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

Dave and Milt return to the time machine (with Milt battling a cold he likely gifted an entire Florida golf trip) and time-travel to the Billboard Top 10 for the week ending November 15, 1975. After quick cultural check-ins—mutiny inspiring The Hunt for Red October, Rudy’s real-life cameo, the Edmund Fitzgerald sinking, Travis Barker’s birth, and the #1 movie Let’s Do It Again—they count down: War “Low Rider,” Captain & Tennille’s aggressively horny “The Way I Want to Touch You,” Morris Albert’s instantly-classic-then-instantly-reviled “Feelings,” Natalie Cole’s debut “This Will Be,” KC & the Sunshine Band’s “That’s the Way (I Like It)” (parentheses litigated), Linda Ronstadt’s “Heat Wave” (with Andrew Gold on nearly everything), Jefferson Starship’s “Miracles,” The Four Seasons’ comeback “Who Loves You,” Eagles “Lyin’ Eyes,” and Elton John’s “Island Girl” (surprise: prostitution plot). Winner: “Lyin’ Eyes.” Feelings gets booted for James Taylor’s “Mexico,” while Milt swaps out Jefferson Starship for John Fogerty’s “Rockin’ All Over the World,” plus a Dead-or-Alive lightning round and gratuitous Kojak/Space Jam/Biz Markie detours.

Topics

01:05 Yacht Rock Recap

04:04 Sick Trip and Politics

06:54 Time Machine to 1975

07:28 Week in History Rundown

12:29 Movies TV and Birthdays

14:29 Chart Setup and Aging Jokes

15:17 Number 10 Low Rider

23:19 Number 9 Captain and Tennille

31:49 Number 8 Feelings Roast

36:47 Sappy Song Roast

37:38 Pop Culture Song Jokes

40:10 Natalie Cole Breakthrough

43:02 Aretha Grammy Twist

45:58 KC Disco Standard

48:32 Parentheses Debate

51:12 Space Jam Cover Chaos

54:53 Dead or Alive Quiz

01:02:20 Linda Ronstadt Heat Wave

01:03:45 Andrew Gold and Aftertalk

01:07:00 Lip Balm Addiction Debate

01:07:30 Miracles Deep Dive

01:10:17 Devil Runs Hell Logic

01:11:38 Four Seasons Comeback

01:15:11 Kojak Goes Musical

01:17:54 Eagles Lyin Eyes Breakdown

01:25:22 Elton John Island Girl

01:31:05 Recap And Categories

01:33:34 Song Substitutions

01:40:49 Wrap Up And Plugs

Host Dave welcomes fill-in cohost (his brother Adam) for a “Top 10 yacht rock songs” countdown, joking about absent cohost Milt and defining yacht rock’s breezy, jazzy, meticulously crafted sound (and noting the term was coined in the mid-2000s). They cite the Bill Simmons-produced HBO documentary, discuss why Hall & Oates and the Eagles don’t qualify, and reference yacht rock’s themes of wistful narrators, duets, and even “outlaw” lyrics delivered softly. The countdown reveals: #10 “I’d Really Love to See You Tonight” (England Dan & John Ford Coley), #9 “Whenever I Call You Friend” (Kenny Loggins & Stevie Nicks), tied #8/7 “Ride Like the Wind” (Christopher Cross) and “Africa” (Toto), #6 “Rosanna” (Toto), #5 “Lido Shuffle” (Boz Scaggs), #4 “Summer Breeze” (Seals & Crofts), #3 “I Keep Forgetting” (Michael McDonald), #2 “What a Fool Believes” (Doobie Brothers), and #1 “Peg” (Steely Dan).

Topics

01:32 Big Galloop Banter

03:19 Yacht Rock Countdown Rules

04:23 What Counts as Yacht Rock

08:21 Yacht Rock Vibes Explained

08:58 Countdown Begins Number 10

14:55 Number 9 Loggins Nicks

20:44 Number 8 Ride Like Wind

27:47 Number 7 Africa Revival

34:19 Number 6 Rosanna Deep Dive

39:55 Number 5 Lido Shuffle

44:56 Summer Breeze Debate

47:45 Yacht Rock Origins Talk

50:28 Number Three McDonald

52:34 Regulate Sampling Tangent

54:46 Number Two Doobies

58:19 Patrick Stewart Mixup

01:00:51 Also Rans Rundown

01:08:43 Sailing Hot Take

01:16:38 Number One Peg

01:18:20 Rocket 88 Detour

01:24:28 Wrap Up And Plugs

Dave and Milt welcome special guest Professor David Gallant to the Time Machine for a Part 3 (of 4) revisit of the overplayed ’80s Freedom Rock mail-order compilation. They “count” through songs including Derek and the Dominos’ “Layla” (Pattie Boyd lore, Goodfellas body-count trivia, and a 4-van rating), the Moody Blues’ “The Story in Your Eyes,” Five Man Electrical Band’s protest anthem “Signs,” Jonathan Edwards’ “Sunshine,” the O’Jays’ “Love Train,” Cream’s “White Room,” the Guess Who’s “No Time,” Judy Collins’ “Both Sides Now,” a Seals & Crofts deep cut, and Zager & Evans’ “In the Year 2525,” which Gallant passionately defends. Along the way they run a Grammy Hall of Fame quiz, trade Boston/Canadian tangents, and Gallant fights gallantly in the Freedom Rock van showdown.

Topics

01:00 Past Tense Returns

01:48 Meet The Professor

04:25 Freedom Rock Setup

07:58 Rules Van Ratings

09:57 Layla Deep Dive

24:10 Moody Blues Pick

34:17 Signs Rebellion Anthem

42:17 Mandela Effect Detour

43:36 Sunshine Next Track

44:20 Brotherly Boston Memories

45:12 Puritan Preacher Detour

46:51 Sunshine Protest Origins

50:08 Freedom Rock Ratings

53:38 Love Train Breakdown

59:33 Grammy Hall Quiz

01:14:28 White Room Deep Dive

01:21:41 Time Warp Math

01:22:22 White Room Van Score

01:25:12 Guess Who Deep Cut

01:27:45 Rock Hall Snub Talk

01:30:41 No Time Van Ruling

01:32:40 Both Sides Now Debate

01:36:43 Judy Collins Van Shock

01:38:34 Seals and Crofts Tangent

01:45:58 2525 Love It or Hate It

01:55:11 Rules Fight Final Score

01:58:48 Wrap Up And Call In

Dave (coughing through the cold open) and chartmeister Michael “Milt” Wolfe take Past 10s back to the week ending Oct. 2, 1999, detouring through Adam Yas singing the national anthem at a Patriots game, listener mail about forgotten “best claps” songs, and why Polish jokes exist. They set the scene with Freaks and Geeks premiering, Double Jeopardy topping the box office, and ER ruling TV, then dive into a late-’90s Latin crossover-heavy countdown.

Topics

00:57 Dave’s Cold Struggles

02:29 Patriots Anthem Moment

04:26 Dream Gig Debate

06:55 Listener Mail Catchup

10:17 Back to October 1999

12:12 1999 Pop Culture Setup

19:51 Countdown Begins Marc Anthony

28:55 Scar Tissue and Hot Ones

38:43 Hot Ones Meltdowns

39:50 Simpsons Chili Peppers Bit

40:57 Scar Tissue Debate

41:52 All Star Overplayed

45:37 Shrek Effect Explained

50:30 Sugar Ray Origins

52:16 Shrinky Dinks Nostalgia

58:29 Christina Breakout Era

01:04:33 Ariana Grande Impressions

01:08:42 90s Lyrics Playdate Quiz

01:20:29 Enrique Bailamos Story

01:24:23 Bailamos Pronunciation Debate

01:25:18 Enrique Goes Final

01:27:15 Mambo No 5 Origins

01:30:53 Lawsuits And Backlash

01:32:40 Bob The Builder Parody

01:36:20 Smooth Mega Hit Breakdown

01:42:13 Ricky Martin Forgotten Ballad

01:46:31 TLC Unpretty Message

01:53:44 Recap And Musical Wrong

02:01:36 Shania Swap And Farewell

Dave and Milt record a special episode focused on ranking the best hand-clap songs, defining picks as songs where clapping is a crucial, compelling element that makes listeners want to clap along (not just a brief moment). You know, clapping. … Why are we overexplaining this? Sorry. … They discuss postponing recording due to Milt attending a Yankees playoff game, announce that Dave’s brother Adam Yas will sing the national anthem on the field before Sunday’s Patriots game (with related family coincidences), and note Milt’s AI-assisted birthday song for Dave (appended to the episode). Using combined rankings from over 50 candidates plus listener suggestions, they count down the top 10.

Topics

00:33 Show Intro and Hosts

01:11 Yankee Game Detour

02:18 Patriots Anthem News

04:13 How It Happened

06:26 Birthday AI Tribute

07:55 Defining Clap Songs

11:21 Rules and Listener Mail

13:19 Countdown Begins 10

18:05 Hey Ya Debate

23:33 Beatles Clap Moment

27:55 Queen Crowd Clap

34:41 Boston Rock Clap

37:14 Top Five Tease

38:00 Power Pop Clap Debate

39:41 Fitzpatrick Jets Tangent

41:06 NFL Halftime Panel Rant

42:16 Cutting Cable for Football

43:08 Jack And Diane Claps

45:24 Tastee Freez Food Spiral

48:51 Top Three Car Wash

52:11 Number Two SOB Party

54:58 Ampersands And Hoagies

55:57 Also Rans Rapid Fire

01:04:01 We Will Rock You Miss

01:06:40 Number One Cars Claps

01:08:53 Clapping Music Minimalism

01:10:12 Friendship Clap Game

01:11:20 Wrap Up And Plugs

Dave and Milt revisit the rock chart for the week ending Oct. 6, 1984—after initially and repeatedly calling it 1983 and later admitting the error. After banter about ice cream habits, a contrived Willy Wonka competition show, and brief history/pop-culture notes (Richard Noble’s 633 mph “Thrust 2” land-speed record, Carl Yastrzemski’s final at-bat, Lech Wałęsa’s Nobel Prize, The Big Chill, and AfterMASH), they count down the rock Top 10: Krokus “Midnite Maniac,” Billy Idol “Flesh for Fantasy,” Survivor “I Can’t Hold Back,” Honeymoon Suite “New Girl Now,” U2 “Pride (In the Name of Love),” Lindsey Buckingham “Go Insane,” Bruce Springsteen “Cover Me,” David Bowie “Blue Jean,” The Fixx “Are We Ourselves,” and John Cafferty & the Beaver Brown Band “On the Dark Side.” They discuss trivia (Miami Vice placement, Bowie’s Jazzin’ for Blue Jean film, Bono lyric correction, Springsteen dance remix), play a “blue/blues” quiz, pick U2 as winner, and swap out Survivor and Buckingham for Twisted Sister “I Wanna Rock” and KISS “Heaven’s on Fire,” then plug social channels and a future “Freedom Rock” episode invite.

Topics

01:29 Ice Cream Confessions

04:33 Willy Wonka Game Show

06:08 Time Machine Setup

07:45 Week in History Bits

15:52 Countdown Begins Krokus

23:06 Chart Year Mixup

25:07 Billy Idol Deep Dive

33:45 Survivor and Mall Cop

39:47 Honeymoon Suite Arrives

42:02 Honeymoon Suite Breakthrough

42:43 Miami Vice Hit Boost

44:19 MTV Metal One Hit Era

45:51 U2 Pride Origins

50:08 MLK Lyrics And Facts

55:23 Jazz Cover Misfire

57:13 Lindsey Buckingham Synth Turn

01:02:45 SNL Whats Up With That

01:09:35 Springsteen Cover Me Story

01:13:40 Dance Remix Madness

01:16:41 Bowie Blue Jean Deep Dive

01:19:54 Jazzin For Blue Jean Film

01:24:07 Bowie Grammy Shock

01:25:10 Bowie Calls Out MTV

01:25:32 Blue Songs Quiz Begins

01:27:02 Rapid Fire Blue Hits

01:31:25 Neil Diamond Blue Stumpers

01:33:26 Fixx Chart Trivia

01:37:43 Jim Fixx Dark Humor

01:39:38 On the Dark Side Story

01:48:07 Recap and Winner Pick

01:51:06 Substitution Twisted Sister

01:55:27 KISS: Heaven’s on Fire

Dave and Milt revisit the famously corny-but-great Freedom Rock compilation, tackling side two track by track while rating each song’s “Freedom Rock” authenticity in a Cheech-and-Chong-style “vans” scale of 1-5 via ChatGPT. They banter about pet allergies, the ad’s cultural afterlife, and whether Freedom Rock could’ve become a movement like yacht rock. Also, Dave makes a simply miraculous run “guessing the vans.” Song SPOILERS below.

Topics

00:49 Show Intro And Hosts

01:28 Finley The Dog Talk

02:17 What Is Freedom Rock

04:55 Side Two Setup

06:12 Track 1 Feelin Alright

15:45 Track 2 Going Up Country

24:50 Track 3 Reach Out Darkness

30:50 Track 4 Horse No Name

37:48 Track 5 Free Bird Begins

45:55 Encore Banter

46:43 Free Bird Rating

48:23 Ramblin Man Deep Dive

54:10 Guess Who Nostalgia

57:58 Comedy Sketch Detour

01:02:27 Elton Friends Review

01:09:05 Jesus Pop Hit

01:18:12 Black And White Finale

Dave and Milt slip into their glowing white socks and travel back to September 22, 1979—when albums mattered, packaging was an art form and apparently everybody owned a synthesizer. [EPISODE SPOILERS IN LIST OF TOPICS BELOW. In case you care. … You probably don’t. Sigh.] Before entering the time machine, the guys wade into the Macklemore–Robert Kraft controversy, debating free speech, private venues, “Free Palestine,” antisemitism and whether anybody emerges from the whole mess looking particularly good.Then it’s on to the week’s Top 10 albums: Robin Williams unleashes his manic mind, The Cars avoid the sophomore slump, Earth, Wind & Fire decline to release “September” in September, and The Commodores prove there was more to them than Lionel Richie. Michael Jackson steps Off the Wall, Chic battles the disco backlash, Supertramp serves breakfast, Bob Dylan finds Jesus, The Knack discovers that overnight success has an expiration date, and Led Zeppelin delivers one final studio album—with six covers, a paper bag and a surprising amount of synthesizer. Plus: the Winner of the Week, two substitutions and the continuing criminal exclusion of the B-52’s from the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

Topics

00:00 Cold open: Lunch in Libya, glowing socks and compulsory Knack listening 01:00 Welcome—and Milt’s controversial decision to wear a tie 04:00 Macklemore, Robert Kraft and the Ed Sheeran tour controversy 08:00 Free speech, private venues and the right to say—or refuse to host—something 12:00 Does shutting down speech help the cause or create a martyr? 15:00 Why has “Free Palestine” captured so much attention from young Americans? 19:00 The time machine lands on September 22, 1979 21:00 No. 10: Robin Williams — Reality… What a Concept 33:00 No. 9: The Cars — Candy-O 42:00 No. 8: Earth, Wind & Fire — I Am 49:00 No. 7: The Commodores — Midnight Magic 54:00 No. 6: Michael Jackson — Off the Wall 1:10:00 No. 5: Chic — Risqué 1:21:00 No. 4: Supertramp — Breakfast in America 1:31:00 No. 3: Bob Dylan — Slow Train Coming 1:39:00 No. 2: The Knack — Get the Knack 1:46:00 No. 1: Led Zeppelin — In Through the Out Door 1:58:00 The complete Top 10 recap2:00:00 Winner of the Week: Who else?2:01:00 Milt’s substitution: Talking Heads — Fear of Music 2:04:00 Dave’s substitution: The B-52’s — The B-52’s 2:08:00 Spotify frustrations, contact information and one final bowl of NyQuil

Dave and Milt fire up the time machine to revisit Billboard’s Top 10 for the week ending September 10, 1988, amid banter about insomnia, last week’s “Freedom Rock” episode (and Finley the wonderdog), and some period trivia (Hurricane Gilbert, Jerry Lewis’s telethon, Kevin Bacon marrying Kyra Sedgwick, and Elm Street 4 topping the box office). They debate Kenny Loggins’ Caddyshack II soundtrack hit, declare fatigue with “Don’t Worry, Be Happy,” praise New Edition’s Jimmy Jam/Terry Lewis upgrade, and note Taylor Dayne’s ballad getting blocked at #3. “Fast Car” is lauded as the week’s enduring masterpiece, while Van Halen’s Sammy-era “When It’s Love” gets torched. George Michael’s “Monkey” sparks a primate-song quiz, Huey’s “Perfect World” gets a reappraisal, Robert Palmer’s “Simply Irresistible” earns affectionate mockery, and Guns N’ Roses’ “Sweet Child O’ Mine” closes the countdown. Winners/substitutions: Dave picks “Monkey,” Milt picks “Fast Car,” they boot “When It’s Love” for Rod Stewart’s “Forever Young,” and swap out “Don’t Worry, Be Happy” for “Parents Just Don’t Understand.”

Topics

01:19 Insomnia and Sleep Hacks

03:18 Freedom Rock Recap

05:26 Back to Regular Pod

05:57 Time Travel to 1988

07:14 This Week in History

10:31 Movies and TV Talk

14:48 Countdown Begins Number 10

15:30 Kenny Loggins Caddyshack II

22:10 Bobby McFerrin Overplayed

30:39 New Edition Jam and Lewis

37:05 Touchdown Dance Story

38:13 New Edition Hall Debate

40:21 Taylor Dayne Deep Dive

43:51 Tig Notaro Taylor Tale

49:01 Fast Car Breakdown

55:06 Tufts Alumni Trivia

57:47 Van Halen Love Ballad

01:05:08 George Michael Monkey

01:11:33 Primate Songs Quiz

01:16:57 Perfect World Deep Dive

01:20:49 Huey Memories and No Apologies

01:23:26 Perfect World Movie Detour

01:24:36 Simply Irresistible Breakdown

01:27:52 Prince Song and Estate Talk

01:31:46 Sweet Child O Mine Analysis

01:37:44 Ticket Tales and Live Shows

01:41:20 Recap and Winner Debate

01:45:39 Substitutions Forever Young

01:49:13 Fresh Prince Surprise Pick

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:

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?"

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.

• 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.

• 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 toptentimemachine@gmail.com

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.

• 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