Worst to First: The True Story of Z100 New York

2022

1h 4m

Documentary

History

Music

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List

83%

6 Reviews

Tomatometer

100%

Fewer than 50 Ratings

Audience Score

WORST TO FIRST is a feature-length documentary that portrays the against-all-odds inspirational story of the launch of the iconic and most successful radio station in history, New York City's Z100. In 1983, Z100 launched from the swamps of New Jersey, where no artist would venture, and the DJs had to buy their own records just to have music to play on air. Fun, poignant and aspirational, the film features Scott Shannon and several other Hall of Fame radio personalities as well as industry legends like Clive Davis and Elvis Duran. Iconic artists who got their start on Z100 such as Jon Bon Jovi, Joan Jett, Nile Rodgers, and era superstars, Debbie Gibson and Taylor Dayne all share their personal stories of the importance of the station, their love of radio and passion for performing music. Capturing the times, personalities and music of the era, WORST TO FIRST portrays the ultimate David and Goliath story that built the foundation for the world's biggest radio station and the people behind the legacy that endures and continues to grow, reaching eight-digit audiences daily, and continuing to influence the face of media and entertainment.

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Chris J

MOVIE REVIEW Worst to First: The True Story of Z100 New York Genre: Documentary Year Released: 2022 Runtime: 1h 3m Director(s): Mitchell Stuart Cast: Scott Shannon, Elvis Duran, Jon Bon Jovi, Nile Rodgers, Anita Bonita, Ross Brittain, Pete Consenza, Michael Ellis, Cathy Donovan, Gary Fisher, Geraldo Rivera, Taylor Dayne, and more Where To Watch: Available for pre-order now, releasing December 6, 2022, at Kino Lorber RAVING REVIEW: What more can you say beyond the title? There's much more to this story than the meteoric rise of the most successful radio station in history. If you grew up listening to Z100, you'd love seeing this story behind them becoming the giant they are (and have been for some time.) If you have never heard of Z100 (like this critic), you'll still love learning about this unlikely success story. It only took 74 days, but this was one of the biggest flips in radio history. While Z100 didn't pioneer top-40 radio, they took this idea, modernized it, and ran with it. The film features countless iconic members of music royalty, sharing their stories of what this station meant and how it changed radio forever. One of the most intriguing moments was when the first market rankings came in, and Z100 was dead last, so bad that they were outdone by stations that weren't even in their market. I could watch documentaries like this for days, and I love learning about stories you traditionally don't hear about. Hearing about the ins and outs of these little pieces of history that made the pop culture landscape what it is today. Scott Shannon is somewhat of an icon, so much so that even those outside the "know" of New York radio may still recognize the name. Shannon, the first programmer for Z100, grabbed those poor ratings and decided not to look back. My only complaint is that I wanted more to this "historical" story; I wanted to dive deeper into the station and its history. Seeing the process was fun, but when you walk away from a documentary just wanting more, I consider it a success. BONUS FEATURES: – Deleted Scenes – Audio commentary by DJ Scott Shannon and Director Mitchell Stuart – Trailers For more reviews and my YouTube channel, please visit linktr.ee/Overlyhonestmoviereviews Follow me on Letterboxd, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube. Find my social media accounts on most platforms simply by searching Overly Honest Movie Reviews. I'm always happy to hear from my readers; please say hi or send me any questions about movies.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

11/30/22

Full Review

Audience Member

The stories, the history... it's legendary! The underdog that becomes the Goliath... not only for radio but for music, for artists, and New York City! xo

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/12/23

Full Review

Audience Member

My wife and I watched this together the other night and had a great time. So interesting and entertaining. My wife grew up in NYC in the 80s, so this was so nostalgic for her, and she was practically screaming at the TV. I didn't grow up in New York, but I found the story riveting (and who doesn't like music?!). This is a no brainer. Low investment of time, and high reward. Check it out!

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

02/18/22

Full Review

Audience Member

My family and I listen to Z100 often in the car being from the New York Metro Area. It's interesting to hear the inside story of how the station started to become the popular station it is today. We are very excited to watch this documentary by Mitchell Stuart.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/09/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Very entertaining story with great cast. I love Z100 and never knew the story. It's great to see all the faces behind all the voices then and now. Highly recommend!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/15/23

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Mitchell Stuart

Director

Scott Shannon

Self

Elvis Duran

Self

Jon Bon Jovi

Self

Nile Rodgers

Self

Clive Davis

Self

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Worst to First: The True Story of Z100 New York: Trailer 1

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Glenn Kenny

New York Times

The movie’s prefab on-screen graphics are just one reason “Worst to First” has such a limp tone overall.

Feb 10, 2022

Full Review

William Schwartz

Book & Film Globe

Worst to First: The True Story of Z100 New York is a charming story in part because its a depiction of a world where this kind of moralizing from celebrities and media platforms didn’t exist.

Jul 21, 2022

Full Review

Carla Hay

Culture Mix

It's really a tribute to Scott Shannon and his Z100 reign in the 1980s, rather than a comprehensive look at all of Z100's history. The movie has flawed editing and diversity problems, but ultimately it's lightweight nostalgia with entertaining stories.

Feb 21, 2022

Full Review

Carey-Ann Pawsey

Orca Sound

A true underdog story about how in an incredible 74 days Z100 rose from the bottom to the top where it has remained for about 40 years.

Rated: 3/5

Feb 18, 2022

Full Review

Edward Douglas

The Weekend Warrior

A great quick look into this world that was so influential on the entire radio music and talk format for many decades to come.

Feb 11, 2022

Full Review

Nathaniel Muir

AIPT

This documentary offers brief glimpses into how great Z100 became, but never tells the whole story. The underdog tale hinted in the title gets around ten minutes of time. More of a overview with neat nuggets of information than a comprehensive look.

Feb 7, 2022

Full Review

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Synopsis

WORST TO FIRST is a feature-length documentary that portrays the against-all-odds inspirational story of the launch of the iconic and most successful radio station in history, New York City's Z100. In 1983, Z100 launched from the swamps of New Jersey, where no artist would venture, and the DJs had to buy their own records just to have music to play on air. Fun, poignant and aspirational, the film features Scott Shannon and several other Hall of Fame radio personalities as well as industry legends like Clive Davis and Elvis Duran. Iconic artists who got their start on Z100 such as Jon Bon Jovi, Joan Jett, Nile Rodgers, and era superstars, Debbie Gibson and Taylor Dayne all share their personal stories of the importance of the station, their love of radio and passion for performing music. Capturing the times, personalities and music of the era, WORST TO FIRST portrays the ultimate David and Goliath story that built the foundation for the world's biggest radio station and the people behind the legacy that endures and continues to grow, reaching eight-digit audiences daily, and continuing to influence the face of media and entertainment.

Director: Mitchell Stuart
Producer: Trish Hunter Shannon, Elvis Duran, David Katz, John McConnell
Screenwriter: Mitchell Stuart
Genre: Documentary, History, Music
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Feb 11, 2022
Runtime: 1h 4m