V-103 climbed back to the top of the July ratings

V-103 bills itself as Chicago's "throwback" radio station, but their ratings are definitely moving forward.

The big picture: V-103, Chicago's R&B station, was near the top of the July radio ratings and has been a consistent performer for decades.

Context: V-103 (WVAZ-FM) was born in 1988, serving up "urban contemporary" primarily for Chicago's Black community.

• Its sister station WGCI-FM handled newer jams, but both have been at or near the top of the ratings since the late '80s.
• The stations are now owned by iHeartMedia. While WGCI-FM has fallen out of the top 10, V-103 continues to thrive. It was also the home of one of Chicago's beloved disc jockeys, Herb Kent, who died in 2016 .

Reality check: Although V-103 climbed up to the second spot, the top dog remains WDRV-FM.

Biggest gain: Oldies. WRME-LD went from a 2.9 to 3.9 in just one month.

Biggest drop: Country. WUSN-FM dropped from 5.1 in June to 4.0 in July, which is surprising because Chicago just hosted the biggest country music festival in the Midwest.

Biggest surprise: WSCR-FM and the Cubs broadcasts fell again, but it could be less about the product at the station and more about the product at Wrigley Field.

Caveat: These ratings don't break down precisely when people are tuning in, or specific listener demographics.

Disclosure: Justin Kaufmann has worked for a number of these stations.