Matt & Sheryl's GenExcellent Playlist: Recent Episodes
Matt & Sheryl
Two fifty-something music fanatics and entertainment industry veterans discuss what's on their musical minds and work together to create a Gen X playlist starting with the earliest music memories that shaped their lives and continue to inspire them today.
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In this special episode, Matt & Sheryl each choose two artists who's careers skyrocketed in 1983 from exposure on MTV.
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Matt & Sheryl discuss progressive rock in the early 80s adding the only US #1 single from Yes, "Owner of a Lonely Heart" to the play list and revisit the Genesis self-titled album from '83, other 70s prog bands that moved ahead with the times in the 80s and the new neo prog movement bubbling up.
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Matt & Sheryl get closer to completing their song choices for 1983 with Bonnie Tyler's larger than life rock ballad "Total Eclipse of the Heart", Journey's ode to the difficulties of maintaining relationships at home while on the road, "Faithfully" and The Fixx and their impeccably produced 80s classic "One Thing Leads to Another".
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Matt & Sheryl move on with 1983 adding three songs to the playlist, Big Country "In a Big Country", Duran Duran "Is There Something I Should Know" and The Tubes "She's a Beauty" along with Sheryl's album of the year, Big Country The Crossing.
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Matt & Sheryl continue their musical journey through 1983 with Matt's global pick for the year, Irene Cara's "Flashdance...What a Feeling" from the iconic movie Flashdance and Sheryl's playlist selection, Spandau Ballet's "True", another song that hit big from the New Romantic movement that included their British rivals, Duran Duran.
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Matt & Sheryl do a deep dive into the Neue Deutsche Welle (German New Wave) scene from 1980 - '83 choosing two songs for the playlist from 1983, Nena "99 Luftballons" & Peter Schlling "Major Tom (Coming Home)".
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Matt & Sheryl open their minds to the glam metal movement that started gaining ground in '83 with the huge success of Def Leppard Pyromania as Matt chooses "Photograph" for the playlist and Sheryl's playlist pick stays in the new wave vein with Men At Work's "Overkill" from their great second album Cargo.
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Matt and Sheryl continue with 1983 adding Matt's picks, the Eurythmics breakthrough hit single "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)" and the Bacharach/David classic "Always Something There to Remind" me covered by synth pop duo Naked Eyes & Sheryl's pick, the highly influential and biggest selling 12" single of all time, New Order's "Blue Monday".
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Matt & Sheryl add U2 "New Year's Day" and Echo & the Bunnymen "The Cutter" as their first playlist picks for 1983
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Mike joins Matt & Sheryl to discuss their favorite albums and songs released in 2024
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Matt & Sheryl start a new year with 2 albums released in late 1982 that found their popularity in 1983 and beyond, Michael Jackson's Thriller and Prince's 1999
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Matt, Sheryl & Mike wrap up 1982 with Mike's song pick, Elvis Costello "Beyond Belief" and album XTC English Settlement, Matt's final song, John Cougar "Jack & Diane", Sheryl's final song, Modern English "I Melt With You" and all the many near miss songs and albums for the year.
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Matt & Sheryl near the end of 1982 with their penultimate episode bringing back a song they previously discussed featuring the Toto guys backing Donna Summer with Quincy Jones producing and the last great Who single "Eminence Front" along with the album it came from It's Hard and Pete's solo album All the Best Cowboys Have Chinese Eyes.
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Matt & Sheryl divert from 1982 and discuss one hit wonders with deeper catalogs that fall within the playlist years of '72 - '99 as well as Sheryl's 1982 playlist song pick, Thomas Dolby "She Blinded Me With Science" and Matt chooses his album for 1982, The English Beat Special Beat Service.
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Matt & Sheryl push through 1982 with one of the last yacht rock songs to chart in the US top 10, America's "You Can Do Magic" and Sheryl's album pick for '82, an album that shook the music world throughout the year and into '83 warranting comparisons to Beatlemania, Duran Duran Rio.
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Matt & Sheryl make their way further into 1982 with songs that were considered one hit wonders in the US but had more success in the UK as the second British Invasion starts to take over America.
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Matt & Sheryl continue adding to the playlist with The English Beat's beloved "Save it for Later" and Van Halen's cover of Martha and the Vandella's "Dancing in the Street" from one of their most overlooked albums, Diver Down.
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Matt & Sheryl focus on Toto in 1982, adding their hit single "Rosanna" to the playlist and Don Henley's "Dirty Laundry", featuring the Toto guys as session musicians, and discuss other albums they contributed to that year.
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Matt and Sheryl move a little deeper into '82 with Matt's picks, supergroup Asia's "Heat of the Moment", The Go-Go's "We Got the Beat" and Sheryl's choice XTC's melodic masterpiece "Senses Working Overtime".
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Matt & Sheryl move into a new year with Sheryl's first 1982 choice "Don't You Want Me" and Matt's pick "Down Under", both songs that were released in 1981 but became huge hits in '82.
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Mike joins Matt & Sheryl as they wrap up another year with Mike's song pick and Mike and Matt's album choices, along with near misses for the playlist from 1981.
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Matt & Sheryl choose their last two songs for the playlist for 1981, an iconic 80s hit single by the most popular duo in music history and a throwback one hit (or two hit) wonder in the US from a west coast Canadian band.
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Matt & Sheryl continue their deep dive into 1981 with Matt's pick from The Go-Go's debut album "Our Lips Are Sealed" and Sheryl's pick from synth pop pioneers Soft Cell and their cover of "Tainted Love"
Matt & Sheryl work through more 1981 albums looking for their favorite of the year and discuss the huge AOR albums from 1981 Journey Escape, Foreigner 4, Loverboy Get Lucky and Billy Squier Don't Say No.
Matt & Sheryl discuss the start of Phil Collin's solo career with his 1981 release Face Value along with Sheryl's song pick from Genesis, "No Reply At All" and Matt discovers a new found love for Split Enz and chooses their song "History Never Repeats" for the playlist.
Matt & Sheryl add three songs to the playlist from bands who all built a following from relentless touring in the 70s and into the 80s, Styx with their synth driven hit "Too Much Time on My Hands", REO's huge hit "Take it on the Run" from their massive 1980 album Hi Infidelity, and Climax Blues Band's second hit "I Love You" along with Sheryl's close second choice as her album of 1981, Rush's Moving Pictures.
Matt & Sheryl continue their journey into 1981, adding two songs to the playlist from veteran artists who had hits into the 80s, The Who's "You Better You Bet" and Steve Winwood's first solo hit "While You See a Chance" and discuss a near miss for the playlist, Rick Springfield's 80s classic "Jessie's Girl"
DJ Avelanche and DeVon Pouncey join Matt & Sheryl and share their riveting accounts of the early days of rap in the 80s and 90s and it's effect on their youth and their lives today as Matt adds his introduction into the genre, Blondie's "Rapture", to the playlist and Sheryl adds Queen & David Bowie's "Under Pressure", a song that would be a hit in 1981 and sampled to great success in the early 90s.
Matt and Sheryl begin 1981 by adding Sheryl's pick for the playlist "Watching the Wheels", the third hit single from John Lennon & Yoko Ono's Double Fantasy album, Matt's pick "Stars on 45", a medley of Beatles songs that was recorded in 1980, but became a global hit in '81 after John's death, and discuss the tributes to John by the remaining Beatles.
Mike joins Matt & Sheryl for the final episode of 1980 featuring Matt's final song pick, Frank Sinatra's "Theme From New York, New York", Sheryl's final song pick Squeeze "Pulling Mussels From a Shell", Mike's song pick Talking Heads "Once in a Lifetime" and album The Pretenders self-titled debut along with all of their near album and song misses for 1980 as they wrap up the year
Matt and Sheryl each pick a song from two very different music movements happening simultaneously, ska and the 2Tone label in the UK and country crossover hits and the Urban Cowboy movie in the US.
Matt & Sheryl continue to sail through 1980 as they work to narrow down the definition of Yacht Rock and add two Yacht Rock classics, Ambrosia's "Biggest Part of Me" and Robbie Dupree's "Steal Away" to the playlist.
Matt & Sheryl continue adding to the playlist with Matt's pick, ONJ's "Magic" from the box office flop turned cult classic movie Xanadu and Sheryl's second ex-Beatle pick from 1980, John Lennon's last statement before his untimely death "(Just Like) Starting Over.
Matt and Sheryl continue their journey through 1980 focusing on producer Steve Lillywhite and his work on four groundbreaking albums in 1980: Peter Gabriel 3 (Melt), The Psychedelic Furs debut album, U2 Boy and Matt's album pick for the year, XTC Black Sea.
1980 continues with Sheryl's obvious album pick for the year, Pete Townshend's Empty Glass and Matt's song pick, REO Speedwagon's "Keep On Loving You".
Matt & Sheryl finally introduce hard rock to the playlist in the third installment of 1980 as they take a ride on Ozzy's "Crazy Train" and appreciate the sonic perfection of AC/DC's hard rock anthem "You Shook Me All Night Long". They also discuss the ushering in of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal (NWOBHM) led by Judas Priest's classic British Steel album.
Matt & Sheryl continue into the 80s with Sheryl's pick, a radio staple that has endured decades from Pittsburgh's hometown hero Donnie Iris and Matt's pick, a song from an underground band led by the prolific and talented Robyn Hitchcock.
Bring on the 80s!! Matt & Sheryl start season 2 in 1980 with a hit single from Paul McCartney's second DIY solo effort McCartney 2, "Coming Up" and a seminal late disco hit that is still a dance staple to this day Lipps, Inc. "Funkytown".
Matt & Sheryl do a deep dive into the catalog of one of the top artists of the '70s, Elton John, and discuss his songwriting partnership with Bernie Taupin and their run of hit singles and albums.
Mike joins Matt & Sheryl this week as he offers his song and album for 1979 and we all recap the music that didn't quite make the playlist, but are worth mentioning (and there's a lot!!)
Matt and Sheryl continue in 1979 with their last song picks and Sheryl's album of the year, Gang of Four's influential debut Entertainment.
00:02:35 M "Pop Muzik"
00:13:11 Michael Jackson "Don't Stop "Til You Get Enough"
00:27:18 Disco Demolition
00:46:01 Gang of Four Entertainment
Matt & Sheryl forge on with 1979 picking two songs for the playlist, Supertramp "Goodbye Stranger" from their blockbuster album Breakfast in America and The Police's first UK #1 single "Message in a Bottle".
Matt and Sheryl return to the playlist in 1979 with British artist Kirsty MacColl, who's first single became a US hit in the early 80s for another British singer, Led Zeppelin's final single and an example of what made John Bonham one of the greatest drummers of all time, and Matt's reveals his album pick for '79, The Clash's London Calling.
3:19 "Fool in the Rain" and the half-time shuffle
21:38 Kirsty MacColl "They Don't Know"
42:04 The Clash London Calling
Matt & Sheryl pay tribute to the recently passed session drummer Jim Gordon and his legacy of amazing music he left behind.
00:07:27 The Wrecking Crew
https://youtu.be/-ZgBexrZvM0
00:23:00 Late 60s - 70s recordings featuring Jim Gordon on drums
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2Oha93PfRKu1yqSQOXZmI8?si=72da9b9edd1a42f2
Matt & Sheryl discuss the 1979 movie The Warriors and it's influence on music videos of the 80s, the futuristic dystopia of Gary Numan's "Cars" and the evolution of Jefferson Starship and their song "Jane".
00:00:00 The Warriors movie
00:11:50 Gary Numan "Cars"
00:33:24 Jefferson Starship's evolution and "Jane"
Matt & Sheryl continue in 1979 with the a prophetic song that would become the first video played on MTV two years after its release, a tour de force vocal performance by one of the most beloved AOR bands of the era and a late disco classic that ushered in the new sound that dance music would take on in the 80s
Matt & Sheryl start an exciting new year in music with two disco hits by rock artists and a hit by a huge '60s star in the UK who finally made an impact in the US in the late 70s.
00:00:00 What's up in music in 1979
00:10:26 Buckingham Nicks self-titled debut from '73 and it's obscurity
https://youtu.be/E1kHeix-55c
00:17:45 Blondie "Heart of Glass"
00:31:16 ELO "Don't Bring Me Down"
00:38:29 Cliff Richard "We Don't Talk Anymore"
Matt & Sheryl spotlight one of the quintessential bands of the 70s, Steely Dan, who were not represented on the playlist but deserve a deep dive into their catalog from the 1970s.
00:05:07 Becker & Fagen's history
00:19:59 Can't Buy a Thrill
00:29:25 Countdown to Ecstacy
00:36:38 Pretzel Logic
00:42:04 Katy Lied
00:45:23 The Royal Scam
00:50:22 Aja
01:00:11 Matt & Sheryl pick their favorite Steely Dan albums
Matt, Sheryl & Mike wrap up 1978 with Mike's album pick Van Halen Van Halen Sheryl's album pick Elvis Costello & The Attractions This Year's Model and Matt's album pick Buzzcocks Another Music in a Different Kitchen and Mike adds the last song to the playlist for 1978 with Donna Summer's "MacArthur Park".
00:14:24 Albums that we love but missed the playlist in 1978
00:20:40 Favorite songs that just missed the playlist in '78
00:25:02 Sheryl's album pick Elvis Costello & The Attractions This Year's Model
00:36:11 Matt's album pick Buzzcocks Another Music in a Different Kitchen
00:50:16 Mike's song pick for '78 Donna Summer "MacArthur Park"
Matt & Sheryl continue to work through 1978 with their guest, radio veteran John Windus, each choosing a song for the playlist and discussing radio in the PNW and radio formats of the time.
Listen along with Matt & Sheryl's GenExcellent Playlist on Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2dtoMOrC7FwrSIh70Tqi06?si=0856b7e3132c4fc3
00:00:00 Introducing radio veteran John Windus and his career in PNW radio, including his stint as program director for KCMU in the early '80s
00:12:00 Radio formats freeform, boss jocks and AOR and how the program directors chose what to play
00:20:53 Sheryl's song pick for '78 Sniff 'n' the Tears "Driver's Seat"
https://youtu.be/9SCzVEUlqqA
00:34:57 Matt's song pick for '78 Cheap Trick "California Man"
https://youtu.be/lPOSJEJ_lmM
00:51:05 John's song pick for '78 Warren Zevon "Werewolves of London" and album pick Little Feat Waiting for Columbus
https://youtu.be/qae25976UgA
Matt & Sheryl continue building the playlist with Sheryl's song pick for '78 Gerry Rafferty "Baker Street", Matt's pick Little River Band "Lady" and the big hit of the year Village People "YMCA"
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00:07:39 Sheryl's song pick Gerry Rafferty "Baker Street" https://open.spotify.com/playlist/365cdNnSe3D2SjMWnQHll4?si=5a5935624b064338
00:31:09 Hit for 1978 Village People "YMCA"
00:41:17Matt's song pick Little River Band "Lady"
Matt and Sheryl welcome Matt's friend Roy Cunningham, musician and radio show host living in Austin, to discuss the influence of recently passed Jeff Beck and help build their playlist with his pick The Police "Roxanne" and album pick Van Halen's self-titled debut. Matt adds Earth, Wind & Fire "September" to the playlist and Sheryl's picks another Wings hit "With a Little Luck".
Matt & Sheryl continue into 1978 - the year The Bee Gees, the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack, and RSO records dominated the charts with an incredible run of hits, and do a deep dive into the Bee Gees career and music
00:00:00 The Bee Gees early career
00:30:39 1974 Bee Gees success dwindling in England with the release of Mr. Natural and transition to R&B and disco with Main Course
00:42:04 Saturday Night Fever and playlist pick "How Deep Is Your Love"
00:45:12 Playlist pick "Stayin' Alive"
00:50:43 Playlist pick Yvonne Elliman "If I Can't Have You"
00:52:03 Bee Gees penned and recorded chart domination including Andy Gibb
00:55:23 RSO domination & downfall with Sgt Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Movie
01:08:03 Andy, Maurice and Robin Gibb all pass away
01:09:43 Andy Gibb's career and demise
01:13:22 Disco falls out of favor and takes down The Bee Gees, Andy Gibb and others with it
Matt & Sheryl are once again joined by Mike as they finish up 1977 (finally!!) with Sheryl's song pick David Dundas "Jeans On", Mike's song pick 10CC "The Things We Do For Love" and Matt's album pick The Saints I'm Stranded. Matt also introduces his last song for 1977 The Bee Gees "How Deep is Your Love", a precursor to a future show dedicated to The Bee Gees dominance of the charts in 1978.
00:01:06 Introducing Mike and Silver Platters
00:03:51 Mike's early music memories and first 45 The Banana Splits single
00:06:55 Star Wars and Mike's 13 year old self song pick (that Matt & Sheryl won't allow Mike to add to the playlist) Dickie Goodman "Star Warts"
00:09:52 Some of Mike's other favorites in 1977 10CC "Things We Do For Love" & Al Stewart "Year of the Cat", Steely Dan "Aja", Stevie Wonder "Sir Duke", Spinners "Rubberband Man"
00:13:35 Songs in TV commericals Nick Drake "Pink Moon"
00:22:10 Mike's song pick for 1977 and history of 10CC "Things We Do For Love"
00:25:28 Matt's album pick for 1977 The Saints (I'm) Stranded
00:41:56 Sheryl's 1977 song pick David Dundas "Jeans On"
00:48:57 Mike has more to say! Favorite albums of 1977 we all discovered as adults
01:00:18 Matt give a teaser for 1978 with is last song pick The Bee Gees "How Deep is Your Love"
01:02:35 Closing out 1977 on the playlist
Matt & Sheryl carry on with 1977 adding Marvin Gaye's hit "Got to Give it Up" to the playlist along with Sheryl's song pick Leo Sayer's "When I Need You" and Matt's pick Iggy Pop's "Lust for Life"
00:00:00 Choosing the best versions of the playlist picks so far
00:06:26 Marvin Gaye "Got to Give It Up" Pt 1
00:23:50 Sheryl's song pick Leo Sayer "When I Need You"
00:33:50 Matt's song pick Iggy Pop "Lust For Life"
EP15 Matt & Sheryl are joined by Mike, Sheryl's husband and owner of record chain Silver Platters to discuss their favorite releases from 2022
00:00:00 Taylor Swift and other top sellers at Silver Platters of 2022
00:11:03 Mike's list of the many great releases in 2022 by women artists
00:22:26 Matt's favorite album of 2022 Father John Misty Chloe and the Next 20th Century and favorite song Arcade Fire "Unconditional I (Lookout Kid)" and others
00:33:31 Sheryl's favorite album of 2022 David Londgon Door One, Robyn Hitchcock, Death Cab for Cutie, reissues from The Beach Boys & The Beatles
00:52:21 Mike's list of favorites for 2022 (yes, there are more!) Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers Live at the Fillmore 1997 and others
01:02:06 Chart toppers and critic's best of lists for 2022
EP 14 Matt & Sheryl continue in 1977 with Donna Summer & Giorgio Moroder's disco hit "I Feel Love" & Matt's song pick country artist Merle Haggard's "Ramblin' Fever" along with Sheryl's album pick Television's Marquee Moon
0:00 Star Wars
4:42 Donna Summer & Giorgio Moroder "I Feel Love"
22:14 Sheryl's album pick for '77 Television Marquee Moon
37:07 Matt's song pick Merle Haggard "Ramblin' Fever"
EP 13 Matt, Sheryl and special guest Mike (Sheryl's husband) introduce their favorite Christmas songs and traditions
00:00:00 Matt & Sheryl's family holiday traditions past and present
00:11:33 Matt's first song pick Emmylou Harris "Christmas Time's a-Comin'"
00:19:17 Sheryl's song pick "Wonderful Christmastime"
00:25:40 Matt's second song pick Donny Hathaway "This Christmas"
00:32:51 70s-80s Christmas specials: Rankin-Bass, The Grinch, Peanuts
00:37:00 Introducing Mike to the podcast
00:43:27 Mike's song pick The Cory Band "Stop the Calvary"
EP 12 Matt & Sheryl dig into 1977 with the huge Eagles hit "Hotel California" and a one-hit (or is it two-hit?) wonder Climax Blues Band's "Couldn't Get it Right" along with the emergence of punk and it's connection to Reggae
00:00:00 Eagles Hotel California album and song and it's Reggae sound
00:16:00 Reggae, country & Steely Dan influence on "Hotel California"
00:31:14 Reggae influence on UK punk and The Clash debut album
00:41:04 Climax Blues Band "Couldn't Get it Right"
EP 11 We take a break from the playlist this week to pay homage to Christine McVie and her history with Fleetwood Mac as we start with the Peter Green years and make our way up to 1977's Rumours, chronicling one of the biggest records of that year and one of the top 5 highest selling albums of all time
2:27 Fleetwood Mac Early Years - Peter Green, Jeremy Spencer up to Kiln Houses
15:55 Middle period - Green & Spencer disappear. Bob Welch, Danny Kirwan, Christine McVie lineup Future Games & Bare Trees
25:07 Kirwan ousted, Weston & Walker added for Penguin. Walker out for Mystery To Me & Heroes Are Hard to Find & the "fake" Fleetwood Mac tour
30:58 Lindsey Buckingham & Stevie Nicks come on to the scene. Fleetwood Mac self-titled "White Album"
37:35 Rumours - Buckingham/Nicks & McVie's relationships each crumble
41:21 Matt & Sheryl each rank the songs from Rumours from their least to most favorite
55:39 Go Your Own Way and wrap up
Matt & Sheryl finish off 1976 with two big hits, Matt's song pick for the year Elvin Bishop "Fooled Around and Fell in Love" and Matt introduces his album of the year Ramones self-titled debut
00:01:12 Wings "Silly Love Songs" and Sheryl expresses her grievances with the Wings at the Speed of Sound album
00:11:39 ELO "Telephone Line" and the history of Electric Light Orchestra and Jeff Lynne's genius
00:19:29 Sheryl rants about Paul McCartney's "Rockestra"
00:24:56 Matt tips his hat Boston's self-titled debut and introduces his song pick Elvin Bishop's "Fooled Around and Fell in Love"
00:38:06 Sheryl's campaign to bring attention to Paul McCartney's Press to Play album and his catalog from the 2000s
00:44:05 Matt's album pick for '76 Ramones self-titled debut
Matt & Sheryl's first installation of their "Mt Rushmore" bonus episodes featuring favorite songs with "Thank" in the title
Matt & Sheryl add two of their own picks to the playlist for '76 and discuss albums they are currently spinning.
00:03:00 Matt's buys the new Sloan LP and Sheryl's still obsessed with prog (current prog this time)
00:13:58 Phish stories
00:19:17 Manfred Mann "Blinded by the Light"
00:36:12 Gary Wright "Love is Alive"
00:43:58 The Midnight Special & rock music on TV in the 70s
Matt & Sheryl add two hits to the playlist and Matt's song pick The Four Season's "December, 1963 (Oh, What a Night)" and discuss Sheryl's album pick for '76 Thin Lizzy Jailbreak00:00:00 Newton-John TV special ft. Abba and Andy Gibb
00:09:15 The Four Seasons "December, 1963 (Oh, What a Night)"
00:16:22 Rod Stewart "Tonight's the Night" & Rod Stewart BBC TV special A Night on the Town
00:31:12 Sheryl's album pick for '76 Thin Lizzy Jailbreak
00:43:21 Radio formats
00:45:51 Chicago "If You Leave Me Now"
Matt & Sheryl go over their latest music obsessions, Zamrock and Spirit of '76and introduce their first two playlist picks from 1975.
Matt & Sheryl finish off 1974 by adding two of their personal selections, both number 1 hits. They also discuss what's been grabbing their attention for the week including Gentle Giant, Loretta Lynn and Arcade Fire.
Matt & Sheryl discuss current favorites including albums from Caravan and Moby Grape, add two songs to their playlist and two favorite albums released in '74
Matt & Sheryl continue adding to their GenExcellent playlist with two songs from 1973 and discuss their personal song picks from that year and favorite albums of the week.
Matt & Sheryl start building their GenExcellent playlist, beginning in '72 with Don McLean's American Pie. They also discuss albums that are on constant rotation in their homes for the week and their personal picks from '72