The 80s-est

Happy Labor Day to our US listeners! The Elite Eight begins here! It’s time to choose one champion from each of our regions, starting with the Movie region. It’s a clash of the titans as Simple Minds’ #1 seed “Don’t You (Forget About Me)” takes on Duran Duran’s three-seed “A View to a Kill.” It’s Bond vs the Breakfast Club. Get it in your ears! During the episode, we discuss Rhonda Soikowski’s pod...

It’s our landmark 50th episode, and it’s a doozy! Four amazing songs! Four titanic artists! Absolutely monster 1-seed “Take on Me” from A-Ha faces off against 4-seed “Tainted Love” from Soft Cell. Then, 2-seed “Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)” takes on 3-seed “99 Luftballons” from Nena. Hard choices abound! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get a...

We’re down to the final four songs in the Singers Region and they are all powerhouses. It’s top-seeded “Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go” from Wham! against 4-seed “Sunglasses at Night” from maple-syrup-chugger Cory Hart. Then, Sheila E.’s plucky underdog, 6-seeded “The Glamorous Life,” takes on juggernaut 2-seed “Girls Just Want to Have Fun.” This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this...

Dear god, why won’t “Crush on You” die? Seriously! Jesus, what sort of Faustian bargain did The Jets strike with The Dark Angel that keeps them in this? Will they finally go the hell away as we complete the Semi-Final round of the Band Region? We can only hope and pray. The Bands Region after Round 2: This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access...

Round three starts right now! It’s the Semi-Final of the Movie Region. Simple Minds vs John Parr! Duran Duran vs Harold Faltermeyer! Your vote determines who makes it to the Regional Final! For the love of god, you must listen now ! The Movies Region, after Round 2: This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit the80sest.s...

 It’s Cold War paranoia vs synthy goofiness! It’s iconic duos vs family projects! It’s episode 46 of The 80s-est! 3-seed “99 Luftballons” by Nena goes up against Thomas Dolby and his 11-seed “She Blinded Me with Science.” Then, powerhouse “Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)” from Eurythmics faces off with Kim Wilde’s 7-seed “Kids in America.” Listen and vote! This is a public episode. If you would li...

Who advanced to the second round in the Foreigners (without Foreigner) Region? Well, here we go! The second round of the Foreigners bracket gets going as top-seeded Norweigan smash “Take On Me” takes on quirky Canadian 8-seed “Safety Dance.” Then, British duo Soft Cell bring their 4-seed “Tainted Love” up against the Guyanese-British Eddy Grant with his iconic 12-seed “Electric Avenue.” This is a...

Can a pair of Prince-adjacent tunes make it to the third round? Sheila E’s 6-seed “The Glamorous Life” takes on 3-seed “Jessie’s Girl” from Rick Springfield. Also, Chaka Khan, with 10-seed “I Feel for You” is pitted against heavy favorite 2-seed “Girls Just Want to Have Fun” from “We Are the World” champ Cyndi Lauper. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribe...

Which Singers advanced to Round 2, which didn’t? Find out right now! It’s the second round of the Singers bracket. 1-seed “Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go” takes on 80s superstars The Pointer Sisters and their synthy “Automatic.” Meanwhile, 12-seed “Bette Davis Eyes” from Kim Carnes goes up against Cory Hart, who wears “Sunglasses at Night.” This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this...

The voting gets even harder as we wrap up the second round in our Bands region. Naked Eyes’ 6-seed “Always Something There to Remind Me” is pitted against 3-seed “Voices Carry” by Aimee Mann and ‘Til Tuesday. Then, it’s 2-seed “I Melt with You” by Modern English versus 10-seed “Let’s Go All the Way” by Sly Fox. Which songs will survive to make it Round 3? This is a public episode. If you would lik...

Folks, this show about the Bands Region 2nd Round has it all: Rock & Roll Hall of Famers, sexual aggression, Mormons, and ill-advised hair-dos! First, A Flock of Seagulls’ top-seeded “I Ran (So Far Away)” goes up against Animotion’s 8-seed “Obsession.” Then, it’s The Go-Gos’ 4-seed “We Got the Beat” versus somehow-still- in-this-contest compelling Keith-favorite 12-seed “Crush on You” by The Jets....

 James Bond! Axel Foley! Sonny Crockett! Marty McFly! The second round of the Movie Region wraps up today as Duran Duran’s 3-seed “A View to a Kill” takes on 11-seed “The Power of Love” by Huey Lewis and the News. Meanwhile, Phil Collins puts his 2-seed “In the Air Tonight” up against underdog 10-seed “Axel F” by synth master Harold Faltermeyer. Get your votes in, y’all! *Also of note, during the...

The first round has ended, leaving the bracket looking like this (the “scores” are the percentages of votes that each song received): After revealing the winners, the guys start the new Round 2 format of running through matchups two at a time. We have cut the dead weight, All that remain are massive hits. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get acc...

 [Movie trailer voice] Sometimes…the world goes so wrong…the suffering is so great…that the only one who can make a difference…is Lionel Richie. In this Very Special Episode, Keith and Joe tackle one of the most glaring omissions from the 80s-est bracket: “We Are the World.” Who was there? Who wasn’t? Who shouldn’t have been? Who’s solo sucked the most? These questions will be definitively answere...

Con men! Cows! Androgyny! And that’s just the videos! It’s a battle of 80s icons in Episode 37, as 15-seed Boy George and Culture Club send their hit “Karma Chameleon” to tackle Annie Lennox and Dave Stewart’s certified classic 2-seed “Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This).” As mentioned in the episode, here is Dave Stewart breaking down the building of Sweet Dreams , courtesy of listener Dr. Janet. Thi...

Today on Episode 36 of The 80s-est: Pop Singer Lies EXPOSED! Kim Wilde was a kid in the U.K., not America! And Peter “Major Tom” Schilling never achieved a rank higher than Corporal! Keith and Joe show you the truth behind the lies as 7-seed “Kids in America” takes on 10-seed “Major Tom (Coming Home).” This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access...

Do you love yourself some Schnitzel? Craving a good pilsner in a big ol’ stein? We can’t help you with that, but we do have a giant plate of German for you, as today’s Episode 35 pits 3-seed “99 Luftballons” by Nena against 14-seed “Der Kommissar” by Falco. Who’s 80s-er? Who’s more Germanic? Let’s find out! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get a...

Irish vs English! Overalls vs lab coats! Violin vs synth, synth, and more synth! In Episode 34, it’s 6-seed “Come On, Eileen” by Dexy’s Midnight Runners against 11-seed “She Blinded Me with Science” from Thomas Dolby.  Also, check out Dolby recounting the making of his classic hit that Keith mentions in the show! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or...

Soft Cell! Tears for Fears! Cage match! Two songs enter, one song leaves! [We kid. Both songs will be fine. Don’t worry. No songs were harmed in the recording of this episode. This is just 4-seed “Tainted Love” against 13-seed “Everybody Wants to Rule the World.” It’s a friendly little vote-off. Seriously, don’t be scared!] This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other sub...

What seems more 80s to you: social satire or societal outrage? In Episode 32, tongue-in-cheek rock song “Money for Nothing” by Dire Straits takes its 5-seed up against Eddy Grant’s singular 12-seed “Electric Avenue.” Here’s the iconic Dire Straits video link that we promised! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit t...

Which kind of men are 80s-er: those at work, or those without hats? Let’s find out together in our 31st episode, as 8-seed “Safety Dance” by Men Without Hats faces off against 9-seed “Who Can It Be Now?” by Men at Work. It’s a close one, y’all.  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

Can a super-positive ditty take out a Norweigan JUGGERNAUT? Probably not, but give a listen anyway. In Episode 30, it’s peppy 16-seed “Walking on Sunshine” by Katrina and the Waves against über-popular “Take on Me” by A-ha. Which will win? Either way, the word “on” is a winner! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit...

¿Qué canción es la más 80s? Quelle chanson est la plus années 80s? Welches Lied ist am meisten 80er? In Episode 29, it’s time for the Foreigners (Without Foreigner!) Region! 16 artists from around the world vie for a spot in the next round. It’s like Eurovision, without the camp! Will your favorite songs make it into the tournament? This is their last chance! Listen in real-time to find out, or ch...

Two upbeat, poppy tunes face off in this, our 28th episode. It’s 2-seed “Girls Just Want to Have Fun” by Cyndi Lauper versus 15-seed “Break My Stride” by Matthew Wilder. Will the winner be iconoclastic, style-setting Lauper or the…mustache-having Wilder? Two good songs, one hard choice. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episod...

What’s better: a song that expresses affection and desire or a song about raging paranoia? Now’s your chance to decide, as in Episode 27, we pit 10-seed “I Feel for You” by Chaka Khan against 7-seed “Somebody’s Watching Me,” by the mega-star Rockwell. 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