The 80s-est

It’s a VERY special episode of The 80s-est, where we bring in our friend, and 80s college radio specialist, Deni Mayer, to talk about his 80s experience, some of his favorite artists, and songs. The wide-ranging discussion eventually leads to Joe and Keith naming their Final Four for each of Deni’s brackets. So, re-apply your eyeliner, maybe go to a political protest (shouldn’t be hard to find one...

Well, this is IT. We are down to the FINAL. One of these two songs WILL be the winner of The 80s-est Side B! Will it be British synthpop band When in Rome’s 11-seed, “The Promise,” or will it be American synthpop group, Information Society with their 6-seed, “What’s On Your Mind?(Pure Energy)”? Vote now, and don’t forget to also vote in the 3rd place game! This is a public episode. If you would li...

This is IT! The past several Fridays have led us to the end of the road. And now it’s down to this: do you believe in the legend of Def Leppard and the decadent and bombastic “Pour Some Sugar on Me,” or do you believe in the prototypical hair band ultra-dramatic sound of White Lion, with high harmonies and guitars, as showcased in their big smash, “Wait”? It’s time to spray that hair up one last t...

The Final Four continues, as the winner of the Movies Region, (4)Send Me an Angel by Real Life, takes on the winner of the Foreigners(STILL Without Foreigner) Region, (11)The Promise by When in Rome! We have also said everything there is to say about these two songs…so once again there are no playlists here, no attached videos, it’s down to these two tunes at this point, and these two are are also...

The Final Four begins, as the winner of the Bands Region, (6)What's on Your Mind?(Pure Energy) by Information Society, takes on the winner of the Singers Region, (7)Tell It to My Heart by Taylor Dayne! We have said everything there is to say about these two songs…there are no playlists here, no attached videos, it’s down to these two tunes at this point, and they are both INCREDIBLY 80s. Which one...

The Hair Metal Final Four is HERE. BREAKING NEWS:The world experiences a hairspray shortage, because ALL THE AQUANET IS HERE! The best of the best are HERE! Now we just need YOUR votes to get us an exciting Final! TWO of these songs will advance to be the most totally hair metal song of the decade! In matchup one, British veteran rockers square off, as Def Leppard’s bombastic “Pour Some Sugar on M...

In the tightest race so far on this side, (5)The Look wins a tiebreaker against Level 42 (based on original seeding) to advance to the Regional Final. Here it clashes with the etherial underdog, 11-seed “The Promise” by When In Rome. What will it be? Swedish dance synth, or British love synth?? VOTE NOW!!! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get ac...

Well, the Singers Region all comes down to this. Two powerful women with powerhouse voices square off for the Singers Region crown, as (7)Tell It to My Heart by Taylor Dayne takes on tournament Cinderella (13)Toy Soldiers by Martika! Which will you choose, the loud dance groove about love vs. lust, or the soft, haunting ballad about addiction? Vote and tell us WHY! This is a public episode. If you...

There were no upsets in this week’s hair metal voting, but that doesn’t mean there won’t be this week! Smash radio hits rule the week as Poison takes on Ratt ((3)“Nothin’ But a Good Time” faces off against (6) “Round and Round”) In the nightcap, veteran rockers Mötley Crüe face off against fly-by-night White Lion as (7)”Wait” has the audacity to challenge (2)”Dr. Feelgood.” Make your vote and your...

Well, at long last, we have reached the end of the road in the Bands Region. One of these two songs will move on to represent the region in the Final Four! Neither of these songs should really even BE here today! Gone are the dreamy top five seeds in the region and their smash hits. Will the winner be pulsating, overproduced 6-seed “What’s on Your Mind?(Pure Energy)” by Information Society, OR wil...

One of these two songs will represent the Movies Region in the Final Four! Will it be the international #1 smash-hit, multi-award winning classic from the biggest action movie of the decade? Or will it be the barely-cracked-the-top-30 song from the BMX movie that about 2% of us have seen? It’s Top Gun vs. Rad ! It’s Berlin’s 3-seed “Take My Breath Away” against the 4-seed by 1-almost-hit-wonder, R...

We resume the Hair Metal mini-game with some absolute behemoths moving on. Leppard. G-n-R. Whitesnake. Only Dokken and (13)Dream Warriors managed to sneak through as an underdog! Here are the results, and the next round of voting! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit the80sest.substack.com

It’s the Foreigners(STILL without Foreigner) final four! The top four seeds have crashed and burned. We have the 5,7,8, & 11 seeds vying for a spot in the Regional Final. In our first matchup, it’s ultracool British 8-seed “Something About You” by Level 42 against Swedish pop outfit Roxette, and their worldwide synthsational 5-seed smash, “The Look.” In our second matchup, it’s upset-winner 11-see...

We are down to the last 4 songs in the Singers region! All the top six songs are gone, and it’s all about the ladies! It’s listener Genevieve’s dream matchups(I think?)! In the first clash, teen pop idol Debbie Gibson takes on teen pop one-hit wonder Martika, as 9-seed “Only in My Dreams” faces off against upset special 13-seed “Toy Soldiers”! Meanwhile, the second battle pits strong-voiced Taylor...

We are hair here to present the final two matchups of the Hair Metal Region’s first round! In our first matchup of the day, Danish/Italian-American glam band, White Lion, “pride” themselves in their 7-seed “Wait",” and they probably won’t have to wait long to beat 10-seed Anthrax’s “I’m the Man,” which, while a good song, doesn’t seem to fit many definitions of being a hair metal song. The second...

The Bands Region is down to its Final Four songs, and they are ALL as 80s as it gets! In the first matchup, which hypothetically should have been 1 vs. 4, we instead have two bracket-busters! Unlikely 12-seed Cameo brings his funky “Word Up” against EVEN-LESS-LIKELY 16-seed “Everybody Have Fun Tonight” by Wang Chung. What will win, Cameo’s fire-engine codpiece, or Wang Chung’s epilepsy-inducing vi...

The Movies Region is down to its final four. Not to be confused with THE Final Four, which is still to come. In the first matchup, overall tournament 1-seed, OMD’s “If You Leave” (from Pretty in Pink ) faces its first real challenge of the tournament from one of the most 80s songs of the decade, 4-seed “Send Me an Angel,” Real Life’s hypnotic Rad anthem. In the second matchup, Berlin’s Top Gun pow...

Hair Metal Friday is back again, this time with EVEN LESS TALENT and WAY MORE PARTY VIBES! Our first matchup pits Ratt and its woefully-underseeded 6-seed “Round and Round” against a power ballad/rocker hybrid, 11-seed “Love Song” by Tesla. This one could go either way, but it won’t. In the second frame, it would be nigh impossible for any matchup in any bracket in any region that we have ever don...

This episode is like a Winter Olympics medal podium! Sweden! Canada! England! In the first matchup, upset-winner 11-seed “The Promise” by English synthpop outfit When in Rome face off against the Swedish juggernaut Europe, whose 3-seed “The Final Countdown” seems to be as unstoppable as it is dramatic! In our second battle, the winner of the biggest upset in this region, 15-seed “Breakout” by Brit...

We start round two in the Foreigners region with two sets of favorites who did as expected and advanced to the second round…but now what? First up, it’s the impossible choice of 1-seed “West End Girls” by the Pet Shop Boys against the ultracool 8-seed “Something About You” by Level 42. Which is more suave, which is more British?? Then in the nightcap, we have dominant Aussie 4-seed “Never Tear Us...

Tonight, we turn the hairspray up to ELEVEN! It’s two GIANT 80s acts with two behemoth number-one mainstream hair metal classics, facing off against two extremely obscure movie-based songs! First it's Whitesnake, with its massive 5-seed ,"Here I Go Again" taking on Spinal Tap and their relatively unknown song, "Big Bottom." Yes, seriously, that’s the matchup. Then the Garden State's own Bon Jovi t...

My goodness, I have no idea how to vote on either of these powerhouse matchups! First off, cultural phenomenon Rick Astley and his 3-seed “Never Gonna Give You Up” rolls up against upset-winner Stacey Q and her spunky 11-seed “Two of Hearts.” I may vote based on hair. Next up, Taylor Dayne struts her brash 7-seed “Tell It to My Heart” up against another massive upset-winner, Milli Vanilli and thei...

We have two battles on the menu tonight, as we begin Round 2 in the Singers Region! In the first, it’s a battle of upset-winners where 9-seed “Only in My Dreams” by Debbie Gibson (who won her brawl with Tiffany), takes on massive upset artist Jodi Watley and her upstart 16-seed “Lookin’ For a New Love.” In the second slate, Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam have survived a tough first round to take their 5-s...

NOTE: This show, scheduled for Friday, came out on a Sunday. This week’s coming shows are also delayed, and likely to arrive… late? Maybe Wed-Thursday-Friday this week, until we get back on track. Thanks for your understanding! Enjoy! The Hair-Metal Mini-Game blasts out of the starting blocks with a full-throttle matchup between certified classic and top-seed “Pour Some Sugar on Me” from legendary...

Happy New Year, from The 80s-est! We’re ringing in 2025 with the last two matchups in the Bands Region! First, we have 3-seed “Life in a Northern Town” from The Dream Academy going up against Information Society and 6-seed “What’s on Your Mind (Pure Energy).” Then, it’s powerhouse 2-seed “Don’t Dream It’s Over” by Crowded House going up against 10-seed “Catch Me (I’m Falling)” from Pretty Poison....