Def Dave's 1984
A comprehensive, chronological journey through every aspect of 1984. Discussing music, movies, TV, sports, cartoons, headlines, comics, pro wrestling, novels and more as I make my case for 1984 as the Best Year Ever in pop culture.
Episodes
27: The Grammys
The 26th Annual Grammys were held on February 28, 1984.It was a night honoring the music and artists of 1983 and is considered by some to be the best Grammys ever.Someone wearing a single sequined white glove might have set a new record for Grammys won in a single night. But this mysterious Gloved One might not have won Song of the Year.Returning to the show to help me run down all the big winners
26: Jacksons Pepsi Commercials
The Jacksons reunited in 1984 for a new album and tour, but the year started with the filming of a pair of Pepsi commercials.We all know how disastrous that proved for Michael, as we discussed in an earlier episode of this show. But February 26 was the date that these commercials debuted.There was vast interest surrounding them due to the accident Michael had suffered and he was still riding high
25: Star Wars Broadcast Premiere
Star Wars made its premiere on network television on February 26, 1984. CBS marketed it heavily and gave it a deluxe presentation, but it did it even win its time slot? Which of the film's stars introduced segments? Which high profile commercials were moved to debut during this broadcast?To help me sort through it all and reminiscence on the most significant movie of our childhoods is Mean Mar
24: Thompson Twins
February 17, 1984 also saw the release of "Into the Gap", the most successful album The Thompson Twins would ever have.They enjoyed their highest chart success with singles like "Hold Me Now" and "Doctor Doctor", both from this album.This episode also introduces Kathy Bright to the show as the official Pop Girl of Def Dave's 1984. She's here to help me discuss this classic album of British new wav
23: Footloose
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/
22: Touchstone Pictures
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
21: Scorpions
"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
20: Winter Olympics
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.sp
19: NASA's First Untethered Spacewalk
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
18: Robin/Nightwing (DC Comics)
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 D
17: Whitesnake
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.thesu
16: Michael Jackson's Accident
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 th
15: John Lennon
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_o
14: Introducing the Macintosh!
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/macintoshli
13: Marvel's Secret Wars
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
12: Hulk Hogan
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 His
11: Bon Jovi
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/Li
10: Airwolf
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
09: Ridley Scott's 1984
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
08: Super Bowl XVIII
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 refl
07: Judas Priest
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:Linkt
06: The Vatican
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 conspi
05: Van Halen
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 Podcas
04: Night Court
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
03: Swamp Thing
January 4th, 1984 was the day Swamp Thing #20 from DC Comics hit newsstands. This issue is significant because it was the first one to be written by Alan Moore.Moore would soon emerge as one of the greatest writers to ever work in comics and his work on Swamp Thing proved massively influential, reshaping the comics publishing landscape for decades.Special Guest James Buckley is deeply "rooted
02: College Bowl Games
We kick off the year the way every year should start: with a bunch of college football!Remember when January 1st meant something? All the major bowls were played on the same day, then we waited to find out who the pollsters chose for the champion. In 1984, the games were actually played on the 2nd. It was the day #5 Miami beat #1 Nebraska and jumped all the way to the top.To help me talk about it
01: Series Premiere
It all starts here: the premiere episode of a comprehensive, chronological journey through what I believe to be the #BestYearEver in 1980s pop culture. On this weekly series, we will step through the calendar and explore every aspect of 1984. Movies, rock, pop, r&B, rap, prime time, SNL, cartoons, sports, tech, news, true crime, fiction, toys, comics and more! We will cover it all so subscribe
Promo
Announcing a brand new video podcast coming your way in 2026! David Wright, co-host of the Beatles vs. Beach Boys podcast "Apples & Oranges", is starting a brand new show called "Def Dave's 1984".This will be a comprehensive, chronological journey through every aspect of the year. Not just every genre of music and movies, but a look at what was happening in television,
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