Most people believe the year they graduated high school was the greatest year in pop music history. We put that theory to the test as we match up the year Dave graduated high school, 1984, against 2017, the year his daughter, Emma, graduated. It's quite a battle, and you may be surprised to find, like Holly, that you might like the songs from 2017 a bit more than those from 1984. This is not a "grody to the max (1984) episode nor is there any "clapback" or "facepalms" #2017, just a gnarly (1984) chat and some banging #2017 tunes.

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Even though it's Labor Day, we think every day is a Manic Monday. We're Takin' Care of Business over here at What Difference Does It Make, so we say, Let's Work!, as we recognize songs that salute the Working Class Hero. What a way to make a livin'!

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Warren Zanes' recent career trajectory has landed him in Nebraska…specifically, Bruce Springsteen's 1982 album, Nebraska. Warren’s book, Deliver Me from Nowhere: The Making of Bruce Springsteen's Nebraska, was released in 2023 to critical acclaim. Warren also hosts the concert performance of Bruce Springsteen's Nebraska: A Celebration in Words and Music. It's currently airing on PBS and features performances by Emmylou Harris, Eric Church, Noah Kahan, The Lumineers, Lucinda Williams, and Lyle Lovett. Last, but definitely not least, there will be a film version of Warren's book, directed by Scott Cooper and starring Jeremy Allen White as Bruce Springsteen. Warren Zanes joins us on the podcast to give us his insight into Bruce Springsteen's masterwork.

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Robyn Hitchcock has had quite the musical career. So much so that two movies have been made about him: The documentary Robyn Hitchcock: Sex, Food, Death...and Insects, and the Jonathan Demme-directed performance film, Storefront Hitchcock. However, when Robyn decided to write his own story, he centered it on a particularly meaningful point in his life: When he was 14 years old. The memoir is 1967: How I Got There And Why I Never Left. Robyn joins the podcast to tell us all about this magical year.

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August 10th is Duran Duran Appreciation Day. As it turns out, not only are we self-proclaimed Duranies, but our guests love the Fab 5 as well. So for this episode, we've compiled comments and observations from our past guests (and ourselves) about the music we love so much by Simon, John, Nick, Andy, and Roger. Happy Duran Duran Appreciation Day!

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Susan Seidelman has directed films with Meryl Streep, John Malkovich, and Madonna, but how does a humble girl from the suburbs of Philadelphia get to such a point? It's all documented in her new book, Desperately Seeking Something: A Memoir About Movies, Mothers, and Material Girls. Susan joins the podcast to talk about movies, music, mothers, and more.

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Matt Pinfield would probably consider himself "just a music fan from New Jersey". But fans of his radio and club shows, as well as music artists like David Bowie and Depeche Mode immediately recognized the passion and knowledge that Matt possessed. This led to the distinction of being THE spokesperson for rock music fans when he first began hosting the Alternative Music show 120 Minutes on MTV in 1995. It's all documented in his memoir, All These Things That I've Done: My Insane, Improbable Rock Life.  We’re lucky to have Matt on the podcast to discuss his life, as well as the Top Ten songs from the 1987 KROQ year-end playlist.

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Music Journalist Lyndsey Parker is a fixture on the Los Angeles music scene. For more than two decades, she served as the Music Editor for Yahoo Entertainment, interviewing all our favorite music artists, including 80s icons like The Cure, Duran Duran, and Cyndi Lauper. You've seen her as a correspondent on AXS TV and Fox 11 News in Los Angeles, and as a moderator at the Grammy Museum. You can learn all about Lyndsey on her website, Lyndsanity! First and foremost, she is a music fan, and also a Valley Girl, which makes her the perfect guest to discuss the 80s and songs 20 to 11 from the 1987 year-end chart as featured on The World Famous KROQ in Los Angeles.

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We first heard Swedish Egil at KROQ in Los Angeles, where for ten years he played his favorite dance, ska, and electronic music, introducing us to bands like New Order and Kraftwerk. From there, he became Music Director of MARS-FM, and introduced us to techno and rave artists like The Orb and Moby. And for the past three decades, Egil spearheaded Groove Radio, first in Los Angeles, then in syndication, and now globally through his website Groove Radio. You can also hear him still spinning 80s music on SiriusXM’s First Wave. So after we learn how a Swedish boy found his way onto the LA airwaves, we discuss songs 30 to 21 from the 1987 KROQ year-end chart.

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In this classic episode, we welcome special guest Chelsea Cantos into our What Difference Does It Make studio. Holly's daughter just wanted to tag along and see how the "magic" happens, so she happily strapped on the "cans" and became a big part of our show, offering up her unique perspective as we present some of our favorite 80s summertime favorites.

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Alan Hunter was the first person we saw for the debut of MTV on August 1, 1981 (just don't remind Mark Goodman of this fact). Alan has maintained a passion for the 80s music that defined our youth. This, naturally, makes him the perfect guest for our podcast, as we discuss his career, his newfound love of cruises, and songs 40 to 31 from the KROQ 1987 year-end chart.

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