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

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
 

Hits of 1984: I Guess That’s Why They Call it Past 10s

Dave and Milt crack open the Billboard Top 10 from January 14, 1984 — a chart absolutely stacked with heavy hitters like Lionel Richie, Michael Jackson, Duran Duran, Culture Club, Elton John, and more. It’s pop perfection, power ballads, synth hooks, and at least one harmonica discussion that gets wildly out of hand.
Along the way, the guys dig into the songs, the lyrics, and the cultural moment — plus listener emails, high-school flashbacks, and a true story of Dave weaponizing song lyrics. There’s serious love for classics like “Owner of a Lonely Heart” and “Say Say Say,” plus some healthy debate when Milt swaps out “Break My Stride” for Chaka Khan’s “Ain’t Nobody,” and Dave pulls an audible by replacing “Talking in Your Sleep” with early-era U2.
Expect deep dives, dumb tangents (baseball makes a surprise appearance), TikTok-era song revivals, harmonica legends, and the usual combination of nostalgia, nitpicking, and laughs that probably goes on five minutes longer than planned — as it should.
Chapters: 01:59 Listener Mail 09:43 Back to 1984 14:21 The Countdown Begins 35:56 Harmonica Jealousy (Yes, Really) 37:40 Elton John Gets the Blues 42:55 “Break My Stride” (or Does It?) 45:33 Songs That Refuse to Die on TikTok 55:21 Olivia Newton-John Curveball 01:01:46 Duran Duran Era Begins 01:19:22 “Owner of a Lonely Heart” 01:25:54 McCartney + MJ 01:34:12 The Substitution Chaos 01:44:51 Final Thoughts & What’s Next
 

Who’s Your Grammy? Re-Doing The Best-Record Awards of the 80s

Dave and Milt fire up the DeLorean and head straight for the 1980s—specifically, the Grammy Awards’ Record of the Year decisions, many of which now feel… let’s say debatable. With equal parts reverence and side-eye, the guys re-litigate whether the Grammys nailed it, blew it, or flat-out whiffed.
Spirited debates, personal memories, a few “wait—that won??” moments, and plenty of good-natured sniping as each year gets put back on trial. Along the way, there are trivia detours, surprise segments, and the occasional musical sacred cow being gently (or not so gently) tipped over. It’s nostalgia with receipts—and just enough wisdom earned the hard way.
Topics 01:27 Listener love, Spotify Wrapped, and setting the mood 03:07 The Grammys do-over: ground rules and grievances 04:14 1980 Record of the Year on the stand 13:43 1981: justice served… or appealed 21:34 1982: vibes vs. legacy 28:50 1983: hits, hindsight, and head-scratching 35:37 1984: peak ’80s energy 41:29 Playdate: Grammy trivia chaos 48:05 1985: the year that wouldn’t behave 48:57 Nominees under the microscope 50:09 Tina Turner reminds everyone who’s boss 51:28 Iconic ’80s hits and cultural whiplash 54:43 1986: the nominees speak for themselves 57:55 USA for Africa takes the trophy 01:06:30 1987: a crowded field 01:08:14 Steve Winwood’s surprise victory lap 01:14:41 1988: tough calls and tougher opinions 01:16:36 Graceland and the controversy that won’t die 01:21:56 1989: joy, confusion, and whistling 01:23:23 Bobby McFerrin sparks debate 01:26:29 Michael Jackson vs. Tracy Chapman (and why this is hard) 01:33:56 Final verdicts, revised history, and closing arguments
 

The Top 10 Songs of 2025 (& Their Cosmic Twins of the Past)

Hop in the Time Machine and buckle up, because in this episode of Past Tens, Dave and Milt do what they do best: stare directly into the pop-culture sun and ask, “So… how did we get here?”
The fellas break down Billboard’s Top 10 songs of 2025 — praising the bangers, questioning the head-scratchers, and revisiting a few familiar names that refuse to leave the charts (looking at you, Bruno). Along the way, they dig into artist backstories, chart momentum, and whether these songs are future classics… or just temporarily living rent-free in our brains.
As always, there’s a twist: every modern hit gets paired with an older song that shares its DNA — same vibe, same arc, same “I’ve heard this before but can’t quite place it” energy. Is pop music evolving, looping, or just wearing a new jacket? Dave and Milt investigate.
Expect karaoke stories, party chaos, musical crescendos, country-rap identity crises, unexpected love songs, and at least one moment where someone asks, “Wait… how old is that guy?”
It’s nostalgia, analysis, laughs, and just enough musical snobbery to feel like home.
Topics (or: Things We Somehow Spent 90 Minutes Talking About)
01:02 – Karaoke and party highlights (regrets were made)
03:16 – Credit cards, cookies, and adult responsibility creeping in
03:50 – Reflecting on past music trends (and how we swore this wouldn’t happen again)
04:29 – The Top Songs of 2025, with a nostalgic twist
10:22 – Chappell Roan, Pink Pony Club, and the long road to overnight success
21:28 – Bruno Mars & ROSÉ: APT. and the art of pop precision
29:41 – Post Malone & Morgan Wallen: I Had Some Help (did they though?)
33:44 – Alex Warren: influencer → musician → wait, this kinda works
40:53 – Benson Boone and the beauty of a well-timed emotional explosion
44:01 – Music tastes, aging, and coming to terms with both
44:38 – The science of crescendos (aka “why this song suddenly slaps”)
47:32 – Billie Eilish and her ongoing evolution
52:02 – The Cure, because somehow they always come up
54:12 – Teddy Swims and vocal gymnastics
01:00:24 – Country-rap, reinvention, and genre identity crises
01:06:12 – Kendrick Lamar’s unexpected love song moment
01:15:33 – Bruno Mars & Lady Gaga: when pop royalty teams up
01:24:25 – Final thoughts, year-end reflections, and closing the book on 2025

Best of 2025: The Second Annual 'Tennies'

Live from the glamorous crossroads of America (a Best Western in Sheboygan, Michigan), Dave and Milt roll out the red carpet—or at least a slightly wrinkled hallway runner—for the Second Annual Tennies, our totally prestigious, minimally regulated awards honoring the very best moments of the podcast year that was.
This is the episode where we look back, point, laugh, occasionally wince, and then laugh harder. We hand out trophies (imaginary, but emotionally heavy) for categories like Best Guest, Worst Tale of Woe, Best Use of Creepy AI, and—because we are who we are—the highly competitive Best Penis Joke. It’s a night filled with surprise guest appearances, unnecessary musical detours, tech hiccups that absolutely should not have happened, and stories that somehow got more awkward with time.
Between heartfelt moments, holiday chatter, listener emails, and Milt doing things that can only be described as “very Milt,” the Tennies once again prove that when you give two guys microphones and zero adult supervision, magic—questionable, chaotic magic—can still happen.
Topics
01:29 – Opening Monologue: Big Energy, Questionable Confidence
04:30 – Best Use of Creepy AI (We’re Sorry, Humanity)
12:22 – Best Guest (Actual Talent Appears)
17:39 – Worst Tale of Woe (Pain + Time = Comedy)
20:38 – Best Invention (Patent Pending, Probably Not)
23:43 – Best Time Machiner Email
34:10 – Parenting Jokes We Immediately Regretted
34:29 – The Susanna Hoffs Concert That Broke Our Brains
35:44 – Best Machiner Email: Champion Emerges
37:21 – Dreams, Delusions, and Podcast Therapy
39:47 – Classic Milt Moments (A Deep Bench)
43:18 – Things We Definitely Didn’t See Coming
53:53 – Rapid-Fire Chaos
56:48 – (We don’t mean to be dicks, but …) Best Penis Jokes