Show Notes
Dave and Milt open with banter about expensive VIP options, coffee vs. tea, and then discuss the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame class heavy with British performers (Phil Collins solo, Billy Idol, Oasis, Iron Maiden, Joy Division/New Order, Sade), plus Wu-Tang Clan and Luther Vandross, and hip-hop influence picks like Queen Latifah and MC Lyte. Inspired by the Brit-heavy class, they switch the podcast format to the UK singles chart for week ending 18 April 1987, counting down: “Living in a Box” by Living in a Box, Fine Young Cannibals’ cover of Buzzcocks’ “Ever Fallen in Love,” U2’s “With or Without You,” Terence Trent D’Arby’s “If You Let Me Stay,” Mel and Kim’s “Respectable” (with Mel’s illness and death noted), Janet Jackson’s “Let’s Wait Awhile” (plus an AI cover discussion), Judy Boucher’s “Can’t Be With You Tonight” (Lovers Rock), Club Nouveau’s “Lean on Me,” Madonna’s “La Isla Bonita” (and her British-accent phase), and charity supergroup Ferry Aid’s “Let It Be” for the Herald of Free Enterprise disaster. They name “With or Without You” best, swap out songs for Whitesnake and Bon Jovi, grade the week as mediocre, and note Milt may miss next week due to Jazz Fest in New Orleans.
Topics 00:52 Cold Open British Bits 01:39 Podcast Intro And Coffee Talk 03:32 Hall Of Fame Brits Takeover 08:28 Time Machine To UK 1987 10:45 Number 10 Living In A Box 16:18 Band Name Song Name Tangent 25:08 Number 9 Fine Young Cannibals Cover 34:00 Number 8 U2 With Or Without You 35:57 Bono’s Balancing Act 37:27 With or Without You in TV 38:30 U2 Concert War Stories 41:43 Terrence Trent D’Arby Hype 45:30 Name Change and Fallout 48:10 Mel and Kim UK Pop Factory 52:43 Long Distance Defecation 01:00:06 Janet Jackson and AI Cover 01:08:38 Lovers Rock One Hit Wonder 01:14:00 Lean On Me Remake 01:15:53 Tyson and Don King Story 01:19:48 La Isla Bonita Breakdown 01:23:17 Madonna British Accent Clip 01:26:31 Ferry Aid Let It Be Explained 01:33:28 Charity Singles Then and Now 01:35:53 Top 10 Recap Beatles Voices 01:37:35 Winners and Substitutions 01:46:00 Time Machine Verdict and Wrap
More from PAST 10s: A Top 10 Time Machine - Music of the 70s, 80s and More
Dave (coughing through the cold open) and chartmeister Michael “Milt” Wolfe take Past 10s back to the week ending Oct. 2, 1999, detouring through Adam Yas singing the national anthem at a Patriots game, listener mail about forgotten “best claps” songs, and why Polish jokes exist. They set the scene with Freaks and Geeks premiering, Double Jeopardy topping the box office, and ER ruling TV, then dive into a late-’90s Latin crossover-heavy countdown.
Dave and Milt record a special episode focused on ranking the best hand-clap songs, defining picks as songs where clapping is a crucial, compelling element that makes listeners want to clap along (not just a brief moment). You know, clapping. … Why are we overexplaining this? Sorry. … They discuss postponing recording due to Milt attending a Yankees playoff game, announce that Dave’s brother Adam Yas will sing the national anthem on the field before Sunday’s Patriots game (with related family coincidences), and note Milt’s AI-assisted birthday song for Dave (appended to the episode). Using combined rankings from over 50 candidates plus listener suggestions, they count down the top 10.
Dave and Milt revisit the rock chart for the week ending Oct. 6, 1984—after initially and repeatedly calling it 1983 and later admitting the error. After banter about ice cream habits, a contrived Willy Wonka competition show, and brief history/pop-culture notes (Richard Noble’s 633 mph “Thrust 2” land-speed record, Carl Yastrzemski’s final at-bat, Lech Wałęsa’s Nobel Prize, The Big Chill, and AfterMASH), they count down the rock Top 10: Krokus “Midnite Maniac,” Billy Idol “Flesh for Fantasy,” Survivor “I Can’t Hold Back,” Honeymoon Suite “New Girl Now,” U2 “Pride (In the Name of Love),” Lindsey Buckingham “Go Insane,” Bruce Springsteen “Cover Me,” David Bowie “Blue Jean,” The Fixx “Are We Ourselves,” and John Cafferty & the Beaver Brown Band “On the Dark Side.” They discuss trivia (Miami Vice placement, Bowie’s Jazzin’ for Blue Jean film, Bono lyric correction, Springsteen dance remix), play a “blue/blues” quiz, pick U2 as winner, and swap out Survivor and Buckingham for Twisted Sister “I Wanna Rock” and KISS “Heaven’s on Fire,” then plug social channels and a future “Freedom Rock” episode invite.
Dave and Milt revisit the famously corny-but-great Freedom Rock compilation, tackling side two track by track while rating each song’s “Freedom Rock” authenticity in a Cheech-and-Chong-style “vans” scale of 1-5 via ChatGPT. They banter about pet allergies, the ad’s cultural afterlife, and whether Freedom Rock could’ve become a movement like yacht rock. Also, Dave makes a simply miraculous run “guessing the vans.” Song SPOILERS below.
Dave and Milt slip into their glowing white socks and travel back to September 22, 1979—when albums mattered, packaging was an art form and apparently everybody owned a synthesizer. [EPISODE SPOILERS IN LIST OF TOPICS BELOW. In case you care. … You probably don’t. Sigh.] Before entering the time machine, the guys wade into the Macklemore–Robert Kraft controversy, debating free speech, private venues, “Free Palestine,” antisemitism and whether anybody emerges from the whole mess looking particularly good.Then it’s on to the week’s Top 10 albums: Robin Williams unleashes his manic mind, The Cars avoid the sophomore slump, Earth, Wind & Fire decline to release “September” in September, and The Commodores prove there was more to them than Lionel Richie. Michael Jackson steps Off the Wall, Chic battles the disco backlash, Supertramp serves breakfast, Bob Dylan finds Jesus, The Knack discovers that overnight success has an expiration date, and Led Zeppelin delivers one final studio album—with six covers, a paper bag and a surprising amount of synthesizer. Plus: the Winner of the Week, two substitutions and the continuing criminal exclusion of the B-52’s from the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Topics 00:00 Cold open: Lunch in Libya, glowing socks and compulsory Knack listening01:00 Welcome—and Milt’s controversial decision to wear a tie04:00 Macklemore, Robert Kraft and the Ed Sheeran tour controversy08:00 Free speech, private venues and the right to say—or refuse to host—something12:00 Does shutting down speech help the cause or create a martyr?15:00 Why has “Free Palestine” captured so much attention from young Americans?19:00 The time machine lands on September 22, 197921:00 No. 10: Robin Williams — Reality… What a Concept33:00 No. 9: The Cars — Candy-O42:00 No. 8: Earth, Wind & Fire — I Am49:00 No. 7: The Commodores — Midnight Magic54:00 No. 6: Michael Jackson — Off the Wall1:10:00 No. 5: Chic — Risqué1:21:00 No. 4: Supertramp — Breakfast in America1:31:00 No. 3: Bob Dylan — Slow Train Coming1:39:00 No. 2: The Knack — Get the Knack1:46:00 No. 1: Led Zeppelin — In Through the Out Door1:58:00 The complete Top 10 recap2:00:00 Winner of the Week: Who else?2:01:00 Milt’s substitution: Talking Heads — Fear of Music2:04:00 Dave’s substitution: The B-52’s — The B-52’s2:08:00 Spotify frustrations, contact information and one final bowl of NyQuil