Anybody remember this long-lost syndicated show from the 90s? This was The Retro Show hosted by Gary Spears that began airing in 1993 during his 2nd stint on B96 and it showcased 70s and 80s disco/R&B/rhythmic/dance-pop music. B96 was one of the stations nationwide that aired this program and the station aired it on Sunday mornings.
For the longest time, I couldn't find a full show posted anywhere until now. I did find one show from 1994 posted on Mixcloud but it is missing the 2nd hour. This particular show aired on 7/31/93 during the 1st month of its existence and it is from the original master recording and not an aircheck from a station airing the program.
It's hard to believe the songs that were popular in 1993 are older today than what the oldest track featured in this program, Sly the Family Stone's "People Everyday" from 1969, was at that point (that song was only 24 years old then).
I'm not sure how long the Retro Show lasted as there are some shows that go far into 2000, according to a eBay user named KeithsKolllectables, that sells a lot of old syndicated radio programs. Also, I have no idea how long B96 continued airing the Retro Show as it was likely dropped from its schedule sometime between 1994 and 2000.
Anybody know any other obscure syndicated radio shows from back then?
Disman, this is an AWESOME find! Thank you. Even more awesome it is from the master. You can tell if it is OTA or off a vinyl LP.
The only other one I can think of is AMERICAN DANCE TRACKS which originated from KPWR LA, hosted by Jeff Wyatt, Deborah Rath and Downtown Julie Brown.
Broadway Bill Lee from New York around 1989, had a syndicated countdown show. Hell if I remember the name of it. Lol. I have an aircheck of it somewhere, 1 hour in the middle. It was a year end countdown special, pretty sure I recorded it on Q101. The tape is somewhere and I hope I run across it one day! 🤓
Page 16 of the August 1993 issue of Chicago Airwaves magazine featured an article on "The Retro Show". That YT account that uploaded The Retro Show also has other obscure radio shows, such as a 1993 airing of "The Countdown" w/Walt "Baby" Love (which was an Urban/R&B equivalent of AT40 and was airing on WGCI during that time).
Compared to "The Retro Show", "American Dance Traxx" is not as rare as I was able to find some shows online, both the Jeff Wyatt and Julie Brown eras. I couldn't find any shows from the Deborah Rath era of the show, however. Here's two of them, one hosted by Wyatt from 1/27/90 and one hosted by Brown from 8/29/92.
Although "American Dance Traxx" began in 1987, B96 did not air the program until mid-1991 (during the final months of Wyatt hosting), replacing "Rockin' America Top 30 Countdown w/ Scott Shannon" on its schedule according to the Summer 1991 issue of Chricago Radio magazine. I don't know the exact month as that magazine only published on a seasonal basis instead of monthly. Not sure if "American Dance Traxx" even aired anywhere in the Chicago market between 1987 to mid-1991, which is ironic as there was a 1987 ad in some issues of Radio & Records magazine promoting the show directly mention the city in the show's description.
"American Dance Traxx" ended in 1993 but B96 had already dropped it from its schedule based on the August 1993 issue of "Chicago Airways" magazine. It was replaced by both another sydincated show "On the Radio" w/Gary Spears and a weekly recap of the Eddie and Jobo morning show on Saturday mornings. If I were to guess, I assume that B96 stopped airing it a month earlier as it also stopped airing Casey Kasem's "Casey's Top 40" and "Future Hits w/Joel Denver" in July that year. (FTR, "The Retro Show" replaced "Casey's Top 40" on B96's Sunday morning lineup.) That is if B96 was still airing "American Dance Traxx" at that point. I know B96 was still airing "American Dance Traxx" as late as March 1992 based on a short article I read on The Free Library (via Wayback Machine) spotlighting Julie Brown being the show's new host and the article listed a small list of stations airing the program and B96 was one of the stations mentioned. I wanted to post the link via Wayback Machine but the link address was way too long.
BTW, the Bill Lee show you mentioned was called "Direct Hits". According to the Radio Chicago magazine issues available, B96 aired this program in 1989- early 1990 but was dropped from the station's schedule by the summer of 1990.
disman00911, very possible ADT was on WBUS-FM 99.9 or WXLC-FM 102.3 "Hot 102.3" or Power 95 WJZQ-FM 95.1 Kenosha as they were either Dance 40 or very Dance friendly at the time. Even though not 100% market coverage signals.
It was not on Q101 as they were an Emmis station (as WQHT and KPWR were) and they were an Adult CHR in the late 80s I think up to 1990. It was not on Z95 or Hot 94.7.
I have not digitized that Bill Lee air check. It does not ring a bell, but I totally believe your finding. Now I am really curious to listen to it! I have to find it. Lol.
Two other syndicated shows from that era that I remember..."Future Hits" (later rebranded as "The Cut") aired new CHR music. Also, "Backtrax USA" started in the early 90's with all 80's music. It's still on today with separate 80's and 90's editions.
on April 8, 2026, 4:47 pm