What Difference Does It Make

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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 podcastand Al Mancini of the Food and Loathing in Las Vegas podcast. We are a proud member of Pantheon Podcasts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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.  We are a proud member of Pantheon Podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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/wddimpodcast We are a proud member of Pantheon Podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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/wddimpodcast We are a proud member of Pantheon Podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In 1985, Tami Heide was a host on WBCN, Boston's #1 rock radio station at the time. Today, Tami steps into the What Difference Does It Make virtual studio to discuss her career trajectory from Boston to Los Angeles, where she became a host on KROQ in 1991. In between Tami's fart jokes, we're given some insight into her life as a music fan and radio talent. We also manage to discuss songs #80 to #71 from the 1985 KROQ year-end chart! Hear all the music we discussed by getting a month of Amazon Music for free courtesy of your 80s music aficionados at What Difference Does It Make. We are a proud member of Pantheon Podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Larry "The Duck" Dunn steps into the What Difference Does It Make virtual studio to provide some insight into the New York 80s music scene. Larry started his career at 92.7 WLIR, where he became the Music Director and helped shape the sound of this influential New York radio station. In between our banter about WLIR, Larry's personal experiences with the artists, and his time in the clubs, we look to Los Angeles and the 1985 year-end chart from KROQ. This episode, we look at songs #100 to #91. There are a few lost classics, as well as some songs from classic rockers in this ten-song-chunk. You can also hear Larry on SiriusXM's 1st Wave channel and also streaming on WDARE. Get a month of Amazon Music courtesy of your 80s music afficionados at What Difference Does It Make. We are a proud member of Pantheon Podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's a new year in more ways than one for the What Difference Does It Make podcast, as we go "back to the future" and begin our look at the songs KROQ in Los Angeles played in the year 1985. In this episode, we look at 6.7 songs. We start at the bottom, with song #106.7, and for the first time since we started this look back at each year of the 80s, we actually have access to this earworm of a song. If you're ready to relive the music from 1985, you've come to the right place. Get a month of Amazon Music for free courtesy of your 80s music aficionados at What Difference Does It Make. We are a proud member of Pantheon Podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices