Back to the 60’s is one of the most beloved and long-running specialist music shows on Dundalk FM 97.7, dedicated entirely to the music, culture, and spirit of one of the most transformative decades in the history of popular music. Presented by Tom Gernon, the show has been a cornerstone of the station’s Sunday schedule for many years, earning its place as a firm favourite among listeners who grew up with this music and those discovering it for the first time.
The 1960s was a decade unlike any other in music. It was the era that gave the world Beatlemania, the British Invasion, Motown, soul, folk revival, psychedelia, and the birth of album-oriented rock. From The Beatles and The Rolling Stones to Otis Redding, Aretha Franklin, Bob Dylan, The Kinks, and The Supremes, the sheer breadth and depth of music produced in that single decade remains staggering. Back to the 60’s exists to honour all of it — the chart hits, the deep cuts, the forgotten gems, and the songs that soundtracked a generation.
Tom Gernon brings genuine expertise and deep personal passion to every episode. His knowledge of the era is encyclopaedic, and his enthusiasm is infectious. He is not simply playing records — he is curating an experience, drawing listeners into the stories behind the songs, the artists who made them, and the cultural moments that shaped them. Tom’s connection to this music runs deep, and that authenticity comes through clearly in every show.
As one of
Dundalk FM‘s most dedicated volunteers, Tom has contributed enormously to the station over the years. Alongside Back to the 60’s, he also presents Rock Around Dundalk, a show that celebrates the rock and roll roots that stretch from the 1950s into the decades that followed. His involvement in the station goes beyond broadcasting too — he has served as question master at Dundalk FM’s 60’s and 70’s Pop Music Quiz events, bringing that same depth of knowledge to live audiences in the community. It is a body of work that speaks to a presenter who is truly committed to the music he loves and to the community radio station that gives it a platform.
Back to the 60’s has been part of the station’s Sunday schedule since the early years of Dundalk FM, sitting comfortably in the afternoon slot as a natural companion to the other classic and specialist music shows that made Sunday listening on the station something special. For many regular listeners, tuning in on a Sunday afternoon and hearing Tom’s voice introducing the sounds of the sixties has become a weekly ritual — a moment of warmth, familiarity, and great music in the middle of the week’s end.
Whether you lived through the sixties or simply love the music, Back to the 60’s offers something for everyone. It is a show rooted in history but very much alive in the present, keeping the songs and stories of an extraordinary decade sounding as fresh and relevant as ever on
Dundalk FM 97.7. Check the schedule for broadcast times, and join the wider community of sixties music lovers at the
Sixties Music Facebook Group (Facebook).
