Show Notes
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
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