RRSSC 57

Field Guide to 1986

– We look back on 1986 – a fascinating year in rock and roll and Major League Baseball. Granted, back then, we rocked out to David Lee Roth’s Eat ‘Em and Smile, Poison’s Look What the Cat Dragged In, and Georgia Satellites self-titled debut. But we’ve since grown fond of New Order’s Brotherhood, Steve Earle’s Guitar Town and Kraftwerk’s Techno Pop. Peter Gabriel (“Sledgehammer”, “Big Time”) and Dire Straits (“Money For Nothing”) videos dominated MTV and still hold up today.

In Major League Baseball, we dig deeper on the dominance of (108 regular season wins!) and challenges (drugs!) facing the World Series champion New York Mets and its eclectic mix of characters, including Dwight Gooden, Keith Hernandez and Gary Carter. Remember Houston Astros pitcher Mike Scott? That dude was nasty in ’86, almost single-handedly getting the Astros past the Mets in the NLCS, which would’ve changed the course of one of the most famous storylines in World Series history. Looking back, it’s easy to forget there was so much more to the year than Buckner’s boot during or Madonna’s over-saturation of the airwaves. We’re here to give the year the respect and derision it deserves.

We’d love it if you shared your thoughts of the year in the comments section. What albums or videos did you love then? What have you learned to appreciate since? You can also join the conversation on Facebook or Twitter (@rocknchoo), using #ChooChat.

“Field Guide to 1986” Audio:

Setlist

Intro (Start-3:37)
What we discovered and liked then (3:37-21:40)
What we have since discovered and like now (21:40-33:10)
The ’86 Mets & Drugs (33:10-37:50)
NLCS & Mike Scott (37:50-42:10)
Batting practice jerseys (42:10-44:35)
Show Your Cards (44:35-End)