At first, Roger was afraid of going back to St. Patrick's Day of 42 years ago. You might even say he was petrified. But in spite of it being a time when the movies were depicting the dangers of nuclear power, pop music was glowing with the heat of disco and the incendiary sound of punk. But there was still room for a lushly-maned teen idol, a song about a band bucking popular trends, a tune to watch orangutans by, and even a lesson about Imperial Russia. The Old Man will make sense of it all, wi...
Mar 26, 2021•45 min•Ep. 58
This week Roger dials back to 1990 to look at the first two episodes of a British series where everyday people dressed up and sang like their favorite stars. See a travel agent become Kylie Minogue, a bartender channel George Michael, a portrait painter recreate Madonna, and other transformations that happen after people walk through the Magic Sliding Doors. Watch the episodes and the original stars here: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDWLXjsOJPQkaGwCenXvD0sOgey_YtIcj And if you'd like to b...
Mar 15, 2021•22 min•Ep. 57
Roger finishes off the third round of his tournament to crown the strangest and most unique US Top 40 hit of the 1980s. Who you got, Gary Numan or Rockwell? Neil Diamond or Michael Jackson? Frank Sinatra or ZZ Top? Dan Fogelberg or the Fat Boys? These and other matchups will be decided in this episode. Follow the action on YouTube: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDWLXjsOJPQlTTJLUeU1Qamc-oc738yQ2 And if you like this, consider supporting the show on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=359...
Mar 08, 2021•41 min•Ep. 56
Roger's journey through the 70s, 80s and 90s comes full circle with a look at a set of charts from his last uncovered year, 1993. He looks at a song by Canada’s mumbly poet king, a couple of alternative bands whose hits haven't aged well, a couple sweet flavors of hip hop, classic rockers and the people who want to sound like them, some radio unfriendly loudness, and a superstar in her most dominant period. Have a look at the scene on YouTube: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDWLXjsOJPQnzu8ur...
Mar 01, 2021•48 min•Ep. 55
Roger returns to the Bargain Bin and finds one of the many previously successful acts who, at some point, got Lost in the 80s. In this case, it's a band of Boston bad boys who were hard rock titans in the late 70s. But as the new decade dawned, they had lost one of their creative engines, were facing declining album and ticket sales, and the remaining members were struggling with addiction issues. Could they overcome those issues and pull it together to turn things around, or would their first r...
Feb 21, 2021•29 min•Ep. 54
This week Roger goes back to the second month of the year George Orwell predicted we'd be obeying Big Brother. Instead, we were watching the Winter Olympics and listening to songs about apathy, the joy of mistreatment, fast women, a romantic war zone, people who don't get what's coming to them, and whatever a "lizard mixture" is. And a certain bespectacled Englishman was big on the charts and at the movies. Find out more on YouTube: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDWLXjsOJPQk2zQfKawsPxriG0_N...
Feb 14, 2021•32 sec•Ep. 53
This time Roger goes back 49 years to a time when John Wayne was still making movies and World War II wasn't quite over for everyone. On the charts, a TV couple lamented a changing society, funk rock explored family dynamics, and a strange mini-Afterschool Special of a song managed to do both at the same time. There was also a boy exalting his beloved Mater, a band named after a city an hour away from him and Ireland's answer to Perry Como. Plus a song about a pastry. Or a woman. Or the entire h...
Feb 03, 2021•46 min•Ep. 52
We return to our tournament of odd and interesting 80s hits at the start of the 3rd round. Do the big stars like Prince, Billy Joel, and Metallica have what it takes to compete with known weirdos like Falco, Frank Zappa and Jump N the Saddle? Follow the competition on YouTube: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDWLXjsOJPQm1CBS-6ymUckVlYwATIv40 And you can support the show and get bonus content on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=35903110&fan_landing=true This podcast probably won't t...
Jan 23, 2021•47 min•Ep. 51
The latest episode covers the latest chart to date, the beginning of the end of a century. There's African royalty, Biblical anatomy, and schoolboy poetry, Plus gangsta rap goes Broadway, an ex-teen popper gets all metaphysical, a new teen popper breaks through, and a cartoon character has a recipe for ecstasy. But is any of it original, or has it all been done before? Answer that question and others on YouTube: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDWLXjsOJPQk6cdlz6Pe2VpWQg_r4OX5I And you can get...
Jan 15, 2021•52 min•Ep. 50
It's the end of a year, and for much of the Old Man's lifetime, that meant staying home and watching the man known as the World's Oldest Teenager stand in Times Square as the big ball dropped, in between taped performance by music stars. So this week Roger looks at one of the earliest editions that aimed to take down CBS' Canuck New Year’s juggernaut Guy Lombardo with Chicago, The Beach Boys, Olivia Newton-John, the Doobie Brothers, and Herbie Hancock. And Dr, Pepper. Lots of Dr. Pepper. And Dic...
Dec 31, 2020•32 min•Ep. 49
We're headed back to Christmas Eve 1988, when sneaky French nobility and the return of the quintessential 70s family were on screens. On the radio, there were songs about being grateful for motherhood, romantic espionage, a family of outlaws, and people who were famous, but not to me. Plus there were songs from a soda commercial and a fictional Australian wedding. And the all important UK Christmas #1. Listen on YouTube: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDWLXjsOJPQkkNr6DqTjCzJcuxLlQteFS Listen...
Dec 24, 2020•48 min•Ep. 48
This week Roger is in the holiday mood as he tells the story of a Christmas album featuring a dozen up and coming artists on the Atlantic Records label. There are a couple stars, but most of the acts featured here remain unknown to the vast majority of listeners. And there's a mix of traditional carols, popular favorites, and lesser known songs. Hear it on YouTube: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDWLXjsOJPQnIXEpjo6LORTTvNeRRAeIA Hang this episode upon the highest bough.
Dec 18, 2020•29 min•Ep. 47
This week we had back to 1975. Just when you thought it was safe to turn on the radio...disco is on the rise, whether that's the way you like it or not. But rock was still around: sometimes showy, sometimes funky, and sometimes eeeEEEvil. Also a song that’s not really about eating (food, at least), a small town gridiron tearjerker, and another case of movie stars becoming hit makers...nearly 40 years later. See and hear more on YouTube: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDWLXjsOJPQlY_sA8qnCEtl8...
Dec 11, 2020•48 min•Ep. 46
It's the final set of second round matchups in the 80s Uneasy Rider Tournament. There's sex, murder, Australia, boat travel, surfing, mistaken identity, surfing, and more. And a new theme! Have a look and a listen on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDWLXjsOJPQk7eqMOJS0BX5DqEXDqawEa Listen to this episode. Listen to it good.
Dec 04, 2020•53 min•Ep. 45
This time Roger goes back to late 1996. While Michael Jordan was jamming in space, people on earth were singing about what made them happy, what it would be like to meet God, and line dancing. And also love, sex, and lack of Diggity. Hear about all the hits and listen to them and more on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDWLXjsOJPQnGGxZopx8TVzjuDBsmmOQF I promise you a stress-free experience.
Nov 25, 2020•47 min•Ep. 44
This week Roger turns on the machine that allows him to access TV shows of the past, tunes in to an episode of the biggest syndicated American pop music show of the 80s, and rocks out to Paul Simon, Dire Straits, Andy Gibb, Grace Jones and more. There’s also everyday Americans singing bland jazz pop, watermelons being smashed, Geraldo Rivera jokes, and of course The Solid Gold Dancers. Plus 1980 commercials! See it all on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDWLXjsOJPQn1_58SRxkLkR3-h...
Nov 18, 2020•38 min•Ep. 43
This week Roger looks back at another US election year in which the incumbent president lost. Wait...does saying that make me part of the Lamestream Media? Wow, that was easy. Anyway, on the charts, rock was pushing back to the front, with mainstream stars leading the way, but there were younger acts with newer (and sometimes older) sounds right behind. And disco wasn't quite completely dead, and it wasn't just confined to that Queen bassline. Peruse this weeks highlighted hits on YouTube: https...
Nov 13, 2020•48 min•Ep. 42
More action from the event that aims to determine the most unique and interesting US Top 40 hit of the 1980s. By land and sea, with anxiety or blissful ignorance, on TV or at the movies, on Earth or in space, this set of contenders cover a variety of topics and points of view. Follow along on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDWLXjsOJPQlTLx_mefKS5WO0cCH48hQm And I promise, you will know the winners by the end of the show.
Nov 06, 2020•46 min•Ep. 41
This week the Old Man goes back to the fall of 1977, when the world was still mourning Elvis. There were hits looking to the future, others looking to the past, and another one that reminded people of ancient Chinese outlaws. There were also songs about predatory record company fish, women who seek financial security, and iris-altering heartbreak. And a huge hit sung by a nice girl but written by a horrible, horrible man. Complement the experience with the YouTube playlist: https://www.youtube.c...
Oct 28, 2020•48 min•Ep. 40
It's the scariest time of a scary year, and Roger marks the occasion by turning on, tuning in and rocking out to look at a 1978 TV movie in which the rock band for whom every day is Halloween try to expand their fan base by portraying cosmic-powered superheroes who stop a mad genius from using robots and gizmos on people's necks to destroy an amusement park and make a young woman really sad. Will they show up to save the day? Will they show up at all? Was that one robot's head actually modeled a...
Oct 21, 2020•43 min•Ep. 39
This week Roger sifts through the cutouts in the mid-90s record store in his mind and pulls out a copy of the major label debut of a trio of Japanese ladies who loved the Ramones, fishing, candy, and Barbie dolls. Kurt Cobain was a big fan, but would his fans feel the same? The Old Man has a listen, and he breaks the album down, in the process talking about Speed Racer, beef dishes, bad NBC programming decisions, Donnie Wahlberg, introducing foreign species into ecosystems, Quentin Tarantino, "G...
Oct 14, 2020•32 min•Ep. 38
This week Roger takes you back to October 1991. A lackluster month for movies and a horrible month for Bulgarian communists. And for music...well, there was techno with good advice for children, metal to scare the crap out of children, a deep voiced Canadian, a high voiced New Zealander, a comic take on mortality, and an achingly sincere declaration of love. Plus, all the Philly steaks you can eat. Survey the scene on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDWLXjsOJPQmdIAAjzQSSFYSCcqWXU...
Oct 07, 2020•52 min•Ep. 37
It's another leg of the journey to determine the most unique and unlikely hit of the 80s. Roger runs down another set of second round matchups, featuring skippers, gamers, robots, scientists, talkers, apocalypses, wars, needs, knuckleheads, cowboys, dancers, "actresses", nuts, hosers, and it don't stop. Watch and listen to the contenders on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDWLXjsOJPQkHAMRZo6un7lu49-Kif05c This episode is bitchin' to the max, fer sure.
Sep 29, 2020•57 min•Ep. 36
This week Roger steps back to 1986, a year that could very much be described as "peak 80s." But there was quite a bit of looking to the past, whether it was covering or borrowing from old hits, bringing back a voice that hadn't been heard for a while, or waxing nostalgic about cheaply lit teenage get togethers. There's also smooth jazzy soul, thirst for a gender archetype, a couple clunkers from artists with long and storied careers, and one of the most unintentionally hilarious metaphors in the...
Sep 23, 2020•50 min•Ep. 35
In 1978, NBC saw the success of ABC's Battle of the Network Stars and decided to do their own...with pop stars! Michael Jackson swimming! Anne Murray sprinting! Rod Stewart kicking balls! Joan Jett on a non-motorized bike! And Sha Na Na, all ten of them. Add Phyllis Diller, Sandy Duncan, Fred Travalena and more, and you've got a 70s sundae that Roger could not resist. And if you watch it and other related clips on YouTube, you won't either: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDWLXjsOJPQlSnE6...
Sep 16, 2020•43 min•Ep. 34
This week Roger looks back at September of 1974, when a new president let the old one off the hook, readers were hooked on a story about a big nasty fish, and radio was full of hooks of the musical kind. This week's hits included a song about the power of positive thinking by a band named after an irritating childhood prank; glam rock about picking up the pieces of someone's shattered dreams; a comedy duo's take on the generation gap; a tune about the stress relief habits of a record mogul; a hi...
Sep 09, 2020•48 min•Ep. 33
We're now into the second round of Roger's quest to determine the most unique US Top 40 hit of the 1980s. The songs here are about war, drugs, crime, history, motherhood, sex, TV, aging, racism, economic inequity, and more. The songs are on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDWLXjsOJPQku206PzO_mdlEzm6fWrqNP You don't need no education to enjoy this episode, but hopefully you're wearing clean clothes.
Sep 02, 2020•51 min•Ep. 32
This week Roger concludes his look at late August 1995 by looking at the race for the UK #1 between the new singles by the bands Blur and Oasis. But this was more than a battle of bands: it was a clash of styles, classes and personalities. And it was the biggest event in a period where British guitar bands were considered part of the national fabric. The Old Man takes you through it, and you can follow along on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDWLXjsOJPQmiwRassvL7qLEGluo7bw8v Lis...
Aug 26, 2020•32 min•Ep. 31
In this episode, the Old Man begins his look at the charts of a late summer week in the middle of the decade. While PC owners were learning the ins and outs of Bill Gates' latest upgrade, the radio played songs about the wonders of the city, alcoholic codependency, females who probably weren't extraterrestrial, and intimate encounters with flowers. And the band names were inspired by such things as weird college nicknames, a pretty crime, a snitch, and one of the most cringeworthy words in the E...
Aug 19, 2020•48 min•Ep. 30
The Old Man sifts through pop history's discount rack and pulls out his most intriguing find yet: the debut album of a former piano prodigy and musical theater actor who, under the guidance of a veteran pop Svengali, aimed to out-glam Britain's glammiest glam rockers while becoming mainstream music's first openly gay star. The fact that he's the subject of this episode should tell you how well that went. But beneath all the makeup and the hype, did the music deserve to be so scorned? Was there g...
Aug 12, 2020•34 min•Ep. 29
