[Inyo-Mono]

It seemed like just yesterday that stations like WODS in Boston (”Oldies 103”) were playing the doo-woppin’ sounds of the 50s and 60s. Then it became 60s and 70s and anything pre-Beatles was scrapped. Then it suddenly seemed like WODS was having us shake shake shake, shake shake shake, shake our booties. Then some 80s songs creeping in. Then 70s and 80s.

And now it comes full circle: the songs of the late 80s, maybe early 90s, that were on the pop charts when WODS went oldies are now _ON_ WODS

I used to be a DJ at an Oldies station and at the time we played only pre-Beatles music (1950s-early '60s Rock 'n Roll), now that station has a playlist like you mentioned and they call it "Classic Hits."

[buccaneer81]

we played only pre-Beatles music (1950s-early '60s Rock 'n Roll)

Nowadays that's the format of 1000 watt AM stations that go dark at sunset.

[raccoonradio]

Yes...in Boston for awhile WZLX 100.7 used the term classic hits (a bit more rock heavy) though now are “classic rock”.
A diff station, WROR 105.7, has a “hits of the 60s, 70s,
and 80s” format and briefly used the term classic hits, too.

A smaller station in Lowell MA was doing a show called
“Beatles and Before” at night (talk during the day) though
I think they call it “Beatles and Beyond” now.

The “O” word obviously is a downer in radio these days as it reminds people they’re OLD!*

(Those oldies...but goodies...remind me of you)

*—and of course Harry Chapin had a hit around 73 or 74
about a washed up DJ who went around the country from
station to station but now is “the morning DJ,
at W-O-L-D (D, D, D, O-L-D)”

[raccoonradio]

The idea behind dropping older music is “if you grew up in the 50s, you’re retired now”. And not a good “demo” for
advertisers. They would rather go after baby boomers (I was born in 62, arguably at the very end of the baby boom generation)