Top 5 Songs of 1986

Jason and Dee take on what should be a simple task: ranking their Top 5 songs of 1986. Of course, there’s a twist. Thanks to past episodes and the upcoming podcast calendar, huge chunks of the year are completely off-limits—no cuts from albums they’ve already covered, and nothing from what’s coming next. That means saying goodbye to obvious giants and digging deep into the bench to find songs that still define the year without breaking the rules.

The result? A list that’s surprising, debatable, and very on-brand for the Surely You Can’t Be Serious Podcast. Along the way, the guys trade memories of what 1986 felt like in real time—what was on TV, what was in theaters, and what they were doing when these songs were soundtracking everyday life. They also toss in two honorable mentions that narrowly missed the cut, because some tracks are just too good to ignore.

No repeats. No previews. Just a creative, constraint-heavy love letter to one of the most loaded years in pop culture—and a ranking guaranteed to spark arguments. 🎧📻