Todays Music, Todays Wheelz

[Deleted User 15835]

I was thinking about this today, back in 1995, I'd say around summer or so, 98.7 WLLZ shifted towards mostly an alternative rock format, with a couple of hard rock artists. This was a last ditch effort to save the WLLZ, which failed.

I really enjoyed it, I remember listening to this in the fall of 1995 a lot. If I remember right, I tried to when a CD twice but was always the wrong caller.

This is what the playlist was like:

Green Day- Geek stink breath
White Zombie- More human then human
Van Halen-Runnin with the devil
NIN- Closer
Rage Against Machine- Killing in the name of(maybe)
Soundgaren- fell on the black days
Talking Heads- And she was
Pearl Jam-Betterman
Aerosmith- Back In Saddle.

I remember when they flipped to Soft Jazz, at school on Monday, someone in my class said 98.7 sucks now, there playing grocery store music! Too many rock stations in the market so the flip made sense, also Smooth Jazz was kind of the flavor of the month at the time as well. So that was that.

[MotorCityRadioFreak]

I was thinking about this today, back in 1995, I'd say around summer or so, 98.7 WLLZ shifted towards mostly an alternative rock format, with a couple of hard rock artists. This was a last ditch effort to save the WLLZ, which failed.

I really enjoyed it, I remember listening to this in the fall of 1995 a lot. If I remember right, I tried to when a CD twice but was always the wrong caller.

This is what the playlist was like:

Green Day- Geek stink breath
White Zombie- More human then human
Van Halen-Runnin with the devil
NIN- Closer
Rage Against Machine- Killing in the name of(maybe)
Soundgaren- fell on the black days
Talking Heads- And she was
Pearl Jam-Betterman
Aerosmith- Back In Saddle.

I remember when they flipped to Soft Jazz, at school on Monday, someone in my class said 98.7 sucks now, there playing grocery store music! Too many rock stations in the market so the flip made sense, also Smooth Jazz was kind of the flavor of the month at the time as well. So that was that.

I didn’t really get into alternative until 1996 when I turned 13. Definitely feel like I missed out. Oh well. 89X didn’t suck most of the time back then at least.

[Mega Hertz]

We were on to the second wave of alternative bands by that point. It was still an exciting time for new rock. You had Sixteen Stone by Bush, which had (I believe) 5 or 6 airplay songs, "Throwing Copper" by Live, a couple Green Day albums, STP, yeah, there was still a lot going on after Nirvana.

What I liked the best about LLZ is, not only was it a "heritage" station for me, but it didn't treat it like top 40 like 96.3 did, it didn't get TOO out there like 89x did, and I didn't have to sit through the AOR like I did at WRIF. WLLZ cut the fat and just gave me the new rock.

Rock radio was in some serious shit in the 90s. Literally overnight, stations didn't know what to do. Play all new rock? Go classic rock? Either way, you were bound to lose some of a demo. Suddenly those Journey and Joe Walsh album tracks weren't sitting well with the STP and AIC. Even as late as 1993, longtime AOR artists like John Mellencamp and (pre VH) Sammy Hagar were still getting airplay, but by 1994, that all changed. WLLZ was bound to lose either way. They were losing major market share in an already over-rocked market and the flip to new rock threw out what they did still have. Though I will say my folks still tuned in and liked a major amount of the new rock WLLZ was playing. Me? I turn on ALT or WRIF and if it's new, I change the channel.

And that's why I love when ALT plays those bands/songs. It's a trip back to the mid 90s for me. Losing WLLZ was the first time I ever lost a station that I liked. This happened to OTHER stations, not ones I liked.

To echo riff raff, I came home for Christmas break and had to clean my room. Using an analog tuner, I couldn't find Wheels. Went out to ask my dad what happened and he said, "Oh, yeah, they're not playing rock anymore".

I had SO many tapes that I wish I had taken care of. Then again, in 1996, I didn't know there was gonna be a YouTube to upload them to.

[matt1]

How about this line up Riff Raff: http://wkqz.tunegenie.com/onair/

[ChrisWL1980]

I was in 10th grade at the time and they flipped on my last day of midterm exams. I'll never forget tuning past 98.7, hearing "Overjoyed" by Stevie Wonder, and thinking, "either this is a format change or they're really stretching the definition of 'rock' here."
I welcomed the change myself, as it reminded me of WJOI which had disappeared a little over a year earlier. But then hard rock has never been my thing. Within a year, WJZZ, their closest competitor, was gone, but for a couple of months Detroit had TWO smooth jazz/NAC stations. I wonder if there were any other markets that had two. The only other instance I can think of is Chicago with WNUA and a "Wave" station for a time in the late '80s.

[Mega Hertz]

The thing I'll never understand is, not knowing what ownership looked like in 1995, why not just flip 97.1 to smooth jazz (as it would be a lot closer to the soft sounds Joy featured) and leave 98.7 as Wheels, when in February, 1997, 97.1 flipped to active rock anyway. I suppose ownership and the the timing of each flip would vary. Especially because Star 97 was never gonna beat WCSX or WOMC.

[Deleted User 15840]

I was in 10th grade at the time and they flipped on my last day of midterm exams. I'll never forget tuning past 98.7, hearing "Overjoyed" by Stevie Wonder, and thinking, "either this is a format change or they're really stretching the definition of 'rock' here."
I welcomed the change myself, as it reminded me of WJOI which had disappeared a little over a year earlier. But then hard rock has never been my thing. Within a year, WJZZ, their closest competitor, was gone, but for a couple of months Detroit had TWO smooth jazz/NAC stations. I wonder if there were any other markets that had two. The only other instance I can think of is Chicago with WNUA and a "Wave" station for a time in the late '80s.

I’m not sure if this helps out, but WJZZ was jazz until summer of 1996 during the 80’s and 90’s these stations at one time or another competed with Jazz 106 WJZZ. WVAE 92.3 The Wave from 1987-1989, Smooth Jazz WXCD 102.7 from 1991-1992, and of course Smooth Jazz WVMV 98.7 from 1995-2009 so Detroit had 2 Jazz stations from the mid 80’s through the mid 90’s.

[Mega Hertz]

Shall I keep calling 106.7 "Fake Wheels," or shall I switch to W.I.N.O. (Wheels-in-name-only) ?

I say "WINO" because it sounds like a drunk homeless guy is programming the music. Or WLFQ...Whole Lotta Fuckin' Queen.

[Deleted User 15835]

How about this line up Riff Raff: http://wkqz.tunegenie.com/onair/

Oh that's interesting! A lot better then what some of the rock stations in SE MI and in Toledo Ohio are playing, what's left of them anyway.

To answer Megahertz- I believe WLLZ was owned by Westinghouse broadcasting at that point, so 97.1 had different owners. Infinity/CBS purchased 98.7 shortly after the change to smooth jazz. The WLLZ calls stayed on for a number of months.

92.3 The Wave, was modeled after KTWV in Los Angles, same as WNWV 107.3 in Cleveland and WTWV 106.7 in Chicago. I've heard a few airchecks from 92.3 The Wave, it looks like near the end they had a couple of local hosts. The one mentioned a section at Harmony house for the music played on The Wave.

CD 102.7 or CD 102? lasted about 9 months, I have never heard any airchecks from this station. I don't think the station even showed up in the ratings hardly. In early spring of 1992, they flipped to Z-rock.

[ChrisWL1980]

I was in 10th grade at the time and they flipped on my last day of midterm exams. I'll never forget tuning past 98.7, hearing "Overjoyed" by Stevie Wonder, and thinking, "either this is a format change or they're really stretching the definition of 'rock' here."
I welcomed the change myself, as it reminded me of WJOI which had disappeared a little over a year earlier. But then hard rock has never been my thing. Within a year, WJZZ, their closest competitor, was gone, but for a couple of months Detroit had TWO smooth jazz/NAC stations. I wonder if there were any other markets that had two. The only other instance I can think of is Chicago with WNUA and a "Wave" station for a time in the late '80s.

I’m not sure if this helps out, but WJZZ was jazz until summer of 1996 during the 80’s and 90’s these stations at one time or another competed with Jazz 106 WJZZ. WVAE 92.3 The Wave from 1987-1989, Smooth Jazz WXCD 102.7 from 1991-1992, and of course Smooth Jazz WVMV 98.7 from 1995-2009 so Detroit had 2 Jazz stations from the mid 80’s through the mid 90’s.

I almost forgot about CD 102.7. I don't think I ever actually listened to it, though I vaguely remember it existing. It was not around for long before becoming Z-Rock. Those comedy mini-skits the "Wave" stations had at the top of the hour were a hoot!

I also almost forgot that 107.1 in Ann Arbor also had a similar format from around 1989 to '92 as WAMX "The Mix." IIRC they swapped formats with Oldies AM 1290 WNRS in 1992, with 107.1 becoming WQKL (Kool 107) and the new age/jazz format moving to the AM to die on the vine. I'm pretty sure AM 1290 was simulcasting WIQB by 1995, so it wouldn't have competed with V98.7.

I seem to remember also that WJOI started replacing the orchestral instrumentals in its Easy Listening format with more New Age music after The Wave disappeared, then got rid of all instrumentals (except original hits) once they transitioned to Soft AC by '92 or '93. That form of Easy Listening was also still programmed in the Thumb area on 97.7 WTGV until 2000 or so, when they also modernized to Soft AC.

Interestingly during the late '80s and early '90s Billboard used the term "Adult Alternative" to refer to the New Age/Smooth Jazz format. They did play Sting and some of the other artists we today think of as "AAA." (The format we now know as Adult Alternative was, I believe, originally called Progressive by Radio & Records.)

[drew10219]

Another problem with Today's Wheelz was the talent pool was completely drained
within a year Ken Calvert, Sheri Donavon and Bob Bauer were all out leaving no top personality at the station
over at 101 Drew and Mike were starting to come into their own and was cleaning house

one thing I always wondered is if Howard Stern would have come to WLLZ, would it have made a difference ?

[dial-it-in]

Shall I keep calling 106.7 "Fake Wheels," or shall I switch to W.I.N.O. (Wheels-in-name-only) ?

"Fake Wheels" is appropriate.

[Mega Hertz]

Another problem with Today's Wheelz was the talent pool was completely drained
within a year Ken Calvert, Sheri Donavon and Bob Bauer were all out leaving no top personality at the station
over at 101 Drew and Mike were starting to come into their own and was cleaning house

one thing I always wondered is if Howard Stern would have come to WLLZ, would it have made a difference ?

Re: Stern. I don't think so. I think it was a matter of timing. Podell got to WRIF in 1994 and they were already winning their demo in regards to rock. And winning it well. By 1995, Drew and Mike were getting hot and you know how provincial Detroiters can be. Maybe had Stern got here in 1993 there may have been a chance, not great, but better than going against D&M.

As for the talent pool, yes, that didn't help. And the music changes were the final nail in the coffin.