WABB Mobile, Ala., doesn’t quite go all the way back to the beginning of the rock era as a Top 40 station. As we discovered while researching the CHR format’s longest running stations last year, there was a period where WABB-AM had dropped Top 40 and WABB-FM had not yet segued away from AOR. But that’s a quibble now, especially in light of the news that WABB has been sold to EMF, owners of the Christian AC K-Love network, and will change formats at the end of the month.

There were many reasons WABB was worth rooting for. It was not only an enduring family-owned outlet in a big group era, it was also an old-line mainstream Top 40 that negotiated both the format doldrums of the early ’90s, but also the younger, more rhythmic competition that took down so many heritage CHRs in the late ’90s/early ’00s. It’s also hard to say goodbye to a station that still seems more-than-viable in its present format, and we’ve seen a number of those in recent years.

So, of course we took a “Final Listen” after the news broke. Middayer Blondie WAS talking about the change on the air. “It is still 97.5 WABB, but only until March 1,” is how she opened one break. And the station Website already has a section called “End of an Era.” Even Bruno Mars and Enrique Iglesias look a little bummed on the station header—or perhaps I’m just imagining that.

Like a lot of medium-market CHR, WABB was still more pop than some of its large market counterparts, but more rhythmic than you might have remembered it. Its departure leaves Clear Channel-owned Rhythmic rival WRGV (107.3 Hit Music Now) in a good position, although it also prompts speculation of other format changes as well.

Here’s WABB just before 11 a.m. on Feb. 17:

Enrique Iglesias, “Tonight (I’m Loving You)”
Hinder, “Lips Of An Angel”
Flo Rida, “Good Feeling”
Colbie Caillat, “Brighter Than The Sun”
Chris Brown, “Yeah 3X”
Kanye West, “Stronger”
Drake, “Take Care”
Gavin DeGraw, “Not Over You”
David Guetta f/Nicki Minaj, “Turn Me On”
Gym Class Heroes f/Adam Levine, “Stereo Hearts”
Lifehouse, “Hanging By A Moment”
Flo Rida, “Club Can’t Handle Me”
Rihanna, “We Found Love”
Hot Chelle Rae, “I Like It Like That”
Katy Perry f/Kanye West, “E.T.”