The Top 10 Songs of 2025 (& Their Cosmic Twins of the Past)

The Top 10 Songs of 2025 (& Their Cosmic Twins of the Past)

Author: David Yas & Michael ”Milt” Wolfe January 2, 2026 Duration: 1:29:19
Hop in the Time Machine and buckle up, because in this episode of Past Tens, Dave and Milt do what they do best: stare directly into the pop-culture sun and ask, “So… how did we get here?” The fellas break down Billboard’s Top 10 songs of 2025 — praising the bangers, questioning the head-scratchers, and revisiting a few familiar names that refuse to leave the charts (looking at you, Bruno). Along the way, they dig into artist backstories, chart momentum, and whether these songs are future classics… or just temporarily living rent-free in our brains. As always, there’s a twist: every modern hit gets paired with an older song that shares its DNA — same vibe, same arc, same “I’ve heard this before but can’t quite place it” energy. Is pop music evolving, looping, or just wearing a new jacket? Dave and Milt investigate. Expect karaoke stories, party chaos, musical crescendos, country-rap identity crises, unexpected love songs, and at least one moment where someone asks, “Wait… how old is that guy?” It’s nostalgia, analysis, laughs, and just enough musical snobbery to feel like home. Topics (or: Things We Somehow Spent 90 Minutes Talking About) 01:02 – Karaoke and party highlights (regrets were made) 03:16 – Credit cards, cookies, and adult responsibility creeping in 03:50 – Reflecting on past music trends (and how we swore this wouldn’t happen again) 04:29 – The Top Songs of 2025, with a nostalgic twist 10:22 – Chappell Roan, Pink Pony Club, and the long road to overnight success 21:28 – Bruno Mars & ROSÉ: APT. and the art of pop precision 29:41 – Post Malone & Morgan Wallen: I Had Some Help (did they though?) 33:44 – Alex Warren: influencer → musician → wait, this kinda works 40:53 – Benson Boone and the beauty of a well-timed emotional explosion 44:01 – Music tastes, aging, and coming to terms with both 44:38 – The science of crescendos (aka “why this song suddenly slaps”) 47:32 – Billie Eilish and her ongoing evolution 52:02 – The Cure, because somehow they always come up 54:12 – Teddy Swims and vocal gymnastics 01:00:24 – Country-rap, reinvention, and genre identity crises 01:06:12 – Kendrick Lamar’s unexpected love song moment 01:15:33 – Bruno Mars & Lady Gaga: when pop royalty teams up 01:24:25 – Final thoughts, year-end reflections, and closing the book on 2025

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
Greatest First Lines of ’80s Songs [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:44:06
Dave records an episode of the Past Tens: Top 10 Time Machine podcast without co-host Milt (who is away on a winter trip or something) and brings on his brother Adam Yas as guest co-host. Each present a personal top 10 l…
10 Most Iconic Rock-Hip Hop Jams with Author Steven Blush [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:14:15
This week on Past Tens: A Top 10 Time Machine, Milt and Dave crank the amps, lace up the shell-tops, and dive headfirst into one of the great musical collisions of the last 50 years: when rock and hip hop stopped flirtin…
1970s Best Records: Re-doing the Grammys [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:31:08
Dave and Milt take a nostalgic trip back to the 1970s, evaluating and re-evaluating the Grammy winners for Record of the Year. From the soulful sounds of Simon & Garfunkel to the infectious disco beats of the Bee Gees, t…
The Shagadelic Tunes of 1965 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:54:02
Dave and Milt hop back into the Past Tens time machine and land in February 1965—a time when the Billboard Top 10 didn’t mess around. This is peak-era stuff: songs you know, artists you trust, and records that somehow st…
The Animated Movie Draft [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:14:00
We took Past Tens on the road for the first-ever Animated Movie Draft, recorded from a friend’s house in Vermont—which immediately set the tone: cozy, loud, slightly unhinged, and absolutely competitive. Four teams enter…
Hits of 1984: I Guess That’s Why They Call it Past 10s [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:46:54
Dave and Milt crack open the Billboard Top 10 from January 14, 1984 — a chart absolutely stacked with heavy hitters like Lionel Richie, Michael Jackson, Duran Duran, Culture Club, Elton John, and more. It’s pop perfectio…
Who’s Your Grammy? Re-Doing The Best-Record Awards of the 80s [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:35:53
Dave and Milt fire up the DeLorean and head straight for the 1980s—specifically, the Grammy Awards’ Record of the Year decisions, many of which now feel… let’s say debatable. With equal parts reverence and side-eye, the…
Best of 2025: The Second Annual 'Tennies' [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:08:14
Live from the glamorous crossroads of America (a Best Western in Sheboygan, Michigan), Dave and Milt roll out the red carpet—or at least a slightly wrinkled hallway runner—for the Second Annual Tennies, our totally prest…
The Ultimate Holiday Trivia Challenge [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:00:39
On this holiday-themed episode of Past Tens: A Top 10 Time Machine, Dave and Milt crank up the festive vibes with a full-blown pop-culture trivia throwdown—covering Christmas songs, movies, TV episodes, and other seasona…
Do You Know Where You Are? You're in 1988, Baby! [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:54:02
Fire up the flux capacitor, because this episode of Past Tens: The Top 10 Time Machine drops Dave and Milt straight into December 1988—a moment in pop history when power ballads were mandatory, New Jack Swing was kicking…