Hey, Remember The 80's?

Send us a textEpisode 111: After being bumped for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame announcement, Joe and Kari finally bring you Hi-NRG! From Donna Summer to Tarzan Boy, your hosts discuss the roots of this energetic genre which got started in dance clubs in the late 70s. Your hosts discuss the origin story of the Hit Factory of Stock, Aitken, and Waterman and how they initially had money problem; but that all changed after they became involved in Hi-NRG. Kari and Joe have some opinions on the genre, have some theories about  the Hit Factory's money woes, and tell a story about a young errand boy who would never give up.Next is Just a Bit Outside, where it is all about eyes. Kari and Joe  talk about Sad Eyes, Lonely Eyes, and get confused along the way. What they aren't confused about is how George Tobin ripped off The Bee Gees. 

Send us a textEpisode 110: This week’s episode is sponsored by the letter F. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame announced the inductees for 2021! Who was chosen for this illustrious honor? Joe and Kari run down the list and give their opinions. And then it's time to spotlight those 80's acts that were inducted over the last decade: some were drama-filled, some were overdue,  and some were just right. Time to put this issue to rest (at least until 2022). 

Send us a textEpisode 109: Breaking news in Tidbits, along with some MTV Classic discussion. Was Billy Idol always so hot? Survey says: Yes.With voting for the 2021 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame completed, it's time for another look at the 80's acts which have already been inducted. Detective Kari has uncovered some information that was missing from part one, but apparently we may never get all of the answers from the HOF Powers That Be.Finally, in Songs That Time Forgot, your hosts discuss two songs which fared well on the international charts (here in the US, not so much).

Send us a textEpisode 108: MTV Classic shows up in the tidbits...is anyone else watching this channel?? It's Joe's new obsession.Joe and Kari then take a look at the now defunct Cash Box charts. What was sitting at Number 100 on this date throughout the 80's? Anything worth listening to these days? Short answer: not really!! Top of the Pops is next. A discussion about what was hitting Number One on the UK Singles Chart. A US singer/songwriter finds success across the pond, and a London DJ gets a "sample" of the big time!

Send us a textEpisode 107:  RIP Jim Steinman. You sure knew how to write a wordy hit song.Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame. Since Kari is always reminding everyone to vote on the 2021 inductees, we thought we would take this time to look at the HOF history. Plenty of our favorite acts have already been inducted - but by whom? And why? These are questions Joe and Kari attempt to answer, but since the HOF is a mysterious bunch, some questions remain unanswered…for now. Just a Bit Outside. Two more acts who  didn't make the Top 40; but did they deserve to boogie into the top spot, or was it all just a "money" grab? Find out when you listen to the newest episode of HRT80s!

Send us a textEpisode 106: Joe and Kari welcome a special guest to the show: Charlie of Charlie's 80's Attic! He recently had a program on the radio station counting down his Most Overrated Songs of the 1980's. Charlie was certain that Joe and Kari would have some issues with some of his picks, and although they agreed with the bulk of the choices, there were a few that need to be defended!! Listen to Joe, Kari and Charlie discuss why some of the biggest hits of the 1980's simply became too big over time. 

Send us a textEpisode 105: With Kari's love of the piano, we can't believe it has taken this long to do an episode about those 80's songs with great piano solos!! There were some monster piano solos in the 80's and this episode highlights those hits that featured some amazing ivory ticklers. Of course, you'll hear about Bruce Hornsby and Billy Joel, but there are some surprises as well!Quiz Time! Joe continues his quest to identify those One Hit Wonders of the 80's, this time from artists that start with K and L (sorry, Kajagoogoo -- ya basic!). 

Send us a textEpisode 104: It's the tidbit you've been waiting for: Joe and Kari discuss the recent Tina Turner documentary! Hopefully you've caught it by now, and if not, Kari will lend you her HBO Max password (just kidding!). Back in Time: 1985 was a memorable year for music, and Joe and Kari take a look at what was topping all sorts of charts in this week in 1985: R&B, rock, and the number ones in Australia and Germany. In Songs that Time Forgot your hosts dust off some 45s and revisit some international acts who put out some great songs.

Send us a textEpisode 103: John Waite and Kim Carnes each had one solo Number One hit in the 80's -- but they were so much more than just their big hit! John Waite certainly had the drive and the talent, and don't discount his work with the supergroup Bad English! Kari takes a closer look at his output in our favorite decade. And Kim Carnes started out as a vocalist in The New Christy Minstrels, but she was writing and singing her way through an epic discography. Joe looks at her work and tries to figure out why her post-"Bette Davis Eyes" career just didn't take off. 

Send us a textSt. Patrick's Day is upon us, so Joe and Kari are taking a look at some songs that topped the Irish charts in the 80's, and really it's just an excuse for them to say one of their favorite names in the biz: Feargal Sharkey! Join them for a look at those artists that claimed their pot of gold in Ireland: Human League, F.R. David, and Chris DeBurgh, to name a few!Just a Bit Outside: On the US charts, there were quite a few acts that didn't quite make the Top 40. Did they deserve a Top 40 hit? That's another question...

Send us a textEpisode 101 is here, and Joe and Kari have invited a special guest: friend of the podcast Michael! He did some research on the songs that topped the charts on Country, R&B, Modern Rock and Dance charts that did not even make an appearance on the Hot 100, and there were quite a few!! Time to take a closer look at just a few of the songs and figure out just what happened.In the exciting finale, the quizzers become the quizzees: Joe and Kari are tasked to identify 10 songs that made a huge impact on the R&B charts. How do they fare? Tune in and find out!

Send us a textEpisode 100: Thanks for listening to Hey! Remember the 80's? for a whole ONE HUNDRED episodes! Joe and Kari are beyond thrilled to reach this milestone, and happy that you've listened all this time. In this episode, you will hear Joe and Kari express gratitude and give thanks, and there may even be a surprise! Joe and Kari have ranked their top hits of the 80's and now it's time to see what came out on top!

Send us a textEpisode 99: Joe and Kari are back! Big things are happening on the podcast, and as promised, they have a brand new Top 40 of the 80's - time to see who made the cut this time around!! Joe and Kari discuss the movers and shakers and compare notes. Kari's goth tendencies emerge while Joe stays the course with his Top 40 hits. They're counting them down from number 40 to number 21. If your faves don't get discussed this go-round, they may appear in part two!! Keep your feet on the ground, and keep listening to Hey! Remember the 80's?!

Send us a textEpisode 98: School is in session! Up first is a vocabulary lesson!! What does it mean when country goes pop? That would be Countrypolitan -- think Dolly Parton, Eddie Rabbit, and Juice Newton. Sophisti-pop refers to Style Council and Simply Red, among others. You'll also get a couple of history lessons in there.Screamer of the Week: Friend of the podcast Charlie introduced us to WLIR, the famous New Wave radio station that broke some pretty amazing 80's acts. Kari goes full rockabilly in this week's episode. Cut some tiny bangs and tune in!

Send us a textEpisode 97: Cars Show: We left it up to you, the listeners, on whose hits we should rank next, and The Cars cruised on into the pole position. These power-pop champions from Boston had a plethora of Top 40 hits in the 80's, and Kari and Joe ranked them all. You Might Think you know which song gets the highest grade, but your hosts just might Shake it Up and surprise you!Just a Bit Outside: You guys, I'm not even gonna lie to you here...one of these Top 40 outliers is a real stinker (and if you ask Joe -- they both are!!)

Send us a textEpisode 96: Joe and Kari welcome a very special guest: Charlie from Charlie's 80's Attic! You've heard us mention Charlie's great 80's station before, and we've finally invited him to sit down and chat. We wanted to know exactly where Charlie's love of 80's music came from, and how he decided to start his own station. We also asked him to run down his TOP 5 songs from the 80's! Charlie shares some great insight and memories on some beloved tunes from our favorite decade, and shares some news on what's next for Charlie's 80's Attic. Special thanks to Charlie for joining us, and of course you can find out more info (and tune in) at http://www.charlies80sattic.com .

Send us a textLet's all get "Swept Away" with a new installment of "That's What Friends Are For"! Which 80's superstars lent a hand to their famous friends in the studio? Daryl Hall, Lou Gramm, and Jeff Lynne, for starters! Amazingly, Phil Collins sits this one out as he finds a backbone and tells his famous friend "I don't think so, honey!"Next up is “Oh, Canada”! Who had the most Canadian hits in the 80's? It's NOT who you would think! Put your sunglasses on nocturnally and join Joe and Kari up North, eh!

Send us a textEpisode 94:  Dear Loyal Listeners: Has there ever been a better moment to go BACK IN TIME?? Why not jump in the DeLorean and peep what's topping the charts on this week in 1984? We've got a real mixed bag for you this time: some Pretty Boy Pop, some pseudo-Prog Rock, a little smooth R&B, pioneering Hip Hop, and, as always, Paul Young. // How about the first Songs That Time Forgot segment of 2021?? Joe brings a Canadian staple to the table, while Kari calls to order the first meeting of the We Love Scritti Politti Committee. 

Send us a textEpisode 93: Happy New Year to all our loyal listeners and new listeners alike! Let's all say Goodbye to You, 2020, with some 80's songs that articulate our feelings about the year that just ended.  // Even though we are Just a Bit Inside of the new year, let's take a look at two songs that were Just a Bit Outside of the Top 40 in early 1980 - a song from a beloved R&B group, and one from a Teen Idol that Kari has opinions about. Kari has opinions, y'all! New Year, Same Kari!

Send us a textEpisode 92: Look! Up in the sky! Faster than a speeding bullet! Able to play both Live Aid shows in different continents on a single day! It's Superman....er, Phil! Yes, we've teased this for a bit now, and it's time to discuss the Live Aid contributions of one Mr. Phil Collins. Drumming, singing, playing the piano with slippery fingers, reuniting Led Zeppelin, and general Cher-wrangling -- our hero was tasked with many duties. Find out if he was successful! // Squeeze Play -- it's the name of a throwaway pricing game on The Price Is Right, and it's also a segment on HRT80s. Flip the Hourglass over and spend some time learning about this influential UK act!