The Ben Maynard Program

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EP. 151 1982 BILLBOARD HOT 100 - OCTOBER 16, 1982! Oct 17, 2026

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One chart date can tell you everything about an era, and October 16, 1982 is one of those weeks. We go guest-free and turn the Ben Maynard Program into a playlist workshop, running the Billboard Hot 100 Top 40 from #40 to #1 and pulling out the tracks that still sound like “radio gold” today. I’m flagging the obvious giants, the underrated climbers, and the songs that stalled too early but deserve a second listen with fresh ears.
As we move through the countdown, you’ll hear how wide the mainstream felt in 1982: classic rock, R&B grooves, adult contemporary heartbreakers, country crossover hits, and the fast-rising wave of new wave and synth pop that MTV helped push into everyone’s living room. I also sprinkle in chart trivia, peak positions, debuts, and the kinds of small facts that make the songs stick, whether it’s a soundtrack connection, a session-musician moment, or a hook that instantly puts you back in the car with the radio up.
We zoom out for a quick 1982 snapshot too, because music never happens in a vacuum. From major headlines to blockbuster movies like E.T. and Fast Times At Ridgemont High, the culture is shifting fast, and you can hear that shift in the Top 40 itself. By the end, you’ll have a ready-made list to build your own October 1982 playlist and a clearer answer to why 1982 is such a bridge year between decades.
If you had fun, subscribe to the show on your favorite podcast app or YouTube, share it with a friend who loves 80s music, and leave a review so more chart nerds can find us. What’s the one song from this Top 40 week you’d put on repeat? #BillboardHot100 #October161982 #1982Music #80sMusic #80sHits #80sRock #80sPop #ClassicHits #BillboardCharts #Top40Countdown #MusicHistory #80sMusicNostalgia #RadioGold #ClassicRock #NewWave #SynthPop #80sRNB #PopMusic #MusicTrivia #ChartHistory #MTVGeneration #RetroMusic #OldSchoolMusic #ForgottenHits #UnderratedSongs #80sPlaylist #1980sNostalgia #MusicLovers #MusicPodcast #Podcast #YouTubeMusic #TheBenMaynardProgram #BenMaynardProgram #BenMaynard

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EP. 150 Claude Carmichael: The Music Stories You’ve Never Heard & His New Album Tennessee Hill Oct 10, 2026

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Claude Carmichael joins The Ben Maynard Program to discuss his new Americana and country-leaning album, *Tennessee Hill*, and a remarkable music career filled with legendary artists, studio stories, film and television work, and lessons learned behind the scenes.
Claude shares stories from the Billy Joel era, working on projects connected to the Grateful Dead and Motown, and personal impressions of Smokey Robinson and David Bowie. We also dig into *Tennessee Hill*, exploring standout tracks, songwriting, production, and how producer Casey Wasner helped bring a decades-long musical vision to life.
From Nashville storytelling to the art of serving the song, this is a conversation about the music, the people, and the experiences that make a career unforgettable.
Subscribe to The Ben Maynard Program, share the episode, and tell us your favorite track from *Tennessee Hill*!
#ClaudeCarmichael #TennesseeHill #TheBenMaynardProgram #Americana #AmericanaMusic #CountryMusic #NewMusic #SingerSongwriter #Songwriting #NashvilleMusic #MusicProduction #BehindTheMusic #BillyJoel #PhilRamone #SmokeyRobinson #DavidBowie #GratefulDead #Motown #CaseyWasner #CountryRock #RootsMusic #MusicHistory #StudioMusicians #MusicDocumentary #AlbumReview #MusicPodcast #PodcastInterview #MusicLovers #IndependentMusic #NewAlbum

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I also welcome your comments. email: pl8blocker@aol.com

EP. 149 Bob Dylan’s Country Roots Explain More Than You Think Oct 03, 2026

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Bob Dylan gets labeled a hundred different ways, but one connection keeps coming back: COUNTRY.

On this episode of The Ben Maynard Program, I sit down with author, producer, and longtime music business professor Don Cusic to talk about his book Country Bob: Dylan and Country Music and the surprising musical thread connecting Dylan to Hank Williams, Nashville, Johnny Cash, and the storytelling heart of American music.

We talk about why Hank Williams was Dylan’s “first hero,” what he learned from Woody Guthrie, and how the folk and country worlds were never as separate as people sometimes think. Don also explains the cultural divide between New York and Nashville—and how Dylan moved between those worlds.

From the Blonde on Blonde sessions with Nashville’s top musicians to Dylan’s relationship with Johnny Cash and country-influenced albums like John Wesley Harding and Nashville Skyline, we explore the country roots running through Dylan’s career.

We also talk songwriting, albums vs. singles, modern listening habits, and what has allowed Dylan to remain relevant for generations.

If you love Bob Dylan, country music, Nashville history, songwriting, Americana, and music history, this is a conversation you’ll want to hear.

Subscribe to The Ben Maynard Program, share this episode, and tell me your favorite Dylan song or era in the comments!

#BobDylan #CountryBob #DonCusic #CountryMusic #Nashville #JohnnyCash #HankWilliams #WoodyGuthrie #NashvilleSkyline #JohnWesleyHarding #BlondeOnBlonde #Dylan #Americana #AmericanaMusic #FolkMusic #MusicHistory #Songwriting #Songwriters #ClassicRock #RockAndRoll #RootsMusic #AmericanMusic #MusicDocumentary #MusicPodcast #Podcast #TheBenMaynardProgram

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EP. 148 DARLENE KOLDENHOVEN — FROM CHURCH SOLO TO HOLLYWOOD, GRAMMY SUCCESS & YANNI Sep 26, 2026

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What does it take to build a music career that lasts more than 45 years?

GRAMMY Award-winning singer, pianist, composer and educator Darlene Koldenhoven joins me to talk about her incredible journey—from a shy three-year-old hiding behind her dress during a church solo to the Hollywood recording world and international stages.

We talk about her new memoir, PUT YOUR DRESS DOWN AND SING, her strict Dutch Calvinist upbringing, moving to Los Angeles, becoming a sought-after studio singer, working with PINK FLOYD, and the unforgettable moment PAUL MCCARTNEY kissed her on the cheek.

We also go behind the scenes of YANNI LIVE AT THE ACROPOLIS, her career in film and television, the realities of streaming royalties, and how she now uses music and sonic therapy to help others.

This is a fascinating story about music, persistence, courage, and an extraordinary life in the entertainment business.

GET DARLENE’S BOOK, MUSIC & MORE:
www.darlenekoldenhoven.com

#TheBenMaynardProgram #DarleneKoldenhoven #PutYourDressDownAndSing #DarleneKoldenhovenInterview #GrammyWinner #GrammyAwardWinner #Yanni #YanniLiveAtTheAcropolis #PinkFloyd #PaulMcCartney #TheBeatles #ClassicRock #RockAndRoll #MusicHistory #MusicIndustry #MusicBusiness #StudioSinger #HollywoodMusic #Hollywood #RecordingArtist #Vocalist #Singer #Pianist #Composer #MusicEducator #MusicJournalism #BehindTheMusic #BehindTheScenes #Broadcasting #RockHistory #70sMusic #80sMusic #90sMusic #MusicPodcast #RockPodcast #ClassicRockFans #MusicLovers #SonicTherapy #WomenInMusic #MusicianLife #MusicCareer

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I also welcome your comments. email: pl8blocker@aol.com

EP. 147 VAN HALEN....THE SAMMY YEARS! Sep 19, 2026

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Van Halen loses David Lee Roth, and the world starts writing the obituary. Then Sammy Hagar walks in—and everything changes.

We go record by record through the Sammy years: 5150, OU812, For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge, and Balance—four albums, four #1s, and millions of records sold.

But behind the hits were tensions, relentless touring, personal strain, lyric disputes, the death of manager Ed Leffler, and the events that ultimately led to Sammy’s 1996 departure.

How does a band at the top of the world come apart?

Was Sammy pushed out—or did he walk?

That’s the story on this episode of The Ben Maynard Program.

#TheBenMaynardProgram #VanHalen #SammyHagar #DavidLeeRoth #EddieVanHalen #AlexVanHalen #MichaelAnthony #5150 #OU812 #ForUnlawfulCarnalKnowledge #Balance #VanHalenFans #VanHalenNation #ClassicRock #ClassicRockMusic #80sRock #90sRock #RockAndRoll #RockMusic #HardRock #HeavyRock #GuitarRock #RockHistory #MusicHistory #RockLegends #EddieVanHalen #SammyHagarFans #80sMusic #90sMusic #AlbumHistory #RockPodcast #MusicPodcast #Podcast #TheRedRocker

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I also welcome your comments. email: pl8blocker@aol.com

EP. 146 9/11 Never Forget Sep 13, 2026

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You can watch 9/11 footage any day you want, but it still doesn’t recreate what it felt like when the second plane hit and an entire country realized the truth at the same time. We go back to Tuesday morning, September 11th, 2001, tracing the timeline from the first impact at the World Trade Center to the Pentagon attack and the moment the United States grounded civilian aircraft and the skies went eerily quiet.
Along the way, we focus on the human stories that turn history into something real: firefighters, police officers, paramedics, and dispatchers moving toward danger; civilians helping strangers through smoke and stairwells; and the rare perspective of filmmaker Jules Naudet capturing the chaos as it unfolds. We also spend time with Flight 93, where passengers, after learning what was happening through phone calls, chose to fight back and changed the outcome at the cost of their lives.
Then we talk about what happened after the towers fell: the nearly 3,000 victims whose names cannot be reduced to a number, the volunteers and blood drives, the flags on houses and cars, and the brief season when Americans put differences aside to help Americans. That’s where the conversation turns to patriotism, not as perfection or politics, but as care, sacrifice, and responsibility to each other.
If “never forget” still means something, it has to mean remembering people and passing the story on to the generations who weren’t old enough, or weren’t born yet. Subscribe to the show, share this episode with someone younger, and if it moved you, leave a review and tell us what you remember most.#thebenmaynardprogram #tellyourstory #neverforget #nypd #nyfd

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EP. 145 We Revisit 1986 By Counting Down Albums That Still Hit Hard Sep 13, 2026

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1986 isn’t just a year in music history, it’s a whole ecosystem: MTV turning videos into rocket fuel, labels chasing crossover singles, and artists trying to evolve without losing the thing that made them great. I’m back with part two of my albums turning 40 countdown, and while I planned on a full 20, you’re getting 17 records today with plenty of stories, chart facts, and personal reactions along the way.
We jump across genres and moods on purpose, because that’s how 1986 actually felt. I talk through Queen’s A Kind Of Magic and why it played differently in the US than the UK, the Georgia Satellites’ lightning-in-a-bottle debut, and the Bangles breaking huge with Different Light. From Lionel Richie’s polished pop dominance to the Fabulous Thunderbirds bringing Texas blues into the mainstream, you can hear how “radio-friendly” didn’t have to mean “soulless.”
Then things get even more fun: Tina Turner’s second-wave peak, Stryper’s unlikely glam-metal crossover, ELO and Iron Maiden leaning into synth-era textures, and the Beastie Boys kicking the door open with Licensed To Ill. I also spend real time on Journey’s Raised On Radio, my favorite of the bunch, because the success, the lineup turmoil, and the glossy sound all collide in a way that still hits hard 40 years later.
If you love classic rock, 1980s pop, hair metal, early hip-hop, and music anniversary deep dives, hit play, subscribe, share the show with a friend, and leave a review so more people can find it. What’s the one 1986 album you still play front to back? #thebenmaynardprogram #classicrock #classicalbums #raisedonradio

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EP. 144 JOHN LENNON'S LAST INTERVIEW! Sep 05, 2026

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One ordinary walk out of the Dakota turned into a memory Laurie Kaye has carried for decades. Laurie is the author of Confessions Of A Rock And Roll Name Dropper, and she joins me to trace the wild, funny, heartbreaking path that led to December 8, 1980, when she co-conducted what tragically became John Lennon’s last interview.
We get into the radio origin story first, because that’s the spine of everything: transistor radios as survival, AM and FM legends, KMET contests, and the thrill of winning your way into the front row. Laurie shares how those moments pushed her from superfan to working journalist, including her breakout at KFRC in San Francisco and the relentless schedule behind producing ambitious audio. If you care about broadcasting history, 1970s rock radio, and music journalism, the details are gold, especially her work writing and co-producing the 17-hour Beatles radio special The Beatles From Liverpool To Legend.
Then we go where the memoir leads: meeting John Lennon and Yoko Ono, the rules she was given going in, what Lennon was like in the room, and the devastating hours that followed. We avoid giving extra attention to the killer, and instead focus on the human cost, the grief, and the long shadow of guilt that can follow a witness.
Listen, then subscribe, share this with a music lover, and leave a review wherever you get your podcasts. #thebenmaynardprogram #tellyourstory #lauriekaye #confessionsofarocknrollnamedropper #thebeatles #johnlennon #paulmccartney #georgeharrison #elvispresley

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EP. 143 Charlie Calv Explains How A Modern Indie Label Survives On Quality And Trust Aug 29, 2026

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Vinyl is back, CDs are creeping up again, and streaming still pays less than most fans realize. So what does it actually take to run a successful independent record label right now without turning into a faceless upload machine? We sit down with Charlie Calv, president of Deko Entertainment and keyboardist for Angel, to get the real-world playbook behind modern label growth, premium reissues, and artist-first service.
Charlie walks us through how Deko relaunched, why distribution partnerships matter, and how the label balances licensing deals, direct distribution, and hands-on label services for newer acts. We dig into the collector side too: why 180-gram vinyl, strong jackets, great liner notes, and artist involvement are not “extras,” they are the product. He also shares a surprisingly common reality that reframes the vinyl resurgence: a huge chunk of vinyl buyers do not even own a turntable, they are buying the experience, the art, and the connection to the music.
Then we shift to life on stage with Angel, including how Charlie joined the band, what touring is really like at this level, and why the current lineup refuses to phone it in. We talk setlists, new music, diehard fans who travel across the world for a single show, and what the so-called farewell touring cycle could mean going forward. If you care about vinyl reissues, indie label strategy, music distribution, and the future of legacy rock done right, this one is for you.
Subscribe to the Ben Maynard Program, share this with a music friend, and leave a review so more listeners can find the show. #thebenmaynardprogram #tellyourstory #musiccommentary #classicrock #dekoentertainment #charliecalv #angelbandofficial

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EP. 142 ANSON CORSAIR - What If One Song Could Save Someone Aug 22, 2026

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He walked away from a dead-end lab job, flew to India for 40 days of yoga teacher training, and came home with a new relationship to music, purpose, and faith. Musician Anson Corsair joins us for a long-form conversation that starts with albums you can actually hold in your hands and quickly turns into the deeper story behind the songs.
We unpack “Just One,” a 13-track project shaped by the last 10 years of life, including grief, responsibility, and the pressure to keep going when nothing feels simple. Anson opens up about losing his mom, stepping into full-time caregiving for his blind and disabled brother Michael, and why certain songs are dedicated to specific people. We also dig into the creative side: the “self-consciousness is the enemy of creativity” mindset, how one small moment can change someone’s heart, and what it takes to build a sound that feels clean, open, and honest.
Then we get into the next chapter: “Return To Roots,” the darker themes that come from real experience, the hard lessons of DIY music production, and how sobriety and a 12-step program helped him find a new level of freedom. If you care about singer-songwriter craft, indie rock storytelling, spiritual growth, and live music in Southern California, you’ll get a lot out of this one.
Subscribe to the show, share it with a friend who needs a lift, and leave a review so more people can find these conversations. #thebenmaynardprogram #ansoncorsair #justone #startthechange #returntoroots #indierock #tellyourstory

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