Mark And Sarah Talk About Songs

Who'd have guessed we'd disagree this much about Meat Loaf? For one of us, "Paradise By the Dashboard Light" is just the tonic, and for the other, it's a dram of poison. That disagreement leads to reflections on excess, mid-air motorcycles, and the existential reckoning that comes with a really long song.   Our intro is by Andrew Byrne, and our outro is by William Joel. You can reach us...

One of us loves Olivia Newton-John's "Magic" and the other can't remember it, even after hearing it. But which is which? Listen to find out, and you'll also hear about Olivia's enduring legacy, an unexpected covers album of her greatest hits, and the glory of musicals on roller skates.   Our theme is by Andrew Byrne. Our outro is from Starlight Express (yessir!). Want to request a song,...

Can anyone look good in an olive cotton suit? Bruno Mars can! We talk about his mastery of '90s style and New Jack Swing on his new song "Finesse" featuring Cardi B, and that gets us thinking about the glory of good nostalgia, the reasons beats sound cheap, and our varying tolerances for eating concentrated orange juice straight from the can.   Our theme song is by David Gregory Byrne, a...

It's our hundredth episode! To celebrate, Sarah and Mark surprise each other on-air with their song choices, and their esteemed colleague Tara Ariano delivers a surprise listener request. Will they like the unexpected choices? Will they occasionally squeal with delight? Will Teddy Ruxpin have an opinion? Listen to find out!   The intro for this episode is by everyone who's ever written a MASTAS th...

Can a song make you pregnant? Listen to "Little Red Corvette" and call us in nine months. Our appreciation of Prince involves the two-way street of sexual objectification, guitar riffs that double as orgasms, and the varying fortunes of the Purple One's proteges.   Our intro is by Laura Berger and Jack Baldelli. The outro is by Sheila E. Wanna vote in ranking episodes and get bonus conte...

What takes "Moon River" from "great song" to "timeless classic"? We have several theories to discuss, and only one of them involves the essential bleakness of the Finnish. We also touch on lyrics that make space for interpretation, Judy Garland's inspirational pain, and Henry Mancini's spot-on conducting. Plus: Teddy Ruxpin gets pissed!   Our intro is by Andrew Byrne,...

Mark journeys through Whitney Houston's songs on the 'Bodyguard' soundtrack, ranking each one alongside the Patreon patrons. This leads to chart facts, appreciations of sass, and a sidebar about your friend's dad who wanted you to call him by his first name.  Want to discuss the NON-Whitney songs on this soundtrack? Join us at patreon.com/mastas for even more 'Bodyguard' action. Want to make a req...

We don't wanna wait...to get on with this ranking! If you need a podcast that discusses '90s TV themes which were also chart hits, then we'll be there for you. We're also searching our souls to explain our feelings about Dawson, strong margaritas, and Bryn Mawr. All that, plus a super-funky birthday chart reading! (More on Jamie Walters from Mark right here.)   This week's intro is by David Gregor...

The huge Paul Simon hit from the huge  Graceland album is our topic today, along with the redemption of Chevy Chase; relationship realism in pop music; AND a playlist about earworms that goes in a very unexpected direction. Grab a piccolo and join us!   Our intro is by David Gregory Byrne, and our outro is also by Paul Simon. Wanna make a request or just say hello? Tweet us at TalkSongs, Facebook...

The massive Grammy-winner from Andre 3000 and Big Boi left Sarah cold...at first, but soon enough she and Mark were hip-deep in an exploration of Elvis, Queen Bey, jukebox America, and how much Beatles-adjacent content Mark can tolerate. (Answer: some!) And don't miss a novelty-song birthday reading that reveals one listener's Rick Dees-tiny!   Our intro is by Andrew Byrne, and our outro is by Mr....

Oh Sting, you old button-pusher! We're digging into the moral and sexual politics of The Police's "Don't Stand So Close To Me," which leads us to hit songs about unexpected subjects, literary references, and (naturally) tantric intercourse.   Our intro is by Andrew Byrne, and our outro is by Sting. Wanna make a request or just say hello? Tweet us at @talksongs, Facebook us at facebook.co...

Who needs fluent English when you've got dope Scandinavian beats? Mark and Sarah succumb to the joy of Ace of Base's "The Sign," meaning they write their own vaguely grammatical lyrics, have specific memories about nerding out to this music in a friend's pickup truck, and figure out the exact number of times you can hear this track before it drives you crazy.   Our intro is by Laura Barg...

When we get drunk and discuss listener requests, we land on Heart's "What About Love" and the journey the band's sound took between the '70s and the '80s. Along the way, we discuss guitar solos, weird subjects for hit songs, and (somewhat unexpectedly) why King Lear is a frustrating play.   Our intro is by David Gregory Byrne, our outro is by the Haden Triplets, and our interest in your...

Look out, 'cuz here we come! Joined again by the delightful Joe Reid, we're unraveling the mysteries of this year's Oscar-nominated songs, and we're ranking our favorites to determine a winner. We stand up for some of these tracks, and we pray some of them to get washed away by a mighty river. And of course, we remember to go deep with Oscar facts, Broadway shade, and pre-exhaustion for meaningful...

Madonna from the '90s is not Madonna from the '80s, and we really need to parse what that means. (Yes. Need!) That's why we're ranking every song on GHV2, her second greatest hits album. Get ready for tales of late-night drives, thoughts about "transitional pop," and a whole thing about the sexiness of restraint. Our intro is by Andrew Byrne, and our outro is by Clinton. Want to request...

Things get experimental as we discuss "We've Only Just Begun" by the Carpenters. We not only talk about this song's unusual history and the variety of mixed emotions that any Carpenters tune evokes, but ALSO take an improvised dip into Karen's solo work. As in, Sarah loads it into the sound board mid-discussion, and we just go wild!    Our theme song is by David Gregory Byrne, and our ou...

A few weeks ago, Mark discovered the remarkable songwriting of Walker Hayes and told Sarah about it. Inside his songs, Sarah discovered some stirring similarities to her own life. This led to our current episode, where we dig into four Hayes tunes, geek out over their structural ingenuity, and remember yet again that great music can show you back to yourself.   Our theme song is by Andrew Byrne, a...

Oh, Mariah! You want tea, and we're spilling it. More to the point, we're talking about "Emotions," a perfect example of why Mimi got famous in the first place. As we think about where she was then and where she is now, we discuss the sound of actual joy, the power of tall women, and the ability of some divas to go crazy on their own terms.   Our intro is by Andrew Byrne, our outro is by...

We're not miserable people, but we still love The Smiths. Go figure! Sarah tees up one tune each from the Smiths, Morrissey, and Johnny Marr, which leads to jaunty lyrical analysis, MANY disagreements about the band's best work, and a reminder that Mark's husband once mowed the lawn in all black, because his soul insisted he should.   Mark's husband (Andrew Byrne) also delivers our intro, and the...

It's time for musical justice! Joined by the glorious Pam Ribon, we discuss three songs that should be famous, but somehow aren't. Come for Beyonce, Annie Lennox, and Bic Runga, but stay for Billy Joel stripteases, unusual uses for cream soda, and the cockney rage of Teddy Ruxpin III.    ALSO: Pre-order Pam's rom-com graphic novel, MY BOYFRIEND IS A BEAR. And go enjoy WRECK-RALPH 2 this fall, whic...

We kick off 2018 with a truly magical episode, in the sense that "Magic" by the Cars is a fantastic song. Joined by special guest Kevin Smokler, we discuss making rock look easy, polishing your production juuuust enough, and getting over yourself to enjoy a bouncy hook. Plus, we explore the many ways to pronounce "Ocasek" and the secret history of our patron saint, Soikus Payno...

As we finish our countdown of our favorite songs of 2017 and 1967, we're startled to discover that a horn line has made us pregnant, a bouncy New Wave groove has masked our rage, and a gentle country song has essentially reminded us to love. And speaking of love: We love YOU, our listeners, for being such wonderful companions on our weekly wanders. See you next year!   Our theme song is by David G...

We're counting down our 10 favorite songs of 2017 AND ALSO 1967. Because that's how we roll, y'all! In this episode, we look at #s 10-6 on both lists, which lets us cover everything from sultry R&B piano to #MeToo anthems to the surprising excellence of One Direction's solo efforts. Join us next week for our top 5 in both years!   Our theme song is by Jack Baldelli and Laura Barger, and our ou...

MASTAS is doin' it for ourselves! And by "it," we mean "discussing a classic cut by Eurythmics and Annie Lennox." Diverging opinions on the song lead to lively chat about Aretha's eras, the good and bad of '80s pop, and the reason we need so many different kinds of feminist art. Plus, there are references to semiotics, Swann's Way, and coffee shops!   Our theme song is by Andre...

MASTAS is a battlefield! As we rank the songs on Pat Benatar's "Best Shots" album, Sarah briefly quits the podcast, parts of Mark are predicted to explode, and "The Legend Of Billie Jean" is revealed as the film that unites the planets.   Special thanks to our patrons, whose votes directly impacted the rankings. To become a patron, join us at patreon.com/mastas. Meanwhile, our...