What Difference Does It Make

The What Difference Does It Make Podcast begins our 1987 musical journey with an analysis of songs 106.7 to 101 from the World Famous KROQ 1987 year-end chart. The bottom of the chart includes novelty songs (Swinging Erudites, Mojo Nixon), cover songs (Ball Of Confusion), and bands that have been forgotten over time (The Silencers). We're here to bring them back to life, and to determine whether they shall be deemed worthy to remember, or sent back into the ether...

It was quite a year, from U2 and The Beastie Boys, to Spuds McKenzie and 21 Jump Street. While we can't cover it all, we start off a new season of What Difference Does It Make with a look back at some of those iconic moments from 1987. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Veteran music journalist Katherine Yeske Taylor steps into our virtual studio to tell the tales of 20 badass musicians that she documented in her book, She’s a Badass: Women in Rock Shaping Feminism. The book features candid conversations about Feminism with Twenty Inspiring Female Artists including Ann Wilson (Heart), Exene Cervenka (X), Gina Schock (The Go-Go’s), Suzi Quatro, Suzanne Vega, Tanya Donelly (Throwing Muses, Belly), Amy Ray (Indigo Girls), Orianthi, Amanda Palmer, and more...

In this episode, we take you to the edge...as in the Western Edge exhibit currently featured at the Country Music Hall Of Fame in Nashville. Western Edge examines the close-knit community of Los Angeles-based singers, songwriters, and musicians who, from the 1960s through the 1980s, embraced country music, frequented local nightclubs, and created and shaped the musical fusion known as “country-rock”...

Well, the saying goes, "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.", but as Holly says, "I would be happy if we could have another year like this year." So we now look back at 2023 with a few highlights from our chats with many memorable guests. If you're new to What Difference Does It Make, this might very well be a good place to start, or simply a good place to catch up on what you've been missing. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ilana Kaplan uses her superpower ability to read the 1000 page Barbara Streisand memoir, My Name Is Barbra, in only three days! Ilana wrote the book review for the Los Angeles Times, and now joins us not only to discuss Babs, but Britney Spears, Sophia Coppola, and a preview of her own upcoming biography on Nora Ephron. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Friend of the show, Annie Zaleski, joins us this week to talk about the stories behind 100 beloved Christmas songs. It's also the title of her new book, This Is Christmas, Song by Song: The Stories Behind 100 Holiday Hits. We can’t get through all 100 songs, but we hit on many of our favorites. It's the episode to get you into the spirit of the season! Are you now in the mood for some Christmas Music? Check out this Amazon Music playlist Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone...

If you thought you were an obsessive music fan, we'd like to direct your attention to Peter Jesperson. He's known for establishing the Minneapolis-based Twin/Tone Records, initial home to bands like The Replacements and Soul Asylum, but he also had his hand in everything related to the Twin Cities music scene...

It's the most wonderful time of the year...at least for those allowed to grow a moustache in the month of November, aka Movember. The reason for this moustache celebration is because two Aussies (Travis Garone and Luke Slattery) wanted to create awareness for men's health issues. Cut to twenty years later, and the movement is bigger than ever. To celebrate the month, we invited Max Skinner, Community Development Manager representing Movember...

It's not a repeat if you haven't heard it before, so this is the perfect time to revisit Dave's favorite holiday and the one Holly tolerates because candy is involved. We talk about our favorite Halloween songs and movies that Holly has yet to see…Dave is still waiting to discuss Ed Wood with her. Plus, Holly thinks Echo & The Bunnymen's "Killing Moon" is a love song until she learns the terrifying truth...