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
If you want to understand the vibe of early 1980s youth culture, few movies capture it better than Valley Girl. Equal parts punk-rock romance, teen comedy and Southern California time capsule, the film became one of the defining cult classics of the MTV era. This week on the Stuck in the ’80s Podcast, Steve and Brad savor a totally awesome interview with Heidi Holicker, one of the memorable faces from the beloved teen-movie classic.
During the conversation, Heidi reflects on the experience of making Valley Girl and what it was like being part of a movie that perfectly captured the fashion, slang and emotional energy of early MTV-era California culture. Spearsy and Brad revisit the movie’s unique blend of romance, humor and new-wave cool that helped separate it from other teen films of the period.
The episode also explores the larger world of 1980s teen movies and how films like Valley Girl became cultural touchstones for Gen X audiences growing up during the cable-TV and VHS era. Along the way, the gang discusses the movie’s killer soundtrack, the rise of teen-oriented storytelling in Hollywood and the way certain films continue triggering intense nostalgia decades later.
Like many great Stuck in the ’80s interviews, the conversation balances humor, behind-the-scenes memories and heartfelt appreciation for the movies that helped shape an entire generation’s understanding of friendship, romance and growing up.
And of course, no conversation about Valley Girl would be complete without reflecting on the explosion of “Valley Girl” culture itself — the accents, fashion, slang and exaggerated California coolness that briefly became a national obsession during the early 1980s.
If you love teen movies, new wave, Gen X nostalgia and revisiting the movies that perfectly captured the weird magic of the 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.
Steve, Brad, and guest host Drew return to the scene of the crime to discuss listener picks for the songs that kicked off the "Sound of the '80s."
All that plus Reader Mailbag and that rarest of segments, PPTMN!
Links for this week's show:
- Episode 294 Playlist: Listener's Picks for the Origins of the '80s Sound
- Great picture accompanying this Patsy Swayze obituary (LA Times) RIP Ms. Swayze.
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Steve, Brad, and guest host Marty deconstruct 1985's Rob Reiner classic "The Sure Thing."
Does somebody shotgun a beer? Stay tuned, listeners...
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Steve, Brad, and guest host Drew spend an entire episode answering one particularly perplexing PPTMN Question: What song was the first to bring us "the '80s sound?"
Also - a full slate of seggies, in which we announce the winners of our Knight Rider and Vacation ornament giveaways.
Links:
Episode 292 Playlist - The Origins of the '80s Sound
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Steve and Brad wrap up this year's Stuck in the '80s Road Trip to Las Vegas.
Also, check out these links:Hash House a Go Go
Las Vegas Pinball Hall of Fame
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Steve, Brad, and guest host Jen Chaney take a look at your top 5 picks for 1980! Listen and find out if your favorites are "Still Awesome" or "Lame Then, Lamer Now." Also, we're offering a chance to win a KITT ornament, thanks to our friends at Knight Rider Online
Here are links to some of the stuff we talk about during the podcast:Episode 290 Playlist - Still Awesome and Lame Then, Lamer Now
Literal Video for Air Supply's "Making Love Out of Nothing at All"
Hallmark's 2013 Keepsake Ornaments (KITT and the Wagon Queen Family Truckster are on page 64)
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Steve, Brad, and new guest host Dr. Dim return to 1983 to discuss albums turning 30 this year.
In this installment we cover releases by Men At Work, The Eurythmics, and The The.
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Steve and Brad finally get off the fence about a Stuck in the '80s Road Trip for 2013. Join us in Vegas for the Lost '80s Live show on August 10th at Mandalay Bay!
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For Gen X fans, few things define the 1980s more completely than the launch of MTV. Suddenly, music wasn’t just something you heard on the radio — it became visual, stylish and deeply woven into everyday life. At the center of that revolution stood the original MTV VJs, including Nina Blackwood, who joins Steve and Brad this week on the Stuck in the ’80s Podcast for a nostalgic and revealing conversation about her years at MTV and her memoir VJ: The Unplugged Adventures of MTV's First Wave.
During the interview, Nina reflects on the unpredictable early days of MTV, when the network was still figuring out what music television could become. Spearsy, Brad and Nina revisit the excitement of introducing audiences to groundbreaking artists, unforgettable videos and entirely new musical styles that would soon dominate the decade.
The conversation also explores Nina’s memoir and the personal stories behind life as one of MTV’s most recognizable personalities. Along the way, she shares memories of interviewing artists, attending iconic concerts and watching music videos reshape the entertainment industry in real time. From new wave and rock to pop and heavy metal, MTV helped create a shared cultural experience unlike anything that exists today.
Spearsy and Brad also discuss the enduring emotional connection Gen X audiences still feel toward MTV and the VJs who became trusted guides through the soundtrack of the decade. Nina reflects on how strange and exciting it was to become part of pop culture history while simply trying to survive the chaos of live television, celebrity encounters and nonstop music-industry insanity.
If you love MTV nostalgia, music-video history, ’80s pop culture and behind-the-scenes stories from one of the defining personalities of the decade, 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 artists captured the wild style, swagger and creativity of early MTV better than Adam Ant. From the theatrical pirate imagery of Adam and the Ants to his massively successful solo career, Adam became one of the defining faces of new wave music in the early 1980s thanks to unforgettable songs like Goody Two Shoes, Stand and Deliver and Antmusic. This week on the Stuck in the ’80s Podcast, Steve Spears talks with Adam about his latest tours, his groundbreaking years in the MTV spotlight and the unexpected quieter life he built far from Hollywood and London.
During the conversation, Adam reflects on the explosion of new wave and post-punk music during the late 1970s and early 1980s and how visual style became just as important as the music itself once MTV arrived. He discusses the origins of his signature sound and image, the intense pressure of sudden fame and the experience of becoming one of the most recognizable artists of the decade almost overnight.
Adam also shares stories about touring during the height of the MTV era, connecting with American audiences and creating songs that blended punk rock energy, glam theatrics and pop hooks into something uniquely his own. Along the way, Steve and Adam revisit the larger cultural world of the early ’80s — when music videos, outrageous fashion and larger-than-life personalities transformed pop music forever.
One of the most fascinating parts of the conversation centers on Adam’s surprising connection to Tennessee and the quieter personal life he enjoys away from the chaos of the entertainment industry. The interview reveals a thoughtful and reflective side of the iconic performer that longtime fans may not expect.
If you love new wave music, MTV nostalgia, ’80s fashion, punk-inspired pop and behind-the-scenes stories from one of the decade’s most visually unforgettable artists, this episode belongs in your playlist.
The Stuck in the ’80s Podcast has spent more than 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: Steve 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 stars.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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