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 RockThe Story Behind Led Zeppelin’s Kashmir – A 70s Rock Epic That Left Its Mark
The story of Led Zeppelin’s rock masterpiece, Kashmir from their 70s double album Physical Graffiti. How Robert Plant, Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones, and John…
- Professor of Rock
How Eddie Vedder’s Alive Launched Pearl Jam and Unraveled a Personal Truth
The story of Pearl Jam’s breakthrough classic 90s song Alive form their Multi-platinum album TEN. Eddie Vedder was brought in after Mother Love Bone’s singer…
- Professor of Rock
Toto on the Accidental Magic of Rosanna – Inspired by Rosanna Arquette
Toto tells the story of their epic #2 classic rock hit Rosanna from 1982. Steve Lukather, David Paich and Steve Porcaro tell the details behind creating it and…
- Professor of Rock
How Neil Peart and Rush Defied Commercialization with This 80s Rock Classic
- Try CleanMyMac X for free https://bit.ly/ProfessorOfRock Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices See Privacy Policy at…
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Neil Sedaka on Writing Solitaire – The 70s Hit That Sparked His Comeback
The touching story of Solitaire, the 70s hit that fueled Neil Sedaka’s big comeback. Covered by everyone from Johnny Mathis to Elvis Presley Andy Williams and…
- Professor of Rock
How The Kinks’ You Really Got Me Pioneered Guitar Distortion and Inspired Van Halen
The story of the top ten 60s smash You Really Got Me by the Kinks, later covered to great effect by the Mighty Van Halen in the 70s. The first major hit to…
- Professor of Rock
Roger McGuinn & David Crosby on The Byrds’ Turn! Turn! Turn! – A #1 Hit from Ancient Words
The story of the Byrds legendary #1 hit Turn! Turn! Turn! (to everything there is a season) from 1965. Originally released by protest folk singer Pete Seeger…
- Professor of Rock
Siedah Garrett on Writing Michael Jackson’s Man in the Mirror – An 80s Anthem for Change
The story of Michael Jackson’s life changing #1 HIT Man In the Mirror. Every once in a while, a song changes the way you look at the world. The exclusive story…
- Professor of Rock
Geoff Downes on Asia’s Only Time Will Tell – An 80s Hidden Gem
The story of Asia’s other big hit from their legendary debut album from 1982, the #17 hit Only Time Will Tell from cowriter and keyboardist Geoff Downes. Geoff…
- Professor of Rock
Revisiting the Top 10 Songs from This Week in 1983 – Which Hits Stand the Test of Time?
Up next we're going to go go behind the top 10 songs of this same week from the year 1983. We'll recalibrate them based on their performance up to now and with…
- Professor of Rock
Peter Frampton on Show Me the Way, Talk Box Magic, and the Biggest Live Album of the 70s
In our exclusive interview with Multiplatinum artist Peter Frampton, he tells us how he made it guitar talk on his 70s hit Show Me The Way and his thoughts on…
- Professor of Rock
Lamont Dozier & Music Legends on The Four Tops’ Baby I Need Your Loving and Its Lasting Impact
5 Rock Hall Of Famers and another icon tell the story of the #1 motown hit Baby I Need Your Loving by the Four Tops including the last remaining member Duke…
- Professor of Rock
Revisiting the Top 10 Songs from This Week in 1979 – Which Hits Still Shine Today?
On this week’s Hit Song Redux we look at this same week from the year 1979. Where we count down hits from the year including Electric Light Orchestra, Earth…
- Professor of Rock
How The Police Conquered the 80s with Every Breath You Take and Other Classics
How the Police including Sting, Andy Summers and Stewart Copeland took over the 80s as the biggest band in the world through their hits Every Breath You Take…
- Professor of Rock
Nick Laird-Clowes on Life in a Northern Town and David Gilmour’s Role in Its Creation
Nick Laird Clowes of The Dream Academy tells the exhilarating story behind the moving and hypnotic 1985 song Life in A Northern Town and How David Gilmour of…
- Professor of Rock
How AC/DC’s Back in Black and Its Iconic Riff Ignited the 80s
The story of AC/DC’s hard rock classic Back In Black from there 1980 album of the same name. Bon Scott has just passed and Angus Young and brother Malcolm…
- Professor of Rock
How Pour Some Sugar on Me and Hysteria Made Def Leppard Rock Legends
The story of Side 2 of Def Leppard Hysteria, the blockbuster of 1987 and 1988 including the story of Pour Some Sugar On Me which was inspired by the Archie’s…
- Professor of Rock
KT Tunstall on the Accidental Breakthrough of Black Horse and the Cherry Tree
KT Tunstall tells these unbelievable story of her #1 HIT, Black Horse and A Cherry Tree. This Interview blew me away, as I wasn’t expecting such a cool story…
- Professor of Rock
Paul Rodgers on Alright Now and His Legendary Career with Free, Bad Company & The Firm
Paul Rodgers is a legend’s legend, He is many legendary singer's favorite vocalist including Ann Wilson of Heart, Freddy Mercury of Queen, Robert Plant, and…
- Professor of Rock
Brian Vander Ark on the True Meaning Behind The Verve Pipe’s The Freshmen
The story of 90s hit The Freshmen by The Verve Pipe. Lead singer and songwriter Brian Vander Ark tells the story of creating the #1 alternative rock song and…
- Professor of Rock
Howard Jones on the Stories Behind His Top 5 Synth-Pop Classics
Celebrating 80s synth pop legend Howard Jones by counting down his top 5 songs including Things Can Only Get Better, The Prisoner, No One Is to Blame and What…
- Professor of Rock
How The Romantics’ What I Like About You Became a Hit Years After Its Release
The story of the Romantics classic power pop 80s smash “What I Like About You”. It actually wasn’t a hit when it first came out, but got a lift from a beer…
- Professor of Rock
The Story Behind Elton John’s Tiny Dancer – A 70s Classic with Infamously Misheard Lyrics
How Elton John and Bernie Taupin wrote the 1970s classic rock standard Tiny Dancer and why it should’ve been a #1 Hit. From the masterpiece album Madman Across…
- Professor of Rock
The Story Behind The Beatles’ Hey Jude – A 7-Minute Anthem for Julian Lennon
The story of the Beatles biggest hit, Hey Jude. Written by Paul McCartney for John Lennon’s song Julian Lennon after his mom and dad got divorced. It was one…
- Professor of Rock
Lionel Richie’s Incredible Run of #1 Hits – His Top 5 Songs Solo & with the Commodores
Up next we tell the story of one of the smoothest voices ever and a man who had 9 straight years with a #1 hit. Lionel Richie. We break down his top 5 songs…
- Professor of Rock
How Def Leppard Defied the Odds to Create Hysteria – An 80s Rock Masterpiece
The unbelievable story of the 1987 blockbuster Hysteria by Def Leppard. How Joe Elliot, Steve Clark, Rick Savage, Rick Allen and Phil Collen created an album…
- Professor of Rock
Art Alexakis on Writing Everclear’s Wonderful and Its Deep Personal Meaning
Art Alexakis of Everclear tells the story of their biggest hit, Wonderful and get extremely personal on being a Father and his experiences with his own Father…
- Professor of Rock
Steve Winwood’s Legendary Career – From Spencer Davis Group to Solo Stardom
The story of Steve Winwood From the Spencer Davis Group to Blind Faith to Traffic and Solo. From child prodigy, to a Hall of Fame rock n’ roll troubadour…
- Professor of Rock
The Story Behind The Doors’ Light My Fire – A 60s Classic That Still Burns Bright
The unbelievable story of the Doors 1967 #1 Hit Light My Fire. How Robby Krieger wrote it at only 18 and how Jim Morrison took it to new heights and made it a…
- Professor of Rock
How Van Halen Overcame the Sophomore Jinx with Van Halen II
The Story of Van Halen II the band's spectacular sophomore album. They only had a few weeks to create it. The Hijinks of Eddie and Alex Van Halen, David Lee…
- Professor of Rock
Nu Shooz on Creating I Can’t Wait – The 80s Dance Hit That Took Over the Charts
80s pop freestyle dance band Nu Shooz who are now Husband and Wife tell the story behind the 1986 smash hit I Can’t Wait which went to #1 on the dance club…
- Professor of Rock
Burton Cummings on The Guess Who’s These Eyes – A 60s Classic with a Lasting Legacy
Canadian legend Burton Cummings who was the lead singer of The Guess Who tells the story of the 1969 classic top 10 hit, These Eyes with some interesting…
- Professor of Rock
3 Haunting 80s Cult Classics – The Cure, The B-52s & The Blue Nile
Up next we count down 3 80s cult classics including artist interviews. A Forest by the Cure from their 1980 album Seventeen Seconds Private Idaho by the B52’s…
- Professor of Rock
How The Rolling Stones’ Paint It, Black Marked a Turning Point for the Band
The in depth story of the Rolling Stones 1966, #1 hit Paint it, Black and how the sitar started a new chapter in their glorious history including a power shift…
- Professor of Rock
Glass Tiger on Don’t Forget Me (When I’m Gone) – Their 1986 Smash with Bryan Adams
The story of Canadian band Glass Tiger’s biggest hit, the 1986 #2 smash Don’t Forget Me When I’m Gone, with lead singer Alan Frew and Sam Reid. It was one of…
- Professor of Rock
How The Smiths’ How Soon Is Now? Evolved from a B-Side into an 80s Anthem
The compelling story of how Morrissey and Johnny Marr created one of the greatest epics in modern history: How Soon Is Now by The Smiths from 1984. Armed with…
- Professor of Rock
Stephen Bishop on the Story Behind On and On – A 70s Yacht Rock Classic
Stephen Bishop tells the hilarious story of his 1977 Hit On and On. He is a California singer-songwriter who had many hits in the 70s and 80s including Save it…
- Professor of Rock
Lzzy Hale on Halestorm’s Love Bites (So Do I), Hitting #1, and Winning a Grammy
Lzzy Hale of hard rock band Halestorm tells the story of their #1 rock hit Love Bites (So Do I) and winning a Grammy in the same category as her Heroes. When…
- Professor of Rock
Bryan Ferry and Roxy Music’s Influence on New Wave – His Top 5 Songs
Bryan Ferry of Roxy Music crafted his own distinctive singing style- developing a beautiful voice that matches his sophisticated flair- elegant, charming, and…
- Professor of Rock
Terry “Buzzy” Johnson on The Flamingos’ I Only Have Eyes for You – A Timeless Oldies Classic
A surviving member of Rock and Roll Hall of Fame group the Flamingos tells the magical story of creating I Only Have Eyes for You from 1959. Terry “Buzzy”…
- Professor of Rock
Stephen Pearcy on RATT’s Round and Round – The 80s Rock Hit That Deserved #1
Scorpions were one of the first rock bands to play behind the iron curtain, and the experience inspired the creation of Wind of Change the 1991 song that was…
- Professor of Rock
How The Police’s Roxanne Turned a Parisian Night into a Rock Classic
How Sting and the Police created the 1978 hit that put them on the map “Roxanne” as song inspired by strolling through the seediest part of Paris France from…
- Professor of Rock
Johnny Rivers & Jack Tempchin on Swayin’ to the Music (Slow Dancing) – A 70s Soft Rock Classic
Up next the story of a classic 70s hit Swayin’ to the Music (Slow Dancing) hit by Johnny Rivers written by Eagles songwriter Jack Tempchin, Johnny Rivers is…
- Professor of Rock
The Story Behind Norman Greenbaum’s Spirit in the Sky – The Ultimate 70s One-Hit Wonder
Story of 1970 Hit: Spirit in the Sky by Norman Greenbaum: Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices See Privacy Policy at…
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How Angus Young & Bon Scott Created Highway to Hell – The Blueprint for AC/DC’s Future
One night brothers Angus Young and Malcolm Young were jamming in the studio after hours… when suddenly Angus had an idea for a riff that he immediately played…
- Professor of Rock
Nick Hexum on 311’s Down – The 90s Alternative Anthem That Defined a Generation
311 lead singer , Nick Hexum tells the story behind their #1 Alternative hit DOWN from the blue album that rocked 1996 on professor of rock Learn more about…
- Professor of Rock
Brian Wilson on God Only Knows – The Masterpiece of Pet Sounds
Up next, my Holy Grail interview. One of the last musical geniuses left on this earth Brian Wilson, co-founder of The Beach Boys and the Father of 60s pop…
- Professor of Rock
Cindy Wilson on The B-52s’ Roam – The Hit That Defined the Turn of a Decade
In an exclusive interview Cindy Wilson a founding member and singer from legendary New Wave Act the B52s who dominated the end of the 80s tells us the story…
- Professor of Rock
Better Than Ezra on Good – The 90s Alternative Anthem That Took Over Rock Radio
As the Rock Era began to wrap up in the mid 90s Better Than Ezra that formed at LSU and rocketed to #1 on the modern rock charts with the #1 song GOOD a…
- Professor of Rock
The Unlikely Inspiration Behind Dire Straits’ Sultans of Swing
The story of the 1979 classic Sultans of Swing by Dire Straits. Mark Knopfler was inspired to write the song after witnessing a band playing Dixieland Jazz in…
- Professor of Rock
The Top 5 Rock Songs for Father’s Day – Celebrating the Father-Child Bond
In celebration of Father’s Day, we celebrate through the great songs about the Father/Child relationship from some of the greats including Billy Joel, Bruce…
- Professor of Rock
Andrew Farriss on Creating INXS’s Kick – The 1987 Album That Defined a Generation
INXS Co-founder and Co writer Andrew Farriss tells the story of creating the 1987 Kick album with Micheal Hutchence including the classic hits Devil Inside…
- Professor of Rock
Aaron Bruno on AWOLNATION’s Sail – The 2011 Rock Hit That Shattered Records
Aaron Bruno of modern rock band Awolnation tells the story of crating the smash rock hit Sail from Megalithic Symphony, one of the biggest songs of the last 10…
- Professor of Rock
Roger McGuinn & David Crosby on How The Byrds Made Mr. Tambourine Man a #1 Hit
In an exclusive interview Roger McGuinn and David Crosby who co-founded the Byrds share the story of one of the most influential songs in history Bob Dylan’s…
- Professor of Rock
Stephan Jenkins on the Inspirational Story Behind Third Eye Blind’s Jumper
Up next Stephan Jenkins from San Francisco band Third Eye Blind or 3EB that ignited radio in 1997 and 1998 tells the inspirational story of their hit Jumper…
- Professor of Rock
Journey’s Top 5 Hidden Gems of the 80s – Neal Schon & Jonathan Cain Reflect
Up next we count down the top 5 Journey Hidden gems. The deep tracks that in most cases are just as good as the hits. with commentary from the band members…
- Professor of Rock
The Story Behind Whitney Houston’s I Wanna Dance with Somebody – An 80s Pop Smash Even Rockers Love
1987 ruled! So many classic albums and songs were released from Def Leppard and Guns n’ Roses to Whitesnake, Depeche Mode and the Smiths from George Michael…
- Professor of Rock
How David Bowie’s Space Oddity Overcame Doubt to Become a Rock Masterpiece
Space Oddity by David Bowie was a track inspired by a milestone Science Fiction movie, but passed on by the most prolific producer in music history. How a song…
- Professor of Rock
Remembering B.J. Thomas – The Story Behind Raindrops Keep Fallin’ on My Head
On Saturday May 29th 2021 we lost one of the great singers of the rock and roll era. BJ Thomas, an Oklahoma native, passed away in his home in Arlington Texas…
- Professor of Rock
The Top 5 Songs from Sade – The Voice That Seduced the 80s & 90s
Sade's voice has a unique quality that is so hypnotic, it lures you into a web of romance, seduction, and rapture. With life changing song like " Smooth…