The Smithereens dominated modern rock radio in the early 80s to mid 90s with songs like "Only A Memory" and "A Girl Like You". Despite the tragic loss of their lead singer, Pat DiNizio, the band soldiers on with guest vocalists Marshall Crenshaw and The Gin Blossoms Robin Wilson taking the vocals. Guitarist Jim Babjak and drummer Dennis Diken visit the What Difference Does It Make virtual studios and talk up their passion for 60s pop songs, the road to success, and this mysterious lost album from the 90s, strangely enough, called The Lost Album. We are a proud member of Pantheon Podcasts.

Thanks to Rob Juarez, founder of the Lost 80s Live concerts, this is quite possibly our most 80s music episode ever. We went down to San Diego to learn why the artists and fans keep coming back to these shows. We talk with members of Wang Chung, Animotion, and The Untouchables. We also talk to some passionate fans that still love the music that shaped their lives. We wrap it all up by talking with the man himself, Rob Juarez.The What Difference Does It Make Podcast are proud members of Pantheon Podcasts.

Director Andy Fickman has brought Heathers back to life. Yes, the beloved dark comedy classic, Heathers, is now a movie musical and it is so "very". Andy takes us through the ten year process of making this daydream a reality. And Andy may be so crazy, you'd swear he had a "brain tumor for breakfast". After you listen to our podcast, watch the movie, now a musical, and streaming on Roku.We are a proud member of Pantheon Podcasts.

This year, David Bowie would have turned 75. To recognize this occasion, Rock Historian/Author/Podcaster Martin Popoff has authored a coffee table book, simply called Bowie @75. One might think Martin would love everything about Bowie, but being the contrarian he is, Martin makes his opinion known as we touch on a number of the significant landmark moments in Bowie's storied career.  We are a proud member of Pantheon Podcasts.

Twin brothers Adam and David Moss have been harmonizing together since their days as kids trapped in their parents car, forced to listen to 60s folk and show tunes. As it turns out, they actually love this music, and now we benefit from it, courtesy of The Brother Brothers latest album, Cover to Cover. It's a love letter of sorts, dedicated to the music that has inspired them throughout their lives.  Adam and David talk with What Difference Does It Make to detail the journey that led them to cover these classic pop and folk songs. We are a proud member of Pantheon Podcasts

Rob Juarez is the mastermind behind the Lost 80s Live shows. This year marks the 20th Anniversary of the concert series that features so many of your favorite 80s bands like Devo, ABC, and A Flock of Seagulls.  We get into Rob's story on how he came to create the brand, and all the hard work that goes into putting on a show. It's all on The What Difference Does It Make podcast.We are a proud member of Pantheon Podcasts. We are a proud member of Pantheon Podcasts.

One wouldn't blame Steve Diggle if he decided to pack up The Buzzcocks name after the death of vocalist Pete Shelley back in 2018. But Steve is carrying on, with the same fervored passion that powered the band back in Manchester, England in 1978. The new album, entitled Sonics In The Soul, further cements the bands legacy as innovators in Punk. Steve talks all about the band, the loss of Pete, and the new album on this episode of the What Difference Does It Make podcast. We are a proud member of Pantheon Podcasts

We continue our look at the first songs played on MTV by reviewing videos 16 to 25. In this episode, we agree that Iron Maiden segueing into REO Speedwagon is a horrible idea. Holly learns about Mr. Briefcase, AND she teaches Dave about the real meaning behind Phil Collins, "In The Air Tonight". After all this excitement, we test ourselves with a little MTV trivia quiz. It'll make you demand, "I want my MTV podcast!" We are a proud member of Pantheon Podcasts

It was the early days of MTV, and it was also the early days of our podcast, circa 2018, when we dissected the videos played on August 1, 1981, the day MTV was launched. This day was so important, we made it a two-part episode. In the first part, we debate our way through the first 15 videos played on MTV. We discover that one of our favorite Pat Benatar songs is, in fact a cover. We question the musical direction of Styx. And, Holly learns the definition of brass when it's in one's pocket.We are a proud member of The Pantheon Podcast Family

Simon Morrison is a Professor of Music at Princeton University, with an emphasis on the musical, cultural, and political histories of the Soviet Union, Russia, the United States, and France. With all that said, he's also a fan of pop music, in particular a band from the UK called Roxy Music, their lead singer Bryan Ferry. He wrote a 33 1/3 book on the band's 1982 album, Avalon. His Princeton homepage quotes him saying "I can explain why and how music matters then as now." and that's exactly what we do this week on What Difference Does It Make podcast.We are a proud member of Pantheon Podcasts.

Carla Olson is a true musician. She might be best known to our listeners for her work with the Textones, but she has had and is continuing to have quite a full career. Carla played guitar in Bob Dylan's first music video, she was the first woman to sing with John Fogerty, and she now has a compilation album comprised of many of her musical friends playing train-themed songs, called Americana Railroad. Carla has an endless supply of stories, so hop aboard!  We are a proud member of Pantheon Podcasts.

Our summer got off to a great start with an invitation from the good folks at Podopolo to hang out at the Feast It Forward house in Napa, California. As it happens, it was also the week of BottleRock, so we had the opportunity to talk to Ron Artis II, Mama Said, Kosha Dillz, and Chef Roy Choi. Special thanks goes out to Amanda Morck of My Rock Moment podcast and Al Manicini of the Food and Loathing in Las Vegas podcast.We are a proud member of Pantheon Podcasts

John Easdale of Dramarama has quite an origin story. Local Jersey kid and his high school friends work at a record store and dream of being in a band, they make a record that gets picked up by a French DJ. The record makes its way to Los Angeles and is mistaken by a famous DJ for a French band. Yes, "Anything, Anything" can happen when it comes to rock and roll. We then segue to 1985, the year Dramarama's Cinéma Vérité was released and look at the top 10 year-end songs from KROQ, the radio station that first played "Anything, Anything".  We are a proud member of Pantheon Podcasts

Paul Myers is many things: Artist, Author, Producer, Podcaster, but above all else, he is a music and comedy fan. You can currently hear Paul as host of The Record Store Day Podcast. He is also a producer of the just-released documentary, Kids In The Hall: Comedy Punks.  We touch on all the hot topics: Beatles vs. Stones, comedy troupes, and donuts. Get a month of Amazon Music courtesy of your 80s music aficionados at What Difference Does It Make. getamazonmusic.com/wddimpodcastWe are a proud member of Pantheon Podcasts.

Hans Everling is the owner of SOB Audio Imaging in Amsterdam, and this week he takes on the challenge of giving his professional and honest opinion of songs #20 to #11 from the 1985 KROQ year-end playlist. Can any of these tunes possibly compare to his beloved favorite band, Earth, Wind & Fire?Hear your favorite 80s songs with a free month of Amazon Music, courtesy of your 80s music aficionados at What Difference Does It Make podcast. getamazonmusic.com/wddimpodcastWe are a proud member of Pantheon Podcasts.

Hear at Home is an artist interview segment hosted by Andy Chanley on 885FM, but today we switch roles with Andy and WE talk to HIM about his radio career. Andy also helps us dive into songs from the 1985 KROQ year end list. In this episode, it’s songs #30 to #21. Get a month of Amazon Music for free courtesy of your 80s music aficionados at What Difference Does It Make. getamazonmusic.com/wddimpodcast We are a proud member of Pantheon Podcasts.

David Wild has many friends, including us. He has just released a podcast with his good friend, Phil Rosenthal, entitled Naked Lunch. Fortunately, it's audio so we don't know if there's any actual nudity involved but there is definitely food and friends. David steps into our virtual studio to talk to us about the podcast, the friends, and the food, all on the What Difference Does It Make Podcast.Get a month of Amazon Music for free courtesy of your favorite 80s music aficionados at What Difference Does It Make. www.getamazonmusic.com/wddimpodcastWe are a proud member of Pantheon Podcasts.

Ann Wilson, Rock & Roll Hall of Famer and Heart vocalist, isn't one to rest on her laurels during a hiatus with the band. Finding inspiration through her songwriting, and creating thrilling new arrangements of cover songs with her band "The Amazing Dawgs", we have an Ann Wilson solo album called Fierce Bliss. We talk about the past, present, and future with Ann, including 2023 plans for a 50th Anniversary Celebration of Heart. It's all on the What Difference Does It Make Podcast.Hear Ann Wilson's Fierce Bliss and all of the Heart catalog with a free month of Amazon Music courtesy of your 80s music aficionados at What Difference Does It Make.We are a proud member of Pantheon Podcasts.

Suzi Quatro has been rockin' for over half a century and is showing no signs of slowing down. As the recent documentary, Suzi Q, shows, she is still as passionate today about her music as the day she strapped on her bass guitar at the age of 14. We get into all of it, from her beginnings with the Quatro family band, The Pleasure Seekers, all the way to her latest album, The Devil In Me, playing and producing with her son, Richard Tuckey. Revisit the entire Suzi Quatro catalog with a free month of Amazon Music courtesy of your 80s music aficionados at What Difference Does It Make. We are a proud member of Pantheon Podcasts.

How does Martha Wainwright survive growing up in the shadow of not only her father, Loudon Wainwright III, and her mother, Kate McGarrigle, but also her beautiful and extremely talented brother, Rufus Wainwright? It's all described in Martha's memoir, Stories I Might Regret Telling You. Martha steps into the What Difference Does It Make virtual studio to discuss her childhood, and finding her own way in her artistic family.Listen to all of Martha's music including her latest, Love Will Be Reborn, with a free month of Amazon Music, courtesy of your 80s music aficionados at What Difference Does It Make Podcast. We are a proud member of Pantheon Podcasts.

Thomas Robsahm, Director of the just-released documentary, a-ha THE MOVIE, is our guest this week. Depending on where you live in the world, the band a-ha may be considered an 80s one-hit wonder band, but that is simply not the case. a-ha is still one of the best-selling live bands in the world. They've released ten albums, and eight of them hit number one in their home country of Norway, and sold nearly 100 million copies. Thomas is also the Producer of The Worst Person in The World, a surprise breakout movie that received two Oscar nominations this year; one for Best International Feature, and one for Best Original Screenplay. It's a lot to discuss as Thomas Robsahm steps into the What Difference Does It Make Podcast virtual studio.Re-discover the a-ha music catalogue with a free month of Amazon Music, courtesy of your 80s music aficionados at What Difference Does It Make.We are a proud member of Pantheon Podcasts.

Palle Bo is a radio legend in Denmark. He's been in the game since the 80s, and now this "Radio Guru" is taking his act on the road, traveling the world and sharing his exploits in a podcast called The Radio Vagabond. Palle took a break from his hectic schedule to talk to us about his early days in Danish radio, and to discuss songs #40 to #31 from the KROQ Los Angles 1985 year-end chart.You can hear all music discussed with a free month of Amazon music courtesy of your 80s music aficionados at What Difference Does It Make.We are a proud member of Pantheon Podcasts.

Bob Waugh's radio career brought him to the best of the best radio stations at the perfect time. When the excitement of New Wave first struck New York in the 80s, Bob was spinning records at "Dare To Be Different" WLIR on Long Island, just outside New York City. In the early 90s, when Alternative music became pop music, Bob was in charge at WHFS in Washington DC. He recently wrapped up the "first leg" of his career at WRNR in Annapolis, where he was able to play his favorite classic songs while still letting listeners in on new music discovery. Bob steps into our virtual studio to talk about the crazy turns his career has taken, and then we all settle in to talk about the year 1985, and songs #50 to #41 on the KROQ year-end chart.Discover all songs old and new with a free month of Amazon Music courtesy of your 80s music aficionados at What Difference Does It Make.We are a proud member of Pantheon Podcasts.

Keith Coes was destined for radio ever since he "won" a shift on the Vanderbilt University radio station, without ever actually attending the school. And he even became the Music Director! This metal-loving dude has now been the Music Director for WRLT Lightning 100 in Nashville for nearly 30 years. This makes him a great guest to discuss songs #60 to #51 on the 1985 year-end chart from KROQ in Los Angeles.Hear all the music discussed with a free month of Amazon Music courtesy of your 80s music aficionados at What Difference Does It Make. We are a proud member of Pantheon Podcasts.

Self-Proclaimed "Hippie, Rocker, Seeker", Zeb Norris, enters the What Difference Does It Make virtual studio. Zeb was a K-Pop star long before any member of BTS was even born. In Zeb's case, KPOP was a radio station in Sacramento spinning rock of the 80s. After that, he departed the West Coast, making his way across the country to WNCS in northern Vermont. He now happily resides as the Program Director/Morning Guy at WCVT in Plattsburgh/Burlington, Vermont. CVT stands for Classic Hits Vermont. This makes him the perfect guest to discuss songs #70 to #61 from the 1985 World Famous KROQ year-end chart.Hear all the songs discussed with a free month of Amazon Music courtesy of your 80s music aficionados at What Difference Does It Make.We are a proud member of Pantheon Podcasts.