Def Dave's 1984

Epizode

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  23: Footloose 22.07.2026 38min

  Inspired by a true story, Footloose hit theaters on February 17, 1984 and proved to be a huge hit, finishing in the top ten at the box office for the year.Lindsay Butler, co-host of the Children of the 80s Podcast, joins me for a look at the movie. I don't think we make it clear in the episode, but we will dedicate an entirely separate episode to the Footloose soundtrack album later.Linktr.ee/DefDave
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  22: Touchstone Pictures 15.07.2026 37min

  Disney established Touchstone Pictures on February 15, 1984. This was a brand new subsidiary studio created for the purpose of releasing edgier material than Disney's typical family-friendly fare. Why did the company feel this was necessary? Did it work? What was the long-term impact? Disney expert Robert Burnett from the DockingBay77 Podcast joins me for an insightful look into this critical time in Disney's history as a movie studio.DockingBay77:https://open.spotify.com/show/6xbHEbPpkGQEjbwuOSIE6yLinktr.ee/DefDave
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  21: Scorpions 08.07.2026 35min

  "Love At First Sting" hit American record stores on February 13, 1984. It would prove to be the Scorpions' biggest success, led by the classic Rock You Like A Hurricane.Real life rock drummer James Buckley makes his return to the show to help me talk about it.Linktr.ee/DefDave
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  20: Winter Olympics 01.07.2026 30min

  On February 8, 1984, the XIV Winter Olympics got underway in Sarajevo, Yugoslavia. Did anyone boycott this one? Who were the breakout athletes? Which country won the medal count? How did the USA do? Did anyone make the Wheaties box?To help me talk about it, I ventured far north into the wintry lands of Minnesota and found Brad Sorensen, one of the hosts of Pop Culture Yearbook.PCY: https://open.spotify.com/show/2Hc7R9J7NnuoKnbrF31YcGLinktr.ee/DefDave
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  19: NASA's First Untethered Spacewalk 24.06.2026 43min

  The Challenger Space Shuttle flew its fourth mission in February of 1984 and made history for marking the first untethered spacewalk. Astronaut Bruce McCandless demonstrated extraordinary courage with this remarkable achievement. What challenges did the crew face on this mission? What kind of military and NASA career did McCandless have? Who else joined him on the untethered spacewalk? To help me break down all the details of what was involved with this historical feat is NASA enthusiast Eric Dearth.Linktr.ee/DefDave
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  18: Robin/Nightwing (DC Comics) 17.06.2026 51min

  When it comes to comic books, one of the biggest highlights of 1984 was The New Teen Titans from DC Comics. Marv Wolfman and George Pérez were leading the sales charts with their bold takes on teen characters. It is here that Dick Grayson, a mainstay as Robin since the 1940s, quit that identity forever.How was this move received by fans? Did it ultimately hurt or help the Batman comics? What led DC to such a stunning decision? Did the change prove permanent?To help me answer all these questions and more, the host of the 30something Movie Podcast, John Reid, joins me for this fascinating look at a beloved character.https://www.30podcast.com/Linktr.ee/DefDave
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  17: Whitesnake 10.06.2026 42min

  It's January 30th, and an album hits stores that many would discover years later after the band had become one of the biggest in the decade.It is "Slide It In" by Whitesnake, a band whose roster seemed to be always changing.To help me sort it all out and decide if the right songs were picked for the singles, I once again have The Celebrity Jason Colvin returning to the show.www.thesurelypodcast.comLinktr.ee/DefDave
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  16: Michael Jackson's Accident 03.06.2026 35min

  On January 27th, Michael Jackson and all of his brothers were shooting a new commercial for Pepsi when it all went horribly wrong.The biggest pop star in the world had caught on fire and suffered 2nd degree burns to his scalp. Jackson Family expert and superfan Shawn Shackleford takes time away from the MJCast podcast to tell us all about how this happened, the impact it had on the world and if there were any lingering effects the King of Pop suffered in the years after.www.themjcast.comLinktr.ee/DefDave
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  15: John Lennon 27.05.2026 38min

  On January 27th, we got a new album from perhaps the least likely former Beatle. More than three years after his tragic death, John Lennon and Yoko Ono give us the "Milk and Honey" album. Twelve tracks, split evenly between the two artists.If I'm talking Beatles, I have to bring in The Vinyl Professor himself, Chris Webre, to tell us all about it. Check Chris on Instagram: @a_vinyl_odyssey Linktr.ee/DefDave
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  14: Introducing the Macintosh! 20.05.2026 41min

  On January 24th, Apple delivers the product that Ridley Scott advertised two days earlier. A historical day for Apple and for the personal computing industry, it is the day that the original Macintosh computer hits the market!I am thrilled to have the Macintosh Librarian herself, Kate Fox, on this episode to discuss how this product came to be, its impact and its legacy.www.youtube.com/macintoshlibrarianLinktr.ee/DefDave
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  13: Marvel Secret Wars 13.05.2026 45min

  1984 was, among everything else, a big year for comics.And January 24th saw the beginning of one of the most influential and well-remembered events in comics history.On this day, Secret Wars #1 hit comic shops and publishing history would never quite be the same. This 12-issue limited series would take up the whole year and feature characters from across Marvel's entire library, written by the editor-in-chief of the line and introduce changes to many characters.But what if it was driven by marketing and licensing instead of any kind of creative push? Would it change what you thought of it? Joe Crowe of American Sci-Fi Classics and Spartan Wrestling joins me to discuss Secret Wars!https://www.youtube.com/@AmericanSciFiClassicsLinktr.ee/DefDave
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  12: Hulk Hogan 06.05.2026 42min

  It's January 23rd and Vince McMahon has big plans for professional wrestling that will forever change the landscape of sports entertainment. The first step in his master plan is tonight's title change. Hulk Hogan, recently returned to WWF, pins the Iron Sheik and begins a long reign that will help usher wrestling into the mainstream and become a huge part of 1980s pop culture.Wrestling History expert DragonKing Karl Stern joins the show to discuss perhaps the most important figure in modern wrestling. Karl is the man behind the When It Was Cool podcast and the author of a series of pro wrestling history books.www.whenitwascool.comLinktr.ee/DefDave
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  11: Bon Jovi 29.04.2026 34min

  On January 23rd, Bon Jovi's self-titled debut album hit record stores. How did this album come about? What hits, if any, came from it? What impact did this have on 1984?I welcome back once again Jason Colvin of the Surely You Can't Be Serious Podcast to help me figure out the origin story and freshman effort from one of the most iconic bands of the 1980s.https://www.thesurelypodcast.com/Linktr.ee/DefDave
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  10: Airwolf 22.04.2026 40min

  Immediately following Super Bowl XVIII on January 22nd, CBS premiered a brand new series that would prove memorable to an entire generation of kids. Boasting both a high-tech helicopter and Ernest Borgnine, Airwolf hit all the key demos.To help me land this bird through all the high-octane action is Jarrod Alberich, a.k.a. The Yardsale Artist, of The Longbox Crusade Podcast.https://www.youtube.com/@longboxcrusadeLinktr.ee/DefDave
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  09: Ridley Scott's 1984 15.04.2026 26min

  Master film director Ridley Scott (Alien, Blade Runner) delivered what many consider the greatest television commercial of all time and forever changed the game of Super Bowl advertising.On January 22, during Super Bowl XVIII, his George Orwell-inspired sixty second ad teased a product that wasn't available yet, but would itself be a gamechanger in the personal computing industry.Jeff Johnson of the A Film By... Podcast makes his first return to the show to help me talk about it.A Film By... Podcast:https://www.afilmbypodcast.com/Def Dave's 1984 and all my other links:Linktr.ee/DefDave
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  08: Super Bowl XVIII 08.04.2026 44min

  January 22, 1984 was Super Bowl Sunday! The league's #1 seed and defending champion Washington Redskins ran into a very strong Los Angeles Raiders team.Did you watch this game? Do you remember who won?This game featured Joe Theisman, John Riggins, Art Monk, Jim Plunkett, Howie Long, Lyle Alzado and MVP Marcus Allen.Both Jason Colvin and Jim Butler make their returns to the show to help me reflect not only on Super Bowl XVIII but Super Bowls in general and how much the NFL meant to us as youngsters in 1984.Surely You Can't Be Serious Podcast:https://www.thesurelypodcast.com/Children of the 80s:https://open.spotify.com/show/4Oj8YAEgWuxixNOfMV7qOhDef Dave's 1984 YouTube and all my other links:Linktr.ee/DefDave
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  07: Judas Priest 01.04.2026 42min

  January 20, 1984 may have seen the release of "Defenders of the Faith" (sources vary), Judas Priest's follow-up effort to their "Screaming For Vengeance" album.To help me talk about it is old friend, veteran podcaster and Judas Priest fan, Van Allen Plexico, whose introduction to the band was this album.Van:plexico.netDef Dave's 1984 YouTube and all my other links:Linktr.ee/DefDave
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  06: The Vatican 25.03.2026 36min

  On January 10, 1984, news headlines announced a change in US foreign policy that broke a status quo that had been in place for over 100 year.President Ronald Reagan officially established full diplomatic ties with The Vatican for the very first time. And when we went digging for the reasons behind it, we discovered a wild tale that tied together everything from Indian curses and Confederate conspiracies to Muammar Gaddafi. Dee Graves, co-host of The Surely You Can't Be Serious Podcast, joins the show to guide me through the mind-blowing story behind the headlines.SYCBS:https://www.thesurelypodcast.com/Def Dave's 1984 YouTube and all my other links:Linktr.ee/DefDave
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  05: Van Halen 18.03.2026 41min

  I start off with a mistake, saying January 7th, but it was January 9, 1984 that Van Halen gave us the album with the perfect name! They took over MTV and dominated the year with multiple classic hits from "1984", their most commercially successful album. But a divisive one that split the band.To help me talk about it is Mike Munzen, a.k.a. Wolfman Mike, from the excellent 70svs80s Podcast.70svs80s:https://linktr.ee/70svs80sDef Dave's 1984 and all my other links:Linktr.ee/DefDave
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  04: Night Court 11.03.2026 36min

  January 4, 1984 was also the series premiere of one of the most iconic sitcoms of the decade. Night Court debuted here as a midseason replacement and would enjoy a long run in the timeslot following Cheers.To help me talk about it is Jim Butler, co-host of The Children of the 80s Podcast.Children of the 80s: https://open.spotify.com/show/4Oj8YAEgWuxixNOfMV7qOhDef Dave's 1984 YouTube and all my other links:Linktr.ee/DefDave