WUTK: The Rock—Volunteer Radio began in 1982 as a hands-on experience for students interested in broadcasting. WUTK was first known as Album 90 and played alternative rock and jazz. Starting in the late 1980s, the station began airing new music first in Knoxville, playing local and national artists from a wide variety of genres including punk, rockabilly, electronic, Americana, rap, and rock. It was the first station in Knoxville to play music by U2, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, the Black Crowes, and Metallica.