1979’s Top Albums: Get Off The Wall!

Dave and Milt slip into their glowing white socks and travel back to September 22, 1979—when albums mattered, packaging was an art form and apparently everybody owned a synthesizer. [EPISODE SPOILERS IN LIST OF TOPICS BELOW. In case you care. … You probably don’t. Sigh.] Before entering the time machine, the guys wade into the Macklemore–Robert Kraft controversy, debating free speech, private venues, “Free Palestine,” antisemitism and whether anybody emerges from the whole mess looking particularly good.Then it’s on to the week’s Top 10 albums: Robin Williams unleashes his manic mind, The Cars avoid the sophomore slump, Earth, Wind & Fire decline to release “September” in September, and The Commodores prove there was more to them than Lionel Richie. Michael Jackson steps Off the Wall, Chic battles the disco backlash, Supertramp serves breakfast, Bob Dylan finds Jesus, The Knack discovers that overnight success has an expiration date, and Led Zeppelin delivers one final studio album—with six covers, a paper bag and a surprising amount of synthesizer. Plus: the Winner of the Week, two substitutions and the continuing criminal exclusion of the B-52’s from the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

Topics

00:00 Cold open: Lunch in Libya, glowing socks and compulsory Knack listening
01:00 Welcome—and Milt’s controversial decision to wear a tie
04:00 Macklemore, Robert Kraft and the Ed Sheeran tour controversy
08:00 Free speech, private venues and the right to say—or refuse to host—something
12:00 Does shutting down speech help the cause or create a martyr?
15:00 Why has “Free Palestine” captured so much attention from young Americans?
19:00 The time machine lands on September 22, 1979
21:00 No. 10: Robin Williams — Reality… What a Concept
33:00 No. 9: The Cars — Candy-O
42:00 No. 8: Earth, Wind & Fire — I Am
49:00 No. 7: The Commodores — Midnight Magic
54:00 No. 6: Michael Jackson — Off the Wall
1:10:00 No. 5: Chic — Risqué
1:21:00 No. 4: Supertramp — Breakfast in America
1:31:00 No. 3: Bob Dylan — Slow Train Coming
1:39:00 No. 2: The Knack — Get the Knack
1:46:00 No. 1: Led Zeppelin — In Through the Out Door
1:58:00 The complete Top 10 recap2:00:00 Winner of the Week: Who else?2:01:00 Milt’s substitution: Talking Heads — Fear of Music
2:04:00 Dave’s substitution: The B-52’s — The B-52’s
2:08:00 Spotify frustrations, contact information and one final bowl of NyQuil