This week I’m joined byJason Whissell—host of It’s Not That Bad& There Can Only Be One—as we build the ultimate ‘80s guilty pleasures mixtape. From synth-heavy pop anthems to actors throwing their hat in the musical ring, these are the songs that some might call cringe—but we call classics!

Let’s be clear: neither of us feels the slightest bit guilty about loving these tracks. But we’re leaning into the term “guilty pleasures”—because let’s face it, “songs everyone else seems to hate but we absolutely love” just doesn’t have the same ring to it!

🎙️ Subscribe now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast platform—and don’t forget to leave a 5-star review to help more music fans find the show! Then, scroll down to hear all of the songs discussed in this episode. 👇

Bow Wow Wow – I Want Candy

Starship – We Built This City

Timbuck 3 – The Future Is Bright (I Gotta Wear Shades)

Escape Club – Wild, Wild West

Cory Hart – Sunglasses At Night

Wang Chung – Everybody Have Fun Tonight

Tiffany – Could’ve Been

Toto – Africa

Big Country – In A Big Country

Rick Astley – Never Gonna Give You Up

Europe – The Final Countdown

Winger – Madalaine

KISS – Forever

Bad English – Possession

Styx – Mr. Roboto

Thomas Dolby – She Blinded Me With Science

Dan Aykroyd & Tom Hanks – City Of Crime

Bruce Willis – Respect Yourself

Milli Vanilli – Baby, Don’t Forget My Number

Falco – Rock Me Amadeus