I started listening then. And I always hated opie. But the rest of the show is strong enough.

i started from WNEW shows, i made it to 09 i think, they had some amazing shows but 75% of them were boring filler news stories.

The SiriusXM merger made Opie less of a company man and not "try" nearly as hard as he did during XM. Howard "won" and the war was over. With Anthony gone, he realizes his only option for job security is to be a company man.

I started listening to the xm archives starting from their first day in 2004. Jim and Ant can be pretty hilarious but the whole feel of the show is cringeworthy and everything that comes out of Opie's gay mouth gives me douche chills.

The XM years were really hard to stomach for me which is why I skipped 05-07. But I think it has something to do with the fact I'm listening to them in a totally different context, if I had listened to those years back when they were first broadcast I probably would have liked them more. 08-11 were their best years IMO.

you must be forgetting about all the material on the great Tony Danza Show.

it was 06's 90 day fiance

I remember the first few years of XM being fantastic, as were the KROCK and WAAF days. But, I haven't re-listened to them since then - I'm sure if I heard them now it would be tough to stomach.

Even way back when I hated Opie because he was hacky and needy. Then when he had kids something changed and he became normal, laid back and generally likeable. And then all of a sudden Bam, he's a douche again.

"Bam, he's a douche again."

Pun intended?

I'd rather hear those shows than Opie with Jim Norton. So what if Opie had bad moments? Modern-day Op is a scumbag of the highest order, and it ruined the show completely. The Artie Lange appearance was the last good show.

So their best years were their worst years... um ok.

Management does.

My favorite years were 2008-2011

I agree, although I might throw in 2012 as well. 2013 was okay and there were some classic shows, but it also started declining. 2014 was pretty bad before Ant got fired and after that happened... well yea.

2012 was slightly worse than 2011, '13 slightly worse than '12, '14 slightly worse than '13, O&J massively worse than '14.

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Opie does.

Early XM 'confident radio rockstar' Opie is truly awful.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bAkCoPzYpLI

Back when Opie was the douche that we all loved to hate.

One of the most annoying things about that old stuff is that they still radio voices, despite supposedly haven gotten rid of them. They still had sort of the douchy radio voices compared to how they just talk now, specially opie.

*The O&A virus spreading across America! * amirite?

"Our listening audience, that is growing everyday Anthony, is...."

He says, "growing everyday now Anthony" as this cocky, matter-of-fact bullshit

That was the height of Opie "Steering the Ship" and it could be quite bad but I still like that time period. 2007-pre-Patrice coma is the show at its height.

Sometimes I feel like listening to the O&A show is a metaphor for life; you can find the thing you identify with most, and feel a real connection to the community of, and 50% of it can still be a thing you absolutely loathe.

Wait, so you're saying Opie gets BETTER with the move back to FM? I think you have things backwards.

i disagree, i loved it back then

He tried WAY too hard back then. All the shit about the virus spreading was so lame, and every goddamn bit they did had to involve at least 5 minutes of them just playing sound effects and lines from movies over whatever they were talking about, or copying Jimmy Kimmel's "unnecessary censorship" bit with every piece of audio of someone talking they got their hands on, beeping out every noun whether it made sense or not. It was so repetitive back then.

I think the show got better once they were fired from FM for good and they stopped pushing so hard to be the next big thing and get headlines. The audience just wants to hear good radio. Most of us aren't lame hardcore "pests" who feel like we're some part of an effort to promote the show.

He's still into obnoxious plugging, except now it's for his twitter and youtube channel. And for some reason he REALLY wants us to know the name "Sam Roberts."

I think that 04-07 were some of the most memorable Times. Yes!, Opie had that annoying fucking Bill & Ted Voice! But you could hear in All 3 of Their voices, that they were genuinely excited to be There! And the energy was so powerful, it caused the show to continue online for a couple more hours with the fans! I think at least Half of the Classic Bits were from that time!

Plus, All the Comics were on fire! I absolutely Loved the repeat Bit, where they would interview some weird Book Author, and the entire interview consisted of Jimmy tearing pages out of the book, while interviewing!

Stephen Lynch was always great!, The Interns were All memorable! And even Opie was funny! They were ways drinking, Ant would start drinking at home, a couple hours before the show. There was Always some sort of Sexual Debauchary going on. Jimmy would be fucking a Prostitute in the ass on the Lesbian Couch, after the show! Girls were always naked. And the best part was Thanks to Steve C, you Could go to his website, and watch all of it uncensored! Or watch on Paltalk!

Jimmy fucked A Lot of Whores in questionable health! He would get blown behind the scenes. And don't Ever forget about.. ....The Show We Can't Talk About!!! Basically Master Pi wasn't around to check ID's, and a band with a Crew of freaky whores called The Wolf Pack, came to the studio, the Ice Cold Chilled Jäger Machine was in full swing, and the story ends with 2 Underage Girls, "Naked & Crying", and completely trashed, Lating on the sidewalk in front of the Studio!! And if you listen to the show, you can easily conclude that some of the guys, Bounced those girls around like a Pinball!!

It was Truly, a bunch of friends hanging out, who forgot the mic was on most the time!

Obviously the show has passed you by. Hater.

i would agree but norton was ten times worse back then, always forcing a rant on doorknobs or something stupid that didnt deserve that much hate.

That shit was hilarious.

The show was at its height from may 2008 to October of that same year. Everything else was hack until Anthony got fired. The show couldn't have gotten better.

Pppppppffffffffffffffffffffffff HAAAAAAAAAHAHA

He's still into obnoxious plugging, except now it's for his twitter and youtube channel. And for some reason he REALLY wants us to know the name "Sam Roberts."