First moment as an American Top 40 fan

[emorejnworb]

When did you first realize that you were an American Top 40 fan?

I would say for me is was around the summer of 1987. That was when my interest with the show started to take off.

[Josh Joel's Top 40]

After moving to Ipswitch, England back in 1986.

[Deleted]

When all my family had lunch before 2 oclock every Saturday, only because the show started at 2 oclock on AFRTS Rota. and they did that "sacrifice" in order to no interfering my show.

That is the sympton I started to become a fan. 1982 or so.

[johnnywest]

I think by writing down the Top 40 songs every week back in the 80s, that qualifies me as a fan.

[BrettVW]

Setting alarm clocks for 6 or 7 am on weekend mornings and planing entire Sundays around when Casey aired. Rather than having Casey's shows hopefully fit into my schedule, I planned my entire weekend schedule around Casey's shows.

[Deleted]

I never understand why some american radio stations broadcast or programme such excellent shows so early in the morning, 6 am or so. Here those kind of shows are radio prime time in the weekend, 11 am or 2 pm.

Ummm is 6 am a radio prime time slot?

[caseyfan100]

Apr 6, 2011 14:26:14 GMT -5 @jcaragon said:

I never understand why some american radio stations broadcast or programme such excellent shows so early in the morning, 6 am or so. Here those kind of shows are radio prime time in the weekend, 11 am or 2 pm.

Ummm is 6 am a radio prime time slot?

My answer to you would be no. When the show first ran in the 70's and 80's I would think that very few stations would run the
show that early in the day. As to today,many stations are so computerized that they can get the show ready and play it at anytime they like with no one in a studio to monitor it.

[Deleted]

Ok, I understand, that is from the point of view of the broadcasters, but what about the audience ?, maybe people are not ready or have time to listen to a chart show that early in the morning. You have to be a really fan to wake up that early...

[BrettVW]

Unfortunately today, shows such as AT40 (both the current version and retro broadcasts), Backtrax USA, and the like are just seen as filler programs for stations to run. Rather than have a personality voicetrack the 6am-10am shift, why not throw in AT40? It's "safe" for the station because they aren't straying from the format during a prime listening period, and it kills four hours of weekend programming. You will not see a show like AT40 running in a timeslot such as Noon-4pm in a major market station these days, simply because they don't want to deviate from their format during a prime timeslot. Early weekend mornings are good, because casual listeners will tune into the Top 10, and late weekend evenings are good because the casual listeners aren't listening, and the true fans of the shows will make it appointment tune in.

Personally, while a show like AT40 would get more exposure running in the middle of the day, I like the 8pm-Midnight timeslot, because it rarely interferes with anything else I have going on. For example, if WQSR aired AT40 the 80s from Noon-4pm or 4pm-8pm on Sundays, I would rarely have the chance to listen, nor would I have the desire to sit at home for four afternoon hours of a weekend. But I make it a point to keep Sunday nights free to hear the show.

[cardjrob]

Probably 1976 or 77....about the time I started buying 45's.....at the age of 9!

[adam31]

1978. My stepfather was stationed in Germany from 77-80. I was 7 years old and had no TV for the first time in my life, so the radio became a friend. The Armed Forces Network had AT40, and from then I was hooked.

[clockradio]

I remember Casey talking about Bruce Springsteen in what must have been 1975, when "Born To Run" charted. I SWEAR he said the words "Wild innocent and the E street shuffle," which means he was talking about Bruce's previous album. I was a kid, and I thought, what the hell does THAT mean, "E Street Shuffle"?

I remember walking through the county fair one Sunday afternoon in that same year, summer of 1975, when "Jive Talkin'" was the number one song that week. The carnies were blasting the show over those industrial horn speakers, the kind they feature on M*A*S*H when Radar is making an announcement. I had just traded or sold my 45 of that song to a friend, and I thought "crap, I should have asked for more money. I sold too low."

Not sure if that when I became a fan, but it's my earliest memories of AT40.