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A (Mostly) 80s Music Podcast: What Difference Does It Make? podcast artwork

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A (Mostly) 80s Music Podcast: What Difference Does It Make?

by Dave Sloan and Holly Cantos - 80s Music Podcast

Dave and Holly, your 80s music aficionados, talk to the artists and music industry insiders that made it the greatest decade for music.

Publisher-supplied feed metadata · PodParley refreshed Oct 24, 2026 · Source feed

Episodes

  1. A Cuppa And A Chat With Bean Baxter

    For 30 years, beginning in 1990, Kevin and Bean hosted the morning drive show on KROQ in Los Angeles, which led to a spot in both the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) Hall Of Fame, as well the Radio Hall Of Fame. You can now hear Bean on A Cup Of Tea and A Chat With Allie And Bean...

  2. John Frost Is Radio's Prod God

    From 1987 to the early aughts, award-winning creative genius John Frost created the offbeat cartoony sounds heard in between the songs at the World Famous KROQ in Los Angeles. He now works with many of your favorite Alt Rock stations via his company, ⁠Frostbytes⁠. On the podcast, he shares…

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  3. Richard Blade Rides The First Wave Back To 1989

    Richard Blade makes his third appearance on the podcast, following his book Imposters and his upon turn as Master MC for the Howard Jones “Things Can Only Get Better” Tour. This episode showcases Richard's music curation skills, giving us some insight into the 80s music played on the World Famous...

  4. Julie Gidlow Gives Us Some Confessions

    Julie Gidlow is first and foremost a music fan. She used her USC Graduate degree in Journalism to land an editing job at Radio & Records (R&R). She helped shape this music industry newspaper, and ushered it into the new century. Her love for Duran Duran and attending concerts led her to realize…

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  5. One-Hit Wonder Day

    Did you know September 25th is National One-Hit Wonder Day? Well, neither did we, but since we now know it's a thing, we created this episode. Did we invite friend of the show, Craig Rosen onto the podcast because Steve Rosen, the creator of One-Hit Wonder Day was unavailable? Possibly, but Craig...

  6. Glen Matlock Sees Consequences Coming

    Glen Matlock has seen a lot, and he pours it all out on his new solo album, Consequences Coming. Glen steps into our virtual studio to discuss his solo career and the amazing band he's assembled. But no chat with Glen would be complete without us asking about The Sex Pistols, what life was like...

  7. Roland West Compares KROQ to LIVE 105

    Los Angeles vs. San Francisco is an age-old competition: Dodgers vs. Giants, sunny weather vs. chilly weather, Hollywood glamor or crunchy granola vibes. Back in the 80s, we had KROQ in Los Angeles and LIVE 105 in San Francisco. Roland West worked on air for both radio stations. He steps into our...

  8. Tim Pope Shoots Rock Stars

    If you watched MTV in the 80s, then you've seen a Tim Pope-directed video. Queen, David Bowie, Hall & Oates, and The Cure - the band he's most associated with - are among the hundreds of bands that have performed in front of a Tim Pope camera. It's all documented in Tim's memoir, I Shoot Rock...

  9. Jacob Givens Goes Back To The 80s

    Jacob Givens⁠ created a social media sensation with his authentic and hilarious reaction videos to what it was like when he first heard the 90s music from his youth. Now Jacob steps into the What Difference Does It Make studio to give us his genuine reaction to hearing 80s music. Specifically,...

  10. Tyler Measom Rocks The Sunset Marquis

    The Sunset Marquis hotel in West Hollywood is located just steps from the Sunset Strip, and has been a haven for rock stars for the past six decades. But how did it come to be such an iconic place for rock stars? What is its story? Enter Co-Directors Craig A. Williams and Tyler Measom, of the...

  11. Duran Duran Appreciation Day

    August 10th is Duran Duran Appreciation Day. As it turns out, not only are we self-proclaimed Duranies, but our guests love the Fab 5 as well. So for this episode, we've compiled comments and observations from our past guests (and ourselves) about the music we love so much by Simon, John, Nick,...

  12. Documenting The Palomino Club

    The Los Angeles Times referred to it as "Country Music's most important West Coast club". Artists from Willie Nelson to Elvis Costello to Linda Ronstadt played there. Happy Hour started at 8 in the morning. And it all happened in the East San Fernando Valley. The club was called The Palomino, and...

  13. Haircut One Hundred Are Boxing The Compass

    It's been a mere 44 years between Haircut One Hundred albums featuring the original lineup, but following their classic album Pelican West, we now have Boxing The Compass. According to lead singer/songwriter Nick Heyward, it means a complete change of direction. We think it sounds just like the...

  14. Things Can Only Get Better for Howard Jones and Richard Blade

    Prior to the start of what is being billed as "the biggest 80s event of the year", headliner Howard Jones and host Richard Blade took some time to talk with us and share their thoughts on what we can expect for the Things Can Only Get Better Tour. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit...

  15. Alison Ellwood Joins Boy George And Culture Club

    From the moment we first saw "Do You Really Want To Hurt Me?" on MTV, we can honestly say there was no one who looked, dressed or sounded like Boy George.There was also the music that touched on Pop, Soul and Reggae and even through all the mania that surrounded the band, we never quite…

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  16. Greatest American Bands From The 80s

    As an 80s music podcast, and as America recognizes another year of independence, we believe the time is right to recognize our favorite American music artists from the 80s. The rules are simple: 1) You and /or your band must contain at least one American original band member. 2) They must have...

  17. Delicious Vinyl Knows When To Bust A Move

    Peter Relic has authored Bust a Move: Matt Dike, Delicious Vinyl, and the Hip-Hop Hits That First Conquered Pop. It tells the fascinating story of how a surfer dude from Southern California and a guy who grew up on the east coast in a Jehovah's Witness family formed a partnership to create one of...

  18. Father's Day Music Favorites

    We love our Dads. We wouldn't be who we are without their constant presence in our lives. Naturally, that also means we've incorporated their music into our lives. We have quite a few songs that remind us of our Dads, and we share our memories with you in our special Father's Day music episode....

  19. Mike Gomoll Sings The Praises For Joey's Song

    We are so happy to welcome Mike Gomoll to the podcast. Mike is the founder of ⁠Joey's Song⁠. Mike's son, Joey, lived with Dravet Syndrome - a rare, debilitating form of epilepsy that affects children in the most profound ways. After Joey’s death in 2010, to raise funds and awareness for epilepsy...

  20. Matthew Hild Gives Olivia Newton-John A Little More Love

    As an ’80s music podcast, it’s no secret that we’ve always had a little extra love for Olivia Newton-John. Now, author Matthew Hild takes that appreciation even deeper with his new book, A Little More Love: The Love and Legacy of Olivia Newton-John, a thoughtful and comprehensive look at one of…

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  21. Robert Margouleff Shapes Sounds

    In the late 1960s, pioneering electronic musician Robert Margouleff and his musical partner Malcolm Cecil built something unlike anything the world had heard: TONTO — The Original New Timbral Orchestra — a sprawling, one-of-a-kind synthesizer system that would go on to reshape the sound of…

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  22. Gen X Summer Song Favorites

    Friend of the show, Craig Rosen, keeps us on our toes as we ping-pong back and forth from proms to fashion to movies. We try to stay on target as we discuss our favorite summer songs from the 70s and 80s. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  23. Annie Zaleski Gives Us 50 Reasons To Love Stevie Nicks

    New York Times Bestselling Author, Annie Zaleski has a shirt that reads, "Sorry, I can't talk. I'm thinking about the 1997 performance of Silver Springs where Stevie Nicks stares a hole through Lindsay Buckingham". It partially helps explain why music fans around the world have been obsessed with...

  24. Gina Gershon Survives The San Fernando Valley

    Growing up in the San Fernando Valley meant something very different depending on who you ask. For Holly and Dave, it's a place of warm memories and deep roots. For Gina Gershon? It was somewhere she couldn't wait to leave, and leaving turned out to be the best thing she ever did.Gina joins us to...

  25. JayQuan Is Raising Hell For Run-DMC

    Old school is in session as JayQuan, author of the coffee table book, RUN-DMC and Raising Hell: 40 Years, joins the podcast. As we learn JayQuan's story, we receive an education on the origins of hip-hop. Artists from the Cold Crush Brothers to William Waring to The Mizell Brothers were essential...

  26. Steve Berlin Is A Rhythm Pig

    Steve Berlin, producer, arranger, session player, saxophonist, and Grammy-winning member of Los Lobos and The Blasters is now promoting a band he was in over forty years ago. Top Jimmy And The Rhythm Pigs released one album, in 1987. The album, entitled, Pigus, Drunkus Maximus returns with a...

  27. Steve Spears Is Forever Stuck In The 80s

    Steve Spears has just released a book based on his popular podcast, entitled Stuck In The 80s: 20 Years of Conversations with Pop Culture Icons Who Defined a Decade. We are thrilled Steve guests on our podcast to share a few amazing stories he's accumulated over the years, including a few awkward...

  28. Danny Goldberg Bumps Into Genius

    Danny Goldberg has a career that reminds us of why we wanted to be a part of the music business. His career started at Billboard, where he convinced the higher-ups he needed to go to the Woodstock Music Festival. He did PR for Led Zeppelin, managed the careers of Bonnie Raitt, Stevie Nicks, Sonic...

  29. April Fools' Day Music Favorites

    Happy April Fools' Day! What songs make you smile? For Dave it's a knowing wink from an artist that knows this music can be ridiculous and yet, still love it. For Holly, it's music that makes her do a goofy dance or reminds her of her children. We go from pop and rock to dance and folk. We also...

  30. Harold Bronson Reconnects With His Savage Young Winos

    Harold Bronson may be best known as one of the co-founders of Rhino Records, but when he was a student at UCLA, he was in a band called Mogan David And His Winos. The band consisted of future New York Times best-selling author Jonathan Kellerman, future Columbia Records Head Of Promotions (and...

  31. St. Patrick's Day 80s Music Favorites

    Let's play St. Patrick's Day music to recognize a number of our 80s music favorite artists from The Emerald Isle. While we have a hard time pronouncing names like Cathal McGarvey, Seamus Ennis and Liam Ó Maonlaí we certainly do love the music they created. So raise a pint to the Irish. Sláinte!...

  32. Steven Blush Was Raised On Disco, Reggae, Hip-Hop, And Rock

    Author Steven Blush has just completed his rock trilogy, When Rock Met Disco, When Rock Met Reggae, and the just-released When Rock Met Hip-Hop. Steven recalls times spent with Rick Rubin, The Beastie Boys, Run DMC, and Russell Simmons, and the huge influence they had on the 80s music scene and…

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  33. Paul Rees Was Raised On Radio

    Paul Rees was a young lad living in Scotland during the heyday of Album Oriented Rock (AOR). From a distance, Paul became a fan of American radio and the artists played on those stations, which led him to write the book Raised On Radio: Power Ballads, Cocaine & Payola – the AOR Glory Years...

  34. Please Refer To Roddy Bottum As The Royal We

    Roddy Bottum is one of the founders and keyboardist of the iconic band Faith No More. In his memoir, The Royal We, Roddy shares his coming-of-age and out-of-the-closet stories in a pre-tech-boom San Francisco. He joins our podcast to chat about the bands, his upbringing, his addictions, and how…

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  35. Valentine's Day 80s music favorites

    We at What Difference Does It Make love love and what better way to say it, than with a song from the 80s? We discuss a number of our favorites that make us feel all warm inside. Happy Valentine's (and Gal-entine's) Day! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  36. Arielle Nissenblatt Podcasts On This And That

    Arielle Nissenblatt, Founder and Head Curator of Earbuds Podcast Collective AND a 2026 Podcast Hall Of Fame Inductee, joins our podcast to share her origin story, and insights into the industry. She then steps out of her comfort zone and into our favorite topic, 80s music! Arielle offers up her...

  37. Andy Greene: Rolling Stone Magazine's Secret Weapon

    Andy Greene, Senior Writer for Rolling Stone, has been with the storied magazine since 2004. Andy shares with us his origin story of how a shy, young boy from the suburbs of Cleveland finds his way to New York City to write about his idols and rub shoulders with artists like Phil Collins and…

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  38. 1989 KROQ Countdown

    And so it begins again, as we start our look at the top 106.7 songs played on radio station KROQ in Los Angeles in 1989. Upcoming episodes will feature ten songs each and a special guest, but for this episode, we’ll look at the bottom seven songs, 106.7 to 101, based on the station's year-end...

  39. Pop Culture In 1989

    The year 1989 was more than just the number...another summer...the sound of the funky drummer. It was the year we first fell in love with The Simpsons, the Game Boy, and The Arsenio Hall Show. It was also the year of amazing movies, and of course, music. While we can't do a "We Didn't Start The...

  40. 80s Rock Star Commercials

    Back in the 80s, we thought they were selling out. Turns out, they were ahead of the curve. Rolling Stone’s Andy Greene rounded up some of his favorite commercials featuring 80s rock icons from David Bowie and Genesis to Whitney Houston and Michael Jackson. We revisited those ads, plus a few more...

  41. Bill Janovitz Lets The Cars Story Be Told

    New York Times Bestselling author Bill Janovitz is a founding member of the Boston-based band Buffalo Tom. Bill's latest book on fellow Boston musicians is called The Cars: Let the Stories Be Told. It features a foreword from The Cars’ Greg Hawkes, and full participation from all three surviving...

  42. New Year's 80s Music Favorites

    Another holiday classic filled with some great 80s music! We celebrate our new year's traditions, new year's resolutions, the history behind toasts and of course, all our favorite music we play to usher in the new year. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  43. Christmas Music Favorites

    What Difference Does It Make, the 80s music podcast, celebrates our favorite 80s Christmas songs. Holly tells us how she wooed her future husband with some skiing lessons and we also do a wrap on a couple old school hip-hop classics. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  44. Happy Holidays 80s Music Favorites

    It's the holiday season once again so Holly and I present to you this timeless classic episode...now with actual music! Dave's favorite holiday song is "Fairytale of New York" by The Pogues. Holly goes all in on Chanukah music with Matisyahu, The Maccabeats and we talk about how the names…

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  45. What Difference Does It Make Best Of 2025

    As we look back at our 34 new podcast episodes from 2025, we realize each one is uniquely special. We've talked with artists, music industry insiders, authors, filmmakers, and friends. Now, we present this best-of episode. It's a great way to sample just a bit of what we feel makes our (mostly)…

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  46. Paul Myers and John Candy

    Paul Myers has just completed his Canadian trilogy. Previously, he authored the definitive biographies on Barenaked Ladies and Kids In The Hall. He now takes on one of the most popular Canadians ever, with his latest book, John Candy: A Life In Comedy. Paul discusses the process of getting to…

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  47. Thanksgiving Music Favorites

    We talk turkey....and pie...and candy and occasionally about songs that make us think about Thanksgiving. This Thanksgiving episode from 2018 reminds us of how fortunate we are to have food, friends and music in our lives. We talk about Golden Girls, hippies throwing away trash and learn about…

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  48. Russell Hitchcock Gives Us Fifty Years of Air Supply

    Russell Hitchcock, the legendary lead singer of Air Supply, is having quite a moment. With over 100 million records sold worldwide, the band is soon to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and an Air Supply feature film is currently in production. Russell joins the podcast to share what...

  49. Nöthin' But A Good Time: The '80s Hard Rock Explosion

    Thanks in small part to the band Spinal Tap, November 11 (11/11, get it?), has been decreed National Metal Day. To honor this majestic day we present to you, Nöthin' But A Good Time: The Uncensored History of the '80s Hard Rock Explosion. Authors Tom Beaujour and Richard Bienstock did an…

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  50. Halloween Music Remastered 80s style

    It's not a repeat if you haven't heard it before, so this is the perfect time to revisit Dave's favorite holiday and the one Holly tolerates because candy is involved. We talk about our favorite Halloween songs and movies that Holly has yet to see…Dave is still waiting to discuss Ed Wood with…

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ABOUT THIS SHOW

Dave and Holly, your 80s music aficionados, talk to the artists and music industry insiders that made it the greatest decade for music.

HOSTED BY

Dave Sloan and Holly Cantos - 80s Music Podcast

CATEGORIES

Frequently Asked Questions

How many episodes does A (Mostly) 80s Music Podcast: What Difference Does It Make? have?

A (Mostly) 80s Music Podcast: What Difference Does It Make? currently has 319 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.

What is A (Mostly) 80s Music Podcast: What Difference Does It Make? about?

Dave and Holly, your 80s music aficionados, talk to the artists and music industry insiders that made it the greatest decade for music.

How often does A (Mostly) 80s Music Podcast: What Difference Does It Make? release new episodes?

A (Mostly) 80s Music Podcast: What Difference Does It Make? publishes regularly with 319 episodes available. Check the episode list for the typical release schedule.

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Who hosts A (Mostly) 80s Music Podcast: What Difference Does It Make??

A (Mostly) 80s Music Podcast: What Difference Does It Make? is created and hosted by Dave Sloan and Holly Cantos - 80s Music Podcast.
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