***A note to air check traders. Please do not record these air checks and try and trade. I have the original tapes many of which I recorded myself and thus the authenticity can not be in doubt and can be easily traced.

The days of total free form on WNEW FM were over by the time of this air check from  May 1985. More mainstream AOR was beginning to dominate but the diversity heard was still miles ahead of what we hear on most rock radio today.

This is part of the top 1027 countdown from 1985. You will hear WBCN alumni Maxanne Sartori, Dennis Elsas and Carol Miller on this iteration of the countdown which ran several times on the station.

Audio Note: The recording deteriorates for about 3 minutes starting at 26:20 but recovers.

Visit the site’s You Tube Channel to see this 1985 interview with REM: