But which other ’80s artists deserve a nod? Who should be in the Class of 2027? That’s an eternal question, of course, so today I am re-running this vintage Totally ’80s podcast episode featuring an expert panel of special guests, Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductees Lol Tolhurst of the Cure (Class of 2019) and Gina Schock of the Go-Go’s (Class of 2021). Like the Go-Go’s’ T-shirt says, “It’s about fucking time!”

From the “flier wars” to the fashion, from the Rainbow Bar & Grill parking lot to the music that emerged from the “boulevard of broken dreams,” we cry tough, show no mercy, talk dirty, rip and tear, and have nothin’ but a good time.

Congratulations to Rikki and Tracii on their much-deserved awards!

Today it’s a holiday, time to celebrate, with a very special episode of Totally ‘80s ! This one is all about the undisputed Queen of the ‘80s, the Queen of Pop, the Queen of all media, and the Queen of my world, her Royal Magesty, Madonna Louise Ciccone — but specifically focusing on her long-forgotten and often-overlooked punk origins.

Joining me for this discussion is the legendary Susan Seidelman, director of the punk-rock cult classic Smithereens and author of the excellent new autobiography Desperately Seeking Something. But of course, Seidelman was also there to witness — and in some ways, facilitate — the rise of early Madonna, when she directed Desperately Seeking Susan.

Also joining me is Laura Jane Grace, frontwoman of the iconic punk band Against Me! and new supergroup Laura Jane Grace & the Mississippi Medicals, who also just happens to be one of the coolest and most knowledgeable Madonna fans around.

You can hear audio of this fascinating discussion below in full (or wherever you get your podcasts). The televised version, in which you can see all my Desperately Seeking Susan costume props in their full glory, can be viewed in the YouTube player above and is also airing on WMX Pop and Rock (Roku Channel 1154, Vizio Channel 1240, or on Xumo Play).

Somewhere in the ‘WDDIM’ vaults there’s a 250-minute director’s cut that’s pretty much all me filibustering about the criminally underrated Gene Loves Jezebel and why Less Than Zero IS a Christmas movie… but in the meantime, listen below as we discuss “Motion of Love,” “Hazy Shade of Winter,” and other 1987 KROQ hits by the Alarm, U2, Pet Shop Boys, Love and Rockets, R.E.M., and more.

And check out other “What Difference Does It Make?” podcast episodes here!

Chachi Loves Everybody takes listeners with Dave “Chachi” Denes as he sits down for candid conversations with radio’s legends, master brand builders, up-and-comers, and innovators in the burgeoning audio space, revealing the true stories behind their successes and their insights into building iconic brands through audio.

It was an absolute blast chatting with Chachi about growing up as a Valley Girl; my avant-garde clothing style and how my mom supported my self-expression growing up; exploring the L.A. music scene and my early music influences, including Duran Duran, the Monkees, and Beatles, and later, MTV; my Porkchops & Applesauce fanzine; my fascination with reality TV and all things pop culture; co-writing the book Permanent Damage and getting the opportunity to collaborate with Miss Mercy and share her incredible life story; and much, much more!