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

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 Orbit02:02 – Establishing the Rules of "Underrated"02:50 – Our Number Five Picks06:32 – Number Four Selections10:57 – The Forgotten Hit Category12:41 – Listener Al Nadel's Picks14:43 – Jackson 5 Deep Cut Spotlight16:51 – Songs That Should Have Been Bigger18:30 – Devo's New Wave Masterpiece20:49 – The Number One Showdown24:18 – Final Transmission From Space

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:
THE GREATEST SCREAMS IN ROCK HISTORY
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.
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🙂
;)
3 …
2 …
1 …
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#10 Little Richard — Good Golly, Miss Molly#9 Wilson Pickett — Land of 1000 Dances#8 Aerosmith — Dream On#7 James Brown — Get Up Offa That Thing#6 Guns N' Roses — Welcome to the Jungle (yes, THAT 17-second scream)#5 Led Zeppelin — Immigrant Song#4 The Beatles — Can't Buy Me Love#3 The Beatles — RevolutionT-#1 The Who — Won't Get Fooled AgainT-#1 Joe Cocker — With a Little Help From My Friends
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?"
Chapter Markers
00:20 — Meet the New Intern03:13 — Jason's Concert Stories06:18 — Dave Finally Watches 200111:20 — Ground Rules for Great Screams14:25 — #10 Little Richard18:35 — #9 Wilson Pickett22:33 — #8 Aerosmith27:54 — #7 James Brown32:44 — #6 Guns N' Roses37:17 — Mini Vocalist Draft Setup39:21 — Snake Draft Begins39:35 — Round One Picks41:52 — Round Two Shakeup46:00 — Final Pick Debate48:40 — Back to the Countdown51:36 — Beatles Scream Spotlight54:55 — Revolution, Sellouts & Rock Arguments59:32 — Also-Rans Rapid Fire1:09:33 — The Tied #1 Revealed1:14:58 — Wrap-Up & Plugs
 

Dave and Milt crank up the Time Machine and head back to the week ending May 30, 1970, but not before detouring through spam-text “pig slaughtering” scams, listener banter, and a recap of Stephen Colbert’s farewell show, complete with Jack White, Eminem, and a fire-marshal joke that somehow made perfect sense. Meanwhile, Milt delivers a major life update: Thelma the bird has likely become a mother, making him a proud and slightly obsessed bird granddad.
Once the charts arrive, it’s a heavyweight showdown. The guys rave about classics like “Let It Be,” “Vehicle,” “The Letter,” “Up Around the Bend,” “Cecilia,” and “American Woman,” while taking a considerably dimmer view of “Which Way You Goin’ Billy?,” “Love on a Two-Way Street,” and “Everything Is Beautiful.” Along the way they uncover a Jay-Z sample connection, debate the mystery of Cecilia vs. Celia, call an old 800 number, wander into cheesesteak territory, and somehow find room for Claudia Schiffer, the Butthole Surfers, and The Lego Movie.
The episode also features a Beatles lyric quiz (A-to-Y edition), spirited arguments over Beatles minutiae, and a pair of chart substitutions as Sly & the Family Stone’s “I Want to Take You Higher” and Mountain’s “Mississippi Queen” earn honorary spots in the lineup. In the end, “Cecilia” and “Let It Be” emerge as the week’s champions, and the chart earns a final grade of “Bee Gees Plus”—which, in highly scientific Past Tens terms, is pretty darn good.
Topics 00:53 Wrong Number Scam Texts 03:38 Nicknames and Listener Banter 04:22 Colbert Finale Recap 07:47 Time Machine to May 1970 09:35 Bird Granddad and News 16:02 #10 – Let It Be Deep Dive 28:48 #9 – Vehicle and Horn-Rock Greatness 38:38 #8 – Tyrone Davis Soul Stop 41:59 Soul Vibes Warning 42:39 #7 – Joe Cocker’s The Letter 45:35 Mad Dogs & Englishmen Grit 47:47 Beatles A-to-Y Quiz 56:34 Trippy Beatles Debate 58:35 Poppy Family Deep Cut 01:02:20 Seasons in the Sun Tangent 01:05:33 #6 – CCR’s Up Around the Bend 01:12:03 Calling the Old 800 Number 01:15:11 #5 – Simon & Garfunkel’s Cecilia 01:18:33 Celia vs. Cecilia Mystery 01:20:17 Cheesesteak Saint Debate 01:21:11 Legendary Cheesesteak Duel 01:21:58 #3 Countdown Begins 01:25:26 Jay-Z Sample Surprise 01:27:14 Moments Name Change Story 01:30:38 #2 Countdown Spot 01:31:32 American Woman Origin Story 01:33:50 Dreams and Claudia Schiffer 01:37:10 Butthole Surfers Detour 01:40:20 #1 Song Revealed 01:42:06 Everything Is Beautiful Roast Session 01:44:27 Lego Movie Comparison 01:45:59 Top 10 Recap 01:47:32 Winner of the Week 01:49:38 Righting a Musical Wrong 01:56:32 Past Tens Grade Debate 02:00:57 Sign-Off and Plugs
 

Dave and Milt hit record for a special edition of Past 10s marking the end of an era: the final episode of Stephen Colbert’s Late Show. But instead of hopping into the Billboard Hot 100 time machine, the boys pivot to late-night television, counting down their Top 10 Gen X-era talk-show hosts — complete with favorite moments, grudges, nostalgia, and the occasional completely unnecessary tangent. Along the way: Michael speed-runs a Chinese-food dinner before airtime, Dave delivers another riveting update on the bird building a nest outside Milt’s house, and the guys take a crack at the famously weird “Colbert Questionnaire,” revealing opinions on smells, mottos, Journey songs, the afterlife, and apparently Die Hard.
The countdown itself becomes a love letter to late-night TV history, featuring Bill Maher at #10, Samantha Bee at #9, John Oliver at #8, Jimmy Fallon at #7, Conan O'Brien at #6, Jimmy Kimmel at #5, and the King himself, Johnny Carson, landing at #4. Then things get controversial: Jon Stewart and Colbert tie for #2, before the ultimate crown goes to gap-toothed genius David Letterman at #1.
Naturally, there are arguments over the near-misses and “also-rans,” including Jay Leno narrowly missing the Top 10 at #11, plus shout-outs to James Corden, Craig Ferguson, Seth Meyers, Chelsea Handler, Arsenio Hall, Dennis Miller, Joan Rivers, and Larry King. By the end, the guys are emotionally preparing for Colbert’s finale, reflecting on what late-night TV used to mean when everybody actually watched the same thing at the same time — and wondering whether anybody under 30 even knows who Carson is.
 
Topics
00:00 Cold Open Live Audience00:59 Knicks Night Chinese Food
02:44 Bird Nest Update03:54 Tonight Colbert Finale06:29 Top 10 Setup Rules
08:39 Number 10 Bill Maher15:52 Number 9 Samantha Bee21:17 Number 8 John Oliver28:27 Number 7 Jimmy Fallon37:00 Number 6 Conan OBrien44:53 Colbert Questionnaire Game46:31 Rapid Fire Favorites49:08 Afterlife and Die Hard50:44 Smells and Memories52:43 Journey Pick and Life Motto54:24 Kimmel at Number Five01:00:09 Carson at Number Four01:06:06 Jon Stewart Tie for Two01:12:57 Colbert Legacy and Farewell01:18:25 Also Rans Countdown01:22:40 Letterman Takes Number One01:29:09 Wrap Up and Sign Off