A few weeks ago, Clear Channel launched CBGB Radio—an Internet-only channel mixing ‘70s and '80s punk and new wave with today’s indie rock. Even the press release quote from Seymour Stein couldn’t help comment on the irony of a commercial entity devoted to what radio viewed as the least mainstream music of its time. These days, Blondie has four songs on AC radio and listening to CBGB Radio, I commented that the music itself probably wasn’t all that dangerous in 1979 either.

The original Ross On Radio item on CBGB Radio prompted reader Scott Lowe to pass along an aircheck of WPIX, New York’s short-lived New Wave radio station of 1978-80. And, indeed, the 40 minutes of music has about the sonic threat level of today’s Triple-A; even then, the mix was as much ‘70s progressive as it was punk. (Both WLIR Long Island, N.Y., the market’s subsequent Alternative station and the “World Famous” KROQ Los Angeles crept into the format themselves.)

There’s an emphasis here on the Joe Jackson/Elvis Costello arm of new wave, plus a retro component (standard issue in the format for the first few years). And there’s also music from (and an ad for) Carolyne Mas, the “female Springsteen,” whose initial buzz (unfairly) never spread past New York.

Here’s WPIX from Oct. 1979, about four months before the new wave format gave way to CHR:

David Johanson, “Melody”

Four Tops, “Reach Out (I’ll Be There)”

Southside Johnny & Asbury Jukes, “I Remember Last Night”

Dusty Springfield, “I Only Wanna Be With You”

Patti Smith, “Till Victory” – she had done a concert in Central Park that night

Showmen, “It Will Stand” — the ‘60s “Beach Music” R&B anthem

Carolyne Mas, “It’s No Secret”

Little Feat, “Dixie Chicken”

Elvis Costello, “This Year’s Girl”

Ian Dury & Blockheads, “Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick” (the 12" disco version)

Robert Palmer, “Bad Case Of Loving You”

Outsiders, “Time Won’t Let Me”

Joe Jackson, “Got The Time”

And, for the purposes of comparison, here’s CBGB Radio as we heard it in late January. The station is still melodic enough for me to have commented at the time that this music wouldn’t sound unusual coming out of any mall retailer. But it’s a hipper distillation than what was on even the “new wave” station at a time—the way that a fan of the music would want to remember it.

Tom Tom Club, “Lorelei”

Pixies, “Gigantic”

Ramones, “I Don’t Wanna Grow Up”

MC5, “The American Ruse”

Dead Boys, “Caught With The Meat In Your Mouth”

Gaslight Anthem, “The ’59 Sound”

Clash, “The Guns Of Brixton”

Pavement, “Gold Soundz”

Talking Heads, “Swamp”

Yeah Yeah Yeahs, “Maps”

Television, “Glory”

Pere Ubu, “Heaven”

Blondie, “Rapture”

Radiohead, “Just”

Replacements, “Can’t Hardly Wait”