The once-pioneering radio titan WPLJ signed off the air for the final time Friday night, ending decades of music and entertainment over the airwaves of New York and the tri-state area.

DJs on the station couldn't hold back their emotions as they recounted their time on the dial. Morning hosts Todd and Jayde cried as they said goodbye to their loyal listeners.

WPLJ got its start in 1971 as an "album-oriented" rock station. It then evolved with the decades, dominating the conscious of its music-loving audience by embracing the top hits from artists from the '70s through the next 40 years.

As part of its sign-off this week, the station played tapes from the Sept. 11 broadcast. In those recordings, people called WPLJ from various parts of New York - including from inside the World Trade Center - to relay information and inform the general public of developments and eyewitness accounts.

The frequency on the dial, 95.5, was bought by Cumulus Media and will become a Christian music station.