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 RockInterview: Journey’s Jonathan Cain & Neal Schon on Writing “Faithfully” and Prince’s Concern Over “Purple Rain”
Coming up some call it the greatest power ballad ever recorded.. Faithfully by Journey. It was one of the best songs of one of the best years in music…
- Professor of Rock
How Led Zeppelin’s First Rehearsal Proved They Were Destined for Greatness
Today, it’s the origin story of an unrivaled rock band that was actually “this close” to never happening…Led Zeppelin almost didn’t work. At least not with the…
- Professor of Rock
Celebrating Christine McVie: The Heart and Soul of Fleetwood Mac
A tribute to the beautiful Christine McVie...She was the endearing “secret weapon” of the brilliant, yet treacherous supergroup Fleetwood …the enchanting…
- Professor of Rock
Interview: Kevin Cronin on How REO Speedwagon’s “Can’t Fight This Feeling” Took 10 Years to Finish
Up next a #1 hit that took 10 years to write. Kevin Cronin of Reo Speedwagon had the verses finished but he had been searching for the chorus for so long…He…
- Professor of Rock
How Pearl Jam’s “Daughter” Became a #1 Hit Despite Their Rejection of Fame
It was Pearl Jam against the world when they were working on their follow up album to Ten that sold more copies that even Nirvana Nevermind in the early 90s…
- Professor of Rock
Interview: How Kansas’ “Dust in the Wind” Started as a Fingerpicking Exercise and Became a Classic
Legendary rock band Kansas was coming off of a huge single with Carry On Wayward Son and album with Leftoverture that established them as the one of the…
- Professor of Rock
How Boston Overcame Legal Battles to Make a Triumphant Comeback with “Amanda”
A lawsuit with a corrupt label stopped rock band Boston from releasing anything for 8 years. After ruling the late 70s with hits like More Than A Feeling and…
- Professor of Rock
Revisiting the Top 10 Songs of 1983: How Do They Hold Up Today?
Coming up, we’re going to go count down the Top 10 songs of this very same week from the year 1983. It’s the lates edition of our program the hit song redux ……
- Professor of Rock
How Bonnie Raitt Defied the Odds with Nick of Time and the Heartbreak of “I Can’t Make You Love Me”
Some thought she was an overnight success when she swept the grammy in 1989… but guitar-toting songstress Bonnie Raitt was actually two decades, and ten studio…
- Professor of Rock
Interview: Ann Wilson on How Heart’s “Barracuda” Was Born from Industry Outrage
Coming up one of rock greatest vocalists Ann Wilson of Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame band Heart tells the first hand account of a song that has become part of…
- Professor of Rock
Interview: UB40’s Ali Campbell on How “Red Red Wine” Took 5 Years to Hit #1
Up next two principals from the classic Reggae group UB40, original singer Ali Campbell and toaster the late Astro tell us the compelling story of a song that…
- Professor of Rock
Interview: Freddy Curci on Holding a Guinness Record and His Two Huge Hits with Sheriff & Alias
Today’s episode is a bottled lightning two for one. Singer Freddy Curci had Two chart dominating tracks though his bands vanished into thin air shortly after…
- Professor of Rock
How Jackson Browne’s “Take It Easy” Became the Eagles’ Breakthrough Hit
"In 1971, up and comer Jackson Browne was working on his ‘all important’ debut album, and decided he needed to get out of LA, and take a road trip to visit the…
- Professor of Rock
How a Saved Photograph Inspired The Cure’s Heart-Wrenching Classic “Pictures of You”
Robert Smith of the Cure created a masterpiece in 1989 called Pictures of You after he found an old photograph of his wife Mary when there was a house fire. He…
- Professor of Rock
Interview: Steve Vai on Creating “For the Love of God” and His Spiritual Journey to Guitar Greatness
Like sonic light cutting through the darkness, listening to this track is guaranteed to take you to a higher plane. It has been called one of the of the…
- Professor of Rock
How Lindsey Buckingham’s “Go Your Own Way” Turned Fleetwood Mac’s Heartbreak into Rock History
Description When Legendary singer guitarist Lindsey Buckingham wrote the bitter cut throat rocker Go You Own Way calling out his ex girlfriend Stevie Nicks…
- Professor of Rock
How Tracy Chapman’s “Fast Car” Stole the Show and Made Her a Star Overnight
At a massive show at Wembley Stadium, the headliner Stevie wonder was all set to play in front of 72K people and a television audience of over 600 million…
- Professor of Rock
Interview: Mark Foster on How “Pumped Up Kicks” Sparked Controversy and Became a Modern Classic
For once on our show…A song that came from no real inspiration at all.. Just a Jingle writer forcing himself to write a song on a lazy day where he was about…
- Professor of Rock
Interview: Midge Ure on Ultravox’s “Vienna” and the Awful Song That Kept It from #1
Voted the greatest #2 hit in the history of Britain, this song is simply one of the finest singles of the 1980s armed with a spirit of mystery and noir by a…
- Professor of Rock
How Kim Carnes’ “Bette Davis Eyes” Became an 80s Smash and Made the Actress a Legend to Her Grandkids
Bette Davis Eyes was recorded several times and didn’t go anywhere… Then 5 years later it was re recorded with a completely different arrangment with a voice…
- Professor of Rock
How Paul McCartney Turned a Robbery in Nigeria into Band on the Run, His Greatest Solo Album
Former Beatle Paul McCartney was trying to establish his band Wings when he flew to Nigeria to record Band on the Run. 2 key members quite right before and…
- Professor of Rock
Interview: Toto on How “Africa” Went from a Wildcard Track to an Immortal #1 Hit
It’s one of the most recognizable songs EVER and one that had DOMINATED Pop Culture as much as any piece of music in the modern era. Africa by Toto has been a…
- Professor of Rock
How a Schoolteacher Wrote Elvis Presley’s “Heartbreak Hotel” and Made Music History with Her Son
In the mid-50s, a school-teacher, and a former dishwasher repairman collaborated on writing a song allegedly inspired by the suicide note of a despondent man…
- Professor of Rock
Interview: Peter Frampton on How a Hangover Led to “Do You Feel Like We Do” and a Rock Masterpiece
This legendary singer songwriter woke up with a massive hangover after a night of partying. Multiplatinum singer songwriter Peter Frampton vaguely remembered…
- Professor of Rock
How Steve Miller’s “The Joker” Saved His Career—Mispronounced Lyric and All
70s and 80s Legend Steve Miller was on the ropes before his career really took off.. He was still in his twenties when his label told him that after 7 straight…
- Professor of Rock
How Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Californication Revived Their Career with Three #1 Hits
After their 1995 album failed to capture the momentum that their breakdown album Blood Sugar Sex Magik did, Red Hot Chili Peppers were in a tailspin so they…
- Professor of Rock
How Pink Floyd Proved Roger Waters Wrong with Two #1 Hits After He Quit
It was one of the biggest breakups in rock history. After creating a catalog of desert island albums, Pink Floyd was torn apart by bitter feuding…
- Professor of Rock
Interview: Andrew Farriss on How INXS Created the Timeless Ballad “Never Tear Us Apart”
In the 80s an up and coming band was looking to create the best album of their time. They finished half the album and took a break to gain some perspective on…
- Professor of Rock
Interview: Johnny Rzeznik on How “Iris” Saved His Career and Became an All-Time Classic
Up next iconic singer-songwriter Johnny Rzeznik of the Goo Goo Dolls tells the story of one of the worst points of his life. Going through a Torrid Divorce, he…
- Professor of Rock
Interview: Tony Lewis on How The Outfield’s “Your Love” Became an 80s Anthem
Coming up one of the best songs of the 80s came to Tony Lewis and John Spinks of the Outfield when they were hanging out in their flat. The second they wrote…
- Professor of Rock
Interview: Tommy James on How “Crimson and Clover” Became a Psychedelic #1 Hit by Accident
Coming up….this artist had dabbled in a lot of different styles to great effect but then he rolled out of bed one day with an awesome song idea… Tommy James…
- Professor of Rock
Interview: John Cafferty & Jim Peterik on Creating the Epic Rocky IV Soundtrack
Whenever anyone talk about the greatest movie soundtrack of the 80s you hear the usual suspects… Top Gun, Footloose, some might say Dirty Dancing.. or any of…
- Professor of Rock
Interview: Gary Numan on How a Road Rage Incident Inspired the 80s Classic “Cars”
This song came hit the top 10 in America in 1980 and sounded like it was 100 years a head of it’s time..It came on pop radio where Kenny Rogers and Christopher…
- Professor of Rock
Interview: Wang Chung on “Everybody Have Fun Tonight” and Their Misunderstood Legacy
Up next New Wave 80s duo Wang Chung tell the story of writing one of the quintessential pop culture hits of the 80s. singer Jack Hues was worried about using…
- Professor of Rock
How Madonna Inspired Weird Al Yankovic to Parody “Like a Virgin” with “Like a Surgeon”
This multi-million record-selling artist isn’t exactly known for taking suggestions. But that hasn’t stopped legions of fans from sending him ideas for his…
- Professor of Rock
Interview: Cindy Wilson on How The B-52s’ “Love Shack” Became an Unlikely 80s Party Anthem
After starting the 80s off with a bang these historic pioneers of New Wave had been through the ringer entering the final year of the decade. The B52s were…
- Professor of Rock
How Cream Turned a Poem About Real Estate into the Psychedelic Rock Classic “White Room”
The 60s rock classic White Room by Cream was at least 5 years ahead of it’s time and the amazing lyrics came from one of those ‘gut check’ moments in life…
- Professor of Rock
How Danny Elfman and Oingo Boingo’s “Dead Man’s Party” Became a Cult Classic Without a Top 40 Hit
"On this episode, one of the greatest composers of the Rock Era, Mr. Danny Elfman of Oingo Boingo wants to invite you to a party….Not just any party… "It will…
- Professor of Rock
How Led Zeppelin’s “Stairway to Heaven” Became the Ultimate Rock Standard
How does one try to break down the Led Zeppelin standard Stairway to Heaven? It’s the constitution of Rock! It’s been talked about a million times. People have…
- Professor of Rock
Interview: Otis Williams on the True Story Behind The Temptations’ 11-Minute Epic “Papa Was a Rollin’ Stone”
Coming up the story of an all time 70s #1 hit that has as much drama and intrigue as any song every recorded an an example of everyone trying to force a song…
- Professor of Rock
How The J. Geils Band Ruled 1982 with “Centerfold” and “Freeze-Frame” Before Vanishing
After more than a decade of paying their dues on the road, nine studio albums of mixed success, and eleven singles that mostly struggled on the Hot 100… The J…
- Professor of Rock
How KISS Turned “Rock and Roll All Nite” from a Flop into a 70s Rock Anthem
The First 3 studio albums from KISS that taught us how to rock, were actually, commercial disappointments. It was so bad Their record label Casablanca was…
- Professor of Rock
How Ozzy Osbourne’s “Mama, I’m Coming Home” Marked His Redemption and Biggest Solo Hit
For years this rock legend had been fighting a losing battle against alcoholism and substance abuse. Ozzy Osbourne is of course FAMOUS for having an extreme…
- Professor of Rock
How “Disco Duck” Became a #1 Hit Despite Being the Worst Song of the Rock Era
Against all odds, and against better judgement, today’s artist wrote a song that went to #1 on the Hot 100 and sold over 6 million copies…AND IT’S the WORST…
- Professor of Rock
Interview: Journey’s Neal Schon & Jonathan Cain on How “Don’t Stop Believin’” Became Their Biggest Hit 40 Years Later
This Legendary Rock band knew that this song would be really big. So It was perplexing when it finished in 3rd place out of the four singles released from…
- Professor of Rock
How AC/DC Proved Their Label Wrong and Sold 50 Million Records with Bon Scott’s Voice
Coming up, an all time anthem by AC/DC that was completely misunderstood by the critics and haters. Thinking that Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap was evil and…
- Professor of Rock
Interview: Steve Lukather & David Paich on How “Hold the Line” Made Toto Stars—Despite Their Mixed Feelings
When these guys were still in high school, they were late for class because they were up all night doing recording sessions with Some of the most legendary…
- Professor of Rock
Interview: How Dan Hartman Turned Rejection into the 80s Classic “I Can Dream About You”
He wrote and performed one of the most eartastic hook laden classics of the 80s. I Can Dream About You, the underrated top 10 hit from 1984 is true sonic time…
- Professor of Rock
How Joan Jett Turned an Obscure B-Side into the #1 Anthem “I Love Rock ‘n Roll”
"Coming up, the evolution of a universal rock standard that was rescued from obscurity by a 17 year old, future icon, who happened to see a live performance of…
- Professor of Rock
Interview: How Jack Tempchin’s Only Drunken Night Led to the Eagles’ “Already Gone”
This all time rock classic appeared on the biggest selling album of all time. Eagles: Their Greatest Hits 1971-1975… Already Gone was the most rocking single…
- Professor of Rock
How Red Rider’s “Lunatic Fringe” Became an 80s Rock Staple Without Ever Hitting the Charts
For a lot of US listeners, today’s band is a well-kept Canadian secret. And that’s not a good thing, because these classic rockers have turned out a killer…
- Professor of Rock
The Underrated Genius of Billy Joel: 5 Deep Cuts That Should Have Been Hits
When anyone thinks of the baddest rock stars on the planet, Billy Joel would likely be at the back of the line because they judge his work and persona off of a…
- Professor of Rock
How a Bathroom Encounter Led to Rick Springfield’s “Affair of the Heart” and Other 80s Hidden Gems
Coming up an icon of the 80s was using a urinal when a fan recognized him and came up midstream and pitched him his demo. He gave him the tape when he was…
- Professor of Rock
Interview: Ed Roland on How Collective Soul’s “The World I Know” Inspired a #1 Hit
This band’s heavy Debut single was one of the biggest rock hits of the year but critics wrote them off as a Grunge also ran. Collective Soul hit #1 on the Rock…
- Professor of Rock
Interview: Gary Puckett on How “Young Girl” Became a Massive Yet Controversial 60s Hit
Gary Puckett and the Union Gap were playing wherever they could when they got discovered. They got their big break while they were playing a gig inside of a…
- Professor of Rock
How ZZ Top Took Inspiration from 80s Synth Bands to Create Eliminator and MTV Hits
Up next ZZ TOP was doing well in the 70s but when they entered the 80s they wanted to up their game after hearing the modern sound of several New Wave and…
- Professor of Rock
Interview: John Doe & Exene Cervenka on How X’s Los Angeles Defined 80s Punk Rock
The story LA punk band X and their 1980s masterpiece album Los Angeles. Both John Doe and Xene Cervenka give their recollections of the scene and music that…
- Professor of Rock
Interview: John Oates on How “I Can’t Go For That” Influenced Michael Jackson’s “Billie Jean”
Daryl Hall and John Oates 1981 hit I Can’t Go For That (No Can Do) is one of the most sampled songs in music history. It went to #1 after Olivia Newton John…
- Professor of Rock
How Led Zeppelin’s “Hey Hey What Can I Do” Became a Lost Classic for Decades
How Led Zeppelin threw this song away is beyond me. Next we break down a classic rock hidden gem Hey Hey What Can I Do which was the B side to the 45 of…
- Professor of Rock
Interview: Patty Smyth on Loving “The Warrior” But Hating Its Iconic MTV Video
One of the 80s best hit songwriters Holly Knight created the perfect song for an up and coming rookie Patty Smyth or Scandal featuring Patty Smyth called the…