Do you remember Free Form FM?

[Dixie]

This is a thread to discuss your recollections of a time when FM was exciting.

I fell in love with FM in the late 1970s when I discovered they switched from classical, to the free-form format. Yes, there was a time when the ads were few, and the DJs played whatever they wanted. That might be the uninterrupted side of a new Steele Dan album, or perhaps some Ramones, or Tom Petty. You could hear most anything back then, provided it wasn't Top 40.

So do you have FM memories to share? What stations did you listen to? What new artists, albums, or tracks did you discover? And, if you had a particular favorite station, what format do they play today?

[Scott Douglas]

KMET and KLOS were listened to here, but I'm not that into music so don't have many favorite tunes.

[HobieMarty]

No static at all....

We listened to TK101 out of Pensacola and WPFM out of Panama City. They were rock stations at the time. Mom and Dad liked WFTW out of Ft. Walton Beach, which played more "adult" easy listening or soft rock. I remember one summer when we lived in Destin, WFTW was on in the living room one day, and I happened to be paying attention to what was being played. The DJ came on and said, "The first person to call and tell him what Barry Manilow song he had played a few songs ago would win some spray Coppertone and Solarcaine!!! I called and won!!! The song was "Mandy," and I happened to have had an Irish setter named Mandy at the time, lol. It was the only time I ever won anything off of the radio!!!

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[gumby]

WKZE 98.1
Independent radio, you can also stream
Sunday nights are particularly good the program is called Nightshade the dj is Paul Higgins...

https://wkze.com/

[rcooled]

Yes, I do remember when FM radio was cutting-edge and innovative. It was an interesting time, probably never to be repeated again. It was a time, long before the internet era, when we tuned into FM radio to hear all the newly-emerging rock and counter-culture music. First hearing a song from a new 'Stones, Hendrix or Doors album was always pretty cool.

I also recall getting an FM 'converter' for my folk's Plymouth so I could listen to 'my' music whenever I borrowed the car.

I listened to WNEW-FM out of NYC back then. I can remember staying up late, listening to Alison Steele, The Nightbird, playing album cuts instead of 45s with very little commercial interruption.

Fortunately for me, there's a local station near here, KPIG-FM in Freedom CA, that still has DJs who talk in a normal tone of voice and who can select what music they play.

[HobieMarty]

Wonder if there is any relation between her and Rachel Steele from channel 25, Classic Rewind, on Sirius XM?

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[astrochex]

Originally Posted by Scott Douglas

KMET and KLOS were listened to here...

I was also in Southern California during the heydeys of those stations. My brother and I shared a room so whenever we were in there, the radio was on. The rock they played sticks with me today, favorite bands still include Led Zeppelin, ZZ Top, and Jethro Tull.

Limited FM musical choices for me today because not only is the reception poor, the musical selection is extremely limited. The latter point constantly bugs me given the huge catalogue of rock music created in the past 60 years. Someone has decided that only about 100 songs qualify as “classic rock”.

[Danimal16]

Though not FM, there was KDAY, way back in the day.

And of course KPPC, which eventually became KROQ. Talk about underground rock and roll!

[flatbutt]

WOR-FM in NYC. I remember being amazed when we entered the Lincoln Tunnel one evening and the music kept playing! Murray the K played whatever he wanted...until payola kicked in.

[A930Rocket]

In Atlanta in the 70’s, it was 97.1 WFOX, 94.1 WQXI and 96.1 WKLS for me.

[Sooner or later]

Past
OKC KOMA am
OKC KATT fm

Today
Wichita Falls, Texas 104.7 The Bear , Thee Classic Rock Station
https://www.bear104.com/#

[Baz]

The year was 1970. Mom had remarried after my father passed away and we re-located from Virginia to his home in Florida. I was in the middle of 10th grade. New high school....left all my friends behind. New surroundings.....new everything......

Laying on the living room carpet after everyone went to bed. Lights out. Listening to the FM station out of Orlando that played classic rock.

That night - a new album by Elton John.....played in it's entirety.......magic......

[rcooled]

Originally Posted by HobieMarty

Wonder if there is any relation between her and Rachel Steele from channel 25, Classic Rewind, on Sirius XM?

No, I'm afraid not. Alison Steele had had only one daughter named Heather.

Originally Posted by flatbutt

WOR-FM in NYC....Murray the K played whatever he wanted...until payola kicked in.

I listened to Murray Kaufman (aka 'Murray the K & his Swingin' Soiree') on both WOR-FM and WINS-FM. He was the top dog on primetime FM radio in NY when The Beatles arrived for their first American tour. He heavily promoted the Fab Four and cleverly wormed his way into their entourage as a marketing ploy. He even had the balls to refer to himself as the 'Fifth Beatle'.

[HobieMarty]

https://youtu.be/K5_P9tTWzD8?si=JqsrcAvfXzMMuvNn

I heard it on the X!!!

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[Scott Douglas]

I remember traveling across the desert in the middle of the night, Utah outside of Moab headed towards Vegas, and picking up Wolfman Jack out of some station down in Juarez Mexico. Might not have been FM though, but I do know it was from a long ways away from where I was.

[Danimal16]

Originally Posted by Scott Douglas

I remember traveling across the desert in the middle of the night, Utah outside of Moab headed towards Vegas, and picking up Wolfman Jack out of some station down in Juarez Mexico. Might not have been FM though, but I do know it was from a long ways away from where I was.

The Mighty 690, XETRA-AM!

[Dixie]

Originally Posted by Baz

That night - a new album by Elton John.....played in it's entirety.......magic......

My most memorable moment was Jackson Browne's Running on Empty album playing on the FM radio in my BF's car. That's the night I became a wanton woman.

[Dan J]

Here in Ct we had 99.1 WPLR which was FANTASTIC! Stoneman from 9-12. Every band you loved live
in the studio Now, alas, it's clear channel shiite

[shoemakj]

Jackson, Mississippi, of all places had a free-form FM station called WZZQ 102.9 FM during the 70's. We really didn't know how special it was at the time, thinking that any small-medium city would have the same thing.

It made such lasting impression on the local community that it spawned a documentary, released just a few weeks ago...more than 40 years after it went off the air (and changed to Country music)

https://pbs.org/video/wzzq-the-movie-pjg5oj

[look 171]

Originally Posted by astrochex

I was also in Southern California during the heydeys of those stations. My brother and I shared a room so whenever we were in there, the radio was on. The rock they played sticks with me today, favorite bands still include Led Zeppelin, ZZ Top, and Jethro Tull.

Limited FM musical choices for me today because not only is the reception poor, the musical selection is extremely limited. The latter point constantly bugs me given the huge catalogue of rock music created in the past 60 years. Someone has decided that only about 100 songs qualify as “classic rock”.

It was Klos, Kmet, and remember K west? I started to listen to music in the early to mid 80s, within a couple years, Kwest was no longer. I think it turned into a Spanish station. Slowly went Kmet too. I remember the bumper stickers were the hot thing with all three stations. We all had it on our school folders but was too young to drive so no bumpers to stick them to. KLOS is still around but I no longer listen to radio but now and then, I still hear a couple of good old rock and roll songs of the past. Just about three months ago at a red light, I was messing with the radio, infosystem or whatever you call that thing, and KLOS came on and they were playing UFO. I had to turn that up a couple notches since I haven't heard them in a long time. It was Lights Out. Good one.