Hey! Remember the 80's?

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...

Episode 150! Can you believe it?? Joe and Kari have decided to spend this momentous occasion (or maybe it was a coincidence) to take a deep dive into the careers of "artistes" Devo and Rickie Lee Jones. Kari chose to investigate the art-rockers Devo and how they got started. Joe is obsessed with Rickie Lee Jones. These two acts definitely march to the beat of their own drum.  Coming Arou...

Episode 149: Got a minute? Joe and Kari are bringing you more epic guitar solos that last around 60 seconds, including classics from artists you would expect (Santana, Guns 'N' Roses, Led Zeppelin), as well as some deeper hits from acts like Vandenberg, J. Blackfoot, and Bad Company. Who's Holding Phil Now? It's the same old story from Mr. Collins -- he tells record execs &quot...

Episode 148: Hope you love the segment "Just a Bit Outside" as much as Joe and Kari do, because that's the sole focus of this episode -- but with a twist!! Since Joe complained so much about focusing on the deeper hits from the year 1980, Kari decided to zoom on up to 1989! So get ready for songs from 1989's brightest stars: Neneh Cherry, Dino...and Loverboy?! Send us Fan Mail

Episode 147 is here! Joe and Kari take a look at the Billboard issue from February 22, 1986, with a highlight on R&B News and Charts. Did you know how many times James Brown hit the Hot 100?? Billboard's resident chart watcher (and Psychic Friend) Paul Grein knew! James Brown was on the charts with a song from Rocky IV. Jermaine Jackson, Bernard Wright and Dana Dane were making waves on t...

Episode 146: The 2022 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Nominees have been announced, and this year's crop includes some MTV-era stars as well as a certain Country & Western Icon.  Don't forget to vote daily for your faves!!  R&B Superstars: Kari's reference book come in handy once again this week. Time for a closer look at some of the acts that were dominating the R&B Chart in...

Episode 145: The Janet Jackson documentary dropped, and Joe and Kari have some opinions!  It's hard to distill the impact of Janet's music and legacy into four hours (with commercials), but overall, viewers were treated to some behind-the-scenes footage that allowed a glimpse into the music. Was it enough? What better time to look at the 80's music output of some of the other Jackso...

Episode 144: Ready for another episode of Hey, Remember the 80's? Joe and Kari take a look at the R&B Chart to highlight some of the artists that dominated that chart throughout the 80's. Atlantic Starr, George Benson, and Cameo are some of the powerhouse acts that put over 20 songs on the R&B Chart.  Top of the Pops: A quick look at two songs that topped the UK Singles Chart. On...

Episode 143: Longest Sax Solos of the 80's, Part Two! The saxophone solo is a staple of your favorite 80's hits, time to check in on some doozies: Wang Chung and Go West are two synth-based acts, but they weren't afraid to dust of the sax when needed! The Stray Cats and The Rolling Stones show up as well.  Quiz Time: Kari recently took part of a trivia contest, time to see how Joe w...

Episode 142: That's What Friends Are For…Joe and Kari keep smilin', keep shinin' as they highlight the 80's tunes which feature famous musicians in the studio that are paying a favor to their friends. A former Eagle recruits Kim Carnes for backup, while Dave Mason does one better and gets the biggest star of the 80's to sing backup for him.  Coming Around Again: A couple o...

Episode 141: Everybody's gotta start somewhere, and in this episode of HRT80's, Joe and Kari are taking a look at some of the earlier songs from legendary songwriter Diane Warren. She has written some of the biggest hits of all-time, like "How Do I Live," "Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now" and "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing," but in the 80's, she wr...

Episode 140: Joe and Kari took a little break for the holidays, but they are BACK, and to coincide with the first episode of the New Year, they are taking a look at the first time some of your faves hit the Hot 100: Survivor, Don Henley, and the solo debuts of a couple members of the Go-Go's are the first up. You'll also hear about the debut of Jermaine Stewart and cuties Roman Holliday....

Episode 139: Santa brought everyone a SUPER-SIZED episode this week, as well as an appearance from friend of the podcast Michael! This week's topic: Grand Theft Auto (it's a video game, and don't worry if you've never played it, Joe hasn't either). The MUSIC in Grand Theft Auto is Amazingggg, lots of big hits and obscure 80’s songs. Joe, Kari, and Michael give you the rund...

Episode 138: Another look at some of the songs that were topping Billboard's *other* charts: Dance, R&B, Rock. First, dueling Steely Dan/Michael Jackson mash-ups, did they get paid for this? Siedah Garrett was topping the dance chart as well. She was hot off of her number one with MJ, was this song the right move for her? Also, Bobby Brown made solo music before "Don't Be Cruel&...

Episode 137: A momentous occasion for sure; Kari re-evaluates her stance on the music of Dire Straits! Joe and Kari reveal the longest organ solos of the 80's: J. Geils Band, Axe, and Crowded House make the list, and you will also learn exactly what a "brewer's droop" is, for better or worse. Who's Holding Phil Now: Time to check in on Phil Collins, who probably spent more...

One big tidbit kicks off the episode: a summary of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony and tributes to Carole King, Tina Turner, the Go-Go's, and LL Cool J.  Then it's Time to go Back in Time, to November 30th, 1985 to be exact. Ads and articles in that edition of Billboard Magazine highlight artists like Arcadia, Kurtis Blow, Grace Jones, and Jack Wagner, who did NOT wear...

Episode 135: The 80’s had no shortage of amazing female vocalists, and in this episode, Joe and Kari will be ranking the hits of three talented women: Linda Ronstadt, Barbra Streisand, and … Juice Newton? Yes, chart-wise, these three had about the same amount of hits!! It’s no secret that Joe loves Juice Newton, but will she nab the top spot?  That’s What Friends Are For — it should come as a surp...

Episode 134 is here! First things first, why did the last episode end with Paula Abdul's "Vibeology"?  Next, a deep dive into two 80's acts that have been on tour recently -- The Psychedelic Furs and The Fixx. Kari saw The Psychedelic Furs in Milwaukee, so she tackles their history and some notable songs. Joe has tickets for The Fixx in STL, so he's got the rundown on thei...

Episode 133: The time has finally arrived for Joe and Kari to reveal all about 80's in the Sand, the five day 80's music festival in Cancun. They discuss the highs, the lows, and everything in between! Billy Idol was the headliner (and put on a great show), but everyone from The Little River Band to The Smithereens gave it their all! Find out which acts put on fantastic poolside sets, an...