The JAM Yearbook

We've reached the middle of the 90s! Grunge has made its impact and record companies are throwing everything out there to see what sticks. The world lost Jerry and a generation of women found a new voice in Alanis. The ambitious Pumpkins release a double album while the Chili Peppers try out another guitarist, the one and only Dave Navarro. Jump in as Matt and Jim find new music from The Beatles a...

Welcome to the second clean up show! Matt and Jim have completed 2 decades of music and take some time to reflect on what they missed, enjoyed the most, and learned along the way. They get to the bottom of why much of the pop music from the 2000s sounds the same. One name in particular seems to stand out: Max Martin. But who the hell is he and how is he achieving the same chart success as The Beat...

It seems like every year in the 70s for Jim and Matt has a bit of epic proportion. This year is no exception. The 70s continue to have massive hits across all genres. From Queen to ABBA or Bob Dylan to KISS, there are many songs all throughout the year of 1975 that remain important and iconic to this day. The funny thing is that some of the so-called classics are now fatigued. They don't need to c...

It's 1988 and Matt and Jim are in their prime high school years. Matt has a mullet and Jim is wearing parachute pants. Hip hop is reaching a golden era and hair metal is rising to its peak. These are their formative years when they know everything and can do no wrong. Well, in their own minds. Music begins to become personal and lyrics take on more powerful meaning. Some music doesn't hold up well...

We're onto 2019 and only a few years behind present day. Throughout the 2000s there's been a familiarity of sound. Mix artist A with artist B and create a hit song and then do the same with artist C, D, E, F....you might get the point. The Machine has had a grip on what was going to top the charts. But wait! Has the next generation started to reject this? Is there finally a shift in music taking p...

On this episode Matt and Jim go back to 1997. They are joined by a very special guest, Matt's brother Mark as they reminisce about big changes and challenges in life. Grunge was closing it's door as rock became more radio friendly while ska found a mainstream audience. Jim began to shed his previous pretentious self and learned how to Mmmm Bop with the Spice Girls. He also set foot in the country...

2009 has arrived! As we burn through some of the 2000s, some obvious elements of pop music are starting to stand out. Warning everyone: Matt's not having any of it. Jim and Matt try not to sound like the grumpy old men from The Muppets and are refreshed by the return of hilarious satire and comic music. Some massive legends pass away and reality voice competition shows produce stars that are start...

This week Matt and Jim find themselves in the middle of the 2000s. 2005 was a year of charity concerts, massive reunions of classic bands, and some trivial pop music. Kanye stuns Mike Myers and sells big. Matt digs deep into old country while Jim finds the UK has the 'craziest' Christmas Number One. Emo-indie roots are planted and 50 Cent has a lollipop for you. Join in as they dissect a year in m...

It's the end of the millennium! Y2K is here. Computers are going to crash and the world is ending. Peaceful Woodstock turns to anarchy. MTV tells the kids each day what songs should top the charts. Nu metal rises to the top of the charts while the 'Disney kids' come of age. Does Dr. Dre save the day? Join Matt and Jim as they navigate a year of chaos. It wasn't all bad, but is this the kind of par...

Welcome back! After a couple of weeks off to catch their breath and crack a few beers together in person, Matt and Jim return. It's 1981 and full of nostalgia for them both. They never stopped believing even after the radio star had been killed by video. Want a Commodores sing-a-long? It's here! 1981 is the champion year for air drumming, no dove is safe around Ozzy, and K-Tel takes them to anothe...

The music time machine jumps way ahead to 2016. Legacy bands, legit full albums, and 808s dominate the conversation. Rap, trap, and metal: how is this where Matt and Jim wound up? Beyonce' vs Weezer. Who had the better album? The pulpit gets passed back and forth as usual. Once again the most recent years have them digging deep and looking for the diamonds in the rough, but this time they might ac...

Lucky 13! Welcome to Version 1974. Matt and Jim were just babbling toddlers in 1974, but the music from this year still found it's way into their lives. Singer-songwriters, rock, and funk rule the year. Some songs were full of sentiment and others would join their future party playlists. Jim finds an interest in early Rush while Matt reveals his alter ego. Somehow the A@#hole hats don't need weari...

Welcome to the JAM Yearbook's first clean-up episode! Matt and Jim have really enjoyed bringing you the first 10 episodes and thank everyone for listening. After each episode though, there was a 'what did we forget?' conversation. On this special episode, Matt and Jim go through each of the first 10 years they've covered, discuss big names they missed and add new songs to the playlist. Matt gets t...

This episode is all about the music. There was so much going on in 1991, Matt and Jim ran the clock down on Part 1. They return in this episode with the songs they chose to go on their epic playlist (also titled The JAM Yearbook) and reveal the audience poll. In a first, both get to choose 10 songs a piece along with the audience and 30 songs are added. The scary thing is that so much great music...

Welcome to Version 1991! This is definitely an iconic year in music, but it didn't seem to start that way. The GRAMMYS were beyond questionable. Matt was still rocking to the hair metal and Jim was jumping around in his parachute pants and hanging with a funky bunch. Then August struck and everything changed. 44 days of magical music releases and it wasn't all grunge. In fact, the entire y...

This week Matt and Jim go allllllll the way back.....to last year?!? It's a short trip back this week. There were lockdowns during a pandemic and the world was not moving as it normally would. How would this affect music? More albums were recorded at home or over long distances. A wave of nostalgia flew into households. The Pop machine? It just kept doing its thing. Come listen to Matt and Jim try...

This week the wayback machine fast forwards from 1977 to 2008. The entire music landscape is changing. Indie folk and hipster beards begin their rise. New pop icons begin to see their star rise. And somehow, AC/DC is still hitting number one. 'Tune in' as Matt talks about finding a comfort zone and Jim talks about singing on top of a port-a-potty with Rivers Cuomo.

Punk, disco, reggae, (now) classic rock, and Star Wars! Studio 54, CBGBs, and 3 of the top selling albums of all time! Matt and Jim pull the  carpet back on 1977 and discover there is still a party going on. Even if sometimes overplayed, so much music from this year has stood the test of time and is still being celebrated today. Join them as they 'accidently' discover a big year.

We're in the 90s now! In this episode, Matt and Jim have left the roost and moved out of their family homes. The world around them completely changed. But surprise! They meet back up in the same town 200 miles away. It was the sophomore season for grunge, hip-hop was starting to go mainstream, and MTV went unplugged. Radio stations still ruled as a classic era of alternative radio was beginnin...

It's 2012 and the world didn't end! Jim spends his first full year in Scotland and his world of music is turned upside down, or right side up depending on your perspective. Matt is in autopilot parenting mode: work, school, and sports but reminds us all that doing more is always better. The ranting starts early in this as they discuss the metal tree (how many 'cores' do we really n...

The year is 2002 and what happened? Matt and Jim became full fledged adults! (We kind of, but does that ever really happen?) Join them as they fast forward to 2002 and Matt discovers that he might not have been as aligned with music as he thought in his early adult years. He couldn't help but notice what was happening though. Matt chronicles the year by listing nearly every band that released...

Welcome to 1980! Jump into the 'wayback machine' with us as Matt and Jim explore the start of a new decade. Sadness surrounds much of the year as the world loses musical icons. Disco arrives at the end of an era, but new wave and ska are about to jump in and take over. The rock and pop sound of a new decade begins its transition influenced heavily by Phil Collins and his new drum sound. Th...

It's our second episode! Are you ready for big hair, synth pop, and that signature 80s sound? We thought we were, but discover that we may have overestimated nostalgia. There is still a lot to talk about though. Ding-ding! We have some rivalries! Metallica vs Megadeth, Van Halen vs David Lee Roth. Rap music was bursting onto the scene and into living rooms across the USA. If your rock band used a...

Welcome to our first episode! We start exploring our lives and music right from the very beginning in 1971. Matt has just been born while Jim is still a sparkle in his parent's eyes. There were loads of classic songs we've carried with us throughout our lives. The multitude of genres from Led Zeppelin and The Who to John Denver and Carole King. We discuss some of the big moments, artists, and albu...