Hey! Remember the 80's?

Episode 175: First up in tidbits, some 80's-related TV notes (Cobra Kai, Women Who Rock), and a reaction to the first trailer for the upcoming Whitney Houston biopic. Then it's time for the main topic, a Billboard magazine flashback to the September 19, 1987 issue. A new band's debut album and single "demand your attention!" Then, a news article explains why Michael Jackso...

Episode 174: Since Kari was stoked to see one of her favorite bands, Crowded House, live in concert later this month, she thought it would be a good time to discuss the band's history in this week's episode. Crowded House may have postponed their US dates, but HRT80s must go on! The story begins with brothers Tim and Neil Finn (and the band Split Enz), and endz with another set of brothe...

Episode 173: Remember a few weeks back when Joe and Kari ranked songs with America in the title? They had so much fun, they decided to open it up to all the countries around the world! Songs that were "Big in Japan" or had you "Dancing Under a Latin Moon" are up for debate! The list is quite diverse, so there is sure to be a song in the mix that that you love, or maybe you will...

Episode 172: Joe and Kari left off on the letter "H" in the R&B Singles reference book, so it's time to check in with some artists that were putting in a lot of time on the R&B Chart: Howard Hewett, Miki Howard (did we know she was in Poetic Justice??), and Phyllis Hyman. By the time they get to the letter J, they are dealing with some legends: Millie Jackson and Al Jarreau....

Episode 171: Coming Around Again; the segment which focuses on songs that charted or were released more than once is back again! The song "Don't Tell Me Lies" by UK act Breathe got a remix and a second shot at success on the Hot 100, as did an early single from Adam and the Ants. John Foxx and Paul Young (or rather, their record labels) also re-released some singles...did any of the...

Episode 170: Of course, Joe and Kari have to pay tribute to Olivia Newton-John. Kari said it best in one of the first episodes of HRT80's: ONJ is our superstar, forever and always.  Ebony And Ivory: More long piano solos from the 80's; including songs from Peter Cetera, Smokey Robinson, and Fine Young Cannibals. Kari is a huge fan of piano and keyboards in popular music, but does she enj...

Episode 169: Joe and Kari are celebrating the 41st anniversary of MTV by revisiting the videos that were chosen to air on that first day of programming. We all know "Video Killed the Radio Star" by the Buggles was the first video to air, but the Buggles also had another video in rotation at the time.  Lesser known acts like PhD and Robin Lane and the Chartbusters were also pioneers by ha...

Episode 168: Billboard Flashback, July 28, 1984: Let's look at some advertisements and articles from an old issue of Billboard Magazine. First up, is America ready for Wendy O. Williams? Her label ponied up for a front page ad touting "The finest heavy rock album since Pyromania." Well she certainly loved fire. Page 2 features the former lead singer of The J. Geils Band, Peter Wolf....

Episode 167: What's your favorite 80's soundtrack? There are so many great ones out there, so Joe and Kari decided to take a look at some of the more obscure offerings. Cyndi Lauper's first movie role resulted in the song "Hole in My Heart"…does the song give you the Vibes? Vision Quest had some big hits, but it's also got overlooked gems from Don Henley and Sammy Hag...

Episode 166 is here, and the category is...Songs with Hand Claps (hold for applause). There are many Hot 100 hits from the 80's that feature hands as instruments, and Joe and Kari discuss some of the deeper hits: songs from the Kingbees, Vaughan Mason and Crew, and Nicolette Larson, among others.  Just a Bit Outside: the "hit" from 1980 comes from "musical act" Starland Vo...

Episode 165: Our tidbits are packed to the gills, thanks to Milwaukee's Summerfest! Kari witnessed performances from some great acts like The Fixx, Modern English, Howard Jones and Midge Ure. Find out who put on the best show. A Happy Belated 4th of July is next: Joe and Kari rank some Hot 100 hits with America or USA in the title (they also threw in a song from the band America because they...

Episode 164: We timed this one just right for the second part of Stranger Things Season 4, which drops on Netflix on July 1. It's an in-depth look at the music used in the show's first 4 seasons. If you haven't watched the show yet, first of all, what are you waiting for? But even if it's still on your To-Do List, Joe and Kari are bringing a spoiler-free review of the great son...

Episode 163: Of course, we begin with a quick Kate Bush update (HRT80s has never been so invested in a current Hot 100 chart), and then it's time to discuss some superstars from the R&B Chart. Last time we visited the subject, we left off on the letter H -- so get ready for info on Isaac Hayes, Leon Haywood, Heavy D and others.  Number 163: Since it's episode 163, we are focusing on...

Episode 162: First in tidbits is an update on the Kate Bush Chart Resurgence of 2022: she's back, BABY!  Next, it’s a super-sized Just A Bit Outside;  a look at the songs of 1980 and 1989 that didn't quite hit the Top 40, including songs from Foreigner, John Denver, and Chunky A (psst, it's really Arsenio). And you don't want to miss the song that Joe calls the absolute worst s...

Episode 161: Joe and Kari have returned from a little break -- Kari went on a European vacation just like the Griswolds, but Stonehenge remains in tact! Since it's been a few weeks since they've caught up, the first segment is Revenge of the Tidbits! The music world has been shaken up by some classic 80's songs that have seen a resurgence of late, and Kari fills us in on the 80&apos...

Episode 160: This week, Kari and Joe chose two artists for the HRT80s spotlight. Kari picked singer/songwriter John Hiatt -- a musician who began his career in the 70's and went on to become a well-respected figure in the industry and had his songs covered by other legends like Bonnie Raitt, Eric Clapton and BB King, and Jon Bon Jovi. Joe was inspired by the recent announcement of inductees f...

Episode 159: It’s been teased for a few weeks, and the time has finally come: Joe and Kari give their review of the Mixtape Tour: NKOTB, Rick Astley, Salt N Pepa, and En Vogue! The show was 2.5 hours of nonstop hits...and a little bit of Magic Mike! Find out the highs and lows, and what it’s like to get Rickrolled in real life.  Scottish Acts: Since Kari is headed to the UK, the HRT80’s duo takes...

Episode 158: The 80's alternative music festival Cruel World is this weekend in Pasadena, and although Joe and Kari will not be attending (cruel world, indeed), they thought that discussing a bunch of the acts that will be performing would be the next best thing! Put on some heavy eyeliner and listen in as they discuss acts like Berlin, Gene Loves Jezebel, The Church, and Echo and the Bunnyme...

Episode 157: There are a lot of May birthdays for some of our favorite 80's acts. Steve Stevens became famous for his work with Billy Idol, but he did a lot of great work on his own, including a theme for one of the biggest movies of the decade. Members of the Housemartins and China Crisis are also blowing out some candles this month. Get out your party hats and (Art of) Noisemakers! Just a B...

Episode 156 is here! Time to head back to 1980 to take a look at the headlines, charts, and paid advertisements in Billboard magazine, dated April 26, 1980. Arista Records sprung for an ad on the cover touting the "sensational hit single" "Fire in the Morning" by Melissa Manchester. Money well spent? Al Johnson, Ian Hunter, and Ozark Mountain Daredevils are a few of the other a...

Episode 155: Believe it or not, there are a lot of 80's songs that feature the violin (just now realizing that we forgot to include that Lambda Lambda Lambda song from the finale of Revenge of the Nerds, darn it!). Check out the new segment "Strings and Things" for a rundown of some great 80's tunes that feature both traditional violin sounds as well as that wacky "pizzica...

Episode 154 is here! Remember that television program Hit Me Baby One More Time? Where fading pop stars performed their classic songs and contemporary covers, in an effort to restart their career? It's okay, Joe and Kari didn't really remember it either, but since so many great 80's acts took part, they decided to watch a few episodes of the UK version to see how everyone fared. Get...

Episode 153 is here! Joe and Kari discuss more acts that placed a ton of singles on the R&B Chart. They left off near the beginning of the alphabet, but they take a quick detour to the letter S (for reasons that will be explained) to discuss Slave, a brassy band with 15 hits on the chart in the 80's. Georgio, Johnny Gill, Herbie Hancock, Nona Hendryx and Stacy Lattisaw also take a turn un...

Episode 152: 80's Movie Soundtrack Mania! Did you know that the Against All Odds soundtrack has music NOT by Phil Collins on it?! It was news to Joe and Kari! Kid Creole and the Coconuts perform a delightful song and even appear in the movie! Other obscure movie tunes from The Heavenly Kid, The Lost Boys, Secret Admirer and (sigh) Hunk pop up as well.  Just a Bit Outside: An offshoot of the D...

Episode 151: What exactly is Power Pop? There are a few guidelines, but really, you'll know it when you hear it. The Knack and Cheap Trick are a couple of the more popular Power Pop bands, but since this is HRT80's, Joe and Kari spotlight a few of the lesser-known acts: The Kings, XTC, and The Spongetones, among others.  That's What Friends Are For: Culture Club backing vocalist, an...