The (Mostly) 80s Music Podcast: What Difference Does It Make?

The (Mostly) 80s Music Podcast: What Difference Does It Make?

Author: Dave Sloan and Holly Cantos Language: English Episodes: 100
For anyone who lived through it, or for those who just love the sounds that defined it, the 1980s were a musical lightning strike. The (Mostly) 80s Music Podcast: What Difference Does It Make? is a deep, personal excavation of that era, hosted by Dave Sloan and Holly Cantos. This isn't a simple nostalgia trip or a countdown of chart-toppers. Instead, Dave and Holly use their genuine expertise and passion to guide conversations with the very people who created the decade's soundtrack. You'll hear directly from the artists, producers, engineers, and label insiders, getting the stories behind the songs that you won't find in a standard biography. Each episode feels like an intimate backstage pass, uncovering the creative decisions, the industry shifts, and the personal anecdotes that explain why this music still resonates so powerfully today. The podcast thrives on specificity-maybe one week features a synth-pop pioneer explaining the gear behind their iconic sound, while another sits down with a session musician who played on a dozen classic albums. It’s a celebration of craft and context, asking and answering the question embedded in its title: what difference did these people and their work truly make? Listening feels like joining a detailed, enthusiastic conversation between friends who just happen to have incredible guests. The result is a richly layered portrait of a decade, built one fascinating story at a time.
Episodes
Duran Duran Appreciation Day [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:04:31
August 10th is Duran Duran Appreciation Day. As it turns out, not only are we self-proclaimed Duranies, but our guests love the Fab 5 as well. So for this episode, we've compiled comments and observations from our past g…
Rob Tonkin Is A-Whole Lot Of Things [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 46:48
You can call Rob Tonkin a whole lot of things: Music Industry Executive, Marketing Man, Media Creative, but now you can add a whole new title: Author. Friend of the Podcast, Rob Tonkin joins us to talk about a whole new…
Jason Pettigrew Has A Taste Of Ministry [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 59:10
Jason Pettigrew may be best known for his 27 years as editor-in-chief at Alternative Press magazine, but besides being an editor, journalist, and DJ (you might have caught his opening set at the Cruel World fest), he is…
Annie Zaleski Counts Down The 1988 KROQ Hits [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 47:00
From her newly-released books on Cher and Taylor Swift, to her recent featured articles in the LA Times and The Onion's A.V. Club, it's clear Music Journalist Annie Zaleski has a lot on her plate. Somehow, she found the…
Lori Majewski Has A Lust For Lists [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:08:59
Lori Majewski is one of us, a true 80s music fan. Her career started with Lori sneaking into hotels and airports because she wanted to meet her favorite artists. She now rubs elbows with many of those same people. Her bo…
Gary Graff and 501 Essential Albums Of The 1980s [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 42:05
Being an 80s music podcast, it's no surprise that when we learned music journalist Gary Graff authored the book, 501 Essential Albums of the ’80s, we would have to talk with him. Naturally, whenever there is a list deeme…
Translator Goes Beyond Today [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 51:28
Translator was one of those bands on the precipice of breaking big in the 80s. Signed to local indie label 415 Records, they soon found themselves part of the big-time music business when their label signed a distributio…
Father's Day Music Favorites [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 42:03
We love our Dads. We wouldn't be who we are without their constant presence in our lives. Naturally, that also means we've incorporated their music into our lives. We have quite a few songs that remind us of our Dads, an…
Scott McCaughey Gets His Oar On The Minus 5 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 46:20
Imagine someone unfamiliar with Scott McCaughey, asking him the name of his band. It's not an easy question to answer. Over a four decade career, indie rock cult hero, Scott McCaughey, has been a member of so many bands,…
Murray Attaway Plays Tense Music [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 46:23
Murray Attaway, formerly of Guadalcanal Diary, one of college rock radio's favorite bands in the 80s, joins the podcast to talk about his new solo album, Tense Music Plays. It's the first album from Murray in more than 3…