Shows / Professor of Rock
Professor of Rock
The ultimate rock music history podcast for fans of the greatest era of music. If you’ve ever wondered about the true stories behind your favorite songs, or wanted to hear directly from the legends who made them, Professor of Rock is your new go-to podcast. Hosted by music historian and superfan Adam Reader, this show brings the golden era of music back to life with exclusive interviews, behind-the-scenes stories, and deep dives into the songs that shaped our lives. This podcast uncovers how…
Episodes
Professor of RockExclusive Interview: Derek Holt on Writing 'I Love You' and Finally Performing It 30 Years Later
Coming up, an interview with singer-songwriter Derek Holt who got axed from the Climax Blues Band for writing a huge hit. It’s pretty hard to believe but Derek…
- Professor of Rock
The Story Behind John Denver’s 'Annie’s Song': A Love Song That Couldn’t Save His Marriage
Coming up... John Denver is the last musical icon you'd associate with a violent tirade, with his golly-gee looks and squeaky-clean persona. But even John had…
- Professor of Rock
The Top 5 '2 Hit Wonders' of the 80s: Stories of Fame, Drama, and Surprising Cameos
Coming up…We have our Bottle Lightning show where we talk about the greatest one-hit wonders ever. But today I wanted to shake it up. What about those artists…
- Professor of Rock
Exclusive Interview With Huey Lewis: The Stories Behind 'Hip to Be Square' and His 80s Reign
Coming up next, a sit down with one of my favorite artists ever Huey Lewis... about one of the best songs of the mid-80s: Hip to Be Square. I swear I've never…
- Professor of Rock
Van Halen vs. Tone Loc: The Wild Story of How 'Jamie’s Cryin’ Was Sampled Without Permission
Alright, this one’s going to blow your mind. Today we’re featuring the iconic hit Jamie's Cryin' that never so much as placed on the Billboard Hot 100… even…
- Professor of Rock
The Story Behind The Who’s 'Behind Blue Eyes': Pete Townshend’s Confession and Roger Daltrey’s Heartbreak
Coming up… rock icon Pete Townsend of The Who delves into his feelings of angst in Behind Blue Eyes... grappling with the pressures of being a celebrity put on…
- Professor of Rock
What Happened to Cinderella? The Band Behind 'Nobody’s Fool' and 3 Big Records Explained
From KISS to Bon Jovi, Today's blues-rock outfit Cinderella caught the attention of some of the industry’s biggest icons before they were signed. And though…
- Professor of Rock
Suzanne Vega on 'Tom’s Diner': From Breakfast Inspiration to the Birth of the MP3 Format
Coming up. Tom's Diner by Suzanne Vega was a 1987 album track that wasn’t even released as a single in America. Then years later the song would make history…
- Professor of Rock
The Strange Inspiration Behind 'She’s a Beauty': Fee Waybill’s Wild Story
In the prime of his life, Fee Waybill of the Tubes, one of rock’s wildest frontmen was lured into a seedy parlor in the underbelly of San Francisco’s notorious…
- Professor of Rock
How 'Danger Zone' Went From Desperation to Kenny Loggins’ Career-Defining Hit
We have a killer show today. Celebrating Top Gun, one of the biggest soundtracks of the 80s with half a dozen of the artists who made this record one of the…
- Professor of Rock
How Barry Gibb Went Undercover to Write 'Islands in the Stream' and Gave the Bee Gees a Comeback
Coming up, they were the hottest group in music. The Bee Gees were coming off a decade where they had 14 top 10 hits and 9 #1 songs. And then pretty much…
- Professor of Rock
The Story Behind Golden Earring’s 'Radar Love': A Tragic Tale and the Ultimate Driving Anthem
Here’s one for ya. Golden Earring was a band that had 47 hits in their homeland but struggled to break through in America… They finally did in 1973 with Radar…
- Professor of Rock
Revisiting July 1967’s Top 10 Chart: Beatles, Stones, and the Summer of Love’s Greatest Hits
Up next we’re going to go go behind the top 10 songs of this VERY same week from the year 1967 a mere few months before the summer of love.. This top 10 has…
- Professor of Rock
The Police’s 'Every Breath You Take': The Dark Story Behind the Most Played Song in History
Wow! Where Do I even start with this one? The Police's Blockbuster record Synchronicity DEFINED IT’S TIME AS MUCH AS any album could with 4 huge hits……
- Professor of Rock
How AC/DC’s 'Big Balls' Went From Album Filler to a Laugh-Out-Loud Classic
Coming up, the story behind Ac/DC's Big Balls, a song with a dual meaning that makes the puritans blush, and even the most uptight fuddy daddy truly fall on…
- Professor of Rock
The Story Behind Journey’s Comeback: A 10-Year Hiatus, Steve Perry, and a #1 Hit
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The Rise and Fall of 'Mr. Jones': Why Counting Crows’ Adam Duritz Quit Music at Their Peak
How many bands would give their right arm to hit the big time and have their song played everywhere? To tour the world and take their music to the masses?…
- Professor of Rock
The Story of 'Ulterior Motives': The Lost 80s Song That Took 3 Years to Identify
17 seconds. That’s all anyone had to go off of. Just a few years back an anonymous user uploaded a clip of a mystery track from the 80s to a song discovery…
- Professor of Rock
The Shocking Story of 'I Touch Myself': Written by Men, Sung by a Rock Icon, and Still Debated
Coming up, the controversial song about female self-love… was written by a dude? Ha ha. It's I Touch Myself by the Divinyls. This story is almost too good to…
- Professor of Rock
The Untold Drama Behind Fleetwood Mac’s Epic 'Sara': Stevie Nicks’ Most Personal Song
Oh man… today’s song Sara by Fleetwood Mac is epic. Clocking in at over 15 minutes long, the original version of this breathtaking song once had a total of…
- Professor of Rock
The Surprising Link Between an X-Rated Film and Harry Nilsson’s Iconic 'Everybody’s Talkin’
Coming up… the story of two of the most enigmatic artists of the rock era, linked by the classic track Everybody's Talkin that wasn't fully appreciated until…
- Professor of Rock
The Comeback Story of Heart: From 70s Rock Icons to 80s Chart-Toppers
No doubt about it. Heart is one of the defining acts of the rock era. And their catalog is filled with essential entries in the rock canon. Today, we’re…
- Professor of Rock
How Devo’s 'Whip It' Became an 80s Anthem Everyone Misunderstood for Decades
Coming up next, we've got Devo and a song that is not at all what it seems: Whip It. For over 40 years everyone has thought this all-time hit was "Dirty." It…
- Professor of Rock
The Incredible Story of 'Kung Fu Fighting': A Last-Minute B-Side That Sold 11 Million Copies
Today's featured song Kung Fu Fighting by Carl Douglas will have you kicking some serious butt while moving to the groove. A smash hit from the 70s, Kung Fu…
- Professor of Rock
The Secret Weapon That Saved U2’s 'With or Without You' From Being Abandoned
So I gotta ask… Is this the most tortured track of the 80s? I mean we’re talking about With or Without You by U2, a song that is physically painful to listen…
- Professor of Rock
How The Hollies Wrote 'Long Cool Woman' While Day-Drinking—and Got Sued for It
Coming up next... Tipsy from some serious ‘day-drinking,’ two members of one of England’s premier bands, The Hollies, composed a song about the Prohibition Era…
- Professor of Rock
The Singer Who Had 4 Hit Songs on the Charts at the Same Time—With Different Bands!
Imagine a time when one man's voice was heard on about every other song on the radio. Dubbed "the man of a thousand voices," Tony Burrows holds the unique…
- Professor of Rock
"I Drove All Night": The Hit That Brought Roy Orbison Back Before His Tragic Passing
Up next, a Hall of Fame Songwriter Billy Steinberg who wrote five #1 hits for Madonna, Whitney Houston, the band Heart and the Bangles tells the story of…
- Professor of Rock
The One Song Even This Artist’s Critics Can’t Help But Love
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From the Friend Zone to the Top of the Charts: The Story of "Vehicle"
I’m telling you won’t believe this story. Today’s rocker Jim Peterik used to give this beautiful girl a ride home from school… He was head over heels in love…
- Professor of Rock
Paul Simon Turned a Rhyming Game with His Toddler into His Biggest Solo Hit
Next up, 50 Ways to Leave Your Lover, a timeless anthem of liberation from a suffocating romantic entanglement. Fashioned by Paul Simon, one of music's master…
- Professor of Rock
The Hidden Truth About Suzanne Vega’s "Luka" Finally Comes to Light
Coming up… an interview with iconic singer-songwriter Suzanne Vega who climbed up from the underground and had one of the biggest hits of 1987 with Luka. This…
- Professor of Rock
Animotion: The Only Band to Be a One-Hit Wonder Twice – An Exclusive Interview
Coming up, an interview with the band Animotion, which was somehow a one-hit wonder TWICE. In 1985 they released Obsession, a song that had a killer hook that…
- Professor of Rock
How Frankie Valli’s Risky Solo Move with "Can't Take My Eyes Off You" Became a Global Smash
Coming up, the story of Can't Take My Eyes Off You, a song that has had a huge impact on pop culture since its release over 50 years ago. Before it dominated…
- Professor of Rock
The Chaotic Story Behind Oasis’s Iconic "Wonderwall" and the Feud That Defined Them
They’re brash, they’re cocky, and completely full of themselves… And today’s featured bandmate brothers Liam and Noel Gallagher of Oasis were as likely to…
- Professor of Rock
Cryin', Amazing, and Crazy: Did Aerosmith Rewrite the Same Hit Three Times?
Today’s Legendary band Aerosmith killed in the 70s, faltered in the early 80s, and then made one of the biggest comebacks in rock history in the late 80s and…
- Professor of Rock
Carole King’s Shy Debut: How James Taylor Turned Her Song Into a #1 Smash
Coming up… the story of one of the most influential singer-songwriters of the rock era, Carol King. Ironically, Carol despised her own voice and, when she…
- Professor of Rock
How a Shocking Encounter Inspired Hall & Oates’ #1 Hit Maneater
Coming up next, icon John Oates tells the surprising story of the classic Maneater. This all-time hit came to John after he sat next to a famous actress in a…
- Professor of Rock
How Eagles Fought Back After Their Label Edited Best of My Love Without Permission
Coming up… the story of Eagles, one of the biggest-selling rock bands ever... and their all-important third album On the Border, as told by 2 great…
- Professor of Rock
Old Time Rock and Roll: The Classic Hit Bob Seger Never Expected to Succeed
Coming up, a tale of one of the most misjudged, underrated, and overlooked tracks that evolved into a classic rock favorite, Old Time Rock and Roll by Bob…
- Professor of Rock
How a Lawsuit and an 8-Year Wait Couldn't Stop Boston from Returning to #1
Just a word of advice. Don’t rush this guy. Today we’re telling the story of Boston's perfectionist rock savant Tom Scholz whose attention to detail is the…
- Professor of Rock
Blue Öyster Cult's Don't Fear the Reaper: The Spiritual Song Misunderstood as Satanic
Coming up next, an interview with Buck Dharma and Eric Bloom of Blue Oyster Cult, a band that haunted radio in the 70s with the CHILLING ROCK CLASSIC Don't…
- Professor of Rock
Lionel Richie’s All Night Long: The Crazy Stories Behind This Iconic #1 Hit
Alright, get this. So in an effort to perfect today’s featured song All Night Long (All Night), Lionel Richie stalked his wife’s gynecologist. That’s right…
- Professor of Rock
How The Boys of Summer Became a #1 Hit After Tom Petty Rejected It
Coming up. Today’s guitarist Mike Campbell was elated. He thought he’d written the best song of his career, The Boys of Summer. He was over the moon to show it…
- Professor of Rock
Eric Burdon Reveals the Truth About Spill the Wine—And Its Risqué Origins
Coming up next, interviews with Eric Burdon and Harold Brown of the 70s group Eric Burdon and War... on their hit debut single Spill the Wine. It was one of…
- Professor of Rock
The Shocking Story Behind The End: Jim Morrison’s Most Controversial Performance
Up next one of rock’s most mesmerizing frontmen, Jim Morrison, was playing one of The Doors's new songs "The End" as the house band for one of California’s…
- Professor of Rock
American Pie: The Song That Brings Generations to Tears, Explained by Don McLean
Coming up… an interview with the singer and songwriter Don McLean… an all-time legend on the story behind the most storied rock and roll song ever, American…
- Professor of Rock
The Life-Changing Decision of John Deacon: Leaving Queen at 25
While gazing out from a hilltop in the English countryside, for the first time in forever, Peter Gabriel saw his life clearly. Seven years, six albums…
- Professor of Rock
Peter Gabriel Leaves Genesis, Finds Himself, and Writes His Defining Song Solsbury Hill
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Disney Tried to Stop Kenny Loggins’ House at Pooh Corner—But Fate Had Other Plans
Coming up next, one of the most powerful moments with an artist that I’ve ever had in an interview. You’ll see why. Kenny Loggins has had huge hits in every…
- Professor of Rock
George Harrison’s My Sweet Lord: The #1 Hit That Sparked Rock’s Most Infamous Lawsuit
When one of the biggest bands in history, The Beatles, broke up, all the members of the band released solo projects almost immediately. The first of the band…
- Professor of Rock
The Most Mysterious Song on the Internet: Millions Love It, But Nobody Knows Its Name
Alright, you’re never going to believe this one. Coming up on today’s episode, we’ve got a song that has no name, no artist, and no date as to when it was…
- Professor of Rock
Quiet Riot’s Iconic Hits and the Interview That Ended It All
Quiet Riot led the charge for the popularization of metal music in the 80s with a landmark album of rebellion called Metal Health. Yet the sharp-tongued…
- Professor of Rock
The 1985 Song That Defined a Generation: Dire Straits’ Brothers in Arms
The Story of the 1985 song Brothers in Arms by Mark Knopfler and Dire Straits. Dire Straits ruled 1985 and 1986 with their blockbuster multi-platinum classic…
- Professor of Rock
Forced to Write “One More Song,” Springsteen Delivered a Global Smash
Over the course of several years, Bruce Springsteen wrote around 100 songs… And somehow he whittled them down to just one epic record called Born in the U.S.A…
- Professor of Rock
How Rod Stewart’s Maggie May Saved His Career and Made Him a Star
Coming up Rod Stewart was a gravedigger who wanted to be a rockstar. So in his spare time, he wrote music and played in a band hoping to make it. Rod wrote a…
- Professor of Rock
Paper Lace’s Rollercoaster Ride: Two #1 Hits, One Big Miss in the U.S.
Coming up, an interview with the singer Phil Wright of the 70s band Paper Lace, with one of the most fascinating song stories of the 70s. Paper Lace had two #1…
- Professor of Rock
How Genesis Predicted the Future with Their 1986 Hit Land of Confusion
Coming up, the story of Genesis, a band that was so great at creating hits that they had multiple projects in between albums… In fact, between lead singer Phil…
- Professor of Rock
The Hidden Meaning Behind The Beatles' Ticket to Ride: German Prostitutes and Heavy Metal?
So coming up, today’s featured song Ticket to Ride is pretty loaded. And by their own admission, so were the Beatles when they wrote it. There are some…
- Professor of Rock
So Bad, They’re Good: The Most Cringe-Worthy 80s Novelty Hits Ever Made
Man, I may be going against my better judgment on this one. In the crosshairs today, I’ve got a selection of cringe-worthy 80s novelty tracks that are “so bad…