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

The Hits of 1977: Casey Kasem, Eat Your Heart Out

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

Worst Remakes; Best Sleepers, WTFs & More From 300 Episodes

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

Hits of 1984: Here Comes the Rock Again

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

Fame? Fame! Ranking 80s & 90s Stars for the Rock Hall

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.

The Hits of 1973: Rockin’ Crocodiles; Lovin’ Trains; Coverin’ Stones

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

Greatest First Lines of ’80s Songs

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 toptentimemachine@gmail.com
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

10 Most Iconic Rock-Hip Hop Jams with Author Steven Blush

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

1970s Best Records: Re-doing the Grammys

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

The Shagadelic Tunes of 1965

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)01:17 – Listener Feedback & Shoutouts04:09 – Time Machine Locked In: February 196505:30 – What 1965 Looked Like Outside the Radio15:55 – Countdown Begins (no wasted notes)
34:06 – Sweet Talkin’ Woman – ELO39:45 – My Girl – The Temptations (yes, that moment)48:35 – All Day and All of the Night – The Kinks57:24 – Love Potion No. 9 – The Searchers01:06:07 – Hold What You’ve Got – Joe Tex
01:11:31 – This Diamond Ring – Gary Lewis & The Playboys
01:13:21 – The Ed Sullivan Show Question01:14:02 – Gary Lewis’ Chart Run01:14:55 – Al Kooper’s Vision for This Diamond Ring01:16:49 – The Name Game – Shirley Ellis01:24:12 – Petula Clark Takes Us Downtown01:30:12 – The Righteous Brothers and That Vocal01:36:11 – Covers, Substitutions, and Tough Calls01:38:47 – Final Thoughts, Personal Stories, and Why 1965 Still Wins
 

The Animated Movie Draft

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
00:14 Recording on Location in Vermont
00:51 Drafting the Greatest Animated Movies
03:19 Team Introductions and Draft Rules
09:51 First Round Picks
15:58 Second Round Picks
28:40 Third Round Picks
36:40 Peter Pan and Childhood Crushes
37:58 Disney World Ride Experiences
39:12 Drafting Disney and Pixar Films
40:37 Ratatouille and Modern Disney Rides
42:39 Musicals and Broadway Adaptations
45:39 Final Draft Picks
49:53 Honorable Mentions
01:01:03 Judging and Announcing the Winner