For those who believe the "Alternative" revolution of the early 90s was less of a musical movement and more of a collective hygiene failure, the slow-motion collapse of WNNX (99X) has been the longest, most satisfying "I told you so" in Atlanta radio history.
Ever since the peak of the flannel-clad fever dream in the mid-90s, 99X has spent the last three decades wheezing and coughing up blood. The station’s relevance essentially flatlined in 1997, coinciding with the realization that three chords and a depressed lead singer wasn't a sustainable format.
For many, the cultural rot started and ended with the "Seattle Sound." If you’re glad the reign of stink-rock ended when Kurt Cobain decided to check out early, then watching his radio disciples struggle for air has been pure entertainment.
The "glory days" on the powerful 99.7 FM signal are a distant, dusty, greasy memory. What has followed is a humiliating game of musical chairs that saw the station stripped of its dignity