The Southern Ontario/WNY Radio-TV Forum / Aug. 11: Anniversary Of The 1,000th CHUM Chart

**Posted by RadioActive** August 11, 2025 6:56 am

It's been 49 years since a new milestone in Toronto radio was reached. August 11, 1976 - almost half a century ago - was the date the 1,000 edition of the CHUM Chart was published in the Toronto Sun. Writer Jerry Gladman honoured the event in a column, seen below, but by then the long running music listing was relegated to the newspaper only, no longer available at record stores.

I think it's amazing they reached the milestone but I've always had a question about it - was it really issue #1,000? When the station reformatted it to a Top 30 chart (from Top 50) in 1968, they renumbered it as issue #1. Was there some fudging of the numbers going on or was this really the 1,000th issue?

Either way, a memory to mark, real or not.

The first Top 30 Chart - August 10, 1968, marked as "Collector's Issue No1."

**Posted by mace** August 11, 2025 7:27 am

I did a rough calculation. May 1957-May 1976= 19 years or 988 weeks. Add June, July and most of August and you will be close enough. Issue #932 April 26, 1975 was the last CHUM Chart available in record stores.

**Posted by Dale Patterson** August 11, 2025 9:12 am

Ron Hall, author of the CHUM Chart book, has said that the numbering of the charts was five behind. So this is chart #995. Ron says he told CHUM about it, but it was never corrected.

**Posted by paterson1** August 11, 2025 9:31 am

According to wiki, the CHUM Chart was the longest running top 40 chart in the world put out by an individual radio station when the last edition came out in June 1986. It was surpassed by CKOC in Hamilton with their hit music chart which ran a total of 32 years.

The Toronto Sun only ran the CHUM Chart for a little over a year and a half, after the individual printed brochure charts were discontinued in May 1975. The Toronto Star ran the weekly chart from Januray 1977 until June 1986 in the entertainment section of the paper. I believe the Sun ran CFTR's chart off and on after the CHUM Chart had moved to the Star.

**Posted by RadioActive** August 11, 2025 9:36 am

The first CFTR "Chart" - March 1976. Somewhat ironic that its first ever #1 is a song that's virtually disappeared from the airwaves.

**Posted by paterson1** August 11, 2025 10:00 am

I wonder if wiki is incorrect in their dates. If CFTR ran their chart in March 1976 in the Toronto Sun, this would be when the paper was still running CHUM's chart. Did the Sun have both until the end of 1976? Seems odd that this could happen and the two stations went along with it.

The Bay City Rollers are still kicking and were at the Fergus Highland Games this past weekend. Opening act was the Red Hot Chili Pipers...https://www.facebook.com/hal.armstrong.35/videos/bay-city-rollers-played-at-the-fergus-scottish-festival-2025rememeber-this-song/1756029388619385/

**Posted by Dale Patterson** August 11, 2025 11:49 am

RadioActive wrote:
The first CFTR "Chart" - March 1976. Somewhat ironic that its first ever #1 is a song that's virtually disappeared from the airwaves.

First time I've seen this. Thank you.

**Posted by Paul Jeffries** August 11, 2025 12:28 pm

The CFTR chart also briefly made a return to The Toronto Sun around 1989-90 (I can't remember whether it was 30 or 40 songs). During 1989, the chart resembled the final CHUM Charts, listing song title, artist and then originating album. By 1990, it more resembled the chart pictured above, although with their updated "All Hits CFTR 680 AM" logo.

PJ

**Posted by Doug Thompson** August 11, 2025 12:40 pm

August 11th is also the birthday of: 1960's writer Don O'Shaughnessy, Production Manager and later CHUM FM Program Director Warren Cosford, the legendary Roger Ashby and the man who started the whole CHUM rock and roll radio ball rolling...Allan Waters.

Last edited by Doug Thompson (August 11, 2025 12:41 pm)

**Posted by kevjo** Yesterday 9:10 pm

paterson1 wrote:
According to wiki, the CHUM Chart was the longest running top 40 chart in the world put out by an individual radio station when the last edition came out in June 1986. It was surpassed by CKOC in Hamilton with their hit music chart which ran a total of 32 years.

The Toronto Sun only ran the CHUM Chart for a little over a year and a half, after the individual printed brochure charts were discontinued in May 1975. The Toronto Star ran the weekly chart from Januray 1977 until June 1986 in the entertainment section of the paper. I believe the Sun ran CFTR's chart off and on after the CHUM Chart had moved to the Star.

The CHUM chart seemed to be largely recognized by everyone but the station itself, at least throughout the 70's.
They would occasionally give a passing mention of the chart but no other acknowledgement. It wasn't until the 80's that they aired a weekly countdown.
At the same time, CKOC made their weekly countdown a Wednesday evening tradition for many years.