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 RockRevisiting the Top 10 Songs from This Week in 1975 – Who Stands the Test of Time?
It’s time for another Hit Song Redux This Time we’re going behind the top 10 songs of this VERY same week from the year 1975 47 years ago. This top 10 has some…
- Professor of Rock
How Metallica’s Enter Sandman Took Over Radio and Redefined Heavy Metal
In 1991, Metallica changed the world forever as they went global with the Black Album including their menacing song: Enter Sandman, the song should’ve been a…
- Professor of Rock
Richard Marx on Writing Right Here Waiting – A #1 Hit in Minutes
One of the biggest artists of the late 80s Who’s first 7 singles reached the top 5 and debut album was triple platinum, Richard Marx tells the hilarious story…
- Professor of Rock
Rupert Holmes on the Banned 70s Hit Timothy – A Song Too Controversial for Radio
It was called the Worst song of All time. When the 70s band the Buoys were forced to promote their new single without their record label’s support or any…
- Professor of Rock
How Meat Loaf’s Bat Out of Hell Defied the Odds to Sell 45 Million Copies
Coming up we celebrate the larger than life legend Meatloaf and his musical legacy the Bat out of Hell Trilogy. How Meatloaf and Jim Steinman proved all the…
- Professor of Rock
Ann Wilson & Mike Reno on Recording Almost Paradise – An Iconic 80s Duet
One of the greatest duets of the 1980s. Ann Wilson of Heart was told she could handpick her male duet partner for the love theme for the 1984 blockbuster…
- Professor of Rock
Revisiting the Top 10 Songs from This Week in 1983 – How Do They Compare Today?
Up next we’re going to go go behind the top 10 songs of this VERY same week from the year 1983 39 years ago. This was one of the golden years of popular music…
- Professor of Rock
Jimmy Jam on Janet Jackson’s What Have You Done for Me Lately and the Control Era
What Have You Done for Me Lately" by Legend, Superstar and in my opinion the Queen of Pop Miss Jackson to be precise. Janet Jackson, the opening shot from her…
- Professor of Rock
The Story Behind Led Zeppelin’s Whole Lotta Love – A Rock Revolution and Controversy
How Led Zeppelin created their biggest hit song, their only top 10, the provocative 70s smash Whole Lotta Love through rough waters including conservative…
- Professor of Rock
Special Announcement to the Professor of Rock Community!
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Honoring Ronnie Spector – How Be My Baby and Take Me Home Tonight Influenced Rock Legends
A tribute to the Queen of The Wall of Sound, the influential rock Goddess Ronnie Spector of the Ronettes who passed away after a brief battle with Cancer…
- Professor of Rock
Tina Turner’s Legendary Comeback – What’s Love Got to Do with It and Private Dancer
The story of the greatest comeback in Rock History and the album that puT TINA TURNER in the same echelon of the Superstars of the 80s like Michael Jackson…
- Professor of Rock
Rik Emmett on Triumph’s Greatest Songs – Rock’s Most Underrated Power Trio
The story behind the hits of a band that should’ve been much bigger than they were. Rik Emmet the singer and guitarist of TRIUMPH tells the story of their best…
- Professor of Rock
How Peter Gabriel’s In Your Eyes Became an Iconic Movie Moment in Say Anything
One of the most mesmerizing scenes in cinema history was due to this classic alternative 80s songs… In Your Eyes by Peter Gabriel. The song only went to #26 on…
- Professor of Rock
How ELO’s Don’t Bring Me Down Became Their Biggest Hit – Jeff Lynne’s Bold Experiment
How Jeff Lynne of Electric Light Orchestra created a song that was louder and different than anything they had done before and was rewarded with their biggest…
- Professor of Rock
Boston’s Meteoric Rise with Don’t Look Back – What Happened Next?
After releasing a historic debut album that shocked the record industry, the pressure WAS ON for CLASSIC ROCK ACT BOSTON AND Tom Sholz to deliver the group’s…
- Professor of Rock
Revisiting the Top 10 Songs from This Week in 1970 – Who Holds Up Today?
Up next we’re going to go go behind the top 10 songs of this VERY same week from the year 1970. an amazing 52 years ago Where we had on of the most diverse…
- Professor of Rock
How Duran Duran’s Ordinary World Became Their Emotional 90s Comeback Hit
The heart wrenching story behind Duran Duran’s masterpiece hit, Ordinary World. Everyone wrote Duran Duran off after the 80s, especially after their 1990 album…
- Professor of Rock
Alan Parsons on Working with The Beatles, Pink Floyd, and His Legendary Career
Legendary Producer and Songwriter Alan Parsons tells the story of working at Abbey Road Studios under the tutelage of George Martin, helping to engineer both…
- Professor of Rock
Marilyn McCoo & Billy Davis Jr. on Up, Up and Away – A Grammy-Sweeping Classic
Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis Jr. formerly of the 5th Dimension tell the wondrous story of the Jimmy Webb penned 60s classic Up, Up and Away with the Wrecking…
- Professor of Rock
Peter Hook on Blue Monday – The 80s Hit That Became the Best-Selling 12-Inch Single Ever
The complicated story of the best selling 12 inch single of the 1980s. New Order’s Blue Monday from 1983 was would become the stuff of legend. Up next former…
- Professor of Rock
How Pink Floyd’s Money Turned Sound Effects into a 70s Rock Anthem
The compelling story of Pink Floyd’s first Hit Single of the 70s, Money from one of the biggest selling albums in the history of planet earth, Dark Side of the…
- Professor of Rock
When In Rome on the Story Behind The Promise – An 80s One-Hit Wonder That Endures
Released in 1988, The Promise was When In Rome’s debut single. It was written by all three band Members Clive Farrington, Andrew Mann and Michael Floreale…
- Professor of Rock
The Story Behind the Ferris Bueller’s Day Off Soundtrack – 80s Icons Reflect
80s Icon John Hughes created so many great teen movies. He mastered the genre and seemed to understand generation X to the tee. Up next the story behind the…
- Professor of Rock
Billy Steinberg on Writing Madonna’s Like a Virgin – And Their Awkward First Meeting
Songwriters Hall of Fame inductee Billy Steinberg tells the story of writing Madonna’s biggest 80s hit. The #1 smash Like A Virgin and how the song was not…
- Professor of Rock
Unboxing The Band’s 70s album Cahoots- 50th Anniversary: Super Deluxe Edition With Song Stories
Click Here To Buy The Band Cahoots 50th Anniversary: Super Deluxe Edition https://theband.lnk.to/cahoots50th0F Learn more about your ad choices. Visit…
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The Real Story Behind Dan Fogelberg’s Same Old Lang Syne – A Bittersweet 80s Classic
Coming up a once upon a time a fledgling singer songwriter named Dan Fogelberg went back to his hometown for the holidays and ran into an ex girlfriend at a…
- Professor of Rock
Revisiting the Top 10 Songs from This Week in 1986 – Which One Endures Today?
Up next we’re going to go go behind the top 10 songs of this VERY same week from the year 1986. 35 years ago. once again we will re rank them based on their…
- Professor of Rock
If You LOVE the MUSIC of the 60s, 70s & 80s, here's Your Shirt! Vintage Shirts
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Rob Halford on Writing Breaking the Law and How Judas Priest Brought Metal to MTV
Metal God Rob Halford explains why he wrote BREAKING THE LAW the metal hit that rocked MTV in the early 80s and the power behind their classic album British…
- Professor of Rock
How Phil Collins’ Against All Odds Went from B-Side to #1 Hit
Phil Collins never considers this song as anything more than a B-side until a movie director wanted it for his 1984 film called Against All Odds. So Phil…
- Professor of Rock
Jess Harnell on Rock Sugar, Legendary Voices, and Winning Over 20K Angry Fans
You LOVED this amazing talent last time we had on our channel, so he’s back for more, the Man who was sued for sounding too much like a legendary singer. He’s…
- Professor of Rock
How Jerry Cantrell Honored His Father with Alice in Chains’ Rooster
How Guitarist Jerry Cantrell of Alice in Chains honored his Father in the harrowing 90s classic song Rooster. Coming up, a story about a guitarist from a…
- Professor of Rock
How Eddie Van Halen Used a Pawn Shop Keyboard to Create And the Cradle Will Rock
The Wicked story of Van Halen’s early 80s classic And the Cradle Will Rock . It was the first song the supergroup released with their guitar hero Eddie Van…
- Professor of Rock
The Legacy of John Mellencamp – His Top 5 Songs and Impact on America
John Mellencamp became a leading voice for Americans through the 80s with life changing songs including Jack and Diane, Check it Out, Pink Houses, Small-town…
- Professor of Rock
The Wild Story Behind Tom Petty’s Don’t Come Around Here No More – 80s Rock Drama Unfolds
The craziest 80s soap opera story of a song in rock history starring Steve Nicks of Fleetwood Mac, Dave Stewart of Eurythmics, Tom Petty, Joe Walsh of the…
- Professor of Rock
The Story Behind Led Zeppelin’s Black Dog – A 70s Rock Masterpiece
The incredulous story of Led Zeppelin’s 1970s masterpiece Black Dog from their classic album IV. Robert Plant, Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones and John Bohnam…
- Professor of Rock
Revisiting the Top 10 Songs from This Week in 1987 – A Battle of Rock vs. Pop
Here is the top 10 songs of this VERY same week from the year 1987. There’s so much variety here.. The Cure vs. Debbie Gibson and Tiffany.. New Order Vs George…
- Professor of Rock
Inside Yusuf / Cat Stevens’ Teaser and the Firecat Super Deluxe Edition
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The Darkness on Queen’s Influence and the Story Behind I Believe in a Thing Called Love
the brothers Hawkins from the Darkness tell the story behind their evolution in music including getting inspired by Queen as well as the story behind their…
- Professor of Rock
How Chris Cornell Honored Andrew Wood with Say Hello 2 Heaven and Temple of the Dog
The story of one of rock’s greatest friendships. Chris Cornell of Soundgarden and Andrew Wood of Mother Love Bone roomed together. Andy was trying to stay…
- Professor of Rock
The Story Behind Queensrÿche’s Silent Lucidity – A 90s Metal Masterpiece
The emotional lyric by lyric story of Queensryche’s perfect #1 Rock hit Silent Lucidity from 1991. The leaders of the progressive metal movement, Geoff Tate…
- Professor of Rock
Ted Nugent on Writing Cat Scratch Fever and His Rock & Roll Influences
Hard Rock singer/guitarist Ted Nugent tells the story of his 70s classic Cat Scratch Fever. How the Riff came to be and how he we inspired to pick up a guitar…
- Professor of Rock
Cy Curnin on The Fixx’s One Thing Leads to Another – An 80s Classic That Predicted the Future
CY Curnin, lead singer and songwriter behind 80s New Wave icons the Fixx, on the story of their biggest hit One thing Leads to Another. Cy wrote the song in…
- Professor of Rock
How R.E.M.’s Losing My Religion Became an Unlikely 90s Anthem
The otherworldly story of how an indie band went global with the unlikeliest hit.. maybe ever… R.E.M. Losing my Religion from their 1991 masterpiece…
- Professor of Rock
Pete Rivera on the Story Behind Rare Earth’s I Just Want to Celebrate
The story of the 70s rock soul hit I Just Want to Celebrate as told by drummer/ singer Pete Rivera. The song went to the top 10 in 1971 and the band played CAL…
- Professor of Rock
Revisiting the Top 10 Songs from This Week in 1966 – One of Music’s Greatest Years
Up next we’re going to go behind the top 10 songs of this VERY same week from the year 1966. Hailed by many as the finest year in music history..55 years ago…
- Professor of Rock
Jess Harnell on Rock Sugar, Voice Acting, and Reimagining Classic Rock Hits
An interview with a legendary voice actor who is also a Rockstar. In fact he’s so great at mimicking voices, he was once sued by a famous singer for sounding…
- Professor of Rock
How “Weird Al” Yankovic Conquered 80s Radio with an Accordion and Parody Genius
he story of how a regular guy named Alfred Yankovic became the foremost pop culture satirist Weird Al through his mastering of the accordion and parodying rock…
- Professor of Rock
Jerry Casale on Devo’s Groundbreaking SNL Performance and New Wave Legacy
The story behind New Wave pioneers Devo and their history making performance on Saturday Night Live performing their unique cover of the Rolling Stones’ “I…
- Professor of Rock
Glen Phillips on Toad the Wet Sprocket’s All I Want and Their Unlikely Rise
Glenn Phillips on the story of Toad the West Sprocket’s classic 90s hit All I Want from their masterpiece album FEAR. How the band formed and was named after a…
- Professor of Rock
How Iron Maiden’s The Trooper Redefined Heavy Metal
The story of Iron Maiden’s 1980s classic the Trooper from their spectacular album Piece of Mind. After their first their first lead singer left due to…
- Professor of Rock
The Story Behind Van Halen’s Diver Down – The 80s Album That Split Opinions
The story of Van Halen’s 5th studio record: Diver Down inducing the story of Eddie and Alex Van Halen, Micheal Anthony and David Lee roth’s romp through the…
- Professor of Rock
How Steve Miller Used a Cheap Synth to Create Fly Like an Eagle – A 70s Classic
The story of Steve Miller Band’s classic rock standard from 1973, Fly Like An Eagle. The story of how this 70s hit came about is very interesting, Steve Miller…
- Professor of Rock
Revisiting the Top 10 Songs from This Week in 1976 – Rock, Disco, and Lasting Legends
We go behind the top 10 songs of this VERY same week from the year 1976. 45 years ago. Then we re rank them based on their legacy since that week. including…
- Professor of Rock
How Norah Jones’ Don’t Know Why Became the Best-Selling Album of the Decade
Before Adele, another blockbuster music queen was Norah Jones. Here we celebrate the 20th anniversary of her amazing song Don’t Know Why from her multiplatinum…
- Professor of Rock
The Iconic Miami Vice Soundtrack – How It Defined 80s TV and Music
The story of the biggest tv soundtrack of the 1980s: Miami Vice from the Theme by Jan Hammer to the two Glenn Frey tracks You Belong to the City and Smuggler’s…
- Professor of Rock
Revisiting the Top 10 Songs from This Week in 1981 – Which Hits Still Shine?
We count down the top 10 songs of this VERY same week from the year 1981. 40 years ago and then we rerank them based on their performance since, with your…
- Professor of Rock
Unboxing Steely Dan’s Northeast Corridor Live & Donald Fagen’s The Nightfly Live
We unbox 2 live albums: Northeast Corridor: Steely Dan Live 2 LP and Donald Fagen's The NightFly Live LP. We tell the story behind their 80s hit HEY NINETEEN…
- Professor of Rock
Jon Anderson on Yes’s Roundabout – From 70s Prog Classic to Internet Meme
Rock and Roll hall of famer Jon Anderson tells the story of the band Yes and their 70s progressive rock classic hit Roundabout. In a zoom interview he takes us…