PAST 10s: A Top 10 Time Machine - Music of the 70s, 80s and More

Dave and Milt record in person at Casa Wolfe for a special Past 10s episode that ditches the usual Billboard Top 10 format to start a “Freedom Rock” breakdown, inspired by the endlessly replayed 1987 TV ad. They explain the compilation’s formats (four LPs, three cassettes, or two CDs; 40 songs) and begin covering the first 10 tracks in order, rating each with ChatGPT’s absurd “Freedom Rock score” of 1–5 vans, plus … Footloose! Seinfeld! Vans! Vomiting! Let’s go!   Topics 00:42 Podcast Setup at Casa Wolfe 02:36 Freedom Rock Ad Flashback 03:14 Compilation CD Culture 08:07 Freedom Rock Breakdown Plan 09:51 Track 1 Turn Turn Turn 12:44 Finley the Dog Arrives 15:48 Track 2 Change the World 21:17 Track 3 Locomotive Breath 27:07 Track 4 Old Dixie Down 33:31 Track 5 War Protest Anthem 40:03 Mic in Dog Bowl 41:32 Santana Black Magic Woman 47:02 Nilsson Jump Into Fire 55:06 Smoke on Water Story 01:00:06 Vomit Van Memories 01:04:04 United We Stand Roast 01:07:59 One Tin Soldier Billy Jack 01:15:06 Wrap Up Guest Invite

Dave and Milt riff on Taco Bell shtick, Dolly Parton’s legacy, a listener spat sparked by Professor David Gallant’s harsh Rock Hall takes, and Dave’s front-row Squeeze concert (plus a grim Adam Ant review). The time machine lands on the Billboard Top 10 for August 18, 1973, with context on Nixon’s first televised Watergate address, DJ Kool Herc’s early hip-hop party, a Soap Box Derby cheating scandal, and the blaxploitation film Coffy. They run through the Top 10—pick winners (Croce and McCartney), do a touch/feel-themed playdate quiz, and swap out songs for Led Zeppelin’s Over the Hills and Far Away and Joe Walsh’s Rocky Mountain Way.   Topics 01:08 Crunchwrap Shtick 02:15 Dolly Parton Tribute 06:03 Squeeze Concert Recap 10:57 Machiner Grievances 14:06 Time Travel Setup 1973 15:18 Week in History 1973 20:59 No 10 Chicago 26:00 No 9 Uneasy Rider 34:34 No 8 Delta Dawn 40:56 Gilbert O'Sullivan Deep Cut 42:38 Get Down Meaning Debate 44:18 Finley Couch Rules 45:07 Ali Photo Surprise 46:50 Bad Bad Leroy Brown 51:37 Croce Tragedy Legacy 56:30 Let's Get It On Origins 01:02:28 Gaye Lawsuit Drama 01:06:14 Morning After Movie Hit 01:13:18 Brady Bunch Detour 01:15:37 Brother Louie Context 01:18:42 Louis Flashback Bit 01:19:58 Brother Louie Origins 01:22:29 Live And Let Die Deep Dive 01:27:10 Bond Movie Scene Clip 01:31:13 Diana Ross Number One 01:36:04 Touchy Feely Play Date 01:41:29 Recap And Awards 01:44:18 Substitution Picks 01:52:52 Wrap Up And Plugs

Dave and Milt reveal the listeners’ survey-driven top 10 forgotten ’80s Rock & Roll Hall of Fame-worthy artists, noting the oddly neat result that—like the ’70s episode—about 10 acts clear a “put them in” majority threshold.  The B-52s brought the beehives, The camp, the kitsch, the fun, But was weirdness enough when all was said and done? Steve Winwood had that golden voice, From Traffic to MTV, “Higher Love” was cool but twice-inducted? Must he be? Then Mötley Crüe came crashing in, With hairspray, booze and flame, They filled arenas, scared your mom—But does excess equal fame? Tracy Chapman, quiet and fierce, Had songs that cut straight through, “Fast Car” somehow never gets old- is her résumé enough for you? Toto had chops to spare, “Africa,” “Rosanna,” too, The session-player super-team—Though critics often said, “Not you.” Eric B. & Rakim changed how rappers rap, Rakim rewrote the rules, Their influence towers over their charts—Does innovation trump record sales and pools? Rick Springfield was Jesse’s jealous friend, A heartthrob with a hook, He had more hits than some recall— But does the Hall give soap stars a look? The Smiths inspired gloomy souls With Morrissey and Marr, Influential? Undeniably. But four albums—does that get you far? Bryan Adams rocked the summer nights, With raspy, fist-pump flair, A mountain full of radio hits— Is that true rarefied air? DEVO wore the flowerpots, And warned that we devolve, Can they whip the Hall of Fame? A mystery to solve. Don Henley left the Eagles’ nest and did some solo stuff;  “Boys of Summer,” “Dirty Laundry” Hmmm - is it enough? Sonic Youth made guitars sound Like power tools from Mars, Alt-rock owes them plenty—But are they truly stars? Huey Lewis & The News had heart, and hooks galore, In the 80s they were everywhere—can they knock down the door? Scorpions rocked us like a hurricane, And whistled winds of change, Would seeing them enshrined be juuust a little strange? The Bangles walked like Egyptians and harmonies were their ace, More than just an ’80s novelty—Though longevity hurts their case. Robert Palmer dressed impeccably, And made addiction chic, Soul, rock, funk and Power Station—But too brief and sleek? Kenny Loggins owned the cinema: “Footloose,” “Danger Zone,” But solo Hall credentials? That’s harder to condone. INXS had Hutchence, And Kick was wall-to-wall, A global band with sex and hooks—Is it now time for the Hall? Tears for Fears ruled everybody’s world, With brains behind the sheen, Big songs, ambitious albums—But is their catalog pristine? And finally there’s Sting, all tantric cool, With jazz where rock had been, The Police already punched his ticket— Can Gordo punch it again?   Topics 01:29 Survey SAYS… 04:09 The Final Countdown 04:30 Starting With A Bang(le) 07:43 INXS INdaHOF? … not yet 10:35 Be Originals. Be Standouts. B-52s.  14:24 Toto Rides the Yacht  18:25 This Was Supposed to be the Summer of Bryan!  23:37 Show Steve Some Higher Love 25:36 Frampton: Show Him the Way 26:28 Loggins. He’s All Right… 29:09 Did I Say Messina? 30:14 Building the Perfect Henley Debate 32:50 Huey Wants A New Plug 35:30 Also Ran Rundown 37:06 Are You Smiths or Are You Out? 38:53 The Sting of #1  

Dave and Milt reveal results from a listener poll rating which ’70s artists deserve Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction, after briefly sharing comments on last week’s 1983 substitution episode (including an Ally McBeal/Robert Downey Jr. “Every Breath You Take” clip). Using a 1–5 scoring system, they count down the top 10 Hall “snubs” and also-rans.   Topics 00:37 Sticks Snack Debate 02:15 Survey Results Setup 02:43 Listener Comments Roundup 10:59 How The Voting Worked 13:54 Countdown Begins Barry White 17:07 Number Nine The Monkees 21:47 Number Eight America 24:44 Number Seven Supertramp 26:59 Supertramp Debate 28:42 Chic Snub Explained 31:24 Top Five Gap 31:53 Meat Loaf Case 35:57 Styx Surprise Pick 40:25 Boston No Brainer 43:36 Commodores Momentum 47:25 Near Miss Rankings 49:17 Diana Ross Number One 52:37 Wrap Up And Next Decade

Dave and Milt introduce an episode built around listener survey results rewriting the Billboard Top 10 for July 30, 1983, after voters overwhelmingly chose to boot Sergio Mendes’ “Never Gonna Let You Go.” They preview covering survey comments next week, plug pod617.com, and detour into Dave interviewing Battle of the Network Stars captain Greg Evigan on a Beatles podcast. The listener-created countdown replaces the original Top 10 with your choices, with anecdotes about ads, lyrics, MTV videos, and chart history. They pick winners, kick out “Saved by Zero” and “I’m Still Standing,” and shout out near-misses like Jackson Browne’s “Lawyers in Love.”   Topics 02:00 Getting Older Hangovers 04:43 Battle Network Stars Clip 08:55 Survey Top 10 Setup 10:12 Songs Voted Off 13:08 Listener Countdown Begins 13:36 Saved by Zero Deep Dive 27:07 Promises Promises Facts 34:40 Faithfully Breakdown 41:07 Prince Clears Purple Rain 41:49 Tambourine Jealousy Story 42:10 Bryan Adams Writes Heaven 42:41 Earnestness Debate Faithfully 44:51 Steve Perry Sopranos Holdout 49:46 Cuts Like a Knife Breakdown 52:37 Na Nas And Video Trivia 54:32 Billy Joel Stiletto Connection 56:37 Cheers Coach And Brady Bits 58:34 R E M Radio Free Europe 01:05:04 Hall Of Fame Top Five 01:05:46 Elton Im Still Standing 01:13:56 Def Leppard Rock Of Ages 01:22:00 Def Leppard Live Hits 01:22:37 Mellencamp Concert Talk 01:23:14 Sharp Dressed Man 01:25:04 Eliminator Sound Shift 01:28:24 Iconic Cars Debate 01:30:31 Weezy Top Mashup 01:32:56 White Wedding Origins 01:36:14 Punk Roots Doc 01:40:51 Prince Wins Vote 01:43:05 1999 Chart History 01:45:26 Shared Vocals Breakdown 01:47:29 New Master Remix 01:50:08 Recap And Winners 01:52:26 Kickouts And Near Misses 01:56:29 Ferryman Deep Cut 02:03:19 Wrap Up And Plugs

Dave and Milt detour from Billboard to TV, counting down the top 10 shows for a week in July 1983 while arguing about pie, cheesecake calories, and why Five Guys “small” fries aren’t small. They plug a survey to rewrite the July ’83 Hot 100 top 10 using songs that never made the real top 10 (https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/GFG7SWG) The TV list includes Simon & Simon, The A-Team, Hill Street Blues, Newhart, Cagney & Lacey, 60 Minutes, The Jeffersons, Trapper John, M.D., Hart to Hart, and the #1 “show” being ABC’s movie presentation of Dr. No. A theme-song playdate adds Dynasty, 9 to 5, That’s Incredible, Archie Bunker’s Place, Gloria, Falcon Crest, Magnum P.I., The Fall Guy, and Real People, plus spoofs from SNL, Family Guy, and Mad TV.   HELP US RE-DO THE TOP 10 FOR JULY 30, 1983. TAKE THE SURVEY: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/GFG7SWG   Topics 01:00 Is Cheesecake Pie? 03:07 Listener Survey Instructions (https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/GFG7SWG) 06:52 Top TV Shows Setup 33:05 Veronica Hamel Shoutout 33:37 Newhart Theme and Finale 36:29 Bob Newhart Timeless Comedy 42:07 Cagney and Lacey Breakdown 43:56 Promos Parodies and Emmys 50:16 Play Date Theme Quiz 59:29 Real People Flashback 01:03:03 60 Minutes Legacy 01:03:51 Journalism Trust Crisis 01:04:53 Andy Rooney Near Miss 01:05:57 SNL 60 Minutes Spoof 01:07:50 Morley Safer Bits 01:09:04 The Jeffersons Spotlight 01:13:14 Names That Disappeared 01:14:37 Trapper John MD Talk 01:19:51 Hart to Hart Recap 01:24:29 TV Then vs Now 01:26:34 Dr No Tops Ratings 01:30:38 Wrap Up and Plugs

Dave and Milt celebrate seven years of Past 10s the only way they know how: by embarrassing themselves with old stories, reading listener shout-outs, and convincing everyone to fill out another substitution poll (vote here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/GFG7SWG) for an upcoming listener-driven episode. Then it's into the Past Tens time machine for the Billboard Top 10 from the week ending July 30, 1983—a summer that gave us the Pine Tar Game, the debut of Friday Night Videos, National Lampoon's Vacation ruling the box office, and one of the strongest countdowns of the decade. Along the way, the guys move into Madness' "Our House," marvel at the Prince fingerprints all over Stevie Nicks' "Stand Back," salute Donna Summer's comeback, and take a deep dive into Michael Jackson's "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'"—including the history behind that famous "mama-say, mama-sa, ma-ma-ko-sa" lyric. They revisit the surreal world of Eurythmics' "Sweet Dreams," untangle the title confusion surrounding Duran Duran's "Is There Something I Should Know?", and explain why Sergio Mendes' "Never Gonna Let You Go" may secretly be one of the most ridiculously complicated pop songs ever to crack the Top 10. They also relive the Flashdance phenomenon, explore the real-life inspiration behind Eddy Grant's "Electric Avenue," and debate whether The Police's "Every Breath You Take" is one of the greatest pop songs ever—or simply the most misunderstood stalker anthem in music history. As always, there are plenty of detours, including Boston's chart dominance, a restroom-attendant story you won't see coming, an Eddie Murphy tangent, a round of ridiculous song questions, and another installment of the increasingly absurd Play Date Quiz. In the end, Dave crowns Duran Duran the champion of the week, while Milt gives the nod to Michael Jackson, wrapping up another trip through one of pop music's greatest summers. THE SURVEY: Help us re-write this top 10 with songs that were on the charts this week in 1983 but never hit the top 10! CLICK HERE: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/GFG7SWG Topics 00:38 Podcast Anniversary 03:49 Listener Shoutouts 10:00 Substitution Survey Returns 12:01 Time Travel to 1983 13:08 Week in History Context 20:59 No 10 Our House 30:29 No 9 Stand Back 38:21 South Park Mocks Stevie 40:54 Donna Summer Reinvents 42:42 Restroom Attendant Story 47:04 Boston Chart Kings 49:22 MJ Favorite Debate 52:04 Wanna Be Startin Deep Dive 59:23 Eurythmics Sweet Dreams 01:05:58 Duran Duran Title Confusion 01:11:18 Play Date Quiz Begins 01:13:47 Absurd Song Questions 01:17:44 Lightning Round Finish 01:18:56 Never Gonna Let You Go 01:20:38 Complexity Explained 01:24:56 Flashdance What a Feeling 01:29:09 Eddie Murphy Detour 01:31:31 Electric Avenue Origins 01:37:46 Every Breath You Take 01:41:24 Police Band Tensions 01:44:51 Recap Winner and Wrap

If you thought we were done talking about 1976… think again. Dave and Milt kick things off by emptying the mailbag from our "all substitutions" listener episode, reading your comments, handing out a few well-deserved shout-outs, and revealing the song listeners were most eager to kick to the curb: "Misty Blue." That officially closes the book on one of our favorite summer experiments. Then it's off to the movies as the guys head back to July 1986 and count down the biggest box office hits lighting up America's theaters. Along the way they break down budgets, box office grosses, taglines, Rotten Tomatoes scores, Siskel & Ebert reviews, and—because we can't help ourselves—the Seven Degrees of Kevin Bacon connection for every film. As always, the conversation goes well beyond the numbers. Dave and Milt debate which movies have aged like fine wine (and which haven't), make passionate cases for the underrated Running Scared and Ruthless People, revisit Top Gun's massive cultural impact—including Quentin Tarantino's infamous interpretation of the movie—and test each other with a fun 1986 movie tagline trivia game. It's another nostalgia-filled trip back to the summer of '86, packed with laughs, rabbit holes, and enough movie memories to make you want to hit the last Blockbuster on the planet, wherever it is. Topics 00:31 Nicole Kidman Movie Ritual 02:08 Scary Movies and Listener Shoutout 03:32 1976 Survey Feedback 11:47 Wrapping the 1976 Marathon 13:17 July 1986 Movie Countdown Begins 14:54 Number 10 Great Mouse Detective 20:53 Number 9 About Last Night 29:22 Number 8 Ferris Bueller Day Off 37:22 Ferris Bueller Debate 38:19 Ebert Regret Reviews 39:16 Kevin Bacon Detour 40:11 Legal Eagles Trailer 41:20 Legal Eagles Verdict 44:51 Bowfinger Side Argument 46:07 Running Scared Breakdown 47:54 Running Scared Bits 53:51 Tagline Trivia Game 01:00:29 Aliens Deep Dive 01:05:18 Siskel Ebert On Aliens 01:07:54 Top Gun Tease 01:08:27 Top Gun Breakdown 01:11:09 Ratings and Soundtrack 01:13:31 Tarantino Top Gun Theory 01:16:24 Sequel Gap Trivia 01:18:40 Back to School Rewind 01:26:55 Ruthless People Rediscovered 01:33:35 Karate Kid Part II Debate 01:40:03 Wrap Up and Next Pods

ave and Milt revisit the week ending July 10, 1976, letting listeners vote on a replacement Billboard Top 10 drawn from 25 Hot 100 songs that never reached the top 10. They count down the survey results including the majesty of Steely Dan; the funk of Parliament; the whimsy of ABBA; and a poppy Queen. Once and for all, what were the Doobies doing dancing with Rerun on TV?  Why is Milt talking about his hot buns? Did Billie Joe and Bobbie Sue get away with it or die in a hail of bullets? WHAT WILL BE THE NEW #1?  Click, listen and also hear Milt’s raggedy rap about friendship.   Topics 02:22 Listener Vote Explained 05:30 Back To July 1976 06:30 Number 10 Kid Charlemagne 17:19 Number 9 Give Up The Funk 26:00 Number 8 Mamma Mia 34:32 Number 7 Take The Money Run 36:31 Bonnie and Clyde Lyrics 37:27 Joker Mashup Demo 38:51 Greatest Hits Rant 39:33 Run DMC Sampling 41:10 AI Guy Trailer 43:25 Office and Hot Buns 46:15 Frampton Live Phenomenon 49:42 High Fidelity and Simpsons 53:17 Queen Best Friend 59:40 Friend Songs Quiz 01:06:46 Fleetwood Mac Say You Love Me 01:11:39 Canadian Cover and Licensing 01:13:04 Countdown Shock Setup 01:14:14 Doobie Brothers Pivot 01:18:41 Whats Happening Clip 01:24:34 Crazy On You Breakdown 01:27:43 Classic Rock Radio Stats 01:33:47 Boys Back In Town 01:40:16 Top Ten Recap 01:41:29 Winners And Referee 01:43:27 Substitution Picks 01:51:41 Wrap And Socials

Dave and Milt announce a listener survey to vote on a new “substitution” Top 10 for the July 10, 1976 chart as part of their bicentennial-week trilogy, sharing shout-outs (including a Spotify playlist by Jason Hedman) and an email from Richard Holmes in Hawaii. For this episode they instead count up the Billboard Hot 100 “bottom 10” (positions 91–100) for that week, discussing each track’s background: Marilyn McCoo & Billy Davis Jr.’s “I Hope We Get to Love in Time,” John Handy’s jazz crossover “Hard Work,” Eagles-adjacent Fool’s Gold “Rain Oh Rain,” The Outlaws’ CB-themed “Breaker, Breaker,” Donna Valery’s “Will You Love Me Tomorrow,” The Isley Brothers’ “Who Loves You Better,” Bill Cosby’s Barry White parody “Yes, Yes, Yes,” DJ Rogers’ “Say You Love Me,” Michel Polnareff’s film theme “Lipstick,” and Henry Gross’s dog tribute “Shannon,” tying it to Casey Kasem’s infamous “Snuggles” outtake.   SURVEY! HELP US RE-DO THE TOP 10 FOR THIS WEEK IN 1976 https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/S2C3GRM   Topics 00:55 Listener Survey Trilogy 03:51 Shoutouts and Hawaii Email 06:47 Bottom 10 Concept Setup 10:12 No 91 McCoo and Davis 19:34 No 92 John Handy Funk Jazz 25:54 No 93 Fool's Gold Eagles Vibes 31:22 No 94 Outlaws CB Craze 38:49 No 95 Dana Valery Cover 41:36 Whats My Line Clip 44:04 Donna Valerie Debrief 44:42 Isley Brothers At 96 47:03 Lyrics Guessing Game 48:29 Cosby Parody Unease 53:17 DJ Rogers Soul Ballad 57:27 Lipstick Movie Theme 01:04:16 Shannon And Snuggles 01:12:23 Recap And Farewell  

This week on Past Tens, we celebrate America's 200th birthday the only way we know how—by firing up the musical time machine and heading back to the Billboard Top 10 for Bicentennial week, ending July 10, 1976. But first, there are pressing matters to address. Why has Burger King effectively been outlawed in Milt's house? Did Thelma the bird finally convince her babies to leave the nest? And perhaps most importantly, was Milt secretly replaced by AI on last week's episode? Listener feedback pours in, and we tackle it all. Then we unveil something brand new for the show: our first-ever Listener Substitution Survey. We've picked 25 songs that made the charts but never cracked the Top 10, and we're turning the decision over to you. Vote for your favorites, and in two weeks we'll count down an all-listener-selected Top 10. Once we're back in July of '76, it's a packed week. We revisit the daring Entebbe rescue, note the birth of Fred Savage, remember The Omen terrifying moviegoers, and somehow discover that the Miss Universe Pageant was America's favorite TV show. The countdown itself is loaded with stories. We talk about Hall & Oates finally breaking through with "Sara Smile," the wonderfully confusing album cover that had everyone doing a double take, Gary Wright's "Love Is Alive," Dorothy Moore's "Misty Blue," the Brothers Johnson's arrival, and Captain & Tennille at the height of their powers. Along the way we uncover gems like Joe Pesci recording a Beatles cover, Andrea True's unlikely path from adult films to disco stardom, Quincy Jones' fingerprints all over the charts, and the bass line connection to "Billie Jean." We also review Questlove's terrific new Earth, Wind & Fire documentary, argue about spoken-word intros, answer songs, and musical ripoffs, laugh over some truly questionable 1970s comedy, and, after all is said and done, crown Hall & Oates' "Sara Smile" as the clear winner of the week. We finish by giving this chart our official rating—solidly in Bee Gees territory—and remind everyone to cast their vote in the Listener Substitution Survey before next week's results are locked in.   VOTE FOR OUR UPCOMING ALL-SUBSTITUTION EPISODE (What songs SHOULD have made the top 10 this week?): https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/S2C3GRM   Topics 00:50 Fast Food Banter 02:55 Thelma Bird Update 04:32 Last Week Pod Fallout 06:35 Listener Mail Highlights 09:41 Listener Substitution Survey 12:29 Bicentennial Week Setup 14:30 1976 News And Pop Culture 20:49 Concert Tragedy Detour 23:29 Top 10 Begins Beatles At 10 33:32 Hall And Oates Breakthrough 36:40 Androgynous Album Cover 39:07 Why Sarah Smile Works 41:00 Gary Wright Rediscovered 42:11 Love Is Alive Backstory 47:37 Dorothy Moore Misty Blue 51:35 Paul McCartney Diss Track 56:37 Linda on the B Side 59:17 Questlove Rock Doc Review 01:08:34 Andrea True Disco Scandal 01:15:39 Captain and Tennille Remake 01:17:58 Answer Songs and Ripoffs 01:19:32 Captain and Tennille TV 01:20:56 Corny Hat Comedy 01:22:59 Shop Around Revisit 01:23:31 Brothers Johnson Breakout 01:25:26 Quincy Jones Connections 01:27:46 Billie Jean Bass Reveal 01:31:20 Kiss and Say Goodbye 01:34:48 Spoken Word Intros 01:39:05 Afternoon Delight Scandal 01:43:30 Pop Culture Karaoke Clips 01:48:12 Recap and Winner 01:52:06 Ratings and Farewell

  Things take a turn for the cosmic. Thanks to a special introduction from our old pal George Clooney, we learn that Elon Musk has apparently purchased Past Tens, folded it into SpaceX, and blasted Dave and Milt into separate pods orbiting somewhere above Earth. Fortunately, we were able to transmit this episode back to civilization before running out of Tang. The mission? Count down our picks for the most underrated songs of the 1970s. Now, whenever you do a list like this, you've got to define your terms. Milt comes out firing with a whole taxonomy of underratedness. Some songs were overshadowed by bigger hits. Some were unfairly dismissed by critics. Others were forgotten despite being huge at the time. And a few are simply masterpieces that never got the attention they deserved. Milt's list includes Bruce Springsteen's epic New York City Serenade, Player's silky smooth Baby Come Back, Joe Tex's forgotten smash I Gotcha, Sniff 'n' the Tears' Driver's Seat, and Stevie Wonder's breathtaking As. As for Dave, he took a different route. He championed the Bay City Rollers' terrific cover of I Only Want to Be with You, Aerosmith's bluesy rocker Chip Away at the Stone, the criminally overlooked studio version of the Jackson 5's Going Back to Indiana, Devo's wonderfully weird Uncontrollable Urge—complete with a story involving Mark Mothersbaugh and John Lennon—and Dr. Hook's Sylvia's Mother, penned by none other than Shel Silverstein. Along the way, listener Al Nadel checks in with some underrated gems of his own, and we spend a little time wondering whether NASA, SpaceX, Matt Damon, or literally anybody is coming to rescue us. So grab your headphones, fire up the oxygen generator, and join us for a journey through some of the most overlooked songs of the decade that gave us disco, punk, yacht rock, and bell-bottoms.   Topics 00:00 – George Clooney Cold Open From Orbit 02:02 – Establishing the Rules of "Underrated" 02:50 – Our Number Five Picks 06:32 – Number Four Selections 10:57 – The Forgotten Hit Category 12:41 – Listener Al Nadel's Picks 14:43 – Jackson 5 Deep Cut Spotlight 16:51 – Songs That Should Have Been Bigger 18:30 – Devo's New Wave Masterpiece 20:49 – The Number One Showdown 24:18 – Final Transmission From Space

Dave and Milt hop into the Past 10s time machine and travel back to the Billboard Top 10 for the week ending June 14, 1986. But before they even hit the charts, they celebrate the emotional madness of the Knicks’ incredible Finals comeback, debate why sports are better when you suffer and celebrate with others, and give some love to the loyal Past 10s listeners. Once the time machine lands in 1986, Dave and Milt set the scene: the nation is still processing the Challenger disaster report, a roller coaster called Mindbender makes terrifying headlines, Diego Maradona’s infamous “Hand of God” moment is just days away, and future stars Shia LaBeouf and the Olsen twins are entering the world. Meanwhile, Back to School rules the box office and The... ahem... Cosby Show sits atop television. The countdown kicks off with Level 42’s “Something About You,” a song that instantly becomes a contender for the crown. The discussion of Mike + The Mechanics’ “All I Need Is a Miracle” turns into a deep dive on Mike Rutherford’s post-Genesis success, Paul Carrack’s unforgettable voice, and the age-old question: Is this actually a miracle of a song? The answer depends on which host you ask. The debate somehow spirals into a passionate rant about Miracle Whip, because this is Past Tense. Howard Jones’ “No One Is to Blame” brings up Phil Collins’ production magic and embarrassing high-school dance memories, while George Michael’s beautiful “A Different Corner” launches a wildly entertaining George-themed riddle contest and a rapid-fire celebration of famous Georges from throughout pop culture. Whitney Houston’s “The Greatest Love of All” creates a debate about the George Benson original and inspires a trip to the world of Randy Watson and Sexual Chocolate from Coming to America. The crew then tackles The Jets’ “Crush on You,” Billy Ocean’s “There’ll Be Sad Songs (To Make You Cry)” — which receives one of Dave’s classic passionate critiques — and Nu Shooz’ “I Can’t Wait,” including the fascinating story of how a remix transformed a little-known demo into a massive dance hit. A quick detour into celebrity Knicks fans leads into Madonna’s haunting “Live to Tell,” a discussion of Christopher Walken and the dark movie At Close Range, before the chart reaches the #1 song: Patti LaBelle and Michael McDonald’s “On My Own.” Throughout the episode, intern Jason provides fresh ears, song grades, and a younger perspective, including his own Substitution pick. When the final votes are tallied, Dave and Jason crown Level 42’s “Something About You” as the champion of the week, while Milt goes with Madonna’s “Live to Tell.” The Substitution songs also spark debate, with Dave bringing in Art of Noise’s “Peter Gunn” and Jason adding Simple Minds’ “All the Things She Said.” Throw in cold-open jokes, music snobbery, random tangents, nostalgia, and a little Miracle Whip controversy, and you have another unforgettable ride in the Past Tense time machine. Topics 00:18 Knicks Finals Chaos 04:30 Shared Experience Talk 06:56 Listener Shoutouts 08:11 Time Machine Setup 09:53 June 1986 Context 16:12 Birthdays Movies TV 20:24 Top 10 Begins Level 42 30:48 Mike Plus Mechanics 33:59 Mike Rutherford Reboot 35:16 Carrack Live Memory Lane 36:57 Miracle Song Debate 40:34 Miracle Whip Rant 41:44 Intern Jason Rates The Track 43:20 HoJo, PhilCo 49:18 Prom Night Stories 52:01 George Michael Deep Cut 58:17 Famous Georges Riddle Game 01:07:09 George Trivia Mashup 01:11:27 Whitney Song Debate 01:16:54 Randy Watson Parody 01:21:01 Jets Family Hit 01:29:11 Billy Ocean Rant 01:35:38 Nu Shooz Club Remix 01:39:24 Demo Breakdown 01:40:05 New Shoes Backstory 01:41:05 Song Ratings Debate 01:41:48 Knicks Celeb Tangent 01:44:19 Madonna Live to Tell 01:47:53 Walken Movie Talk 01:52:21 Number One On My Own 01:56:52 Recap and Birthdays 01:58:24 Winner and Substitution 02:06:15 Interns Song Swap 02:08:36 Wrap Up and Farewell

This week on Past Tens, Dave and Milt welcome a fresh face to the show: new intern Jason, a Tulane University student possibly as obsessed with music as the Past Tens bozos. Jason talks about catching A$AP Rocky's "Don't Be Dumb" Tour at TD Garden, surviving the madness of Jazz Fest, and introduces Dave and Milt to the wonderfully bizarre world of YouTube legend Nardwuar. Meanwhile, Dave finally crosses a major movie off the bucket list, sharing his thoughts after watching 2001: A Space Odyssey for the very first time. Verdict? Beautiful to look at... but maybe HAL could've picked up the pace a little. Then it's time for the main event: THE GREATEST SCREAMS IN ROCK HISTORY From primal soul howls to arena-rock shrieks, the guys count down the ten most unforgettable screams ever put on tape. SPOILER ALERT… Here’s the list below. … 🙂 ;) 3 … 2 … 1 … … #10 Little Richard — Good Golly, Miss Molly #9 Wilson Pickett — Land of 1000 Dances #8 Aerosmith — Dream On #7 James Brown — Get Up Offa That Thing #6 Guns N' Roses — Welcome to the Jungle (yes, THAT 17-second scream) #5 Led Zeppelin — Immigrant Song #4 The Beatles — Can't Buy Me Love #3 The Beatles — Revolution T-#1 The Who — Won't Get Fooled Again T-#1 Joe Cocker — With a Little Help From My Friends Along the way, the guys debate what actually qualifies as a great scream, pay tribute to rock's greatest vocal acrobats, and rip through a stack of worthy also-rans. As if that wasn't enough, they squeeze in a quick three-round snake draft of the greatest vocalists of all time, with names like Freddie Mercury, Elvis Presley, Aretha Franklin, Marvin Gaye, Ray Charles, Frank Sinatra, Sting, Chris Martin, and Carole King coming off the board. Hayley Williams gets some well-deserved love, too. It's loud. It's ridiculous. It's exactly the kind of thing that happens when you put three music nerds in a room and ask, "Yeah, but who had the BEST scream?" Chapter Markers 00:20 — Meet the New Intern 03:13 — Jason's Concert Stories 06:18 — Dave Finally Watches 2001 11:20 — Ground Rules for Great Screams 14:25 — #10 Little Richard 18:35 — #9 Wilson Pickett 22:33 — #8 Aerosmith 27:54 — #7 James Brown 32:44 — #6 Guns N' Roses 37:17 — Mini Vocalist Draft Setup 39:21 — Snake Draft Begins 39:35 — Round One Picks 41:52 — Round Two Shakeup 46:00 — Final Pick Debate 48:40 — Back to the Countdown 51:36 — Beatles Scream Spotlight 54:55 — Revolution, Sellouts & Rock Arguments 59:32 — Also-Rans Rapid Fire 1:09:33 — The Tied #1 Revealed 1:14:58 — Wrap-Up & Plugs  

Dave and Milt crank up the Time Machine and head back to the week ending May 30, 1970, but not before detouring through spam-text “pig slaughtering” scams, listener banter, and a recap of Stephen Colbert’s farewell show, complete with Jack White, Eminem, and a fire-marshal joke that somehow made perfect sense. Meanwhile, Milt delivers a major life update: Thelma the bird has likely become a mother, making him a proud and slightly obsessed bird granddad. Once the charts arrive, it’s a heavyweight showdown. The guys rave about classics like “Let It Be,” “Vehicle,” “The Letter,” “Up Around the Bend,” “Cecilia,” and “American Woman,” while taking a considerably dimmer view of “Which Way You Goin’ Billy?,” “Love on a Two-Way Street,” and “Everything Is Beautiful.” Along the way they uncover a Jay-Z sample connection, debate the mystery of Cecilia vs. Celia, call an old 800 number, wander into cheesesteak territory, and somehow find room for Claudia Schiffer, the Butthole Surfers, and The Lego Movie. The episode also features a Beatles lyric quiz (A-to-Y edition), spirited arguments over Beatles minutiae, and a pair of chart substitutions as Sly & the Family Stone’s “I Want to Take You Higher” and Mountain’s “Mississippi Queen” earn honorary spots in the lineup. In the end, “Cecilia” and “Let It Be” emerge as the week’s champions, and the chart earns a final grade of “Bee Gees Plus”—which, in highly scientific Past Tens terms, is pretty darn good. Topics 00:53 Wrong Number Scam Texts 03:38 Nicknames and Listener Banter 04:22 Colbert Finale Recap 07:47 Time Machine to May 1970 09:35 Bird Granddad and News 16:02 #10 – Let It Be Deep Dive 28:48 #9 – Vehicle and Horn-Rock Greatness 38:38 #8 – Tyrone Davis Soul Stop 41:59 Soul Vibes Warning 42:39 #7 – Joe Cocker’s The Letter 45:35 Mad Dogs & Englishmen Grit 47:47 Beatles A-to-Y Quiz 56:34 Trippy Beatles Debate 58:35 Poppy Family Deep Cut 01:02:20 Seasons in the Sun Tangent 01:05:33 #6 – CCR’s Up Around the Bend 01:12:03 Calling the Old 800 Number 01:15:11 #5 – Simon & Garfunkel’s Cecilia 01:18:33 Celia vs. Cecilia Mystery 01:20:17 Cheesesteak Saint Debate 01:21:11 Legendary Cheesesteak Duel 01:21:58 #3 Countdown Begins 01:25:26 Jay-Z Sample Surprise 01:27:14 Moments Name Change Story 01:30:38 #2 Countdown Spot 01:31:32 American Woman Origin Story 01:33:50 Dreams and Claudia Schiffer 01:37:10 Butthole Surfers Detour 01:40:20 #1 Song Revealed 01:42:06 Everything Is Beautiful Roast Session 01:44:27 Lego Movie Comparison 01:45:59 Top 10 Recap 01:47:32 Winner of the Week 01:49:38 Righting a Musical Wrong 01:56:32 Past Tens Grade Debate 02:00:57 Sign-Off and Plugs  

Dave and Milt hit record for a special edition of Past 10s marking the end of an era: the final episode of Stephen Colbert’s Late Show. But instead of hopping into the Billboard Hot 100 time machine, the boys pivot to late-night television, counting down their Top 10 Gen X-era talk-show hosts — complete with favorite moments, grudges, nostalgia, and the occasional completely unnecessary tangent. Along the way: Michael speed-runs a Chinese-food dinner before airtime, Dave delivers another riveting update on the bird building a nest outside Milt’s house, and the guys take a crack at the famously weird “Colbert Questionnaire,” revealing opinions on smells, mottos, Journey songs, the afterlife, and apparently Die Hard. The countdown itself becomes a love letter to late-night TV history, featuring Bill Maher at #10, Samantha Bee at #9, John Oliver at #8, Jimmy Fallon at #7, Conan O'Brien at #6, Jimmy Kimmel at #5, and the King himself, Johnny Carson, landing at #4. Then things get controversial: Jon Stewart and Colbert tie for #2, before the ultimate crown goes to gap-toothed genius David Letterman at #1. Naturally, there are arguments over the near-misses and “also-rans,” including Jay Leno narrowly missing the Top 10 at #11, plus shout-outs to James Corden, Craig Ferguson, Seth Meyers, Chelsea Handler, Arsenio Hall, Dennis Miller, Joan Rivers, and Larry King. By the end, the guys are emotionally preparing for Colbert’s finale, reflecting on what late-night TV used to mean when everybody actually watched the same thing at the same time — and wondering whether anybody under 30 even knows who Carson is.   Topics 00:00 Cold Open Live Audience 00:59 Knicks Night Chinese Food 02:44 Bird Nest Update 03:54 Tonight Colbert Finale 06:29 Top 10 Setup Rules 08:39 Number 10 Bill Maher 15:52 Number 9 Samantha Bee 21:17 Number 8 John Oliver 28:27 Number 7 Jimmy Fallon 37:00 Number 6 Conan OBrien 44:53 Colbert Questionnaire Game 46:31 Rapid Fire Favorites 49:08 Afterlife and Die Hard 50:44 Smells and Memories 52:43 Journey Pick and Life Motto 54:24 Kimmel at Number Five 01:00:09 Carson at Number Four 01:06:06 Jon Stewart Tie for Two 01:12:57 Colbert Legacy and Farewell 01:18:25 Also Rans Countdown 01:22:40 Letterman Takes Number One 01:29:09 Wrap Up and Sign Off

Dave and Milt fire up the Top 10 Time Machine and head straight for the week ending May 20, 1989 — but this time they ditch the Hot 100 in favor of the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart, because apparently Aqua Net, guitar riffs, and sleeveless denim vests deserved their own economy. Along the way, they revisit a bizarrely packed week in history featuring Gorbachev’s visit to China, the disappearance of Costa Rica’s golden toad, the death of Gilda Radner, and the cultural majesty of See No Evil, Hear No Evil and the Jessica McClure “Baby Jessica” TV movie nobody asked for but everybody watched anyway. The chart itself is pure late-’80s rock-radio chaos: Saraya crashes in at #10, Richard Marx somehow counts as “rock,” The Outfield keeps “Voices of Babylon” alive long after civilization moved on, and Queen storms in with “I Want It All” while Freddie Mercury quietly battled the illness the public still didn’t know about. Great White shows up with their hit cover and sparks a surprisingly dark detour into the Jack Russell saga and the horrifying Station nightclub fire story. Elsewhere, Dave and Milt debate whether a bologna bagel is cuisine or a cry for help, obsess over backyard bird nests, argue guitar solos, and somehow spend actual airtime discussing “cricket knickers.” There’s also a Play Date quiz built around songs featuring “once” and “twice,” because this podcast remains the only show brave enough to pivot from Tom Petty to adverb trivia without warning. The second half of the countdown brings arena-rock comfort food from The Doobie Brothers, The Cult’s swaggering “Fire Woman,” Stevie Nicks’ “Rooms on Fire,” and John Cougar Mellencamp’s “Pop Singer,” which launches a rant about the music industry, authenticity, and probably at least one guy in a blazer named Chip. At #1, Tom Petty’s “I Won’t Back Down” becomes the centerpiece for stories about songwriting, arson, stubbornness, and why Sam Smith accidentally wandered into the conversation. Naturally, there are substitutions, sidebars, forgotten MTV memories, Living Colour and XTC love, and approximately 19 moments where the show completely leaves the rails before somehow steering itself back to the countdown. In other words: exactly the kind of episode you’d expect from two middle-aged men willingly spending two hours inside the cultural fever dream that was spring 1989. Topics 00:00 The Coldest of Opens 01:04 Bird Nest Obsession 03:37 Guitar Solo Feedback 05:36 Bologna Bagel Debate 06:05 Time Machine to 1989 07:05 Hey Day Memories 08:14 Week in History 1989 17:41 Back to the Charts 17:54 Number 10 Saraya 23:42 Saraya Name Confusion 26:13 Number 9 Richard Marx 32:26 Snickers and Snacks 33:54 Number 8 The Outfield 37:33 Outfield Albums and Legacy 38:13 Cricket Knickers Comedy 40:12 Voices of Babylon Verdict 40:41 Queen I Want It All 41:06 Freddie’s Hidden Illness 41:45 Song Breakdown and Charts 48:14 Great White Cover Hit 49:32 Jack Russell Chaos Backstory 53:31 Station Nightclub Tragedy 59:55 Play Date Once and Twice Quiz 01:06:24 Doobie Brothers Comeback 01:09:52 New Doobies and Nostalgia 01:14:43 The Cult Fire Woman 01:16:13 Fire Woman Breakdown 01:17:32 Cult Legacy And Grunge 01:19:26 Rooms On Fire Story 01:21:42 Stevie Vocal Quirks 01:24:40 Pop Singer Industry Rant 01:28:21 ChatGPT Pop List Game 01:31:05 I Wont Back Down Origins 01:33:28 Petty Songwriting And Arson 01:35:58 Sam Smith Similarity 01:39:27 Chart Recap And Picks 01:42:12 Substitution XTC And Living Colour 01:52:23 Wrap Up And Sign Off  

Dave and Milt plug into one of rock nerd-dom’s favorite barstool arguments: Rolling Stone’s freshly dropped list of the 100 Greatest Guitar Solos Ever. Naturally, they treat it less like gospel and more like a karaoke machine somebody spilled beer on. Using the list as a launching pad, the boys unveil their own rankings, judging solos not by how many fingers caught fire, but by the stuff that actually matters — memorability, emotional punch, whether the solo lifts the song into another zip code, and whether it makes you involuntarily air-guitar while driving a Honda Civic through Dedham. Before the countdown, they detour into the baffling world of the new Michael Jackson biopic, debating what the filmmakers left out, why critics and audiences seem to be watching completely different movies, and whether the smarter move would’ve been focusing tightly on the Quincy Jones years instead of trying to cram an entire galaxy into one film. There’s also a shoutout to fill-in co-host Deirdre, plus Dave proudly announces that son Griffin has officially been accepted to Temple Medical School — proving at least one member of the family made responsible life choices. Then the amps crank up. Their combined Top 10 rips through The Cars’ “Just What I Needed,” AC/DC’s “You Shook Me All Night Long,” Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody,” Skynyrd’s “Free Bird,” Van Halen’s “Eruption,” Zeppelin’s “Stairway to Heaven,” Eddie Van Halen’s face-melting cameo on “Beat It,” and the Eagles’ “Hotel California.” But when the smoke clears, the #1 slot ends in a dead heat between Prince casually humiliating every mortal guitarist during “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” at the Rock Hall ceremony and The Knack’s gloriously unhinged “My Sharona” solo — because apparently subtlety was not invited to this episode. Topics 00:59 Star Wars banter 01:28 Michael biopic debate 06:25 Shoutouts and announcements 08:14 Rolling Stone solos list 11:12 Ranking criteria and format 14:38 Number 10 The Cars 19:31 Number 9 AC DC 23:34 Number 8 Queen 26:48 Jazz Fest tangent 28:45 Number 7 Free Bird 33:15 Number 6 Eruption 38:46 Play date misquotes quiz 45:15 Myth Quotes Wrapup 47:03 Stairway Solo Debate 52:02 Beat It Eddie Story 56:17 Hotel California Duel 01:01:28 Tie Twist And Also Rans 01:02:08 Runner Ups Rapid Fire 01:16:27 Prince Hall Of Fame Solo 01:21:12 My Sharona Takes Top Spot 01:28:12 Final Thoughts And Signoff

Milt’s off living his best life at Jazz Fest, so Dave taps in Deirdre McCarthy as guest co-pilot, and—folks—we fire up the time machine to May 5, 1979. It’s Laverne & Shirley on TV, Alien in theaters, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy on nightstands, and questionable taste on the Billboard charts. We run the Top 10 gauntlet: Sister Sledge (“He’s the Greatest Dancer”), Cher (“Take Me Home”), Wings (“Goodnight Tonight”), Chic (“I Want Your Love”), Village People (“In the Navy”), Suzi Quatro & Chris Norman (“Stumblin’ In”), Amii Stewart (“Knock on Wood”), Frank Mills (the baffling “Music Box Dancer”), Blondie (“Heart of Glass”), and Peaches & Herb (“Reunited”). Deirdre does not suffer fools—or B-sides—lightly. Dave connects the dots (yes, “Greatest Dancer” → Gettin’ Jiggy Wit It), dives into Cher lore, detours through Happy Days for Leather Tuscadero trivia, and throws in a military-themed Playdate Quiz because… of course he does. Final rulings: Deirdre crowns “Heart of Glass,” Dave rides with “Stumblin’ In.” Both agree “Music Box Dancer” gets launched into the sun, along with a Wings deep cut, replaced by Good Times Roll and Dave’s deeply personal Superman nostalgia pick. Overall grade: generous C-minus. Plus plugs for Face-to-Face Pro and the usual “call us, maybe” contact spiel. Timestamps (because we’re professionals):   Topics 00:41 Meet Deirdre McCarthy 03:07 Face to Face Pro Plug 03:37 AI and Communication Edge 04:59 Time Machine to 1979 06:07 Setting the 1979 Scene 07:02 Movies and Nostalgia 11:22 Books and True Crime 13:02 Top 10 Begins (No. 10) 13:56 Sister Sledge Sample Talk 18:18 Cher Disco Era (No. 9) 20:31 Cher Deep Dive Trivia 29:13 Wings Mystery Hit (No. 8) 31:20 Spinal Tap and Beatles Talk 35:49 Chic Returns (No. 7) 39:09 Village People (No. 6) 43:05 Military Play Date Quiz 48:02 Club Song Memories 48:44 Metallica to Marley (sure, why not) 50:50 Billy Joel and Civil War (again, sure) 53:19 “Stumblin’ In” at Five 54:25 Leather Tuscadero Detour 01:03:46 “Knock on Wood” Disco Peak 01:09:34 The Music Box Dancer Crisis 01:13:16 “Heart of Glass” Debate 01:23:21 “Reunited” Slow Dance Story 01:27:38 Winners, Losers, and Substitutions 01:37:18 Wrap-Up and Farewell

Dave and Milt open with banter about expensive VIP options, coffee vs. tea, and then discuss the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame class heavy with British performers (Phil Collins solo, Billy Idol, Oasis, Iron Maiden, Joy Division/New Order, Sade), plus Wu-Tang Clan and Luther Vandross, and hip-hop influence picks like Queen Latifah and MC Lyte. Inspired by the Brit-heavy class, they switch the podcast format to the UK singles chart for week ending 18 April 1987, counting down: “Living in a Box” by Living in a Box, Fine Young Cannibals’ cover of Buzzcocks’ “Ever Fallen in Love,” U2’s “With or Without You,” Terence Trent D’Arby’s “If You Let Me Stay,” Mel and Kim’s “Respectable” (with Mel’s illness and death noted), Janet Jackson’s “Let’s Wait Awhile” (plus an AI cover discussion), Judy Boucher’s “Can’t Be With You Tonight” (Lovers Rock), Club Nouveau’s “Lean on Me,” Madonna’s “La Isla Bonita” (and her British-accent phase), and charity supergroup Ferry Aid’s “Let It Be” for the Herald of Free Enterprise disaster. They name “With or Without You” best, swap out songs for Whitesnake and Bon Jovi, grade the week as mediocre, and note Milt may miss next week due to Jazz Fest in New Orleans.   Topics 00:52 Cold Open British Bits 01:39 Podcast Intro And Coffee Talk 03:32 Hall Of Fame Brits Takeover 08:28 Time Machine To UK 1987 10:45 Number 10 Living In A Box 16:18 Band Name Song Name Tangent 25:08 Number 9 Fine Young Cannibals Cover 34:00 Number 8 U2 With Or Without You 35:57 Bono’s Balancing Act 37:27 With or Without You in TV 38:30 U2 Concert War Stories 41:43 Terrence Trent D’Arby Hype 45:30 Name Change and Fallout 48:10 Mel and Kim UK Pop Factory 52:43 Long Distance Defecation 01:00:06 Janet Jackson and AI Cover 01:08:38 Lovers Rock One Hit Wonder 01:14:00 Lean On Me Remake 01:15:53 Tyson and Don King Story 01:19:48 La Isla Bonita Breakdown 01:23:17 Madonna British Accent Clip 01:26:31 Ferry Aid Let It Be Explained 01:33:28 Charity Singles Then and Now 01:35:53 Top 10 Recap Beatles Voices 01:37:35 Winners and Substitutions 01:46:00 Time Machine Verdict and Wrap

Dave and Milt crack open a special Past Tens where the subject is none other than the human moonwalk, Michael Jackson—timed nicely with the looming biopic that’s about to remind everyone just how absurdly dominant this guy was. We’re talking voice, moves, mystique, and that little side project with Quincy Jones that somehow turned into the most unfair three-album heater in pop history. Ground rules: solo MJ only. Sorry, Jackson 5—you’ll always have “ABC,” but you’re sitting this one out. From there, it’s ten categories and approximately 47 friendly arguments. “Most Well-Known Song” turns into a heavyweight bout—“Billie Jean” vs. “Thriller”—with no judges and plenty of yelling. “Where It Began” gives us the early runway (“Rockin’ Robin,” “Don’t Stop ’Til You Get Enough”), while “Mountain Moment” is basically the peak of the peak (“Beat It,” complete with Eddie Van Halen shredding like he wandered in from another genre, and “Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’” doing…whatever that song does, which is everything). We dig for “Deep Cuts” (including a sneaky collab with Lenny Kravitz and a Wiz-adjacent pull), hit the “Chill Moments” (cue gospel chills and emotional uppercuts), and try to pick “Best Lyrics” without just defaulting to that line from “Billie Jean” (we fail, sort of). “Most Overrated” gets spicy—brace yourself if you’re a “Human Nature” defender—before we hit live performances, covers (including a left-field Billie Eilish acoustic moment), and pop culture usage featuring the holy trinity: Weird Al Yankovic, Eddie Murphy, and The Simpsons doing what The Simpsons does. It’s part appreciation, part chaos, part “how is one catalog this stacked?”—and yes, we know, it’s complicated. But for 90 minutes, we’re staying in our lane: the music, the moments, and the madness. Topics (a.k.a. the roadmap before we inevitably go off-road) 00:00 Glove Salute Cold Open  00:28 Welcome to Past Tens 01:21 Caffeine, Coffee, Gum, and questionable life choices 03:30 Biopic trailer hype meter: irresponsibly high 05:59 Rules, categories, and future disagreements 11:28 Most Known Song: “Billie Jean” vs. “Thriller” (fight) 17:52 Where It Began: baby steps to global takeover 23:58 Mountain Moment: peak MJ is somehow multiple peaks 33:17 Deep Cuts + The Wiz detour you didn’t ask for 39:42 Chill Moments: gospel, goosebumps, repeat 45:44 Halfway Quiz Tease (we promise it’s fun) 46:20 The Spock Song Premise (…just go with it) 47:43 MJ Titles Rapid Fire (hold onto your verbs) 49:49 Harder clues, deeper cuts, mild confusion 52:44 Best Lyric: “Billie Jean” does it again 58:15 “Billie Jean” lore + tangents we refuse to cut 01:01:27 Most Overrated: here come the angry emails 01:08:48 Best Live Performances: Motown 25 says hello 01:16:01 Best Covers: unexpected contenders 01:20:49 Pop Culture Moments: parodies, cameos, immortality 01:26:34 Wrap-up + Listener Mail (you keep us honest-ish)    

Dave and Milt fire up the Top 10 Time Machine and land squarely in April 3, 1982—a week where the Falklands War is just getting started, Space Shuttle Columbia is touching down in the desert like it missed its exit, Michael Jordan is hitting that NCAA shot, and America is somehow supporting both Porky's and Chariots of Fire at the same time. A simpler, weirder time. The boys break down a Top 10 that is equal parts iconic and “wait… really?”—from Key Largo (featuring a sidebar into Bertie Higgins’ unexpected second act as a political hype man), to Pac-Man Fever (because yes, we once made hit songs about video games and no one stopped us), to Rick Springfield doing Rick Springfield things—plus a completely unnecessary but deeply committed detour into French lyrics in pop music. Elsewhere, the The J. Geils Band bring the camera clicks with “Freeze-Frame,” Vangelis makes jogging feel important with “Chariots of Fire,” and Olivia Newton-John sneaks in with a perfectly fine song riding the coattails of her other perfectly fine global takeover. Then it gets serious: Stevie Wonder shows up with “That Girl,” the The Go-Go’s officially announce their arrival with “We Got the Beat” (your winner of the week, because of course), Journey slow-dance their way into prom history with “Open Arms” (plus a quick check-in on Mariah Carey absolutely oversinging it years later), and Joan Jett closes the whole thing out by grabbing rock ‘n roll by the collar and not asking permission. Meanwhile, a listener drops a Long Distance Defecation™ on a serial grocery-store-aisle-blocker, set to Move It On Over by George Thorogood—because nothing says passive-aggressive rage like a blues-rock classic. Final verdict: the chart earns a C (some heavy hitters, some absolute nonsense), “We Got the Beat” takes the crown, and the guys tease an upcoming all-substitutions episode—listener-voted, because democracy occasionally works. ⏱️ Timecodes (aka Organized Chaos) 00:00 Cold Open Chaos 00:25 Show Premise Introductions 00:53 Two Tired Hosts Banter 01:45 Bruce Lyric Debate 03:37 Callbacks and Listener Shoutouts 05:12 Time Machine Set to 1982 06:17 Week in History Rundown 14:05 Countdown Begins (#10) 14:52 “Key Largo” Breakdown 19:22 “Do the Donald” Detour (…yep) 23:22 “Pac-Man Fever” + Arcade Nostalgia 31:19 Donkey Kong, Copyright Theft, and Wreck-It Ralph 35:14 Rick Springfield Hour (Featuring French??) 48:14 “Freeze-Frame” Debate 57:01 “Chariots of Fire” Hits Different 01:01:34 Long Distance Defecation™ 01:10:13 Olivia’s Victory Lap 01:15:15 Stevie Wonder Chart Oddities 01:22:35 Go-Go’s Breakthrough Moment 01:23:39 “We Got the Beat” Deep Dive (Winner) 01:30:56 “Open Arms” and Camp Slow Dances 01:34:29 Journey → Mariah Pipeline 01:39:04 Joan Jett Owns #1 01:46:22 Recap and Picks 01:49:18 Substitution Episode Tease 01:52:11 Ratings and Sign-Off  

Dave and Milt are doing what they do best: arguing about music like it matters (because it does). This time, they’re counting down their favorite opening lines from 1970s songs — with Milt, naturally, gravitating toward lines that drop you immediately into a vibe, a scene, or a full-blown attitude problem. They go back and forth like two guys at a bar who won’t let the other finish a sentence, firing off picks like “Life in the Fast Lane,” “Renegade,” “Won’t Get Fooled Again,” “He’s Misstra Know-It-All,” “Easy,” “Funeral for a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding,” “It’s Only Rock ’n Roll,” “I Shot the Sheriff,” “Kodachrome,” “Stayin’ Alive,” and “Thunder Road.” Dave lands the plane with his #1 — “Dream On” — because of course he does. Meanwhile, Milt zigged where no one zagged, crowning “Rapper’s Delight” as his top dog, because subtlety is overrated. Plus: a Playdate quiz fueled by listener suggestions, featuring killer openings like “Werewolves of London,” “Sir Duke,” and “Is She Really Going Out With Him?” — because nothing says “fun” like being put on the spot about lyrics you definitely thought you knew.   Topics 01:03 Listener Shoutout Joe 03:48 New Segment and Emails 04:47 Proud Dad: Adrian Sings 06:46 Countdown Setup Seventies Openers 07:30 How We Picked Lyrics 11:20 Number 10 Picks Eagles and Styx 19:48 Number 9 Picks The Who and Stevie 28:07 Number 8 Picks Billy Joel and Lionel 36:43 Pump It Up Meaning 38:03 Elvis Costello Lyrics 40:28 Podcast Banter Break 42:06 Elton John Epic Medley 47:07 Stones vs Critics 50:32 I Shot the Sheriff 54:00 Play Date Quiz 01:02:50 Joy to the World 01:05:36 Steely Dan Story 01:09:58 Kodachrome Kickoff 01:10:38 Nostalgia Parody Talk 01:12:20 April Fools Banter 01:13:12 Staying Alive Breakdown 01:16:28 Cheese Jokes And TikTok 01:19:10 Radar Love Rush 01:21:45 Black Dog Pure Rock 01:25:26 Forever In Blue Jeans 01:29:40 Thunder Road Scene Setting 01:35:00 Dream On Reflection 01:38:45 Rappers Delight Finale 01:42:47 Wrap Up And Listener Mail

Dave and Milt ride the Past 10s time machine to the week ending March 19, 1977, riffing on questionable water-park hygiene, a 44‑hour hijacking, FDA rules for “mixed nuts,” the Mary Tyler Moore finale giving birth to Three’s Company and Eight Is Enough, and the cultural moment of Annie Hall, M*A*S*H, Trinity, and Roots. They count down Billboard’s Top 10, spotlighting Fleetwood Mac’s first Top 10 hit “Go Your Own Way,” Thelma Houston’s Motown disco breakthrough “Don’t Leave Me This Way,” and Bob Seger’s “Night Moves” (plus its later video cameo and a “night cheese” riff). They groan through softer fare like David Soul, Mary McGregor, and Kenny Nolan, then debut a new listener segment, the “long distance defecation,” featuring Joe Mason’s Philly heartbreak and a Rolling Stones “Get Off My Cloud” dedication.    Topics 00:23 Past Tens Intro 00:55 Big Arch Burger Debate 02:17 New Segment Tease 03:31 Arriving in 1977 04:29 Week in History Rundown 08:28 Mixed Nuts and Chex Mix 10:35 TV Birthdays and Annie Hall 14:27 Number 10 Fleetwood Mac 19:34 Demos Ads and Music Immortality 24:45 Number 9 Thelma Houston 31:07 ChatGPT Fail and Threads Talk 34:04 Number 8 David Soul 37:42 David Soul Aftermath 38:24 Cigarettes Then and Now 39:49 Torn Between Two Lovers 43:44 Meatballs Soundtrack Detour 46:35 Made for TV Movie Promo 48:15 I Like Dreaming Roast 51:42 Kenny Nolan Secret Hits 54:12 Long Distance Defecation 58:22 Get Off My Cloud Storytime 01:05:42 Dancing Queen Still Rules 01:11:42 Night Moves Deep Dive 01:20:05 Night Cheese and Copyright 01:22:22 Comedy Song Rights 01:23:43 Seeger Bar Challenge 01:27:13 Rich Girl Breakdown 01:30:10 Calling Oates Hotline 01:33:56 Grinch Girl Parody 01:35:17 Lake Street Dive Cover 01:37:08 Fly Like an Eagle Deep Dive 01:44:22 Evergreen At Number One 01:47:56 Winners And Substitutions 01:58:48 Time Machine Rating 02:02:55 Long Distance Dedication

Dave and Milt (the Chart Meister, not the Chart Master) celebrate what might be their 300th episode—give or take a few missed weeks and some lazy counting—by ditching the usual Billboard time-travel format and revisiting excerpts from their very first Past Tens episode from June 2019. They roast their early scripted, nervous energy, debate why certain catchphrases and categories stuck (Bad Remake, What the Fuck Were We Thinking, Never Heard Of It), and reminisce about recording in a Boston studio before switching to Zoom during COVID. Along the way they revisit early obsessions with Casey Kasem, grim “long distance dedication” letters, the terrifying TV movie Special Bulletin, awful and unnecessary covers, forgotten chart oddities, and beloved surprise discoveries like the Osmonds’ “Down by the Lazy River.” They close with a nostalgia debate, a fake monetization pitch, and promises of “300 more.”   Topics 02:00 Is This Episode 300?  02:52 Origin Story Enemy Lines 03:49 Anniversary Format Explained 06:02 Podcast Bits And Signposts 07:13 Replaying Episode One Intro 09:04 Early Nerves And No Scripts 12:42 Influences Hit Parade Rewatchables 15:16 Chartmeister Origins 17:46 Casey Kasem Dedication Clip 22:20 Pop Culture Flashback Special Bulletin 27:59 Bad Remakes Return 31:50 Guns N Roses Covers 32:59 Madonna Cover Disaster 33:44 Early Podcast Tech Chaos 35:55 Worst Hits Hall of Shame 40:53 Never Heard Of Gems 44:46 Osmonds Lazy River Surprise 46:48 Variety Show Flashback 51:24 Wild Trivia and Song Stories 56:17 Happy Days Nostalgia Theory 01:02:59 Anniversary Wrap and Goodbye

Dave and Milt jump into the Billboard Rock Tracks chart for the week ending March 10, 1984. They set the scene with Splash, Dallas, and Ed Koch’s Mayor, then count down the rock top 10: Yes “Leave It,” Van Halen “Panama,” Eurythmics “Here Comes the Rain Again,” Pretenders “Middle of the Road,” John Lennon “Nobody Told Me,” 38 Special “Back Where You Belong,” Kenny Loggins “Footloose,” Manfred Mann’s Earth Band “Runner,” Christine McVie “Got a Hold on Me,” and Van Halen “Jump.” They debate best song (leaning “Panama”), run a “back” title lightning quiz, and do substitutions: Milt swaps out “Runner” for Genesis “It’s Gonna Get Better,” while Dave replaces 38 Special with Genesis “Illegal Alien,” noting its later embarrassment.    Topics 00:00 Cold Open Chaos 00:22 Welcome To Past Tens 00:48 McDonalds CEO Big Arch 02:51 Listener Shoutouts 05:42 Susanna Hoffs Meetup 08:04 Time Jump To 1984 08:50 Rock Charts Explained 10:21 Spinal Tap And Oscars 13:27 This Week In 1984 16:16 Number 10 Yes Leave It 21:31 A Cappella Tangent 26:07 Number 9 Van Halen Panama 30:34 DLR Aging And Legacy 36:58 Number 8 Eurythmics 39:59 Crude Banter Reset 40:49 Here Comes the Rain Again 42:06 Depression and Meaning 43:04 Middle of the Road 45:05 Pretenders Backstory 51:19 Lennon Nobody Told Me 54:54 AI Hallucination Rant 56:43 Pluribus Turkish Cover 01:00:00 38 Special Back Where 01:05:54 Back Title Quiz 01:14:17 Footloose Hall Debate 01:18:01 Genre Wars and Prince 01:18:57 Kenny Loggins Case 01:20:30 Footloose Fame Burden 01:22:24 Runner Eighties Excess 01:26:55 Christine McVie Spotlight 01:32:20 Jump and Van Halen 01:37:18 Triple Jump Mashup 01:39:17 Winners and Recap 01:41:49 Substitution and Wilhelm 01:43:46 Genesis Deep Cuts 01:47:30 Illegal Alien Debate 01:52:50 Time Machine Verdict 01:54:51 Wrap Up and Farewell

Dave and Milt open with shout-outs to a five-star review from the mysterious “BeanieGirl6” and an email from listener Jack (now in Houston) defending Edward Bear and sharing trivia about Roberta Flack’s inspiration. They then rank the 2025 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s 17 nominees by “worthiness,” focusing on their top 10 while also predicting who will be inducted, using athlete analogies and ChatGPT-generated sandwich comps. Their top 10 includes Iron Maiden (#10, their biggest disagreement), Joy Division/New Order, Billy Idol, Pink, Oasis, Wu-Tang Clan, Black Crowes, INXS, Phil Collins (solo), and Mariah Carey. They briefly discuss the seven left out—Jeff Buckley, New Edition, Melissa Etheridge, Lauryn Hill, Shakira, Luther Vandross, and Sade—debating genre boundaries and noting snubs like the B-52s, Coldplay, and Devo.   Topics 00:52 Listener Reviews Mailbag 05:28 Rock Hall Premise 08:08 Take Us to the Iron Maiden 16:19 Old Band, New Order 22:59 Idle Thoughts on Billy  29:51 ‘P!nk,’ We Exclaim! 36:35 Water, Water Everywhere, but an Oasis? 42:05 Wu-Tang: Not Your Grandparents’ Clan 47:18 Back in Black Crowes 51:22 Peak Value And Sandwich Talk 53:55 Hey Hall, What You Need is INXS 01:00:34 Phil Collins: I Don’t Care Anymore. Or do I? 01:06:03 Also Rans Quick Hits 01:06:21 Jeff Buckley? Hallelujah! New Edition? WTF? 01:09:52 Melissa And Lauryn’s Mild Adventure 01:14:18 Shakira Don’t Lie; Luther Doesn’t Play, All the Marquis Love Sade 01:22:39 Hello, Diva! Mariah Carey 01:29:15 Wrap Up And Snubs. And Cheese.

Dave and the Chartmeister Michael “Milt” Wolfe review the Billboard Top 10 for the week ending March 10, 1973, after chatting about Milt’s trip to Savannah, snow in Massachusetts, and assorted pop-culture tangents. They cover period context including Dark Side of the Moon’s U.S. release, the “Great Michigan pizza funeral,” KISS’s first makeup show, and the death of Grateful Dead member Pigpen. The countdown includes Jermaine Jackson’s “Daddy’s Home,” John Denver’s “Rocky Mountain High,” Dr. Hook’s “Cover of the Rolling Stone,” Elton John’s “Crocodile Rock,” Deodato’s “Also Sprach Zarathustra (2001),” the O’Jays’ “Love Train,” the Spinners’ “Could It Be I’m Falling in Love,” Edward Bear’s “Last Song,” “Dueling Banjos,” and Roberta Flack’s “Killing Me Softly.” They pick weekly winners, swap out songs for Steely Dan’s “Reelin’ in the Years” and the Moody Blues’ “I’m Just a Singer (In a Rock and Roll Band),” run a train-themed riddle game, grade the week a B, and preview a Rock & Roll Hall of Fame nominees episode.   Topics 00:26 Hosts Return And Updates 02:24 Savannah Vs Snow Talk 05:09 Time Machine To 1973 06:40 Week In History Highlights 10:59 Pop Culture Backdrop 15:06 Top 10 Begins Number 10 23:46 John Denver Rocky Mountain High 29:16 Dr Hook Cover Of Rolling Stone 37:39 Elton John Crocodile Rock 40:24 Silly Song Breakdown 41:34 Funky 2001 Theme 45:59 Walk On Music Talk 51:03 Love Train Origins 53:32 Love Train In Pop Culture 57:06 Train Riddle Playdate 01:10:39 Spinners Philly Soul 01:14:32 Paul Stanley Soul Covers 01:17:52 Kiss Makeup Debate 01:19:29 Edward Bear Deep Dive 01:23:55 Dueling Banjos Origins 01:32:45 Roberta Flack Breakdown 01:38:53 Recap and Awards 01:41:33 Substitutions and Swaps 01:50:55 Week Grade and Wrap 01:54:34 Next Week Tease

Dave records an episode of the Past Tens: Top 10 Time Machine podcast without co-host Milt (who is away on a winter trip or something) and brings on his brother Adam Yas as guest co-host. Each present a personal top 10 list of the greatest opening lines of 1980s songs, alternating picks and briefly discussing why each first line stands out. Adam explains his criteria: lyrical quality, vocal delivery, the artistic statement/arrival moment for the artist, and whether the line opens a great song. They discuss and play clips of selections including Wall of Voodoo’s “Mexican Radio” (Adam’s #10), De La Soul’s “Me Myself and I” (Dave’s #10), Madonna’s “Like a Virgin” (Adam’s #9), ’Til Tuesday’s “Voices Carry” (Dave’s #9, with Dave recalling seeing Amy Mann perform in Boston), Motörhead’s “Ace of Spades” (Adam’s #8, discovered via The Young Ones), Dennis DeYoung’s “Desert Moon” (Dave’s #8), Duran Duran’s “Rio” (Adam’s #7, including discussion of Patrick Nagel’s cover art and the band’s image), Elton John’s “Kiss the Bride” (Dave’s #7), Guns N’ Roses’ “Welcome to the Jungle” (Adam’s #6, framed as a major cultural turning point), Neneh Cherry’s “Buffalo Stance” (Dave’s #6, with background on her family), Run-DMC’s “King of Rock” (Adam’s #5, plus Adam’s middle-school lip-sync story), Poison’s “Fallen Angel” (Dave’s #5), Jane’s Addiction’s “Mountain Song” (Adam’s #4, with Perry Farrell’s impact and Lollapalooza mentioned), Foreigner’s “Jukebox Hero” (Dave’s #4), The Ramones’ “I Wanna Be Sedated” (Adam’s #3, noting their late-’70s origin but US soundtrack release in 1980), Kim Carnes’ “Bette Davis Eyes” (Dave’s #3, with Dave clarifying “Harlow gold” and dedicating it to their late father), David Bowie’s “Let’s Dance” (Adam’s #2, highlighting Bowie’s reinvention with Nile Rodgers and Stevie Ray Vaughan), AC/DC’s “You Shook Me All Night Long” (Dave’s #2), Prince’s “When Doves Cry” (Adam’s #1), and The Outfield’s “Your Love” (Dave’s #1, including the connection to Adam’s own song character named Josie).   They also touch on music history and influence (e.g., Guns N’ Roses and Nirvana, Run-DMC bridging rap and rock, Lemmy’s documentary and WWII memorabilia, and Amy Mann’s Magnolia-era acclaim). Adam plugs his work (adamyas.com, album Gender of the Holy Spirit, and Leather Feather on Spotify, including “Evolve”). Before leaving, Adam lists honorable mentions: Tears for Fears’ “Everybody Wants to Rule the World,” Michael Jackson’s “Billie Jean,” The Smiths’ “How Soon Is Now?,” Def Leppard’s “Rock of Ages,” Bonnie Tyler’s “Total Eclipse of the Heart” (noting Jim Steinman), and Dexys Midnight Runners’ “Come On Eileen.”    Email us at [email protected] Visit www.timemachinepod.com www.adamyas.com Leather Feather on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/6S7jPIPY15GXpdyqAXSVpZ   Topics 00:00 Welcome to Past Tens + Adam Yas Fills In for Milt 02:03 Today’s Topic: Greatest First Lines of ’80s Songs (Rules & Criteria) 05:26 #10 Picks: Wall of Voodoo “Mexican Radio” vs De La Soul “Me, Myself and I” 12:04 #9 Picks: Madonna “Like a Virgin” vs ’Til Tuesday “Voices Carry” 20:44 #8 Picks: Motörhead “Ace of Spades” vs Dennis DeYoung “Desert Moon” 30:16 Ballads, Heartstrings & What Makes a Line Work 33:31 #7 Picks: Duran Duran “Rio” vs Elton John “Kiss the Bride” 44:29 #6 Pick: Guns N’ Roses “Welcome to the Jungle” and Changing Rock’s Direction 53:01 Neneh Cherry’s “Buffalo Stance” — forgotten hip-hop gem & iconic first line 56:33 Adam’s #5: Run-DMC “King of Rock” — rap vs rock, plus the lip-sync contest story 01:04:54 Dave’s #5: Poison “Fallen Angel” — hair metal story-song guilty pleasure 01:08:26 Adam’s #4: Jane’s Addiction “Mountain Song” — danger, artistry, and Perry Farrell’s impact 01:13:57 Dave’s #4: Foreigner “Jukebox Hero” — painting the picture of teenage rock dreams 01:16:27 Adam’s #3: Ramones “I Wanna Be Sedated” — punk history & what makes a great frontman 01:21:15 Dave’s #3: Kim Carnes “Bette Davis Eyes” — decoding “Harlow gold” & a tribute to Dad 01:23:37 Adam’s #2: David Bowie “Let’s Dance” — reinvention, Nile Rodgers, and pop perfection 01:28:05 Dave’s #2: AC/DC “You Shook Me All Night Long” — the ultimate sing-along opener 01:31:55 #1s & wrap-up: Prince “When Doves Cry” vs The Outfield “Your Love,” honorable mentions, and sign-off

This week on Past Tens: A Top 10 Time Machine, Milt and Dave crank the amps, lace up the shell-tops, and dive headfirst into one of the great musical collisions of the last 50 years: when rock and hip hop stopped flirting… and started throwing punches together. Our guest is Steven Blush — rock journalist, historian, and author of When Rock Met Hip Hop. The guy knows this terrain cold. We’re talking real-deal moments where guitars and 808s didn’t just coexist — they rewired the culture. We start with Rapture by Blondie — because yes, Debbie Harry walked so a lot of crossovers could run. Then we move into Rock Box by Run-DMC, which basically kicked the studio door off its hinges. From there? Chaos. Beautiful chaos. We hit the Def Jam Recordings origin story. The Beastie Boys pivot from punk brats to rap juggernauts with No Sleep Till Brooklyn. Rick Rubin running dual sessions like a mad scientist. Guitars. Regrets. Comebacks. We get into Walk This Way and how it resurrected Aerosmith. Then the volume somehow goes even higher with Anthrax and Public Enemy, Biohazard and Onyx, the rise of nu metal via Faith No More, and the politically explosive force of Rage Against the Machine. And yes — we land the plane (or maybe stage-dive it) with Jump Around by House of Pain, a song that has probably caused more minor arena injuries than any other track of the ’90s. Blush brings the receipts — stories, context, perspective — and we do what we always do: connect the dots, argue about legacy, and try not to blow out the speakers. Because this wasn’t just a genre mashup. It was a cultural jailbreak. Plug in. Turn it up. And come time-travel with us. GET THE BOOK: https://a.co/d/0gARAtdT Topics 00:44 Special Guest: Steven Blush 02:32 Steven Blush's Musical Journey 08:11 The Evolution of Rock and Hip Hop 29:56 The Birth of Def Jam 33:53 Beastie Boys' Breakthrough 38:02 Rick Rubin's Dual Studio Sessions 38:18 Guitar Contributions and Regrets 39:23 Beastie Boys' Rock Appeal 39:54 The Evolution of Beastie Boys 42:07 The Impact of 'Walk This Way' 43:40 Aerosmith's Comeback 50:43 Anthrax and Public Enemy Collaboration 55:10 Biohazard and Onyx Fusion 57:43 Faith No More and the Rise of Nu Metal 01:02:16 Rage Against the Machine's Influence 01:06:12 House of Pain's 'Jump Around' 01:10:48 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Dave and Milt take a nostalgic trip back to the 1970s, evaluating and re-evaluating the Grammy winners for Record of the Year. From the soulful sounds of Simon & Garfunkel to the infectious disco beats of the Bee Gees, they discuss, debate, and sometimes disagree with the original Grammy choices, offering their own takes on who should have taken home the iconic golden gramophone. The duo also touches on nostalgic personal anecdotes, Oscar trivia, and future podcast plans.    Topics 01:53 Listener Mail and Music Trivia 03:31 Grammy Awards Recap 05:59 1970 Grammy Redo 14:52 1971 Grammy Redo 21:31 1972 Grammy Redo 27:40 1973 Grammy Redo 33:42 1974 Grammy Redo 41:10 Oscar Snubs Quiz 46:40 Discussing Movie Snubs and Tom Hanks' Performances 49:02 Scorsese's Goodfellas vs. Dances with Wolves 49:55 Amy Adams' Oscar Nominations and Brokeback Mountain 52:45 1975 Grammy Redo 59:06 1976 Grammy Redo 01:10:44 1978 Grammy Redo 01:18:43 1979 Grammy Redo 01:26:26 Upcoming Special Pod

Dave and Milt hop back into the Past Tens time machine and land in February 1965—a time when the Billboard Top 10 didn’t mess around. This is peak-era stuff: songs you know, artists you trust, and records that somehow still sound better than half the things clogging your algorithm today. As always, the guys do more than just count them down. They break apart the songs, talk about where they hit in their own musical DNA, and wander into side streets involving movies, memories, and the occasional “how did we get here?” tangent. The chart itself is loaded: Sam Cooke, Marvin Gaye, The Temptations, The Righteous Brothers, The Kinks—basically a greatest-hits album disguised as a single week in ’65. Somewhere along the way, a perfectly reasonable discussion turns into a full-blown “sweet” song playdate, because once you open that door, you’re not closing it quietly. The episode wraps with debates about longevity, covers that worked (and didn’t), and the usual Past Tens soul-searching about which songs are truly immortal—and which ones just had a really good run.   Topics  00:00 – Welcome to Past Tens (set your dials accordingly) 01:17 – Listener Feedback & Shoutouts 04:09 – Time Machine Locked In: February 1965 05:30 – What 1965 Looked Like Outside the Radio 15:55 – Countdown Begins (no wasted notes) 34:06 – Sweet Talkin’ Woman – ELO 39:45 – My Girl – The Temptations (yes, that moment) 48:35 – All Day and All of the Night – The Kinks 57:24 – Love Potion No. 9 – The Searchers 01:06:07 – Hold What You’ve Got – Joe Tex 01:11:31 – This Diamond Ring – Gary Lewis & The Playboys 01:13:21 – The Ed Sullivan Show Question 01:14:02 – Gary Lewis’ Chart Run 01:14:55 – Al Kooper’s Vision for This Diamond Ring 01:16:49 – The Name Game – Shirley Ellis 01:24:12 – Petula Clark Takes Us Downtown 01:30:12 – The Righteous Brothers and That Vocal 01:36:11 – Covers, Substitutions, and Tough Calls 01:38:47 – Final Thoughts, Personal Stories, and Why 1965 Still Wins  

We took Past Tens on the road for the first-ever Animated Movie Draft, recorded from a friend’s house in Vermont—which immediately set the tone: cozy, loud, slightly unhinged, and absolutely competitive. Four teams entered, rules were explained (and immediately bent), and chaos followed. The teams: No Capes (Andy and David), How to Train Your Landau (Addie and Dylan), Ka-rin & Stumpy (Milt and Karen), and Everything’s Fein (Michael and Nicole). The mission: draft the greatest animated movies of all time while filling specific categories—pre-1980s, franchise films, musicals, and wildcards—without completely losing your mind or your credibility. What follows is exactly what you’d expect: big swings, loud objections, wildly personal logic, and a whole lot of “HOW was that still available?” Along the way we veer into childhood crushes, Disney World ride hot takes, Pixar debates, Broadway adaptations, and the eternal question of whether nostalgia is doing way too much heavy lifting. The draft board fills up with absolute heavyweights—Toy Story, Shrek, The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Charlotte’s Web—plus a few picks that inspire stunned silence and/or yelling. Somehow, through all of it, one team quietly puts together a monster draft and walks away with a surprise win that no one fully saw coming (including them). It’s loud. It’s nostalgic. It’s opinionated. It’s friends arguing about cartoons like it matters—which, obviously, it does. Topics 00:14 Recording on Location in Vermont 00:51 Drafting the Greatest Animated Movies 03:19 Team Introductions and Draft Rules 09:51 First Round Picks 15:58 Second Round Picks 28:40 Third Round Picks 36:40 Peter Pan and Childhood Crushes 37:58 Disney World Ride Experiences 39:12 Drafting Disney and Pixar Films 40:37 Ratatouille and Modern Disney Rides 42:39 Musicals and Broadway Adaptations 45:39 Final Draft Picks 49:53 Honorable Mentions 01:01:03 Judging and Announcing the Winner  

Dave and Milt crack open the Billboard Top 10 from January 14, 1984 — a chart absolutely stacked with heavy hitters like Lionel Richie, Michael Jackson, Duran Duran, Culture Club, Elton John, and more. It’s pop perfection, power ballads, synth hooks, and at least one harmonica discussion that gets wildly out of hand. Along the way, the guys dig into the songs, the lyrics, and the cultural moment — plus listener emails, high-school flashbacks, and a true story of Dave weaponizing song lyrics. There’s serious love for classics like “Owner of a Lonely Heart” and “Say Say Say,” plus some healthy debate when Milt swaps out “Break My Stride” for Chaka Khan’s “Ain’t Nobody,” and Dave pulls an audible by replacing “Talking in Your Sleep” with early-era U2. Expect deep dives, dumb tangents (baseball makes a surprise appearance), TikTok-era song revivals, harmonica legends, and the usual combination of nostalgia, nitpicking, and laughs that probably goes on five minutes longer than planned — as it should. Chapters: 01:59 Listener Mail 09:43 Back to 1984 14:21 The Countdown Begins 35:56 Harmonica Jealousy (Yes, Really) 37:40 Elton John Gets the Blues 42:55 “Break My Stride” (or Does It?) 45:33 Songs That Refuse to Die on TikTok 55:21 Olivia Newton-John Curveball 01:01:46 Duran Duran Era Begins 01:19:22 “Owner of a Lonely Heart” 01:25:54 McCartney + MJ 01:34:12 The Substitution Chaos 01:44:51 Final Thoughts & What’s Next  

Dave and Milt fire up the DeLorean and head straight for the 1980s—specifically, the Grammy Awards’ Record of the Year decisions, many of which now feel… let’s say debatable. With equal parts reverence and side-eye, the guys re-litigate whether the Grammys nailed it, blew it, or flat-out whiffed. Spirited debates, personal memories, a few “wait—that won??” moments, and plenty of good-natured sniping as each year gets put back on trial. Along the way, there are trivia detours, surprise segments, and the occasional musical sacred cow being gently (or not so gently) tipped over. It’s nostalgia with receipts—and just enough wisdom earned the hard way. Topics 01:27 Listener love, Spotify Wrapped, and setting the mood 03:07 The Grammys do-over: ground rules and grievances 04:14 1980 Record of the Year on the stand 13:43 1981: justice served… or appealed 21:34 1982: vibes vs. legacy 28:50 1983: hits, hindsight, and head-scratching 35:37 1984: peak ’80s energy 41:29 Playdate: Grammy trivia chaos 48:05 1985: the year that wouldn’t behave 48:57 Nominees under the microscope 50:09 Tina Turner reminds everyone who’s boss 51:28 Iconic ’80s hits and cultural whiplash 54:43 1986: the nominees speak for themselves 57:55 USA for Africa takes the trophy 01:06:30 1987: a crowded field 01:08:14 Steve Winwood’s surprise victory lap 01:14:41 1988: tough calls and tougher opinions 01:16:36 Graceland and the controversy that won’t die 01:21:56 1989: joy, confusion, and whistling 01:23:23 Bobby McFerrin sparks debate 01:26:29 Michael Jackson vs. Tracy Chapman (and why this is hard) 01:33:56 Final verdicts, revised history, and closing arguments  

Hop in the Time Machine and buckle up, because in this episode of Past Tens, Dave and Milt do what they do best: stare directly into the pop-culture sun and ask, “So… how did we get here?” The fellas break down Billboard’s Top 10 songs of 2025 — praising the bangers, questioning the head-scratchers, and revisiting a few familiar names that refuse to leave the charts (looking at you, Bruno). Along the way, they dig into artist backstories, chart momentum, and whether these songs are future classics… or just temporarily living rent-free in our brains. As always, there’s a twist: every modern hit gets paired with an older song that shares its DNA — same vibe, same arc, same “I’ve heard this before but can’t quite place it” energy. Is pop music evolving, looping, or just wearing a new jacket? Dave and Milt investigate. Expect karaoke stories, party chaos, musical crescendos, country-rap identity crises, unexpected love songs, and at least one moment where someone asks, “Wait… how old is that guy?” It’s nostalgia, analysis, laughs, and just enough musical snobbery to feel like home. Topics (or: Things We Somehow Spent 90 Minutes Talking About) 01:02 – Karaoke and party highlights (regrets were made) 03:16 – Credit cards, cookies, and adult responsibility creeping in 03:50 – Reflecting on past music trends (and how we swore this wouldn’t happen again) 04:29 – The Top Songs of 2025, with a nostalgic twist 10:22 – Chappell Roan, Pink Pony Club, and the long road to overnight success 21:28 – Bruno Mars & ROSÉ: APT. and the art of pop precision 29:41 – Post Malone & Morgan Wallen: I Had Some Help (did they though?) 33:44 – Alex Warren: influencer → musician → wait, this kinda works 40:53 – Benson Boone and the beauty of a well-timed emotional explosion 44:01 – Music tastes, aging, and coming to terms with both 44:38 – The science of crescendos (aka “why this song suddenly slaps”) 47:32 – Billie Eilish and her ongoing evolution 52:02 – The Cure, because somehow they always come up 54:12 – Teddy Swims and vocal gymnastics 01:00:24 – Country-rap, reinvention, and genre identity crises 01:06:12 – Kendrick Lamar’s unexpected love song moment 01:15:33 – Bruno Mars & Lady Gaga: when pop royalty teams up 01:24:25 – Final thoughts, year-end reflections, and closing the book on 2025

Live from the glamorous crossroads of America (a Best Western in Sheboygan, Michigan), Dave and Milt roll out the red carpet—or at least a slightly wrinkled hallway runner—for the Second Annual Tennies, our totally prestigious, minimally regulated awards honoring the very best moments of the podcast year that was. This is the episode where we look back, point, laugh, occasionally wince, and then laugh harder. We hand out trophies (imaginary, but emotionally heavy) for categories like Best Guest, Worst Tale of Woe, Best Use of Creepy AI, and—because we are who we are—the highly competitive Best Penis Joke. It’s a night filled with surprise guest appearances, unnecessary musical detours, tech hiccups that absolutely should not have happened, and stories that somehow got more awkward with time. Between heartfelt moments, holiday chatter, listener emails, and Milt doing things that can only be described as “very Milt,” the Tennies once again prove that when you give two guys microphones and zero adult supervision, magic—questionable, chaotic magic—can still happen. Topics 01:29 – Opening Monologue: Big Energy, Questionable Confidence 04:30 – Best Use of Creepy AI (We’re Sorry, Humanity) 12:22 – Best Guest (Actual Talent Appears) 17:39 – Worst Tale of Woe (Pain + Time = Comedy) 20:38 – Best Invention (Patent Pending, Probably Not) 23:43 – Best Time Machiner Email 34:10 – Parenting Jokes We Immediately Regretted 34:29 – The Susanna Hoffs Concert That Broke Our Brains 35:44 – Best Machiner Email: Champion Emerges 37:21 – Dreams, Delusions, and Podcast Therapy 39:47 – Classic Milt Moments (A Deep Bench) 43:18 – Things We Definitely Didn’t See Coming 53:53 – Rapid-Fire Chaos 56:48 – (We don’t mean to be dicks, but …) Best Penis Jokes  

On this holiday-themed episode of Past Tens: A Top 10 Time Machine, Dave and Milt crank up the festive vibes with a full-blown pop-culture trivia throwdown—covering Christmas songs, movies, TV episodes, and other seasonal nonsense we all pretend not to love (but absolutely do). Along the way, they pause to address the elephant in the studio: the growing list of celebrities who’ve inconveniently passed away shortly after being mentioned on the pod. Is it coincidence? A curse? Or just the most unfortunate branding accident in podcasting history? (Welcome back to the Murder Pod™.) The trivia pulls heavily from ‘80s-style music bar trivia, beloved TV shows like The Office and Friends, and classic holiday films and specials—some heartwarming, some traumatic, all fair game. There’s also a little holiday housekeeping, a stroll down Past Tens memory lane, and a tease for next week’s Second Annual Tennies Awards, because yes, we are absolutely giving trophies to songs again. Festive? Yes. Educational? Occasionally. Slightly unhinged? Always. Topics: 00:00 Welcome back to Past Tens 02:02 Holiday vibes & trivia setup 04:24 The ongoing “Murder Pod” situation 10:17 Holiday pop-culture trivia kicks off 30:50 Christmas movie trivia (brace yourself) 31:44 Bill Murray’s many brothers in Scrooged 34:24 Broadway Christmas movies (somehow a thing) 35:19 Christmas Movie PTSD 36:28 Classic Christmas songs & TV nostalgia 37:51 The Office and Friends holiday episodes 46:05 The Star Wars Holiday Special and other mistakes 56:37 Bonus questions & the wrap-up

Fire up the flux capacitor, because this episode of Past Tens: The Top 10 Time Machine drops Dave and Milt straight into December 1988—a moment in pop history when power ballads were mandatory, New Jack Swing was kicking down the door, and Welcome to the Jungle somehow coexisted with Two Hearts on the same chart. The guys break down the Billboard Top 10, taking respectful (and occasionally reckless) swings at songs from Guns N’ Roses, Bobby Brown, Phil Collins, Anita Baker, Poison, and more. Along the way: personal war stories from the era, cultural detours through VH1 lists and The Simpsons, and a spirited debate over which songs still slap—and which ones are just riding muscle memory. Also on the docket: Milt returns from the Dominican Republic with vacation tales, sunburns, and karaoke decisions that may not age well A pop quiz involving songs with the word “heart” (because 1988 loved feelings almost as much as synthesizers) Diane Warren doing Diane Warren things Chicago… late-period Chicago… that Chicago And yes, Every Rose Has Its Thorn, because of course it’s here It’s music analysis, nostalgia, gentle roasting, and genuine affection for a wildly eclectic Top 10—exactly the way December ’88 deserves.   Topics 00:00 – Welcome back to Past Tens 00:37 – Vacation tales, sunburns, and bad decisions abroad 03:04 – Karaoke: regrets may vary 04:32 – Strap in, time machine engaged 05:53 – Setting the scene: December 1988 12:43 – The Top 10 countdown begins 21:46 – Eddie Money goes full pop 29:37 – The Bangles flirt with psychedelic pop 35:34 – Guns N’ Roses kick in the door 40:39 – Welcome to the Jungle as an opening statement 41:35 – VH1’s “greatest hard rock song” debate 43:19 – The Simpsons enters the chat 45:48 – Phil Collins’ Two Hearts (and Buster) 48:27 – Phil Collins + Lamont Dozier = hit math 51:54 – Heart-themed song quiz (feelings everywhere) 01:05:03 – Boy Meets Girl: pure late-’80s yearning 01:10:25 – Anita Baker delivers, as always 01:14:56 – Late-era Chicago: brace yourself 01:16:11 – The “adult contemporary” era explained 01:17:03 – Diane Warren’s invisible fingerprints 01:21:03 – Bobby Brown and the New Jack Swing takeover 01:25:02 – Top 10 hits with spelling-bee energy 01:32:32 – Every Rose Has Its Thorn (yes, that one) 01:37:43 – Recaps, swaps, and second thoughts 01:40:07 – Final thoughts and the ride home  

On this very special episode of Past Tens, your beloved hosts — one recovering from surgery, the other recovering from life — roll out something brand new: The Starter Kit. Think of it as the musical tasting menu nobody asked for but absolutely needed. We each pick a band. We give you the essentials. You pretend to take notes. Everybody wins. Dave kicks things off with Duran Duran, because nothing says “starter kit” like a band that basically invented the MTV era and then refused to leave. Yes, we hit Hungry Like the Wolf — the song that launched a thousand hair products — but we also dig into the weird, wonderful, and criminally underrated corners of their catalog. Then Milt, bless him, grabs his power-pop heart and heads straight into Fountains of Wayne, a band that somehow packed more storytelling into three-minute pop songs than most novelists manage in 400 pages. And yes, we go far beyond Stacy’s Mom. (If you know what I mean. And I think you do.) It’s all here: music geekery, nostalgia, sideways humor, and the occasional moment where we accidentally sound like we know what we’re talking about. Episode Breakdown (aka: Pretending This Is a Real Show With Structure) 00:00 – Welcome! 00:43 – Health updates and the Past Tens community proving once again they’re nicer than we deserve 01:25 – Surgery stories — because nothing pairs with pop music like anesthesia flashbacks 05:27 – Listener shout-outs and general podcast tomfoolery 09:15 – Introducing The Starter Kit (trademark pending, MFers!) 14:19 – Dave’s Duran Duran Starter Kit: hits, deep cuts, Bond themes, oh my 45:16 – Surprise: Public Enemy’s “911 Is a Joke” enters the chat 46:12 – Best pop-culture use: The James Bond theme that actually slaps 49:24 – Milt opens the Fountains of Wayne vault 56:36 – The hits, the almost-hits, and the “why didn’t anyone listen to this?” tracks 58:13 – Hidden gems and critic candy 01:01:23 – The comedy, the lyrics, the stories — this band was funny on purpose 01:13:56 – Live performances and unexpected covers 01:20:41 – The legacy and why they still matter 01:28:00 – Wrap-up, listener love, and an open invitation to argue with us online  

Ladies and gentlemen, what you are about to experience is nothing less than a rollicking romp through the gilded pantheon of televised tomfoolery! In this extraordinary edition of “Past Tens: The Top 10 Time Machine,” your indefatigable host Dave, with the unparalleled, inimitable chartmeister Milt sidelined by injury, in steps a stupendous subsititution, the incomparable Mark Gerber! The duo embark upon a triumphant return to that most spectacular, most ludicrous, most magnificently melodramatic of American institutions: The Battle of the Network Stars! Dave and Mark seize the moment, diving headlong into the swirling waters of nostalgia. They revisit — with the reverence of historians and the joi de vivre of carnival barkers — the unforgettable competitions of the '70s and '80s: the sinew-straining tug-of-war battles, the kayaking cataclysms that defied physics, the controversies that shook the nation, and the races that left audiences gasping for breath. Marvel as Debbie Allen storms back from adversity on the obstacle course! Tremble as kayak after kayak — piloted by celebrities who had no business in watercraft — spirals into beautifully chaotic disaster! Relive the titanic clash between Gabe Kaplan and Robert Conrad, a showdown that echoed through the annals of competitive fluff! And through it all, you’ll hear the resonant ghost of Howard Cosell himself, narrating each triumph and tragedy with Olympian gravitas and trademark incredulity. This is no mere recap, friends — it is a celebration of Trash TV in its purest, most incandescent form. A reminder of why this bizarre, charming, star-studded spectacle remains etched into the hearts of millions.   Topics 00:53 Declaring the Golden Age of Trash TV 01:12 Enter Mark Gerber — a man ready for battle 02:28 Time Machine engaged: Destination, Network Stars 04:35 Celebrity titans reviewed 10:23 The Voice of God: Cosell’s commentary 13:54 Countdown ignites 26:39 Crystal vs. Letterman — an unlikely duel 32:34 Debbie Allen triumphs heroically 36:02 Ow! Injuries aplenty 36:49 Debbie Allen’s unquenchable spirit 37:03 Celebrity connections revealed 38:25 Mark Harmon: athlete among mortals 40:02 “Summer School” reveries 42:48 Kayaks of chaos 1:00:02 Tug of war tension mounts 1:07:21 The climactic heave-ho 1:08:30 A plunge into Real People 1:10:36 CBS vs. NBC — a struggle for the ages 1:15:45 Cosell’s iconic crowning moments 1:30:28 Conrad vs. Kaplan: The myth, the matchup 1:38:09 A wistful farewell to the magic of Network Stars  

Just when you think you know the answers to 80s music trivia, we start changing the questions. Here you go, Machiners. 5 rounds. 5 questions each round.  Choose wisely.

Strap in, Time Travelers — Dave and Milt are firing up the chart-powered DeLorean and punching in the week of November 21, 1981, a glorious moment when MTV was still shiny and new, Hall & Oates ruled with feathered fists, and your boombox was probably eating AA batteries like Milt eats pretzels. We kick things off with the Hill Street Blues theme — because nothing says “Let’s rock!” like a soft-focus keyboard stroll through cop drama melancholy — and roll straight into gems like the Stones’ “Start Me Up” and ONJ’s gym-class megabanger “Physical.” Along the way, we unpack the significance of each track, including the ones we love, the ones we pretend to love, and the ones we loudly and publicly shame. Naturally, the listener mailbag makes an appearance: grievances, duet arguments, strong opinions delivered politely (and occasionally not). We even dive into the “Should this have been Top 10?” cul-de-sac, where great songs go to be judged and mocked with affection. And yes — we address our brief hiatus, courtesy of Milt’s upcoming surgery, which he insists is “minor,” yet has somehow required him to create a 14-page Google Doc labeled “My Brave Journey.” Timecoded Play-By-Play 00:00 – Welcome back to Past Tens, the podcast that keeps the time machine running on sarcasm and soft rock. 00:34 – Boogie Nights and the fine art of fake rock songs. 02:14 – Listener mail: duet debates, arguments, and emotional damage. 10:16 – Time Machine locked on Nov. 21, 1981. Hold onto your parachute pants. 20:31 – The Hill Street Blues theme wanders in with a soft jazz shrug. 39:31 – Monica’s haircut catastrophe. Blame the ’80s. 41:46 – The Police take the stage. Sting begins brooding. 42:40 – The origin story of The Police — including Sting’s hair, which absolutely deserves its own prequel. 47:12 – The Office vs. The Police: musical connections you didn’t ask for. 52:20 – Little River Band tries to rock. It goes… okay. 58:36 – Bob Seger goes live and proves he only needs two chords and a throat made of sandpaper. 01:04:16 – Listener trivia time: where humiliation meets celebration. 01:16:48 – Air Supply floats in with a cloud made of soft rock and perms. 01:19:28 – The Stones drop their last great song — Dave said it, fight him. 01:22:39 – Stones music video analysis: men running in place and wearing things they shouldn’t. 01:24:03 – Early demos of “Start Me Up,” before it became a sports-arena mandatory. 01:25:09 – Commercial success, i.e., the part where Mick bought another house. 01:26:48 – Trivia bonding — yes, it’s adorable. 01:27:37 – Foreigner melts faces with “Waiting for a Girl Like You.” 01:32:38 – Hall & Oates slap on the trench coats for “Private Eyes.” 01:40:54 – Olivia Newton-John gets physical, and so do we. 01:45:47 – Looking back at 1981: the hits, the misses, the hair. 01:58:36 – Sign-off and a preview of things to come… after Milt survives his lifetime-movie surgery arc.

There once were two hosts, Milt and Dave, Whose duets made the time charts behave. From Loggins and Nicks, To Bowie’s slick mix, They delivered the hits that we crave. They told tales of songs that still shine, Shared memories, both yours and mine. From the gems underplayed, To the legends they made, Each chorus a perfect design. Then came a fast lightning round— More duets, more magic they found! With laughter and cheer, They wrapped up the year, In sweet, two-part harmony sound. 🎙️   topics 00:59:10 Paul McCartney & Michael Jackson — Say Say Say 01:00:05 Lady Gaga & Bradley Cooper — Shallow 01:01:20 Barbra Streisand & Barry Gibb — Guilty 01:02:10 Johnny Cash & June Carter — Jackson 01:03:05 Michael Jackson & Janet Jackson — Jam (Heavy D cameo love) 01:04:05 David Bowie & Bing Crosby — Peace on Earth/Little Drummer Boy (improbable and perfect) 01:05:10 Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell — Ain’t Nothing Like the Real Thing 01:05:45 Natalie Cole (with Dad) — Unforgettable (goosebumps/AI-free tears) 01:06:15 Stevie Nicks & Don Henley — Leather and Lace (this was the wedding duet!) 01:07:00 JAY-Z & Alicia Keys — Empire State of Mind (NY anthem; Boston politely nods) 01:09:00 The Jacksons & Mick Jagger — State of Shock (Freddie demo rabbit hole unlocked) 01:11:00 Don Henley & Axl Rose — I Will Not Go Quietly (this pairing weirdly slaps) 01:14:00 Kenny Loggins & Steve Perry — Don’t Fight It (ambiguously great duo) The Official Top 10 (ranked) Queen & David Bowie — Under Pressure Stevie Nicks & Tom Petty — Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around Barbra Streisand & Neil Diamond — You Don’t Bring Me Flowers Meat Loaf & Ellen Foley — Paradise by the Dashboard Light Tina Turner & Bryan Adams — It’s Only Love Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell — Ain’t No Mountain High Enough John Travolta & Olivia Newton-John — You’re The One That I Want Elton John & Kiki Dee — Don’t Go Breaking My Heart Philip Bailey & Phil Collins — Easy Lover Kenny Loggins & Stevie Nicks — Whenever I Call You “Friend” Running bits & quotables “This podcast is a duet. End of list.” “You don’t bring me McDonald’s Diet Coke anymore. It’s over.” “Nerds Gummy Clusters: the Reese’s Cup of candy collabs.” “Grease’s flying car? My only note: call the tower.” Homework for Time Travelers Hit us with your missing duets (yes, we know, Endless Love fans). Nominate a “Worst Duets Ever” for the inevitable roast episode. If you have the Freddie + MJ ‘State of Shock’ demo link, share it. We’re already halfway down that rabbit hole. Keep the harmony coming Email: [email protected] Site: TimeMachinePod.com (updated every time we post; still rocking the cheese-fries photo)  

Strap in, time travelers — Dave and Milt are firing up the Time Machine and heading straight back to a world of ripped jeans, Aqua Net, and questionable rap credibility. It’s November 3, 1990, and the Billboard Top 10 is a glorious mashup of hair metal hangovers, pop perfection, and one dude named Vanilla who made us all say “Yo, VIP, let’s kick it.” Cool, Vanilla. Wax those chumps, bro. The guys chew over Warrant’s sticky-sweet “Cherry Pie” (spoiler: it’s aged like a dessert left in the sun), Janet Jackson’s rock-star moment with “Black Cat,” and, yes, the cultural phenomenon that was “Ice Ice Baby.” There’s a detour into bar mitzvah memories, a look at early-’90s musical growing pains, and even a round of trivia celebrating songs that kick off with iconic sound effects. Expect the usual blend of nostalgia, nonsense, and “Wait, that was this year?” revelations. It’s another totally rad trip through time with your favorite chart-chomping duo. Episode Breakdown: 00:00 – Welcome to Past Tens 01:15 – Weekend shenanigans 04:54 – Remembering MTV’s Remote Control 06:37 – November 1990: a magical, mulleted time 15:34 – The countdown begins 37:47 – That one wildly inappropriate wedding song 39:13 – Alias and the slow death of hair metal 40:07 – New Jack Swing is here to stay 42:04 – Teen slang and nonsense words (we blame Color Me Badd) 43:29 – Babyface and the silky sound of After 7 49:34 – MC Hammer: Can’t touch his chart dominance 57:33 – James Ingram makes everyone cry 01:08:20 – Janet shreds with Black Cat 01:18:20 – The Sound Effects Song Quiz begins 01:22:39 – Somehow, Billie Eilish and The Office show up 01:24:03 – From Love in an Elevator to Civil War: sound effects galore 01:29:57 – The inevitable Ice Ice Baby moment 01:36:46 – What happens when AI meets pop music 01:38:32 – Countdown recap 01:51:57 – Dave and Milt say goodbye (until the next time warp)

Dave and Milt reminisce about MTV's cultural impact following the announcement of its shutdown after 44 years. They share personal stories and memories from appearing on the classic MTV game show 'Remote Control.' Dave and Milt each recount their episodes, including detailed behind-the-scenes antics, their interactions with other contestants, and hilarious moments with Colin Quinn and other cast members. They even encounter a young Adam Sandler. The duo wraps up by honoring MTV's significant influence in their formative years and its transformation over time. SEE THE VIDEO: https://youtu.be/-p9ejRP97Bc?si=vSNrff8QYA09-Bpu Topics 00:57 Remembering MTV's Legacy 03:56 MTV's Remote Control Game Show 11:24 Auditioning for Remote Control 16:15 Milt's Episode on Remote Control 31:57 Behind the Scenes and Final Thoughts 42:28 A Day of Filming: The Struggles and Surprises 44:55 The MTV Play Date: Trivia Time 50:09 Dave's MTV Experience: A Memorable Journey 51:48 The Game Show: Highs and Lows 58:18 Behind the Scenes: Funny and Awkward Moments 01:14:41 Reflecting on the MTV Days 01:18:02 Conclusion: Nostalgia and Farewell

Fire up the time machine, because Dave and Milt are cranking it to 1973—the year rock gods walked among us. Joined by fellow music geeks Scott Ziegler and David Kaufer, the crew dives headfirst into a snake draft of pure, analog glory. From Billy Joel finding his voice on Piano Man to Elton painting the sky on Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, and from Pink Floyd’s cosmic masterpiece Dark Side of the Moon to Zeppelin’s mythic Houses of the Holy—this draft’s got more classic riffs than your uncle’s record shelf. Expect heated debates, shameless nostalgia, and more name-dropping than a ‘70s liner note. There’s strategy, there’s sentiment, and yes—there’s a few questionable picks that’ll have you yelling at your cassette player. The guys also round things out with movie soundtracks and TV themes from ‘73, because apparently, we couldn’t stop humming even when the radio was off. PROGRAMMING NOTE: Here's the 2021 episode where Milt and Dave rank the top 10 editions of Schoolhouse Rock (a 1973 debut): https://timemachinepod.podbean.com/e/top-10-of-schoolhouse-rock-recalling-the-kitsch/   Topics 00:00 – Cue the time machine and the dad jokes 01:23 – The rock draft begins (and chaos follows) 11:07 – First-round fireworks: everyone wants Floyd 33:52 – Aerosmith enters the chat 40:15 – George Harrison quietly crushes 44:40 – Elvis says “Aloha,” literally 57:19 – American Graffiti brings the feels 01:24:16 – Paul Simon rhymes his way home 01:39:32 – Honorable mentions and a few dishonorable omissions

Strap in, Time Travelers—because this week on Past Tens: The Top 10 Time Machine, Dave and the Chartmeister himself, Milt, are punching the flux capacitor back to October 18, 1980. That’s right: the hair was feathered, the collars were popped, and the Billboard Top 200 albums were stacked with pure, uncut classic rock and pop cocaine (the musical kind). We’re talkin’: AC/DC at their thunderstruck peak, The Stones proving they’re still cockroaches of rock, The Cars running you down with new-wave horsepower, George Benson smooth enough to butter your bagel, Pat Benatar telling you “Hit Me With Your Best Shot” before you even loaded the Nerf gun, and the Doobies trying to figure out if they’re yacht rock or biker bar blues. Oh, and don’t sleep on Olivia Newton-John and ELO building Xanadu out of neon tubes, Diana Ross finding disco Chic, Babs hanging with the Bee Gees, and Queen dropping The Game that still puts other bands in checkmate. Along the way, Dave and Milt roast, reminisce, and occasionally sound like two guys who’ve had one too many Zimas. Expect hot takes, random tangents, and—of course—our weekly “Substitution,” where we bench one of the charted albums and sneak in a criminally under-loved record. So grab your Members Only jacket, fire up the turntable, and join us for a ride through a truly transformative year in music. Episode Breakdown 00:00 – Welcome to the madness 00:27 – Meet your musical time pilots: Dave & Milt 02:03 – What this pod is and why you’re stuck with it 04:20 – October 18, 1980: cue the DeLorean 14:16 – Deep dive on the Top 10 albums 52:12 – Band tensions, soap operas, and shifting sounds 54:28 – Doobies: breaking up, making up, and reuniting again 54:35 – Movie soundtrack corner: iconic scenes & tunes 57:30 – Musical Brothers Quiz (fight night edition) 01:07:10 – Xanadu: soundtrack, roller skates, and ELO lasers 01:14:58 – Diana Ross meets Chic: disco still lives! 01:21:52 – Babs & the Bee Gees: polyester heaven 01:27:26 – Queen’s The Game: play it loud 01:34:51 – Top 10 recap + substitution smackdown 01:42:23 – Caddyshack soundtrack, gophers, and final thoughts

Break out the Jordache jeans and slap bracelets—we’re firing up the Past Tens DeLorean and crash-landing straight into October 4th, 1986. Hosts Dave and Adam are your snarky tour guides through the Billboard Top 10, a week where Lionel Richie was literally defying gravity, Tina Turner was calling out “Typical Males” (present company excluded… maybe), and Run-DMC teamed up with Aerosmith to smash a wall and music history all at once. Adam admits to surviving a Lionel Richie concert back in the day (dancing on the ceiling, not covered by health insurance), we deep-dive Janet Jackson’s pop domination, and we wonder aloud if Carl Anderson and Gloria Loring’s “Friends and Lovers” was written for a daytime soap opera—or by one. Plus, there’s a Juno Awards trivia smackdown, some righteous Canadian music history, and our patented “swap-a-song” gimmick. It’s nostalgia, pop-culture snark, and synthesizer-drenched storytelling—Past Tens style. Find Adam Yas music at www.adamyas.com Topics 00:00 — Cold Open: Welcome to Past Tens—seatbelts optional, sarcasm mandatory. 00:26 — Meet the Hosts: Dave and Adam: like Hall & Oates, but with more bad puns. 03:54 — Confession Time: Adam cops to seeing Lionel Richie live in ’86. Yes, he’s fine. 06:59 — Pop Culture Check-In: Shoulder pads, Top Gun, and too much Aqua Net. 17:06 — Countdown Kickoff: The Billboard Top 10 begins—cue drum machines. 36:55 — Walk This Way: How Run-DMC and Aerosmith blew up MTV (and a wall). 38:20 — The Collab Heard ‘Round the World: Rap + Rock = mind blown. 42:05 — Studio Secrets: Steven Tyler screaming into the void… for art. 44:55 — MTV Controversy: Rock, rap, and race colliding on your TV screen. 53:12 — Phil Collins at Live Aid: Because Phil had to be everywhere. 57:42 — Stacey Q Spotlight: Two of hearts… but one too many listens. 01:11:37 — Oh, Canada: Glass Tiger teaches us “Don’t Forget Me (When I’m Gone).” 01:19:01 — Trivia Time: Dave vs. Adam in the Great Juno Awards Quiz. 01:19:45 — Sentimental Sidebar: A Nickelback tangent, with bonus dad stories. 01:26:32 — Janet Jackson Rules the World: Control, Rhythm Nation incoming. 01:34:31 — Friends and Lovers: A song that belongs on General Hospital. 01:39:24 — Huey Lewis & The News: “Stuck With You” and dad-rock glory. 01:44:29 — The Big Reveal: Top song of October 1986. Drumroll, please. 01:45:16 — Winner of the Week: Adam swaps out a Top 10 dud for a hidden gem. 01:56:57 — Closing Credits: The flux capacitor cools down—until next time.  

We saw Spinal Tap 2, flipped the big red switch, and counted down the best 1980s songs that peaked at #11. Because these… go to 11. Also: sexy drummers, armadillos, and Milt trying to make Kenny Loggins a sports anthem (again). Quick Hit Summary Mini-review of Spinal Tap 2 (Paul! Elton! Still loud.) Countdown: our blended Top 10 “peaked at #11” bangers from the ’80s Playdate: 11 questions about… 11 (of course) A respectable pile of “also-rans” that just missed the podium Chapter Guide 00:00 – Cold open / mic check / Past Tens roll call 06:05 – Fire up the Time Machine 07:06 – What we’re doing: ’80s songs that peaked at #11 (Spinal Tap salute) Tap Talk 07:50 – Spinal Tap 2 quick take: tone matched, laughs landed 09:45 – Cameos: Paul McCartney (charming), Elton John (scene-stealer) 10:55 – Aging rockers, commitments vibes, and a very funny new drummer 12:40 – Why sequels usually whiff and why this one didn’t The Countdown — The ’80s Songs That Went to 11 #11 – 00:15:00 Thompson Twins – “Doctor! Doctor!” (1984) Second-British-Invasion synth-pop sugar rush. “How was this not Top 10?” energy. #10 – 00:16:00 Gary U.S. Bonds – “This Little Girl” (1981) Boss-built boomerang: written/produced by Springsteen & Stevie Van Zandt; Clarence on sax. Roots-rock strut with comeback swagger. #9 – 00:22:00 Sheila E. – “A Love Bizarre” (1985) Prince pixie dust, 12-minute club glide, percussion queen doing queen things. #8 – 00:27:00 Michael Jackson – “Another Part of Me” (1987) From the Captain EO era: Quincy groove, Disney cheese, undeniable bounce. #7 – 00:34:00 The Contours – “Do You Love Me” (re-charted 1988) Dirty Dancing rocket fuel: Motown growl makes the Catskills naughty again. Playdate – 00:43:00 11 Questions about “11” (Kyrie, Larkin/Rollins, 7-Eleven’s rogue lowercase n, Swingers, Messier, Bledsoe & Edelman, Ocean’s Eleven = Matt Damon, Marshall amps, Eleven = Millie Bobby Brown, Jeter wore 11 in the minors, etc.) #6 – 00:52:00 Kenny Loggins – “This Is It” (1980) Blue-eyed soul with Michael McDonald cosign; NCAA montage hall-of-famer. #5 – 00:57:00 Loverboy – “Hot Girls in Love” (1983) Aerosol, hooks, and harmless himbo energy. Dumb? Sure. Fun? Absolutely. #4 – 01:01:00 Prince – “I Wanna Be Your Lover” (1980) Pre-Purple Rain princelet: falsetto glide, post-disco snap, future royalty loading. #3 – 01:07:00 Bryan Adams – “Somebody” (1985) Reckless sweet spot: denim-rock churner with live-aid mojo. Ballad break = beer run. #2 – 01:11:00 Go-Go’s – “Head Over Heels” (1984) Pop truffle perfection. Jane Wiedlin piano break = pure dopamine. #1 – 01:26:00 Stevie Nicks – “Edge of Seventeen” (1981) The white-wing-dove war cry. Signature solo cut. A Top 10 snub so egregious it should be a congressional hearing. Also-Rans & Near-Misses (rapid fire) Stevie Wonder – “I Ain’t Gonna Stand for It” Bangles – “Walking Down Your Street” Little River Band – “The Other Guy” (The Other Guys synergy!) Toto – “I’ll Be Over You” Debbie Gibson – “Electric Youth” (Dave votes yes; Milt files an appeal) Soul II Soul – “Keep On Movin’” (Milt’s neo-soul crush) Benny Mardones – “Into the Night” (we heard you, Internet) The Police – “Spirits in the Material World” Paul Davis – “Cool Night” (yacht softness) Naked Eyes – “Promises, Promises” Dead or Alive – “You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)” If this episode made your dial go to 11, share it with a friend, drop a 5-star on Apple/Spotify, and come argue with us at timemachinepod.com or [email protected]. Rock responsibly, Time Travelers.