“Uh, Uh, Uh, Uh – Don’t Touch That Dial”

“Top Forty – News and Weather and Sports”

(John D. Loudermilk composer – Mark Dinning performer – early 1961)

Wikipedia states that the term “Top 40” as a “radio format” first appeared in 1960 but we know that just isn’t so – Perhaps the slick marketers hadn’t yet become savvy of the term but it was definitely in use (see the radio station KOBY 1550 AM out of San Francisco from 1956.

Credit for “inventing” the format goes to KOWH owner Robert Todd Storz out of Omaha, Nebraska who paid attention to juke box plays to compose his weekly listing for broadcast.  The emergence of the 45 rpm record also played out well as a parallel development favored and affordable by teens and pre-teens during the mid 1950’s and ultimately putting the 78 rpm  on the back shelves of the record stores.

A September 5th, 1959 Todd Storz KOWH Top 40 Survey

Radio stations quickly gravitated to the Top 40 format – sometimes extending it to 50 but keeping the weekly playlists within the range of what could be easily managed for considerable repetitive air play in order to satisfy the young listening audiences.

By the end of the 1950’s a Top 40 explosion had occurred with thousands of stations using the format and with that the emergence of the “Boss Jocks” who became the shepherds, not only for the soundtrack of teenage America, but the trusted chaperones of their daily lives.

The “Boss Jock” was elevated to perhaps the highest elevation attainable by an “adult” (even though they were often very young as well).

Todd Storz had the Top 40 format firmly in place by 1952 on his Omaha station and soon expanded it to several other stations he acquired.  Via research he learned that listenership dropped when his station featured talk formats and rose dramatically during hit record spins.  That was all that Storz needed.

The printed radio station “survey” sheets began to appear in the mid 1950’s – generally with 1956 being the year they most often made their debut.  By 1958/1959 nearly every Top 40 station worth it’s salt was printing the weekly bulletins which could be obtained at the stations, and in local retail stores where records were sold.

It wouldn’t take long before the surveys to become vessels for local promoters of products and services, and events.  Stations with marketing wisdom would soon promote their Boss Jocks personalities, their promotions in the community and on-the-air.

Survey sheets were often typed by a station employee, but many stations quickly moved to attractive layouts which have resulted in some great collectibles for us today!

Storz himself met with a sad end.  His personal life unraveled and a decision in 1961 to uproot from Omaha to Miami did pan out well.

Todd Storz died from very poor health on April 13th, 1964 – not yet 40 years old.  Father Robert would then move the Storz operation back to Omaha but the magic was gone.  Senior Todd did not have the reverence for Top 40 and often cajoled his station managers to play more ‘adult-like’ music.

But American Boss Jocks everywhere carried on well into the mid 1970’s but the magic of those first 15 years or so would dissipate …. and Top 40 in it’s most refreshing form would become an historical landmark.

Below I have posted many of the California radio stations serving the West Coast during those golden years.  There is a little bit of country sprinkled in – but what the heck! (and I will be posting all of the other States in time)

California Radio Surveys from the Golden Era

California – Arcata KATA 1340 – February, 1972

California – Bakersville KAFY 550 – October, 1958

California – Bakersfield KERN 1410 – January, 1971

California – Bakersfield KIFM 96.5 – September, 1967

California – Bakersfield KPMC 1560 – July, 1964

California – Bakersfield KUZZ 800 – September, 1967

California – Bakersfield KWAC 1490 – January, 1962

California – Blythe KYOR 1450 – September, 1964

California – Brawley KROP 1300 – November, 1966

California – Burbank KBBQ 1500 – November, 1967

California – Burbank KBLA 1500 – November, 1966

California – Burbank KROQ 1500 – October, 1972

California – Chico KCSC 720 – November, 1968

California – Chico KPAY 1060 – December, 1962

California – Corona KREL 1370 – September, 1970

California – Daly City KTEN July, 1967

California – Davis KDVS 91.5 – January, 1968

California – El Centro KAMP 1430 – November, 1960

California – Escondido KOWN 1450 – May, 1966

California – Eureka KRED 1480 – August, 1972

California – Fresno KEAP 980 – February, 1963

California – Fresno KMAK 1340 – August, 1962

California – Fresno KYNO 1300 – Top 50 1956

California – Glendale KIEV 870 – October, 1966

California – Hollywood KBCA 105.1 – August, 1966

California – Indio KREO 1400 – May, 1963

California – Inglewood KTYM 103.9 – June, 1966

California – Lemoore KLAN 1320 – June, 1966

California – Lompoc KNEZ 960 – July, 1965

California – Long Beach KFOX 1280 – October, 1968

California – Long Beach KLFM 105.5 – April, 1965

California – Los Angeles KHJ 930 – June, 1971

California – Palmdale KUTY 147 – February, 1963

California – San Diego KCBQ 1170 – December, 1964

California – San Diego 136 Boss 30 – February, 1971

California – San Francisco KEWB 910 – June, 1959

California – San Francisco KFMS 106.1 – February, 1970

 

California – San Francisco KOBY 1550 – October, 1956 top 40

California – San Francisco KSOL 107.7 – September, 1970

California – San Francisco KYA 1260 – August, 1959

California – San Jose KLIV 1590 – Top 20 1963

California – San Jose KSJO 1590 – August, 1959

California – San Luis Obispo KSLY 1400 – March, 1968

California – San Luis Obispo KVEC 920 – May, 1962

California – Santa Ana KYMS 106.3 – April, 1969

California – Santa Barbara KCSB 91.9 – January, 1968

California – Santa Barbara KIST 1340 – November, 1960

California – Santa Maria KSEE 1480 – April, 1963

California – Santa Paula KSPA 1400 – October, 1966

California – Santa Rosa KPLS 1150 – October, 1966

California – Stockton KJOY 1280 – April, 1959

California – Stockton KSTN 1420 – September, 1966

California – Susanville KSUE 1240 – March, 1965

California – Ventura KUDU 1600 – March, 1960

California – Victorville KCIN 1590 – December, 1967

California – Visalia KONG 1400 – June, 1964

California – Watsonville KOMY 1340 – December, 1960

California – West Sacramento KJAY 1430 – August, 1965

California – Yuba City KOBO 1450 – July, 1969