Remember how Keener used to play special programming on holiday weekends? Rock-u-mentaries were common on Top 40 stations back in the day. The History of Rock and Roll, Aural histories of the Beatles, the Stones, Elvis, and Motown, each of these topics were fodder for extended attention, especially over those long weekends when the DJs took time off to be with their families.
There were also periodic surveys of “The Greatest Hits of All Time”. On January 1st 1969, WKNR released their list of the “Leading 113 All Time Hits – 1956-1968″. Time and the fading of memory has dimmed the process by which the station came up with the list, but it includes some of the most memorable music of the rock era up to that time. A special, elongated WKNR Music Guide was created to mark the event. It’s become a collector’s item among avid Keenerfans. Here’s the list as it was first heard on New Year’s Day, 1969.
| # | Tune | Length | Year |
| 113 | The Casinos – Then You Can Tell Me Goodbye | 03:01.4 | 67 |
| 112 | Otis Redding – (Sittin On) The Dock of the Bay | 02:26.7 | 68 |
| 111 | The Seekers – Georgy Girl | 02:13.9 | 67 |
| 110 | Terry Stafford – Suspicion | 02:25.9 | 64 |
| 109 | The Lovin’ Spoonful – Summer in the City | 02:38.1 | 66 |
| 108 | Small Faces – Itchycoo Park | 02:45.7 | 68 |
| 107 | The Platters – My Prayer | 02:43.9 | 56 |
| 106 | Robert Knight – Everlasting Love | 02:53.3 | 67 |
| 105 | Richard Harris – MacArthur Park | 07:25.5 | 68 |
| 104 | The Mamas & the Papas – Monday Monday | 03:22.6 | 66 |
| 103 | Smokey Robinson & The Miracles – Shop Around | 02:47.3 | 61 |
| 102 | 1910 Fruitgum Company – Simon Says | 02:14.6 | 68 |
| 101 | The Four Tops – Reach Out I’ll Be There | 02:58.6 | 66 |
| 100 | Strawberry Alarm Clock – Incense & Peppermints | 02:45.1 | 67 |
| 99 | Barbara Lewis – Hello Stranger | 02:39.1 | 67 |
| 98 | Stevie Wonder – Uptight (Keener Version) | 02:48.0 | 66 |
| 97 | The Troggs – Love Is All Around | 02:56.5 | 68 |
| 96 | The Grass Roots – Midnight Confessions | 02:44.7 | 68 |
| 95 | The Shirelles – Will You Love Me Tomorrow | 02:46.5 | 61 |
| 94 | Barry McGuire – Eve of Destruction | 03:24.7 | 65 |
| 93 | Johnny Nash – Hold Me Tight | 02:42.6 | 68 |
| 92 | Crispian St. Peters – The Pied Piper | 02:31.0 | 66 |
| 91 | Bobby Vee – Take Good Care of My Baby | 02:35.8 | 61 |
| 90 | Shades of Blue – Oh How Happy | 02:09.3 | 66 |
| 89 | The Royal Guardsmen – Snoopy vs. The Red Baron | 02:44.1 | 67 |
| 88 | Chubby Checker – The Twist | 02:33.9 | 62 |
| 87 | Mary Hopkin – Those Were the Days | 04:55.3 | 68 |
| 86 | Wanted – In the Midnight Hour | 01:55.1 | 67 |
| 85 | Bobby Fuller Four – I Fought the Law | 02:16.1 | 66 |
| 84 | The Doors – Hello, I Love You | 02:05.4 | 68 |
| 83 | Shirelles – Soldier Boy | 02:39.7 | 62 |
| 82 | The Capitols – Cool Jerk | 02:31.9 | 66 |
| 81 | Neil Diamond – Cherry Cherry | 02:38.6 | 66 |
| 80 | Lloyd Price – Personality | 02:35.8 | 59 |
| 79 | Van Morrison – Gloria | 02:36.3 | 66 |
| 78 | Percy Sledge – When a Man Loves a Woman | 02:51.5 | 67 |
| 77 | The Arrows – Blues Theme | 01:55.4 | 67 |
| 76 | Sam Cooke – Chain Gang | 02:34.0 | 60 |
| 75 | Lulu – To Sir With Love | 02:43.5 | 67 |
| 74 | The Parliaments – (I Wanna) Testify | 03:06.7 | 67 |
| 73 | The McCoys – Hang on Sloopy | 03:02.1 | 65 |
| 72 | Van Morrison – Brown Eyed Girl | 02:55.8 | 67 |
| 71 | Beatles – P.S. I Love You | 02:01.4 | 64 |
| 70 | Bob Lind – Elusive Butterfly | 02:47.7 | 66 |
| 69 | John Fred & His Playboy Band – Judy in Disguise | 02:53.9 | 68 |
| 68 | Bobby Darin – Mack the Knife | 03:05.4 | 59 |
| 67 | The Four Seasons – Can’t Take My Eyes Off You | 03:20.3 | 67 |
| 66 | Jackie DeShannon – What the World Needs Now Is Love | 03:01.0 | 65 |
| 65 | Gary Lewis & The Playboys – This Diamond Ring | 02:10.0 | 65 |
| 64 | Dion – Abraham, Martin And John | 03:10.3 | 68 |
| 63 | Everly Brothers – Cathy’s Clown | 02:22.6 | 60 |
| 62 | The Beach Boys – Good Vibrations | 03:33.9 | 66 |
| 61 | Herman’s Hermits – Mrs. Brown You’ve Got a Lovely Daughter | 02:45.6 | 65 |
| 60 | The Young Rascals – Groovin’ | 02:26.1 | 67 |
| 59 | Ray Charles – I Can’t Stop Loving You | 02:34.7 | 62 |
| 58 | Elvis Presley – Are You Lonesome Tonight | 02:23.6 | 60 |
| 57 | Nancy Sinatra – These Boots Are Made for Walkin | 02:39.2 | 66 |
| 56 | The Monkees – I’m a Believer | 02:43.1 | 67 |
| 55 | Del Shannon – Runaway | 02:15.5 | 61 |
| 54 | Dion – Runaround Sue | 02:38.8 | 61 |
| 53 | The Lemon Pipers – Green Tambourine | 02:25.5 | 68 |
| 52 | Smokey Robinson & The Miracles – Mickey’s Monkey | 02:40.7 | 63 |
| 51 | Bobby Vinton – Blue Velvet | 02:46.0 | 63 |
| 50 | Stevie Wonder – Fingertips (Scott’s Mix) | 03:37.0 | 63 |
| 49 | Procol Harum – A Whiter Shade of Pale | 03:59.3 | 67 |
| 48 | Dynamics – Misery | 02:22.0 | 63 |
| 47 | The Righteous Brothers – You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’ | 03:37.9 | 65 |
| 46 | The Buckinghams – Kind of a Drag | 02:02.1 | 67 |
| 45 | Roy Orbison – Only The Lonely (Know How I Feel) | 02:23.8 | 60 |
| 44 | Simon & Garfunkel – Mrs. Robinson | 03:36.9 | 68 |
| 43 | Little Anthony & The Imperials – Goin’ Out of My Head | 02:26.0 | 65 |
| 42 | The Box Tops – The Letter | 01:55.0 | 67 |
| 41 | Jeannie C. Riley – Harper Valley P.T.A. | 03:15.4 | 68 |
| 40 | Troggs – Wild Thing | 02:35.7 | 66 |
| 39 | The Association – Never My Love | 03:06.1 | 67 |
| 38 | The Supremes – You Can’t Hurry Love | 02:45.8 | 66 |
| 37 | The Mamas & the Papas – California Dreamin’ | 02:37.2 | 55 |
| 36 | Elvis Presley – Don’t Be Cruel | 02:00.5 | 56 |
| 35 | The Tokens – The Lion Sleeps Tonight (Wimoweh) | 02:37.6 | 61 |
| 34 | Petula Clark – Downtown | 03:06.3 | 65 |
| 33 | Paul Revere and The Raiders – Kicks | 02:24.4 | 66 |
| 32 | The Four Seasons – Sherry | 02:33.3 | 62 |
| 31 | Amboy Dukes – Journey to the Center of the Mind | 03:26.6 | 68 |
| 30 | The Happenings – See You in September | 02:25.0 | 66 |
| 29 | The Jimi Hendrix Experience – Purple Haze | 02:51.9 | 67 |
| 28 | The Beatles – I Want To Hold Your Hand | 02:23.3 | 64 |
| 27 | Shelley Fabares – Johnny Angel | 02:14.3 | 62 |
| 26 | The Four Tops – I Can’t Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch) | 02:45.4 | 65 |
| 25 | Percy Faith – Theme from “A Summer Place” | 02:19.7 | 60 |
| 24 | Lou Christie – Lightnin’ Strikes | 02:57.8 | 66 |
| 23 | Gary Puckett & The Union Gap – Woman, Woman | 03:31.8 | 68 |
| 22 | Sonny & Cher – I Got You Babe | 03:10.0 | 65 |
| 21 | Question Mark & The Mysterians – 96 Tears | 02:38.7 | 66 |
| 20 | Tommy James – Mony, Mony | 02:48.0 | 68 |
| 19 | Bobby Goldsboro – Honey | 03:54.6 | 68 |
| 18 | J. Frank Wilson & The Cavaliers – Last Kiss | 02:25.8 | 64 |
| 17 | Bobby Hebb – Sunny | 02:44.4 | 66 |
| 16 | Buddy Holly – Peggy Sue | 02:28.8 | 58 |
| 15 | Unrelated Segments – Story of My Life | 02:40.7 | 67 |
| 14 | Paul Mauriat – Love Is Blue | 02:31.6 | 68 |
| 13 | The Surfaris – Wipe Out | 02:39.4 | 63 |
| 12 | The Temptations – My Girl | 02:54.6 | 65 |
| 11 | The Beatles – Hey Jude | 05:41.9 | 68 |
| 10 | The Turtles – Happy Together | 02:52.6 | 67 |
| 9 | Simon & Garfunkel – Sounds of Silence | 03:02.6 | 66 |
| 8 | Animals – Animals – House of the Rising Sun | 03:23.8 | 64 |
| 7 | The Beatles – Yesterday | 02:02.6 | 65 |
| 6 | The Kingsmen – Louie Louie | 02:45.3 | 65 |
| 5 | Rationals – Respect | 02:40.5 | 66 |
| 4 | The Doors – Light My Fire | 02:59.6 | 67 |
| 3 | The Rolling Stones – (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction | 03:43.8 | 65 |
| 2 | Bob Seger – Heavy Music | 02:34.6 | 67 |
| 1 | The Association – Cherish | 03:24.4 | 66 |
