Top 10 Favorite Artists and Bands of the 1980s

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The Pink Gas Radio Special Artisode Our Top 10

Favorite Artisode Bands From The 1980s With your

hopes Hello and welcome to this special episode

of GeekCaster Radio. This will continue the epic

music spotlight we have planned here at GCR.

I am one of your hosts TFJR Mike and joining

me is ChuckDog1999. Hello, sir. TFGI Mike, how

are you? say it right damn it at least have some

respect unlike Gary lead leader one Mike no fuck

you So we are here and we're going to be counting

down our favorite artists or bands of the 1980s.

Now Chuck has had this list set for a few months.

I put mine together about a month and a half

ago, but it took me about five hours to get it

where I wanted it to be. And even tonight, I

changed out one band to a different thing, so...

These are our favorites. We are not saying that

these are the best artists or bands of the 80s.

I mean, they're probably going to be a lot of

really awesome artists and bands on both of our

lists, but these are just our overall favorites.

Because if we did a best of list, we would get

like a million comments saying, no, although

I can't believe that fell at that number, blah,

blah, blah, blah. So these are just our overall

favorites. And I like a lot of 80s music. So

a top 10 list for me was extremely hard. And

I'm thinking that the 90s list is gonna be extremely

hard to put together, like the 2000s list, I

can put that together in a heartbeat. But the

80s and the 90s list are probably gonna be extremely

hard for me to put together. Really quickly,

what have you been up to since the last time

you were on the show? Just doing the What's On

Joe Mine podcast. you know we we we've had a

little bit change going on so just you know dealing

with that he he he he he he went from not really

know being made fun of to being the poop joke

of the show since you're the now the new number

two and well i always looked at is i i was always

the number one you know and i mean i'm like the

richie blackboard richie blackmore's rainbow

But you know, I mean we've actually been the

last couple weeks doing some really really good

interviews Pleased to say last night. We actually

interviewed Buzz Dixon sweet the legendary You

know story editor and that was a great Interview

a lot of great stories not just GI Joe but transformers

as well. Yeah So you finally got to get talk

transformers on your own podcast, huh? Well,

you know, I was hoping, you know, for a little

crossover appeal. So I did try to, you know,

throw in a couple, you know, transform. You know,

I just came up naturally to just because, you

know, talking about the process and things. Yeah,

I mean, yeah, I mean, that's. That's the way

that, you know, that's the way generally I tend

to do interviews as well is I like if, if I have

a certain person that I want for like say the

Beast Wars podcast or the animated podcast or

even the G1 podcast, I will put every, I will

put questions or discussion points of everything

else they've done in their career first. And

then we'll delve into the specific, whether it's

GI Joe, whether it's Transformers or whatever

else. So that way it's not just all about one

topic, because that way they can get promotion

for their entire career. We can ask them questions

about this or that and everything else. What

were you going to say? Well, I was just going

to say, yeah, that's basically how we were doing

it. I came up with a bunch of questions. We sent

them off to him just so he could refresh his

memory, because let's not forget, you and I,

we probably watched Like, you know, these shows,

maybe two weeks ago we just popped in a DVD.

For him it's been, you know, quite a number of

years. 30 years. Yeah. But we are here to continue

the music spotlight. This will be the last episode

of the 80s spotlight. I do want to mention that

the four artist spotlights we did, Hall and Oates,

Stan Bush, Michael Jackson, and We Are the World,

Those were the major ones I wanted to hit. This

music spotlight would be going on forever if

we did multiple 80s artists. So I kind of wanted

to trim it down to what I really wanted to talk

about. But I think after this musical interlude,

we're going to start the countdown. Number 10

for me is The Boss, Bruce Springsteen. I remember

being four or five years old. I had a Born in

the USA t -shirt on and I would constantly have

that cassette blaring that song on my mom's Walkman

all the time as a kid. Bruce Springsteen, you

know, he's he's an artist that has pretty much

transcended the 80s I mean he's he's continued.

He's still making music today. He's still rocking

out and I loved Dancing in the Dark and Glory

Days and all that other stuff that he's done.

He's done stuff for soundtracks everybody knows

all about Secret Garden from Jerry Maguire and

Everything else and he's just one of those old

-school rockers He is a It's funny. It's like

he's an artist But it's not just him. It's like

him and the E Street band. And it's like you

see one of their shows. It's really more like

a festival just because there's so many people

on stage all making music. It goes like every

which way in every single song. It's like, you

know, three different styles in a single song.

Yeah. You know, I mean, he was an artist who

started, you know, as we all know, in the 70s.

But I think with the 80s. he really had where

in the 70s he had one seminal album born to run

i think in the 80s he had you know he had nebraska

he had born in the usa um then he um broke up

with the east street band and really stepped

out as a solo artist and uh you know a tunnel

yeah he was i think the first artist to release

two albums on the same day yep The 80s helped

define him and helped with the advent of MTV

really bring him more to the masses, his style,

what he does and what have you. I completely

did not know at the time back in the 80s. Of

course, I wouldn't know until I ended up watching

a certain HBO show. That Stephen Van Zandt was

in the E Street band, Silvio Dante from The Sopranos.

I so did not know that at the time. Well, it's

kind of funny. He had actually left the E Street

band early in the 80s to do his solo career.

And then he had the song Glory Days. Bruce had

asked him either to play on the song or just

be in the video And this was really I think really

the first time the East Street band was focused

as featured as heavily in a video So everyone

just assumed oh he he's in still in the band,

you know, because they were very close friends

And it was actually one of those things where

yeah he wasn't in the band but he would show

up every now and then and then you know bruce

dissolved the street band anyway so it wasn't

and what was interesting is he actually and uh...

stevie van zandt actually ended up playing with

the street band because basically what had happened

with the street band went on to become a session

band for other artists and he returned playing

with them Up until they reunited in the mid 90s

Yeah, according to according to Stevens Wikipedia

page the last album under Bruce Springsteen that

he did was 1986 live 75 85 and the next one he

worked on was greatest hits which was in 1995

He worked on From then to 95 to actually 2012

it lists here. So he's been back with them since

1995 Other Bruce Springsteen albums. He's worked

on blood brothers tracks 18 tracks live in New

York City the rising the essential Bruce Springsteen

Magic magic tour highlights and we're working

on a dream and wrecking ball is apparently the

new album that released last month So I mean,

I think what is he's been probably in the band

now the longest yeah, but You know, let's be

honest, his solo career really didn't take it.

No. No, I mean it. And we're here to talk about

Bruce, but I mean, I just found that, you know,

I just found that that was one of the things

that was really interesting to me about Bruce

Springsteen and the E Street band was that later

on down the line, you had one of those members

being, you know, part of Tony Soprano's mob.

I thought that was really cool. Well, he has

a radio show here in New York on Q1043. It's

a Little Stevens underground garage. But are

you familiar with Little Stevens number only

one hit? No. It was a protest song called I'm

not going to play Sun City. and the video he

actually tried to get a lot of the big artists

to appear in the video and he couldn't get as

many people as he wanted i don't even think bruce

springsteen appeared it was actually he had quite

a few like one -hit wonders and like people artists

who most people wouldn't notice you know i mean

he was trying to actually do his own little we

are the world type of thing about not playing

sun city but It's a catchy song. Yeah. I mean,

you know, I listen to Bruce's, I think it was

a couple years ago now, his Radio Nowhere song

and everything else like that. I haven't really,

I listen to the old songs. I listen to Born in

the USA, Glory Days, and Dancing in the Dark

are the three that I mainly listen to. And I

know he's got a more expansive discography than

that. Of course at Christmas time his version

of Santa Claus is coming to town is the best

version out there Of that song so but yeah, Bruce

Springsteen was an awesome awesome 70s and 80s

rocker. So what is your number 10? my number

10 is actually the Artist released the first

album of the 1980s January 1st 1980 parallel

lines I'm sorry parallel waves and the artist

is rush oh okay yeah I think the only thing I

know by rush is Tom Sawyer well um you know rushes

again one of those bands they got their start

in the 70s of the late 70s is really when they

started to build a following um but really by

the the early 1980s that's when they really exploded

they didn't have um hits i mean they weren't

a singles band they were an album band and they

just um you know that's when they they took the

idea of the concept album and said well instead

of doing a whole album let's have a concept for

each song and that they started making shorter

progressive rock and in doing so they started

leaning more towards heavier rock and the arena

rock sound that really dominated the 1980s and

that you know permanent waves they put that out

um then of course was moving pictures which was

like their big 80s album that had tom sawyer

as you mentioned um limelight And it's a really

great band. Unfortunately, by the mid -80s, they

had moved towards a more synthesizer -based music,

which I personally thought was just as good,

but they lost a lot of their audience who really

preferred the guitar -driven stuff. And you know,

that's a band that's like again, they've transcended

generations. They were still putting out albums

in the 1990s, you know in the time of grunge

they actually had a rather popular song called

roll the bones, which I think was the name of

the album that Harkened back to that guitar driven

sound and that's where they've been ever since

You know, very cool. Very cool. Yeah, I I think

it's one of those things that's you know, some

of these artists and bands for me It might be

where, not that they are a one hit wonder band

or a one hit wonder artist, but maybe I only

know one or two songs from them. And I like those

one or two songs versus, you know, listening

to say a band now like 12 stones or three of

a dead man or something like that, where I know

every single song. But no, I mean, Rush is, you

know, good old Canadian rock, I guess. My number

nine is tears for fears These guys actually took

screaming lessons for the song shout They went

to scream therapy That's dedication Yeah, that

is dedication. They're also known for Everybody

Wants to Rule the World. No, wait, that's the

next one. Everyone Wants to Rule the World. God,

Between Shout and Everyone Wants to Rule the

World. Those are the only two songs I really

remember. Crap! Just I mean just an overall great

great band. I think head over here. Yeah, that's

what this one I remember head over heels that

that was another good one but it but again, you

know, I Love listening to shout and everybody

wants to rule the world and I just love the sound

that those two songs have So yeah, what is your

number nine? My number nine is white snake And

I want to make the caveat that this is not the

David Coverdale backing band known as Whitesnake,

which is the version of Whitesnake that exists

today and has existed since 1987. So this is

not Here We Go Again? Actually, no. Yes, it is.

Because Here I Go Again was written in 1982 and

appeared on the album Saints and Sinners. This

is basically the band that existed since 1976

-1977, but in the 1980 up until about 1984, they

were a six -piece blues rock band that was born

out of the ashes of the Mark 3A lineup of Deep

Purple. you know not too many people know about

it um it's you know unfortunately they did they

did this great album called uh slide it in it

was you know john lord cozy pal at this point

was on drums you had uh bernie marsden and mick

moody who i think is one of the greatest guitar

duos of all time and you know they were poised

to do it but david geffin sat down with david

coverdale and he says look This is not a touring

band. This is not a band I'm going to put on

allow you to put on the road So he basically

fired everybody brought back cozy pal and Neil

Murray He actually had replaced Mick Moody with

a gentleman named the unfortunate the now late

Mel Galley and it brought in John Sykes who was

in Thin Lizzy and they were going to go on the

road as like that as a five -piece But then Mel

Galley unfortunately suffered a hand injury and

that brought it down to a four -piece who did

the American version of slide it in and We're

around for like a couple of years, but then you

know basically David Coverdale says he had to

let everybody go everybody else says they quit

because they were gonna kill him But I just really

want pick them to highlight the fact that there

was a legitimate band there, and their output

is phenomenal. In my opinion, the versions of

Here I Go Again, Crying in the Rain, are much

better than the ones that we would get later

on down the line. Especially Fool for Your Love,

and that was actually on the album Ready and

Willing. That has a much better groove than the

head banging version that would come in 89 with

Steve Vai but Yeah, I think between here I go

again and there was one other song that I absolutely

remember that I loved but I don't Is it called

is this love? Yeah. Yeah is this love that was

the other one I remembered Well, you know, it's

people listen with their eyes. I don't know if

that makes sense to you and By 87 that's when

the video started taking off, you know, David

cover Dale heads Solidified himself as like the

head of this band And I gotta say the videos

were quite interesting. They all featured Tawny

Cattain That which is basically what most people

remember And you know that was it and The first

time Here I Go again was released, it was a big

hit for them. The second time it was a number

one worldwide smash. So the songs were there.

The Whitesnake has always put out great songs.

The problem is, is that they often get dismissed

as hair metal, which they're not. They're deeply

blues influenced. It's just sometimes it gets

lost in the... shredding guitars yeah well a

lot of things get lost when you start shredding

guitars so my number eight is Wang Chung pretty

much anything off the greatest hits album that

they put out a number of years ago You know everyone

knows everybody have fun tonight everybody knows

dance hall days But that album that greatest

hits album that they put out a number of years

ago had other awesome awesome songs on it stuff

like To live and die in LA which Was surprised

is actually in the movie of the same name. I

thought that was really cool Have you ever seen

that movie? I love that movie. Oh greatest 80s

movies ever You know, let me just say this right

now for those of you young people watching who

just know uh... michael peterson from csi all

kind of let's go to know you just for his name

up williamson william peterson for those of you

just know william peterson from csi go back watches

move watch to live and die in l a that is a movie

if you're a young boy wait for puberty to happen

you watch this movie you will have chest hair

Other songs that are really great off the Greatest

Hits albums, Don't Let Go, Don't Be My Enemy,

Let's Go, Praying to a New God, and of course,

as I just mentioned, To Live and Die in LA. And

this Greatest Hits album also includes Fun Tonight,

The Early Years, which is, I think it's... like

a demo version of Everybody Have Fun Tonight.

So that was kind of cool that it's on there.

And I've always loved Dancehall Days. But no,

Wang Chung, even though they're only known for

Everybody Have Fun Tonight and Dancehall Days

for the most part, just an amazing, amazing band.

And they really took the synthesizer and used

it to its full potential, I think, on a lot of

their stuff. Because a lot of their stuff is

electronic. Yeah, I mean That's what a lot of

pop music was back then Yeah, but I agree. I

mean they were really a great fun band But I

think they're very much of the era. Oh, yeah,

but that's what's so great now because You know

giving a you know giving a choice between an

electronic pop band and auto -tune I'll take

the electronic pop band any day Mean that's just

the way it is Yeah, they were also a big video

band. I mean the video the video for everybody

have fun. I mean, I remember hearing stories

People were getting epileptic seizures from watching

it. Yeah You know, it's like I'm just like oh

wow. Yeah. Yeah. No. No. Yeah, you're right It

was it was very psychedelic and very out there

So what is your number eight? My number eight

is actually I would put this band in the top

five of my personal all -time favorite bands

and I also have them here because they're historically

important as they were the first supergroup of

the 1980s. This is Asia. Asia was born out of

yes, King Crimson and Emerson Lake and Palmer

and the band who had the first video on MTV,

The Buggles. Basically, we had talked earlier

about Rush and how they had basically taken the

progressive rock song and compacted it. Well

basically what Asia did is they took the idea

of progressive rock and applied pop formats to

it. For example, instead of doing a 20 -minute

keyboard introduction, they did 20 seconds. The

songs are catchy. They were fun. And they were

just doing this to put out an album. Nobody had

anything else to do. And they went out. It ended

up being the biggest album of 1982. Carl Palmer,

who was the drummer, and Steve Howe, who was

the guitar player, would have to do extended

solos, along with Jeff Downs, who was the keyboardist,

to fill time in the shows. They were maybe going

to do opening act shows, and they were thrown

out as headliners. So, I mean it was fun Unfortunately,

the band really couldn't last the way it was

after the second album. There was a lot of personnel

changes You know back and forth by the 1990s

there was Jeff Downs was really the only original

member left But I am pleased to say that in about

for the 25th anniversary, which about 2007 They

did reunite and have been together ever since

That's the original four. Yeah, but you know,

there's great good pop progressive music the

only sign the in the only reason why I even bought

this and it's it's not a slight against Asia,

but When on the Justice League unlimited DVDs

when they Did one of their first commentaries

on that DVD set Bruce Tim was talking about the

theme change from Justice League to the more

rocky and thematic Justice League Unlimited theme

and he was saying that Glenn Maracami was saying

it kind of sounds like Asia and he's like and

Bruce is like you're not really turning me off

to this so I listened to the Justice League Unlimited

theme and I went back and I bought Heat of the

Moment by Asia and they sound so similar to each

other. As far as the actual music goes Well here

the moment is actually one of those great songs

that you can do it as an up -tempo rocker but

if but I've actually heard it and I personally

I perform it as a solo acoustic number and it's

The meaning like you know how like when you change

the arrangement you can actually change the meaning

of the song Oh, yeah, and it's like if you because

you can hear the lyrics more and it's just such

a beautiful Love song about a relationship come

falling apart. It was just incredible You know,

well, would you like me to perform a little for

you? No. No, okay. I was making sure No my number

seven is Survivor Everybody who's anybody knows

who these guys are For one simple song that was

in several Rocky movies Well, I know them because

of weird out it's the Ryre the Kaiser that's

our special tonight You have supercelled or anything

you like? No Most people most you know legitimate

music lovers know them for Eye of the Tiger And

I also know them for another song called the

search is over the search is over is more of

a ballad. Oh, yes Yes, yeah, that's more of a

love song ballad thing, but I have a tiger was

a kick -ass rock song that You don't even need

to hear the lyrics you hear those opening notes.

You know exactly what it is Okay, Mike truth

time now. I don't want you to be honest When

you're up in the mornings and you look in the

mirror You sing your name to the rhythm of that

opening riff. Mike. Mike, Mike, Mike. No, because

I never look in the mirror. I'm too ugly. Oh,

don't say that. What is your number seven? OK,

my number seven is actually another band from

Canada, but they are not to be pooped on. This

is Triumph. Never heard of them, so. Well, Triumph

was actually. another Canadian power trio. Whereas

Rush tended to skew more towards a progressive

sound, Triumph was much heavier guitar driven

and remained that way for the length of their

recording career. They never really had like

big American hits. They were like another album

band who were known for like their very involved

stage shows. Rick Emmett is, I think, an underrated

guitar player. He was their guitar player and

lead singer along with the drummer. His name's

escaping me at the moment. But they did actually

have a lot of well -known, well -remembered tunes.

Magic Power, Say Goodbye, which is really the

song that got me into them, Lay It On The Line,

and allied forces and you know it's unfortunately

by the mid -80s they had broken up it was a very

bad breakup but I added for well very long time

they weren't on speaking terms and it was just

a few years ago they finally reunited and have

been touring sporadically here and there again.

Rick Emmett is actually a very well -known and

respected solo artist now in Canada, so a lot

of times he couldn't tour with them because he

had his own commitments. But if you really like

a good hard -edged rock band, give Triumph a

listen. Yeah, the only Triumph I know is the

cigar -smoking smart -ass dog. For me to poop

on Yes, my number six is Duran Duran Everybody

should know these guys if you don't know Duran

Duran be ashamed Yeah, the first song I ever

heard by them was ordinary world Hungry Like

the Wolf, Too Much Information, Come Undone.

I know there's a bunch of other ones I'm forgetting

off the top of my head because I only have those

select ones in my iTunes at this point. I still

need to buy more music. You need to have Rio

in your iPod. Yeah, I gotta grab that eventually.

I thought I had it on here, but I guess I don't.

But no, I mean these guys again just like tears

for fears and way, you know tears for fears and

Wang Chung They were a band or they were a duo

who really? Yeah, they were an entire band, but

mainly the two lead singers were more of a duo

They were a band that You know, redefine the

80s, and basically, that's why you have those

80s anthems now. I mean, Hungry Like the Wolf

has been used in so many things over the years,

it's not even funny. It was used in movies, commercials,

all kinds of things. I think the one, when you

say Hungry Like the Wolf, the one thing that

pops into my head was, God, had to be like the

mid -90s, MTV unplugged. whole. And the last

song they did was Hungry Like the Wolf and it

ended with Courtney Love hitting the guitarist

with her guitar because he was playing a solo

and that's how the show ended. Yeah, I remember

this. I remember Hungry Like the Wolf the most

out of the movie Big Fat Liar when Paul Giamatti

was a blue man and he was dancing to the song.

Also, let's not forget that Duran Duran, I mean

there was a period of time that between Duran

Duran and their various solo side projects, Arcadia,

Power Station, Andy Taylor I think had his own

solo band, I think I have his name right, he

was the guitarist. They were dominating radio.

It was really just incredible. It was a great

time for them that they could write such great

songs. You figure they had three people in that

band named Taylor and only two of them were related,

which I thought was hysterical. Yeah. And they're

a band that hasn't really taken... I mean, they're

a band more in line with bands of today as far

as when they produce albums, because looking

at their discography, at least out of the ones

it lists on the mini article and their main article

on Wikipedia, they've had an album for the first

four years and... Well, the first... Yeah. From

81 to 84, they produced an album every year.

From 86 to 88, they produced two albums. from

90 to 93, two albums, 95, 97 were the next two

albums, 2000 and then 04, and then they took

three years from 04 to 07, and then 2010 was

the last new album. So I mean, while other 80s

artists may have broken off from each other and

gone their separate ways and whatever else, they've

still, these guys have consistently produced

stuff together. Well, you figure in the 80s when

you had those little sporadic breaks, that's

when they were doing their solo work. Also, it's

worth a mention that by the late 90s, early 2000s,

Duran Duran had basically shrunk to like a three

piece. Yeah. And it wasn't until the mid 2000s

that you had the full reunion of the original

lineup. Yeah, 2001 and 2006 was the reunion.

Yeah, I don't even know if they're still together,

that incarnation. And according to Wikipedia,

between 2006 and 08, red carpet massacre and

second departure of Andy Taylor and second quartet.

And then apparently, from 2009 to now, all you

need is now. The band split from Epic Records

in 2009 after releasing just two albums in early

2010. It was revealed that the band would be

contributing a cover of Boys Keep Swingin' to

attribute Cherry a record for David Bowie, called

We Were So Turned On. Let's see. Yeah, I don't

think they're still together. Because they because

one of the members Laban contracted laryngitis

leading to either cancellation or rescheduling

of most of the European dates for the all -you

-need -now world tour And you know, I just want

to throw out there. Um, they actually contributed

a track to a Led Zeppelin tribute album Now I

mean there's nowadays there's like a dozen Led

Zeppelin, but this was like I think the first

one put out It was called Incumbium and they

did the track. Thank you and I have to say I

mean, that was really one of maybe two standout

tracks off of that album. Because and like these

guys, I mean, yeah, they're they were a pop group,

but they have their chops down. Yeah. Yep. So

what is your number six? Alright number six was

kind of tough I went back and forth between a

few different bands But I had to give it my number

six is Iron Maiden Iron Maiden really ushered

in what is known as the new wave of British heavy

metal And this was after they replaced their

original lead singer Paul Deano with Bruce Dickinson

They were the guys who made melodic heavy metal

you know fast hard but also made it a spectacle

their stage shows were events um you know and

again they're one of these bands they continued

up into the 90s you know bruce dickinson left

he was replaced by a guy named blaze bailey the

original guitarist left he was replaced they

actually uh bruce dickinson eventually came back

the original guitars came back so now they're

they went from a five piece to a six piece now

with three guitars and They've just been killing.

I mean, they're putting out albums that are like

some of the best music of their career. You know,

I mean, yes, much like Rush, they've become more

of like a live show that they're putting out

DVDs, live DVDs more than they're putting out

CDs, but just a great and great band, fun band.

I mean, they're really a bunch of like funny,

nice guys. I had to have that new wave of British

Heavy Metal represented. I'm sorry, Iron Maiden

was the best guys to do it. Yup. So for me, for

going on to number five. Now, my top five, I

moved between number five and number two, I moved

so many things around. I changed so many different

things. And I'm pretty happy with my choices

because my number one was always going to be

my number one just because of what that choice

is. But number five is Kevin Cronin and REO Speedwagon.

I absolutely love these guys. Are they going

to keep on loving you, Mike? No. Don't go creepy

in here, dude. uh you know from roll with the

changes to take it on the run can't fight this

feeling time for me to fly those are just the

ones that i actually have in my in my itunes

but i mean these guys were again another band

of the 80s that really latched on to that pop

rock sound of creating hits i mean And Kevin

Cronin's voice, everybody loved Kevin Cronin's

singing voice. Well, it was funny. Like, REO

Speedwagon is actually one of these bands. There's

actually a split. Before the 1980s, REO Speedwagon

was actually more of a harder rock progressive

band. Kevin Cronin, I don't think, was the singer.

No. Let's see here Formed by students by attending

University of Illinois in Champaign, Illinois

the fall of 1967 to play cover songs in Campus

Bar. The first lineup consisted of Alan Gratzer

on drums and vocals, Neil Daugherty on keyboards,

Joe Matt on guitar and vocals, and Mike Blair

on bass and vocals. In the spring of 1968, Terry

Luttrell became lead singer and Bob Cronauer

and Greg Philbin replaced Matt and Blair. So,

but really honestly for me, because as I've said

throughout this music spotlight that we're doing

here on GCR, if people, if artists started in

one decade but I know them for another one, obviously

the one that I know them from is where I'm going

to go with it. Well yeah, no, well no, but what

I was going for was that it really wasn't until

they made that change that they really became

known. And what's kind of funny is, REO Speedwagon

influenced a lot of like the heavy metal artists

that would come along later in the 1980s into

the 90s. I mean, James Hetfield said when he

first met Lars Ulrich, you know, the heaviest

stuff he could listen to was REO Speedwagon.

So just think REO Speedwagon was an influence

to Metallica. Yes, they've had. They have listed

on Wikipedia for Ario Speedwagon. They have close

to 19 former band members. The current lineup

is Neil Daugherty, Kevin Cronin, Bruce Hall,

Dave Amato, and Brian Hitt. But they have 19

former members. It's changed so much over the

years. Well, you got to keep in mind the Ario

Speedwagon that's around today and has been around

since for about 15 years, if not longer, is basically

Kevin Cronin's backing band. Yeah. I mean, unfortunately,

the Speedwagon, as we know it, broke, you know,

ended some time ago. But, you know, as a funniest

side, take it on the run was actually one of

the live version was one of the first videos

MTV ever played so I was watching when they were

replaying the first 24 hours of MTV and that

video kept coming up over and over that I actually

learned how to play the song from watching the

video Because I would sit there and I would play

along with Kevin Cronin. This is like at like

midnight or something. I'm like Oh, that's nice.

Hey, you know something difficult. I just thought

it was the funniest thing in the world. Yeah,

and I mean, you know the thing about Aureo Speedwagon,

just like Duran Duran, they are a band, at least

for me, they are a band of the 80s. They are

a band of their time. They're not, you know,

Kevin Cronin and his band are not someone who

needs to come out today and change their entire

sound and put new hits out. They had their popularity.

You know and they still I'm sure live on their

popularity I mean everyone loves those 80s songs

And I'm sure a lot of the people that grew up

with them in the 70s love those more harder rock

songs as well Well, I mean I personally would

love to see one last time the original lineup

because I know the founding guitarist who was

played on all those hits in the 80s he and Kevin

Cronin had a big falling out which ultimately

resulted in you know the 19 different lineup

changes over the years but you know if they could

get back together because I mean I'll say it

right now I think Oreo Speedwagon deserves to

be in the rock and roll hall of fame because

they did play a significant part in recorded

music history Yep, and I think one of the greatest

things for me at the time. This is a number of

years ago now They had the access and allies

tour with sticks REO speed wagon and sticks Went

on a tour together. Yes. Yes. I think we talked

about this like during the 70s show. Yeah. Yeah

What is your number five? My number five this

is the you know, the big top five This was a

band again They I kind of had them paid in right

away that this is where they would be Def Leppard

I look at Def Leppard and I say that they were

the ones who really brought heavy metal to the

masses They started out as a new wave of British

heavy metal band The first albums high and dry

and on through the night Oh Heavy crushing guitars

Wasted is you know to this day is still one of

the fan favorites. Just like a great driving

riff They teamed up with Shania Twain's ex -husband

mutt lang and he cleaned them up, you know, he

structured them more brought them into more pop

sensibilities that You had it where Pyromania,

you know was like their first big hit they had

slicker songs more structured to it I mean they

was still a hard rock edge, but it was you know

structured and then it was like Jesus Christ

your drummer lost his arm. Where do you go from

here? You basically go and record what ends up

becoming the biggest hard rock album of the 1980s.

Hysteria. Hysteria. I mean, just hit after hit

off of that. I mean, it took a while. It took

a while to catch on, but... Well, didn't that

drummer basically teach himself to drum one armed

and just use his feet for the rest of it? Basically

what had happened was while he was recovering...

He was reading a popular mechanics magazine and

they had an article about this new type of foot

controls that people were using to operate cars.

Right. And he thought, well, wait a minute, this

can be adapted to drums. And he had worked, I

think, with Roland, because Roland was really

the guys who were pioneering the electrical type

of music. terms of instrumentation and he created

an electric drum kit where You know his he had

one foot would do the bass drum the hi -hat what

-have -you But the other foot would do the other

drums and he with his one good arm He could play,

you know regular acoustic drums And it's you

know took him some time. He had it, you know

work it out But he was able to do it and I think

the best story that can be told is they the first

show back they were playing a club in in ireland

the they had hired a second drummer to play on

the tour with him just to back him up in case

he needed it the guy was late his his plane landed

late so they had started the show he gets on

he sneaks up on stage starts playing along By

the second song and he stops and he says, you

don't need me. He really was able to come back

from it. I hate to say it, but Def Leppard is

one of the luckiest, unluckiest bands in the

world. Fortunately their guitarist Steve Clark,

he passed away in the early 90s from alcohol

poisoning. I mean, a fantastic guitar player.

I mean, and he wrote some really inventive parts.

Yeah, I think that's one of the things with Def

Leppard is they're overlooked as how good music

great of musicians they are because of the fact

that they're, you know, pitch again, pitching

hole that's like, you know, hair metal or, you

know, something like that, the pop metal, pretty

boys, what have you. But they really wrote some

good songs. Yeah, they did. Alright, so my number

four is... The Piano Man, Billy Joel. I have

memories of my three -year -old self listening

to Billy Joel records with my mom, so Billy Joel

was a huge influence on me as a child as far

as his music goes. You know, he's just one of

those artists that can pretty much do no wrong.

He's had tons of hit albums, tons of hit songs,

and he's an artist that still stays true to his

roots, but can still put on a good song in this

generation. You know, the one album that I was

absolutely blown away by for the most part was

1993's River of Dreams. I did not expect that.

out of Billy Joel I mean yeah it is still essentially

his 80s sound but it still evolved over time

you know this guy has performed at Super Bowls

he's you know he's done Garth Brooks covers and

vice versa Just an amazing amazing artist, you

know, he wrote one of I don't know Well, I'm

not sure if he wrote it I'm gonna have to look

it up and find out but he sung one of the most

culturally influential songs That we've ever

had at least up to that point that we had ever

had which was we we can't stand We didn't start

the fire we didn't start the fire That's yeah.

Yeah, he wrote that that's his song right? I

mean it was just at that time I honestly think

it encapsulated all like from the 50s on up to

the 1980s Yep Yeah, I mean it was just one of

those things where it was what it was and he

is that that artist you know he is that one that

that has you know he's one of those artists that

has basically transcended time i mean you know

from piano man to you know new york state of

mind to the stranger to moving out you know i

mean just every single song that i've ever listened

to by him most of the ones that i've listened

to by him i've absolutely loved them my life,

the theme from Buzz and Buddy's. That's our show

right there. No, no it's not. Not at all. Let

me see here. Here it is. Yes, lyrics are made

up from rapid fire, brief allusions to over a

hundred headline events between March 1949 Joel

was born on May 9th of that year in 1980. Yeah,

so from 1949 to 1989 that's that that is the

the span of we didn't start the fire and It was

an amazing song and all of it Billy Joel to me

and I know this is gonna be controversial. I

know people are gonna argue this Billy Joel for

me was my Beatles of the 80s because almost every

like from uptown girl to all the you know all

the other songs he's done every song that i've

heard that i've liked by him has just been amazing

in their songs i can listen to over and over

and over again oh yeah i mean i i i'll say that

he was the beetles of new york because i mean

he really saying about New York, the city, Long

Island, and he painted word pictures that really,

because you figure a lot of those songs like,

you know, Uptown Girl, A New York State of Mind,

those were being done in a time where New York

City wasn't exactly the best place in the world.

And I really think that helped. remind people

how great New York used to be and really how

great it could become again, which it eventually

did. Right. All right, so what is your number

four? My number four was basically the first

band I ever identified with that I said I am

a fan of and I, you know, I am a music fan and

this is why. Bon Jovi. You know, I remember being

slippery when wet I Remember being a little boy

and watching the video for wanted that are alive

and I wanted a cowboy hat and a right and a fringed

rhinestone trench coat like Richie Sampora And

then later on and I said I want the hat I want

the jacket, but now I want that ovation double

-necker. He's playing You know say what you will

about the music they've been making nowadays

Bon Jovi was a good hard -edge You know hard

rock borderline heavy metal band that could go

out entertain You know, I mean there again another

one of these bands that they get faulted for

their looks and I think that's a shame because

They did write some really good songs Yeah, you

know for me as far as Bon Jovi goes cuz they're

they did not make my list Nowadays I think In

today's musical society they are at least to

me at least from what I've heard from them in

the last 15 or 20 year And I'm in the last 10

or 15 years They're essentially a one -hit wonder

band at this point I mean you had so many great

hits come out of the 80s from them But now it's

like when they release an album they pretty much

Pimp out one song and then you don't hear from

them for another two years Well, I think that's

also because of just the nature that this is

you know It's very difficult for an artist like

them to have multiple hits off of one album You

know my problem is nowadays. I think they've

really gone more into a country type of sound

and You know I don't have a problem with country

music, but what I have a problem with is Bon

Jovi playing country music You know they're they're

not a country band yeah, it's like I saw a show

a live show they did was like not a full concert

but a small bit and Some of the time Richie Sambor

wasn't even playing guitar. He was sitting there

and singing with John Bon Jovi and they had somebody

they had like a session musician playing guitar

and to me that's criminal Richie Sambor is one

of the great guitarist to come out of the 1980s

He should be playing guitar, you know, that's

that's what he does. That's what he does. That's

what he's known for you know, I guess he has

a very nice voice, but Don't forsake the guitar

for just to sit there and sing some harmony Yeah,

you know, I'd really hope I mean I when they

go into the rock and roll Hall of Fame I don't

know but I really hope at some point they maybe

take a step and say, you know what? Let's do

this. Let's go back do the you know, harder edge

Heavy metal and we're not having up the hard

rock album one last time Yeah You know My number

three is in my top number three and number two

I had a real problem with because They are both

individual artists. They are both very Controversial

and everything that both of them have ever done

And it was really hard to pick a point of which

one needs to be where Number three is the King

of Pop, Michael Jackson. Growing up in the 80s,

you know, Thriller, Bad, those two albums. I

think in the 80s my favorite Michael Jackson

song was Man in the Mirror. I loved all of his

other stuff that he put out in the 80s. By the

time he started doing stuff like you are not

alone and all that that's kind of where i stopped

listening to him and we did do an entire uh hours

worth of individual spotlight on michael jackson

here in the uh here in the artist spotlight for

the 80s but um i mean he he knew how to craft

a pop song he was between him and lionel richie

they created one of the greatest anthems for

people coming together ever well until until

Quincy Jones and Jamie Foxx fucked it up. But,

you know, he and Lionel Richie wrote We Are the

World. And you want to talk about an 80s supergroup,

the artists USA for Africa coming together, that

was the 80s ultimate supergroup because you had

artists from all kinds of music coming together

for that one song. Actors and actresses in there

too. yeah well yeah well i mean as far as artists

as far as the solo parts of the other the chorus

was actors actresses it was there was a ton of

people in that song it was a big old party but

as far as the actual singing parts you know you

had stevie wonder you had ray charles you had

darryl hall you had uh... you know dianne warwick

you had all these people kenny chesney not kenny

chesney kenny rogers Jesus Christ, I don't even

think Kenny Chesney was born at that point, I

don't know. Kenny Rogers, I believe I saw Kenny

Loggins in there at one point. So, you know,

but Michael himself on his own, he, I mean, simply

put, his name is what it is, the King of Pop.

Even after the 80s and going into some of his

other stuff. You know up until he passed away

a few years ago. So but yeah Any thoughts on

Michael? Well, I don't want to say too much yet,

but I'll just say I agree with everything you

just said What is your number three my number

three? This is a band that they're in the number

three spot I mean they are if you know a fan

of I am a fan of but they also musically have

a lot of historical importance. In 1986, for

like a couple weeks, this band, the band, its

members, its former members, each had a song

in the top 10 of the Billboard pop charts. Genesis.

Alright, the only thing I'm going to say about

Genesis is I know a couple of their songs, but

I mainly know... Phil Collins' work after he

left Genesis. But them as a band was just awesome.

I mean, they started out as a five -piece progressive

rock band. They were an influential, groundbreaking

progressive rock band. Then Peter Gabriel left.

They became a four -piece. Phil Collins came

to the front and started singing. Then Steve

Hackett, who is one of the most influential guitars

of all time, a true living legend, he left, and

that became a three -piece. But, you know, I

mean, and then when it became a three -piece,

it basically went from doing these grand epic

progressive songs to doing more pop -oriented

stuff. to the point where I've mentioned this,

you know, and some of the other artists, there's

actually a split between the fans who really

only listen to the progressive side of Genesis

and the ones who listen to stuff like Invisible

Touch, Land of Confusion, you know, because you

figure Genesis went from selling out arenas to

selling out stadiums. Right. And, you know, that

was just the name of the game. But like I said,

I mean. Alongside Genesis, you had the Peter

Gabriel solo work. You had Phil Collins solo

work. You had Mike and the Mechanics, which was

Bill Brotherford's band. You had GTR, which was

Steve Hackett teaming up with Steve Howe, who

made this band after he left Asia. You know you

had if I think there was a few others it was

just like like I said there was one point that

Every song was either a Peter Gabriel Phil Collins

Genesis Mike and the mechanics or GTR on the

top ten and it was just Incredible. I mean it

really was a great time for music and it was

really a Testament to how great these guys were

as artists. Oh, yeah So much so You know, Peter

Gabriel, in his solo work, he had a song on the

City of Angels soundtrack called I Grieve. Of

course, that was in 1998. But still, I mean,

between Peter Gabriel and Phil Collins, they

both have an amazing, amazing voice. And Phil

Collins is easily one of the best drummers of

all time. You know, I mean he really isn't so

oftentimes his stuff is his drumming is overlooked

because of his singing and songwriting but Who

here hasn't played air drums to that part in

in the air tonight? You know, yeah You know and

that's and then that's just the thing everyone

has done that so All right Moving on to my number

two and again, you know, this is so hard because

I Because there are so many great ones that we

haven't even mentioned at this point, but if

we made this list a top 20 It would just this

episode would be like two and a half hours long

So for my number two For my number two, it is

the woman that just played the Super Bowl where

the Patriots lost, Madonna. Oh yes, Madonna.

Bringing blood to the New York Giants. Don't

get me started. Alright, so you want to talk

about a pop diva that has... evolved and and

reinvented, re -envisioned and reinvented herself

over the years and pretty much took sexuality

and music to a new peak level. That's Madonna.

Really the one, you know, the main album that

I had always had was the Immaculate Collection.

I know that she's done tons of other albums but

the Immaculate Collection was like one of her

best greatest hits albums. And she was very controversial

both back then and now. A lot of people say that

if Madonna was just starting out today, somebody

like Lady Gaga would make her look tame. And

I have to disagree. I think if Lady Gaga was

around in the 1980s, no one would remember her

because Madonna would just blow her out of the

water. I look at her, I just saw behind the music

about Blondie and they were talking about Deborah

Harry and comparing her to Madonna and I think

the difference is Debbie Harry was more of a

tease. Madonna went the full Monty. I mean she

really threw her sexuality in front of you and

wasn't shy about it. You know didn't you know

she would take a woman home just as easily if

she would take a man home and You know that was

her thing. I mean she I You know, there's a you

know, I always go back and forth. Can you really

consider her an artist? She really didn't doesn't

write a lot of her own music but just the way

she like performs and you know creates and it's

like you know something like Papa don't preach

Can't see that being done by anybody else besides

Madonna And I do have to Yeah, at least out of

the out of the track listing on the immaculate

collection, which again was one of her greatest

hits albums She's written a number of these songs

Open your heart Papa. Don't preach like a prayer

Express yourself cherish vogue So it's I've heard

stories, you know, I've heard it's just you know,

her her her name is on it But it's like maybe

she contributed two lines. It's you know, it's

one of those great musical miss musical Rumors

innuendo, you know who according to Wikipedia.

This is I find this very funny according to Wikipedia

Lenny Kravitz wrote part of justify my love That

actually makes sense, but you know That makes

sense Lenny Kravitz was actually You know he

was around for a long time as an artist before

he really hit and he did a lot of producing and

write and session work If you remember he played

guitar with Madonna on one of her songs, so Mean

it does make sense and you know she is one of

those influential women artists of the 80s and

She will always be and as I said before she constantly

Reinvents herself every time she comes around

Sure, she still does the classic hits, but she

has new music whether she writes it or not a

whole other argument for another day but She's

one of those people that will always Have something

new for you and it's not just oh, hey, here's

classic 80s Madonna Yeah, well that was the thing

I mean she is constantly reinventing herself

and you know what I've noticed is with her last

Like maybe two or three albums which you know

have actually covers about 15 years of history

Right the first single is usually not the big

hit It's like the second one is what comes out

and it's like explodes for example the album

ray of light the first single was I forgot the

name of the song but it was like it was frozen

and you know that did very well But then ray

of light came out and it was a massive exploding

hit I mean it was you know all over the I mean

she was even surprised by it Then you know her

last album there was that song Hey, mr. DJ I

forget yeah, but I mean that was like the second

single that was like a big hit so I don't know

maybe I don't know if it's she does it on purpose

or not, but I just find it's you know funny But

you know I I mean now I will say this yes, I

respect Madonna Yes, I think her place on your

list is absolutely perfect but I don't think

she belongs in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame,

which she is going into this, which I think she

has already been inducted into. I mean, I think

over, I mean, if you're gonna look at her as

an artist who has, you know, had major, major

popularity in the eighties and every time she

has come back around, everyone still loves her

and loves her music. She is constantly put out

hits and she has been constantly successful.

I think she does deserve to be in there I mean,

you know, but she's not rock and roll, dude.

Okay. Well, she's not rock and roll, but I mean

there is no There is no general music Hall of

Fame is there? Not yet, but you know it can be

created I mean just because there isn't one doesn't

mean you put somebody in where they don't belong

um... put her in the songwriters hall of fame

put her in uh... you know give her something

else but you know i'm sorry just because she

has a guitar player in her band does not make

her rock and roll especially well you know what

i'm not gonna start all right so what is your

number two my number two is an artist who's already

appeared on your list And that's Michael Jackson.

I had a very hard time with this because I almost

automatically put him in at number one, but I

really couldn't do it for one important reason.

The night Michael Jackson died, my sister and

I had basically planted ourselves in front of

the CNN because we were doing 24 -hour coverage

because this was a major event. And they had

a reporter on from CNN and he mentioned something

where he said it's like, you know, basically

Michael Jackson was a one album wonder. Thriller

sold 40 million copies. All his other albums

didn't even come close. Bad sold 10 million.

The one after that only sold like eight, nine

million. And I realize it's like, you know, Michael

Jackson really in the 1980s had won. I mean,

you can't sell 40 million copies every single

time. That's once in a lifetime. But. You know,

the fact that he was he had slipped so much.

Between the album and it could you figure even

with bad? He was still coasting off a thriller

the songs from Thriller were still on the radio

the videos were still getting played I mean Thriller

itself was for many years a Halloween staple

on either MTV or VH1 Right, but I mean it but

he did I mean, but he deserves You know a much

higher place and say number ten because he was

the king of pop You know, I say this to people

nowadays like younger people You really they

don't have any idea What it was like in the 1980s?

five and dimes You know who even knows what a

five and dime is anymore. Yeah They had they

had they sold books they had a whole section

dedicated to Michael Jackson books and they did

that up until the store would well Until the

five dimes closed and went out of business, but

up until the 1990s, you know with dangerous You

know, yeah, they were always costume shops the

fedora the glove You know, you know that tea

that's stupid microphone now tea pain the tea

pain microphone Yeah, let me tell you something

30 years ago. There was the Michael Jackson microphone

Yeah it's just like you know never has a single

artist captured the imagination of you know so

many people um and you know like when he passed

it was like i felt bad for my mom because she

saw him grow up before you know it was like watching

one of her own and you know that was tough And

you even with me, I think the one thing we said

is like it was a part of our childhood ending

You know, it was really like that. There was

a part died like You know, it's like I tell this

is as you know You have a generation now you

have two generations You have a generation of

kids who don't know Michael Jackson as an African

-american and then you have a second generation

who don't know him as anything but a eccentric

possible child molester and that is a crying

shame which thankfully seems to be correcting

itself over time yeah exactly I thought you wanted

me to do a drum roll no okay no no no no no okay

All right, so my number one and people need to

understand that these are favorite artists or

bands So drumroll, please For my number one it

is none other than Daryl Hall and John Oates

Wow these these guys These guys were the band

were the artists that i listen to most as a kid

and out of all of the eighties and artists that

i have in my itunes out of the entire eighties

playlists that i have in my itunes these guys

are the ones i listen to most be honest with

me person it's it's another moment of truth time

You have a man crush on Darryl Hull, don't you?

No, no, I don't not at all. Yeah No, it has nothing

to do with that and I wish you'd stop getting

creepy because that's fucking stupid No, not

at all because the thing is I grew up with these

guys, you know The extended version of out of

touch where it has that awesome awesome drum

solo. I absolutely love that Yeah, oh god. Yeah,

I mean these guys Not more so than anybody else,

but these guys were you know when they premiered

on MTV it was like gangbusters Especially when

they did the VJ weekend. They were VJs on MTV

for a while and their popularity Yes, they started

in 1972 They did not start getting their popularity

until 1981 With with voices and private eyes

and all that's what voices came on 80 and then

privatized came on 81 again these are these are

artists and a band that basically from 1972 to

1986 they produced an album a year every single

year they had an album out from 72 to 86 yeah

because those guys are songwriters i mean they

wrote songs and they wrote good songs oh yes

you know it was just great yes um for me When

like after 86 like Honestly, it goes to we are

the world in 85. I I heard we are the world and

I heard Darrell's voice and I'm like as a kid

I was like, oh my god, what's he doing on that?

And that was awesome After that though between

86 and 88 I thought they actually broke up Because

I didn't really hear anything. I mean Darrell

put out His first solo well not his first solo

album, but the first solo album I knew about

Three hearts in the happy ending machine in 86

But they didn't do another album until 1988.

Oh, yeah, and then another one in 1990 called

change of season after that They pretty much

disappeared. I thought they broke up what actually

happened was Daryl said when they when they hit

the top. He said that's it. We're done Because

there's only one place you can go once you hit

top you go to you drop down to the bottom So

it was an interesting concept of he was like,

okay. Well when we get to the top, that's it.

We're I'm stopping Well, there was also something

else that I saw in there behind the music Sarah

you know the song Sarah, right Sarah smile the

other thing was Sarah's sister Jaina had passed

away from leukemia Right and she co -wrote a

lot of the song wrote kiss on my list. She co

-wrote a lot of the songs Sarah also co -wrote

a lot of the songs but Yes, you are correct that

that was You know that was a personal life change

and the thing is like I can see why Daryl would

want to go out on top I get that and Any of these

artists that we've mentioned today at least for

me at least the ones that I've mentioned today

as a kid and even now I didn't care what was

going on in their personal lives in the 80s.

I did not care. I loved the music. That's what

I loved. The 80s was, yes, we did have hard -hitting

news, like CNN was just starting and whatever

else, and you had Dan Rather and all those guys

and everything else, but in the 80s, it wasn't

like it is now, where... E news is everywhere

and you know paparazzi are everywhere and they

want to get the most juiciest news bits It wasn't

fucking like that. Oh, yeah. No, it was about

the fucking music Yeah, it was a it was a I mean

and I hate to say this because I don't want to

sound like my parents are their parents But it

was a happier time. I mean it was a different

mindset I think the 70s were very stressful to

a lot of people and It was basically if the 70s

were constipated, you know, the 80s were regular

Everybody relaxed everything passed. It just

flowed out and it was just You know, yeah, we've

had some hard times, but let's not let that burden

us. Yeah and Personally for me with Hall and

Oates and loving their music as I said in the

In the spotlight that I did by myself on them

here here in the music spotlight That was a connection

I had with my aunt Rose who passed away in 2003

so now it's like every time I listen to them

There's maybe you know I hear a certain song

whether it's you know Say it isn't so or you

know whatever there are certain songs that just

make me absolutely tear up because I think of

my aunt Rose about it and you know I know Darryl

and John have both gone on to solo careers. Darryl,

his solo career started fairly early. John's

didn't start till 2002. And there are at least

30 songs in the Hall & Oates discography that

John Oates has been the lead vocalist on. I actually

counted them up on the Wikipedia article. There

are at least 30 songs that John was the lead

vocal. But... I just have more of a connection

with Darryl as far as his singing, the way that

he has his music produced. I think the problem

I have with John is every time I hear him, I

more hear his backing band than I hear him singing.

That's just my real issue with them. Them together

though, I can clearly hear both of them Throughout

each of their songs You know let the end of last

year Darryl put out his first solo album in in

14 years called laughing down crying And it's

just an amazing amazing album Now I know before

we move on to your number one. I know that you

had said on a previous episode that you hate

Darryl Hall with a passion Well, I was gonna

say because because you felt that he Pulled down.

Oh, so why don't you explain this? Well, first

of all, I was gonna say why don't you come out

have another moment of truth on this episode

You your problem with John Oates is the mustache

just to admit it, you know No, the most powerful

mustache in music and you have a problem with

it. No, no, no I mean, it's a mustache that got

its own cartoon. I think that's cool. Yeah, that's

right cartoon was crap Well, no, I was only really

teasing you when I said that you know hall held

back oh it was a joke you know it's like how

can you like one over the other that's like eat

you know one needs the other to be complete it's

like basically right and and since then since

that they've gone off to do their solo careers

you know back in it was a two thousand seven

two thousand eight darryl started doing this

live web series live from darryl's house where

he would bring in various artists and stuff like

that john has been on a couple of those uh...

you know as far as their solo careers outside

of the the the amazing best -selling duo ever

hall and oats outside of that aspect of it I

prefer listening to Darryl more than I do John.

And I was absolutely crushed. I was at last year

in 2010, it was a couple years ago, when their

bassist and guitarist Tom T -Bone Walk passed

away. That was just really, really sad news.

Oh yeah, that was... Yeah, I mean he was such

an integral part to that band. Oh yes, he was.

He was. Outside of T -Bone and Daryl and John,

I think their band members changed often enough

that Tom is the only one I really remember. Well,

there was a guitar player with them who, he was

also the band leader on Saturday Night Live for

a while. Right. But he actually was with them

all through the 1980s and played on all the big

hits, and he was also a part, I know, I don't

know how long ago it was, but Hall and Oates

did a covers album of like 50's standards and

doo -wop that this guy played on, and it was

actually funny, the commercial for it was like

one of these time life special things, and he

was in that commercial with them playing guitar

while they would sing. Yeah, I think that album

was our kind of soul. Yeah album of cover versions

and some original songs. Yeah, our kind of soul

in 2004, right? I feel that I can't think of

the guy's name now. It was the the former members

were John Siegler Mike Braun GE Smith Mickey

Curry Jerry Morata Caleb Quay Bob Mayo Tom T

-Bone walk because seems suiting Aaron G. Wilkinson.

I think it was GE Smith. Yeah, probably. Yeah.

And well, Bob Mayo. Bob Mayo, I don't know if

you realize this, he was a big part of Peter

Franton's live band. Yeah. Unfortunately, he

passed away quite a few years ago as well. Yeah.

But you know overall they both led extremely

awesome musical careers both together and apart

and that's why they're my number one because

I've always had a had a connection to them and

People should really give Darrell's new album

laughing down crying a try because there are

some amazing songs on that and I honestly feel

that These guys deserve to be in the rock and

roll Hall of Fame. Oh, yes, they do Damn straight,

so we are going to have another drum roll What

is your number one sir, okay my number one The

my number one is the answer to the question How

can you be the biggest band in the world without

selling an album in America and the answer is

your queen? I knew you were going to say that,

too. Yeah, no, of course. And if Octobotamus

was here, I'm pretty sure his number one artist

would have been Elton John. Probably, yeah. But

I mean, really, Queen in the 1980s, I mean, the

70s, really, 75 up until 79, they became a big

band. But in 1980s, they went huge. They had

their number one album in America, The Game.

But, you know, 92, I mean, sorry, 82, they lost

their audience. Two years they took off, solo

projects, what have you. 84, they came back,

The Works. That was a Queen album as people identified

and recognized Queen. 85, Live Aid. From that,

boom. Arenas. stadiums around the world in countries

that no artist had played yet. They were playing

and selling out. The Magic Tour is one of the

biggest tours of all time, I think, just in terms

of where they played to how many people. Unfortunately,

it was their last tour. But then you figure from

86 until 91, you know, Magic Album, Miracle,

Innuendo, Mean the songs off of that are some

of the like really big popular Queen Canon Live

in Budapest You know the live at Wembley in 86

one of the best live albums I ever heard it You

just I mean, I mean Really? I mean, this is what

edged them out over them over Michael Jackson

Is the fact that they were playing places Michael

Jackson ever played? Yeah, and I mean, yes, they

lost America which is unfortunate But you know,

I kind of I actually find it kind of funny because

a lot of the artists they influenced We're selling

in America, you know, like I mentioned Def Leppard

earlier Def Leppard Had a song off a hysteria

called rocket And basically they were name dropping

all the artists that they influenced that influenced

them. And they mentioned Queen. Well, you know,

by this point, you know, we will rock you. We're

the champions have become staples in American

sports celebrations. Oh, yeah. So I mean, so

I mean, they they weren't selling albums in America,

but their music was there. Yeah, and I don't

you can correct me if I'm wrong because you are

the Queen super fan here, but Bohemian didn't

hit until it appeared in Wayne's world, right?

I mean it was there. It was already there, but

I don't remember honestly sadly I think When

I watched Wayne's world is the first time I ever

heard that song Well, it was a top ten hit in

75, but it went to number two in 91 in 92. Yeah

It was funny, it had a double release in America.

It was released once as a tribute to Freddie

Mercury and then it was re -released off of Wayne's

World. But the time frame was very close to one

another. Find a new lead say there was a couple

bands a couple of years ago that NBC or one of

them damn networks tried to do a Find a new lead

singer for in excess or this band or that it

was called I think was called a Supergroup or

it be the next singer or something like that.

Yeah Yeah, the first one was in excess and funny

enough that I don't think that guy is singing

with them anymore And then the next one was a

super group that Gilby Clark was doing and because

what had happened was originally it was supposed

to be Van Halen but at the last minute somebody

got Eddie Van Halen to come to his senses and

realize this was not the best direction for his

band. That's the last thing we need is another

different Van Halen war. Well, you know, people

are saying that they really are surprised that

there's a new Van Halen record. And I'm like,

of course there's a new Van Halen record. David

Lee Roth has a Van Halen on every side. Of course

he's going to behave. But I think that a lot

of people I've talked to, at least on Twitter

and Facebook, at least that that are commenting

about the new Van Halen record besides you, they

don't like it. I have to tell you, I've heard

tattoo and It is not that great of a song but

I have heard from other people that the rest

of the album is fantastic. Let's not forget David

Lee Roth is not that great of a singer. I mean

I've heard from people who saw Van Halen back

in the day and they basically would say he would

sing two lines and then turn the mic over to

the audience and that Michael Anthony and Eddie

Van Halen would have to sing the choruses. So

take that for what you will. With Queen, I know

right around the time of A Knight's Tale, which

I think was around 2001, they were looking at

Robbie Williams to become the new lead singer.

I don't think that would work. They did, I mean

they did a show with him in Rock in Rio, I think.

I've actually never heard anything from it, I've

never seen footage from it. There was many bottles

of wine, as Brian May said, many bottles of wine

were drunk over whether or not Robbie would be

the guy. And for one reason or another, it didn't

work out. that was put to bed, the idea of reuniting

with him. Yeah, the only two songs I even know

by him is Angels and Millennium. He's not someone

that, and it's not even about replacing Freddie

Mercury, because no one could ever replace Freddie

Mercury, but I just don't think he has the chops

to pull off. Well, you know another one bites

the dust or we will rock you or well Here was

the thing there were there were two sides to

Freddie Mercury There was the hard rock singer

and then there was the pop guy Robbie Williams

I don't think would have been able to pull off

things like tie your mother down or hammer to

fall But he would have done beautifully on you're

my best friend Don't stop me now and a lot of

the pop songs from the 80s, you know radio Gaga

what -have -you See my thing is You know even

with Paul Rogers, which they did eventually in

2003 You were replacing Freddie Mercury and then

this is what bothered me says don't dance around

it don't you know yes obviously Freddy can ever

be replaced but this is what you're doing you're

saying this is who's singing for us now and just

go out like that I mean you're gonna lose fans

but you're gonna lose fans no matter what you

do because you can't please everybody all the

time in my opinion now you see you gotta keep

in mind I was The sophomore in high school in

1994, 1995 with the tape of Bad Company. Bad

Company's first album saying, look, this is the

guy. This is who can sing. And that was before

I knew that Paul Rogers had performed with Brian

May, that he was very close to becoming the singer

in Brian May's solo band. But yeah, I mean, what

they did with the Queen and Paul Rogers project,

I think was brilliant. I mean, it's the first

time I got to see Queen live. Yeah. You know,

in any incarnation. So that was a great thing.

Did you ever get to see them before he passed

away? No. Well, you figure I didn't become a

fan of Queen until 92 with the Wayne's World

thing. And even then before that. You know, I

mean I was very young. I mean, I wouldn't have

gone to a concert then anyway. Oh It was when

some parents were some parents in the 80s would

take their kids to concerts Yeah, mine weren't

like that Versus parents today where I'd be like

screw concerts go sell some drugs. Yeah Well

nowadays it's not that bad because I know in

the 80s this is when they started it But there

are places in the arena for parents to go and

wait who don't want to hear the music But then

again, you know the pop concerts aren't like

You know what they were, you know, it's it's

like a Bruce Springsteen concert, you know, it's

gonna be three hours Yeah, but these pop concerts

these Disney kid concerts. They're an hour hour

and a half So there you have it folks, that's

our list. We're gonna take a quick commercial

break and then we'll come back with some mentions

and some final thoughts. Grab your helmets because

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to MWIRE only on geekcastradio .com. So there

you have it, folks. I know that our lists are

very diverse from each other, but they're also

not all -inclusive. For me, some additional bands

and artists that I listened to from the 80s.

I used to listen to Cyndi Lauper as a kid. I

used to listen to Lionel Richie, Toto, you know,

Paul Simon with You Can Call Me Al. you know

there's tons and tons of 80s music in my iTunes

library and I listen to it all the time so these

20 artists I know we've had a couple lay out

you know I think that we only have one crossover

with Michael Jackson because I don't think any

of yeah yeah yeah that was the only crossover

we have was Michael so we have two very diverse

lists from Chuck and myself and you know it As

I said, it's pretty much favorite artists, and

I knew going in what my number one was gonna

be, obviously, but I didn't know what the other

nine were gonna be, because there's so many awesome

artists from the 80s. So any final thoughts there,

Chuck? No, as I said the last time, use these

lists as a springboard to discover an artist

that you may not have known. Go out, buy a CD.

not download or whatever and you know i mean

downloading now i mean yeah yes go out and buy

and and support the artist but even still downloading

does still support the artists i mean it does

yeah well i'm not concerned about supporting

the artist i'm concerned about supporting your

local record shop that's what's important that's

true so Alrighty then, so that's gonna do it.

We hope you enjoyed this episode of GeekCaster

Radio's music spotlight and wish you'll join

us next time when we'll be talking about, in

episode 32, The Nineties. And that episode will

feature David Doubleday Dennis from This Week

in Geek and JT from Saskatoon. For now, I am

TFG1 Mike with Chuck Dogg, 1999. Thank you for

listening and keep on rockin'! There are several

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