… Thanks to you, the most listened-to station in the nation! …
Top 40 was starting to lose its way in 1978. Disco was rising on FM with “Disco 92” WKTU-FM and it, along with Frankie Crocker’s brilliant WBLS-FM, would come to dominate the New York music scene as the Age of Disco progressed. But you wouldn’t know it to hear Ron Lundy (d. March 15, 2010) as he proudly proclaimed WABC to be “the most listened to station in the nation” opening his Tuesday show in New York with the “Best Disco in Town”.
If ever a rock jock exemplified smoothness – it was Ron Lundy. He was syrupy and obsequious while also being mildly hip, and often raucously funny. The gentle lilt of his Louisiana accent nicely offset the hard-charging formatics of top 40, Big Apple style. He was a master of brevity, keeping the music coming, but with more style than most. That’s because Lundy communicated not only with words, but with nuanced inflections that slyly undercut any hint of pretentiousness. He let the listener know he was their friend first, reader of commercials second (and he could lift a spot off the page so beautifully). He connected to the stay at home mom as well as the hardhat on the skyscraper.
THIS CONTENT WAS CONTRIBUTED TO REELRADIO EXCLUSIVELY. Duplication and/or distribution is a violation of our Terms Of Service.