A Treasure Trove from Radio’s Bygone Days: The WFAA And WBAP Sheet-Music Collections at the University of North Texas Music Library

In 1961 and the early 1970s, the Music Library at what is now the University of North Texas received the vast sheet-music collections of radio stations WFAA and WBAP, respectively. Containing hundreds of thousands of pieces, they consist primarily of piano-vocal scores and stock arrangements of a wide variety of popular music. The stations, both pioneers of radio in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex, had amassed the collections when live music on the radio was the norm. Station employees created card catalogs for their use, but all songs have now been entered in UNT’s online catalogs. Today, many people are unaware that most music on the radio was once live. Details about the history of radio shed light on the governmental rules that mandated this, and caused stations to collect sheet music and hire many performing musicians. Eventually, as the use of live music declined, many stations discarded their sheet music. We are very grateful that WFAA and WBAP gave theirs to the university instead. This unusual treasure continues to benefit diverse patrons both inside and outside the university community.