Denro, true to his historian education, has always said that new insights into old records can come from listening to them in the context of the time when they were new. That means playing them as they were originally heard on the radio, by referencing station playlists.
The more playlists the better, to reveal many fascinating regional variations. Some songs would be a hit in one market, but do poorly in another. Occasionally, a regional favorite like “96 Tears” by ? and the Mysterians (from Michigan), would become a breakout hit and top the charts nationally.
88 Rewound, a very fun show on M.I.T.’s radio station, WMBR, takes the same smart approach that Dennis favors. It’s from M.I.T., so it has to be smart! Each program follows a radio station playlist from long ago. Last Saturday’s show was from a Florida station, during one of the most musically varied years ever, 1968. I can’t embed the player, but that link should be good until the 28th.