93 XRT - Chicago's home for music lovers! I'm not quite sure what XRT stands for, but they put out the jams! This is mainly a classic rock station, and the DJs are professional and knowledgeable about the music, they seem to really know their stuff. They play some deep tracks that you don't hear on other classic rock stations, and have some good commentary. Since it's classic rock, I guess I don't hear too many new songs. That's the trouble with classic rock. I've at least heard of nearly every artist on here. Some of the things that they consider classic rock make me feel old. I like the fact that they don't have very many commercials on here, especially compared to other stations. read more

My review is based on one concert, the revivalist.... was Bogus.....spent more time in traffic, the. Band played on stage... I live literally 10 minutes from city limits. Band played for 1 hour 10 minutes, max....for that I give poor review... this wasn't a free show... we paid good money for a bogus show... not worth it. Very disappointed read more

I am a demolition Contractor and have the honor to do the inside demolition of this iconic building . Always a huge fan of WXRT and Chicago's best ever. So much history of who went through these doors . Perfection!! read more

WXRT is really unique to the Chicago market. It definitely has an age range and does get stuck in the music of the 70's and 90's sometimes. You want to hear DMB, Pearl Jam, the Pretenders and Wilco this hour? Dial it up!!! But they also have an incredible variety of programming that fills the spaces between classic rock and alternative quite nicely. Saturday Morning Flashback is one of my favorite programs, and Wendy Rice's cheerful voice makes me happy. The Regular Guy adds a snapshot of film in that year on Flashback, and makes cameos throughout the week critiquing new flicks. Lin Brehmer is the best morning DJ in Chicago. Richard Milne is a devoted listener of local music with his Local Anesthetic. Kudos to a big station giving locals a spin regularly. I love new music Thursdays and XRT has introduced me to new bands like Phoenix and MGMT before I ever heard them on the local college stations, left of the dial. Sunday evening is for Little Steven's Underground Garage, normally only heard on satellite radio. Where else can you hear the Noisettes side by side with the Nuggets? Nowhere in Chicagoland, people. Sure, listening to WXRT for long stretches of time gets to be repetitive, but overall, it's a station with its own personality, a real Chicago original. read more

I still listen to this station even though I live in MD now. It's one of the best stations in the nation, even if owned by a large media conglomerate. It's still adult alternative with an indie edge. It still has an eclectic playlist. It still kept its wonderful DJs: Terri Hemmert, Lin Brehmer etc. read more

Daft Punk? Really? WXRT used to be my favorite station but I can barely stomach the set-list they have. They have sold out to corporate amerika and are no longer Chicago's Finest Rock in my opinon. You cannot please everyone. RIP WXRT Thank goodness for Sirius Satelite radio. read more

My favorite radio station IN THE WORLD. I grew up in Chicago in the 70's. They play alternative and classic rock. Talking Heads. Beatles, Stones, Who, Pretenders, Stevie Ray Vaughn. And contemporary rock variety. I think of it as rock for smart people. I miss it so much, but each time I travel to Chicago to visit relatives and friends, my car radio is GLUED to 93.1! read more

WXRT....Best station in the U.S. HANDS DOWN! I have read the reviews and those with reference to "Rock" music and "Why don't you play......?" Well, I have an answer for you. Yes, many of the artisits mentioned are fantastic however can be heard on multiple stations in the Chicago listening area.... the difference is WXRT has evolved with the time, introducing great NEW artists while providing listeners with outstanding special programs not met by any station in the industry. ie: Blues Breakers, Lin's Bin (world class writer), Saturday Morning Flashbacks, Breakfast With the Beatles, just to name a few. I have lived in Chicago, NYC, San Francisco among other cities in my life none of which offer the diverse programing of WXRT. I accredit them with my well rounded love of music and have been a loyal listener for 39 proud years, streaming everyday as I have relocated out of the listening area. To the "Haters" pull your head out of the sand. WXRT and David Letterman have certainly paved the road to success for thousands of new artists throughout the years. Their programing is true to "Rock" from the birth of Blues, their baby Rock and Roll to many generations of Grand Babies all with the same Rock genes (Gene: a unit of heredity which is transferred from a parent to offspring and is held to determine some characteristic of the offspring.) Thank you, for continuing to bring so much enjoyment to myself and millions of loyal listeners. Keep doing what you are doing.....YOU ROCK! read more

Anyone that knows anything about me, knows that music plays an important part in my life. There is always music playing around me, even if it's just in my head. WXRT is nowhere near as good as it was 15 or 20 years ago, but it still blows away every other Chicago radio station. My older brother is a rabid XRT fan, and turned me onto the station when I was in 8th grade, so I have been a listener for +/- 30 years. My favorite part of WXRT that is no longer part of their programming was Rampant Beatlemania. Sure they still do "Breakfast with the Beatles" every Sunday, but nothing could top a whole entire day of Beatles, Beatles and more Beatles. In high school, I would cut school on Rampant Beatlemania day. I'm a very nostalgic person by nature, so Saturday Morning Flashback is how I start every weekend. The music always brings back such vivid memories of many points in my life. Today the year was 1995, and I really enjoyed listening to the songs played. Saturday mornings are always a fond trip down memory lane. This is also a radio station with a sense of humor. Every year, they do an April Fool's Day prank. And every year, I fall for it. In years past, these pranks have included claiming that Playboy had purchased WXRT and the station's call letters would now be known as "WXXXRT," or that they were omitting Saturday Morning Flashback from their programming. If they EVER got rid of Flashback, there'd be outrage. Outrage, I tell you! A few years ago at Christmastime, they were raising money for the World Food Programme and for a $50 donation, they would play any song you requested. And they stressed ANY song. I had talked to my brother earlier that day, and he wasn't aware of the format that day. I listened to him whine and moan about hearing Michael Jackson, Madonna, and the theme from 'Cats'. I informed him that they were raising money and suddenly it all made sense to him why his favorite station had suddenly decided to pollute his ears. As we were hanging up the phone, he said that if he heard any Barry Manilow, he would put a gun to his head. Naturally, the very next thing I did was call WXRT and happily fork over $50 for them to play "Mandy." The beauty of my plan was that they would dedicate the song to anyone you wanted. I knew my brother would be listening all day and hear the song and my dedication. I didn't get to see his reaction, but I was later told by his coworkers that it was priceless. As his little sister, I had to get him back for all the years he tortured me mercilessly as only a big brother can. WXRT holds a special place in my heart for this and many other reasons. read more

Not really a rock station more like a light FM soft music station. I do enjoy some of the Saturday Morning Flashback shows but that has been shortened and they do not even post the playlist for it anymore. And how can they be progressive when they do not ever play anything like Ministry or Marilyn Manson or Ghost and on and on??? read more

My heart is achin' For you, XRT My HEAAAART is achin' For you, XRT 'Cuz I love you so, And I'll never letcha go (sax riff) How do I love XRT? Let me count the ways, from morning to night. Lin Brehmer & Mary Dixon - great together, and clever, and ease me intro the brutal reality of going to my job Terri Hemmert - like your favorite aunt who never tries to be cool but shows you that being one's self *is* cool Frank E. Lee (emeritus) - his intros made me happy - different every day, and also it meant it was 1:00 and that's lunchtime (special recognition for Friday's intro from The Wild One) Jason Thomas - like a bike messenger you could actually talk to (though we know he loves his Prius), and his show contains the strongest lineup of new-to-me tunes Then there's specials like Saturday Morning Flashback, which dip you into a vortex and take you back to a time when jeans were different (or exactly the same as now) and movies cost, well, less than now. Depending on the year, this show can be very heavy on the personal nostalgia or may predate my existence and offer some pop history. If I had to find a weak spot, I'd say the web site is a little too busy for me and I tend to go only when entering a contest or to stream online. And I don't really dig DJ-narrated commercials, but that brings me to my next point. XRT used to be independent but is now owned by CBS. They used to live out west on Belmont but now have cushy offices in a high rise downtown. However, XRT seems to have kept its identity in spite of corporate ownership, and that is huge to me. Plus, when they play some BS like Mumford & Sons I just tell myself CBS made them do it and maybe they're all disgusted by those banjo dorks like I am. Finally, but really firstly, the music is the best in Chicago. There is such variety pulled from such a strong library of wicked rock n' roll. I appreciate the nichier stations sometimes, too, and they almost all overlap with XRT in some way. But XRT will contrast, say, Pink Floyd with Florence and the Machine whereas the Drive has to put them next to something else from their era. So I get dosage of beloved classics and the fizzy zest of some new material too. Look at their playlist for evidence, or just listen for 20 minutes. A typical set might include REM, The Decemberists, Bob Marley, Talking Heads, Arcade Fire, Adele, Tom Petty, Beck, Fleetwood Mac, Warren Zevon, Garbage, Neko Case, The Who, Jack White, and one or two freshmen who may become your new faves. XRT: low on the dial; high in my heart. Stay golden. read more

I've been listening to XRT since the late 70's, and it used to be the only rock music radio station in Chicago that I listened to. But that has all gone to hell with its corporate takeover. How many days in a row do I need to hear Roxanne by the Police or Surrender by Cheap Trick, for cripes sake? - are they the only good songs by these classic bands? Now I hate those songs because XRT killed them for me just like a top 40 radio station. I rarely hear any new music on XRT anymore. This is where I used to hear ALL of my new music. And on that rare occurrence that I DO hear something new, do the dinosaur sell-out DJ's ever let you know what just played? Even worse, if you go the their website and try to find it on their Now Playing History, half the time the song is missing and you are SOL! With all of the foo foo crap on their website that takes forever to load, if you can't at a minimum provide a complete song history of the songs played, then the station is undeniably worthless. I used to wake up and hear music all day on XRT, but now it's just commercial, after commercial, after commercial. XRT is just another corporate conglomerate radio station. When I travel to either coast and listen to the radio out there, I always hear new cool music, and then I come back home and listen on XRT and never hear any of that cool music, and I ask myself - what is going on in Chicago with XRT??!! And don't even get my started on the XRT VIP lounge where you have to earn points by going to advertisers stuff!! Can you spell sell-out, SELL-OUT, SELL-OUT! XRT is dead, but long live ROCK and ROLL. read more

When compared to other contemporary radio stations XRT is ok, even listenable. But compared to Classic XRT this station sucks. Sucks balls. They play the same songs constantly, have tons of commercials, and even worse - they play the SAME FREAKING COMMERCIALS EVERY 10 minutes. When you listen for 20 minutes here or there it might not be a big deal, but when you listen all day as I do it really gets on your nerves. And I love Terri Hemmert but it is time for Breakfast with the Beatles to GO. There is no reason to dedicate 2 hours (or whatever it is) to a band that hasn't produced new music in the last 30 years. Yes the Beatles were good (some people think), yes they were influential, but it's 2011 and half of them are dead (and none of them have produced good music in 20 years). GET OVER IT. Once a month would be more than enough. I guess I'm officially an old cranky person, but XRT is a shadow of its former self. Corporate takeovers suck. read more

Ah yes. WXRT. What a warm fuzzy feeling I get, recalling the days when I would stay up late, waiting for the foreign language programming to get done, then listen to your wacky format that included classical, jazz, and more blues than now. This was, of course decades ago. Now you have more recycled top-10 hits than ever, and I unfortunately find myself switching to WFMT or WLUW or just listening to my own playlists via iPod. I understand that you were bought out by one of the giants, but too badddddd...... Still, Lin Brehmer's literary quotes and the like keep me coming back to you. read more

If you are not from Chicago, you will never know whats WXRT.. WXRT is a radio station for all ages and has a various format... They play pop music from the 80s music to now.. However , I really like the station because it plays some Indie music from local Chicago bands and other musicians from different area not signed up by some major record label... They played some music from bands like Wilco, Smashing Pumpkins, Jim O "Rourke, and Audioslave from the 90s....And new bands are coming out using WXRT format......Smashing Pumpkin became a major record label after playing so many times in WXRT. This radio station focuses on Indie local chicago bands while playing other genre... read more

My older brother turned me onto this station when it was "album oriented rock" and their logo was the big diamond. An independent radio statio that has now evolved into the world of conglomerates. But you know what, if I had to pick a soundtrack to my life, most of the music would be from the XRT playlist. The on air personalities are real people, kind of like Yelpers, not "personas" created by the marketing department. Yes, there have been ups and downs but no other station has remained consistant throughout the years (my lifetime anyway) with bringing new music and unsigned bands to the forefront and providing unwavering support to those who have made it. You can poll any band in the US that isn't "pop or dance" oriented and they will tell you, it is XRT that makes or breaks them. I also kind of dig their community involvement and their low key personalities. I've been meaning to write this since I started listening to XRT but the internet wasn't invented yet. Rock on! read more

I have a love/hate relationship with WXRT. I grew up with it and it introduced me to many artists I never would have discovered if it were not for XRT since they do play people no other stations will. Many a road trip was capped by being able to catch the first strains of XRT way outside the city and ride it through the city home. When I moved away, I missed XRT so much, especially since many other cities don't have an adult alternative format station like it. I know people who would just tape XRT for a few hours as a mix tape for when they moved, it was that reliable for good variety. And then something changed. I don't think it was all the corporate takeover, I think XRT just found a formula that was too easy to follow without thinking--take these adult alternative "singles" and play them twenty times a day just like a top 40 station. And that's where they lost me. I seriously don't need to hear "More Than This," "Under Pressure," the same Poi Dog Pondering, or awful BoDeans songs from when I was in college three times a day. Or ever again for that matter. I miss the days when deep album tracks would get played. Or Bobby Skafish was still there and you could hear a set that sounded exactly like mix tapes I made myself. Now it's just Terri Hemmert playing Melissa Etheridge for the 50,000th time. Yeah I used to love staying up to hear Breakfast with the Beatles when I was coming down from tripping...when I was 21. Despite all this, I still keep my alarm clock set to XRT because once in a great while, I will wake up to a song that makes me run to the computer to see who that new girl was and discover someone like Mindy Smith, or I will hear my favorite Sundays song, or I will hear something DIFFERENT that is not the new Eagles single (ugh). Sometimes. And for those times, XRT is still worth it, especially with new stations like that new Avril Lavigne station my boss has on all the time, what is it, "Fresh"? How goddamn "fresh" can playing Maroon 5 for the tenth time today really be? But that's for another day, another review. read more

Yes, XRT has changed from what it was 10 or 15 years ago, but it's still the best radio station in Chicago. You can still discover new music here and enjoy your old favorites. Good shows like Breakfast with the Beatles, Flashback, Regular Guy, Big Beat and the Underground Garage (wow!) can still be found here. The jockeys are generally good. Some are better than others. I could stand to have Jason Thomas stop his faux British inflection though. It's simply contrived and annoying. Hemmert is a treasure. Mars is probably my favorite, if you can find him. I have discovered dozens of new artists via this station (mostly in the past, Rock Over London is definitely very missed), with most of them being a good number of years ago. Still, you can get turned on to new and old via XRT. When you discover one, you tend to discover a couple more. And they put their entire track listing on the internet so you can find that song that's in your head. On top of all that, they have the McCartney "93 X-R-T" promo. How cool is that? read more

WXRT was #2 on my radio preset then #1 when Q101 went belly up. Quickly it ended up on #5 as they are tyring to please everyone. Noble but you know the old adage, '"Try to please everyone and you'll please no one" or "too many cooks spoil the stew." So I'm driving home the other night and ended up listening to XRT and Florence and the Machine was on - Woohoo! Then White Stripes - Gigadee! Then Steve Winwood - HUUUUUUUHHHH??????? Then I've heard Springsteen, Doors and other rock and classic rock music. Good, yes but AT LEAST 3 other stations in Chicago play rock and classic rock oh and yes Winwood office music can be heard anywhere. Then there's blues but that's best live or on station dedicated to blues. ADVICE TO XRT: The randomness will create no loyalty. And your DJ's will not be well versed in any of the genres of music. DIFFERENTIATE! Alternative rock is the way to go here in Chicago as there are no other stations who play it. Which station does one get to listen to home-grown Smashing Pumpkins? You will have a monopoly. Like when I visited Denmark - Indian guy with dark features in a sea of blondes, light skin and blue eyes. One of my best trips ever!!! :) read more

Thank you technology. Moved to the PacNW, radio stations out here suck ass. Too happy to be able to stream xrt, a little slice of home. You don't know what you have til you move. those who complain about xrt a) don't get it b) haven't had to live without xrt The ONLY station that plays good music. read more

XRT is really turning to crap. Been listening to it since almost day one, have tolerated the changes, but now it's endless repetitious junk. How many times a day do we have to hear that Leon Bridges tune, four? Same with any number of other tunes. This repetitiousness overshadows the little bits of 'alternative' or 'finest' rock between. I listen to Lin Brehmer, then change to a different station. read more

A "rock" station. Good God, how is it that one of the most whitebread playlists in the city gets to be labeled as Chicago 'alternative' radio? Oh yeah can't hear Dave Matthews anywhere else. This is the best station ever if you like the Pretenders since they play them constantly, but overall it's about as rockin' as a Shrek soundtrack. I give up, thank god for the Ipod. It reminds me of one of those music critics that sees 1980-83 as some sort of golden age of music. In all fairness, they do have the odd deep cut (that's the extra star), but that's the exception not the rule. Anyone still wonder why corporate radio is getting its ass kicked? read more

Since WLUP has gone down the toilet (in my book) with the loss of Johnny B. in the AM, and the rest of commercial radio in Chicago is pretty much shit (except WLS-FM I still like my oldies =P) I decided to give WXRT a listen. Believe me I was glad I did! I have finally discovered a station that has a very eclectic playlist with a range from classic 60s rock to todays alternative. Where else can I hear The Beatles "Eleanor Rigby", Smashing Pumpkins "Bullet with Butterfly Wings", Weezer's "If I Want You To" and Arctic Monkeys "Crying Lightning" all in the same day? AWESOME. read more

I was torn between 2 and 3 stars, but since "Meh" is closer to how I feel than "A-Ok" it's two. XRT, for me, is background noise. I get 8-9 hours a day at work, all the while debating springing for an XM. I wouldn't call anyone or anything on the show great (I couldn't even tell you any of the DJs' names without looking it up) but it's not the worst ever. That said, if I never hear "Someday We'll Go All The Way," or "Strange Overtones" again, I'll be a happy man. (2-3 times a day, every day is just too much for me). Oh and the regular guy is painful. However, their Friday Feature is definately more hit than miss, which gives them the extra star. read more

Dear XRT: You have a heart. You get points for that. And I like Lin just fine. Sometimes you play songs out of nowhere and I spend time trying to hunt down what song it was that you played. But I want to kill you every time you play Natalie Merchant. You play her a lot. In fact, it's kind of this joke amongst my friends how if you want to hear a Natalie Merchant song, just turn on XRT. Natalie Merchant or R.E.M. or Chrissy Hynde. Always. Always Natalie Merchant or R.E.M. or goddamned Chrissy Hynde. Just turn on XRT. Because if XRT isn't playing Natalie Merchant or R.E.M. or Chrissy Hynde that exact second, wait 1-2 minutes and they will. It's not a very funny joke. I like you much better than most of the other stations in Chicago, otherwise; I just have to forgive you for your issues. We've all got a few. Even Natalie. Love, M read more

I heard that once upon a time this station was good, but I wasn't alive then. Now it really blows...and I'm saying this about the best rock station in Chicago (you can only imagine what the other ones are like). It's a mystery to me how they get away with airing so many commercials. Overall, it sounds like something my jr. high school orthodontist's office would play in the background...a "the light" and "the mix" hybrid. They might play something new, local, and good once an hour, but thank god that kcrw.org or thecurrent exist for the other 57 minutes. read more

LAME. For old people. Have been playing the same boring old tunes since about 1981, with the same ancient DJs.

Do you believe that some of the jocks have been there for 30 yrs. The jocks truly are a family and have made it their second home. For a corporate owned station they are the best at playing local artists and promise very few repeats and a great variety including Blues and Alt. read more

WXRT - Radio Stations Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I'll give it a 4. I have listened since the time they were part-time. Way back when they were truly original. Featured artists like "From the Beatles to Bach." But now, they are still one of the best. Just not original. I tend to listen to the Drive more and flip back and forth. read more

I used to like XRT a lot when I was younger, now I have a really hard time keeping the dial 'glued' to them as I used to. I guess that's why satellite radio is more popular......... I like some of the stuff they play, but Jesus Christ, if I hear that relentless whining by 'Churchill and her annoying song 'Change' one more time, someone's gonna suffer..... read more

how about playing some Rock n Roll once in a while... Rory Gallagher, Johnny Winter, Alvin Lee, Chuck Berry, The Mavericks, Deep purple, Danny Gatton , UFO, Marshall Tucker, ..you know.. REAL Rock ! "Chicago's finest rock"... what a joke! read more

Alas, I'm old enough to remember when WXRT really was an alternative rock station, and played deep cuts from established artists and new things from lesser-known performers. The only remote hint of what the station used to be like is the Saturday morning show; otherwise, there's no reason to listen to WXRT. They've got the all the staples of commercialized, corporate radio, including the requisite Wacky Morning Team (true, there's less shouting than you hear on WLUP [moron central] or WDRV), but I heard them do ten minutes on bedbugs one morning; that's much better than music, right?). They have Interesting Personalities, like the Regular Douchebag, er Regular Guy, a shouting cretin who interrupts that pesky music to tell all about da movies. Finally, how can you play Lorde and Daft Punk and still summon the nerve to call yourself "Chicago's Finest Rock?" Why not cut out the pretense and play Miley Cyrus and Justin Bieber? What's the difference, really? read more

Used to be a loyal listener for 30 years but seems to have gone down hill since Norm Winer left. It's like Bowie and Rick Ocasik own this station. Enough already! With all the great music at our disposal there's no need to be so repetitious. Luckily, we live in an age where we can stream stations in other cities. Would like to go back as my go to alt rock station but right now, they give me little reason to. read more

It's love - they're one of the first alternative format stations. Actually, I started listening to WXRT in junior high and I find they've retained their tradition, despite their purchase by Infinity Broadcasting. Lin Brehmer is my favorite morning man, and I wish I could listen to Terri Hemmert more often. Become an XRT VIP and get lots of presale passwords for the best concerts in Chicago. Could do with less Cheryl Crow, but I still find them one of the best stations and am loyal. 2/19/06 - I recently got into Pandora radio so all my stations are losing their appeal. It's all about bucks. Actually, I still find xrt to be a good community station - they give money to good local causes and advertise social services, and Hemmert is forever my favorite DJ in the universe. read more

Best radio station in Chicago! I love listening to Lin & Mary in the morning because I can always picture them shaking thier fists at each other in mock rage when they talk about innane crap. Lin's a fantastic writer and some of the stuff he writes for Lin's Bin should be published somewhere. I've won a few contests through the VIP lounge and attended countless XRT sponsored shows in this city. Recent show of note: Rodrigo y Gabriela for FREE at the Taste. I listen at work online and I have even listend to XRT on vacation - via laptop. It's everywhere you wanna be baby! read more

When you travel around the country and attempt to tune in to a decent radio station only to be disappointed that is when you realize how spectacularly cool XRT is. Best DJ personalities, play lists and no-nonsense vibe. Lifelong listeners among my tribe. read more

I don't listen to broadcast radio all that much, to be honest. Since I work around computers most of the day, I usually listen to 3WK or my own music, but when the radio's on and I'm in the mood for classic rock, it's XRT. I suppose first one would have to like the format (Classic Rock) - you know, the music we old *cough40cough* people grew up with. People who were born post-1980 might think it's lame, but then you have to wonder why someone who hates classic rock would even be listening in the first place, much less write a review. The format is "Classic Rock", but they do play the occasional newer (and usually lamer) artists - Kid Rock, Darkness, Coldplay. Points off for not sticking to their guns more. Other points off are that they don't play music that's since become classic rock (MC5, NYDolls...even L7) more often. But if you like Led Zeppelin, Beatles, early Springsteen, the best place to hear it in Chicago is XRT. The DJs are not annoying (well, occasionally Frank E Lee can be), and the lack of a "crazy wacky morning show!" instantly puts them at the top of the heap, IMHO. Teri Hemmert is an encyclopedia of musical knowledge, and worth listening to as is Lin Brehmer. Their specialty shows during the week are interesting, too, if you enjoy theme shows (Breakfast with the Beatles, Lin's Bin and Blues Breakers are excellent). Another thing that places XRT at the top of the classic rock in Chicago heap has to do with their attention to Chicago's music scene. The DJs remember it, were part of it, and like to showcase it (Local Anesthetic). Other more corporate AOR radio stations don't come close to this kind of offering. read more

I think I love XRT because it totally feeds into my ADD. Where else in the country can you hear Pink Floyd - Adele - The Beatles - Radiohead - Phoenix - right in a row on the same station? It's like they have my IPOD on shuffle. Sometimes they do throw you through a loop with a weird random play, and the DJs occasionally remind me of late-nite college radio - but it's all part of XRT's eclectic charm. The VIP lounge is the single greatest thing I have discovered since moving to Chicago. Basically you visit the website - look at some pictures and whatnot - and can win tickets to all kinds of amazing stuff! In just the past few months I have won tickets to both Cake and Florence + the Machine from the VIP Lounge. Basically, XRT is a great station that plays cutting edge new bands right alongside the classics that have shaped what music has become today. AND they reward their loyal listeners with exclusive events like intimate Studio X concerts, private presales, and tons of other great stuff. read more

Can't quite wrap my head around XRT... the on air talent say they program their own shows and select their own tracks, but over the last day or so I've heard the new Petty unreleased track almost hourly. Can't really see how all on air talent picks the same tracks, lately very tight playlist, gone is Little Stevens Underground Garage, Jazz Transfusion, Saturday Morning Flashback cut back, Frank E Lee retired but seems he is there more to fill in which is great, since Jimmy De Castro and Greg Solk came on board they are both adding bits of the old Loop and the Drive, with all the classic rock, what was once a mighty station at their old digs on Belmont, seems like a rudderless ship with no direction read more

I listened to XRT in the womb. XRT has provided much of the soundtrack of my life, from my toddler days through angst-filled high school years, through college when I finally interned for them. I would've given XRT 5 stars regardless, but that opportunity allowed me to witness Lin Brehmer strumming and crooning his very own version of "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" to the Promotions team. DJs don't get any cooler than that and other stations don't play nearly enough Hendrix. 10 stars for XRT. read more