The 80s-est

Actor/singer vs comedian/actor/“singer”! Legit voice/problematic lyrics vs generational comedic talent/vanity project! Rick “Noah Drake” Springfield vs Eddie “Axel F” Murphy! It’s 3-seed “Jessie’s Girl” against very generously 14-seeded “Party All the Time.” This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit the80sest.substack....

In Episode 25 it’s amazing percussion versus incredibly bad 80s hair. Sheila E. brings her stand-up drumming against Howard Jones’ mind-blowing orange satin suit as 6-seed “The Glamorous Life” goes against 11-seed “Things Can Only Get Better.” 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

Why does Corey Hart wear sunglasses at night? Just where is Billy Ocean’s lady queen of, anyway? These questions and many more are answered in Episode 24, as we listen to 4-seed “Sunglasses at Night” taking on 13-seed “Caribbean Queen.” 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

In Episode 23, it’s the battle of the raspy blondes! Underdog Kim Carnes pits her 12-seed “Bette Davis Eyes” against powerful 5-seed “Total Eclipse of the Heart” by Bonnie Tyler. Which will win? And what the hell is going on with Tyler’s bonkers video? Do yourself a favor and check out the Total Eclipse literal video as well! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other s...

For Episode 22’s face-off, we’ve got a one-hit wonder versus an 80s hit machine. It’s Baltimora with 8-seeded “Tarzan Boy” versus The Pointer Sisters with number 9 seed, “Automatic.” Will the Sisters automatically win? Not if the Lord of the Jungle has anything to say. Which he probably doesn’t, as he was famously portrayed as being limited in the speechifying department. Please also, as promised,...

For Episode 21, It’s the first match-up of the Singers Region! Top-seeded “Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go” against 16-seed “Gloria.” Will Laura Branigan get Whammed? I mean, probably. 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

The next region begins here, in Episode 20! Which songs made the grade? Find out as we reveal the 16 competitors in our Singers Region! And, because we know so many of you will be dying to find out: yes, Eddie Murphy made the bracket! #PartyAllTheTime The full bracket is listed visually below, so if you want to be surprised, don’t scroll down to it! Wait for it… Again, stop scrolling if you want t...

What happens when a true classic goes up against the aural equivalent of a peak-Spencer’s-Gifts-era Mall Food Court? Find out in Episode 19 where it’s 2-seed Modern English with “I Melt with You,” doing battle with “Too Shy” by the Beatles of the 80s, 15-seed Kajagoogoo. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit the80s...

 In Episode 18, it’s Supergroup vs Super-who? Number 7-seed The Power Station wield their formidable “Some Like It Hot” against 10-seed “Let’s Go All the Way” by vulpine-themed Sly Fox. 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

What was Aimee Mann like in the 80s? And how exactly does one pronounce “Bananarama”? These questions and others are discussed in episode 17 as Mann’s 3-seed band ‘Til Tuesday pits their “Voices Carry” up against the aforementioned fruit-themed, 14-seed band’s hit, “Cruel Summer.” This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, vi...

Episode 16: Which song were Keith and Joe cool enough to listen to in the early 80s: 11-seed Violent Femmes’ Gen-X touchstone, “Blister in the Sun” or 6-seed Naked Eyes’ synthy Burt Bacharach cover, “Always Something There to Remind Me”? We think you know the answer to that. But listen anyway! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus...

Episode 15: What’s more 80s: a punk band pivoting to pop or a rock band pivoting to…I guess weird familial issues? It’s 4-seed The Go-Gos with “We Got the Beat” going head-to-head with 13-seed Night Ranger’s classic, “Sister Christian.”  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

In episode 14, it’s a 5-seed against a 12, as Thompson Twins’ classic “Hold Me Now” takes on The Jets’ “Crush on You,” which is also a song! Keith and Joe sift through the 80s-ness of it 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

In episode 13, The 80s-est is off its meds! Let’s cover our walls with someone’s picture and covertly observe them through their window, because it’s 8-seed “Obsession” by Animotion, going up against 9-seed “Don’t You Want Me?” by The Human League. 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

Episode 12: They were the newest of waves! In Episode 12 of The 80s-est, it’s 1-seed A Flock of Seagulls’ “I Ran (So Far Away)” versus 16-seed Devo’s “Whip It.” Will the Seagulls run away? Will Devo get whipped? Give it a listen! 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

Episode 11: New ep, new region! In this episode of The 80s-est, Keith and Joe look ahead to the sixteen songs in the Bands region. Almost 100% certain to anger people whose favorite band isn’t represented. What’s the top seed? What are the exciting match-ups? How did we forget to include Air Supply?  This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access t...

Roll up the sleeves of your suit jacket and leave some stubble on your face (or legs or wherever you are shaving) ‘cause Episode 10 of The 80s-est is taking its talents to South Beach for an all- Miami Vice show. The propulsive 15-seed theme song by Jan Hammer goes up against the moodiest work ever produced by someone who also had a top 40 hit with “groovy” in the title, 2-seed Phil Collins with “...

In Episode 9 of The 80s-est, two wordless songs go head to head. Well, one wordless song and one song with two words and some barely intelligible mumbling. Anyway, here’s 10-seed “Axel F” from Beverly Hills Cop and 7-seed “Oh Yeah” from Ferris Bueller’s Day Off . This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit the80sest.subs...

Sure he’s got a license to kill, but does he have a license to wear parachute pants? In Episode 8, it’s Bond vs. Bond, as 14-seed Sheena Easton’s “For Your Eyes Only” takes on heavy favorite, 3-seed Duran Duran’s “A View to a Kill.” 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

Episode 7 of The 80s-est is full of controversy and comedy/action, as it’s 6-seed Ray Parker Jr.’s “Ghostbusters” versus 11-seed Huey Lewis and the News with “The Power of Love” from Back to the Future . Two iconic movies. Two…songs from movies. Which is 80s-er? As mentioned in the pod: Joe, right, as Marty McFly in 1991. (Chris as Dr. Emmett Brown) This is a public episode. If you would like to d...

 For Episode 6, we go anthemic. It’s #4-seed “St. Elmo’s Fire (Man in Motion)” from St. Elmo’s Fire against #13-seed “Eye of the Tiger” from Rocky III . Which song gets your 80s blood pumping? 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

 In Episode 5, Keith and Joe lay out the plot of Flashdance in great detail as fifth-seeded “Maniac” by Michael Sembello is pitted against Irene Cara’s number twelve seed, “Flashdance…What a Feeling!” Which is more 80s: insanity or a song with extra punctuation in the title? This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit th...

Surprise! Change of plans, after realizing how many episodes it will take to finish the bracket, we are going with 4 episodes each week: M-Th. If you can't keep up, don't worry, they're short episodes, you have all weekend to catch up! Episode 4 finds us with zero degrees of Kevin Bacon, as Kenny Loggins’ title track, 8-seed “Footloose” takes on peppy underdog 9-seed “Let’s Hear It for the Boy” by...

In Episode 3, the contest gets underway as top-seeded “Don’t You (Forget About Me)” from The Breakfast Club takes on long shot “Weird Science” from the film of the same name. Two John Hughes movie songs enter, one John Hughes movie song leaves. 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

In this second episode of The 80s-est, the guys lay out the 16 songs and their seedings in the first region: The Movie Region! Here’s the bracket: follow on Spotify: subscribe on Apple Podcasts: or jump in on Google(now YouTube) Podcasts: 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