This Weekend: Freshman First Hits!

Iowa State University freshman Zahara Gordon (right) from Bloomington, Illinois, gets help from family members outside the Friley Residence Hall on Aug. 18, 2026, in Ames, Iowa.

What was your freshman year like?

You were probably filled with questions like… Am I going to fit in? How will I find my classes How’s it going to work with my roommate in college?

In music, the question is, Am I going to make it with my music?

This weekend on Retro Pop Reunion, it’s freshman year hits – your favorite artists’ first hits from the ’80s and ’90s!

Any musician will tell you they will never forget the first time they heard their song on the radio!

Joe Cortese has all kinds of stories – the influence behind Bryan Adams’ first hit, Madonna passing out cassette tapes to club DJs in New York, and Prince giving the Bangles their first hit song!

The breakout albums and the breakout hits, this weekend on Retro Pop Reunion!