KPIG-FM Memories

  It wasn't until 1990 that I started listening more intently to Americana music.  Most of my listening habits until then were taken up by many other genres.  Country music was one of them, but mainstream Country.  So, when co-workers started listening to KPIG-FM radio out of Freedom, California (near Santa Cruz), in the early 90's, I decided to tag along.  KPIG began in 1987. But its origins date back to 1975 and the birth of Progressive Country pioneer, KFAT, based in Gilroy, California.  For eight year, KFAT played a heady mix of Progressive Country, but also other genres like Blues, Rock, Bluegrass and anything else offbeat. Once KFAT went under, in 1983, it begat KHIP.  But KHIP didn't have the big signal KFAT did.  Finally in 1987, KPIG began.  Like KFAT it plays an eclectic mix.  It specializes in Americana but I hear other genres in their playlist.  You’re likely to hear the Grateful Dead, Aretha Franklin, Jimi Hendrix, Emmylou Harris, and whatever newcomer comes along,  in any given hour. 

  It's not like I didn't know about Americana artists.  I read enough music magazines that I knew what names were getting rave reviews.  John Morthland's essential 1984 book, Country Music, opened my ears to a lot of Country music outside the Country charts.  This is all similar to my experiences with Alt-Rock.  It wasn't until I started reading Spin or Option magazine that I started to explore that genre.  I skipped most of the important bands in the 80's.

  Listening to KPIG in the early 90's, the album that really turned me on to the Americana genre was John Prine's 1991 comeback, The Missing Years. His first studio album in six years.  Once I fell in love with it, and hearing other Prine cuts, I began to explore other names in the genre thanks to KPIG.  

  Some 35 years later the Americana genre is more popular than ever.  I wasn't there at the beginning when it was just a newly named format.  KPIG is still going strong. And I've been along for the ride ever since.  

Here's a Spotify playlist of my early KPIG music memories:

KPIG Memories

My Latest Podcast Appearance (Rock in Retrospect Podcast)

   I joined host Nick Bambach and 3 others to talk about the 2026 Rock Hall inductees.

Rock in Retrospect

Ranking: Songs from Whitney Houston - Whitney Houston

   The first time I saw Whitney Houston was in 1983 on the Merv Griffin show.  She sang "Home" from The Wiz.  It was a great performance.  A star seemed to be in the making.  But who knows how these things will turn out.  The first time I heard her on record was in 1984 when she did a duet with Teddy Pendergrass for his post-accident comeback album.  "Hold Me" would peak at #5 on the R&B charts and #46 on the Hot 100.  

  A year later her self-titled debut album came out.  This was a new voice in the Pop world.  The album had all the markings of label head Clive Davis' touch.  There's a little bit for everything.  R&B, Pop, carefully constructed duets.  But what held it all together were the songs and Houston's powerful voice.

1.  How Will I Know

2.  Saving All My Love For You

3.  You Give Good Love

4.  Thinking About You

5.  Greatest Love Of All

6.  All At Once

7.  Hold Me (w/Teddy Pendergrass)

8.  Nobody Loves Me Like You Do (w/Jermaine Jackson)

9.  Someone For Me

10.  Take Good Care of My Heart (w/Jermaine Jackson)

Playlist for 4/10

Megan Moroney - Cloud 9

Charli xcx - Wuthering Heights

Paranoid Style - Known Associates

Clover County - Finer Things

Lone Bellow - What A Time To Be Alive

Mon Rovia - Bloodline

Elvis Presley - EPIC Soundtrack

EPIC: Elvis Presley In Concert (Film)

Beach Boys - We Gotta Groove-The Brother Studio Years (Box Set)

Playlist for 3/27

CBGB: A New York City Soundtrack 75-86 - Various (Box Set)

Musik Music Musique 1979 - Various (Box Set)

Kashus Culpepper - Act I

Beck - Everybody's Gotta Learn Sometime

Courtney Marie Andrews - Valentine

Emily Scott Robinson - Appalachia

Langhorne Slim - The Dreamin' Kind

Marcus King - Darling Blue

A Tribute to the King of Zydeco - Various

Highway of Diamonds-Black America Sings Bob Dylan - Various

Song Sung Blue (2025 Film)

Blue Moon (2025 Film) 

Inductee Predictions: 2026 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame

Below are my Predictions for the 2026 Rock Hall, listed in alphabetical order. 

Some things to consider: 

There were 14 nominees last year.  This year 17.

There are 7 women nominated.

There are no first year eligible nominees.

There are 10 first time nominees. 

There are no acts nominated who started in the 50's/60's.  Expect side category inductees to correct that. 

5 acts were nominated last year: Idol, Carey, Crowes, JD/NO,  Oasis.

The most nominated artists yet to get in all have 3 nominations: Carey, JD/NO, Iron Maiden. Oasis. 

This is the first year voters have to pick 7 names.  They can't pick less than 7.  This could impact who gets in. 

This is a dominant 80’s and forward ballot. A handful of these artists started in the 70’s. But none became a star until the 80’s (Phil Collins solo, Vandross, Idol). It remains to be seen if the Hall makes up for no pre-80’s names, with Side Category picks. 

Were you surprised by some of the picks this year?  Let alone a 17 nominee ballot?  Well, for the first time the Hall implemented term limits for NomCom members.

As Future Rock Legends wrote:

"We're assuming they will go with some sort of three-year rotation, similar to what the Country Music Hall of Fame does. Every year, one third of the committee steps off, but can come back on after a 3-year break."

Term limits are something long time Hall watchers have wanted for years.  It seems like there was a big shakeup on the NomCom this year, resulting in some wild nominees and maybe in a bigger ballot.  

Here's a link to my Personal Picks for 2026:  Rock Hall Personal Picks 2026

There were 7 inductees last year, but for this year I’m going to push it to 8. 

My 2026 Predictions:

Inductees

Billy Idol - Thanks to MTV, he became a big star in the 80's.  His hits have held up, he has a new documentary out and it's possible the publicity from it could put him in. 2nd nomination

INXS -  For their fans this has been a long wait. 80’s playlist staples appearing for the first time. 1st nomination

Luther Vandross - Beloved R&B singer whose legend has only grown since he passed in 2005.  A 2024 documentary and the recent Kendrick Lamar hit "Luther" might help put him in.  1st nomination

Mariah Carey - Now on her 3rd straight nomination.  If she doesn't get voted in, will they put her in as Musical Excellence? 3rd nomination

Melissa Etheridge - Seems like no one is paying much attention to her nomination.  Has appeal to older voters, boomers and the classic rock vote. 1st nomination 

Oasis - After a big comeback tour, the third time's their best chance for induction. 

Phil Collins - This year's one true sure shot.  He's already in with Genesis, but it was his solo years in the 80's that made him a superstar.  1st nomination. 

Wu-Tang Clan - Not the slam dunk that Outkast were last year, but this long running rap act have definitely built a following and legend in the last 30 years.  1st nomination 

The Rest 

Black Crowes - 2nd nomination

Iron Maiden - 3rd nomination

Jeff Buckley - 1st nomination

Joy Division/New Order - 3rd nomination

Lauryn Hill - 1st nomination

New Edition - 1st nomination

Pink -  1st nomination 

Sade - 2nd nomination 

Shakira - 1st nominaion 

Poll: March 1976 Songs

  1976.  One of my favorite years for music.  Check out my article on that year: 1976.   So I was very happy to see this year turn up in this latest poll.

Pop Radio Gold

"Wake Up Everybody", Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes : 1
"Bohemian Rhapsody", Queen : 2
"50 Ways To Leave Your Lover", Paul Simon : 3
"Love Hurts", Nazareth : 4
"Slow Ride", Foghat : 5
"Sweet Thing", Rufus featuring Chaka Khan : 6
"You Sexy Thing", Hot Chocolate : 7
"Golden Years", David Bowie : 8
"Fanny (Be Tender With My Love)", Bee Gees : 9
"December 1963 (Oh What A Night)", Four Seasons : 10
"Breaking Up Is Hard To Do (slow version)", Neil Sedaka : 11
"Right Back Where We Started From", Maxine Nightingale : 12
"Sweet Love", Commodores : 13
"Show Me The Way", Peter Frampton : 14
"Take It To The Limit", Eagles : 15
"Dream Weaver", Gary Wright : 16
"Love To Love You Baby", Donna Summer : 17
"Dream On", Aerosmith : 18
"Let Your Love Flow", Bellamy Brothers : 19
"Boogie Fever", Sylvers : 20
"Love Machine", Miracles : 21
"I Write The Songs", Barry Manilow : 22
"Theme From S.W.A.T.", Rhythm Heritage : 23
"All By Myself", Eric Carmen : 24
"Disco Lady", Johnnie Taylor : 25
"I Feel Like A Bullet (In The Gun Of Robert Ford)", Elton John : 26
"Action", Sweet : 27
"There's A Kind Of Hush (All Over The World)", Carpenters : 28
"Money Honey", Bay City Rollers : 29
"Convoy", C.W. McCall : 30
"Only Sixteen", Dr. Hook : 31
"Squeeze Box", Who : 32
"Grow Some Funk Of Your Own", Elton John : 33
"Lonely Night (Angel Face)", Captain & Tennille : 34
"Junk Food Junkie", Larry Groce : 35
"Deep Purple", Donny & Marie Osmond : 36
"Tangerine", Salsoul Orchestra : 37
"The White Knight", Cledus Maggard : 38
"Baby Face", Wing & A Prayer Fife & Drum Corps : 39