Hey! Remember the 80's?

Episode 250 is here! Join Joe and Kari for Part One of the milestone episode. They welcome friend of the podcast Michael to the show for a supersized Just a Bit Outside segment, for a look at those songs that hit the Hot 100, but didn't make it to the famed Top 40. You'll hear about songs from Shooting Star, Guy, Grace Slick and the B-52s, among others. Episode 250 is so big, it had to b...

Episode 249: This episode is inspired by Kari's trip to the record store, where she uncovered a set called "The British Top 30 Show." The countdown is from June 16, 1985, but is it based on the official UK Charts? Definitely not, but the jury is still out on where these rankings really came from. What can be confirmed is that you'll hear discussion about songs from Stephen &quo...

Episode 248: Let's go back in time to March 26, 1983! That's the date on the issue of Billboard magazine that Joe and Kari have chosen to peruse (and you can do the same at www.worldradiohistory.com). Let's take a look at some of the ink splashed for artists like Simple Minds, The Bar-Kays, and Ultravox. You'll also hear about The First Video Games Conference, and an interestin...

Episode 247: Multiple tidbits this week, including the lineup for the 2025 80’s Cruise, and a tribute to Eric Carmen.  You Don’t Have to Yell! Did you ever notice that multiple 80’s song titles include exclamation points in them? What’s the deal with that?? Joe and Kari take a look at some songs from Scritti Politti, Donnie Iris, Thompson Twins, and others that beg the listener to SCREAM the song...

Episode 246: Obscure Soundtrack Songs. Joe and Kari asked for suggestions on the FB page (follow it, if you aren't already!) They got some great recommendations from Bill G., David N. and Kindra K., including songs from Streets of Fire, Pretty in Pink and The Lost Boys, which actually has a ton of great songs! You'll hear about contributions from Suzanne Vega, Fire, Inc., and Lou Gramm....

Episode 245: Grab your party hats and noisemakers, it's time to celebrate some birthdays for some of your favorite musicians of the 80's! Cindy Wilson of the B-52s, Neal Schon of Journey (and numerous other bands), Robyn Hitchcock, and Tone Loc are all Pisces. Find out more about these acts and others in this week's episode of HRT80s Send us Fan Mail

Episode 244: It's time to consult The 80's Music Compendium for another list of songs with the longest piano solos. It's not that surprising to find songs from Elton John, Stevie Wonder, and Carole King. But Sheena Easton and Heart, what are you doing here? Segment two is another round of the ongoing quiz series, with accompaniment by a special guest! Find out if Joe is ever going t...

Episode 243: Lots of Odds and Ends to discuss this week, so we've got a super-sized Tidbit section for you all! Even though Kari did her best to ignore it, the Rock Hall nominees for 2024 need to be discussed. Who got snubbed? Who was deserving? More tidbits come courtesy of Michael H. and Blair (thanks for the suggestions). You'll hear discussions about Guns N' Roses, Bruce Hornsby...

Episode 242: So many tidbits! You won't even believe it, and Joe and Kari left out a big one (to be discussed at a later date, maybe!!). Main topic: R&B Superstars, including some musicians with a ton of R&B hits (and not just in the 80's), like Chaka Khan and Gladys Knight and the Pips. You'll also hear about Evelyn "Champagne" King and Cheryl Lynn (who is current...

Episode 241: This segment idea comes courtesy of friend of the podcast, Dom. Way back in episode 5, we discussed some actors who were "moonlighting" as pop singers, so why not focus on some actresses who tried it as well? We start off with some actors associated with the classic show The Facts of Life: Lisa Welchel, Kim Fields and Gloria Loring, who sang the famous theme song (talk about...

Episode 240: Time for part two of our series highlighting the Best Pop Songs NEVER to Hit the Hot 100, according to Billboard Magazine. Why did great songs from Change, Tears for Fears, Womack and Womack, Bruce Springsteen and others NOT hit the Hot 100? Billboard has their reasons, which are myriad (Heathers reference, nailed it). Then it's time for the next part of the ongoing QUIZ series,...

Episode 239: Order in the court! HRT80s Court is in session, and Joe and Kari object... to artists ripping off other artists. Of course, they try to be fair and hear both sides, so you can also decide if the audio evidence is enough to convict. This week's docket includes Kid Creole and the Coconuts v. Bananarama, and Ollie & Jerry v. Dan Hartman. There's a third case as well, but th...

Episode 238: It's time to go "Just a Bit Outside" to check out some singles that hit the Hot 100 but DIDN'T make the Top 40. This week, we'll hear singles from Neil Diamond and Jennifer Warnes, and a couple from the Great White North from Red Rider and Anne Murray. It's not all Adult Contemporary, though! The singles from 1989 are from acts like Love and Rockets and D...

Episode 237: Happy New Year, folks! Joe and Kari are starting off 2024 with a bang! They've chosen their Top Five Number One singles of the 80's and discuss each one's merits. They also discuss live versions, demos, or remixes. Get ready for chatter about Genesis, Janet Jackson, Bruce Hornsby & The Range, Cyndi Lauper, and more! Find out if any of your faves made this totally su...

It’s a very special episode of HRT80s and it’s dropping right smack dab in the middle of the busy holiday season. As we get ready for a new year, let’s take a look at some songs that hit the Hot 100 at the end of 1989. Some of these are definitely considered more “90’s” but since they debuted in 1989, they are fair game for HRT80s! Friend of the Podcast Chad joins Joe and Kari to discuss some of t...

Episode 235: Time for a trip back through time, to August 27, 1983 to be exact. That's the date on the front of the issue of Billboard that Joe procured at the antique mall, but you can follow along at worldradiohistory.com if you like. This episode is a review of the ads and articles from the issue, like ads for Louise Mandrell's scorching new album Too Hot To Sleep! There's also a...

Episode 234: It's time for another Grab Bag episode -- Joe and Kari are taking listener suggestions (as well as their own suggestions to each other) to discuss some songs that just didn't fit into any other episodes. Thanks to listener Wes for his suggestion on Contemporary Christian artists in the 80's. Steve Taylor and The 77s had some very interesting songs, thank G**! And Joe an...

Episode 233: Think back to Episode 229 from a few weeks ago, when Joe and Kari discussed in Tidbits the list of the 500 Best Pop Songs from Billboard. If you remember, part of the criteria included that the song HAD to chart on the Hot 100 to qualify. Well, the people at Billboard put together ANOTHER list of the 100 Best Pop songs NOT to hit the Hot 100, and that's what is being discussed in...

Episode 232: Yes, Joe and Kari attended the Darker Waves Festival, and they lived to tell the tale! On the podcast! Their review kicks off this episode, find out what they liked (OMD! English Beat!) and what they didn't like (Lines! People! Paying for beer!).  Since World AIDS Day is December 1st, Joe and Kari are taking a look at some of the artists who tried to use their music to bring awar...

Episode 231: If you haven't heard Joe and Kari discuss this in previous episodes, they are traveling to Huntington Beach, CA this week to attend the Darker Waves Festival! The lineup is STACKED with artists that have been discussed on HRT80s many times, but this episode is dedicated to some of the lesser-known bands like The Chameleons and Clan of Xymox, as well as faves like The English Beat...

Episode 230: This week's episode is a very special one, as Joe and Kari welcome their first international guest to the podcast: Listener Dom from New Zealand! Dom has been kind enough to suggest some of the segments that we've brought to you on HRT80s, and this week, we get to know the man behind the ideas, and what exactly he loves about music from the 1980s.  Then we invite Dom to disc...

Episode 229: Spooky Halloween Edition! Since this episode drops on Halloween, Joe and Kari took some listener suggestions on their favorite creepy songs of the 80's. Toto Coelo sang a love song about Dracula, Whodini warned us that the freaks come out at night, and Ministry gave us a goth anthem with "Everyday is Halloween." Finally, the Great 80's Music Quiz comes to an end wi...

Episode 228: As promised, here is Part Two of the recap of the Countdown America program from February 18, 1989. Dick Clark hosted this syndicated radio program that used the Top 30 Adult Contemporary charts from Radio and Records magazine. In the upper reaches of the countdown, we have songs from Vanessa Williams, Anita Baker and Barbra Streisand. Plus, Debbie Gibson and Tiffany face off with bal...

Episode 227: This episode is only for the Jackée stans!!! That's right: HRT80s is celebrating 227 episodes this week! And we asked the listeners to tell us their favorite TV Theme Songs for us to cover on the podcast. So get ready to hear about the theme songs to your favorite 80's shows: Perfect Strangers, Cheers, 227 (natch), and everyone's favorite, Golden Girls. Then it's t...

Episode 226: Please welcome to the podcast: Michael! He's joining the panel for HRT80s court, that segment that takes a look at some similar-sounding songs and asks, Who is at fault for this? Why does "Running Back to You" by Vanessa Williams sound a bit like "Right on Track" by the Breakfast Club? Does Bananarama owe some money to Company B? And why exactly was New Line P...