In this classic episode, we welcome special guest Chelsea Cantos into our What Difference Does It Make studio. Holly's daughter just wanted to tag along and see how the "magic" happens, so she happily strapped on the "cans" and became a big part of our show, offering up her unique perspective as we present some of our favorite 80s music summertime favorites. Sponsored by The 80s Cruise Use promo code WDDIM for $250 of onboard credit Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices...
Jul 04, 2025•43 min
Being an 80s music podcast, it's no surprise that when we learned music journalist Gary Graff authored the book, 501 Essential Albums of the ’80s, we would have to talk with him. Naturally, whenever there is a list deemed "essential", there will be debate, and so we had questions such as, "Why this one and not that one?". It's a good talk, and one that will inspire you to think about your own essential 80s music albums. Sponsored by The 80s Cruise Use promo code WDDIM for $250 of onboard credit ...
Jun 27, 2025•47 min•Season 14Ep. 19
Translator was one of those bands on the precipice of breaking big in the 80s. Signed to local indie label 415 Records, they soon found themselves part of the big-time music business when their label signed a distribution deal with Columbia Records. In 1982, their single, "Everywhere That I'm Not”, became popular on the burgeoning college radio circuit. In 1986, the band decided to call it quits, scheduling a hometown show to reward their ardent fan base with a final San Francisco show. This per...
Jun 20, 2025•53 min•Season 14Ep. 18
We love our Dads. We wouldn't be who we are without their constant presence in our lives. Naturally, that also means we've incorporated their music into our lives. We have quite a few songs that remind us of our Dads, and we share our memories with you in our special Father's Day episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jun 13, 2025•42 min
Imagine someone unfamiliar with Scott McCaughey, asking him the name of his band. It's not an easy question to answer. Over a four decade career, indie rock cult hero, Scott McCaughey, has been a member of so many bands, including R.E.M., Young Fresh Fellows, Baseball Project, Filthy Friends, and Robyn Hitchcock & The Venus 3, to name a few. But The Minus 5 has remained one of the most enduring projects of his storied résumé. And now, after a five year hiatus, The Minus 5 return with their a...
Jun 06, 2025•48 min•Season 14Ep. 17
Murray Attaway, formerly of Guadalcanal Diary, one of college rock radio's favorite bands in the 80s, joins the podcast to talk about his new solo album, Tense Music Plays. It's the first album from Murray in more than 30 years, so we wanted to find out what he did upon dropping out of the music business, and what prompted his return. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
May 30, 2025•48 min•Season 14Ep. 16
Friend of the show, Craig Rosen, keeps us on our toes as we ping-pong back and forth from proms to fashion to movies. We try to stay on target as we discuss our favorite summer songs from the 70s and 80s. We are a proud member of Pantheon Podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
May 23, 2025•58 min
Whether it's Taylor Swift, Harry Styles, or Duran Duran, music journalist Annie Zaleski immerses herself in each project. Now Annie takes on a true icon: Cher. The book is called I Got You Babe: A Celebration Of Cher. This gives us a chance to revisit all our favorite Cher moments, from her variety show with Sonny, to her fashion sense, to her movies. Cher has always fascinated us, and so we turn to Annie to figure out why Cher means so much to us. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megapho...
May 16, 2025•44 min•Season 14Ep. 15
Whether we like it or not, our moms shape who we are, and influence how we feel about so much in our lives. This episode is devoted to the music that is embedded in our DNA, thanks to our mothers, or in Holly's case, for her children. Dave goes to showtunes, movie musicals, and one-hit wonders from the 60s and 70s. Holly's mom is all Classic Rock and 90s Alternative. It's an emotional episode filled with bad singing, dancing, and Seinfeld clips. Happy Mother's Day! Learn more about your ad choic...
May 09, 2025•59 min
Singer/Songwriter Suzanne Vega has been recording her songs of personal reflection and social issues for more than 40 years. Her latest record, Flying With Angels, is her first full-length album of new music in over a decade. Suzanne joins the podcast to talk about the album, family life, and getting her start playing the New York folk scene in the early 80s. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
May 02, 2025•49 min•Season 14Ep. 14
Vicki Peterson and John Cowsill have been married since 2003. Vicki is a member of The Bangles, along with her sister Debbi. John Cowsill is a member of the platinum-selling family band, The Cowsills. So it’s been a long time coming for Vicki and John to release their own debut Americana album, comprised of songs written by John’s late brothers, Barry and Bill Cowsill. The album is titled Long After The Fire, and is out now. The couple join our podcast, where they reminisce about singing in the ...
Apr 25, 2025•37 min•Season 14Ep. 13
It's good to be Paul Rappaport. As the head of Rock Promotion at Columbia Records, Paul rubbed shoulders with the likes of The Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd, and Alice In Chains. It was Paul's creativity and enthusiasm that contributed to his success in getting his artists' music played on the radio. It's all documented in his book, Gliders Over Hollywood: Airships, Airplay And The Art Of Rock Promotion. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Apr 18, 2025•1 hr 4 min•Season 14Ep. 12
Sam Rice-Edwards, co-director and editor for the rock documentary One to One: John & Yoko, joins the podcast. The film centers around the One to One benefit concert for the Willowbrook State School in New York, an institution for special needs children. Sam shares with us some of the details about how he and co-director Kevin Macdonald were able to sort through tens of thousands of hours of previously unseen archival footage to create a fully realized documentary on the lives of John Lennon ...
Apr 11, 2025•44 min•Season 14Ep. 11
Jimbo Mathus, frontman for the Squirrel Nut Zippers, joins the podcast to reminisce about his music origins, and how he landed in Chapel Hill, leading to the massive success of the band. Squirrel Nut Zippers continue to tour with their own unique brand of Americana music with their Jazz From The Back O' Town show. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Apr 04, 2025•54 min•Season 14Ep. 10
Happy April Fools' Day! What songs make you smile? For Dave it's a knowing wink from an artist that knows this music can be ridiculous and yet, still love it. For Holly, it's music that makes her do a goofy dance or reminds her of her children. We go from pop and rock to dance and folk. We also learn during our Pop Quiz that, even though Holly is a stickler for "word crimes", she's not as strong when it comes to 80s lyrics. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mar 28, 2025•59 min
Christopher Cross might sing of sailing away, but does he feel that way about cruises? Man on the scene, Dave Sloan steps onto The 80s Cruise with his guests Steve Spears and Brad Williams, from the Stuck In The 80s podcast, to discuss how they became involved in this 80s lifestyle. They also offer us their unique take on songs #80 to #71 from the KROQ 1988 year-end countdown. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mar 21, 2025•1 hr 24 min•Season 14Ep. 9
We use the holiday of St. Patrick's Day to recognize a number of our favorite artists from The Emerald Isle. While we have a hard time pronouncing names like Cathal McGarvey, Seamus Ennis and Liam Ó Maonlaí, we certainly do love the music they created. So raise a pint to the Irish and Happy St. Patrick's Day! Sláinte! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mar 14, 2025•43 min
Bruce Warren's title on LinkedIn may say he's "Chief of a lot less Stuff at WXPN”, but we think he's just being modest. For more than 30 years, Bruce has helped shape the sound of one of the most influential public radio stations today, 88.5 WXPN in Philadelphia. He is also a producer and one of the people that helped create the widely popular syndicated radio show, World Cafe. Bruce is ready to move on to his next adventure, as he slowly steps away from his duties at the station. We discuss his...
Mar 07, 2025•1 hr 10 min•Season 14Ep. 8
You might be familiar with Outlaw Country, but now there's a new subgenre of American country music. Author Geoffrey Himes' latest book, In-Law Country: How Emmylou Harris, Rosanne Cash, and Their Circle Fashioned a New Kind of Country Music, 1968-1985. Geoffrey joins the podcast to explain this extraordinary music that, much like Outlaw Country, managed to create hits outside the traditional sound coming out of Nashville. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Feb 28, 2025•45 min•Season 14Ep. 7
Gary Kemp is clearly a busy man. He's got his podcast, The Rockonteurs, with fellow musician Guy Pratt, his tour with Nick Mason’s (Pink Floyd) band Saucerful of Secrets, and acting with his brother Martin Kemp in their most recent mockumentary, The Kemps: All Gold. He’s also added a new album to his discography, This Destination. The album finds Gary in a reflective mood, looking back on life with his family and band mates. Does this mean he wants to reform his 80s band, Spandau Ballet? We talk...
Feb 21, 2025•51 min•Season 14Ep. 6
Jason Narducy is living his musical dream. He plays songs with the artists that helped frame his musical taste. It all started at the tender age of ten, playing in his punk band, Verböten. This year, he will tour with Michael Shannon to perform R.E.M.'s 'Fables of the Reconstruction' and more. It will be followed immediately by a tour playing alongside Bob Mould to support his latest album, Here We Go Crazy. You can also catch Jason performing with Superchunk and Sunny Day Real Estate, and last ...
Feb 14, 2025•56 min•Season 14Ep. 5
Happy Valentine's Day! We here at What Difference Does It Make love love songs, and so does Annie Zaleski. So much so, that she wrote a book about some of her favorite love songs, entitled We Found Love, Song by Song: The Stories Behind 100 Romantic Hits. Annie joins the podcast to talk about her favorite songs, from Fred Astaire and Frank Sinatra, to Adele and Usher. Simply put, if you love love, you will love this episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Feb 07, 2025•43 min•Season 13Ep. 22
Friend of the show, Craig Rosen, joins us for a record-setting fifth time. On this occasion, we look at songs 90 to 81 on the 1988 KROQ year-end chart. What do we learn? Craig's English teacher embarrassed him in the high school halls, he is still freaked out just by thinking of The Exorcist display at a local theatre, and as always, all roads lead to REM. Of course there's also great 80s music to discuss. Time may have forgotten some of these songs, but not us! Learn more about your ad choices....
Jan 31, 2025•55 min•Season 14Ep. 4
And so it begins, as we take a look at the top 106.7 songs played in 1988 on radio station KROQ in Los Angeles. Upcoming episodes will feature ten songs and a special guest, but for this episode, we will examine the bottom seven songs, 106.7 to 101, based on the station's year-end playlist. It's an eclectic group, and a nice entry into the type of music explored on The World Famous KROQ. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jan 24, 2025•36 min•Season 14Ep. 3
It was the year of debuts, from The Wonder Years to Roseanne toYo! MTV Raps. The Grammys finally recognized the significance of Rap and Heavy Metal, but (spoiler alert) failed to recognize the true innovators in each genre. It was also the year we believed two completely different looking men could be Twins and three womanizing bachelors could raise an infant. What would Brian Boitano do, besides win Gold at the Olympics? For more, you'll just have to tune in to our look back at the year 1988 in...
Jan 17, 2025•1 hr 1 min•Season 14Ep. 2
Rob B and Nick Hallam, collectively known as Stereo MC’s, have been releasing music since the mid-1980s when they co-founded the Gee Street recording studio and record label. They had massive hits in the 90s with "Elevate My Mind", "Step It Up”, and "Connected". They then focused on their studio work, creating re-mixes for artists like Madonna, U2, and The Jungle Brothers. They now have their own label, "connected", and have since become established in the ever-popular Afro House genre. Stereo M...
Jan 10, 2025•47 min•Season 14Ep. 1
Back in 2020, we had the opportunity to chat with Kathy Valentine of The Go-Go's. She had just released her rock n’ roll memoir, All I Ever Wanted. Since then, the Go-Go's have released their official documentary, and they were finally inducted into the Rock Hall. Since January 7 is Kathy's birthday, we wanted to recognize one of our favorite Capricorns by revisiting what previously was a two-parter, into one glorious podcast episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoice...
Jan 03, 2025•1 hr 15 min
Another holiday classic filled with some great 80s music! We discuss our new year's traditions, new year's resolutions, the history behind toasts and of course, all our favorite music we play to usher in the new year. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Dec 27, 2024•41 min
It's the holiday season once again so Holly and I present to you this timeless classic episode...now with actual music! Dave's favorite holiday song is "Fairytale of New York" by The Pogues. Holly goes all in on Chanukah music with Matisyahu, The Maccabeats and we talk about how the names mentioned on Adam's Sandler's classic tune by remarking that many names might be lost on a younger generation. Do you think people in their 20s might know Ann Landers or Dear Abby? Get three FREE months of Amaz...
Dec 20, 2024•35 min
It truly is the most wonderful time of the year. Holly finds a couple Hanukkah songs favorites via friend of the show, JC Douglas. We talk "Baby, It's Cold Outside" which leads into the film Little Mermaid and Holly reveals a shocking truth. Dave talks up the Phil Spector Christmas and we bring up the Die Hard controversy. And of course, what is an 80s Christmas podcast without talk of "Do They Know It's Christmas?" How many artists can you name that participated in the song? So do like Prince a...
Dec 13, 2024•1 hr 4 min
