Classic Vinyl

Classic Vinyl is a Sirius XM Radio channel focusing on classic rock music mostly from the late-1960s to the mid-1970s. It broadcasts on Sirius XM Radio channel 26 and Dish Network channel 6026.

History

Classic Vinyl was launched with the rest of the Sirius Satellite Radio lineup in 2002 as the classic rock channel for the station. From the beginning, the station has broadcast live 24/7 from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, in conjunction with a deal between Sirius and the Hall. Several other Sirius legacy channels have also had tie-ins with the Hall of Fame. Initially, the channel broadcast on Sirius channel 14. Like other Sirius legacy channels, Classic Vinyl had live DJs in between some songs except on the overnight hours.

Meanwhile, then-rival XM Satellite Radio broadcast a similar classic rock channel called Top Tracks that aired much of the same programming as well as some overlapping programming from Classic Rewind, which airs the "later era" of classic rock. Top Tracks largely cut off at the start of the 1980s where Big Tracks would pick up, although it did air songs from Pink Floyd's The Wall (which was released in November 1979 but is generally viewed as a 1980s album) as well as John Lennon's songs from the 1980 album Double Fantasy just before his murder. Top Tracks aired on XM channel 46 and unlike Classic Vinyl, Top Tracks was completely automated.