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Piccadilly Radio 261: The Home of Manchester’s Iconic Radio Legacy The sound of Manchester — done our way.
By 1985, Piccadilly 261 wasn’t just a radio station. It was the soundtrack to the city.
This was the era of dominance. If you walked down Market Street, you heard the jingles coming out of every shop doorway. If you sat in a taxi, the dial was locked. We owned the North.
But something else was happening. The city was shifting. The sounds of Factory Records, New Order, and The Smiths were bleeding into the mainstream. The lines between the radio studio and the dancefloor at The Hacienda were blurring.
We weren’t just observing the culture; we were amplifying it. The “Glory Years” defined a generation. It was the sound of a city that knew it was the center of the musical universe.
We didn’t ask for attention. We commanded it.
Before April 1974, Manchester sounded like the BBC. It was polite. It was polished. It was safe. Then came the switch on. Piccadilly Radio 261. We didn't just broadcast; we interrupted. From the studios at Piccadilly Plaza, we unleashed a sound that actually reflected the city. It wasn't about perfect pronunciation; it was about the Mancunian accent cutting through the static. The "Ignition" era wasn't just about playing records. It […]
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