Re-Doing the Top 10 of July 1983

Re-Doing the Top 10 of July 1983

Author: David Yas & Michael ”Milt” Wolfe August 7, 2026 Duration: 2:05:51
Dave and Milt introduce an episode built around listener survey results rewriting the Billboard Top 10 for July 30, 1983, after voters overwhelmingly chose to boot Sergio Mendes’ “Never Gonna Let You Go.” They preview covering survey comments next week, plug pod617.com, and detour into Dave interviewing Battle of the Network Stars captain Greg Evigan on a Beatles podcast. The listener-created countdown replaces the original Top 10 with your choices, with anecdotes about ads, lyrics, MTV videos, and chart history. They pick winners, kick out “Saved by Zero” and “I’m Still Standing,” and shout out near-misses like Jackson Browne’s “Lawyers in Love.”   Topics 02:00 Getting Older Hangovers 04:43 Battle Network Stars Clip 08:55 Survey Top 10 Setup 10:12 Songs Voted Off 13:08 Listener Countdown Begins 13:36 Saved by Zero Deep Dive 27:07 Promises Promises Facts 34:40 Faithfully Breakdown 41:07 Prince Clears Purple Rain 41:49 Tambourine Jealousy Story 42:10 Bryan Adams Writes Heaven 42:41 Earnestness Debate Faithfully 44:51 Steve Perry Sopranos Holdout 49:46 Cuts Like a Knife Breakdown 52:37 Na Nas And Video Trivia 54:32 Billy Joel Stiletto Connection 56:37 Cheers Coach And Brady Bits 58:34 R E M Radio Free Europe 01:05:04 Hall Of Fame Top Five 01:05:46 Elton Im Still Standing 01:13:56 Def Leppard Rock Of Ages 01:22:00 Def Leppard Live Hits 01:22:37 Mellencamp Concert Talk 01:23:14 Sharp Dressed Man 01:25:04 Eliminator Sound Shift 01:28:24 Iconic Cars Debate 01:30:31 Weezy Top Mashup 01:32:56 White Wedding Origins 01:36:14 Punk Roots Doc 01:40:51 Prince Wins Vote 01:43:05 1999 Chart History 01:45:26 Shared Vocals Breakdown 01:47:29 New Master Remix 01:50:08 Recap And Winners 01:52:26 Kickouts And Near Misses 01:56:29 Ferryman Deep Cut 02:03:19 Wrap Up And Plugs

For anyone who’s ever argued about a one-hit wonder or wondered what exactly made a chart-topper tick, there’s PAST 10s: A Top 10 Time Machine-Music of the 70s, 80s and More. Hosts Michael “Milt” Wolfe and David Yas don’t just play the hits; they dig into the actual top ten lists from decades past, serving up a blend of nostalgia and fresh commentary. Each episode is a deep dive into a specific chart, breaking down not just the winners but the curious also-rans and genuine oddities that shared the space. You’ll hear them analyze everything from the undeniable classics to those “how did that get there?” moments, all with a sense of camaraderie and genuine curiosity. While the core of the podcast revolves around the music of the 1970s and 1980s, they happily venture into the 90s and other eras, applying the same formula to themed lists like the greatest cover songs, iconic TV themes, and memorable movie soundtracks. It’s less a lecture and more like eavesdropping on a great conversation between two knowledgeable friends who love to unpack the stories behind the songs. The result is a consistently engaging listen that might make you revisit your old playlists with a new appreciation. Tune in for a weekly dose of musical archaeology that’s as much about the cultural context as it is about the melody.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 50

PAST 10s: A Top 10 Time Machine - Music of the 70s, 80s and More
Podcast Episodes
1979’s Top Albums: Get Off The Wall! [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:09:57
Dave and Milt slip into their glowing white socks and travel back to September 22, 1979—when albums mattered, packaging was an art form and apparently everybody owned a synthesizer. [EPISODE SPOILERS IN LIST OF TOPICS BE…
The Simply Irresistible Hits of 1988 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:56:05
Dave and Milt fire up the time machine to revisit Billboard’s Top 10 for the week ending September 10, 1988, amid banter about insomnia, last week’s “Freedom Rock” episode (and Finley the wonderdog), and some period triv…
Turn It Up, Man! 1987’s Freedom Rock! [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:18:01
Dave and Milt record in person at Casa Wolfe for a special Past 10s episode that ditches the usual Billboard Top 10 format to start a “Freedom Rock” breakdown, inspired by the endlessly replayed 1987 TV ad. They explain…
The Touchy-Feely Tunes of 1973 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:56:26
Dave and Milt riff on Taco Bell shtick, Dolly Parton’s legacy, a listener spat sparked by Professor David Gallant’s harsh Rock Hall takes, and Dave’s front-row Squeeze concert (plus a grim Adam Ant review). The time mach…
The ‘80s: Our Listeners Punch the HOF Ballot [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 43:00
Dave and Milt reveal the listeners’ survey-driven top 10 forgotten ’80s Rock & Roll Hall of Fame-worthy artists, noting the oddly neat result that—like the ’70s episode—about 10 acts clear a “put them in” majority thresh…
Snubbed? Which ’70s Acts Belong in the Rock Hall? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 54:20
Dave and Milt reveal results from a listener poll rating which ’70s artists deserve Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction, after briefly sharing comments on last week’s 1983 substitution episode (including an Ally McBeal/Ro…
Top TV of '83: Boobs on the Tube [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:33:56
Dave and Milt detour from Billboard to TV, counting down the top 10 shows for a week in July 1983 while arguing about pie, cheesecake calories, and why Five Guys “small” fries aren’t small. They plug a survey to rewrite…
Hits of ‘83: Can You Say Mama Sa Mama Coosa? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:50:33
Dave and Milt celebrate seven years of Past 10s the only way they know how: by embarrassing themselves with old stories, reading listener shout-outs, and convincing everyone to fill out another substitution poll (vote he…
‘86 Flicks: Ferris! Ripley! Rodney! Goose? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:42:04
If you thought we were done talking about 1976… think again. Dave and Milt kick things off by emptying the mailbag from our "all substitutions" listener episode, reading your comments, handing out a few well-deserved sho…
‘76 Hits: Our Listeners Re-Write the Top 10 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:53:45
ave and Milt revisit the week ending July 10, 1976, letting listeners vote on a replacement Billboard Top 10 drawn from 25 Hot 100 songs that never reached the top 10. They count down the survey results including the maj…