Throwback Thursday: Madonna March Madness

March Madness is back, and this time, we’re putting the spotlight on the Queen of Pop herself: Madonna! 👑🎤

Back in 2020, while the world was on pause, Return to the '80s March Madness kept the spirit alive by diving into a head-to-head battle of Madonna’s biggest hits. And to make things even more fun, I was joined by my very good friend Lizzie Newton, an ‘elder Millennial’ and massive Madonna fan, who brought a fresh and exciting perspective to the tournament.

Not only did we break down each matchup, but we also recorded this one in person—turning it into a full-on listening party! 🎶💃 I had my laptop out, playing the songs as we went, so you’ll notice a different audio setup than usual, but trust me—it adds to the vibe!

🔥 In this episode, we cover:
✅ The Sweet Sixteen matchups for Madonna March Madness
✅ Some fun insights and banter on each track
✅ The ultimate question—which song should take the crown?
✅ PLUS—I reveal the results of the 2019 Prince March Madness Tournament! 🎤👑

📣 Tune In Next Week!
Next week, I’ll be announcing the results of the Madonna March Madness Tournament, right before we launch into Whitney Houston March Madness—so don’t miss it!

💡 Connect with GenX Journeys

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Throwback Thursday: Prince March Madness

It’s that time of year again—March Madness! But we’re not talking about basketball here. Oh no, we’re diving into our very own Return to the '80s March Madness music tournament! 🎶🏆

Now, if you’ve been with me for a while, you might remember that this all started back in the blog days when we kicked things off with Hall & Oates. It was such a blast that I decided to keep the tradition alive, and in 2019, we brought the tournament to the podcast—starting with none other than Prince.

That’s right—His Royal Badness is taking center stage today! I put 16 of Prince’s biggest hits head-to-head in a bracket-style showdown, and you, the listeners, got to vote on which ones moved forward.

In today’s episode, I’m joined by my good friend Del Roehling, and we’re breaking down all the first-round matchups. We’ll talk about the songs, share some Prince trivia, and debate which tracks deserve to advance.

But here’s the deal—I won’t be revealing the results just yet! You’ll have to tune in to the next episode to find out which songs made it to the next round.

So, let’s take a look at our matchups:

🎤 Bracket 1:
(1) When Doves Cry vs. (16) Batdance
(8) I Would Die 4 U vs. (12) Delirious

🎸 Bracket 2:
(4) Little Red Corvette vs. (13) Alphabet St.
(5) Sign ‘O’ the Times vs. (9) Raspberry Beret

💜 Bracket 3:
(2) Purple Rain vs. (15) Pop Life
(7) U Got the Look vs. (11) Take Me With U

🔥 Bracket 4:
(3) Let’s Go Crazy vs. (14) I Could Never Take the Place of Your Man
(6) 1999 vs. (10) Kiss

Whew—what a lineup! Some of these matchups are brutal. How do you even choose between Purple Rain and Pop Life? Or When Doves Cry and Batdance? But that’s the fun of it!

So, grab your raspberry beret, lace up your purple boots, and let’s get this tournament started! 🎶🏆💜

🎙️ Del Roehling (Host of 80s at 8 on 91.1 WEDM FM)
🔹 Tune in to 80s at 8 for all your favorite throwback tunes
🔹 Get your daily dose of ‘80s news on the 80s at 8 Facebook page

💡 Connect with GenX Journeys

🌎 Website: GenXJourneys.net
📩 Email: paul@genxjourneys.net
📺 YouTube: @GenXJourneys
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🐦 Twitter/X: @Returntothe80s
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Throwback Thursday: The '80s Cruise 2023

🚢 All aboard! With this year’s ‘80s Cruise setting sail this weekend, we’re throwing it back to one of our favorite episodes from 2023!

In this episode, Del and I are joined by two of our absolute favorites—Claire Young and Caroline Connelly—who had just returned from that year’s epic voyage. They gave us the full rundown on:

🎸 Incredible live performances – The music was nonstop, with legendary ‘80s acts bringing the nostalgia to life.
🎭 Outrageous costumes and themed events – Because what’s an ‘80s Cruise without neon, leg warmers, and some truly unforgettable outfits?
🧠 Trivia battles and celeb encounters – From testing their ‘80s knowledge to rubbing elbows with some of the decade’s biggest stars, Claire and Caroline had stories for days!

But, as always, we took a few fun detours along the way, chatting about:

🏆 Ke Huy Quan’s emotional Oscar win – A moment that had us all cheering!
🎥 Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny trailer – Back when we were filled with anticipation (and just a little skepticism) for Indy’s return.
💡 And plenty more ‘80s goodness!

So whether you’re about to board this year’s cruise or just love living vicariously through those who have, this episode is the perfect way to set the mood. Let’s go back to 2023 and jump right into the conversation!

If you're interested in future '80s cruises, go to the site https://the80scruise.com/

Del can be found on the show 80s at 8 on 91.1 WEDM FM as well the 80s at 8 Facebook page where he posts 80s news.

💡 Connect with GenX Journeys

🌎 Website: GenXJourneys.net
📩 Email: paul@genxjourneys.net
📺 YouTube: @GenXJourneys
📷 Instagram: @GenXJourneys
🐦 Twitter/X: @Returntothe80s
📘 Facebook: GenXJourneys
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Throwback Thursday: Remembering Prince 🎸☔

🎤 Originally Released: May 1, 2016
🎙 Episode 2 of Return to the '80s

On April 21, 2016, the world lost a musical icon—Prince. Originally, my co-host Robert and I planned to cover Fast Times at Ridgemont High as our second episode. But with the shocking news of Prince’s passing, we knew we had to dedicate this episode to celebrating his legendary career.

In this special re-release, Robert and I reflect on Prince’s impact, legacy, and the unforgettable music he left behind. We also each share our top five Prince songs—some classics, some deep cuts, all incredible.

Join us as we honor The Purple One, reminiscing about the music that shaped a generation and continues to inspire today.

💜 What are YOUR favorite Prince songs? Let me know in the comments or on social media!

💡 Connect with GenX Journeys

🌎 Website: GenXJourneys.net
📩 Email: paul@genxjourneys.net
📺 YouTube: @GenXJourneys
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🐦 Twitter/X: @Returntothe80s
📘 Facebook: GenXJourneys
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Throwback Thursday: Crushes 'n' Ballads

Welcome to a new episode of Return to the '80s! This Valentine's Day week, the gang talks about their '80s crushes and '80s ballads. This is sort of a sequel to Episode 10 from 2017, which did not include ballads, and an #80sCrushes Crossover event from that same week. Please comment below with you're favorite crushes and ballads. In the meantime, enjoy this show!

Round 1

Caroline
Crush: Patrick Swayze
Ballad: "She's Like the Wind" by Patrick Swayze

Claire
Crush: Keanu Reeves
Ballad: "Careless Whisper" by Wham!

Del
Crush: Sheena Easton
Ballad: "Always" by Atlantic Starr

Paul
Crush: Whitney Houston
Ballad: "The Search is Over" by Survivor

Round 2

Caroline
Crush(es): The Coreys
Ballad: "Glory of Love" by Peter Cetera

Claire
Crush: Saul Hudson (aka Slash)
Song: "Patience" by Guns n' Roses

Del
Crush: Phoebe Cates
Ballad: "Lady in Red" by Chris De Burgh

Paul
Crush: Ally Sheedy
Ballad: "Open Arms" by Journey

Round 3

Caroline
Crush: John Cusack as Lloyd Dobler
Ballad: "Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now" by Starship

Claire
Crush: Nikki Sixx
Song: "Home Sweet Home" by Mötley Crüe

Del
Crush: Elisabeth Shue
Ballad: "I'll Always Love You" by Taylor Dayne

Paul
Crush: Irene Cara
Ballad: "Truly" by Lionel Richie

Round 4

Caroline
Crush: Tom Cruise as Joel Goodson
Ballad: "Meet Me Half Way" by Kenny Loggins

Claire
Crush: Keifer Sutherland as David from The Lost Boys
Song: "Total Eclipse of the Heart" by Bonnie Tyler

Del
Crush: Carrie Fisher
Ballad: "Groovy Kind of Love" by Phil Collins

Paul
Crush: Mary Stuart Masterson
Ballad: "Through the Fire" by Chaka Khan

Round 5

Caroline
Crush: Christian Slater
Ballad: "You Got it All" by The Jets

Claire
Crush: Sebastian Bach
Song: "I Remember You" by Skid Row

Del
Crush: Cheryl Ladd
Ballad: "You're the Inspiration" by Chicago

Paul
Crush: Paula Abdul
Ballad: "I'll Be There For You" by Bon Jovi

Del can be found on the show 80s at 8 on 91.1 WEDM FM as well the 80s at 8 Facebook page where he posts 80s news.

And you can follow GenX Journeys at:

GenXJourneys.net
Find GenX Journeys on Facebook
Twitter: @returntothe80s
Email: paul@genxjourneys.net

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