Classic alternative

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Classic alternative is a radio format focusing on alternative music from the late 1970s to early 1990s, with particular focus on the early days of MTV. [1] [2] [3]

Contents

Typical genres

Background

Some stations with an "all-'80s" format have added elements of the 1980s and '90s classic alternative format to their regular playlist. Cox's KHPT in Houston and WPOI in Tampa are prime examples of all-'80s stations that heavily relied on artists such as Peter Schilling, The Cranberries and New Order. KHPT flipped to a classic alternative format after its run as an all-'80s station. The same goes for KJAQ in Seattle, one of the first stations in the country to try this format.

Digital cable music service Music Choice (originally DMX) provided a station labelled New Wave for several years. The station was later renamed "Retro-Active", and later Classic Alternative, all of which played seventies to eighties new wave, post-punk, synthpop, etc. After several years, the station filtered in 1990s (and even sometimes post-millennium) artists. However, an artist like David Bowie can often fit in classic alternative because he meets the criteria. [12] [13]

SiriusXM offers a classic alternative station, 1st Wave, which was launched in 2008 following the merger between Sirius and XM and replaced similar stations on both services. [14] [15]

In September 2006, KLO-FM in Salt Lake City became "103-1 the Wave" with a classic alternative format.

In 2020, KNRK-HD2 changed from local music to classic alternative as "KNRK-2".

In February 2022, XETRA-FM in San Diego relaunched as a mostly-classic alternative station, though still playing a few current songs. [16]

In August 2022, WOLT in Indianapolis changed its playlist to entirely classic alternative.

In December 2022, WNNX in Atlanta resurrected the "99X" brand on 100.5 FM with an entirely classic alternative playlist.

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References

  1. Is Classic Alternative Becoming the New Classic Rock? - Alan Cross' A Journal of Musical Things
  2. In Utah, people still love 'alternative' music. But what is that, exactly? - The Salt Lake Tribune
  3. WKKL Returns With Classic Alternative - RadioInsight
  4. Rock - Music Choice
  5. 1 2 10 Legendary Bands that Wouldn't Be Legendary without College Radio - CollegeRadio.org
  6. How NPR Killed College Rock|The New Republic
  7. 1 2 Post-Punk 101: What Is Post-Punk?||Observer
  8. Goth Rock Music Genre Overview|AllMusic
  9. Microsoft Word - Coleman's Early Peek at Classic Alternative - January 2004–
  10. Shoegaze Music Genre Overview|AllMusic
  11. Indie Rock Music Genre Overview|AllMusic
  12. Bill Virgin, "Radio Beat: It sounds like '90s music could be the next big format on Seattle dials"
  13. Damien Cave, "Nirvana Bump Bizkit Off Dial - "Classic alternative" radio brings back the golden Nineties"
  14. Snider, Mike. "As Sirius, XM signals merge, customers are confused". ABC News. Retrieved 10 August 2020.
  15. "1st Wave artists defined 'alternative' by experimenting with new wave & punk music before it was cool". Hear & Now. 28 November 2017. Retrieved 10 August 2020.
  16. 91X MOVES TO CLASSIC ALTERNATIVE - RadioInsight