For me, growing up in the early 70s, that's where all the new, popular music was first heard.
AM radio was KING.
1050 CHUM in Toronto, 1290 CJBK in London, and several others brought me the sounds of Lighthouse, Brownsville Station, Paperlace, April Wine, David Essex, T-Rex, and a lot more. I don't think I even knew about FM radio until The Eagles invented in it the late 1970s.
By the time I started high school, I was listening to our city's college FM station, CIXX FM 106.9. They played all the "alt" stuff, or what was to risque for other stations at the time. It's the first time I heard stuff from the Jim Carroll, The Jam, Iggy Pop, and even Frank Zappa among others.
I'd have to say that both AM and FM radio played an enormous part in shaping my taste in music.
Nobody picked up on the reminiscence of this thread.
yup yup, just getting to the thread now. CHUM. i remember that station. its still around on FM though. I also remember April Wine well. Gotta say, you got me on a few others. I can't remember them. ?? If you're feeling really nostalgic for AW, http://www.aprilwine.ca/tourdates.php
We used to listen to AM640 the Hog here in Toronto for a while, which was amusing, and then it was talk radio for men. I'm a talk radio fiend, so in my car I'm always listening to CFRB1010.
By the time I was aware of things, not many people were listening to AM much. I remember hearing light "elevator music" there after getting my own radio and roaming the dial (an actual DIAL!) like "midnight at the oasis" and "girl from ipanema". For the past 20 years or so, the only stations on AM are talk radio, which I tune into from time to time, and latin stations, which I don't comprehend.
I've abandoned radio, except when driving in town, 85% for traffic and weather info on AM, and 10% FM for music. The remaining 5%, I sing at the top of my lung, so I can't hear the friggin radio.
When I'm in my truck during the day doing an errand or whatever I listen to Rush Limbaugh or Sean Hannity so I can cuss at them while they are on.. sports talk radio as well.
When I listen to FM radio and music though I am a constant channel surfer. Son as a ong I don't like or a commercial coems on it's off to the next station to see fi they got something good on....
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