Steve Dahl

One of Chicago's most outrageous disc jockeys, Steve Dahl has proven to be equally successful as a vocalist and songwriter. His band, Teenage Radiation, used a sharp sense of humor to turn such tongue-in-jowl parodies as "RTA" and "Do You Think I'm Disco" into national hits. "Do You Think I'm Disco" reached the top position on a "novelty records top ten" compiled by Dr. Demento in August 1979. Dahl later collaborated with Brian Wilson and producer/keyboard player Joe Thomas to write the title song of Wilson's 1998 album, Imagination. Having launched his disc jockey career in southern California, Dahl moved to Chicago in the mid-'70s to host the morning shift on WLUP. Meeting overnight DJ Garry Meier in 1978, Dahl found a similar-minded collaborator. Agreeing to work together, Dahl and Meier formed one of the most controversial duos in broadcasting. One of their first stunts was a "Disco Demolition" night at Comiskey Park in 1979. In 1981, they were fired for "violating community language standards," and moved on to take over the afternoon shift at WLS-FM. Despite the change, Dahl and Meier continued to face opposition. Transferred to WLS-AM in 1984, the duo missed numerous shows. It took legal litigation and suspension before they agreed to finish out their contract. They returned to WLUP-FM in 1986. Although he remained active in radio, Dahl experienced a low point in his career during the '90s. Following a brief stint on a sports radio station, he began to bounce back as host of a popular radio talk show since 1996. Steve Dahl and Teenage Radiation performed their final concert on June 8, 1997. ~ Craig Harris, All Music Guide