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

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

1982 Hits: American Fools

It’s August 21, 1982, and Dave and Milt are back in the Time Machine, swimming in the Billboard Top 10 like it’s the world’s most awkward pool party. Chicago is apologizing all over the place with “Hard to Say I’m Sorry,” Fleetwood Mac is politely asking you to “Hold Me,” and Survivor is still living off that “Eye of the Tiger” Rocky money.
Along the way, we detour into soda-related TikTok challenges (yes, apparently Sprite is dangerous now), celebrity death news (spoiler: not good news), and listener emails that range from insightful to “are you sure you hit send on the right show?” You’ll also get trivia, remakes, a live “Kids in America” cameo from Billy Joe Armstrong, and a heated swap-out session where we boot some Top 10 squatters in favor of better songs from the same era.
We break down Chicago’s yacht-rock-adjacent apology, Fleetwood Mac’s post-breakup awkward magic, and Steve Miller’s “Abracadabra” (spoiler: it’s about bras). Then it’s all Mellencamp all the time—his name changes, his childhood surgery, his failed acting gigs, and yes, the time Mark Wahlberg tried to rap “Hurt So Good” for reasons unknown to mankind.
By the time we get to “Eye of the Tiger,” we’ve covered Paul Anka swing covers, the movie Swingers (which is not about what you think), and every ridiculous tangent your mother warned you about. We close with some song swaps, listener feedback, and a reflection on how the early ’80s somehow made both syrupy ballads and aggressive workout anthems coexist on the same chart without anyone’s head exploding.
Topics
 00:24 – Banter and Soda Talk 01:10 – The Sprite Challenge: Darwinism in a Can 02:14 – Pop Culture News & Celebrity Deaths 04:11 – Listener Emails (Some of Which We Actually Read) 06:02 – Music Trivia and Useless but Fun Facts 07:28 – Countdown Recap + Air Supply: The Musical NyQuil 10:06 – Chicago’s Over-Apologetic Hit 18:46 – Fleetwood Mac’s Polite Cry for Affection 29:19 – Steve Miller’s “Abracadabra” (Yes, Really) 39:29 – Mellencamp Evolution: From Cougar to Heartland Icon 42:01 – Wahlberg Raps Mellencamp (You’ve Been Warned) 44:25 – Pulp Fiction & The Soul Theory (Because Why Not) 46:56 – Top 10 Recap of August 21, 1982 48:52 – “Eye of the Tiger”: From Rocky to Ringtone 54:45 – Paul Anka Swings the Tiger 56:35 – Swingers: False Advertising 58:32 – Song Substitutions & Why We’re Right 01:15:58 – Closing Thoughts & Open Season on Feedback

A Vacation to the Hits of 1982

Break out the confetti and questionable fashion choices—we’re turning six! To mark the occasion, Dave and Milt jump into their chart-shaped time machine and land smack in the neon glow of 1982, where Paul McCartney was still cranking out hits, Air Supply hadn’t yet exhausted their supply of feelings, and the Go-Go’s were busy corrupting the youth on VHS tape.
You’ll get chart commentary, deep cuts of trivia, unsolicited opinions, and a listener email so good it made us want to binge a Billy Joel documentary (and maybe some Billy Joel himself). Also: CSN takes a nap, REO regrets an album, and we discover something called Johnny Aloha which... yeah, you’ll just have to listen.
Oh, and there’s a game at the end where Milt tries to identify artists from insane lists Dave cooked up in a fever dream. It’s harder than it sounds.
Topics & Timestamps:
01:06 – 🎂 Past 10s turns 6! (No cake. Just vibes.)02:06 – 📬 Listener Mail: Billy Joel, Hawaiian covers, and other detours07:35 – 🧪 Playing with podcast formats because we can09:46 – 📻 Countdown begins: Billboard Top 10 of 198220:26 – 🎹 Paul McCartney takes it away (but where?)28:30 – 🎶 Crosby, Stills & Nash still got it... kinda34:17 – 🏖 The Go-Go’s go on Vacation and never come back42:08 – 📉 Why that band broke up (and maybe deserved it)42:42 – 🌺 Johnny Aloha: Hawaiian covers for people who hate normal covers44:34 – 📼 That infamous Go-Go’s hotel video46:50 – 👙 Sydney Sweeney controversy (because of course)50:40 – 🚫 REO Speedwagon wishes this album never happened56:15 – 💔 The rise and soft-rock fall of Air Supply01:03:25 – 🎲 Play Date: The music trivia game you didn’t know you needed01:18:08 – 🧠 Wrap-up and tease for next week (it’s gonna be good)

Scenes From A Billy Joel Documentary

Dave and Milt welcome two top-shelf Billy Joelologists: Scott Eckstein and Russ Flicker. We crack open the emotional songbook that is the HBO Max doc And So It Goes—a title that screams “quiet devastation,” like only Billy can.
We’re not just talking about Uptown Girl and Glass Houses. We go deep: the musical shapeshifting, the very Jewish energy, the marriages that aged like milk, the loyal bandmates that got canned, and the critics who never really got him (but oh, how we do).
You'll hear memories of epic Billy concerts, emotional gut-punch lyrics, underloved deep cuts, and hot takes on everything from “tonic and gin” to “Scenes from an Italian Restaurant” being the Bohemian Rhapsody of Long Island.
It’s a love letter. It’s a roast. It’s a nuanced nosedive into the joy, the ache, and the genius of one of pop music’s most fascinating contradictions: a guy who made stadiums weep and critics wince. Come for the legacy, stay for the therapy session.
Topics
00:00 – 🎙️ Welcome to Past Tens, where we tell time by top tens 00:37 – 🥂 The “tonic and gin” debate no one asked for, but here we are 01:04 – 👏 Shout-outs to our guests and Billy buffs 02:04 – 📽️ Quick primer on And So It Goes (spoiler: not a rom-com) 03:00 – 🧠 Meet the Billy Braintrust: Scott and Russ 03:58 – 🎹 First concerts, last rows, and Piano Man magic 09:41 – 🔥 10 Hot Takes on the Billy Joel Doc 10:12 – 🥊 Early career struggles and Long Island angst 21:04 – 💔 Elizabeth Weber: The wife, the manager, the mystery 30:38 – 🧐 Lyrics that are both literal and metaphorical (very Billy) 38:33 – ✡️ Billy’s Jewishness: subtle, strong, and always there 44:49 – 🎭 Style chameleon: from ballads to barroom bangers 47:49 – 📰 Why critics never got him (and why we always did) 51:37 – 👶 The surprising multi-gen appeal of Billy Joel 58:10 – 🗽 Billy and New York: a love story with traffic 01:04:46 – 🧾 Legacy and the unfair critic treatment 01:10:19 – 🎧 Hidden gems and forgotten tracks 01:19:04 – 🤐 What the doc left out (and what we won’t) 01:26:48 – 🫶 Final thoughts on a complicated icon