The Hits of 1977: Casey Kasem, Eat Your Heart Out

The Hits of 1977: Casey Kasem, Eat Your Heart Out

Author: David Yas & Michael ”Milt” Wolfe March 27, 2026 Duration: 2:04:30
Dave and Milt ride the Past 10s time machine to the week ending March 19, 1977, riffing on questionable water-park hygiene, a 44‑hour hijacking, FDA rules for “mixed nuts,” the Mary Tyler Moore finale giving birth to Three’s Company and Eight Is Enough, and the cultural moment of Annie Hall, M*A*S*H, Trinity, and Roots. They count down Billboard’s Top 10, spotlighting Fleetwood Mac’s first Top 10 hit “Go Your Own Way,” Thelma Houston’s Motown disco breakthrough “Don’t Leave Me This Way,” and Bob Seger’s “Night Moves” (plus its later video cameo and a “night cheese” riff). They groan through softer fare like David Soul, Mary McGregor, and Kenny Nolan, then debut a new listener segment, the “long distance defecation,” featuring Joe Mason’s Philly heartbreak and a Rolling Stones “Get Off My Cloud” dedication.    Topics 00:23 Past Tens Intro 00:55 Big Arch Burger Debate 02:17 New Segment Tease 03:31 Arriving in 1977 04:29 Week in History Rundown 08:28 Mixed Nuts and Chex Mix 10:35 TV Birthdays and Annie Hall 14:27 Number 10 Fleetwood Mac 19:34 Demos Ads and Music Immortality 24:45 Number 9 Thelma Houston 31:07 ChatGPT Fail and Threads Talk 34:04 Number 8 David Soul 37:42 David Soul Aftermath 38:24 Cigarettes Then and Now 39:49 Torn Between Two Lovers 43:44 Meatballs Soundtrack Detour 46:35 Made for TV Movie Promo 48:15 I Like Dreaming Roast 51:42 Kenny Nolan Secret Hits 54:12 Long Distance Defecation 58:22 Get Off My Cloud Storytime 01:05:42 Dancing Queen Still Rules 01:11:42 Night Moves Deep Dive 01:20:05 Night Cheese and Copyright 01:22:22 Comedy Song Rights 01:23:43 Seeger Bar Challenge 01:27:13 Rich Girl Breakdown 01:30:10 Calling Oates Hotline 01:33:56 Grinch Girl Parody 01:35:17 Lake Street Dive Cover 01:37:08 Fly Like an Eagle Deep Dive 01:44:22 Evergreen At Number One 01:47:56 Winners And Substitutions 01:58:48 Time Machine Rating 02:02:55 Long Distance Dedication

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…
Re-Doing the Top 10 of July 1983 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

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 co…
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…