© Madeline Bocaro, 2026
Today, on National Radio Day, I took down a bright yellow box from a top shelf in my bedroom. Inside was my old Panasonic AM transistor radio, exactly where I placed it for safe-keeping, knowing that I would want to hold it again someday.
This cherished mini sound system was gifted to me by my parents when I was a nine-year-old kid, living in the suburbs of Long Island, New York in 1967. I became inseparable from it – addicted to the crackle and pop of static over the airwaves, and the pitching of frequencies which gave me goosebumps. The familiar voices of the ages sang the tunes I loved so much – right into my ear.
Now free from the tethers of my parents’ turntable, I could roam the streets with a soundtrack! Radio had a magic that television was missing – especially when you listened in the dark. Our imaginations were important, since we had no idea what many of the singers or bands looked like – unless they were super popular and on television. My idols were the Beatles and the Rolling Stones. It was thrilling whenever their songs came on, their faces lit up my mind and their voices were so close to me.
There was a strong sense of musical unity. We knew that EVERYONE was listening to the same songs on those few AM stations. In the neighborhood, you could hear the beginning of a song at your house, walk up the street and hear the chorus to the same song through an open window, and further up the block, the middle-eight coming from a front yard. Life was a walking symphony! The stream of songs was endless.
It is wonderful to be holding my radio again – frozen in time. The dial is stuck on 77 WABC. I remember painting the edges with my favorite green glitter nail polish. I kept a photo of John and Yoko inside it. They were always with me. The radio’s curved edges fit perfectly in my small hand, like a part of me. My finger knew the exact flick of the dial between the popular New York stations; WMCA (Good Guys – 570), WABC (770) and WWDJ (970) with their fast-talking DJs and memorable jingles. I could land perfectly on each station.
At the height of Beatlemania in the 1960s WABC announced themselves as “W-A-Beatle-C.”
In 1970, WABC played the Beatles’ ‘Let It Be’ at five minutes after each hour (when it was No.1 on the charts). I left my sixth-grade classroom and went into the bathroom with my radio every hour to hear the song. Being known in school as ‘the kid with the radio’, the gym teacher always gave me an outfield position in softball, because I would not let go of it.
I enjoyed many eras of music. I listened to Murray the K’s show in 1976 on AM radio. He would answer the phone and politely answer all my questions about 1950s songs. With that education and by listening to Sha Na Na covering those songs, I became familiar with lots of doo-wop tunes. The Beatles’ had covered ‘You Really Got a Hold on Me.’ John Lennon sang his favorite oldies on his album Rock N’ Roll, including ‘Bring it On Home to Me’ and ‘Stand By Me’ I loved them too.
I recall hearing the longer, unedited version of Harry Nilsson’s ‘Jump into the Fire’ with Herbie Flowers’ full killer rumbling bass solo, which was only played on WWDJ (broadcast from a little gray house in Hackensack, New Jersey).
In the 1960 and 70s, the Top 40 was a great thing of variety and beauty! Songs were short and sweet –usually less than three minutes long. Every note was a thing to behold. Orchestrated pieces shared space with pop songs on the charts. Even one song could be comprised of several genres.
Generations could enjoy the music together, such as Mary Hopkin’s ‘Those Were the Days’ in the summer of 1968. Although the days that each of us remembered and cherished were decades apart, we felt the same pangs of sweet nostalgia. I especially loved ‘Reflections of My Life’ by Marmalade (1970). Vastly different sounds complemented each other. Every song was popular across America – and many worldwide. We knew them all upon hearing the first note.
Also see: About a Song: ‘REFLECTIONS OF MY LIFE’
I love Dean’s re-recording in 2014
Linked in my story
All the singles (pop, bubblegum, Motown, R&B…) were mini masterpieces. Perfectly orchestrated and augmented with string arrangements and horn sections by professional session musicians (usually The Wrecking Crew). Phil Spector was the master– that’s why his productions still transcend.
Expansion and contraction were on the horizon. Soon came the larger FM radio. There were long-form stations with DJs who played album tracks. Not long after came my small portable turntable, then a larger one with a receiver and huge speakers. Then we became untethered again – a portable cassette / 8-track tape player, a Sony Walkman, then an iPod. Now music is streaming on our phones. They’re even smaller than my old AM radio, but they hold much more music than we could ever have dreamed of.
I cherish memories of a time when songs united us. Now, with so many separate platforms and media formats, we have become disconnected. I truly miss those simple, thrilling radio days.
***
Also see:
MY PLAYLIST: Rock ‘n’ Roll Radio!
With fun facts about each song!
https://madelinex.com/2021/08/31/rock-n-roll-radio/
AND
MY STORY – About a Song:
The Ramones – Do You Remember Rock ‘n’ Roll Radio?’
https://madelinex.com/2022/02/16/about-a-song-do-you-remember-rock-and-roll-radio/
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