Stay ConnectedThe longest-running ’80s podcast—featuring interviews with music legends, movie stars, and MTV icons. Deep dives, debates, and Gen X nostalgia every week.
Hosted by Steve Spears and Brad Williams, the show blends sharp takes with insider stories from the people who lived it. From ’80s music and movies to MTV culture and pop culture history, each episode goes deeper than nostalgia to uncover what made the decade unforgettable.
Copyright: Copyright © 2017 CLNS Media Network | North Station Media, LLC All Rights Reserved
Steve and Brad both pick remade Iggy Pop songs in the second installment of our "Covers in the '80s" series.
After the dust settles, we read a couple listener emails, Brad makes a strained analogy involving power strips, and we manage to give away another Stuck in the '80s bottle opener.
Ep325 playlist - More Covers in the '80s
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Steve, Brad, and guest host Dr. Dim spend some time reviewing three albums turning thirty this year - The Replacements' "Let it Be," Depeche Mode's "Some Great Reward," and INXS' "The Swing."
After savoring these comestibles, enjoy the return of the long-shelved seggie, "What Makes Spearsy Cry."
Episode playlist: Episode 324 Playlist - Albums Turning 30
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Steve rises from the mostly-dead to join Brad for another '80s News Now show. We talk about everybody's favorite Time Travel Trilogy, Molly Ringwald, and your vacation plans for 2016.
Plus we award the first of many Stuck in the '80s bottle openers!
Molly Ringwald's advice column at The Guardian
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What was it really like to be a teenager in America during the early 1980s? Not the Hollywood version filled with perfect movie montages and soundtrack hits — but the real day-to-day experience of growing up during the MTV era? This week on the Stuck in the ’80s Podcast, B-Rad talks with filmmaker Keva Rosenfeld about his remarkable documentary All American High Revisited and the unforgettable year he spent documenting Torrance High School’s Class of 1984.
The documentary revisits footage originally shot during the 1983-84 school year, capturing students navigating friendships, crushes, family pressures, future plans and the everyday uncertainty of teenage life. Brad and Keva discuss how the project evolved from a simple observational documentary into a fascinating time capsule of Gen X adolescence.
Along the way, the conversation explores how differently teenagers communicated and experienced life before smartphones, social media and constant digital connection. From hanging out at malls and house parties to worrying about grades, dating and the future, the students in All American High Revisited reveal a version of teenage life that feels simultaneously familiar and completely removed from modern culture.
The episode also touches on the emotional experience of revisiting these students decades later and seeing how their lives evolved after graduation. Spearsy and Brad often talk about nostalgia through the lens of movies and music, but this conversation offers something more personal and grounded: a reminder of what ordinary Gen X life actually looked and felt like.
Like many thoughtful Stuck in the ’80s interviews, the discussion becomes about more than nostalgia itself. It becomes a reflection on memory, identity and how generations define themselves through shared experiences and cultural moments.
If you love documentaries, Gen X history and revisiting what life really looked like during the early MTV era, this episode belongs in your playlist.
The Stuck in the ’80s Podcast has spent nearly 20 years celebrating the music, movies, television and pop culture of the greatest decade ever. Support the show on Patreon for bonus episodes, exclusive livestream hangouts, behind-the-scenes content and merch for longtime listeners.
And don’t forget: Spearsy and Brad will once again be part of The 80s Cruise, the ultimate floating celebration of ’80s music and nostalgia. Use promo code STUCK when booking your cabin to receive up to $250 in onboard cabin credit while sailing with fellow Gen X fans and enjoying performances and appearances from many of the decade’s biggest artists.Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
If you grew up during the 1980s, chances are Loverboy was blasting from your car stereo, bedroom radio or local arena at some point during the decade. With huge hooks, fist-pumping choruses and enough energy to power an entire generation of weekend parties, the band became one of the defining rock acts of the MTV era. This week on the Stuck in the ’80s Podcast, Steve sits down with frontman Mike Reno for a conversation about music, fame and surviving the nonstop momentum of 1980s rock stardom.
During the interview, Mike reflects on the formation of Loverboy and the band’s rapid rise through the early 1980s rock scene. Spearsy and Mike revisit the creation of iconic hits like Working for the Weekend, Turn Me Loose and Lovin' Every Minute of It — songs that became staples of FM radio, sports arenas and MTV playlists across North America.
The conversation also explores the intense touring culture of the era, when rock bands crisscrossed the continent playing massive venues and feeding an audience hungry for loud guitars, singalong choruses and larger-than-life performances. Mike shares stories about performing during the peak of arena rock and what it felt like watching the band become one of the soundtrack artists of the decade.
Along the way, Spearsy and Mike discuss how the music industry has changed since the 1980s and why songs from that era continue connecting emotionally with audiences decades later. Like many great Stuck in the ’80s interviews, the conversation balances music history, personal reflection and pure Gen X nostalgia.
If you love classic rock, MTV-era anthems and behind-the-scenes stories from one of the defining bands of the 1980s, this episode belongs in your playlist.
The Stuck in the ’80s Podcast has spent nearly 20 years celebrating the music, movies, television and pop culture of the greatest decade ever. Support the show on Patreon for bonus episodes, exclusive livestream hangouts, behind-the-scenes content and merch for longtime listeners.
And don’t forget: Spearsy and Brad will once again be part of The 80s Cruise, the ultimate floating celebration of ’80s music and nostalgia. Use promo code STUCK when booking your cabin to receive up to $250 in onboard cabin credit while sailing with fellow Gen X fans and enjoying performances and appearances from many of the decade’s biggest artists.Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Steve and Brad cover a pile of sad stories this week, starting with the death of Survivor lead singer Jimi Jamison.
Plus a three-fer reader mailbag and the triumphant return of Mystery Movie Moment and Name that '80s Tune!
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Steve, Brad, and guest host Drew talk about a few of our favorite cover songs of the 1980s. Looks like a ripe topic, I'd expect a few more shows on this subject...
Also, a Reader Mailbag with a vicious twist and PPTMN!
Ep319 playlist - Covers in the '80s
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Few bands captured the colorful, adventurous spirit of early MTV quite like Thompson Twins. With infectious hooks, inventive production and an unmistakable blend of synth-pop and world-music influences, the group became one of the defining acts of the 1980s. This week on the Stuck in the ’80s Podcast, Steve sits down with frontman Tom Bailey for a thoughtful conversation about returning to touring, reconnecting with classic songs and revisiting a remarkable musical legacy.
During the interview, Tom reflects on stepping back onto the stage after years away from large-scale touring and what it feels like performing songs that helped define the soundtrack of the MTV generation. Spearsy and Tom discuss timeless hits like Hold Me Now, Doctor! Doctor! and Lay Your Hands on Me while exploring how audiences continue connecting emotionally with the music decades later.
The conversation also revisits the rise of Thompson Twins during the explosion of new wave and synth-pop in the early 1980s. Tom reflects on the band’s distinctive sound, the visual creativity of the MTV era and the experimental musical approach that helped separate the Thompson Twins from many of their contemporaries.
Along the way, Spearsy and Tom discuss how nostalgia tours and live performances have evolved into celebrations of shared cultural memory for Gen X audiences. What once felt like simply “old songs” now carries deep emotional meaning for fans reconnecting with the music that shaped their youth.
Like many great Stuck in the ’80s interviews, the episode becomes less about celebrity and more about artistry, memory and the lasting emotional power of music that continues transcending generations.
If you love synth-pop, new wave, MTV nostalgia and behind-the-scenes conversations with one of the defining voices of the 1980s, this episode belongs in your playlist.
The Stuck in the ’80s Podcast has spent nearly 20 years celebrating the music, movies, television and pop culture of the greatest decade ever. Support the show on Patreon for bonus episodes, exclusive livestream hangouts, behind-the-scenes content and merch for longtime listeners.
And don’t forget: Spearsy and Brad will once again be part of The 80s Cruise, the ultimate floating celebration of ’80s music and nostalgia. Use promo code STUCK when booking your cabin to receive up to $250 in onboard cabin credit while sailing with fellow Gen X fans and enjoying performances and appearances from many of the decade’s biggest artists.Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Some celebrities entertain us. A rare few feel woven directly into the emotional fabric of our lives. Robin Williams was one of those rare few.
This week on the Stuck in the ’80s Podcast, Steve and Brad gather with heavy hearts to reflect on the life and legacy of Robin Williams following the shocking news of his passing earlier this week. For Gen X audiences especially, Williams wasn’t simply a comedian or actor — he was a force of nature whose energy, vulnerability and humanity shaped countless moments of our childhood and adulthood.
The episode revisits Robin’s breakout years on Mork & Mindy, where his manic improvisational brilliance instantly made him one of the most recognizable faces on television. Spearsy and Brad reflect on how strange and magical Williams felt during the late ’70s and early ’80s — like someone operating on a completely different creative frequency than anyone else on TV.
The conversation also explores Robin’s extraordinary movie career, from broad comedies and family films to deeply emotional dramatic performances. Along the way, the gang revisits iconic moments from films like Good Morning, Vietnam, Dead Poets Society, Mrs. Doubtfire and Good Will Hunting while discussing how Williams somehow balanced explosive comedy with profound emotional depth.
Like so many fans processing the loss, Spearsy and Brad also reflect on the painful contrast between the joy Robin brought to millions and the personal struggles he quietly carried. The episode becomes less about celebrity remembrance and more about gratitude for an artist whose work helped generations of people laugh, cry, heal and feel less alone.
For many Gen X kids, Robin Williams represented imagination itself — a reminder that humor could be wild, intelligent, compassionate and deeply human all at once.
Godspeed, Mork.
If you love comedy, movies, television history and remembering the artists who shaped the emotional soundtrack of our lives, this episode belongs in your playlist.
The Stuck in the ’80s Podcast has spent nearly 20 years celebrating the music, movies, television and pop culture of the greatest decade ever. Support the show on Patreon for bonus episodes, exclusive livestream hangouts, behind-the-scenes content and merch for longtime listeners.
And don’t forget: Spearsy and Brad will once again be part of The 80s Cruise, the ultimate floating celebration of ’80s music and nostalgia. Use promo code STUCK when booking your cabin to receive up to $250 in onboard cabin credit while sailing with fellow Gen X fans and enjoying performances and appearances from many of the decade’s biggest artists.Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Few musicians from the 1980s can claim a legacy as wide-ranging and influential as Midge Ure. As the frontman of Ultravox, a co-creator of Live Aid and one of the key architects of the synth-pop movement, Ure helped shape both the sound and spirit of the MTV generation. This week on the Stuck in the ’80s Podcast, Steve sits down with Midge for an in-depth conversation about music, creativity and the cultural impact of one of the most important decades in pop history.
During the interview, Midge reflects on the rise of Ultravox and the band’s groundbreaking role in bringing synthesizer-driven music into the mainstream. Spearsy and Midge revisit iconic songs like Vienna, Dancing with Tears in My Eyes and Reap the Wild Wind while discussing how new technology transformed songwriting and production during the late ’70s and early ’80s.
The conversation also dives deeply into the origins of Live Aid and Band Aid, the landmark charity music projects Midge helped organize alongside Bob Geldof. Midge shares memories of bringing together some of the biggest artists in the world for a global humanitarian effort that became one of the defining cultural events of the decade.
Along the way, Spearsy and Midge reflect on how music functioned differently during the MTV era — as both entertainment and shared social experience. The interview becomes a thoughtful discussion about the emotional power of songs, live performances and cultural moments that united audiences before the digital age fragmented popular culture into countless smaller audiences.
Like many great Stuck in the ’80s interviews, the episode balances music history, emotional reflection and genuine appreciation for artists whose work continues resonating decades later.
If you love synth-pop, new wave, music history and behind-the-scenes stories from one of the most influential musicians of the 1980s, this episode belongs in your playlist.
The Stuck in the ’80s Podcast has spent nearly 20 years celebrating the music, movies, television and pop culture of the greatest decade ever. Support the show on Patreon for bonus episodes, exclusive livestream hangouts, behind-the-scenes content and merch for longtime listeners.
And don’t forget: Spearsy and Brad will once again be part of The 80s Cruise, the ultimate floating celebration of ’80s music and nostalgia. Use promo code STUCK when booking your cabin to receive up to $250 in onboard cabin credit while sailing with fellow Gen X fans and enjoying performances and appearances from many of the decade’s biggest artists.Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
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