"1982 Rewind"

A year can change everything, and 1982 proved it. We crack open the moment when MTV turned music into moving pictures, fashion into a stage, and hits into cultural events. From front-porch laughs to deep dives, we map how Thriller rewrote pop’s playbook, why Eddie Van Halen’s Beat It solo made genre walls crumble, and how Toto’s studio sheen, Prince’s swagger, and Survivor’s training montage forever reshaped the soundtrack of daily life.

The stories don’t stop at the stereo. We revisit a film slate that still defines taste: ET’s wonder and bicycles against the moon, Blade Runner’s neon rain and philosophical ache, Tron’s digital dreamscape, Fast Times at Ridgemont High’s quotable chaos, and Rocky III’s gleaming grit. Each title didn’t just entertain—it minted an aesthetic you can still spot in modern music videos, streaming shows, and the way brands sell nostalgia. Add the compact disc’s debut, arcade highs before the crash, and fashion’s neon surge, and you get a snapshot of culture speeding up and learning to look at itself.

We even pull a sports thread: the 1982 NFL strike season and how it warped records and memories, from Denver’s struggles to New England’s playoff flicker. It’s all part of the same current—media, tech, and mood shaping what we talk about decades later. If you’ve ever argued about the best MJ track, quoted Spicoli in the wild, or matched a skinny tie to a synth riff, this ride is for you. Hit play, share it with a friend who still knows every lyric to Africa, and drop us a note with your top three moments from 1982. Subscribe, rate, and leave a review—tell us what year we should time-travel to next.

Transcript

Cold Open: Setting 1982’s Vibe

SPEAKER_00 0:09

Uh yes. 1982. A glorious year. If your definition of glorious includes neon spandex, synthesizers that sounded like dying microwaves, and cinematic masterpieces about small rubber aliens who just wanted to go home. Frankly, same. Tonight, Mike and Tom will be taking us on a journey back to 82. Though whether they stay in 1982 is about as likely as Tom successfully reading his own notes. For those unfamiliar, 1982 was the year MTV began telling young people what to wear, how to dance, and which bands were edgy. Which is how we ended up with an epidemic of men in eyeliner and mess shirts attempting to brood in shopping malls. We also got thriller. Yes. Michael Jackson's Thriller. The album so big it made everyone else's work look like they recorded it in a garden shed. I'm sure Mike will remind us of this 17 times. And Tom will claim he always liked the deep cuts to seem interesting. Spoiler, he didn't. Movies? Oh, we had Blade Runner. The film that taught everyone it's okay for the future to look like a damp parking garage. And E.T., the heartwarming tale of a magical risen who just wants a phone with better long distance coverage. I'm sure the boys will talk for at least 12 minutes about whether you would actually let that thing live in your house. Riveting. Meanwhile, the video game industry was busy throwing itself off a cliff with the ET Atari game, a game so catastrophically bad that they buried millions of copies in the desert. Honestly.

SPEAKER_02 2:15

MT alternatives only error with your favorite friends. Tom's got the stories, Mike's got the tune. Roll down the windows and crank up those boom bones. MT Alternative Podcast. Let's drive Mike and Tom. We're still rocking live.

SPEAKER_01 2:33

Welcome back to more porch time on the MT Alternative Podcast. Tom, what's going on, bud?

SPEAKER_07 2:38

Not much, Mike. What's going on with you?

SPEAKER_01 2:40

Enjoying this great day.

SPEAKER_07 2:42

Yeah, it is pretty nice.

SPEAKER_01 2:44

On the porch, once again.

SPEAKER_07 2:46

It is pretty nice out here today. It's a lot better than it was last week.

SPEAKER_01 2:50

Think so? Yeah. That wind was pretty brutal last week.

SPEAKER_07 2:54

Well, I can feel my fingers this week, is how I'm talking about. Still can't see my toes, but I can feel my fingers.

SPEAKER_01 3:02

We had some exciting little adventures around here with the little rooster Roman.

SPEAKER_07 3:08

Yeah, we uh Mike went to my neighbor rooster.

SPEAKER_01 3:13

My neighbor my what? What am I gonna do? I did no such thing.

SPEAKER_07 3:19

He came to stop the rooster.

SPEAKER_01 3:20

I was protecting my rooster from that rooster. Oh. I wasn't getting near it. Nope.

SPEAKER_07 3:27

He's come to stop the rooster.

SPEAKER_01 3:30

Yes.

SPEAKER_07 3:30

And he did. And now and now the rooster is back home.

SPEAKER_01 3:35

Work.

SPEAKER_07 3:35

Work. Work. Work. Yeah. I don't know what happened to me, but you know this week I had a little bug show up.

SPEAKER_01 3:48

Yeah, hopefully you didn't bring little bug here.

SPEAKER_07 3:50

No, I don't think so.

SPEAKER_01 3:52

That would be kind of crappy.

SPEAKER_07 3:53

Yeah, it would be. But no fever, so should be crazy.

SPEAKER_01 3:59

Mark. There goes the neighbor.

SPEAKER_07 4:02

There goes the neighborhood.

SPEAKER_01 4:03

This is what happens on the old porch.

SPEAKER_07 4:05

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 4:06

We observe.

SPEAKER_07 4:08

And then pretty soon we'll say, oh, here comes Mark. The neighbor.

SPEAKER_01 4:12

Yep, Mark again. He'd probably be on a tractor or four-wheeler or whatever the hell he's got.

SPEAKER_07 4:18

His zero turn.

SPEAKER_01 4:19

His little electric bike.

SPEAKER_07 4:21

Yeah, yeah, he's got one of those now.

Why 1982 Matters For Music

SPEAKER_01 4:23

Gas-powered bike. List goes on. Mark likes his little toys. Anyway, 82.

SPEAKER_07 4:31

82.

SPEAKER_01 4:32

Great year, another great year for music. A lot of happenings in 82.

SPEAKER_07 4:36

Yeah, this is when life was getting real for me. I think I just had moved out here. That December of 82.

SPEAKER_01 4:46

That's when M Mom and Dad came out this way, or so this is about the time and era that the old hitchhiking story took place.

SPEAKER_07 4:57

A little bit after, but not too much.

SPEAKER_01 5:00

Well, probably I'm sure some of the music you were listening to, sappy stuff.

SPEAKER_06 5:04

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 5:04

Yeah, I'm sure.

SPEAKER_06 5:06

Tears in my beard.

SPEAKER_01 5:08

Well, you figure 82, I was 19.

SPEAKER_06 5:12

Right. I would have been 15.

SPEAKER_01 5:16

So that's about right around that time, Tom?

SPEAKER_07 5:19

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 5:20

About a year later?

SPEAKER_07 5:21

Another year, yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 5:23

The old hitchhike?

SPEAKER_07 5:25

Hiking down the old trail.

SPEAKER_01 5:27

There we go. So you want to get into the music now? Might as well, right?

SPEAKER_07 5:31

Yeah. Nothing like good music.

Pop Anthems: MJ, Survivor, Toto

SPEAKER_01 5:34

Alright. So I got a list here of some 82 massive year. Uh across the genres, I did that list again, because I'm not doing the top ten, top 40 anymore.

SPEAKER_07 5:46

That's to everybody.

SPEAKER_01 5:47

Kind of break it down, and obviously we'll talk about which music impacted us in that year. I mean, there's a lot of good music. But to start off, uh, these are impactful type songs we brought up. Billy Jean, Michael Jackson.

SPEAKER_07 6:02

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 6:02

Michael Jackson again with Beat It. Michael Jackson again with Thriller. Yeah, he did, man.

SPEAKER_07 6:09

He was a key idea there.

SPEAKER_01 6:10

That was uh big time for Michael Jackson. Yeah. MTV was just got started the year before, so yeah, that was a great year for him.

SPEAKER_07 6:18

He knew what to do on that TV.

SPEAKER_01 6:20

Everybody, I mean, pretty much everybody knew. We all watched the Jackson 5 cartoon as kids. I mean, I know you did, Tom. You had to. Alright, so the next uh we got uh the tiger, Survivor. Great song, Rocky soundtrack.

SPEAKER_07 6:34

Heck yeah, Rocky 3. That was one of my favorite Mr. T.

SPEAKER_01 6:39

Plubber.

SPEAKER_07 6:40

Bust Job fool.

SPEAKER_01 6:41

What was his name in that? Clubber Land. Clubber Land. It was it. Alright. Africa, Toto. Oh yeah. Africa.

SPEAKER_07 6:51

Somebody wanna have a dude.

SPEAKER_01 6:54

Oh, another one for Toto. Rosanna.

SPEAKER_07 6:56

Rosanna. Rosanna.

SPEAKER_01 7:01

No, that's not it. That's not it at all. Not it at all. Not even close. That is not the Toto song, Tom.

SPEAKER_06 7:10

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 7:11

This is one of your favorites, though, Tom. Tom. Tong. Tom, Tong. Hey that. We have by the Steve Miller band. Oh, yeah. Abracadabra. Tom's favorite song.

SPEAKER_07 7:28

I'm gonna reach out and grab you.

SPEAKER_01 7:30

What happened to I Wanna Stab Ya?

SPEAKER_07 7:33

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 7:33

Slap you. We have whatever John Mellencamp, Jack and Diane. Yeah, little kiddie. Sucking on chili dogs.

SPEAKER_07 7:40

What are they doing to the chili dogs? Sucking on them. Oh boy.

SPEAKER_01 7:43

That's not how I eat a chili dog, but whatever.

SPEAKER_07 7:45

Winterfest.

SPEAKER_01 7:47

I wonder if that's where it started. He does have hurt so good.

SPEAKER_07 7:51

Yeah, well.

SPEAKER_01 7:52

There you go.

SPEAKER_07 7:52

John Cougar's a I guess he's a fairgoer.

SPEAKER_01 7:56

Oh no, John Mellencamp, though. Oh, yeah. John Cougar. Took that out.

SPEAKER_07 8:00

Yeah.

New Wave’s Shine And Snark

SPEAKER_01 8:01

Okay, we have Centifold from Jay Guy's band. Oh, yeah. Angels of Centifold. Okay, now we'll go into New Wave and Synthpop. Synthpop. Human League once again, Tom. Wow. From last year to this year. Don't you want me?

SPEAKER_06 8:16

Baby.

SPEAKER_01 8:17

Soft sell again, same thing. I guess these songs were big in '82 also. Hungry Like a Wolf from Duran Duran.

SPEAKER_07 8:24

Right, right, right.

SPEAKER_01 8:25

Love plus one. Haircut 100.

SPEAKER_07 8:28

Love plus one.

Metal Raises The Volume

Soul, Funk, And Early Hip-Hop

SPEAKER_01 8:29

Okay. Obviously that new wave. Then we had a flock of pigeons. I mean a flock of seagulls. They ran so far away. And so far away. Here we go. Here's the mic stuff. I maiden. Run to the hills. Run to the hills. Okay. Okay. Number of the beast. 666. Sorry. That scares me. Okay, we have Rainbow in a Dark from Dio, another great song. Yep. You've got another thing coming. Judas Priest, great song. Rock of Ages, Death Leopard. Again, when I like Death Leopard a lot. And then, yes, folks, before Quiet Riot, Slade saying, Come on, feel the noise. Just so everybody's aware of this. Right. In that case, you weren't. What? Like Slade saying, Come on, feel the noise. They were the original Quiet Riot. And of course, Quiet Riot took off with it. Kudos to them. They stole it. Rest in peace, Kevin DeBrot. Yes. Alright, we got sexual healing, Marvin Gay. Which, fun fact, I did not realize. Yes, he was. Devon told me that kind of broke my heart. Not that there's anything wrong with it. No. No, no. Just, you know, the songs he's singing, you like that. Yeah, the sexual healing doesn't sound so good. No, no, no, no. Alright. Let it whip. The Daz Band. This is RB and Funkin' Soul, by the way. And then uh I keep forgetting, Michael McDonald. Hey, do we brothers, Michael McDonald?

SPEAKER_07 10:11

Yeah. I keep forgetting.

SPEAKER_01 10:15

Alright, we have hip hop and early rap. Oh, wonderful. We have The Message, Grandmaster Flash, and The Furious Five. Oh boy. Planet Rock. Africa. Bomba. What? And Soulsonic Force. Okay. That's different. Never heard of them. Sure, they're great. Yep. And I probably heard the song, Just Don't Know Who Sings It.

SPEAKER_07 10:40

Right.

SPEAKER_01 10:40

Tom is a little more up your alley with the country songs, Always on My Mind from Willie Nelson.

SPEAKER_07 10:45

Always on my mind.

SPEAKER_01 10:47

And I Will Always Love You. Dolly Cart.

SPEAKER_07 10:50

Yep.

SPEAKER_01 10:50

1982 re-release.

SPEAKER_07 10:54

Was it a re-release?

SPEAKER_01 10:55

That's what it's saying here, Tom. That's what it's telling us. But you know. It's on the internet, it must be true, right? Must be. Must be. Yeah. Alright, let's go into punk, post-punk, and alternative. Just like Heaven, the cure.

SPEAKER_07 11:09

Oh yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 11:12

Goth, yeah, it's goth music. Love will tear us apart, the Joy Division. It says reissued.

Country, Punk, And Alt Threads

unknown 11:19

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 11:20

And a town called Malice from the Jam. Okay, I know the jam, I don't recognize that song.

SPEAKER_07 11:25

Pump up the jam. No, no, no.

SPEAKER_01 11:27

The name of the band is the jam.

SPEAKER_07 11:29

Oh, okay.

SPEAKER_01 11:30

Where are you going?

SPEAKER_07 11:31

I'm not going anywhere.

SPEAKER_01 11:33

Alright, how about come on, Eileen? Dexie's Midnight Runners.

SPEAKER_07 11:36

That's nasty.

SPEAKER_01 11:37

No. No. Come on. Like, come on.

SPEAKER_07 11:42

Oh. Damn time.

SPEAKER_01 11:46

One of my favorites, 1999 from Prince.

SPEAKER_07 11:49

Tonight we're going to party like that.

SPEAKER_01 11:52

So I'd like to discuss some of this music. All the Michael Jackson stuff, where do you remember that from? Is it MTV?

SPEAKER_07 12:00

Mostly, yes.

SPEAKER_01 12:02

Pretty much, right?

SPEAKER_07 12:02

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 12:04

Same with Toto. I'd have to say Africa.

SPEAKER_07 12:07

Yep.

SPEAKER_01 12:08

Now, the big song I know from Toto we already discussed back early late 70s. Hold the line.

SPEAKER_06 12:14

Oh yeah. Hold the line.

MTV Memories And Guitar Myths

SPEAKER_01 12:16

Africa didn't. Rosanna. Rosanna. I think it was about Rosanna Arquet. That's what I hear. I don't know if that's true.

SPEAKER_07 12:25

I don't either. If anybody out there knows what we're doing.

SPEAKER_01 12:29

Yeah, let us know.

SPEAKER_07 12:30

Give us a message.

SPEAKER_01 12:31

We could actually look it up, but you know. You know, Tom and I just fly by the seat of our pants here. We need all the help we can get. Yes.

SPEAKER_07 12:40

Oh, we do.

SPEAKER_01 12:41

Beat it from Michael Jackson. Okay. You had Eddie Van Halen play guitar in that. Without that guitar in that song. Right? It's not really a good song. Sorry. Sorry, Michael. And from what I understood, this is from Eddie Van Halen interview, that he kind of rewrote it so the guitar parts would all fit with Right.

SPEAKER_07 13:06

Well. So it was not a.

SPEAKER_01 13:09

And he did not get paid for this.

SPEAKER_07 13:11

He did not.

SPEAKER_01 13:11

He did not, even though it was a big hit. And like you said, what am I gonna get paid for? I was here for like a couple minutes. Laid down some tracks and left.

SPEAKER_07 13:19

Right.

SPEAKER_01 13:20

It was pretty cool about it, actually.

SPEAKER_07 13:22

Well, that's professionalism at its finest.

SPEAKER_01 13:26

Either he was drunk or didn't remember half the shit. I don't know. I shouldn't say that. We all have our downfalls and our days.

SPEAKER_07 13:36

We do.

SPEAKER_01 13:38

We all have demons, Tom.

SPEAKER_07 13:40

I'm pretty sure I'm gonna be a problem today.

SPEAKER_01 13:43

How so, Tom?

SPEAKER_07 13:45

I don't know. I just feel that way.

SPEAKER_01 13:47

Okay, cool. Well, that's awesome. Nah. So what did uh the movie you talked about, Rocky 3? Right? Is that your favorite Rocky movie?

Rocky III And Favorite Sequels

SPEAKER_07 14:00

Yeah, pretty much. I've I've the first one was good, but a little sappy.

SPEAKER_01 14:06

I'm hearing a click in in my headphones. It's gone now.

SPEAKER_07 14:13

I don't I don't hear it now either.

SPEAKER_01 14:14

This is what happens on porch time, I guess.

unknown 14:17

Okay.

SPEAKER_07 14:18

Rocky III.

SPEAKER_01 14:19

Yes, Rocky III. Get back to that.

SPEAKER_07 14:21

Yeah, we were uh sippy pool my coffee. You can't get a sippy. But anyway, Rocky III I remember was one of mine because the first one, like I said, I was a little young when it came out. Right. Then of course, by the time part three came, we had all already seen Mr. T in the A team. So then, oh, he's got a movie out, let's watch him. Yeah, he's bad, bad. And he was back then just bring all them chains. It took a lot to hold them chains up all that. How many pounds of chains did the guy wear?

SPEAKER_01 15:09

Sorry, I had a little mishap there. Something I wanted to say, and I realized I shouldn't have said shouldn't say it, so you know what?

SPEAKER_07 15:18

I'll say it.

SPEAKER_01 15:19

Nope, nope, nope, nope.

SPEAKER_07 15:21

Anyway.

SPEAKER_01 15:21

Anywho.

SPEAKER_07 15:22

Yes. Any of them.

SPEAKER_01 15:24

Alright. I'll get back to the metal music, hard rock.

SPEAKER_07 15:28

Oh, there you go.

SPEAKER_01 15:29

Run to the hills, Iron Maiden. Have you heard that one?

SPEAKER_07 15:34

Oh, me? Yeah. Yeah. Oh, okay.

SPEAKER_01 15:35

You're very quiet over there. Oh well.

SPEAKER_07 15:37

I'm just I'm I'm just excited.

SPEAKER_01 15:41

Okay.

SPEAKER_07 15:42

I'm just happy to be part of this here. I have heard that song.

SPEAKER_01 15:47

You have? Yes. This is good.

SPEAKER_07 15:49

You forget I had older brothers.

SPEAKER_01 15:53

Turn a nineteen in myself a little flashback here. Turn nineteen in August. Doing stupid shit. So going to many concerts. I really wasn't doing much at that age. I'm thinking about it now. That was a dumbass.

SPEAKER_07 16:10

Yeah, I was pretty much that boy.

SPEAKER_01 16:12

Trying to think of anything that sticks out nineteen. Nope, just being a normal dumbass frickin' teenager, I guess.

SPEAKER_07 16:18

That's like I was when I was nineteen.

SPEAKER_01 16:26

Why is that wind coming from the south now?

SPEAKER_07 16:30

I'm not too sure, but I don't care for that.

SPEAKER_01 16:33

Well, it's on your back.

SPEAKER_07 16:35

Yeah. Write down my shirt and everything.

SPEAKER_01 16:41

We're gonna reset this little heater.

SPEAKER_07 16:44

Mary had a little lamb. She tied it to a heater.

SPEAKER_01 16:49

There we go. Much better. See, it's a little chilly out here in the porch. We're in the shade. It's it's kind of a breeze. Now don't get us wrong, it is a beautiful day. Gorgeous day. But I'm not doing this out in the sun either.

SPEAKER_06 17:08

Right.

SPEAKER_01 17:09

Some of the some of the hardships we go through here on the MT Alternative Podcast.

SPEAKER_07 17:14

Roughing it out here. We don't have no plush studio.

SPEAKER_01 17:21

No, no, no. That wouldn't be for us.

SPEAKER_07 17:24

Pip and squeak, they think we just got it made.

Back To Studio: On-Air Chaos

SPEAKER_01 17:28

Yeah. I think they're gonna be a little pissed off. We shoved them in that closet last week.

SPEAKER_07 17:33

Well they deserved it.

SPEAKER_01 17:35

Yeah. Up all our chocolates. Well, that's your fault for leaving them out. You know how squeak is. That is your fault, buddy.

SPEAKER_07 17:47

He ate them all. He didn't even leave it. Crumbs.

SPEAKER_01 17:50

I purchased more.

SPEAKER_07 17:51

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 17:53

And I'll I'll hold on to them.

SPEAKER_07 17:55

Yeah, yeah. Don't leave them where I can leave them out.

SPEAKER_01 17:59

Oh. I do have a little treat for you later, though.

SPEAKER_07 18:02

Oh, do you? Yes. Uh oh.

SPEAKER_01 18:04

Yep.

SPEAKER_07 18:05

Now wait a minute. We we weren't gonna do this anymore.

SPEAKER_01 18:09

Just this one more time.

SPEAKER_07 18:10

Oh, that's what you said the last two times.

SPEAKER_01 18:12

No, this will you you'll appreciate this treat.

SPEAKER_07 18:15

Okay, cool.

SPEAKER_01 18:16

Nothing to do with that.

SPEAKER_07 18:17

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 18:19

Yes, you'll be able to still drive home and everything. Oh, really? Nothing to worry about then.

SPEAKER_07 18:23

Okay, good, good, good.

SPEAKER_01 18:25

Your tummy will appreciate it.

SPEAKER_07 18:27

Oh, good.

SPEAKER_01 18:28

Yeah. Good. So, you want to let the little guys come in?

SPEAKER_07 18:34

Yeah, we might as well.

SPEAKER_01 18:35

Alright, let's let them come in. Uh I hear a little rumble and so I'm sure they're pissed off. Yeah. But we'll find out.

SPEAKER_07 18:41

Alright, that's them.

SPEAKER_01 18:43

Yeah, I hear them now. Yeah, they sound like they're grumbling in the background. We'll be right back, folks.

SPEAKER_03 18:54

Hey, wait, look, we're back in the real studio this time.

SPEAKER_04 18:59

Oh yeah. Real studio. Yeah. Well, at least we ain't a damn closet.

SPEAKER_03 19:07

Yeah. How did you like that?

SPEAKER_04 19:10

What the hell was that all about? Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 19:14

What did you do?

SPEAKER_04 19:15

Maybe I'm I'm I'm at a loss of words.

SPEAKER_03 19:21

Maybe it's stealing the chocolates.

SPEAKER_04 19:24

I didn't steal anything.

SPEAKER_03 19:26

Okay, where did you get these chocolates this time? He said he took everything out. Is that why you gave me this one out of the round?

SPEAKER_04 21:37

She was lady.

SPEAKER_03 28:48

Yeah, we know the story. Once again, it's great. It's like this one. Once again. I don't know what I'm gonna do with you.

SPEAKER_04 29:34

What would you do without me?

SPEAKER_03 29:40

Anyway, what do you look like you just shoot yourself? Yeah. I think on that note, we we're gonna say goodbye to the folks. Goodbye, folks. Maybe folks.

SPEAKER_01 30:11

And uh you may say you have everything from last week, but I believe they still found some somewhere.

SPEAKER_07 30:19

Well, I don't know what it was.

SPEAKER_01 30:23

They sure got something because they bragged about it. Oh, did they? Oh, hell yes.

SPEAKER_07 30:27

Oh boy. I don't know what it was.

SPEAKER_01 30:31

I guess we'll never know.

SPEAKER_07 30:33

Of course, I have so many things I just can't keep track of all of them.

SPEAKER_01 30:37

Yeah, well, anyways.

SPEAKER_07 30:39

Well, hey, I hope they had fun with it.

SPEAKER_01 30:41

Well, it sounded like they did, but yeah, they they were a little pissed. I don't I was surprised Pip was so pissed off.

SPEAKER_05 30:47

Well, he got locked in a closet.

NFL Strike Season Throwback

SPEAKER_01 30:53

Well, I s I I don't believe they learned their lesson. But anyways, let's get back to 82. Yes. You know what I wanted to talk about since we're our teams are doing pretty decent right now.

SPEAKER_05 31:03

Right.

SPEAKER_01 31:04

1982, that was a strike season for the NFL. The scabs. So I wanted to look how Denver did and how the Patriots did during that scab season. Denver Broncos, 1982 season, record two and seven.

SPEAKER_05 31:19

Yeah, yes.

SPEAKER_01 31:20

Head coach Dan Reeves, division AFC West. We know they missed the playoffs. Shocker. The Broncos really struggled in the shortened season. Their offense had issues, particularly at quarterback. This was before John Elway arrived. He came in 1983. The team just couldn't put together consistent scoring and was near the bottom of the league in standings.

SPEAKER_07 31:41

Wow. That was tough to listen to.

SPEAKER_01 31:44

Tough. Were you a big fan at that age?

SPEAKER_07 31:47

1977 on.

SPEAKER_01 31:49

Okay. So New England Patriots fared a little better. They went 5-4. Ron Meyer was our coach. Of course, division was AFC East. They qualified for the expanded playoffs, but lost in the first round. No surprise.

SPEAKER_07 32:05

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 32:06

They lost to the Miami Dolphins, of course, 28-13 at the stupid Orange Bowl.

SPEAKER_07 32:11

Well.

SPEAKER_01 32:13

Yes. I was like, woohoo, made the playoffs. Oh, there we go. One and a one and a we have Miami again. Damn it.

SPEAKER_07 32:22

It seems like just always those little teams just are like a thorn in your side.

SPEAKER_01 32:29

Well, hey, I've been a Patriot fan since 1968-69. And uh we had some crappy seasons, man. So, but uh let's see a summary of that. The Patriots were one of the surprise beneficiaries of the strike era playoff format, of course. They played a solid but not standout regular season and earned a playoff birth. However, once the playoffs started, they ran into the Dolphins. And Dolphins did have a strong team.

SPEAKER_07 32:55

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 32:56

Anyways. But I thought that was a little fun thing I looked up because I was thinking about it. I said, wait a minute, I think that was a strike seed. I couldn't remember if it was 81, 82, 83. I knew it was in there somewhere. Right. So I dug that up. I just wanted to see how our teams did.

SPEAKER_07 33:11

Right. I want to see.

SPEAKER_01 33:13

I was surprised that with Dan Reeves, I'll be honest, with the two and seven. I was like when I saw that.

SPEAKER_07 33:18

He had nothing to work with, like they said. That was pre-John Elway. Right. All that crap. Uh Terrell Davis hadn't gotten there yet.

SPEAKER_01 33:27

No, that's what helped John Elway, actually. Yeah. They got him his Super Bowl. I'm not saying John Elway didn't do anything. Right. Trust me. But look at Dan Marino with no running team.

SPEAKER_07 33:36

Yeah, exactly. He got a lot of numbers, but nothing to show for it. I understand that. Yeah. We went through all that.

SPEAKER_01 33:46

All that fun stuff.

SPEAKER_07 33:47

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 33:49

Hey, we have a bunch of other fun little facts. Fun facts, Tom.

SPEAKER_07 33:55

Okay. Here we are, Mike and Tom.

SPEAKER_01 33:57

Yeah, it's uh 1982 Music, course, uh MTV. We've been around a year already. Major album releases. Michael Jackson, thriller. Oh, yeah. We talked about that. Survivor Eye the Tiger. There you go, Tom. Rocky III soundtrack, hit number one. Yep. Became a fitness anthem forever.

SPEAKER_07 34:14

Huh. Fitness. That's something I don't think much about.

SPEAKER_01 34:19

I used to at one time. Then I got older and said, What the hell am I doing this for?

SPEAKER_07 34:24

I joined a gym once. And you know where they take you through this tour and everything.

SPEAKER_01 34:29

Right.

SPEAKER_07 34:30

And I'm like, I'm not going to be able to do this, I don't think. He's like, why? I said, well, you've already worn me out on the first day. He's like, Mr. Rousey, that was just a tour. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 34:44

This isn't gonna work for me.

SPEAKER_07 34:46

Probably not gonna work out.

SPEAKER_01 34:48

No pun intended.

SPEAKER_07 34:49

I'm already bore out. I'm tired. You just walked around.

SPEAKER_01 34:53

Alright, this is a big gym.

SPEAKER_07 34:55

Not really.

SPEAKER_01 34:57

Hey, Joan Jett and the Blackhearts. I love rock and roll.

SPEAKER_07 35:01

Love rock and roll.

SPEAKER_01 35:02

Prince.

SPEAKER_05 35:03

1999.

SPEAKER_01 35:06

Taran, hungry like a wolf, Tommy.

SPEAKER_05 35:09

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 35:09

So we already did the music part, anyways. That's just some notables. Movies though. The movies. E.T., The Extra Testicle. I mean Terrestrial, sorry. Extra terrestrial. I get those two movies mixed up.

SPEAKER_07 35:21

Yeah, me too. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 35:26

How about the Blade Runner?

SPEAKER_07 35:27

Oh yeah.

SPEAKER_01 35:28

Is that uh the uh like a cyberpunk?

SPEAKER_07 35:33

Yeah, what was the uh the actor? Um shit Tom.

SPEAKER_01 35:37

Don't do that to me.

SPEAKER_07 35:39

Kurt uh not Kurt Russell.

SPEAKER_01 35:41

No. Let's not do this again. Yeah. We did this last time. Yes, and it was Mark Hamill.

SPEAKER_07 35:47

No, it wasn't Corvette Summit.

SPEAKER_01 35:49

Sean Cassidy was a big thing. No, it was Mark Hamill. Yeah, you're right. Alright, Tron. Great movie.

SPEAKER_07 35:54

Oh yeah, yeah. I played that game a lot.

SPEAKER_01 35:57

The thing?

SPEAKER_07 35:58

Oh, yeah, the thing.

SPEAKER_01 35:59

Paranoia. Not that thing.

SPEAKER_07 36:01

The paranoia or thing.

SPEAKER_01 36:03

Ah, fast times at Ridgemont High.

SPEAKER_07 36:06

What a classic.

SPEAKER_01 36:07

Great frickin' movie.

SPEAKER_07 36:08

I uh okay.

SPEAKER_01 36:09

Mr. Him!

SPEAKER_07 36:11

You gotta know right off my favorite part of the whole movie.

SPEAKER_01 36:16

Phoebe Cates boobs.

SPEAKER_07 36:17

Coming out of the pool. Every kind of stream.

SPEAKER_01 36:21

Let's pause that. Let's pause that. Let's pause that.

SPEAKER_07 36:23

Yeah, yeah. Rewind. Here she comes again. Oh my goodness. Phoebe Cates.

SPEAKER_01 36:30

And then she walks in on Yeah.

SPEAKER_07 36:33

Jednail or Red.

SPEAKER_01 36:36

What was his name in the movie?

SPEAKER_07 36:38

Oh. In the movie.

SPEAKER_01 36:40

Damn. Doesn't matter.

SPEAKER_07 36:41

Yeah, really does.

SPEAKER_01 36:42

It's like, dude, you saw her walking out and going to the house.

SPEAKER_07 36:45

Why are you still exactly here she comes?

ET, Blade Runner, And Tron

SPEAKER_01 36:49

And why don't you lock the door?

SPEAKER_07 36:51

Oh yeah, that'd be bad. Brad. Brad was his name.

SPEAKER_01 36:55

No, wasn't Brad the other guy? Thanks, Brad.

SPEAKER_07 37:00

Oh yeah. I hope you had a nice Arnold. Arnold.

SPEAKER_01 37:03

So you're right.

SPEAKER_07 37:05

You had a nice piss, Arnold. I hope you had a hell of a piss. He said, that sign says I get 100%. I'm gonna kick 100% of your ass. Great movie.

SPEAKER_01 37:19

Then he's working at the other place. He's got that stupid pirate hat on. Ladies looking at him in the car. He's like, damn stupid hat. Great movie. Great movie. Sean Penn played a great part too.

SPEAKER_07 37:32

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 37:33

Mr. Hen.

SPEAKER_07 37:35

We can fix it. My brother's got a great set of tools.

SPEAKER_01 37:39

What is a pizza in the classroom?

SPEAKER_07 37:41

Yeah. He's like, since it's your time and my time, and it's our time. Everybody, Mr. Spacoli's right. Let's all go ahead and have a piece of pizza. You dick! Love the movie. Love the movie. I've only seen it once or twice. Yeah, yeah. Sounds good.

SPEAKER_01 38:03

All right. How about Conan the Barbarian?

SPEAKER_07 38:06

Go Ned Arnold Barbarian. What?

SPEAKER_01 38:08

Arnold Schwartenegger.

SPEAKER_07 38:09

That was when he became big.

SPEAKER_01 38:10

Yeah.

SPEAKER_07 38:11

He wasn't quite.

SPEAKER_01 38:12

Oh, also out there, of course, Rocky III. Rocky III. Poltergeist. Oh. Gandhi.

Fast Times And Cultural Moments

SPEAKER_07 38:19

See, I never watched that.

SPEAKER_01 38:20

I haven't either.

SPEAKER_07 38:21

Never have. And now I should.

SPEAKER_01 38:23

Annie, Star Trek 2, The Wrath of Khan.

SPEAKER_07 38:27

Oh yeah.

SPEAKER_01 38:28

Wasn't that with uh what's his name there from Fantasy Island?

SPEAKER_07 38:35

Ricardo Ricardo Antabon.

SPEAKER_01 38:38

Yeah, that's it.

SPEAKER_07 38:39

Ricardo Mike.

SPEAKER_01 38:40

Alright, television. We had Cheers that started, Tom.

SPEAKER_07 38:43

Yeah. You want to go where everybody knows your name.

SPEAKER_01 38:46

Yeah, but really it's the Bull and Finch, so I don't know.

SPEAKER_07 38:49

Right. No. Right.

SPEAKER_01 38:50

Late night with David Letterman also debuts.

SPEAKER_07 38:53

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 38:54

MTV launched previous year. Rapid becomes a cultural pulse. Oh. Okay, here was other series that started that fall. We had Dallas. Three's Company. Come and knock on our door.

SPEAKER_07 39:07

Oh yeah.

SPEAKER_01 39:07

We've been waiting for you.

SPEAKER_07 39:10

I bet you have.

SPEAKER_01 39:11

Yeah, right. NASH. Hill Street Blues.

SPEAKER_07 39:14

Oh yeah.

SPEAKER_01 39:15

The Jeffersons.

SPEAKER_07 39:16

Oh yeah, moving on.

SPEAKER_01 39:18

To the east side. Night Rider. Michael.

SPEAKER_07 39:26

I have dust in my pan. Well.

SPEAKER_01 39:29

Pull over.

SPEAKER_07 39:30

Sorry.

SPEAKER_01 39:32

Oh, look at video games were booming right before the 1983 industry crash. Oh, okay. E.T. Atari 2600 was released. Widely remembered as one of the worst games ever. Uh-oh. Yeah. Millions of unsold cartridges later buried in the desert.

SPEAKER_07 39:47

Oh man.

SPEAKER_01 39:48

What the hell?

SPEAKER_07 39:50

What'd they bury in a desert? Did they really bury him in a desert? I guess. What the frick? Area 55?

SPEAKER_01 39:57

Put all this plastic in the desert. Yeah, that sounds like a good idea. Donkey Khan Jr. hits arcades. Commodore 64. I remember my friend John had that. Home computer releases becoming iconic.

SPEAKER_07 40:09

Iconic.

SPEAKER_01 40:11

Yeah, good old. Here we go with the fashion. Neon colors, leg warmers starting to go mainstream. Some of those girls look pretty damn good in them leg warmers. Yeah, yeah. Big hair was becoming big hair. It's when we used to have hair, Tom.

SPEAKER_07 40:24

Yeah, but I my hair was never big, big like I had.

SPEAKER_01 40:27

Oh, I I moosed it up and all that other crap.

SPEAKER_07 40:30

Yeah. I feathered mine back as about as much as.

SPEAKER_01 40:47

That was your walk around the gym.

SPEAKER_07 40:49

Yeah, physical. Most physical idea.

SPEAKER_01 40:52

Oh god, in the stupid Rubik's Cube that doesn't go away.

SPEAKER_07 40:56

That thing was invented in 1468. Jesus, man. And it still keeps popping up on the back.

SPEAKER_01 41:00

Every time I read every year, the Rubik's Cube since 1974.

SPEAKER_07 41:04

It's like stop.

SPEAKER_01 41:06

Oh shit. Oh god. Let's see. Trends. This is the trends driven by MTV. The hairstyles. Oh, right. Because you see all the bands and whatever. And that new way. Remember the sharp blazers, the skinny ties?

SPEAKER_07 41:20

The real skinny, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 41:21

Remember the cars. Rico Cassock was known for that skinny tie look.

SPEAKER_07 41:25

Yep. And uh the other one that did the skinny tie was uh Billy Joel for a little while.

SPEAKER_01 41:33

Yep. Robert Palmer was another one.

SPEAKER_07 41:34

Robert Palmer did that, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 41:36

Addicted to drugs. I mean love. Same thing, right?

SPEAKER_07 41:40

I remember wanting to see that video over and over.

SPEAKER_01 41:44

Which one?

SPEAKER_07 41:45

Addicted to love. Right, because all the girls dancing dancing around. Hey, furly little.

SPEAKER_01 41:51

Here's one you remember, the Tylenol murders.

SPEAKER_07 41:54

Yeah. Why would I remember that?

SPEAKER_01 41:56

Yeah, it goes back to your history with zip ties and whatever else.

SPEAKER_07 42:00

Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 42:01

You were old enough to remember. That's why I said that.

SPEAKER_07 42:03

I was just kidding. Anyway, yes. I remember that's when they decided that everything had to be wrapped up and sealed tight. Right.

SPEAKER_01 42:11

And you had tamper proof uh protection on them.

SPEAKER_07 42:14

And you buy these things and take them home.

SPEAKER_01 42:16

And by the time you get- why are you h holding your beer and showing me your beer? That doesn't have a protective seal.

SPEAKER_07 42:22

No, sorry. But I'm just saying, if the yeah, by the time you get them open, you don't need the damn pills anyway. Your headache's already gone.

SPEAKER_01 42:31

Is it really?

SPEAKER_07 42:32

Not really.

SPEAKER_01 42:33

Okay, that's what I thought.

SPEAKER_07 42:35

But it gave you another headache is trying to get the damn package open.

SPEAKER_01 42:38

Hey, here's one. The CD, the compact disc goes on sale in Japan. So I guess they had it first.

SPEAKER_07 42:45

I think they're feeling like they always have stuff first. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 42:49

Let's see, uh, overall cultural vibe. MTV is shaping youth identity. Pop plus rock plus new wave is blending, which is true. I tell you, when you put on MTV back in the day, I could listen to everything.

SPEAKER_07 43:01

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 43:01

I don't know what it was. Doesn't matter what music it was. It was like putting on your radio, but you had visuals to it. Visuals. MTV. Sci-fi fantasy films redefining redefining the imagination.

SPEAKER_07 43:18

Did video really kill the radio?

SPEAKER_01 43:21

I'm not sure. I think so.

SPEAKER_07 43:24

I listened to my radio.

SPEAKER_01 43:25

I think so. But uh 82 was a good year. Yeah, it was. I mean, shit.

SPEAKER_07 43:32

I remember when I was 15.

SPEAKER_01 43:33

A sad thing, I was gonna be 20 the year after. Damn man. And I still was doing nothing with my frickin' life.

SPEAKER_07 43:40

I I didn't start doing anything with my life until 25.

SPEAKER_01 43:45

I'm as old as I am and haven't done a damn thing with my life. What am I talking about? But hey, we always have porch time.

SPEAKER_07 43:54

Yeah, there's always porch time.

SPEAKER_01 43:57

It is beautiful here in the foothills of North Carolina.

SPEAKER_06 44:00

We love it.

SPEAKER_01 44:02

Certainly do. Well, I think we'll wrap it up here, Tom.

SPEAKER_06 44:08

Okay.

SPEAKER_07 44:09

Well, let it go and uh Well, we're gonna sneak off here and thank God for the gift of Gab and all the other stuff that we like.

Did Video Kill The Radio Star

SPEAKER_01 44:19

And everyone, remember to listen to us on Spotify, iHeartRadio, Amazon Music, Deezer FM, and all other platforms. You'll find us. Just keep looking. All you do is type in MT Alternative, and don't forget our website.

SPEAKER_07 44:35

Yes, MT Alternative.

SPEAKER_01 44:37

And we'd like to give a shout out to our listener, Jamie.

SPEAKER_07 44:41

Yes. Who left us a message.

SPEAKER_01 44:43

A great message.

SPEAKER_07 44:44

It was awesome. We enjoy that. Thank you for the feedback.

SPEAKER_01 44:48

That's what, hey, we always appreciate feedback. And like I said, negative, positive, just give us feedback. What you like to hear, what you like to hear more of, what you don't want to hear.

SPEAKER_07 45:00

Yep. That's what we like.

SPEAKER_01 45:01

But, anyways, again, uh, that's it for the MP Alternative Podcast, folks. Uh God bless and later.

SPEAKER_05 45:08

See ya.

SPEAKER_02 45:15

Thanks for rolling with us down the dusty road. Come and back, laid it down store in and go. With our last without the bar, blow. Now time in the road, going back at all that's waiting for low punishment.