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

1990 Tunes: When Ice Was Cool

Strap in, time travelers — Dave and Milt are firing up the Time Machine and heading straight back to a world of ripped jeans, Aqua Net, and questionable rap credibility. It’s November 3, 1990, and the Billboard Top 10 is a glorious mashup of hair metal hangovers, pop perfection, and one dude named Vanilla who made us all say “Yo, VIP, let’s kick it.” Cool, Vanilla. Wax those chumps, bro.
The guys chew over Warrant’s sticky-sweet “Cherry Pie” (spoiler: it’s aged like a dessert left in the sun), Janet Jackson’s rock-star moment with “Black Cat,” and, yes, the cultural phenomenon that was “Ice Ice Baby.” There’s a detour into bar mitzvah memories, a look at early-’90s musical growing pains, and even a round of trivia celebrating songs that kick off with iconic sound effects.
Expect the usual blend of nostalgia, nonsense, and “Wait, that was this year?” revelations. It’s another totally rad trip through time with your favorite chart-chomping duo.
Episode Breakdown:00:00 – Welcome to Past Tens01:15 – Weekend shenanigans04:54 – Remembering MTV’s Remote Control06:37 – November 1990: a magical, mulleted time15:34 – The countdown begins37:47 – That one wildly inappropriate wedding song39:13 – Alias and the slow death of hair metal40:07 – New Jack Swing is here to stay42:04 – Teen slang and nonsense words (we blame Color Me Badd)43:29 – Babyface and the silky sound of After 749:34 – MC Hammer: Can’t touch his chart dominance57:33 – James Ingram makes everyone cry01:08:20 – Janet shreds with Black Cat01:18:20 – The Sound Effects Song Quiz begins01:22:39 – Somehow, Billie Eilish and The Office show up01:24:03 – From Love in an Elevator to Civil War: sound effects galore01:29:57 – The inevitable Ice Ice Baby moment01:36:46 – What happens when AI meets pop music01:38:32 – Countdown recap01:51:57 – Dave and Milt say goodbye (until the next time warp)

Remembering MTV’s Remote Control!

Dave and Milt reminisce about MTV's cultural impact following the announcement of its shutdown after 44 years. They share personal stories and memories from appearing on the classic MTV game show 'Remote Control.' Dave and Milt each recount their episodes, including detailed behind-the-scenes antics, their interactions with other contestants, and hilarious moments with Colin Quinn and other cast members. They even encounter a young Adam Sandler. The duo wraps up by honoring MTV's significant influence in their formative years and its transformation over time.
SEE THE VIDEO: https://youtu.be/-p9ejRP97Bc?si=vSNrff8QYA09-Bpu
Topics
00:57 Remembering MTV's Legacy
03:56 MTV's Remote Control Game Show
11:24 Auditioning for Remote Control
16:15 Milt's Episode on Remote Control
31:57 Behind the Scenes and Final Thoughts
42:28 A Day of Filming: The Struggles and Surprises
44:55 The MTV Play Date: Trivia Time
50:09 Dave's MTV Experience: A Memorable Journey
51:48 The Game Show: Highs and Lows
58:18 Behind the Scenes: Funny and Awkward Moments
01:14:41 Reflecting on the MTV Days
01:18:02 Conclusion: Nostalgia and Farewell

The 1973 Albums Draft

Fire up the time machine, because Dave and Milt are cranking it to 1973—the year rock gods walked among us. Joined by fellow music geeks Scott Ziegler and David Kaufer, the crew dives headfirst into a snake draft of pure, analog glory. From Billy Joel finding his voice on Piano Man to Elton painting the sky on Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, and from Pink Floyd’s cosmic masterpiece Dark Side of the Moon to Zeppelin’s mythic Houses of the Holy—this draft’s got more classic riffs than your uncle’s record shelf.
Expect heated debates, shameless nostalgia, and more name-dropping than a ‘70s liner note. There’s strategy, there’s sentiment, and yes—there’s a few questionable picks that’ll have you yelling at your cassette player. The guys also round things out with movie soundtracks and TV themes from ‘73, because apparently, we couldn’t stop humming even when the radio was off.
PROGRAMMING NOTE: Here's the 2021 episode where Milt and Dave rank the top 10 editions of Schoolhouse Rock (a 1973 debut): https://timemachinepod.podbean.com/e/top-10-of-schoolhouse-rock-recalling-the-kitsch/
 
Topics
00:00 – Cue the time machine and the dad jokes
01:23 – The rock draft begins (and chaos follows)
11:07 – First-round fireworks: everyone wants Floyd
33:52 – Aerosmith enters the chat
40:15 – George Harrison quietly crushes
44:40 – Elvis says “Aloha,” literally
57:19 – American Graffiti brings the feels
01:24:16 – Paul Simon rhymes his way home
01:39:32 – Honorable mentions and a few dishonorable omissions

1980s Albums:Time to Play the Game

Strap in, Time Travelers—because this week on Past Tens: The Top 10 Time Machine, Dave and the Chartmeister himself, Milt, are punching the flux capacitor back to October 18, 1980. That’s right: the hair was feathered, the collars were popped, and the Billboard Top 200 albums were stacked with pure, uncut classic rock and pop cocaine (the musical kind).
We’re talkin’: AC/DC at their thunderstruck peak, The Stones proving they’re still cockroaches of rock, The Cars running you down with new-wave horsepower, George Benson smooth enough to butter your bagel, Pat Benatar telling you “Hit Me With Your Best Shot” before you even loaded the Nerf gun, and the Doobies trying to figure out if they’re yacht rock or biker bar blues. Oh, and don’t sleep on Olivia Newton-John and ELO building Xanadu out of neon tubes, Diana Ross finding disco Chic, Babs hanging with the Bee Gees, and Queen dropping The Game that still puts other bands in checkmate.
Along the way, Dave and Milt roast, reminisce, and occasionally sound like two guys who’ve had one too many Zimas. Expect hot takes, random tangents, and—of course—our weekly “Substitution,” where we bench one of the charted albums and sneak in a criminally under-loved record.
So grab your Members Only jacket, fire up the turntable, and join us for a ride through a truly transformative year in music.
Episode Breakdown
00:00 – Welcome to the madness00:27 – Meet your musical time pilots: Dave & Milt02:03 – What this pod is and why you’re stuck with it04:20 – October 18, 1980: cue the DeLorean14:16 – Deep dive on the Top 10 albums52:12 – Band tensions, soap operas, and shifting sounds54:28 – Doobies: breaking up, making up, and reuniting again54:35 – Movie soundtrack corner: iconic scenes & tunes57:30 – Musical Brothers Quiz (fight night edition)01:07:10 – Xanadu: soundtrack, roller skates, and ELO lasers01:14:58 – Diana Ross meets Chic: disco still lives!01:21:52 – Babs & the Bee Gees: polyester heaven01:27:26 – Queen’s The Game: play it loud01:34:51 – Top 10 recap + substitution smackdown01:42:23 – Caddyshack soundtrack, gophers, and final thoughts

Rock This Way: The Jams of 1986

Break out the Jordache jeans and slap bracelets—we’re firing up the Past Tens DeLorean and crash-landing straight into October 4th, 1986. Hosts Dave and Adam are your snarky tour guides through the Billboard Top 10, a week where Lionel Richie was literally defying gravity, Tina Turner was calling out “Typical Males” (present company excluded… maybe), and Run-DMC teamed up with Aerosmith to smash a wall and music history all at once.
Adam admits to surviving a Lionel Richie concert back in the day (dancing on the ceiling, not covered by health insurance), we deep-dive Janet Jackson’s pop domination, and we wonder aloud if Carl Anderson and Gloria Loring’s “Friends and Lovers” was written for a daytime soap opera—or by one. Plus, there’s a Juno Awards trivia smackdown, some righteous Canadian music history, and our patented “swap-a-song” gimmick.
It’s nostalgia, pop-culture snark, and synthesizer-drenched storytelling—Past Tens style.
Find Adam Yas music at www.adamyas.com
Topics
00:00 — Cold Open: Welcome to Past Tens—seatbelts optional, sarcasm mandatory.
00:26 — Meet the Hosts: Dave and Adam: like Hall & Oates, but with more bad puns.
03:54 — Confession Time: Adam cops to seeing Lionel Richie live in ’86. Yes, he’s fine.
06:59 — Pop Culture Check-In: Shoulder pads, Top Gun, and too much Aqua Net.
17:06 — Countdown Kickoff: The Billboard Top 10 begins—cue drum machines.
36:55 — Walk This Way: How Run-DMC and Aerosmith blew up MTV (and a wall).
38:20 — The Collab Heard ‘Round the World: Rap + Rock = mind blown.
42:05 — Studio Secrets: Steven Tyler screaming into the void… for art.
44:55 — MTV Controversy: Rock, rap, and race colliding on your TV screen.
53:12 — Phil Collins at Live Aid: Because Phil had to be everywhere.
57:42 — Stacey Q Spotlight: Two of hearts… but one too many listens.
01:11:37 — Oh, Canada: Glass Tiger teaches us “Don’t Forget Me (When I’m Gone).”
01:19:01 — Trivia Time: Dave vs. Adam in the Great Juno Awards Quiz.
01:19:45 — Sentimental Sidebar: A Nickelback tangent, with bonus dad stories.
01:26:32 — Janet Jackson Rules the World: Control, Rhythm Nation incoming.
01:34:31 — Friends and Lovers: A song that belongs on General Hospital.
01:39:24 — Huey Lewis & The News: “Stuck With You” and dad-rock glory.
01:44:29 — The Big Reveal: Top song of October 1986. Drumroll, please.
01:45:16 — Winner of the Week: Adam swaps out a Top 10 dud for a hidden gem.
01:56:57 — Closing Credits: The flux capacitor cools down—until next time.
 

The ’80s Songs That Went to 11

We saw Spinal Tap 2, flipped the big red switch, and counted down the best 1980s songs that peaked at #11. Because these… go to 11. Also: sexy drummers, armadillos, and Milt trying to make Kenny Loggins a sports anthem (again).
Quick Hit Summary
Mini-review of Spinal Tap 2 (Paul! Elton! Still loud.)
Countdown: our blended Top 10 “peaked at #11” bangers from the ’80s
Playdate: 11 questions about… 11 (of course)
A respectable pile of “also-rans” that just missed the podium
Chapter Guide
00:00 – Cold open / mic check / Past Tens roll call 06:05 – Fire up the Time Machine 07:06 – What we’re doing: ’80s songs that peaked at #11 (Spinal Tap salute)
Tap Talk
07:50 – Spinal Tap 2 quick take: tone matched, laughs landed 09:45 – Cameos: Paul McCartney (charming), Elton John (scene-stealer) 10:55 – Aging rockers, commitments vibes, and a very funny new drummer 12:40 – Why sequels usually whiff and why this one didn’t
The Countdown — The ’80s Songs That Went to 11
#11 – 00:15:00 Thompson Twins – “Doctor! Doctor!” (1984) Second-British-Invasion synth-pop sugar rush. “How was this not Top 10?” energy.
#10 – 00:16:00 Gary U.S. Bonds – “This Little Girl” (1981) Boss-built boomerang: written/produced by Springsteen & Stevie Van Zandt; Clarence on sax. Roots-rock strut with comeback swagger.
#9 – 00:22:00 Sheila E. – “A Love Bizarre” (1985) Prince pixie dust, 12-minute club glide, percussion queen doing queen things.
#8 – 00:27:00 Michael Jackson – “Another Part of Me” (1987) From the Captain EO era: Quincy groove, Disney cheese, undeniable bounce.
#7 – 00:34:00 The Contours – “Do You Love Me” (re-charted 1988) Dirty Dancing rocket fuel: Motown growl makes the Catskills naughty again.
Playdate – 00:43:00 11 Questions about “11” (Kyrie, Larkin/Rollins, 7-Eleven’s rogue lowercase n, Swingers, Messier, Bledsoe & Edelman, Ocean’s Eleven = Matt Damon, Marshall amps, Eleven = Millie Bobby Brown, Jeter wore 11 in the minors, etc.)
#6 – 00:52:00 Kenny Loggins – “This Is It” (1980) Blue-eyed soul with Michael McDonald cosign; NCAA montage hall-of-famer.
#5 – 00:57:00 Loverboy – “Hot Girls in Love” (1983) Aerosol, hooks, and harmless himbo energy. Dumb? Sure. Fun? Absolutely.
#4 – 01:01:00 Prince – “I Wanna Be Your Lover” (1980) Pre-Purple Rain princelet: falsetto glide, post-disco snap, future royalty loading.
#3 – 01:07:00 Bryan Adams – “Somebody” (1985) Reckless sweet spot: denim-rock churner with live-aid mojo. Ballad break = beer run.
#2 – 01:11:00 Go-Go’s – “Head Over Heels” (1984) Pop truffle perfection. Jane Wiedlin piano break = pure dopamine.
#1 – 01:26:00 Stevie Nicks – “Edge of Seventeen” (1981) The white-wing-dove war cry. Signature solo cut. A Top 10 snub so egregious it should be a congressional hearing.
Also-Rans & Near-Misses (rapid fire)
Stevie Wonder – “I Ain’t Gonna Stand for It”
Bangles – “Walking Down Your Street”
Little River Band – “The Other Guy” (The Other Guys synergy!)
Toto – “I’ll Be Over You”
Debbie Gibson – “Electric Youth” (Dave votes yes; Milt files an appeal)
Soul II Soul – “Keep On Movin’” (Milt’s neo-soul crush)
Benny Mardones – “Into the Night” (we heard you, Internet)
The Police – “Spirits in the Material World”
Paul Davis – “Cool Night” (yacht softness)
Naked Eyes – “Promises, Promises”
Dead or Alive – “You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)”
If this episode made your dial go to 11, share it with a friend, drop a 5-star on Apple/Spotify, and come argue with us at timemachinepod.com or toptentimemachine@gmail.com. Rock responsibly, Time Travelers.
 

Hot Dam! The Glam of 1975

Fire up the Time Machine, people—Dave and Milt are going full throttle back to ’75, and it’s a funky, feathered-hair free-for-all. On this Past Tens episode, your fearless hosts trash-talk, gush, and generally geek out over Billboard’s Top 10 from September 27, 1975. Bad Company growls, Sweet glitters, and somewhere in there Dave derails the whole thing with a personal “I almost died in a hospital gown” story.
Milt, ever the Chartmeister historian, connects the dots between these jams and the cultural circus of the mid-’70s, while Dave sprinkles in snarky asides, dad jokes, and a rant or two about sandwiches. They bounce between rock, funk, country, and schmaltz, drop a few under-the-radar nuggets, and even debate whether Glen Campbell’s Broadway references were about, y’know… actual Broadway.
Then it’s Playdate time: Dave throws down a Generation X Rock Hall challenge that makes Milt sweat. By the end, they’re arguing about whether this whole lineup deserves a permanent plaque in the Time Machine Hall of Fame—or just a polite golf clap.
Timestamps for your nostalgic pleasure: 00:00 – Past Tens roll call 00:25 – Sandwich rambling commences 01:34 – Dave’s hospital misadventure 06:05 – Time Machine ignition 07:06 – Top 10 countdown starts 13:52 – Bad Company brings the thunder 20:59 – Sweet turns the glam up to 11 28:56 – Freddie Fender’s tear-stained road trip 34:52 – Famous Freds ranked (because why not?) 35:12 – Fender deep dive 36:01 – Janis Ian breaks every heart in the room 40:23 – Seventeen-year-old angst songs dissected 48:31 – Barry Manilow achieves… let’s call it a musical climax 54:09 – Gen X Rock Hall face-off 01:04:19 – “Run Joey Run” and the tragedy of teen melodrama 01:12:22 – The Isley Brothers get funky 01:14:19 – Disney, algorithms, and mild outrage 01:14:53 – Tragic news + media gripes 01:19:10 – Glen Campbell mysteries solved (or not) 01:22:54 – Bowie goes funky chic 01:29:06 – John Denver’s swan song 01:33:12 – Wrap-up, wisecracks, and reflection

The Flicks of ‘91: Milt In Tights

Milt and Dave fired up the Time Machine and landed smack in September of 1991, when mullets were plentiful and Blockbuster late fees could bankrupt you. We’re running down the box-office champs—from Arnold blowing stuff up in Terminator 2 to Billy Crystal roping cattle in City Slickers, with pit stops at Woody Harrelson’s baby-faced cameo in Doc Hollywood and the horror sequels nobody really asked for.
Along the way, we:
Trade war stories about seeing these flicks in sticky-floored theaters.
Act out scenes like idiots (you’re welcome).
Dish out Rotten Tomatoes scores and wildly unfair judgments.
Wonder aloud why The Commitments still slaps and why Dead Again deserved more love.
Debate whether Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves is epic or just Kevin Costner cosplaying with a bad accent.
And yes—some of these movies aged like fine wine (T2), while others… let’s just say they’ve turned to vinegar (Child’s Play 3, I’m looking at you).
Episode Breakdown 00:00 – Bickering & Banter 01:19 – Dave apologizes for… something. Again. 02:17 – Nostalgia bomb: our ’91 movie memories 03:56 – The countdown begins 07:20 – The Commitments review 17:27 – Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves 27:44 – City Slickers 38:40 – The Doctor 45:47 – Child’s Play 3 (spoiler: nope) 47:03 – Box office chatter & that weird UK crime link 51:40 – Doc Hollywood + baby Woody Harrelson 58:25 – Hot Shots! (Charlie Sheen’s golden era) 01:08:10 – Terminator 2 drops the hammer 01:16:40 – Dead Again review 01:23:09 – Freddy’s Dead autopsy 01:31:28 – Winner of the Week & closing thoughts
It’s loud, it’s nostalgic, it’s a little snarky—just another ride in the Top 10 Time Machine.

Good Times, Bad Fiddles: Hits of '79

It’s time travel, disco balls, and questionable fashion choices as Dave, Milt, and our buddy Adam Ya Ooh Ya Yas crack open the Billboard Top 10 from September 8, 1979. What holds up? What makes us cringe? What still makes us want to roller-skate in short-shorts? We’ve got opinions.
Expect heated debates on “The Devil Went Down to Georgia” vs. “My Sharona,” detours into random trivia, and the usual cocktail of nostalgia, snark, and stories you didn’t ask for but can’t stop listening to. Spoiler: Bruce makes an accidental cameo.
Highlights include:
🎲 Dave stumbles into Lady Gaga while prepping for ’79. Don’t ask.
🎬 Licorice Pizza, John Peters, and other Hollywood detours.
🎤 Yacht Rock therapy session.
🎻 Devil vs. Fiddle Showdown.
⚡ ELO teaches us not to bring them down (but we do anyway).
💍 Celebrity marriages, Taylor Swift tangents, and Bar Mitzvah flashbacks.
🎶 Chic’s “Good Times” and why it’s secretly behind everything.
🎸 The Knack still smacking us with “My Sharona.”
And of course, the Past Tens patented Substitution Segment™—where we rip out one of the so-called “hits” and jam in a better one from that week. Then we slap a grade on the whole list like we’re back in homeroom.
Settle in. This episode’s longer than a disco 12-inch single.

Top 10 Simpsons Episodes with Author Alan Siegel

Dave and Milt welcome Alan Siegel — yes, that Alan Siegel, the guy who literally wrote the book Stupid TV: Be More Funny – How The Golden Era of The Simpsons Changed Television and America Forever. If you thought you loved The Simpsons, wait until you hear Alan dissect his top 10 episodes with a surgeon’s precision and a fanboy’s heart.
We’re talking Radio Bart, Bart Sells His Soul, Marge vs. The Monorail, and the rest of the Mount Rushmore of Springfield. These aren’t just funny episodes — they’re cultural autopsies of America served up with Duff Beer and a Sideshow Bob cackle. Along the way we get trivia nuggets, writer shoutouts, and Alan’s camp stories (yes, summer camp connects here — don’t ask, just listen).
Bottom line: it’s a nerdy lovefest for the show that taught us how to laugh at society, politics, and ourselves — long before Twitter ruined jokes forever.
Topics00:54 Special Guest: Alan Siegel01:20 The Simpsons: A Shared Passion02:09 Alan’s Summer Camp Connection04:09 How Alan Ended Up at The Ringer07:28 Why The Simpsons Still Rules09:20 Bart Sells His Soul13:41 Homer at the Bat44:19 Smooth Segue (or not)44:38 Itchy & Scratchy & Marge46:10 Simpsons as Social Commentary48:06 Simpsons the Fortune Teller50:27 Itchy & Scratchy & Poochie54:19 Fan Interaction, Simpsons Style57:10 Marge vs. the Monorail01:04:04 Homer the Heretic01:08:33 Last Exit to Springfield01:13:11 Lisa’s Substitute01:18:12 Mr. Plow01:21:49 Simpsons Trivia + Wrap-Up