From which album rock programming did WNEW-FM build influence?

You’re talking about the legendary “Album Rock” format, and WNEW-FM basically built its whole influence from the groundbreaking *Progressive Rock* album programming of the late 1960s and early 70s. Think of it as the blueprint for what became AOR-they’d play entire album sides, deep cuts, and live recordings from artists like The Who, Led Zeppelin, and Bruce Springsteen. That free-form, DJ-driven style, where hosts like Scott Muni and Dennis Elsas could dig into a whole album, is what made WNEW-FM a cultural powerhouse. Doesn’t that just make you wish you could hear a full side of *The Wall* on the radio today?

Coming from the UK and seeing how rigid radio playlists are there, WNEW-FM’s influence was built directly from the free-form, deep-cut album rock programming that let DJs pick whatever they wanted from the classic rock catalog, not just hits. It was less about a specific album and more about that wide-open, eclectic spirit-think playing an obscure track from a Rolling Stones album alongside a live cut from The Who-which created a loyal listener base that shaped American AOR.

Actually, WNEW-FM’s influence wasn’t really tied to one specific album rock programming style-it borrowed heavily from the underground FM rock scene of the late ’60s, where DJs played entire sides of albums by bands like The Grateful Dead and The Allman Brothers. Then I’d argue the opposite: it was the station’s own quirky, free-form approach that defined it, not a borrowed template, pulling from eclectic live recordings and local artists that no other station touched.