If hearing "Killing in the Name" by Rage Against the Machine on a Vancouver radio station Thursday is giving you flashbacks to the summer of 2022, that makes sense.
The song was played on repeat exactly one year ago today, June 29, as a precursor to Sonic 104.9 FM launching in Metro Vancouver. The stunt made worldwide headlines as people speculated that someone from the prior station, KiSS 104.9 FM, had taken over the signal.
That wasn't quite accurate, as the station was actually rebranding from light hits to alternative rock.
Anyone scanning the radio dial in Vancouver today might hear echoes of the stunt if they hit 104.9 FM today.
Sonic is celebrating Rage Against the Machine Day and the radio station's first birthday by playing a ton of songs by the political rap-metal group.
Since 6 a.m. by midday, Sonic 104.9 had played songs by the band at least 23 times, ranging from hits "Renegades of Funk" and "Testify" to songs not often heard on the radio like "Township Rebellion" and "The Ghost of Tom Joad." That's about one-third of the songs on Sonic since 6 a.m.
Happy Birthday to us and Happy Rage Against the Machine Day on SONiC!
— SONiC (@sonicradio) June 29, 2023
Thanks for being a part of the New Alternative.#rageagainstthemachine #ratm #radio #yvr #vancouver pic.twitter.com/8e92v3bUxy
