Atlanta radio just got a whole lot stranger. Z93, that bastion of "there's no such thing as too much Zeppelin and Skynyrd" classic rock, has started mixing late-70's/80's new wave rock into their schedule.

Since Monday I've heard them play:
Joe Jackson, "Is She Really Going Out With Him"?
Rolling Stones, "Can't Always Get What you Want"
REM, "What's the Frequency Kenneth"
Led Zeppelin, "Black Dog"
Jimmy Buffet, "I don't know where I'm gonna go when the Volcano blows"
The Clash, "Rock the Casbah"
Lynyrd Skynyrd "Don't ask me no Questions" (or whatever its called)
The Pretenders, "Brass in Pocket"
The Tubes, "She's a Beauty"
Bob Marley (I think), "Everything's Going to be Alright"
Allman Brothers "Blue Sky"

And all with a completely straight face. I always thought the set of people capable of appreciating all of the above with no sense of irony was an extreme minority of which I happened to be a member.

This is the first time I've heard of any commercial radio station playing this kind of a mix since the pre-simulcast-network days of the early 90's. (My favorite station back then was WZEW in Mobile: equal parts classic rock, alternative rock, and Steely-Dan-jazz; and that city's home of Dr. Demento.)

I doubt that it will last. They're probably transitioning over to an all-80's format, but they have to keep playing the old stuff until they get rid of all the classic-rock concert tickets and other schwag.

OTOH maybe this is just the arrival in Atlanta of the latest hot trend in radio formats? Help, I'm a target market!