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

Dave and Milt ride the Past 10s time machine to the week ending March 19, 1977, riffing on questionable water-park hygiene, a 44‑hour hijacking, FDA rules for “mixed nuts,” the Mary Tyler Moore finale giving birth to Three’s Company and Eight Is Enough, and the cultural moment of Annie Hall, M*A*S*H, Trinity, and Roots. They count down Billboard’s Top 10, spotlighting Fleetwood Mac’s first Top 10 hit “Go Your Own Way,” Thelma Houston’s Motown disco breakthrough “Don’t Leave Me This Way,” and Bob Seger’s “Night Moves” (plus its later video cameo and a “night cheese” riff). They groan through softer fare like David Soul, Mary McGregor, and Kenny Nolan, then debut a new listener segment, the “long distance defecation,” featuring Joe Mason’s Philly heartbreak and a Rolling Stones “Get Off My Cloud” dedication. 

Topics

00:23 Past Tens Intro

00:55 Big Arch Burger Debate

02:17 New Segment Tease

03:31 Arriving in 1977

04:29 Week in History Rundown

08:28 Mixed Nuts and Chex Mix

10:35 TV Birthdays and Annie Hall

14:27 Number 10 Fleetwood Mac

19:34 Demos Ads and Music Immortality

24:45 Number 9 Thelma Houston

31:07 ChatGPT Fail and Threads Talk

34:04 Number 8 David Soul

37:42 David Soul Aftermath

38:24 Cigarettes Then and Now

39:49 Torn Between Two Lovers

43:44 Meatballs Soundtrack Detour

46:35 Made for TV Movie Promo

48:15 I Like Dreaming Roast

51:42 Kenny Nolan Secret Hits

54:12 Long Distance Defecation

58:22 Get Off My Cloud Storytime

01:05:42 Dancing Queen Still Rules

01:11:42 Night Moves Deep Dive

01:20:05 Night Cheese and Copyright

01:22:22 Comedy Song Rights

01:23:43 Seeger Bar Challenge

01:27:13 Rich Girl Breakdown

01:30:10 Calling Oates Hotline

01:33:56 Grinch Girl Parody

01:35:17 Lake Street Dive Cover

01:37:08 Fly Like an Eagle Deep Dive

01:44:22 Evergreen At Number One

01:47:56 Winners And Substitutions

01:58:48 Time Machine Rating

02:02:55 Long Distance Dedication

Dave and Milt (the Chart Meister, not the Chart Master) celebrate what might be their 300th episode—give or take a few missed weeks and some lazy counting—by ditching the usual Billboard time-travel format and revisiting excerpts from their very first Past Tens episode from June 2019. They roast their early scripted, nervous energy, debate why certain catchphrases and categories stuck (Bad Remake, What the Fuck Were We Thinking, Never Heard Of It), and reminisce about recording in a Boston studio before switching to Zoom during COVID. Along the way they revisit early obsessions with Casey Kasem, grim “long distance dedication” letters, the terrifying TV movie Special Bulletin, awful and unnecessary covers, forgotten chart oddities, and beloved surprise discoveries like the Osmonds’ “Down by the Lazy River.” They close with a nostalgia debate, a fake monetization pitch, and promises of “300 more.”

Topics

02:00 Is This Episode 300? 

02:52 Origin Story Enemy Lines

03:49 Anniversary Format Explained

06:02 Podcast Bits And Signposts

07:13 Replaying Episode One Intro

09:04 Early Nerves And No Scripts

12:42 Influences Hit Parade Rewatchables

15:16 Chartmeister Origins

17:46 Casey Kasem Dedication Clip

22:20 Pop Culture Flashback Special Bulletin

27:59 Bad Remakes Return

31:50 Guns N Roses Covers

32:59 Madonna Cover Disaster

33:44 Early Podcast Tech Chaos

35:55 Worst Hits Hall of Shame

40:53 Never Heard Of Gems

44:46 Osmonds Lazy River Surprise

46:48 Variety Show Flashback

51:24 Wild Trivia and Song Stories

56:17 Happy Days Nostalgia Theory

01:02:59 Anniversary Wrap and Goodbye

Dave and Milt jump into the Billboard Rock Tracks chart for the week ending March 10, 1984. They set the scene with Splash, Dallas, and Ed Koch’s Mayor, then count down the rock top 10: Yes “Leave It,” Van Halen “Panama,” Eurythmics “Here Comes the Rain Again,” Pretenders “Middle of the Road,” John Lennon “Nobody Told Me,” 38 Special “Back Where You Belong,” Kenny Loggins “Footloose,” Manfred Mann’s Earth Band “Runner,” Christine McVie “Got a Hold on Me,” and Van Halen “Jump.” They debate best song (leaning “Panama”), run a “back” title lightning quiz, and do substitutions: Milt swaps out “Runner” for Genesis “It’s Gonna Get Better,” while Dave replaces 38 Special with Genesis “Illegal Alien,” noting its later embarrassment. 

Topics

00:00 Cold Open Chaos

00:22 Welcome To Past Tens

00:48 McDonalds CEO Big Arch

02:51 Listener Shoutouts

05:42 Susanna Hoffs Meetup

08:04 Time Jump To 1984

08:50 Rock Charts Explained

10:21 Spinal Tap And Oscars

13:27 This Week In 1984

16:16 Number 10 Yes Leave It

21:31 A Cappella Tangent

26:07 Number 9 Van Halen Panama

30:34 DLR Aging And Legacy

36:58 Number 8 Eurythmics

39:59 Crude Banter Reset

40:49 Here Comes the Rain Again

42:06 Depression and Meaning

43:04 Middle of the Road

45:05 Pretenders Backstory

51:19 Lennon Nobody Told Me

54:54 AI Hallucination Rant

56:43 Pluribus Turkish Cover

01:00:00 38 Special Back Where

01:05:54 Back Title Quiz

01:14:17 Footloose Hall Debate

01:18:01 Genre Wars and Prince

01:18:57 Kenny Loggins Case

01:20:30 Footloose Fame Burden

01:22:24 Runner Eighties Excess

01:26:55 Christine McVie Spotlight

01:32:20 Jump and Van Halen

01:37:18 Triple Jump Mashup

01:39:17 Winners and Recap

01:41:49 Substitution and Wilhelm

01:43:46 Genesis Deep Cuts

01:47:30 Illegal Alien Debate

01:52:50 Time Machine Verdict

01:54:51 Wrap Up and Farewell

Dave and Milt open with shout-outs to a five-star review from the mysterious “BeanieGirl6” and an email from listener Jack (now in Houston) defending Edward Bear and sharing trivia about Roberta Flack’s inspiration. They then rank the 2025 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s 17 nominees by “worthiness,” focusing on their top 10 while also predicting who will be inducted, using athlete analogies and ChatGPT-generated sandwich comps. Their top 10 includes Iron Maiden (#10, their biggest disagreement), Joy Division/New Order, Billy Idol, Pink, Oasis, Wu-Tang Clan, Black Crowes, INXS, Phil Collins (solo), and Mariah Carey. They briefly discuss the seven left out—Jeff Buckley, New Edition, Melissa Etheridge, Lauryn Hill, Shakira, Luther Vandross, and Sade—debating genre boundaries and noting snubs like the B-52s, Coldplay, and Devo.

Topics

00:52 Listener Reviews Mailbag

05:28 Rock Hall Premise

08:08 Take Us to the Iron Maiden

16:19 Old Band, New Order

22:59 Idle Thoughts on Billy 

29:51 ‘P!nk,’ We Exclaim!

36:35 Water, Water Everywhere, but an Oasis?

42:05 Wu-Tang: Not Your Grandparents’ Clan

47:18 Back in Black Crowes

51:22 Peak Value And Sandwich Talk

53:55 Hey Hall, What You Need is INXS

01:00:34 Phil Collins: I Don’t Care Anymore. Or do I?

01:06:03 Also Rans Quick Hits

01:06:21 Jeff Buckley? Hallelujah! New Edition? WTF?

01:09:52 Melissa And Lauryn’s Mild Adventure

01:14:18 Shakira Don’t Lie; Luther Doesn’t Play, All the Marquis Love Sade

01:22:39 Hello, Diva! Mariah Carey

01:29:15 Wrap Up And Snubs. And Cheese.

Dave and the Chartmeister Michael “Milt” Wolfe review the Billboard Top 10 for the week ending March 10, 1973, after chatting about Milt’s trip to Savannah, snow in Massachusetts, and assorted pop-culture tangents. They cover period context including Dark Side of the Moon’s U.S. release, the “Great Michigan pizza funeral,” KISS’s first makeup show, and the death of Grateful Dead member Pigpen. The countdown includes Jermaine Jackson’s “Daddy’s Home,” John Denver’s “Rocky Mountain High,” Dr. Hook’s “Cover of the Rolling Stone,” Elton John’s “Crocodile Rock,” Deodato’s “Also Sprach Zarathustra (2001),” the O’Jays’ “Love Train,” the Spinners’ “Could It Be I’m Falling in Love,” Edward Bear’s “Last Song,” “Dueling Banjos,” and Roberta Flack’s “Killing Me Softly.” They pick weekly winners, swap out songs for Steely Dan’s “Reelin’ in the Years” and the Moody Blues’ “I’m Just a Singer (In a Rock and Roll Band),” run a train-themed riddle game, grade the week a B, and preview a Rock & Roll Hall of Fame nominees episode.

Topics

00:26 Hosts Return And Updates

02:24 Savannah Vs Snow Talk

05:09 Time Machine To 1973

06:40 Week In History Highlights

10:59 Pop Culture Backdrop

15:06 Top 10 Begins Number 10

23:46 John Denver Rocky Mountain High

29:16 Dr Hook Cover Of Rolling Stone

37:39 Elton John Crocodile Rock

40:24 Silly Song Breakdown

41:34 Funky 2001 Theme

45:59 Walk On Music Talk

51:03 Love Train Origins

53:32 Love Train In Pop Culture

57:06 Train Riddle Playdate

01:10:39 Spinners Philly Soul

01:14:32 Paul Stanley Soul Covers

01:17:52 Kiss Makeup Debate

01:19:29 Edward Bear Deep Dive

01:23:55 Dueling Banjos Origins

01:32:45 Roberta Flack Breakdown

01:38:53 Recap and Awards

01:41:33 Substitutions and Swaps

01:50:55 Week Grade and Wrap

01:54:34 Next Week Tease

Dave records an episode of the Past Tens: Top 10 Time Machine podcast without co-host Milt (who is away on a winter trip or something) and brings on his brother Adam Yas as guest co-host. Each present a personal top 10 list of the greatest opening lines of 1980s songs, alternating picks and briefly discussing why each first line stands out. Adam explains his criteria: lyrical quality, vocal delivery, the artistic statement/arrival moment for the artist, and whether the line opens a great song.

They discuss and play clips of selections including Wall of Voodoo’s “Mexican Radio” (Adam’s #10), De La Soul’s “Me Myself and I” (Dave’s #10), Madonna’s “Like a Virgin” (Adam’s #9), ’Til Tuesday’s “Voices Carry” (Dave’s #9, with Dave recalling seeing Amy Mann perform in Boston), Motörhead’s “Ace of Spades” (Adam’s #8, discovered via The Young Ones), Dennis DeYoung’s “Desert Moon” (Dave’s #8), Duran Duran’s “Rio” (Adam’s #7, including discussion of Patrick Nagel’s cover art and the band’s image), Elton John’s “Kiss the Bride” (Dave’s #7), Guns N’ Roses’ “Welcome to the Jungle” (Adam’s #6, framed as a major cultural turning point), Neneh Cherry’s “Buffalo Stance” (Dave’s #6, with background on her family), Run-DMC’s “King of Rock” (Adam’s #5, plus Adam’s middle-school lip-sync story), Poison’s “Fallen Angel” (Dave’s #5), Jane’s Addiction’s “Mountain Song” (Adam’s #4, with Perry Farrell’s impact and Lollapalooza mentioned), Foreigner’s “Jukebox Hero” (Dave’s #4), The Ramones’ “I Wanna Be Sedated” (Adam’s #3, noting their late-’70s origin but US soundtrack release in 1980), Kim Carnes’ “Bette Davis Eyes” (Dave’s #3, with Dave clarifying “Harlow gold” and dedicating it to their late father), David Bowie’s “Let’s Dance” (Adam’s #2, highlighting Bowie’s reinvention with Nile Rodgers and Stevie Ray Vaughan), AC/DC’s “You Shook Me All Night Long” (Dave’s #2), Prince’s “When Doves Cry” (Adam’s #1), and The Outfield’s “Your Love” (Dave’s #1, including the connection to Adam’s own song character named Josie).

They also touch on music history and influence (e.g., Guns N’ Roses and Nirvana, Run-DMC bridging rap and rock, Lemmy’s documentary and WWII memorabilia, and Amy Mann’s Magnolia-era acclaim). Adam plugs his work (adamyas.com, album Gender of the Holy Spirit, and Leather Feather on Spotify, including “Evolve”). Before leaving, Adam lists honorable mentions: Tears for Fears’ “Everybody Wants to Rule the World,” Michael Jackson’s “Billie Jean,” The Smiths’ “How Soon Is Now?,” Def Leppard’s “Rock of Ages,” Bonnie Tyler’s “Total Eclipse of the Heart” (noting Jim Steinman), and Dexys Midnight Runners’ “Come On Eileen.” 

Email us at [email protected]

Visit www.timemachinepod.com

www.adamyas.com

Leather Feather on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/6S7jPIPY15GXpdyqAXSVpZ

Topics

00:00 Welcome to Past Tens + Adam Yas Fills In for Milt

02:03 Today’s Topic: Greatest First Lines of ’80s Songs (Rules & Criteria)

05:26 #10 Picks: Wall of Voodoo “Mexican Radio” vs De La Soul “Me, Myself and I”

12:04 #9 Picks: Madonna “Like a Virgin” vs ’Til Tuesday “Voices Carry”

20:44 #8 Picks: Motörhead “Ace of Spades” vs Dennis DeYoung “Desert Moon”

30:16 Ballads, Heartstrings & What Makes a Line Work

33:31 #7 Picks: Duran Duran “Rio” vs Elton John “Kiss the Bride”

44:29 #6 Pick: Guns N’ Roses “Welcome to the Jungle” and Changing Rock’s Direction

53:01 Neneh Cherry’s “Buffalo Stance” — forgotten hip-hop gem & iconic first line

56:33 Adam’s #5: Run-DMC “King of Rock” — rap vs rock, plus the lip-sync contest story

01:04:54 Dave’s #5: Poison “Fallen Angel” — hair metal story-song guilty pleasure

01:08:26 Adam’s #4: Jane’s Addiction “Mountain Song” — danger, artistry, and Perry Farrell’s impact

01:13:57 Dave’s #4: Foreigner “Jukebox Hero” — painting the picture of teenage rock dreams

01:16:27 Adam’s #3: Ramones “I Wanna Be Sedated” — punk history & what makes a great frontman

01:21:15 Dave’s #3: Kim Carnes “Bette Davis Eyes” — decoding “Harlow gold” & a tribute to Dad

01:23:37 Adam’s #2: David Bowie “Let’s Dance” — reinvention, Nile Rodgers, and pop perfection

01:28:05 Dave’s #2: AC/DC “You Shook Me All Night Long” — the ultimate sing-along opener

01:31:55 #1s & wrap-up: Prince “When Doves Cry” vs The Outfield “Your Love,” honorable mentions, and sign-off

This week on Past Tens: A Top 10 Time Machine, Milt and Dave crank the amps, lace up the shell-tops, and dive headfirst into one of the great musical collisions of the last 50 years: when rock and hip hop stopped flirting… and started throwing punches together.

Our guest is Steven Blush — rock journalist, historian, and author of When Rock Met Hip Hop. The guy knows this terrain cold. We’re talking real-deal moments where guitars and 808s didn’t just coexist — they rewired the culture.

We start with Rapture by Blondie — because yes, Debbie Harry walked so a lot of crossovers could run. Then we move into Rock Box by Run-DMC, which basically kicked the studio door off its hinges.

From there? Chaos. Beautiful chaos.

We hit the Def Jam Recordings origin story. The Beastie Boys pivot from punk brats to rap juggernauts with No Sleep Till Brooklyn. Rick Rubin running dual sessions like a mad scientist. Guitars. Regrets. Comebacks.

We get into Walk This Way and how it resurrected Aerosmith. Then the volume somehow goes even higher with Anthrax and Public Enemy, Biohazard and Onyx, the rise of nu metal via Faith No More, and the politically explosive force of Rage Against the Machine.

And yes — we land the plane (or maybe stage-dive it) with Jump Around by House of Pain, a song that has probably caused more minor arena injuries than any other track of the ’90s.

Blush brings the receipts — stories, context, perspective — and we do what we always do: connect the dots, argue about legacy, and try not to blow out the speakers.

Because this wasn’t just a genre mashup.

It was a cultural jailbreak.

Plug in. Turn it up. And come time-travel with us.

GET THE BOOK: https://a.co/d/0gARAtdT

Topics

00:44 Special Guest: Steven Blush

02:32 Steven Blush's Musical Journey

08:11 The Evolution of Rock and Hip Hop

29:56 The Birth of Def Jam

33:53 Beastie Boys' Breakthrough

38:02 Rick Rubin's Dual Studio Sessions

38:18 Guitar Contributions and Regrets

39:23 Beastie Boys' Rock Appeal

39:54 The Evolution of Beastie Boys

42:07 The Impact of 'Walk This Way'

43:40 Aerosmith's Comeback

50:43 Anthrax and Public Enemy Collaboration

55:10 Biohazard and Onyx Fusion

57:43 Faith No More and the Rise of Nu Metal

01:02:16 Rage Against the Machine's Influence

01:06:12 House of Pain's 'Jump Around'

01:10:48 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Dave and Milt take a nostalgic trip back to the 1970s, evaluating and re-evaluating the Grammy winners for Record of the Year. From the soulful sounds of Simon & Garfunkel to the infectious disco beats of the Bee Gees, they discuss, debate, and sometimes disagree with the original Grammy choices, offering their own takes on who should have taken home the iconic golden gramophone. The duo also touches on nostalgic personal anecdotes, Oscar trivia, and future podcast plans. 

Topics

01:53 Listener Mail and Music Trivia

03:31 Grammy Awards Recap

05:59 1970 Grammy Redo

14:52 1971 Grammy Redo

21:31 1972 Grammy Redo

27:40 1973 Grammy Redo

33:42 1974 Grammy Redo

41:10 Oscar Snubs Quiz

46:40 Discussing Movie Snubs and Tom Hanks' Performances

49:02 Scorsese's Goodfellas vs. Dances with Wolves

49:55 Amy Adams' Oscar Nominations and Brokeback Mountain

52:45 1975 Grammy Redo

59:06 1976 Grammy Redo

01:10:44 1978 Grammy Redo

01:18:43 1979 Grammy Redo

01:26:26 Upcoming Special Pod

Dave and Milt hop back into the Past Tens time machine and land in February 1965—a time when the Billboard Top 10 didn’t mess around. This is peak-era stuff: songs you know, artists you trust, and records that somehow still sound better than half the things clogging your algorithm today.

As always, the guys do more than just count them down. They break apart the songs, talk about where they hit in their own musical DNA, and wander into side streets involving movies, memories, and the occasional “how did we get here?” tangent. The chart itself is loaded: Sam Cooke, Marvin Gaye, The Temptations, The Righteous Brothers, The Kinks—basically a greatest-hits album disguised as a single week in ’65.

Somewhere along the way, a perfectly reasonable discussion turns into a full-blown “sweet” song playdate, because once you open that door, you’re not closing it quietly. The episode wraps with debates about longevity, covers that worked (and didn’t), and the usual Past Tens soul-searching about which songs are truly immortal—and which ones just had a really good run.

Topics 

00:00 – Welcome to Past Tens (set your dials accordingly)

34:06 – Sweet Talkin’ Woman – ELO

01:11:31 – This Diamond Ring – Gary Lewis & The Playboys

01:13:21 – The Ed Sullivan Show Question

We took Past Tens on the road for the first-ever Animated Movie Draft, recorded from a friend’s house in Vermont—which immediately set the tone: cozy, loud, slightly unhinged, and absolutely competitive. Four teams entered, rules were explained (and immediately bent), and chaos followed.

The teams: No Capes (Andy and David), How to Train Your Landau (Addie and Dylan), Ka-rin & Stumpy (Milt and Karen), and Everything’s Fein (Michael and Nicole). The mission: draft the greatest animated movies of all time while filling specific categories—pre-1980s, franchise films, musicals, and wildcards—without completely losing your mind or your credibility.

What follows is exactly what you’d expect: big swings, loud objections, wildly personal logic, and a whole lot of “HOW was that still available?” Along the way we veer into childhood crushes, Disney World ride hot takes, Pixar debates, Broadway adaptations, and the eternal question of whether nostalgia is doing way too much heavy lifting.

The draft board fills up with absolute heavyweights—Toy Story, Shrek, The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Charlotte’s Web—plus a few picks that inspire stunned silence and/or yelling. Somehow, through all of it, one team quietly puts together a monster draft and walks away with a surprise win that no one fully saw coming (including them).

It’s loud. It’s nostalgic. It’s opinionated. It’s friends arguing about cartoons like it matters—which, obviously, it does.

Topics