Saturn’s Favorite Music the Podcast

UK Hits, US Misses

Justin and Jane are back! We talk tremendous tremolo, zero hit wonders, and early MTV weirdness. We discuss whether MTV hurt some artists more than it helped, and ask if the 80s produced the worst band names of all time. There is an S&M-themed pop song by Depeche Mode that leads to a discussion of whether being banned by the BBC is a good career move. We wonder at the fact that a ubiquitous alternative club anthem by The Smiths never charted in the US. Finally, we rate just about every U2 song, besides the one on our list. Jane picks a deep cut as her favorite. 

Radio Days, Automation and Break Up Songs

Laura welcomes Eric Shoars, editor of Life Goes On: Lessons We Learned from 80s Music. The two former DJs reminisce about the early days of radio automation, the TV show WKRP in Cincinnati, and songs that got played even if they weren't hits-- or did they? (Laura isn't entirely sure.) Eric reveals the Beatles song that scared him, and a Phil Collins track leads to a discussion of divorce songs and how one person's authenticity can be another person's lie. Does Phil Collins belong on the 80s music Mount Rushmore? Tune in to find out. 

Whitney, Janet, Toad the Wet Sprocket and a Canadian Favorite

Comedian, musician and music journalist Steven Morgan joins Laura to discuss a mystery of the Canadian music charts, whether a singer can be a bit too perfect and whether Toad the Wet Sprocket is the worst band name ever. Featured songs are Janet Jackson's "Miss You Much," Whitney Houston's "I'm Your Baby Tonight," Go West's "Faithful" and "Walk on the Ocean" by Toad the Wet Sprocket. 

Songs of Comeuppance and The News

Jenny Hunter returns to make a case for Cleveland as the rock n roll capital. She takes a test to determine if she qualifies as a "die hard Huey Lewis and the News fan," as Laura wonders if she could pick any of The News out of a lineup. Jenny wonders if she's qualified to stand in judgement of the genius that is Bob Dylan, while Laura takes a stab at a Dylan impression. Finally, Laura and Jenny try to imagine just what is coming in the air tonight, and what crime the narrator of the song thinks he witnessed. There is Schadenfruede, revenge, and working for a living. Oh, and Jenny goes on a mini-rant about grammar mistakes on beer t-shirts at rock concerts.

Passive-Aggressive Playlists

Laura is joined by Paul Stroessner of the Gen X Journeys Podcast to journey through the songs an afternoon DJ plays in protest during a staff meeting announcing the sale of the radio station. We ask the questions "What would a punk rock version of 'You're No Good' sound like?"; "If there's no crying in baseball, why is this song from the movie 'A League of Their Own' so sad?";  "What if 'We Gotta Get Out of This Place' had been a Righteous Brothers song?" and "Just how deep does your voice have to be to make pathetic begging sound sexy?" Featured tracks are Linda Rondstadt's "You're No Good," Madonna's "This Used to Be My Playground," Boyz II Men's "End of the Road" and The Animals' "We Gotta Get Out of This Place." 

The Achy Breaky Episode

This episode might blow up and kill the guest. We welcome back our very first guest Doc Shea for a conversation that touches on country line dancing, disco falsetto and prog rock bands meeting the MTV era. OK Go!, Weird Al, Yes, and The Monkees sneak their way into the episode. Plus we attempt to answer the questions: Why did Genesis lip synch to a ballad played back at the wrong speed? Can two famous people sing together without creating a surrealist fever dream? Is "mom rock" an underrated musical genre? Who is responsible for spreading the Macarena dance craze? And finally, is love always enough? Featured artists include Michael Bolton, Genesis, Patty Smyth and, yes, Billy Ray Cyrus. 

Not Duran Duran, Just Duran

Nick Bean and Denise Goetz are back, and with these two the energy is high. We discuss just how many CDs you could get for one penny, why Denise called herself the "Motor City Mama," and the pros and cons of having actresses from mermaid movies in your pop song. Then we get into a heated debate about whether Duran Duran was really Duran Duran after it shed a couple of Taylors or whether it was only "Duran." Finally, there is a rousing pop gospel number that tries to use homelessness as the topic of a dance song. We don't shy away from controversy in this episode. We have sex, drugs, rock n' roll and even religion. Featured artists this episode-- beyond Duran Duran, of course-- are Mariah Carey, Damn Yankees and Clarence Clemons with Jackson Browne. 

Don't Say "Vibe."

We get on the blue bus with Justin and Jane and travel to a spooky funeral for a horror film star, a sweaty beer filled UK dance club, and a smoke filled room with velvet curtains and we run screaming instead of walking on down the hall. On the way we take detours into British cuisine, songs you should not put on mix tapes and a missed opportunity to see The Beatles in concert. We try to avoid using the word "vibe" while describing The Stone Roses' "Fool's Gold," Bauhaus' "Bela Lugosi's Dead," and The Doors' "The End." And we return to the "Cheery Songs About Dysfunctional Relationships" file with a song by Michael Nesmith that was rejected by the producers of the Monkees, but became a hit for the Stone Poneys by way of a New York bluegrass band. 

It's the Calypso and Country Episode!

Laura and guest Mary Lanphier talk sensual zombies, the musical uses of press on nails, and compare Genesis's 1970s way out prog rock sound to its 1980s adult contemporary incarnation. Plus we cover what may be the greatest key change in pop music history. Songs include Harry Belafonte's "Zombie Jamboree," Dolly Parton's "9 to 5," Genesis' "Land of Confusion," and Whitney Houston's "I Will Always Love You." 

Happy Songs About Loss, Faux Live Recordings, and Undead Video Choreography

Jenny is back. In this episode we discuss a Kinks song that turns personal tragedy into warm nostalgia and we wonder at the delta between the influence of Kinks songs and their U.S. chart positions. We veer between trying to figure out what electric boots and mohair suits look like and exploring Biblical references in Elton John songs. And no mere mortal can resist the evil of our last selection. Cue the Vincent Price laugh.