Stuck in the '80s Podcast - podcast cover

Stuck in the '80s Podcast

Steve Spearsbleav.com
The longest-running ’80s podcast—featuring interviews with music legends, movie stars, and MTV icons. Deep dives, debates, and Gen X nostalgia every week. Hosted by Steve Spears and Brad Williams, the show blends sharp takes with insider stories from the people who lived it. From ’80s music and movies to MTV culture and pop culture history, each episode goes deeper than nostalgia to uncover what made the decade unforgettable.
Last refreshed:
Download Metacast podcast app
Podcasts are better in Metacast mobile app
Don't just listen to podcasts. Learn from them with transcripts, summaries, and chapters for every episode. Skim, search, and bookmark insights. Learn more

Episodes

Summer of '86: The Underappreciated Movies Turning 40 This Year

Episode 787: When people talk about the summer movies of 1986, the conversation usually starts with Top Gun and ends somewhere around Aliens , The Karate Kid Part II , and Ferris Bueller's Day Off . It was one of the strongest movie summers of the decade, packed with blockbusters that still dominate pop-culture conversations 40 years later. But every great movie season leaves a few worthy titles behind. This week on Stuck in the '80s , we revisit four films from the summer of 1986 that may not g...

Jun 19, 20261 hr 5 minEp. 787

Novelty Songs of the ’80s: “Star Trekkin’,” “Rappin’ Rodney,” “Bomb Iran” and Other Weird Hits

Episode 786: From sci-fi parodies and comedy catchphrases to political satire and celebrity rap records, the ’80s produced some truly unforgettable novelty hits. Steve and Chuck revisit songs that were silly, bizarre, occasionally controversial—and somehow impossible to forget. In this episode, they discuss: • "Star Trekkin'" by The Firm, the cult classic that became a No. 1 hit in the United Kingdom • "You Look Marvelous" by Billy Crystal, inspired by his legendary Saturday Night Live character...

Jun 10, 202648 minEp. 786

Katrina Leskanich on “Walking on Sunshine,” Eurovision and The 80s Cruise

Some songs don’t just define a decade — they instantly improve your mood the second they begin playing. Few tracks from the MTV era carry that kind of joyful energy quite like Walking on Sunshine by Katrina and the Waves. This week on the Stuck in the ’80s Podcast , Steve sits down with frontwoman Katrina Leskanich for a lively conversation about music, touring and the remarkable twists and turns of her career. The episode begins with Katrina reflecting on her experiences aboard The 80s Cruise, ...

May 28, 20261 hr 4 minEp. 785

Peter Gabriel’s ‘So’ at 40 | Songs, Stories and Legacy

Forty years later, So still stands as one of the most ambitious, emotional and sonically adventurous albums of the 1980s. Released in 1986, the landmark record transformed Peter Gabriel from respected art-rock innovator into a full-fledged MTV superstar thanks to unforgettable songs like Sledgehammer, In Your Eyes, Big Time and Red Rain. This week on the Stuck in the ’80s Podcast , Spearsy revisits one of the show’s classic deep-dive episodes celebrating the 40th anniversary of an album that hel...

May 19, 20261 hr 2 minEp. 784

Unlikely Cover Songs of the ’80s: Eddie Money, Chaka Khan, Bette Midler & The Clash

This week on the longest-running ’80s pop culture podcast, Steve Spears and Brad Williams return to one of their favorite recurring topics: unlikely cover songs of the 1980s. Did you know Eddie Money’s “I Wanna Go Back” was originally recorded by Billy Satellite? Or that Chaka Khan’s Grammy-winning “I Feel for You” began as a deep cut by Prince? Episode Timeline 00:00 – Welcome back to Unlikely Cover Songs of the ’80s 02:14 – “Wind Beneath My Wings” and its surprising origins 10:42 – Eddie Money...

May 10, 202641 minEp. 783

Famous ’80s TV & Movie Cars: KITT, the DeLorean, General Lee & Ecto-1

This week on the longest-running ’80s pop culture podcast, Steve Spears and Brad in California hit the gas for a deep dive into the most iconic TV and movie cars of the 1980s. Joined by Retro DJ and car expert Travis Bell, the gang explores the legendary “star cars” that became just as famous as the actors who drove them. From Pontiac Trans Am KITT in Knight Rider to the time-traveling DeLorean DMC-12 from Back to the Future, this episode celebrates the vehicles that defined ’80s pop culture. Th...

Apr 30, 20261 hr 4 minEp. 782

The Forgotten ’80s Soccer Movie ‘Victory’ with Pelé, Stallone & Michael Caine

Soccer legend and longtime friend Alexi Lalas joins us to talk about the 1981 movie "Victory" starring Michael Caine and Sylvester Stallone. On Sale Now! Stuck in the '80s: 20 Years of Conversations with Pop Culture Icons Who Defined a Decade , by podcast creator Steve Spears, is finally for sale as both a paperback and ebook. Featuring more than 60 interviews from the podcast, along with insider stories and other previously unpublished insights, the book is available on most online bookstore we...

Apr 20, 20261 hr 20 minEp. 781

Rock & Roll Hall of Fame 2026 Inductees: Biggest ’80s Legends, Snubs & Surprises

We introduce the 2026 class of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. We talk who got in, who got snubbed, and which choices will have us yelling at our dashboards like it’s 1987 and the DJ just skipped our favorite song. On Sale Now! Stuck in the '80s: 20 Years of Conversations with Pop Culture Icons Who Defined a Decade , by podcast creator Steve Spears, is finally for sale as both a paperback and ebook. Featuring more than 60 interviews from the podcast, along with insider stories and other previous...

Apr 14, 202632 minEp. 780

Kenny Loggins Interview Revisited: Footloose, Top Gun & the Soundtrack of the ’80s

Remember our amazing interview with Kenny Loggins? Here it is again from 2007. Full show with co-host Sean Daly. On Sale Now! Stuck in the '80s: 20 Years of Conversations with Pop Culture Icons Who Defined a Decade , by podcast creator Steve Spears, is finally for sale as both a paperback and ebook. Featuring more than 60 interviews from the podcast, along with insider stories and other previously unpublished insights, the book is available on most online bookstore websites including: Amazon Bar...

Apr 09, 202632 minEp. 779

Pretty in Pink vs. Some Kind of Wonderful — Which John Hughes ’80s Movie Is Better?

Which '80s teen romance movie is stronger: "Pretty in Pink" or "Some Kind of Wonderful?" We decide today. Plus, full seggies, a book update, and our review of the 2026 voyage of The 80s Cruise. On Sale Now! Stuck in the '80s: 20 Years of Conversations with Pop Culture Icons Who Defined a Decade , by podcast creator Steve Spears, is finally for sale as both a paperback and ebook. Featuring more than 60 interviews from the podcast, along with insider stories and other previously unpublished insigh...

Mar 29, 20261 hr 11 minEp. 778

The Greatest American Hero Turns 45: William Katt Looks Back on the Classic ’80s TV Series

TV's "The Greatest American Hero" debuted 45 years ago today - March 18, 1981. We honor the '80s TV show with a reairing of our 2007 interview with actor William Katt. On Sale Now! Stuck in the '80s: 20 Years of Conversations with Pop Culture Icons Who Defined a Decade , by podcast creator Steve Spears, is finally for sale as both a paperback and ebook. Featuring more than 60 interviews from the podcast, along with insider stories and other previously unpublished insights, the book is available ...

Mar 18, 202650 minEp. 777

Inside the New Stuck in the ’80s Book: 20 Years of Celebrity Interviews & Podcast Stories

The new Stuck in the '80s podcast book is finally for sale. Brad interviews Spearsy about a project 20 years in the making. On Sale Now! Stuck in the '80s: 20 Years of Conversations with Pop Culture Icons Who Defined a Decade , by podcast creator Steve Spears, is finally for sale as both a paperback and ebook. Featuring more than 60 interviews from the podcast, along with insider stories and other previously unpublished insights, the book is available on most online bookstore websites including:...

Mar 11, 202631 minEp. 776

Highlander Turns 40: Why the Cult ’80s Fantasy Movie Still Rules

"Highlander" is officially 40 years old. Well, technically Connor MacLeod is 508 years old now. Here's our tribute episode recorded in 2012 with co-host Sean Daly. Coming in March Stuck in the '80s: 20 Years of Conversations with Pop Culture Icons Who Defined a Decade , by podcast creator Steve Spears, will finally be published. Featuring more than 60 interviews from the podcast, along with insider stories and other previously unpublished insights, the book will be available on March 11. Our Spo...

Mar 07, 202654 minEp. 775

Miracle on Ice Revisited: Why the 1980 U.S. Hockey Team Still Inspires America

Relive the Miracle on Ice from the 1980 Winter Olympic Games and the gold medal performance of US Men's Hockey with hosts Steve Spears, Sean Daly and Tom Jones. This a re-run from Episode 190 in 2010. Coming in March Stuck in the '80s: 20 Years of Conversations with Pop Culture Icons Who Defined a Decade , by podcast creator Steve Spears, will finally be published. Featuring more than 60 interviews from the podcast, along with insider stories and other previously unpublished insights, the book w...

Feb 22, 202651 minEp. 774

MTV VJ Martha Quinn on the Radio Hall of Fame, MTV’s Rise & the ’80s Music Revolution

Original MTV veejay Martha Quinn makes her first visit to Stuck in the '80s in 10 years. Martha talks about her induction into the Radio Hall of Fame along with her thoughts on the enduring love for '80s nostalgia and music. Plus full seggies. Coming in March Stuck in the '80s: 20 Years of Conversations with Pop Culture Icons Who Defined a Decade , by podcast creator Steve Spears, will finally be published. Featuring more than 60 interviews from the podcast, along with insider stories and other ...

Feb 18, 20261 hr 1 minEp. 773

Sean Daly Returns: Behind the Scenes of 20 Years of the Stuck in the ’80s Podcast

Sean Daly, one of the original hosts of the Stuck in the '80s podcast, returns this week to talk about the podcast's first 20 years. Plus, full seggies! Coming in March Stuck in the '80s: 20 Years of Conversations with Pop Culture Icons Who Defined a Decade , by podcast creator Steve Spears, will finally be published. Featuring more than 60 interviews from the podcast, along with insider stories and other previously unpublished insights, the book will be available on March 11. Our Sponsors The 2...

Feb 09, 20261 hr 14 minEp. 772

Author Becky Kliss on Gen X Nostalgia, ’80s Culture & When We Felt Invincible

"When We Were Invincible: Life Lessons from the ’80s that Defined a Generation" is a new book by Becky Kliss, who joins the show to talk about Gen X and what we learned from our teen years. Plus, seggies including TV Party Tonight and Spin Me Round. Also a podcast book update and great promo code from our new sponsors Rotella Resale. Coming in March Stuck in the '80s: 20 Years of Conversations with Pop Culture Icons Who Defined a Decade , by podcast creator Steve Spears, will finally be publishe...

Feb 03, 202656 minEp. 771

Glass Tiger’s Alan Frew on ’80s Fame, “Don’t Forget Me” & the MTV Era

Glass Tiger frontman Alan Frew joins the podcast to talk about the band's history, his background growing up in Scotland, and Glass Tiger's upcoming performance on The 80s Cruise. Seggies include: Stuck in the Arcade and Listener Mailbag. Guest co-host Chuck Coverly. Coming in March Stuck in the '80s: 20 Years of Conversations with Pop Culture Icons Who Defined a Decade , by podcast creator Steve Spears, will finally be published. Featuring more than 60 interviews from the podcast, along with in...

Jan 21, 20261 hr 10 minEp. 770

10 Classic Songs Turning 50 in 2026 — The Hits That Defined the ’70s and ’80s

The year 1976 seems so long ago, and it was. Here are 10 songs we loved from that year that are turning 50 in 2026. Songs from Boston, ABBA, Diana Ross, the Eagles and more. Plus full seggies. Coming This Spring Stuck in the '80s: 20 Years of Conversations with Pop Culture Icons Who Defined a Decade , by podcast creator Steve Spears, will finally be published. Featuring more than 60 interviews from the podcast, along with insider stories and other previously unpublished insights, the book will s...

Jan 12, 202656 minEp. 769

1985 Revisited: The Biggest Movies, Music & Pop Culture Moments 40 Years Later

On New Year's Eve, we look back at the end of 1985 and see how it shaped the rest of the decade. Seggies include Stuck in the Arcade. Coming This Spring Stuck in the '80s: 20 Years of Conversations with Pop Culture Icons Who Defined a Decade , by podcast creator Steve Spears, will finally be published. Featuring more than 60 interviews from the podcast, along with insider stories and other previously unpublished insights, the book will soon be available for pre-order. Our Sponsors The 2026 lineu...

Dec 31, 202542 minEp. 768

Celebrating Rob Reiner: The Director Behind Stand by Me, The Princess Bride & More

We say goodbye to Rob Reiner by honoring the films he directed in the '80s and the parts he played throughout his career. Our Sponsors The 2026 lineup of The 80s Cruise is now sold out, but you can still join the waiting list and use our promo code. Royal Caribbean's Adventure of the Seas departs Port Canaveral on February 27 with stops in Nassau, Falmouth and Grand Bahamas Island. Artists include: Bret Michaels, Nile Rodgers & Chic, OMD, Billy Ocean, Gary Numan, Berlin, Taylor Dayne, Sugarh...

Dec 23, 202540 minEp. 767

Author Michael Weitz on ‘We Be Dragons,’ Dungeons & Dragons & Growing Up in the ’80s

Award-winning author Michael Weitz joins Brad to talk about his new novel, We Be Dragons, which drops readers into 1986 in rural Washington State, where real-life small-town struggles collide with a Dungeons & Dragons campaign. Plus, full seggies. Our Sponsors The 2026 lineup of The 80s Cruise is now sold out, but you can still join the waiting list and use our promo code. Royal Caribbean's Adventure of the Seas departs Port Canaveral on February 27 with stops in Nassau, Falmouth and Grand B...

Dec 17, 20251 hr 3 minEp. 766

Revisiting ‘Taps’ and ‘The Lords of Discipline’: Dark Military Dramas of the ’80s

Military school movies in the '80s? Yeah, they were a thing, though "Taps" and "Lords of Discipline" rose to the top of the ranks thanks to amazing casting with the likes of Timothy Hutton, Sean Penn, Tom Cruise, David Keith and many others. Citadel graduate and former co-host Chase Squires returns to Stuck in the '80s to separate faction from fiction, and to share a few incredible stories of life inside a military academy in the '80s. Seggies this week include Stuck in the Arcade, Take this Job...

Dec 10, 20251 hr 7 minEp. 765

Bret Michaels Interview Revisited: Poison, Hair Metal & Life in the ’80s

Poison frontman Bret Michaels visits Spearsy and Sean in this classic 2010 episode of the podcast. Bret is also the headliner on the 2026 voyage of The 80s Cruise. This is originall Episode 212 from September 2010. Our Sponsors The 2026 lineup of The 80s Cruise is here, along with our promo code. Royal Caribbean's Adventure of the Seas departs Port Canaveral on February 27 with stops in Nassau, Falmouth and Labadee. Artists include: Bret Michaels, Nile Rodgers & Chic, OMD, Billy Ocean, Gary ...

Dec 04, 202544 minEp. 764

Taylor Dayne on ’80s Pop Stardom, Dance Hits & the MTV Era

Singer/songwriter Taylor Dayne joins Spearsy to talk about The 80s Cruise, opening for Michael Jackson and her start working in Russian clubs. Dayne is among the artists scheduled to perform on The 80s Cruise in February 2026. Seggies this week include: Mystery Movie Moment, Name that '80s Tune, and Take This Job and Shove It. (Ooops, spoiler alert.) Our Sponsors The 2026 lineup of The 80s Cruise is here, along with our promo code. Royal Caribbean's Adventure of the Seas departs Port Canaveral o...

Nov 19, 20251 hr 7 minEp. 763

Classic Tommy Lee Interview: Mötley Crüe, Hair Metal & the Wild ’80s

Tommy Lee from Motley Crue was our guest in 2011 in this repeat episode of Stuck in the '80s. Get ready for a rare blast of hair metal from hosts Spearsy and Sean Daly in this rerun. Our Sponsors The 2026 lineup of The 80s Cruise is here, along with our promo code. Royal Caribbean's Adventure of the Seas departs Port Canaveral on February 27 with stops in Nassau, Falmouth and Labadee. Artists include: Bret Michaels, Nile Rodgers & Chic, OMD, Billy Ocean, Gary Numan, Berlin, Taylor Dayne, Sug...

Nov 13, 202542 minEp. 762

Inside the Ultimate ’80s Arcade Airbnb: Retro Video Games, Neon & Pure Nostalgia

Have you dreamed of spending the day at your dream '80s arcade? It actually exists in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. We talk to Scott Leftwich, the owner of the Wieners and Losers arcade and '80s-themed AirBnB. Plus, Spearsy and Brad talk about their own until '80s man caves. Seggies include TV Party Tonight and Spin Me Round. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising....

Nov 03, 202555 minEp. 761

The Best Goofy Vampire Movies of the ’80s: Horror, Comedy & Cult Classics

Halloween in the '80s wasn't all horror. Sometimes we got big laughs from the vampire flicks. In this 2019 episode, we honor our favorite "goofy vampire" flicks of the '80s: "My Best Friend is a Vampire" and "Once Bitten." Our Sponsors The 2026 lineup of The 80s Cruise is here, along with our promo code. Royal Caribbean's Adventure of the Seas departs Port Canaveral on February 27 with stops in Nassau, Falmouth and Labadee. Artists include: Bret Michaels, Nile Rodgers & Chic, OMD, Billy Ocea...

Oct 31, 202540 minEp. 760

Author Mike Spring on the Best Cult Movies of the ’80s

Are you still addicted to the cult movie classics of the '80s. Author Mike Spring wrote a whole book about them called "I Want My Two Dollars: A Guide to 20 Cult Classics of the 1980s." He's our guest this week. Plus "Stuck in the Arcade" for seggies. Our Sponsors The 2026 lineup of The 80s Cruise is here, along with our promo code. Royal Caribbean's Adventure of the Seas departs Port Canaveral on February 27 with stops in Nassau, Falmouth and Labadee. Artists include: Bret Michaels, Nile Rodger...

Oct 22, 20251 hr 5 minEp. 759

Ivan Doroschuk of Men Without Hats on ‘The Safety Dance,’ New Wave & the MTV Era

Ivan Doroschuk of Men Without Hats joins us this week to talk about the band's new anthem "I Love the '80s" and his upcoming appearance on The 80s Cruise. Plus, our favorite French-language songs of the '80s. Seggies this week: Mystery Movie Moment and Name That '80s Tune. Our Sponsors The 2026 lineup of The 80s Cruise is here, along with our promo code. Royal Caribbean's Adventure of the Seas departs Port Canaveral on February 27 with stops in Nassau, Falmouth and Labadee. Artists include: Bret...

Oct 12, 202558 minEp. 758
For the best experience, listen in Metacast app for iOS or Android