You're stuck in traffic on the BQE. It’s raining. The guy in the Honda next to you is honking for literally no reason. You reach for the dial because you need something—anything—to cut through the noise of a Tuesday afternoon. That’s usually when it happens. You hear the opening riff of "Carry on Wayward Son" or maybe Jim Kerr’s voice, steady and familiar as a lighthouse, and suddenly the commute doesn't suck quite as much. For anyone in the Tri-State area, q 104.3 listen live isn't just a search term. It’s a ritual.
Classic rock shouldn't work this well in 2026. Everything is algorithmic now. Spotify tells you what to like based on a math equation, and TikTok cycles through trends faster than you can blink. Yet, WAXQ stays. It’s the "Old Reliable" of the FM dial, but it’s also moved into the digital age in a way that feels surprisingly organic. You aren't just tethered to a physical radio in your kitchen anymore.
The Evolution of the Empire State's Rock Station
Let’s be real. Radio was supposed to be dead by now. People have been predicting the demise of terrestrial broadcasting since the first iPod dropped. But there is something about the human element of a live DJ that a "Classic Rock 70s" playlist on a streaming app can't replicate. When you q 104.3 listen live through the iHeartRadio app or the web player, you’re getting more than just a sequence of MP3s. You’re getting the context.
Jim Kerr has been doing this for over 50 years. Think about that. He’s been on the air since the Nixon administration. When he talks about seeing Led Zeppelin at the Garden, he isn't reading a Wikipedia entry. He was probably there. That’s the "E" in E-E-A-T that Google loves, but for humans, it’s just called "being the real deal." His morning show with Shelli Sonstein is a masterclass in chemistry. It’s comfortable. It’s like having breakfast with that one uncle who knows every legendary guitar player's middle name and once shared a drink with Keith Richards.
New York is a loud city. It’s aggressive. But Q104.3 provides a specific kind of sonic landscape that fits the grit of the city. While other stations flipped formats—remember when 92.3 was K-Rock and then it wasn't, and then it was again?—104.3 stayed the course. They didn't panic when grunge happened, and they didn't panic when EDM took over the world. They just kept playing "Hotel California."
How to Actually Stream Q104.3 Without the Glitches
Most people just Google the name and click the first link. That works, sure. But if you want to q 104.3 listen live and actually have it sound good, you’ve got options. The official route is the iHeartRadio platform. Since iHeartMedia owns WAXQ, their proprietary app is the most stable. It’s got the metadata—you see the album art, the year the song came out, and sometimes even trivia about the band.
If you're a desktop user, the station’s website is the most direct path. It’s surprisingly lightweight. Some radio sites are bloated with so many ads and tracking scripts that your browser starts screaming. This one stays relatively clean.
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What about smart speakers? Honestly, this is where most people get frustrated. You tell your device to "Play Q104.3," and sometimes it plays a random station from Ohio. You have to be specific. "Play Q104.3 on iHeartRadio" is the magic phrase. It’s a small detail, but it saves you from hearing a weather report for Cincinnati when you wanted Pink Floyd.
Why the "Classic Rock" Label is Evolving
We need to talk about what "Classic" even means now. For a long time, it was the "Big Four": Zeppelin, Floyd, The Who, and the Stones. Maybe some Steely Dan if the DJ was feeling sophisticated. But the 1990s have officially entered the pantheon.
It’s a bit of a gut punch for those of us who grew up with flannel shirts, but Nirvana is now classic rock. Pearl Jam is a staple. You’ll hear Soundgarden and Stone Temple Pilots mixed in with Aerosmith. It keeps the station from feeling like a museum. It feels more like a living timeline of guitar-driven music.
The DJs actually have a say in the culture there. Ken Dashow, the "Beatles Guy," is a local institution. His "Breakfast with the Beatles" isn't just a show; it's a deep-dive research project disguised as a radio program. He finds takes and stories that even the most hardcore fans haven't heard. This is why people still q 104.3 listen live instead of just hitting shuffle on their own library. You want the curation. You want the stories.
The Technical Side of the Signal
For the geeks out there, WAXQ broadcasts from the Empire State Building. That’s prime real estate. It’s why you can usually pick up the signal all the way out on the tip of Long Island and deep into the Jersey suburbs. But the digital stream is where the growth is.
Digital streaming uses a high-bitrate AAC codec. To the average ear, it sounds "cleaner" than FM. You don't get the static when you drive under a bridge. However, some purists argue you lose the "warmth" of the analog signal. There’s a specific compression used in FM radio that makes drums sound punchier and vocals sit right at the front of the mix. When you stream, you’re getting a more clinical version of that sound. Is it better? It depends on your headphones. If you’re using cheap earbuds, you won't notice. If you’ve got a high-end setup, the FM signal still has a certain "soul" that bits and bytes struggle to catch.
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Beyond the Music: Community and Crisis
One thing people forget about local radio is its role during a crisis. When the power goes out or a blizzard hits the city, Spotify isn't going to tell you which subways are running or which bridges are closed.
During major events, Q104.3 pivots. They become a lifeline. They’ve been through 9/11, Sandy, and the 2003 blackout. There is a sense of community there that doesn't exist on a national satellite stream. When Jim Kerr talks about a charity event in the Bronx or a local firehouse fundraiser, it hits home because it is home.
Common Misconceptions About Listening Online
A lot of people think you have to pay for a subscription to get the live stream. You don’t. It’s ad-supported, just like the radio in your car. Yes, you’ll hear commercials for lawyers and car dealerships. That’s the trade-off.
Another weird myth is that the stream is "delayed" by several minutes. It’s actually only about 20 to 30 seconds behind the real-time broadcast. This is mostly due to the buffer required to keep the audio from skipping if your internet connection dips for a millisecond. If you’re trying to sync it up with a live event—like if they’re doing a countdown for New Year's—just keep that half-minute lag in mind so you don't cheer too early.
Actionable Steps to Optimize Your Listening Experience
If you want the best possible experience when you q 104.3 listen live, don't just settle for the default.
First, check your settings in the iHeartRadio app. There is often an option for "High Quality" audio that is toggled off by default to save data. If you’re on Wi-Fi, turn that on. The difference in the low-end (the bass) is massive.
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Second, utilize the "History" feature. Ever hear a song and miss the name of the artist? The digital stream logs the last 10 or 20 songs played. You can go back and find that obscure B-side that caught your ear.
Third, if you’re using a car with Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, use the app instead of the car’s FM tuner if you’re traveling outside the city. The app will stay crystal clear as you drive toward Philly or up to Albany, whereas the FM signal will eventually dissolve into static once you hit the Highlands.
Fourth, check out the podcasts. Most people don't realize that the best segments from the morning show and Dashow's specials are archived. If you missed a guest interview because you were in a meeting, it’s usually uploaded within 24 hours.
The Verdict on WAXQ’s Longevity
Radio survives because it’s easy. It’s a low-friction way to feel connected to the world. You don't have to build a playlist. You don't have to skip songs. You just press "play" and let someone who loves music as much as you do take the wheel.
Whether you’re a lifelong New Yorker or someone tuning in from halfway across the world to get a taste of the city’s vibe, the station remains a titan for a reason. It’s the sound of the city’s concrete, its history, and its stubborn refusal to stop rocking.
To get started right now, simply open your preferred browser, navigate to the official Q104.3 website, and hit the play icon. If you are on a mobile device, downloading the iHeartRadio app is the most reliable way to ensure the stream doesn't cut out when you switch between towers. For the best audio fidelity, ensure your device's output is set to at least 44.1 kHz, which will preserve the high-frequency detail of those classic 70s guitar solos. If you're looking for specific show times, Jim Kerr and Shelli Sonstein usually hold down the 5:00 AM to 10:00 AM slot, followed by Maria Milito through the afternoon, and Ken Dashow taking you through the evening commute. Each host brings a slightly different flavor to the classic rock rotation, so it's worth tuning in at different times of the day to find the vibe that fits your routine.