The 80s-est

Leslie Wunderman or Ho-Jo, who’s your preference? What’s that? You have no idea who I’m talking about? What if I ask about Taylor Dayne and Howard Jones? Do those names ring a bell? You’re goddamn right they do. In this episode, we have Taylor’s seven-seed “Tell It to My Heart” against Ho-Jo’s ten-seed “No One Is to Blame.” Well, Ho-Jo, *I* blame you …for being awesome! Here’s the Taylor Dane bit...

 Hey 80s-est Listeners! You’re about to get…Rick Rolled! What is a Rick Roll, you ask? Happy to tell you: at my favorite local sushi place, a Rick Roll is a sweet-potato tempura and asparagus maki with Kewpie mayo. It’s pretty good. Anyway, today’s show has three-seed “Never Gonna Give You Up” from Rick Astley taking on fourteen-seed “Naughty Girls (Need Love, Too)” from Samantha Fox. 🦊 This is a...

Episode 25 finds us considering two of the most high-powered acts of the 80s. Seriously, they didn’t come more ground-breaking and popular than Scritti Politti and Stacy Q. The Politti boys bring their six-seed “Perfect Way” up against Ms. Q’s eleven-seed “Two of Hearts,” which, if you know anything about anything, you realize are two hearts that beat as one. Get your heart beating by listening to...

 In this episode: two songs Joe had no idea about the meaning of in the 80s! Seriously, you may think you know what four-seed “Silent Running (On Dangerous Ground)” is about, but you’re almost certainly wrong. And if you knew that thirteen-seed “Toy Soldiers” is about cocaine abuse, then you were paying way more attention than us in 1989. Come listen to Mike + the Mechanics +Martika and then let u...

In this episode, Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam with Full Force take on Robert Robert and WomenBots with Gyrations. It’s five-seed “Head to Toe” from Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam against twelve-seed “Simply Irresistible” from Robert Palmer. Which video will appeal to you? Boring performance with some neon or blatant sexism? Tough call! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subsc...

It’s our MALL EPISODE! That’s right, the ultimate 80s destination awaits you. Grab a book from B. Dalton; snag a novelty t-shirt in Spencer’s Gifts; grab a pretzel from Auntie Anne’s and then sit down and listen to 8-seed “I Think We’re Alone Now” from Tiffany as it takes on 9-seed “Only in My Dreams” from Debbie Gibson. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscr...

 Punk-ish or R&B-ish, these pop hits run the gamut. In today’s show, 1-seed “Mony Mony” from Billy Idol goes up against Jody Watley and her 16-seed “I’m Lookin’ for a New Love.” Whether you like bleached hair and sneers or big ol’ hoop earrings and cool outfits, this episode has something for you! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to b...

The back half of Side B starts here! It’s the Singers* Region! Which golden-throated pop gods made it in? It’s all laid out here, man! Sixteen huge hits! One contrived matchup! Naughty girls! Cold War paranoia! Lip syncing! This one has ‘em all! Dive into the Singers* Region! [*Plus a band or two] ***SPOILERS AS TO WHICH SONGS ARE IN THE REGION AHEAD*** This is a public episode. If you would like...

Two good songs. One of a piece with 80s pop. One pointing the way to a new decade, the last decade of the millennium. Which song is more important? Neither, they’re pop songs, man. But whatever. It’s Crowded House with 2-seed “Don’t Dream It’s Over” against Living Colour’s 15-seed “Cult of Personality.” Which one is more your 80s? This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with ot...

What’s your 80s aesthetic? Are you a Peewee’s Playhouse type or just a generic high school person? Do you like porkpie hats or hair dyed in a way that nobody ever did? Will you be more of a fan of Breakfast Club’s 7-seed “Right on Track” or Pretty Poison’s 10-seed, “Catch Me (I’m Falling)”? This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus ep...

Mid-80s drama goes up against late-80s pop-stravaganza as we move through the second half of our Bands region. It’s 3-seed “Life in a Northern Town” from non-supergroup The Dream Academy against 14-seed “She Drives Me Crazy” from our friend Rupert Guest* and Fine Young Cannibals. Which 80s is your 80s? Mid or late? Listen and vote! *We really mean Roland Gift. This is a public episode. If you woul...

What makes an 80s song? Is it over-production and copious amounts of synth? Is it a 49-piece band and a sound that propelled Latin music to new pop heights? The answer is up to the listener. But to help you consider that, we have 6-seed What’s on Your Mind (Pure Energy) from Information Society and 11-seed Conga! from the venerable Miami Sound Machine. [WARNING: This episode contains badly-spoken...

So here’s two songs: “Broken Wings” by Mr. Mister and “Here Comes Your Man” by Pixies. Which of those two tunes do we think Joe and Keith were more familiar with in the 80s? It’s not hard to guess, is it? Given that Mr. Mister is the 4th seed and Pixies are the 11th? This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit the80sest....

It’s a clash of musical styles and trends of the 80s, as classic Britpop band Simple Minds brings their cool-sounding 5-seed “Alive and Kicking” against American funk band Cameo and the unique hip-pop sound of their smash, 12-seed “Word Up!” It’s another matchup of moderate versus extreme production values—where do YOU come out? Now all you sucker DJs, who think you’re fly…VOTE! This is a public e...

It’s a battle of two songs Joe doesn’t really remember at all, as I-Can’t-Believe-It’s-Not-Prince, 8-seed Ready for the World, breaks out their #1 smash “Oh, Sheila” against The System’s groovy love-fest, 9-seed “Don’t Disturb This Groove.” Relax and listen on a mountain by a fountain, because what’s good for the goose is (allegedly) always good for the gander. And if you know what any of that mea...

Okay, listen, we did not choose these songs just so we’d have an excuse to watch a video featuring Susanna Hoffs. We absolutely did not. But, through whatever happenstance led to this match-up, we are presented with The Bangles and their hit song “Walk Like an Egyptian,” the number one seed in our Bands Region going up against 16-seed “Everybody Have Fun Tonight” by Wang Chung. For what it’s worth...

Well, folks, we got a little bit derailed this week! Joe had to return to Ohio for a bit of a family emergency. And it was Joe’s birthday during that! On his way back to the airport, he stopped to see Keith(me), and after catching up a little, we decided to do an episode here in person. But then my second mic was all fritzy. ANYWAY, we have this Region Preview, but the sound isn’t the best, but it...

What is more 80s: a song and a movie so good that they became a part of us? Or a song so generic from a movie so formulaic that they blend with every other song and movie from the decade? It’s Say Anything ’s 2-seed, “In Your Eyes” by Peter Gabriel, against The Karate Kid Part II ’s 15-seed, “Glory of Love” by Peter Cetera. No matter which song gets more votes, Peter wins! The famous Gas-n-Sip sce...

Whether you’re a shit-sucking vampire or the little brother who loves him, you’ll find something great in today’s podcast, as we present two non-hits from The Lost Boys . It’s seven-seed “I Still Believe” by Tim Capello against ten-seed “Cry, Little Sister” by Gerald “The Mahon” McMann. Music so 80s, you won’t want to put a stake through its heart. Or some other vampiric metaphor. (The songs do no...

Crank up the estrogen AND the testosterone, and take off directly into a collision course with 80s melodrama as the soft, breathy ballad, 3-seed “Take My Breath Away” by Berlin squares off against the perfomatively-masculine rocker, 14-seed “Danger Zone” by Kenny Loggins. Both songs’ egos are assessed overdraft fees for writing checks that their bodies can’t cash. Feel free to buzz our tower with...

For all of you listeners who loved both Jewel of the Nile and Short Circuit, this show is for you. It’s six-seed “Who’s Johnny?” by El DeBarge against eleven-seed “When the Going Gets Tough” by the legendary Billy Ocean. We can only mourn the fact that we never got the Steve Gutenberg/Kathleen Turner romcom we so richly deserved. Here are the two videos, as discussed in the episode: And of course,...

It’s Episode 6! Keith nominates 4-seed “Send Me an Angel” from the movie Rad , and Joe nominates 13-seed “Iko Iko,” which he THOUGHT was from Satisfaction , but really isn’t. (But at least it IS in Rain Man .) Anyway, two songs enter, even if one shouldn’t really BE here, but only one song will emerge! VOTE! People, you have to watch this: To listen to these songs back-to-back yourself, check out...

It’s Episode 5 of Side B, and the dancing is SO. DIRTY. Get on board for this cinematic slugfest: two music legends, Medley and Warnes, swagger in with the 5 seed and their global smash hit, “(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life.” But you know who is completely unimpressed by this? Johnny Castle—I mean, Patrick Swayze—the coolest customer to ever hit the Catskills. He brings his incredible charisma and...

In the second matchup of the Movies Region, it’s two Joe-quality songs, which really, that says it all. Listen up to hear 8-seed “The Lady in Red” by Chris de Burgh (from Working Girl ) desperately trying to be more 80s than the Family Ties gem, “At This Moment” by Billy Vera and The Beaters, who are sporting a 9 seed. Please hold your comments until you’ve heard Joe’s argument for including these...

We’re going back to the Chicago suburbs for another go-round with Molly Ringwald! It’s top-seeded “If You Leave” by OMD versus the Psychedelic Furs with “Pretty in Pink” at the 16-seed spot. By the way, neither Keith nor Joe look pretty in pink. Go to our Spotify playlist to listen to the songs back to back: This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get...