NYC 80s CHR Wars: Gregg Thunder & Domino on 95.5 WPLJ

95.5 New York WPLJ Power 95 Mojo Radio Today's Best Music Scott Shannon

We have one other clip of Gregg Thunder here on airchexx.com which you can listen to, but before you do, listen now to a recording of the end of Gregg Thunder’s show and then the first hour or so, scoped, of course, of Domino, both on MusicRadio, WPLJ “Power 95”!

We’ve been amazed at the marketing scheme of WPLJ during this era. Clearly, ABC corporate was torn as to whether to take 95.5 and turn it into a then-modern MusicRadio WABC (FM) or continue the way many FM CHRs were heading as this station tried desperately (and ultimately failed) to dethrone Z-100 from its perch as the number 1 hit music station in New York. One has to wonder… if the personality “MusicRadio” approach had been exploited fully instead of a sort of dual-identity CHR with “Power 95” as the main monikker, could it have worked? Its a question for the ages now, with WPLJ long ago having given up and gone the Hot AC route.

Here’s a nice, long aircheck illustrating how hard WPLJ tried to win. It was a valliant effort, and the only thing we’re missing here are the previous generation jingles from a year or two earlier which were from one of JAM‘s WLS Chicago “Musicradio” packages… those woulda been perfect!

WPLJ

1 Comment

  1. Michael Lattime

    This aircheck is from 1990.

    First songs:
    Jaya “If You Leave Me Now”
    Roxette “It Must Have Been Love”
    Tommy Page “I’ll Be Your Everything”
    Technotronic “Get Up! (Before The Night Is Over)”
    Rod Stewart “Downtown Train”
    Jane Child “Don’t Wanna Fall In Love”

    All current hits around late spring 1990.

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