THE GREATEST JOCKS IN HISTORY

Back in the day when disc jockeys actually spun records, before the arrival of Skrillex and Deadmau5, they were the guys (and sometimes gals) who turned you on to the hottest sounds around.

With massive radio chains and centralized programming, that status is largely a thing of the past, but CNN unveiled its list of the greatest DJs in history late last week, topped by the legendary Alan Freed, with sound bites from all of them, which you can check out here.

Here’s the complete list.

1. Alan Freed: The “King of the Moondoggers” gets credit for coining the phrase “rock ‘n’ roll” to the hybrid R&B/country and western music he played, first in Cleveland, then in New York, before a payola scandal derailed his career.

2. Hy Lit: This Philly DJ ruled the airwaves when that city was the birthplace of American Bandstand and the center of the rock ‘n’ roll world.

3. Bruce Morrow: New York's WABC Musicradio77 was the home of the legendary "Cousin Brucie," the master of the evening shift.

4. Jocko Henderson: The "Ace from Outer Space” was a pioneering African-American DJ known for his rhythmic patter and buttery baritone who did mornings in New York and afternoons in Philly, at the same time.

5. Wolfman Jack:The growly border radio DJ of American Graffiti fame made his name at those Mexico-based AM stations whose powerful signal could be heard all the way up to Canada. He later became a well-known TV personality, hosting NBC's The Midnight Special.

6. Robert Morgan: Along with the "Real Don Steele," Morgan was perhaps the most famous of L.A.’s "Boss Radio" KHJ lineup of stars. His morning show was the top-rated one in town throughout the late '60s, and he remained a dominant personality after the AM Top 40 era ended.

7. “Big Daddy” Tom Donahue: Originally a Top 40 personality, he was among the first to see the possibilities of FM. His San Francisco station KMPX is considered the first "free-form" radio format in the U.S.

8. Casey Kasem: The former L.A. DJ’s voice is well-known, thanks to American Top 40, the national countdown show he created in 1970 and hosted for more than three decades. He was also the voice of "Scooby-Doo's" Shaggy and of the NBC television network.

9. Kid Leo: Lawrence James Travagliante is credited with turning Cleveland’s WMMS into one of the leading AOR stations in the country. He’s now PD of Little Steven’s Underground Garage on SiriusXM and hosts his own weekday show on the satellite network.

10. Scott Shannon: Sean Hannity’s announcer is influential for developing the “morning zoo” style show that dominates radio throughout the country, working in Washington, Atlanta, N.Y. and L.A., starting up Pirate Radio.

11. Howard Stern: Even though he hasn’t spun discs for years, the self-described "King of All Media" developed his persona as a DJ in Hartford, Detroit, Washington and, finally, New York as the most distinctive radio personality of the last quarter century.