The Hits of 1970
Dave and Milt crank up the Time Machine and head back to the week ending May 30, 1970, but not before detouring through spam-text “pig slaughtering” scams, listener banter, and a recap of Stephen Colbert’s farewell show, complete with Jack White, Eminem, and a fire-marshal joke that somehow made perfect sense. Meanwhile, Milt delivers a major life update: Thelma the bird has likely become a mother, making him a proud and slightly obsessed bird granddad.
Once the charts arrive, it’s a heavyweight showdown. The guys rave about classics like “Let It Be,” “Vehicle,” “The Letter,” “Up Around the Bend,” “Cecilia,” and “American Woman,” while taking a considerably dimmer view of “Which Way You Goin’ Billy?,” “Love on a Two-Way Street,” and “Everything Is Beautiful.” Along the way they uncover a Jay-Z sample connection, debate the mystery of Cecilia vs. Celia, call an old 800 number, wander into cheesesteak territory, and somehow find room for Claudia Schiffer, the Butthole Surfers, and The Lego Movie.
The episode also features a Beatles lyric quiz (A-to-Y edition), spirited arguments over Beatles minutiae, and a pair of chart substitutions as Sly & the Family Stone’s “I Want to Take You Higher” and Mountain’s “Mississippi Queen” earn honorary spots in the lineup. In the end, “Cecilia” and “Let It Be” emerge as the week’s champions, and the chart earns a final grade of “Bee Gees Plus”—which, in highly scientific Past Tens terms, is pretty darn good.
Topics
00:53 Wrong Number Scam Texts
03:38 Nicknames and Listener Banter
04:22 Colbert Finale Recap
07:47 Time Machine to May 1970
09:35 Bird Granddad and News
16:02 #10 – Let It Be Deep Dive
28:48 #9 – Vehicle and Horn-Rock Greatness
38:38 #8 – Tyrone Davis Soul Stop
41:59 Soul Vibes Warning
42:39 #7 – Joe Cocker’s The Letter
45:35 Mad Dogs & Englishmen Grit
47:47 Beatles A-to-Y Quiz
56:34 Trippy Beatles Debate
58:35 Poppy Family Deep Cut
01:02:20 Seasons in the Sun Tangent
01:05:33 #6 – CCR’s Up Around the Bend
01:12:03 Calling the Old 800 Number
01:15:11 #5 – Simon & Garfunkel’s Cecilia
01:18:33 Celia vs. Cecilia Mystery
01:20:17 Cheesesteak Saint Debate
01:21:11 Legendary Cheesesteak Duel
01:21:58 #3 Countdown Begins
01:25:26 Jay-Z Sample Surprise
01:27:14 Moments Name Change Story
01:30:38 #2 Countdown Spot
01:31:32 American Woman Origin Story
01:33:50 Dreams and Claudia Schiffer
01:37:10 Butthole Surfers Detour
01:40:20 #1 Song Revealed
01:42:06 Everything Is Beautiful Roast Session
01:44:27 Lego Movie Comparison
01:45:59 Top 10 Recap
01:47:32 Winner of the Week
01:49:38 Righting a Musical Wrong
01:56:32 Past Tens Grade Debate
02:00:57 Sign-Off and Plugs
