be written or assisted, by Artificial Intelligence. It’s just stupid ol’ “I” and I enjoy writing these articles. They soothe my soul. So why would I hand that indulgence over to an artificial, soulless entity that can’t feel pleasure?!

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