Vintage
Rock Radio Hits & Misses ~ 50 Years Ago this Month
From down-home iconic music to a haunting tune of ancient world
apocalypse, June 1969 moved our souls and our imaginations as artists moved up
and down the radio survey ladders.
Without iPods and online
streaming songs, what did you listen to, “back in the day”? What energetic DJs blared
your favorite music through the airwaves? Cousin Brucie
on the East Coast? The Real Don Steele in the West? Or Wolfman
Jack, who could be heard practically everywhere, even before his American
Graffiti fame?
In
this middle month of the final year in a turbulent decade, Elvis reminded us of
hardships, taking us across the tracks, “In the Ghetto”; Henry
Mancini and his Orchestra kept the big band era alive with “Love Theme from Romeo and Juliet”; and Tom Jones swiveled his hips to rival Elvis, as he pleaded, “Love Me Tonight.”
50 Years Ago
this Month in Rock & Roll Radio
June
7th:
Johnny Cash moved from radio to TV when his self-titled show debuted on ABC. It was a big day for Johnny; teamed with Bob Dylan, their Grand Ole Opry
Special aired on the same day. Yeehaw!
Jun 11th: "The Ballad Of John & Yoko" by The Beatles hits #1
in UK. In the US, the controversial song found us oddly restricted in
our rebellion of the era; "The Ballad of John and Yoko" never
appeared on WABC/New York or WLS/Chicago radio music charts. After
a diligent search (of large market stations), I found it languishing at #26, in
WCFL/Chicago’s “Big 10 Count Down” for June 11, 1969. It peaked at #8 before
losing power and slipping down the musical ladder.
Jun
21st:
Zager & Evans release "In the Year 2525." Best song to ever come out of a cow pasture. Though
it moved up quickly, it hadn’t quite made the top ten on WABC/New York’s
“Music Power Survey” by June 28th (Featured Survey). Their “Big Bonus” section listed
it with other “bubbling under”* tunes. The one-hit wonder hit it big in July,
grabbing the top spot by the July 19th survey—c’mon by again next
month for an expanded look at this errant humanity song, in 50 Years Ago this Month!
*A music survey term for those tunes
that are scaling the chart ladder, but not quite made it into the ranks—yet, or—maybe
never.
Featured Radio
Survey: In 1969 were you listening to legendary DJ Cousin Brucie on WABC/New The June 28, 1969 survey featured Bruce
“Cousin Brucie” Morrow as “All American of the Week.” He is an honored BFYP
Rock & Roll DJ and one of few in all three
books, spanning 1950s, ‘60s & ‘70s! … 50 Years Ago This Month in
Rock & Roll Radio. That awesome day
when …
Celebrate JUNE 1969 and … Rock On!
Share on Twitter: @BlastFromPastBk
LinDee Rochelle is a writer
and editor by trade, and author by way of Rock & Roll. She has published
two books (of three) in her Blast from Your Past series, available on
Amazon (eBook and print): Book 1 – Rock & Roll Radio DJs: The First Five Years 1954-1959; and Book 2 – Rock & Roll Radio DJs: The Swinging Sixties. Coming soon … The Psychedelic Seventies!
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