Martin Short didn't need much time to make an impression in the ’80s.

Sometimes all he needed was extremely high-waisted pants, a spectacularly bad haircut and the phrase “I must say.”

In this classic episode of Stuck in the ’80s, we revisit our interview with Martin Short, one of the funniest and most versatile performers to emerge from the remarkable Canadian comedy scene that gave us an absurd number of comedy legends.

Short's road to stardom included a stop at SCTV, where he joined a cast that included John Candy, Eugene Levy, Catherine O'Hara, Andrea Martin and Joe Flaherty.

It was there that audiences met some of Short's wonderfully strange creations, including the spectacularly nerdy Ed Grimley.

Grimley was impossible to forget. The hair. The pants. The triangle. His obsession with Pat Sajak. Short somehow turned a character who looked like he should have been banned from leaving his bedroom into a pop-culture phenomenon.

Then came Saturday Night Live.

Short joined the show for the 1984-85 season alongside fellow SCTV veteran Billy Crystal, Christopher Guest and Harry Shearer. His tenure lasted only one season, but it arrived at an important moment for SNL and produced plenty of memorable television.

Short also brought characters including Grimley and the gloriously untalented Jackie Rogers Jr. to a much larger American audience.

Hollywood soon came calling.

In 1986, Short teamed with Chevy Chase and Steve Martin for Three Amigos!, playing Ned Nederlander in a comedy that wasn't exactly greeted as a masterpiece upon arrival but eventually became one of the decade's most beloved cult movies.

A year later came Innerspace, followed by movies including Cross My Heart and Three Fugitives as Short continued moving effortlessly between sketch comedy, movies, television and the stage.

That's part of what makes talking with Martin Short so much fun. His career can't really be reduced to one show, one movie or even one character.

For children of the ’80s, though, there's something particularly wonderful about that stretch when Short seemed capable of appearing anywhere — SCTV one minute, Saturday Night Live the next, then suddenly standing beside Steve Martin and Chevy Chase dressed as a singing cowboy.

In our conversation, Short looks back at his career, his comedy influences and the characters that made him one of the most distinctive performers of the decade.

And yes, it's nearly impossible to talk about Martin Short without eventually attempting an Ed Grimley impression.

We apologize in advance.

Want even more Stuck in the ’80s? Our Patreon members get bonus content and other extras created for the people who somehow haven't gotten tired of us after all these years.

Join the Stuck in the ’80s Patreon and help us keep the podcast, website and our various ’80s obsessions alive and kicking.

Want to take your ’80s obsession out to sea? Join Stuck in the ’80s aboard The ’80s Cruise, where we host trivia, live events, podcasts and assorted other ’80s foolishness alongside thousands of fellow fans.

When booking your cabin, use promo code STUCK to receive $250 in onboard credit.

Come for the music. Stay for the trivia.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

U2's Joshua Tree turns 25; celebrating John Belushi, interview with B-52's Fred Scheider

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Few bands defined the grand theatrical sound of arena rock quite like Styx. Blending progressive-rock ambition, power ballads and larger-than-life stage productions, the band became one of the biggest rock acts of the late 1970s and early 1980s. This week on the Stuck in the ’80s Podcast, Spearsy sits down with former Styx frontman Dennis DeYoung for a candid conversation about the band’s beginnings, the legacy of Kilroy Was Here and the twists and turns of his career after leaving the group.

During the interview, Dennis reflects on the formation of Styx and the group’s rise from Chicago club act to arena-rock powerhouse. Spearsy and Dennis revisit the creative energy behind classic hits like Come Sail Away, Babe and Mr. Roboto while discussing how the band balanced progressive-rock experimentation with mainstream commercial success.

The conversation also dives deeply into Kilroy Was Here, the ambitious 1983 concept album that became both a commercial success and one of the most controversial projects of the MTV era. Dennis discusses the inspiration behind the futuristic rock opera, the backlash it received from some fans and critics and why the album has undergone major reevaluation in recent years.

Along the way, Spearsy and Dennis talk about the breakup tensions within Styx, his eventual solo career and the complicated emotional realities of being part of one of the biggest bands of the arena-rock era. Like many great Stuck in the ’80s interviews, the discussion becomes equal parts music history, personal reflection and celebration of the wildly ambitious creativity that made the decade unforgettable.

If you love classic rock, progressive rock, MTV nostalgia and behind-the-scenes stories from one of the defining rock bands of the 1980s, this episode belongs in your playlist.

The Stuck in the ’80s Podcast has spent nearly 20 years celebrating the music, movies, television and pop culture of the greatest decade ever. Support the show on Patreon for bonus episodes, exclusive livestream hangouts, behind-the-scenes content and merch for longtime listeners.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

How did Madonna perform at the Super Bowl? We'll sound off. Also items on Van Halen and Ferris Bueller.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

We honor the 30th anniversary of Conan the Barbarian and seek the answer to the riddle of steel. Includes trivia quiz, MMM, What Makes Spearsy Cry and Name That '80s Tune

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Rock Dinosaurs of the '80s part 4, including The Who, Chicago and The Monkees.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

We've interviewed a lot of ’80s stars over the years.

Usually, however, they don't walk into the room.

In this classic episode of Stuck in the ’80s, Cheap Trick frontman Robin Zander pays us an in-person visit to talk about the band's remarkable career and an upcoming St. Petersburg concert built around one of Cheap Trick's most beloved albums: Dream Police.

Yes, Robin Zander was sitting there with us.

We attempted to behave professionally.

Released in 1979, Dream Police technically arrived just before our favorite decade began.

We're claiming it anyway.

After all, Cheap Trick entered the ’80s riding the enormous momentum created by Cheap Trick at Budokan and Dream Police, and the band's music would remain a fixture of rock radio throughout the decade.

The Dream Police album gave us the unforgettable title track, complete with one of those choruses that practically demands to be shouted rather than sung.

It also produced “Voices,” a gorgeous Zander-led ballad that showed another side of a band best known for its high-energy power pop.

Other tracks including “Way of the World” and the nearly 10-minute “Gonna Raise Hell” demonstrated just how ambitious Cheap Trick could be.

And then there was that album cover.

White suits. Black shirts. Rick Nielsen looking exactly like Rick Nielsen.

No further explanation required.

Cheap Trick has always been a band filled with distinctive personalities.

Rick Nielsen had the sweaters, the baseball caps and an apparently unlimited supply of guitars. Bun E. Carlos looked like someone's accountant who had accidentally wandered behind the drum kit.

And out front was Robin Zander.

Zander possessed — and still possesses — one of rock's great voices, equally capable of delivering the power of “Dream Police” and the vulnerability of “Voices.”

That versatility became even more apparent as Cheap Trick moved through the ’80s.

The decade wasn't always smooth sailing for the band, but Cheap Trick eventually staged one of rock's great comebacks with 1988's Lap of Luxury.

“The Flame” became the band's first No. 1 hit, while their cover of Elvis Presley's “Don't Be Cruel” reached the Top 10.

Suddenly, a band that had already survived one era of rock stardom had found another.

Our conversation with Zander centers on the upcoming St. Petersburg performance celebrating Dream Police, but when you've got the lead singer of Cheap Trick sitting in front of you, there's an awful lot of musical history to discuss.

We talk about the album, the songs and life inside a band whose influence stretches far beyond its chart history.

Cheap Trick has always occupied a fascinating place in rock music. They could be heavy without really being heavy metal. They could write enormous pop hooks without sounding like a traditional pop band. Punk and alternative musicians loved them. So did arena-rock fans.

And somehow, through all of it, Cheap Trick always sounded like Cheap Trick.

That's no small accomplishment.

Neither is getting Robin Zander to drop by for an in-person episode of Stuck in the ’80s.

We'd like to say we played it cool.

You'll have to listen and decide for yourself.

Want to spend a week surrounded by the music, stars and fellow fans of our favorite decade? Join Stuck in the ’80s aboard The ’80s Cruise, where we host trivia, live events, podcasts and plenty of other ’80s fun at sea.

When booking your cabin, use promo code STUCK to receive $250 in onboard credit.

The Dream Police probably won't arrest you for booking a cabin.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Rock Hall of Fame, Madonna in Super Bowl, under-loved Christmas movies.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

For millions of fans who grew up during the late 1970s and 1980s, the voice of Steve Perry became inseparable from the soundtrack of their lives. As the frontman of Journey, Perry helped create some of the most iconic arena-rock songs ever recorded, combining emotional vulnerability with powerhouse vocals that still define classic rock radio decades later. This week on the Stuck in the ’80s Podcast, Spearsy sits down with Steve Perry for a rare and deeply personal conversation covering music, heartbreak and his return to recording after years away from the spotlight.

During the interview, Steve reflects on the early formation of Journey and the unlikely rise of the group from progressive-rock roots into one of the biggest arena-rock bands of the MTV era. Spearsy and Steve revisit classic songs like Don't Stop Believin', Faithfully and Open Arms while discussing the creative chemistry that made Journey such a dominant force in rock music.

The conversation also explores the internal conflicts and personal pressures that eventually fractured the band. Steve speaks candidly about fame, exhaustion and the emotional toll of carrying one of the most recognizable voices in popular music during an era built around relentless touring and nonstop public attention.

Along the way, the interview becomes surprisingly intimate as Steve discusses his love life during the 1980s, the loneliness that sometimes accompanied fame and the personal experiences that shaped many of Journey’s most emotional songs. Spearsy and Steve also discuss his return to music after years away from the industry and the challenge of reconnecting with creativity after such a long absence.

Like many landmark Stuck in the ’80s interviews, the episode becomes about more than nostalgia — it becomes a reflection on identity, vulnerability and the emotional connection audiences continue feeling with the artists who helped soundtrack their lives.

If you love classic rock, arena-rock ballads, MTV nostalgia and behind-the-scenes conversations with one of the defining voices of the 1980s, this episode belongs in your playlist.

The Stuck in the ’80s Podcast has spent nearly 20 years celebrating the music, movies, television and pop culture of the greatest decade ever. Support the show on Patreon for bonus episodes, exclusive livestream hangouts, behind-the-scenes content and merch for longtime listeners.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

One song. One movie. One raised fist in the air.

Few moments connect ’80s music and movies quite like Simple Minds' “Don't You (Forget About Me)” playing over the final scene of The Breakfast Club.

In this classic Stuck in the ’80s interview, we talk with Simple Minds frontman Jim Kerr about the Scottish band's journey from post-punk beginnings to international stardom and the song that became an unofficial anthem for an entire generation.

Simple Minds formed in Glasgow in the late 1970s, with Kerr and guitarist Charlie Burchill at the heart of the band.

By the early ’80s, they had developed a growing following in Europe with albums including Sons and Fascination, New Gold Dream (81–82–83–84) and Sparkle in the Rain.

Songs such as “Promised You a Miracle” and “Waterfront” established Simple Minds as a major band in the U.K.

American superstardom, however, would arrive courtesy of a high-school detention.

Written for the soundtrack to John Hughes' The Breakfast Club, “Don't You (Forget About Me)” wasn't actually written by Simple Minds.

In fact, the band initially resisted recording it.

Good thing they changed their minds.

The song reached No. 1 in the United States in 1985, while its appearance at the end of The Breakfast Club permanently linked Simple Minds with one of the decade's defining teen movies.

Even today, it's difficult to hear the song without picturing Judd Nelson's John Bender walking across a football field and raising his fist into the air.

Simple Minds proved their American breakthrough wasn't a one-song fluke with 1985's Once Upon a Time.

“Alive and Kicking” became another major U.S. hit, followed by songs including “Sanctify Yourself” and “All the Things She Said.”

By the middle of the decade, Simple Minds had grown from an experimental Scottish post-punk band into an arena-filling rock act.

In our Jim Kerr interview, the Simple Minds singer looks back on that evolution, the band's ’80s success and the strange journey of a song they didn't write — and initially didn't want to record — becoming the track millions of people associate with them most.

More than four decades later, we haven't forgotten.

Apparently the song worked.

Want to spend a week surrounded by ’80s music, stars and fellow fans? Join Stuck in the ’80s aboard The ’80s Cruise for trivia, live events, podcasts and plenty of other decade-inspired fun at sea.

Use promo code STUCK when booking to receive $250 in onboard credit.

Don't you forget about us.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.