Feder: The Drive revs up 20th anniversary with flashback to first day's music

Twenty years ago today all eyes (and ears) were on a radio station in Chicago that had been stunting for weeks by airing only one artist or group each day - from Barbra Streisand to Garth Brooks to The Rolling Stones. They even threw in entire days devoted to Broadway show tunes and TV theme songs.

Listeners were left to guess what the ultimate format would be.

One month earlier Bonneville International had paid a record $165 million for WNIB, a classical music station husband-and-wife owners Bill and Sonia Florian started for $8,000 in 1955.

The big reveal turned out to be WDRV 97.1-FM, a mix of classic rock and pop hits spanning the mid-'60s to the early '80s, presented with a pledge that the station would "respect the music." It was branded "The Drive."

Despite a change of ownership from Bonneville International to Hubbard Radio in 2011 and a gradual shift to more traditional marketing and promotion methods, The Drive continues to thrive.

To kick off a yearlong 20th anniversary celebration, the station will present the complete music playlist from its opening day. Starting at 7 a.m. today, morning co-hosts Brian Sherman and Steve Tingle will air Aliotta, Haynes & Jeremiah's "Lake Shore Drive" - the first song heard on the station.

Get the full report, and more Chicago media news, at robertfeder.com.