Rock Radio Scrapbook

FROM THE ARCHIVES

Talent: TOM RIVERS
Station: CHUM Toronto
Date: January 1, 1971
Time: 12:46

The story of CHUM's year-end charts is a rich and important part of the history of the Top 40 radio pioneer.

CHUM began publishing weekly charts right from its beginning as a Top 40 station on May 27, 1957. However, it didn't publish a year-end list until January 13, 1964, with the Top 63 of '63. CHUM did broadcast the top hits of the previous year in countdown form on New Year's Day in prior years, but if you wanted a list, you had to listen and write them down.

From the Top 63 of '63 to the Top 67 of '67, the year-end survey appeared in the CHUM Chart. In 1968 and 1969, however, the year-end chart became a Top 100 list, available only by sending in a stamped self-addressed envelope to CHUM. Starting with the Top 100 of 1970, the year-end survey was published in a Toronto newspaper. That practice continued right up until the final list, the Top 100 of 1985 (CHUM abandoned its Top 40 format for soft-rock in June, 1986, so there was no 1986 survey). It should be noted that the year-end list format changed in the early '80s, to the Top 82 of '82, the Top 83 of '83, and the Top 84 of '84. It was a Top 100 in all the other years.

All of these countdowns were broadcast on CHUM, sometimes live, sometimes taped. For a very detailed look at all the CHUM year-end lists and when the countdowns were broadcast, be sure to visit Craig Smith's fabulous site on the subject here.

On January 1, 1971, Tom Rivers was counting down the Top 100 of 1970.

Hear a portion of it here.

(The Gary J. Peterson and Donald Major Collections)

Thanks to Marc Denis for his superb audio editing!

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