PAST 10s: A Top 10 Time Machine - Music of the 70s, 80s and More

Dave and Milt introduce an episode built around listener survey results rewriting the Billboard Top 10 for July 30, 1983, after voters overwhelmingly chose to boot Sergio Mendes’ “Never Gonna Let You Go.” They preview covering survey comments next week, plug pod617.com, and detour into Dave interviewing Battle of the Network Stars captain Greg Evigan on a Beatles podcast. The listener-created countdown replaces the original Top 10 with your choices, with anecdotes about ads, lyrics, MTV videos, and chart history. They pick winners, kick out “Saved by Zero” and “I’m Still Standing,” and shout out near-misses like Jackson Browne’s “Lawyers in Love.”

Topics

02:00 Getting Older Hangovers

04:43 Battle Network Stars Clip

08:55 Survey Top 10 Setup

10:12 Songs Voted Off

13:08 Listener Countdown Begins

13:36 Saved by Zero Deep Dive

27:07 Promises Promises Facts

34:40 Faithfully Breakdown

41:07 Prince Clears Purple Rain

41:49 Tambourine Jealousy Story

42:10 Bryan Adams Writes Heaven

42:41 Earnestness Debate Faithfully

44:51 Steve Perry Sopranos Holdout

49:46 Cuts Like a Knife Breakdown

52:37 Na Nas And Video Trivia

54:32 Billy Joel Stiletto Connection

56:37 Cheers Coach And Brady Bits

58:34 R E M Radio Free Europe

01:05:04 Hall Of Fame Top Five

01:05:46 Elton Im Still Standing

01:13:56 Def Leppard Rock Of Ages

01:22:00 Def Leppard Live Hits

01:22:37 Mellencamp Concert Talk

01:23:14 Sharp Dressed Man

01:25:04 Eliminator Sound Shift

01:28:24 Iconic Cars Debate

01:30:31 Weezy Top Mashup

01:32:56 White Wedding Origins

01:36:14 Punk Roots Doc

01:40:51 Prince Wins Vote

01:43:05 1999 Chart History

01:45:26 Shared Vocals Breakdown

01:47:29 New Master Remix

01:50:08 Recap And Winners

01:52:26 Kickouts And Near Misses

01:56:29 Ferryman Deep Cut

02:03:19 Wrap Up And Plugs

Dave and Milt detour from Billboard to TV, counting down the top 10 shows for a week in July 1983 while arguing about pie, cheesecake calories, and why Five Guys “small” fries aren’t small. They plug a survey to rewrite the July ’83 Hot 100 top 10 using songs that never made the real top 10 (https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/GFG7SWG)

The TV list includes Simon & Simon, The A-Team, Hill Street Blues, Newhart, Cagney & Lacey, 60 Minutes, The Jeffersons, Trapper John, M.D., Hart to Hart, and the #1 “show” being ABC’s movie presentation of Dr. No. A theme-song playdate adds Dynasty, 9 to 5, That’s Incredible, Archie Bunker’s Place, Gloria, Falcon Crest, Magnum P.I., The Fall Guy, and Real People, plus spoofs from SNL, Family Guy, and Mad TV.

HELP US RE-DO THE TOP 10 FOR JULY 30, 1983. TAKE THE SURVEY: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/GFG7SWG

Topics

01:00 Is Cheesecake Pie?

03:07 Listener Survey Instructions (https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/GFG7SWG)

06:52 Top TV Shows Setup

33:05 Veronica Hamel Shoutout

33:37 Newhart Theme and Finale

36:29 Bob Newhart Timeless Comedy

42:07 Cagney and Lacey Breakdown

43:56 Promos Parodies and Emmys

50:16 Play Date Theme Quiz

59:29 Real People Flashback

01:03:03 60 Minutes Legacy

01:03:51 Journalism Trust Crisis

01:04:53 Andy Rooney Near Miss

01:05:57 SNL 60 Minutes Spoof

01:07:50 Morley Safer Bits

01:09:04 The Jeffersons Spotlight

01:13:14 Names That Disappeared

01:14:37 Trapper John MD Talk

01:19:51 Hart to Hart Recap

01:24:29 TV Then vs Now

01:26:34 Dr No Tops Ratings

01:30:38 Wrap Up and Plugs

Dave and Milt celebrate seven years of Past 10s the only way they know how: by embarrassing themselves with old stories, reading listener shout-outs, and convincing everyone to fill out another substitution poll (vote here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/GFG7SWG) for an upcoming listener-driven episode. Then it's into the Past Tens time machine for the Billboard Top 10 from the week ending July 30, 1983—a summer that gave us the Pine Tar Game, the debut of Friday Night Videos, National Lampoon's Vacation ruling the box office, and one of the strongest countdowns of the decade.

Along the way, the guys move into Madness' "Our House," marvel at the Prince fingerprints all over Stevie Nicks' "Stand Back," salute Donna Summer's comeback, and take a deep dive into Michael Jackson's "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'"—including the history behind that famous "mama-say, mama-sa, ma-ma-ko-sa" lyric. They revisit the surreal world of Eurythmics' "Sweet Dreams," untangle the title confusion surrounding Duran Duran's "Is There Something I Should Know?", and explain why Sergio Mendes' "Never Gonna Let You Go" may secretly be one of the most ridiculously complicated pop songs ever to crack the Top 10. They also relive the Flashdance phenomenon, explore the real-life inspiration behind Eddy Grant's "Electric Avenue," and debate whether The Police's "Every Breath You Take" is one of the greatest pop songs ever—or simply the most misunderstood stalker anthem in music history.

As always, there are plenty of detours, including Boston's chart dominance, a restroom-attendant story you won't see coming, an Eddie Murphy tangent, a round of ridiculous song questions, and another installment of the increasingly absurd Play Date Quiz. In the end, Dave crowns Duran Duran the champion of the week, while Milt gives the nod to Michael Jackson, wrapping up another trip through one of pop music's greatest summers.

THE SURVEY: Help us re-write this top 10 with songs that were on the charts this week in 1983 but never hit the top 10! CLICK HERE: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/GFG7SWG

Topics

00:38 Podcast Anniversary

03:49 Listener Shoutouts

10:00 Substitution Survey Returns

12:01 Time Travel to 1983

13:08 Week in History Context

20:59 No 10 Our House

30:29 No 9 Stand Back

38:21 South Park Mocks Stevie

40:54 Donna Summer Reinvents

42:42 Restroom Attendant Story

47:04 Boston Chart Kings

49:22 MJ Favorite Debate

52:04 Wanna Be Startin Deep Dive

59:23 Eurythmics Sweet Dreams

01:05:58 Duran Duran Title Confusion

01:11:18 Play Date Quiz Begins

01:13:47 Absurd Song Questions

01:17:44 Lightning Round Finish

01:18:56 Never Gonna Let You Go

01:20:38 Complexity Explained

01:24:56 Flashdance What a Feeling

01:29:09 Eddie Murphy Detour

01:31:31 Electric Avenue Origins

01:37:46 Every Breath You Take

01:41:24 Police Band Tensions

01:44:51 Recap Winner and Wrap

If you thought we were done talking about 1976… think again. Dave and Milt kick things off by emptying the mailbag from our "all substitutions" listener episode, reading your comments, handing out a few well-deserved shout-outs, and revealing the song listeners were most eager to kick to the curb: "Misty Blue." That officially closes the book on one of our favorite summer experiments.

Then it's off to the movies as the guys head back to July 1986 and count down the biggest box office hits lighting up America's theaters. Along the way they break down budgets, box office grosses, taglines, Rotten Tomatoes scores, Siskel & Ebert reviews, and—because we can't help ourselves—the Seven Degrees of Kevin Bacon connection for every film.

As always, the conversation goes well beyond the numbers. Dave and Milt debate which movies have aged like fine wine (and which haven't), make passionate cases for the underrated Running Scared and Ruthless People, revisit Top Gun's massive cultural impact—including Quentin Tarantino's infamous interpretation of the movie—and test each other with a fun 1986 movie tagline trivia game.

It's another nostalgia-filled trip back to the summer of '86, packed with laughs, rabbit holes, and enough movie memories to make you want to hit the last Blockbuster on the planet, wherever it is.

Topics

00:31 Nicole Kidman Movie Ritual

02:08 Scary Movies and Listener Shoutout

03:32 1976 Survey Feedback

11:47 Wrapping the 1976 Marathon

13:17 July 1986 Movie Countdown Begins

14:54 Number 10 Great Mouse Detective

20:53 Number 9 About Last Night

29:22 Number 8 Ferris Bueller Day Off

37:22 Ferris Bueller Debate

38:19 Ebert Regret Reviews

39:16 Kevin Bacon Detour

40:11 Legal Eagles Trailer

41:20 Legal Eagles Verdict

44:51 Bowfinger Side Argument

46:07 Running Scared Breakdown

47:54 Running Scared Bits

53:51 Tagline Trivia Game

01:00:29 Aliens Deep Dive

01:05:18 Siskel Ebert On Aliens

01:07:54 Top Gun Tease

01:08:27 Top Gun Breakdown

01:11:09 Ratings and Soundtrack

01:13:31 Tarantino Top Gun Theory

01:16:24 Sequel Gap Trivia

01:18:40 Back to School Rewind

01:26:55 Ruthless People Rediscovered

01:33:35 Karate Kid Part II Debate

01:40:03 Wrap Up and Next Pods

ave and Milt revisit the week ending July 10, 1976, letting listeners vote on a replacement Billboard Top 10 drawn from 25 Hot 100 songs that never reached the top 10. They count down the survey results including the majesty of Steely Dan; the funk of Parliament; the whimsy of ABBA; and a poppy Queen. Once and for all, what were the Doobies doing dancing with Rerun on TV?  Why is Milt talking about his hot buns? Did Billie Joe and Bobbie Sue get away with it or die in a hail of bullets? WHAT WILL BE THE NEW #1?  Click, listen and also hear Milt’s raggedy rap about friendship.

Topics

02:22 Listener Vote Explained

05:30 Back To July 1976

06:30 Number 10 Kid Charlemagne

17:19 Number 9 Give Up The Funk

26:00 Number 8 Mamma Mia

34:32 Number 7 Take The Money Run

36:31 Bonnie and Clyde Lyrics

37:27 Joker Mashup Demo

38:51 Greatest Hits Rant

39:33 Run DMC Sampling

41:10 AI Guy Trailer

43:25 Office and Hot Buns

46:15 Frampton Live Phenomenon

49:42 High Fidelity and Simpsons

53:17 Queen Best Friend

59:40 Friend Songs Quiz

01:06:46 Fleetwood Mac Say You Love Me

01:11:39 Canadian Cover and Licensing

01:13:04 Countdown Shock Setup

01:14:14 Doobie Brothers Pivot

01:18:41 Whats Happening Clip

01:24:34 Crazy On You Breakdown

01:27:43 Classic Rock Radio Stats

01:33:47 Boys Back In Town

01:40:16 Top Ten Recap

01:41:29 Winners And Referee

01:43:27 Substitution Picks

01:51:41 Wrap And Socials

Dave and Milt announce a listener survey to vote on a new “substitution” Top 10 for the July 10, 1976 chart as part of their bicentennial-week trilogy, sharing shout-outs (including a Spotify playlist by Jason Hedman) and an email from Richard Holmes in Hawaii. For this episode they instead count up the Billboard Hot 100 “bottom 10” (positions 91–100) for that week, discussing each track’s background: Marilyn McCoo & Billy Davis Jr.’s “I Hope We Get to Love in Time,” John Handy’s jazz crossover “Hard Work,” Eagles-adjacent Fool’s Gold “Rain Oh Rain,” The Outlaws’ CB-themed “Breaker, Breaker,” Donna Valery’s “Will You Love Me Tomorrow,” The Isley Brothers’ “Who Loves You Better,” Bill Cosby’s Barry White parody “Yes, Yes, Yes,” DJ Rogers’ “Say You Love Me,” Michel Polnareff’s film theme “Lipstick,” and Henry Gross’s dog tribute “Shannon,” tying it to Casey Kasem’s infamous “Snuggles” outtake.

SURVEY! HELP US RE-DO THE TOP 10 FOR THIS WEEK IN 1976

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/S2C3GRM

Topics

00:55 Listener Survey Trilogy

03:51 Shoutouts and Hawaii Email

06:47 Bottom 10 Concept Setup

10:12 No 91 McCoo and Davis

19:34 No 92 John Handy Funk Jazz

25:54 No 93 Fool's Gold Eagles Vibes

31:22 No 94 Outlaws CB Craze

38:49 No 95 Dana Valery Cover

41:36 Whats My Line Clip

44:04 Donna Valerie Debrief

44:42 Isley Brothers At 96

47:03 Lyrics Guessing Game

48:29 Cosby Parody Unease

53:17 DJ Rogers Soul Ballad

57:27 Lipstick Movie Theme

01:04:16 Shannon And Snuggles

01:12:23 Recap And Farewell

This week on Past Tens, we celebrate America's 200th birthday the only way we know how—by firing up the musical time machine and heading back to the Billboard Top 10 for Bicentennial week, ending July 10, 1976. But first, there are pressing matters to address. Why has Burger King effectively been outlawed in Milt's house? Did Thelma the bird finally convince her babies to leave the nest? And perhaps most importantly, was Milt secretly replaced by AI on last week's episode? Listener feedback pours in, and we tackle it all.

Then we unveil something brand new for the show: our first-ever Listener Substitution Survey. We've picked 25 songs that made the charts but never cracked the Top 10, and we're turning the decision over to you. Vote for your favorites, and in two weeks we'll count down an all-listener-selected Top 10.

Once we're back in July of '76, it's a packed week. We revisit the daring Entebbe rescue, note the birth of Fred Savage, remember The Omen terrifying moviegoers, and somehow discover that the Miss Universe Pageant was America's favorite TV show.

The countdown itself is loaded with stories. We talk about Hall & Oates finally breaking through with "Sara Smile," the wonderfully confusing album cover that had everyone doing a double take, Gary Wright's "Love Is Alive," Dorothy Moore's "Misty Blue," the Brothers Johnson's arrival, and Captain & Tennille at the height of their powers. Along the way we uncover gems like Joe Pesci recording a Beatles cover, Andrea True's unlikely path from adult films to disco stardom, Quincy Jones' fingerprints all over the charts, and the bass line connection to "Billie Jean."

We also review Questlove's terrific new Earth, Wind & Fire documentary, argue about spoken-word intros, answer songs, and musical ripoffs, laugh over some truly questionable 1970s comedy, and, after all is said and done, crown Hall & Oates' "Sara Smile" as the clear winner of the week. We finish by giving this chart our official rating—solidly in Bee Gees territory—and remind everyone to cast their vote in the Listener Substitution Survey before next week's results are locked in.

VOTE FOR OUR UPCOMING ALL-SUBSTITUTION EPISODE (What songs SHOULD have made the top 10 this week?): https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/S2C3GRM

Topics

00:50 Fast Food Banter

02:55 Thelma Bird Update

04:32 Last Week Pod Fallout

06:35 Listener Mail Highlights

09:41 Listener Substitution Survey

12:29 Bicentennial Week Setup

14:30 1976 News And Pop Culture

20:49 Concert Tragedy Detour

23:29 Top 10 Begins Beatles At 10

33:32 Hall And Oates Breakthrough

36:40 Androgynous Album Cover

39:07 Why Sarah Smile Works

41:00 Gary Wright Rediscovered

42:11 Love Is Alive Backstory

47:37 Dorothy Moore Misty Blue

51:35 Paul McCartney Diss Track

56:37 Linda on the B Side

59:17 Questlove Rock Doc Review

01:08:34 Andrea True Disco Scandal

01:15:39 Captain and Tennille Remake

01:17:58 Answer Songs and Ripoffs

01:19:32 Captain and Tennille TV

01:20:56 Corny Hat Comedy

01:22:59 Shop Around Revisit

01:23:31 Brothers Johnson Breakout

01:25:26 Quincy Jones Connections

01:27:46 Billie Jean Bass Reveal

01:31:20 Kiss and Say Goodbye

01:34:48 Spoken Word Intros

01:39:05 Afternoon Delight Scandal

01:43:30 Pop Culture Karaoke Clips

01:48:12 Recap and Winner

01:52:06 Ratings and Farewell

Things take a turn for the cosmic. Thanks to a special introduction from our old pal George Clooney, we learn that Elon Musk has apparently purchased Past Tens, folded it into SpaceX, and blasted Dave and Milt into separate pods orbiting somewhere above Earth. Fortunately, we were able to transmit this episode back to civilization before running out of Tang.

The mission? Count down our picks for the most underrated songs of the 1970s.

Now, whenever you do a list like this, you've got to define your terms. Milt comes out firing with a whole taxonomy of underratedness. Some songs were overshadowed by bigger hits. Some were unfairly dismissed by critics. Others were forgotten despite being huge at the time. And a few are simply masterpieces that never got the attention they deserved.

Milt's list includes Bruce Springsteen's epic New York City Serenade, Player's silky smooth Baby Come Back, Joe Tex's forgotten smash I Gotcha, Sniff 'n' the Tears' Driver's Seat, and Stevie Wonder's breathtaking As.

As for Dave, he took a different route. He championed the Bay City Rollers' terrific cover of I Only Want to Be with You, Aerosmith's bluesy rocker Chip Away at the Stone, the criminally overlooked studio version of the Jackson 5's Going Back to Indiana, Devo's wonderfully weird Uncontrollable Urge—complete with a story involving Mark Mothersbaugh and John Lennon—and Dr. Hook's Sylvia's Mother, penned by none other than Shel Silverstein.

Along the way, listener Al Nadel checks in with some underrated gems of his own, and we spend a little time wondering whether NASA, SpaceX, Matt Damon, or literally anybody is coming to rescue us.

So grab your headphones, fire up the oxygen generator, and join us for a journey through some of the most overlooked songs of the decade that gave us disco, punk, yacht rock, and bell-bottoms.

Topics

00:00 – George Clooney Cold Open From Orbit

Dave and Milt hop into the Past 10s time machine and travel back to the Billboard Top 10 for the week ending June 14, 1986. But before they even hit the charts, they celebrate the emotional madness of the Knicks’ incredible Finals comeback, debate why sports are better when you suffer and celebrate with others, and give some love to the loyal Past 10s listeners.

Once the time machine lands in 1986, Dave and Milt set the scene: the nation is still processing the Challenger disaster report, a roller coaster called Mindbender makes terrifying headlines, Diego Maradona’s infamous “Hand of God” moment is just days away, and future stars Shia LaBeouf and the Olsen twins are entering the world. Meanwhile, Back to School rules the box office and The... ahem... Cosby Show sits atop television.

The countdown kicks off with Level 42’s “Something About You,” a song that instantly becomes a contender for the crown. The discussion of Mike + The Mechanics’ “All I Need Is a Miracle” turns into a deep dive on Mike Rutherford’s post-Genesis success, Paul Carrack’s unforgettable voice, and the age-old question: Is this actually a miracle of a song? The answer depends on which host you ask. The debate somehow spirals into a passionate rant about Miracle Whip, because this is Past Tense.

Howard Jones’ “No One Is to Blame” brings up Phil Collins’ production magic and embarrassing high-school dance memories, while George Michael’s beautiful “A Different Corner” launches a wildly entertaining George-themed riddle contest and a rapid-fire celebration of famous Georges from throughout pop culture.

Whitney Houston’s “The Greatest Love of All” creates a debate about the George Benson original and inspires a trip to the world of Randy Watson and Sexual Chocolate from Coming to America. The crew then tackles The Jets’ “Crush on You,” Billy Ocean’s “There’ll Be Sad Songs (To Make You Cry)” — which receives one of Dave’s classic passionate critiques — and Nu Shooz’ “I Can’t Wait,” including the fascinating story of how a remix transformed a little-known demo into a massive dance hit.

A quick detour into celebrity Knicks fans leads into Madonna’s haunting “Live to Tell,” a discussion of Christopher Walken and the dark movie At Close Range, before the chart reaches the #1 song: Patti LaBelle and Michael McDonald’s “On My Own.”

Throughout the episode, intern Jason provides fresh ears, song grades, and a younger perspective, including his own Substitution pick. When the final votes are tallied, Dave and Jason crown Level 42’s “Something About You” as the champion of the week, while Milt goes with Madonna’s “Live to Tell.” The Substitution songs also spark debate, with Dave bringing in Art of Noise’s “Peter Gunn” and Jason adding Simple Minds’ “All the Things She Said.”

Throw in cold-open jokes, music snobbery, random tangents, nostalgia, and a little Miracle Whip controversy, and you have another unforgettable ride in the Past Tense time machine.

Topics

00:18 Knicks Finals Chaos

04:30 Shared Experience Talk

06:56 Listener Shoutouts

08:11 Time Machine Setup

09:53 June 1986 Context

16:12 Birthdays Movies TV

20:24 Top 10 Begins Level 42

30:48 Mike Plus Mechanics

33:59 Mike Rutherford Reboot

35:16 Carrack Live Memory Lane

36:57 Miracle Song Debate

40:34 Miracle Whip Rant

41:44 Intern Jason Rates The Track

43:20 HoJo, PhilCo

49:18 Prom Night Stories

52:01 George Michael Deep Cut

58:17 Famous Georges Riddle Game

01:07:09 George Trivia Mashup

01:11:27 Whitney Song Debate

01:16:54 Randy Watson Parody

01:21:01 Jets Family Hit

01:29:11 Billy Ocean Rant

01:35:38 Nu Shooz Club Remix

01:39:24 Demo Breakdown

01:40:05 New Shoes Backstory

01:41:05 Song Ratings Debate

01:41:48 Knicks Celeb Tangent

01:44:19 Madonna Live to Tell

01:47:53 Walken Movie Talk

01:52:21 Number One On My Own

01:56:52 Recap and Birthdays

01:58:24 Winner and Substitution

02:06:15 Interns Song Swap

02:08:36 Wrap Up and Farewell

This week on Past Tens, Dave and Milt welcome a fresh face to the show: new intern Jason, a Tulane University student possibly as obsessed with music as the Past Tens bozos. Jason talks about catching A$AP Rocky's "Don't Be Dumb" Tour at TD Garden, surviving the madness of Jazz Fest, and introduces Dave and Milt to the wonderfully bizarre world of YouTube legend Nardwuar.

Meanwhile, Dave finally crosses a major movie off the bucket list, sharing his thoughts after watching 2001: A Space Odyssey for the very first time. Verdict? Beautiful to look at... but maybe HAL could've picked up the pace a little.

Then it's time for the main event:

From primal soul howls to arena-rock shrieks, the guys count down the ten most unforgettable screams ever put on tape. SPOILER ALERT… Here’s the list below.

…

🙂

;)

3 …

2 …

1 …

…

#10 Little Richard — Good Golly, Miss Molly

Along the way, the guys debate what actually qualifies as a great scream, pay tribute to rock's greatest vocal acrobats, and rip through a stack of worthy also-rans.

As if that wasn't enough, they squeeze in a quick three-round snake draft of the greatest vocalists of all time, with names like Freddie Mercury, Elvis Presley, Aretha Franklin, Marvin Gaye, Ray Charles, Frank Sinatra, Sting, Chris Martin, and Carole King coming off the board. Hayley Williams gets some well-deserved love, too.

It's loud. It's ridiculous. It's exactly the kind of thing that happens when you put three music nerds in a room and ask, "Yeah, but who had the BEST scream?"

00:20 — Meet the New Intern