Editing WLS (AM) (section)

===Musicradio era===
[[File:WLS Silver Beatle Survey.jpg|thumb|WLS weekly Silver Dollar Survey, distributed free via record stores, was retitled Silver Beatle Survey during the height of Beatlemania]]
On May 2, 1960, at 6&nbsp;am, WLS went with a full-time [[Top 40]] format.<ref>[[Zorn, Eric]]. "[https://www.chicagotribune.com/1985/04/11/old-discs-jocks-dusted-off-in-honor-of-oldies/ Old Discs, Jocks Dusted Off In Honor Of Oldies]", ''[[Chicago Tribune]]''. April 11, 1985. Retrieved August 19, 2018.</ref><ref name="Scrapbook">{{cite web |url=http://rockradioscrapbook.ca/changes.html |title=Rock Radio Scrapbook-Changes |publisher=Rockradioscrapbook.ca |access-date=November 13, 2011 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110928183522/http://rockradioscrapbook.ca/changes.html |archive-date=September 28, 2011 }}</ref> Mort Crowley was the first disc jockey under the new format, and the first song played was "[[Alley Oop (song)|Alley-Oop]]" by [[The Hollywood Argyles]], four weeks before it debuted on the Hot 100.<ref name="Scrapbook" /><ref>[https://www.billboard.com/charts/hot-100/1960-05-30 The Hot 100 for the week of May 30, 1960], ''Billboard''.com. Retrieved August 19, 2018.</ref> The station's [[jingle]]s were sung by the [[Anita Kerr Singers]].<ref name="BB5560" /><ref name="WLS60" />

Ralph Beaudin was the station's president and general manager, and oversaw the station's transformation into a Top 40 station.<ref name="WLS60">Childers, Scott."[http://www.wlshistory.com/WLS60/ WLS The Bright Sound of Chicago Radio]", ''The History of WLS Radio''. Retrieved August 20, 2018.</ref><ref name="BB5560">{{cite magazine |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vh8EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA11 |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|title=Chi's WLS Launches New Program Format|date=May 9, 1960 |access-date=August 20, 2018|page=11 }}</ref><ref name="WLS50th">Childers, Scott."[http://www.wlshistory.com/6050/ WLS' 50th Anniversary of Rock 'n Roll]", ''The History of WLS Radio''. Retrieved August 20, 2018.</ref> Sam Holman was the station's program director and an afternoon DJ.<ref name="WLS60" /><ref name="WLS50th" /> Beaudin and Holman were both brought in from [[KQV]] in [[Pittsburgh]], Pennsylvania.<ref name="BB5560" /><ref name="WLS50th" /> Ed Grennan, an announcer on the station since 1959, was retained as a DJ under the new format.<ref name="WLS60" /><ref>McCann, Tom. "[https://www.chicagotribune.com/2000/08/26/ed-grennan-fixture-of-chicago-radio-tv/ Ed Grennan, Fixture Of Chicago Radio, TV]", ''[[Chicago Tribune]]''. August 26, 2000. Retrieved August 20, 2018.</ref><ref name="BB5560" /><ref>Childers, Scott."[http://www.wlshistory.com/jox/edgrennan.htm Ed Grennan 1922-2000]", ''The History of WLS Radio''. Retrieved August 20, 2018.</ref> Star disc jockey [[Dick Biondi]], a 1998 inductee into the [[National Radio Hall of Fame]], was brought in from [[WDCZ|WEBR]] in [[Buffalo, New York]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.museum.tv/rhofsection.php?page=173 |title=Chicago Museum of Broadcasting History-Dick Biondi Hall of Fame Induction 1998 |publisher=Museum.tv |access-date=November 13, 2011 |url-status=bot: unknown |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110604015801/http://www.museum.tv/rhofsection.php?page=173 |archive-date=June 4, 2011 }}</ref><ref name="MRPop">{{cite web|url=http://www.mrpopculture.com/files/May%205%2C%201960.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110809162757/http://www.mrpopculture.com/files/May%205%2C%201960.pdf |title=This Week In...May 5, 1960|work=Mr. Pop History|archive-date=August 9, 2011|access-date=August 20, 2018}}</ref><ref name="BB5560" /> Biondi remained on the station until 1963.<ref name="Biro">Biro, Nick. "[https://books.google.com/books?id=aQsEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA4 Biondi Out in Chi, Mulls Other Offers]", ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]''. June 1, 1963. pp. 4, 46. Retrieved August 20, 2018.</ref> Other DJs who were brought in for the station's new format included Bob Hale from [[WIRL]] in [[Peoria, Illinois]], Gene Taylor from [[WOKY]] in [[Milwaukee, Wisconsin]], Mort Crowley from [[WADO]] in New York City, and [[Jim Dunbar]] from [[WODT|WDSU]] in [[New Orleans]], Louisiana.<ref name="BB5560" /><ref name="MRPop" />

In October 1960, Art Roberts joined the station as a DJ, having previously worked at [[WWKB|WKBW]] in [[Buffalo, New York]].<ref>Bundy, June. "[https://books.google.com/books?id=MiAEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA23 Vox Jox]", ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]''. October 17, 1960. p. 23. Retrieved August 20, 2018.</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://artroberts.com/ |title=Art Roberts' website |publisher=Artroberts.com |access-date=November 13, 2011 |url-status=bot: unknown |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110128080619/http://artroberts.com/ |archive-date=January 28, 2011 }}</ref> [[Clark Weber]] joined the station as a DJ, remaining with the station until 1969.<ref>Nidetz, Steve. "[https://www.chicagotribune.com/1994/11/13/sunday-mass-looking-again-for-a-tv-station/ Sunday `Mass' Looking Again For A Tv Station]", ''[[Chicago Tribune]]''. November 13, 1994. Retrieved August 19, 2018.</ref> In 1963, Ron "Ringo" Riley joined the station as a DJ, having previously worked at [[WHK (AM)|WHK]] in [[Cleveland]], Ohio.<ref name="WLS60" /><ref name="Biro" /><ref name="Schedule6090" /> Dex Card joined the station in 1964, and hosted the Silver Dollar Survey countdown until 1967, the longest of the show's hosts.<ref name="SDS">Childers, Scott."[http://www.wlshistory.com/WLS60/SDS.htm The WLS Survey]", ''The History of WLS Radio''. Retrieved August 20, 2018.</ref> In 1967, [[Larry Lujack]] joined WLS as a DJ, four months after he had started at the station's top competitor WCFL.<ref name="WLS60" /><ref name="Lujack">{{cite web|url=http://www.radiohof.org/discjockey/larrylujack.html |title=Larry Lujack-Radio Hall of Fame-Inducted 2004 |publisher=Radiohof.org |year=2004 |access-date=November 13, 2011 |url-status=bot: unknown |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050113095210/http://www.radiohof.org/discjockey/larrylujack.html |archive-date=January 13, 2005 }}</ref> Lujack returned to WCFL in 1972, but rejoined WLS in 1976, remaining with the station until 1987.<ref name="RockofChicago" /><ref name="Lujack" /> In 1968, a mid-twenty-something Chuck Buell was recruited as the youngest on-air radio personality for a major market contemporary hit music station to date to host the early evening 6&nbsp;p.m. to 10&nbsp;p.m. show. An equally young Kris Eric Stevens soon followed a few months later to follow for the 10&nbsp;p.m. to 2&nbsp;a.m. show. In 1972, [[John Records Landecker]] joined WLS, remaining with the station until 1981.<ref>Kening, Dan. "[https://www.chicagotribune.com/1994/01/11/big-89-star-john-landecker-back-on-the-air-at-wjmk/ `Big 89' Star John Landecker Back On The Air At WJMK]", ''[[Chicago Tribune]]''. January 11, 1994. Retrieved August 22, 2018.</ref><ref>[[Feder, Robert]] "[https://www.robertfeder.com/2015/07/27/legendary-dj-landecker-quits-wls-fm/ Legendary DJ Landecker quits WLS FM]", ''Robert Feder''. Retrieved August 22, 2018.</ref> Landecker returned to WLS in 1986, and remained with the station until its format was changed in 1989.<ref>Freeman, Kim. "[https://books.google.com/books?id=XyQEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PT25 Vox Jox]", ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]''. March 22, 1986. p. 26. Retrieved February 4, 2019.</ref><ref name="RockofChicago" /><ref name="Schedule6090" /><ref>"[https://www.allaccess.com/top40-mainstream/10-questions/archive/15830/10-questions-with-john-records-landecker 10 Questions with ... John Records Landecker]", ''All Access Music Group''. March 19, 2013. Retrieved August 22, 2018.</ref> [[Tommy Edwards (announcer)|Tommy Edwards]] joined the station as production director in 1972, becoming program director one year later, and later becoming a mid-day DJ.<ref name="WLS70">Childers, Scott."[http://www.wlshistory.com/WLS70/ WLS Musicradio]", ''The History of WLS Radio''. Retrieved August 23, 2018.</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.edisonresearch.com/home/archives/2003/10/first_look_wrll.php |last=Ross |first=Sean|title=First Look: WRLL Chicago — An Interview with Tommy Edwards|publisher=Edison Research |access-date=August 20, 2018 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061028134213/http://www.edisonresearch.com/home/archives/2003/10/first_look_wrll.php |archive-date=October 28, 2006 }}</ref><ref name="Schedule6090" /><ref>[[Feder, Robert]]. "[https://www.robertfeder.com/2014/09/05/tommy-edwards-signing-off-on-a-legendary-career/ Tommy Edwards signing off on a legendary career]", ''Robert Feder''. September 5, 2014. Retrieved August 23, 2018.</ref> [[Bob Sirott]] joined WLS in June 1973, remaining with the station until December 1979.<ref>"[http://www.wlsam.com/2017/06/09/bob-sirotts-first-broadcast-on-wls-from-june-8-1973-chicago-ribfest-the-bannos-brothers-plus-more-60917/ Bob Sirott's first broadcast on WLS from June 8, 1973, Chicago Ribfest, the Bannos Brothers, plus more!]", WLS. June 9, 2017. Retrieved August 23, 2018.</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Childers |first=Scott |date=2008 |title=Chicago's WLS Radio |location=Charleston, South Carolina |publisher=Arcadia Publishing |page=94 |isbn=9780738561943}}</ref>

Other DJs on WLS during its top 40 era included Joel Sebastian, Gary Gears, J. J. Jefferies, Jerry Kay, Yvonne Daniels,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://radiohof.org/discjockey/ydaniels.html|title=Yvonne Daniels, Radio Hall of Fame |publisher=Radio Hall of Fame |access-date=June 10, 2010 |url-status=bot: unknown |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090315225432/http://radiohof.org/discjockey/ydaniels.html |archive-date=March 15, 2009 }}</ref> [[Brant Miller]], [[Tom Kent]],<ref name="RockofChicago" /> [[Steve King (radio)|Steve King]], Jeff Davis, and Fred Winston.<ref name="WLS60" /><ref name="Schedule6090" /> Some of the production directors responsible for the sound of WLS were Ray Van Steen, Hal Widsten, Jim Hampton, Bill Price and Tommy Edwards.

In the 1960s, WLS was a major force in introducing new music and recording artists. The first US airplay of a record by [[The Beatles]] ("[[Please Please Me (song)|Please Please Me]]") was on Dick Biondi's show on February 8, 1963.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dgsEAAAAMBAJ&q=dick+biondi+cincinnati&pg=PA4 |title=Billboard February 23, 1963 Most Disc Execs Swear By (not at) Chi's Dick Biondi-pages 4 and 8 |date=February 23, 1963 |access-date=November 13, 2011}}</ref><ref name="Invasion">{{Citation | editor-last = Miles | editor-first = Barry | title = The British Invasion: The Music, the Times, the Era | year = 2009 | page = 55 | publisher = Sterling | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=r8xbaIlrUREC&q=biondi+beatles&pg=PA55 | isbn = 978-1-4027-6976-4 | access-date =April 27, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://forgottenhits.com/who_played_the_very_first_beatles_record_in_america|title=Who played the first Beatles record in America?|publisher=Forgotten hits|access-date=April 27, 2010|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100425081910/http://www.forgottenhits.com/who_played_the_very_first_beatles_record_in_america|archive-date=April 25, 2010}}</ref>

WLS was voted by broadcasters nationally as "Radio Station of the Year" in 1967, 1968 and 1969. John Rook was named "Program Director of the Year" in 1968 and 1969 as WLS was estimated attracting 4.2&nbsp;million listeners weekly by Pulse research.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.johnrook.com/johnrookthebig89WLS.htm |title=The big 89-WLS from "Passing Thru" by John Rook |publisher=Johnrook.com |access-date=November 13, 2011 |url-status=bot: unknown |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101119010406/http://www.johnrook.com/johnrookthebig89WLS.htm |archive-date=November 19, 2010 }}</ref>
[[File:WLS Radio Disk Jockeys 1972.JPG|thumb|200px|WLS disk jockeys at a Frisbee promotion, 1972. From left: Bill Bailey, Chuck Knapp, Charlie Van Dyke, Fred Winston and John Records Landecker.]]

WLS also produced the weekly Silver Dollar Survey<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.oldiesloon.com/il/wlsyear.htm|title=WLS Surveys|access-date=July 7, 2011|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110719053523/http://www.oldiesloon.com/il/wlsyear.htm|archive-date=July 19, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://las-solanas.com/arsa/surveys.php?lidx=0&lttl=724&lcnt=20&srt1=chartweek&srt2=tsc_psv%20DESC&vqry=wls|title=ARSA Survey Search: WLS (starting with the first survey, on October 14, 1960 survey)|access-date=April 30, 2012|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160308144929/http://las-solanas.com/arsa/surveys.php?lcnt=20&lidx=0&lttl=724&srt1=chartweek&srt2=tsc_psv%20desc&vqry=wls|archive-date=March 8, 2016}}</ref> from October 14, 1960, to December 22, 1967, broken by the Silver Beatle Survey on February 21, 1964, and the Super Summer Survey from May 5, 1967, to August 25, 1967. The survey nominally contained 40 current song listings, except for occasional weeks when it contained fewer current listings, usually 20, plus a special listing of some of the greatest oldies. From September 18, 1964, through December 25, 1964, the survey consisted of the top 30 pop hits, followed by the top 10 R&B hits. Thereafter, the survey changed its name numerous times (89 WLS Hit Parade, 89 WLS Chicagoland Hit Parade, WLS Musicradio 89, etc.).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://user.pa.net/~ejjeff/wlssurv.html|title=Jeff Roteman's WLS Website – WLS Survey Page|access-date=March 12, 2012|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100721030759/http://user.pa.net/~ejjeff/wlssurv.html|archive-date=July 21, 2010}}</ref> Starting with the July 20, 1970, survey, the number of listings dropped from 40 to 30, then varying from 25 to 40 starting June 26, 1972, then dropping to 15 by March 9, 1974, then increasing to a high of 45 by the end of 1975. No "take home" surveys were printed from March 13, 1972, through July 16, 1973 (these were limited to one poster-size weekly survey displayed at record shops).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wlshistory.com/new/surveylistings.htm|title=List of WLS Surveys 1971 through 1986|access-date=March 12, 2012|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120505152333/http://www.wlshistory.com/new/surveylistings.htm|archive-date=May 5, 2012}}</ref> The year-end listing was the 20 greatest hits of the year for each year from 1963 through 1966, increased to 89 from 1967 onward.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wlshistory.com/big89/|title=The WLS Big 89 Countdown!|access-date=March 12, 2012|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120305061831/http://www.wlshistory.com/big89/|archive-date=March 5, 2012}}</ref>

[[File:WLS 1975 logo.png|200px|thumb|WLS 1975 logo]]
Like many AM radio stations of the seventies, WLS edited many of the songs they played into a more "radio-friendly" or "radio edit" (a term still used today) format, usually 3–4 minutes in length. Other special editions of some Top 40 songs exclusively made for their broadcasting were done by the musicians themselves or sometimes by the WLS audio engineers. An example of these included [[Reunion (band)|Reunion]]'s 1974 song "[[Life Is a Rock (But the Radio Rolled Me)]]". Reunion changed the song's lyrics from "Life is a rock but the radio rolled me" to "Life is a rock/WLS rolled me".<ref name="LifeisaRock">"[http://chicagoradioandmedia.com/multimedia/audio/3149-life-is-a-rock-wcfl-a-wls-versions 'Life Is A Rock' – WCFL & WLS Versions]", ''Chicagoland Radio and Media''. March 7, 2013. Retrieved August 19, 2018.</ref> A similar version was made for competitor [[WCFL (AM)|WCFL]].<ref name="LifeisaRock" /> Another "WLS-only" version was a combination of [[Captain and Tennille]]'s "[[Love Will Keep Us Together]]" and "Por Amor Viviremos", which featured alternating English and Spanish vocals.<ref>"[https://www.metv.com/stories/captain-tennille-scored-the-song-of-the-summer-40-years-ago Captain & Tennille scored the song of the summer 40 years ago]", [[MeTV]]. August 12, 2015. Retrieved August 19, 2018.</ref>

By the mid-1970s, WLS became conservative about introducing new songs, and many record promoters referred to the station as the "World's Last Station" to add new releases for airplay,<ref>Denver, Joel. "[https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-RandR/1980s/1984/RR-1984-08-03.pdf Chicago's Five-Way Battle]", ''[[Radio & Records]]''. August 3, 1984. Retrieved August 19, 2018.</ref> usually only after the songs had reached the top 10 on the [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot 100]]. However, in 1974, the station started playing the track "[[Lady (Styx song)|Lady]]" by the Chicago band [[Styx (band)|Styx]] from an older album of theirs, resulting in other stations around the country adding the song and making the track Styx' first national Top 40 hit.<ref>Van Matre, Lynn. "[https://www.chicagotribune.com/2000/05/28/the-sweet-smell-of-success-march-16-1975/ The Sweet Smell Of Success March 16, 1975]", ''[[Chicago Tribune]]''. May 28, 2000. Retrieved August 23, 2018.</ref>

During the 1970s WLS ran a Sunday night music interview program called "Musicpeople".<ref>"[http://www.wlshistory.com/WLS70/musicpeople.htm Musicpeople]", ''The History of WLS Radio''. Retrieved August 20, 2018.</ref><ref>"[https://books.google.com/books?id=dwkEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PT7 Vox Jox]", ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]''. November 16, 1974. p. 45. Retrieved August 21, 2018.</ref>

In 1984, [[Steve Dahl]] and [[Garry Meier]]'s program was moved to WLS from WLS-FM, over the objections of the duo, who attempted to have their contract declared invalid.<ref>McCormick, Moira. "[https://books.google.com/books?id=liQEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA12-IA2 Dahl, Meier Back On Air At WLS-AM]", ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]''. October 20, 1984. p. 14. Retrieved August 23, 2018.</ref><ref name="RockofChicago" /> Nevertheless, Dahl and Meier drew higher ratings on WLS than they had on WLS-FM.<ref>[[Zorn, Eric]]. "[https://www.chicagotribune.com/1985/04/18/dahl-meier-pull-wls-am-up-to-7th-in-ratings/ Dahl, Meier Pull WLS-AM Up To 7th In Ratings]", ''[[Chicago Tribune]]''. April 18, 1985. Retrieved August 23, 2018.</ref><ref name="RockofChicago" /> Dahl and Meier left WLS in 1986, returning to WLUP.<ref>McCormick, Moira. "[https://books.google.com/books?id=RSQEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA15 Chicago's 'Bad Boy' Returning to WLUP]", ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]''. February 1, 1986. p. 15. Retrieved August 23, 2018.</ref><ref>Terry, Clifford. "[https://www.chicagotribune.com/1986/02/20/dahl-meier-wls-just-dont-match/ Dahl-Meier, WLS Just Don't Match]", ''[[Chicago Tribune]]''. February 20, 1986. Retrieved August 23, 2018.</ref>

Well into the 1980s, WLS continued as a mainstream Top 40 formatted station.<ref name="BCYearbook1985">''[https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-BC-YB/1985/B-Radio-AL-to-MT-BC-YB-1985.pdf Broadcasting/Cablecasting Yearbook 1985]'', [[Broadcasting & Cable|Broadcasting/Cablecasting]], 1985. p. B-80. Retrieved August 19, 2018.</ref> However, beginning in 1985, the station would begin to undergo major changes. In January 1985, the station began airing ''Sex Talk'' on Sunday nights, hosted by Phyllis Levy, a sex therapist.<ref>Anderson, Liz. "[https://www.chicagotribune.com/1985/09/11/sex-is-her-business/ Sex Is Her Business]", ''[[Chicago Tribune]]''. September 11, 1985. Retrieved August 19, 2018.</ref> By 1987, WLS was airing [[adult contemporary]] music, liberally laced with [[oldies]] and [[Traditional pop|standards]], with talk programming at night.<ref name="RockofChicago" /><ref name="Schedule6090">Childers, Scott."[http://www.wlshistory.com/jox/schedule.htm The WLS Schedule: 1960-1990]", ''The History of WLS Radio''. Retrieved August 19, 2018.</ref><ref name="BCYearbook1988">''[https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-BC-YB/1988/B-Radio-Ala-Mt-1988-YB.pdf Broadcasting/Cablecasting Yearbook 1988]'', [[Broadcasting & Cable|Broadcasting/Cablecasting]], 1988. p. B-85. Retrieved August 19, 2018.</ref> During the 1980s, Les Grobstein was hired as the first and only full-time Sports Director of WLS and broke the story of Cubs manager [[Lee Elia]]'s famous tirade on April 29, 1983, after a loss to the [[Los Angeles Dodgers]], which included 54 profanities.