Phil Collins, Elton John, and Gloria Estefan dominated Adult Contemporary radio back in the 1980s and '90s, yet have disappeared from modern radio. Seemingly, the only time you ever hear them is at the grocery store or your local CVS. This blog remembers the music, the stories and the quirky characters from my days working in Adult Contemporary radio.
Tuesday, May 29, 2018
Incubus "Drive"
Chicago's volatile airwaves changed yet again on April 2, 2001 when, after weeks of stunting, 97.1FM became The Drive. Armed with a quarter of a million dollars in research, The Drive set out a new journey for Classic Rock in Chicago -- the station featured no contests, no morning show and no hype...just rock 'n roll. The station's playlist dug deeper than your standard "Hotel California" and "Layla"classic rock songs to bring back those deep cuts that disappeared from radio at the time. The voice of The Drive belonged to Nick Michaels--the ultimate storyteller who made the music and the listener the star. Given its no-hype persona, no voice but Michaels would do. His no-nonsense delivery when saying "this is the soundtrack of our lives" still resonates today. Sadly, Michaels passed away of a heart attack on May 26, 2018.