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FM: The Rise and Fall of Rock Radio
"It was all so honest, before the end of our collective innocence. Top Forty jocks screamed and yelled and sounded mightier than God on millions of transistor radios. But on FM radio it was all spun out for only you. On a golden web by a master weaver driven by fifty thousand magical watts of crystal clear power . . . before the days of trashy, hedonistic dumbspeak and disposable three-minute ditties . . . in the days where rock lived at many addresses in many cities."
–from FM
As a young man, Richard Neer dreamed of landing a job at WNEW in New York–one of the revolutionary FM stations across the country that were changing the face of radio by rejecting strict formatting and letting disc jockeys play whatever they wanted. He felt that when he got there, he’d have made the big time. Little did he know he’d have shaped rock history as well.
The Rise and Fall of Rock Radio chronicles the birth, growth, and death of free-form rock-and-roll radio through the stories of the movement’s flagship stations. In the late sixties and early seventies–at stations like KSAN in San Francisco, WBCN in Boston, WMMR in Philadelphia, KMET in Los Angeles, WNEW, and others–disc jockeys became the gatekeepers, critics, and gurus of new music. Jocks like Scott Muni, Vin Scelsa, Jonathan Schwartz, and Neer developed loyal followings and had incredible influence on their listeners and on the early careers of artists such as Bruce Springsteen, Genesis, the Cars, and many others.
Full of fascinating firsthand stories, FM documents the commodification of an iconoclastic phenomenon, revealing how counterculture was coopted and consumed by the mainstream. Richard Neer was an eyewitness to, and participant in, this history. FM is the tale of his exhilarating ride.
–from FM
As a young man, Richard Neer dreamed of landing a job at WNEW in New York–one of the revolutionary FM stations across the country that were changing the face of radio by rejecting strict formatting and letting disc jockeys play whatever they wanted. He felt that when he got there, he’d have made the big time. Little did he know he’d have shaped rock history as well.
The Rise and Fall of Rock Radio chronicles the birth, growth, and death of free-form rock-and-roll radio through the stories of the movement’s flagship stations. In the late sixties and early seventies–at stations like KSAN in San Francisco, WBCN in Boston, WMMR in Philadelphia, KMET in Los Angeles, WNEW, and others–disc jockeys became the gatekeepers, critics, and gurus of new music. Jocks like Scott Muni, Vin Scelsa, Jonathan Schwartz, and Neer developed loyal followings and had incredible influence on their listeners and on the early careers of artists such as Bruce Springsteen, Genesis, the Cars, and many others.
Full of fascinating firsthand stories, FM documents the commodification of an iconoclastic phenomenon, revealing how counterculture was coopted and consumed by the mainstream. Richard Neer was an eyewitness to, and participant in, this history. FM is the tale of his exhilarating ride.
384 pages, Hardcover
First published December 18, 2001
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
July 22, 2020
FM: THE RISE AND FALL OF ROCK RADIO. This is a misleading book. From the title one would expect an overview of FM radio as a national phenomenon. That anyway is what I hoped for. Instead it is a semi-autobiographical account of Dick Neer's adventures in New York and the different stations he worked for. We also get anecdotes about other radio personalities who built the scene along the upper East Coast. Some mention is given to the West Coast, particularly San Diego, but the rest of the nation is ignored. Had Neer titled his book THE RISE AND FALL OF ROCK RADIO IN NEW YORK, I would have no complaint. Instead I feel cheated and scammed.
The problem is he talks about NY stations, call letters, and DJs I've never heard of and thus have no vested interest in. His constant name dropping meant nothing to me. Also he ignores the rest of the US and I can tell you as a teenager in 1964 when the Beatles broke out and until the advent of disco (total crap!), the Texas FM scene was far ahead of anything Neer participated in. FM in Texas meant rock-n-roll, period. And we could pick up stations from Houston, Dallas, Austin, San Antonio, and Bryan all of which played good old rock without all the posturing and politics. They played anything and everything, all in the spirit of fun. (Like the Doors said, Texas Radio and the Big Beat.) I'm sure there existed many other stations in the midwest that did the same thing.
Had Neer been honest in naming his book I would never have picked it up. If you're going to talk about a regional topic, then say so up front rather than deceiving the reader. Perhaps if I were a NY resident I might have found this interesting. But that not being the case, it conveyed nothing to me. It was just another $20 down the drain.
The problem is he talks about NY stations, call letters, and DJs I've never heard of and thus have no vested interest in. His constant name dropping meant nothing to me. Also he ignores the rest of the US and I can tell you as a teenager in 1964 when the Beatles broke out and until the advent of disco (total crap!), the Texas FM scene was far ahead of anything Neer participated in. FM in Texas meant rock-n-roll, period. And we could pick up stations from Houston, Dallas, Austin, San Antonio, and Bryan all of which played good old rock without all the posturing and politics. They played anything and everything, all in the spirit of fun. (Like the Doors said, Texas Radio and the Big Beat.) I'm sure there existed many other stations in the midwest that did the same thing.
Had Neer been honest in naming his book I would never have picked it up. If you're going to talk about a regional topic, then say so up front rather than deceiving the reader. Perhaps if I were a NY resident I might have found this interesting. But that not being the case, it conveyed nothing to me. It was just another $20 down the drain.
December 5, 2019
Interesting, thorough and well-written. The decline of rock radio to the shame it's become has been a point of interest with me for some time and Mr. Neer does a nice job of explaining what happened and why. I think this would be of particular interest to anybody that was a listener of NYC rock radio in the late 60s on. My only complaint is the timeline was unclear in sections. All in all, a lot of good information.
August 5, 2022
My teen years began in the advent of freeform rock FM radio in NYC. I enjoyed Richard's overview of the early years of the format. I remember most of the dj's. What made FM rock radio different at least in NY, was that it was not based on singles. It was always album cuts. I recall how a few WNEW jocks regularly played the Velvet Underground's "Rock N' Roll" because it was a paen to NY radio. On the flip side, I don't think Pete Fornatale ever had a shift where he did not play Don McLean's "American Pie". I enjoyed the anecdotes about how the WNEW jocks were hired.
Richard laments the death of free form radio but explains the how the disarray of the format ultimately led to the streamlining of it to become a business. Radio stations survive by being leaders in their market, which brings in advertising revenue. I stopped listening to commercial FM radio years ago. But I remember so many formats- AOR, CHR, Top 40 (which did not have to reflect top 40 sales), Smooth jazz, Alternative, Adult Contemporary I think there was one called Adult Alternative!
Today, most radio sounds the same to me all over the U.S. I'm sure one can find the occasional maverick radio station that includes some local music. The streamlining of culture extends beyond radio. All across the country you can find the same chain stores, restaurants, hotels, etc all providing the comfort of consistency.
Spoiler alert-
I'm fascinated by one story in the book. KSDT was the first free-form radio station in San Diego. The station manager devised a promotion where ideally, The Beatles would reform to play at Jack Murphy Stadium after a Padres game. He did not advertise that the Beatles would perform, but he got Jefferson Starship to commit to the opening slot. Long story short, he didn't get The Beatles but he did secure Yoko Ono and Plastic Ono Band to perform but without John Lennon. (he was with May Pang at the time). Jefferson Starship sent Papa John Creach in their place.
Richard laments the death of free form radio but explains the how the disarray of the format ultimately led to the streamlining of it to become a business. Radio stations survive by being leaders in their market, which brings in advertising revenue. I stopped listening to commercial FM radio years ago. But I remember so many formats- AOR, CHR, Top 40 (which did not have to reflect top 40 sales), Smooth jazz, Alternative, Adult Contemporary I think there was one called Adult Alternative!
Today, most radio sounds the same to me all over the U.S. I'm sure one can find the occasional maverick radio station that includes some local music. The streamlining of culture extends beyond radio. All across the country you can find the same chain stores, restaurants, hotels, etc all providing the comfort of consistency.
Spoiler alert-
I'm fascinated by one story in the book. KSDT was the first free-form radio station in San Diego. The station manager devised a promotion where ideally, The Beatles would reform to play at Jack Murphy Stadium after a Padres game. He did not advertise that the Beatles would perform, but he got Jefferson Starship to commit to the opening slot. Long story short, he didn't get The Beatles but he did secure Yoko Ono and Plastic Ono Band to perform but without John Lennon. (he was with May Pang at the time). Jefferson Starship sent Papa John Creach in their place.
July 29, 2017
Enjoyed this far more than I expected to. Neer's bitterness about the commercial fate of radio is palpable but understandable. His anecdotes--though difficult to make chronological sense of sometimes--leave you longing for the days of free-form AOR and the vibrant, volatile personalities of Neer's fellow rock jocks. A good read for anyone with more than a passing interest in music history.
May 19, 2021
The True Story of FM Radio, told from way inside it—Richard Neer's soothing tones underscored New Yorkers' lives for over 25 years. In his first book, he chronicles the rise and fall of progressive rock stations starting in the 70's when he became one of the most familiar voices on WNEW-FM.
Partially a modest memoir, mostly a comprehensive record, Neer's Alice in Wonderland tale steps up from his college radio station to the town's professional station, an equivalent mess of antiquated equipment and thwarted ideas. He sets his sights on WNEW early and gets there pretty quickly, learning while making the rules of the movement of he helped grow.
Scorning the bubble gum pop tunes of AM radio, FM's record jocks were iconoclastic personalities who curated their free form musical programs based primarily on personal taste in great new albums. What music they introduced, and what close encounters of the stellar kind they all had is described in graphic detail. Neer takes us backstage, as we witness the excesses and egos and madness of the rock and rollers and the DJ's who revere them. He relates how WNEW became a comfort station as we all mourned the murder of John Lennon. He points out the beginning of the end as the program directors began computerizing the line ups, cramping the liberties of the personalities, and as shock jock Howard Stern's show pulls ratings from WNEW on K-Rock, a style Neer's peers could not emulate. As new management asserted its ideas, and WNEW lost its cachet, Neer laments the good old days and moves smoothly into sports radio.
I relished the whole trip of this book, and as I half listen to wall to wall persona-free, satellite radio, I miss Alison Steele, Scott Muni, and Richard Neer's good company.
Partially a modest memoir, mostly a comprehensive record, Neer's Alice in Wonderland tale steps up from his college radio station to the town's professional station, an equivalent mess of antiquated equipment and thwarted ideas. He sets his sights on WNEW early and gets there pretty quickly, learning while making the rules of the movement of he helped grow.
Scorning the bubble gum pop tunes of AM radio, FM's record jocks were iconoclastic personalities who curated their free form musical programs based primarily on personal taste in great new albums. What music they introduced, and what close encounters of the stellar kind they all had is described in graphic detail. Neer takes us backstage, as we witness the excesses and egos and madness of the rock and rollers and the DJ's who revere them. He relates how WNEW became a comfort station as we all mourned the murder of John Lennon. He points out the beginning of the end as the program directors began computerizing the line ups, cramping the liberties of the personalities, and as shock jock Howard Stern's show pulls ratings from WNEW on K-Rock, a style Neer's peers could not emulate. As new management asserted its ideas, and WNEW lost its cachet, Neer laments the good old days and moves smoothly into sports radio.
I relished the whole trip of this book, and as I half listen to wall to wall persona-free, satellite radio, I miss Alison Steele, Scott Muni, and Richard Neer's good company.
April 14, 2024
I was very interested in reading this book (once I’d heard of its existence on a Sirius channel by either Dennis Elsas or Earle Bailey), and it didn’t disappoint. Full disclosure: as a 1997 high school graduate in suburban New Jersey, I thought that 102.7 WNEW was the coolest station in the world. If I’d known there was a story that chronicled the DJs, vignettes of rockers, and ups and downs of, at one time, the greatest FM station in New York City, I would have read this book sooner (it was published in 2003). Yes, there are way too many names of people I couldn’t remember…annoying at times. This book was a little bit personal for me, because for many, many hours, I’d listened to author/DJ Richard Neer, his brother Dan-o, Pat St. John, Carol Miller, and, of course, the late, great Scott Muni (whom I emulated on air during my college radio days), and other fabulous DJs on the station “Where Rock Lives”. I think I’ve enjoyed this one more than the average reader, tuning in to read about FM radio in New York.
January 28, 2022
Picked up this book after a mention in Unrequited Infatuations by Stevie Van Zandt. Showing my age but WNEW-FM was a big part of my life helping me discover new music; it was a station I turned to immediately after hearing the news of John Lennon's murder. I thought this book was just Ok - definitely covers the history of FM radio, but at times there are too many people to keep track of and too much detail information. For me, the more enjoyable parts of the book were the stories and interactions with the rock stars of the day and Richard Neer's personal journey. It's also a 20 year old book so a lot has changed since then.
August 10, 2021
Brought back some memories from the 1970s and 1980s. I wish the book had included a bit more about the music. It seemed rather meandering, sometimes covering specific events in great detail and other times glossing over or entirely omitting others of relatively equal importance.
While Neer has tremendous firsthand insight, I might have been more satisfied with an approach that drew from multiple viewpoints.
While Neer has tremendous firsthand insight, I might have been more satisfied with an approach that drew from multiple viewpoints.
August 9, 2022
More of a memoir than an objectively researched history of rock radio. As someone who grew up listening to New York area radio many of the anecdotes were interesting to me. However the score-settling and cheap shots give this a little bit of a tawdry workplace tell-all feeling which isn't enjoyable.
September 23, 2025
I remember the salad days of WNEW radio, and many of the stories and personalities are very familiar to me. I enjoyed revisiting those days. It's funny, but I didn't really like Richard Neer as a DJ, but I enjoyed him when he was talking about sports.
Still and all, I recommend this to NYC residents who remember WNEW and want to bathe in some nostalgia.
Still and all, I recommend this to NYC residents who remember WNEW and want to bathe in some nostalgia.
May 18, 2017
It took me awhile to get through this book. I loved the era of FM/Progressive radio, and I found all I was looking for in the book. Much of it was more than I needed, however.
Still, if you remember this era with fondness, I recommend it.
Still, if you remember this era with fondness, I recommend it.
April 21, 2022
Fascinating look at a period of time in the late '60s and early '70s when DJ's were the rock gods of FM radio...especially WNEW-FM in NYC.
November 25, 2023
Interesting recap of Wnew and how FM grew up.
August 19, 2025
More an autobiography of Richard and WNEW-FM than of FM itself.
March 22, 2017
An interesting look at an area of the media very different from ours in the UK: FM Radio.
November 12, 2023
If I would have known that this was a book primarily about the New York radio market I never would have read it. I was only familiar with a couple of names. There were too many names to keep up with.
December 1, 2020
Good memoir from a long time NY radio personality. Those who grew up with FM in New York in the seventies will have lots of memories brought up as they read about the voices that framed the music.
April 24, 2013
A very mixed bag, and was very tempted to give this book a lower rating, yet Richard Neer's "FM: The Rise and Fall of Rock Radio" is littered with buried treasures beneath its mesh of rock and roll radio history, and soap opera.
I loved hearing stories about some of my favorite New York DJs like Scott Muni, Dave Herman, Carol Miller, Dennis Elsas, Dan Neer and Richard Neer himself. I loved the Bruce Springsteen stories, and the candid anecdotes involving Chrissie Hynde, Elton John, John Lennon, George Harrison and Jimmy Page. I loved hearing about some of the drama involved with Neer's many years at New York's WNEW FM. Yet the problem is...these fun moments were buried between pages and pages of facts and figures and tales that were far less interesting.
At times a personal biographical account of Neer's many years in radio...functioning in many different capacities...at other times, "FM: The Rise and Fall of Rock Radio" goes off on tangents...in an attempt a complete story...well, like the title says "The Rise and Fall of Rock Radio" in the ENTIRE United States. There were just too many dull stories, with too many names that were difficult to keep track of as Neer goes on and on about radio stations in San Francisco, Boston, Philadelphia, Cleveland, Washington D.C., and more. His aim was just too high and too broad, and Neer is not exactly the most clever storyteller, and does himself no service by choosing a scattered structure as opposed to a linear one. By the end of the book, I no longer cared about the rise and fall of FM rock radio, as he never really gave me enough reason to care.
"FM: The Rise and Fall of Rock Radio" was worth the read for the buried nuggets, yet I felt disappointed in the end.
I loved hearing stories about some of my favorite New York DJs like Scott Muni, Dave Herman, Carol Miller, Dennis Elsas, Dan Neer and Richard Neer himself. I loved the Bruce Springsteen stories, and the candid anecdotes involving Chrissie Hynde, Elton John, John Lennon, George Harrison and Jimmy Page. I loved hearing about some of the drama involved with Neer's many years at New York's WNEW FM. Yet the problem is...these fun moments were buried between pages and pages of facts and figures and tales that were far less interesting.
At times a personal biographical account of Neer's many years in radio...functioning in many different capacities...at other times, "FM: The Rise and Fall of Rock Radio" goes off on tangents...in an attempt a complete story...well, like the title says "The Rise and Fall of Rock Radio" in the ENTIRE United States. There were just too many dull stories, with too many names that were difficult to keep track of as Neer goes on and on about radio stations in San Francisco, Boston, Philadelphia, Cleveland, Washington D.C., and more. His aim was just too high and too broad, and Neer is not exactly the most clever storyteller, and does himself no service by choosing a scattered structure as opposed to a linear one. By the end of the book, I no longer cared about the rise and fall of FM rock radio, as he never really gave me enough reason to care.
"FM: The Rise and Fall of Rock Radio" was worth the read for the buried nuggets, yet I felt disappointed in the end.
December 10, 2016
Rock and Roll and History - a wonderful combination. I love them both.
FM-The Rise and Fall of Rock Radio is an insider's history of the New York City radio station WNEW-FM - behind the scenes - the personalities - the highs and the lows.
The author Richard Neer worked there as a DJ, Program Director, gofer, you name and he’s done it for 28 years. He takes us from there dawn of free form radio in the late 1960’s until the day the music died in the 1990’s. Neer also tells about radio in Boston, Philadelphia, and the West Coast.
I had just started college in Detroit when FM radio caught on. The DJs played what they wanted to play - not from some set list given to them from on high. And so began my musical education.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It brought back so many memories.
FM-The Rise and Fall of Rock Radio is an insider's history of the New York City radio station WNEW-FM - behind the scenes - the personalities - the highs and the lows.
The author Richard Neer worked there as a DJ, Program Director, gofer, you name and he’s done it for 28 years. He takes us from there dawn of free form radio in the late 1960’s until the day the music died in the 1990’s. Neer also tells about radio in Boston, Philadelphia, and the West Coast.
I had just started college in Detroit when FM radio caught on. The DJs played what they wanted to play - not from some set list given to them from on high. And so began my musical education.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It brought back so many memories.
June 28, 2008
I grew up listening to this author (when he was known as Dick and then Richard-don't-call-me-Dick Neer), during the 70's. Although lots of what was played on WNEW-FM (the main station he worked for and one of the main subjects of this book) was not great looking back 30+ years. But it was glorious. The DJ's would play songs linked by theme, or by title, or whatever. I remember the morning DJ, Dave Herman, playing Robert Palmer's "Johnny and Mary" and liking it so much he just played it again! And later playing Donna Summer (Hot Stuff? Bad Boys?), scolding listeners for having closed minds about the dreaded disco.
So this book fascinated me, describing the money and political issues behind the radio I loved to much.
So this book fascinated me, describing the money and political issues behind the radio I loved to much.
September 29, 2011
Recommended for anyone who was lucky enough to witness the beginning of fm radio when dj's had the opportunity to showcase music that was a reflection of their own musical taste Also recommend to those who are interested in how fm radio started and then due to economic forces and changes in the music industry the entire infrastructure crumbled. Especially great fun for those who used to listen to WNEW-FM in its heyday as the author was a dj in that particular radio station. If you are in the music business it is essencial reading!
June 23, 2012
An interesting read about the evolution of free-form radio in New York and elsewhere in the Seventies, and its death throes in the Eighties, told by a guy who took part in its glory days and who wound up taking part in its fall, as corporate interests intervened. One of my favorite DJs of this era, Vin Scelsa, comes off like a petulant diva in Neer's tale. I'd love to hear Vin's side of the story. A good book, all around, though, if you're interested in the topic.
January 24, 2013
The first three-quarters were great, wherein Neer documented how Rock radio came to be. He portrayed the major players and their passion about what they were doing, wonderfully.
The last 100 pages seemed to be mere gossip. It could be my own distaste for modern radio, and Neer's inability to put forth an objective case study of what happened. Neer seemed to have a bit of a vendetta against certain personalities.
The last 100 pages seemed to be mere gossip. It could be my own distaste for modern radio, and Neer's inability to put forth an objective case study of what happened. Neer seemed to have a bit of a vendetta against certain personalities.
December 19, 2009
Anyone old enough to have been around for the peak of rock on radio will like this book. Refreshes a lot of fuzzy memories. Not an expose or tell-all by any means. Just some recollections from one of the main players, who turns out to be a nice guy.
March 29, 2010
A first-hand, insider's view of Album-Oriented Rock radio from inception through its heyday and decline. Great for rock and radio buffs, others might find it tedious.
February 20, 2015
the part about WNEW in New York was ok, the rest was over my head.
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews