The collective group of Chicago radio obsessives that make up part of the Chicagoist staff have posted in the past about Kevin Matthews, Steve & Garry, the Loop collectively, the Blaze, and Mancow. One man we hadn't written about was "Chicago Ed" Schwartz, longtime late-night king of Chicago radio. No one dominated overnight Chicago radio like Schwartz, and it's a shame his first mention on this site is for the occasion of his passing yesterday. more ›

When those of us on the Flashback Beat aren't gazing back wistfully at days gone by, we're thinking to ourselves, "Man, radio when we were kids was kickass." See also: The awesomeness that was WLUP AM 1000, Steve Dahl, and Kevin Matthews to name just a few. To be honest, only one thing defined that era of Chicago radio other than the Loop for us - and that was the Blaze. Home of Steve Seaver, Major Tom, and the first radio home of one Eric "Mancow" Muller. It was also where we learned to love bands like Megadeth, Ozzy Osbourne, AC/DC, and other various lesser hair-metal 'bangers like Warrant, Faster Pussycat, and Savatage. more ›

The late 80's were probably the last great era in Chicago radio. In 1985, WLUP bought a floundering Christian radio station broadcasting at 1000 on the AM dial. Two years later they loaded it with an all-star lineup of Jonathan Brandmeier in the mornings, Steve Dahl and Garry Meier in the afternoons, and a young hotshot personality/impressionist from Grand Rapids named Kevin Matthews manning middays. After Steve and Garry, the station would simulcast with WLUP FM and re-air Dahl and Meier's show during the witching hour. more ›