WDVE Memorial Day 500 ends in major upset
The WDVE Memorial Day 500 returned to the airwaves after more than two decades this holiday weekend, but not without some controversy.
Perennial 1980s winner, “Stairway to Heaven,” was unseated as the No. 1 song by Pink Floyd. It wasn’t the defeat of Zeppelin that led to tweets of rage from listeners, but the song that won: Pink Floyd’s “Another Brick in the Wall.”
The @DVERADIO Memorial Day 500 was great listen all weekend but “Another Brick in the Wall” at number 1 was huge downer
— Tim McNulty (@TimMcNultyPgh) May 27, 2019
Others tried to find a way to accept this stunner.
You have your new #1 song, Pittsburgh - "Another Brick In the Wall" by Pink Floyd! In the 80s, it never got above #6. @DVERandy #WDVEmemorialdaycountdown
— Weird Paul Petroskey (@weirdpaul) May 27, 2019
Here’s the Top 10 of 500.
- PINK FLOYD - ANOTHER BRICK IN THE WALL
- LED ZEPPELIN - STAIRWAY TO HEAVEN
- GUNS N’ ROSES - SWEET CHILD O’ MINE
- LYNYRD SKYNYRD - FREEBIRD
- QUEEN - BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY
- LED ZEPPELIN - BLACK DOG
- ROLLING STONES - SYMPATHY FOR THE DEVIL
- EAGLES - HOTEL CALIFORNIA
- THE WHO - WON’T GET FOOLED AGAIN
- GUNS N’ ROSES - WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE
WDVE also tweeted out the entire list.
That's a wrap! Hope you enjoyed our #MemorialDay500.
Check out the full playlist -> https://t.co/Fb3HoZtKzj
— 102.5 WDVE (@DVERADIO) May 27, 2019
Local vlogger Paul Petroskey, 48, who grew up in Bethel Park and lives in Pittsburgh’s Brookline neighborhood, wrote down each song from 1985-1989. He live tweeted the entire four-day countdown this past weekend.
In the end, Petroskey summed up the upset succinctly: “The people have spoken.”
Tuesday morning at 9 AM, I'll be live on the WDVE morning show discussing the outcome of the Memorial Day 500 Song Countdown!
— Weird Paul Petroskey (@weirdpaul) May 28, 2019
Ben Schmitt is a TribLive deputy managing editor focusing on Pittsburgh and online news coverage. Before becoming an editor in 2018, he worked as a reporter for more than 20 years in Pittsburgh, Detroit, Georgia and New Hampshire. He can be reached at bschmitt@triblive.com
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