Professor of Rock

Coming up next, a song by Joe Jackson called Steppin' Out. It is so haunting, fascinating, and unique, that it rose above the regular rock and pop fair of one of the greatest years in music… I mean this song was unlike anything on radio or MTV at the time then and now. This song sounds out of place in any decade and that’s a great thing... Joe was absolutely on a higher musical vibration at his peak. Joe Jackson rocked the end of the 70s with his new wave hit Is She Really Going Out with Him, but then after several albums, Joe got tired of being categorized in that genre. So he wrote Steppin' Out, a song that called on the ghosts of George Gershwin and Cole Porter with a modern flair, and a sonic quality that whisks you away to musical ecstasy... from an artist who in these days of social media instant celebrity still has an air of mystery about him… Today’s song may be the most overlooked masterpiece of the 80s and that’s saying something. Up next the story of the most unsung hit. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Coming up, we’re breaking down seminal vocal performances that defined the ‘80s. One where John Bon Jovi hit such a high note, that he would never be able to perform it in the same key live ever again with Living on a Prayer.. and then Steve Perry when he was in Journey was so overwhelmed by the song Mother Father's realism, he barely made it through the recording. and Total Eclipse of the Heart, sung by Bonnie Tyler about Vampire’s hooking up but it was sung with such feeling nobody noticed, and another Alone that saved Heart’s career. And the artist at #1? His voice was so spectacular, with so many stunning performances, he could’ve easily dominated the entire list. Our countdown of the Top 5 Vocal Moments of the ‘80s is NEXT—right here on Professor of Rock! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Coming up an interview with a band that was a major force in the 80s and 90s and you may have wondered whatever happened to them? I’m talking about 10,000 Maniacs... Well, they’re here today to tell us their story. they were an underground band for years but just when they started breaking through their lead singer Natalie Merchant told them she was quitting to pursue a solo career but she would do one more album with them. That album Our Time in Eden became their biggest one yet and led to one of the most iconic Unplugged albums ever…When Merchant left, instead of packing it in, the 10,000 Maniacs decided to make their backup singer Ann Ramsay the lead and their next album flourished giving them their 2nd biggest hit as a band in the cover of the Roxy Music classic More Than This and they still tour to this day… The story is next on Professor of Rock. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In the 80s Def Leppard, AC DC, Bon Jovi, Poison, Motley Crue, Guns N Roses, and Whitesnake ruled rock radio. But we have lead singer Stephen Pearcy in our midst today whose band RATT was right there with them, selling 5 million albums out of nowhere! Fueled by a true classic Round and Round due to a renaissance in pop culture might be more popular now than it was in its heyday. Next Stephen tells us where the song came from and how he and his guitarist threw live rodents at an 80s model for an album cover shoot during that time. And he talked his teen guitarist into quitting college to play with his band. Payola kept them out of the #1 spot there is no question about that. Find out how next on Professor of Rock. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today we’re sharing the cold hard facts on the velvet-voiced soft rocker Paul Davis, a guy who looked like your next-door neighbor and ordinary average guy... but who was extraordinary for a time when his classic 1978 hit I Go Crazy spent a record 40 weeks in the charts… In fact, he had 8 hits. But after his biggest-selling record in the early 80s, he wanted nothing to do with recording. It was so bad he ended his contract with his label and never recorded another album. He went MIA from the charts, preferring to write songs for other artists. But just as he was getting going he was shot in the stomach by a robber outside a Nashville hotel. He survived the ordeal, but would his music career survive? At this point, he seriously thought about packing it all in. These stories and more are coming up as we cover this hidden gem artist from the 70s and 80s on the Professor of Rock. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

1988 was an absolute goldmine for music—an era of massive hits, legendary albums, and songs that still give us chills. Looking back, it’s wild how many classics came out of that year! From soaring rock anthems to unforgettable pop gems, these tracks captured everything—passion, joy, romance, seduction, escapism, and pure musical magic including a song by Def Leppard with so many guitar parts it was impossible to duplicate live, also a Guns N Roses song that was guitar exercise that sounded like something the circus would play but the lead singer made the guitar player turn it into a song against his will and it became MASSIVE... There’s also the rookie Tracy Chapman who SUBBED in for a Legend at the last second when He had to cancel an appearance at a benefit Show that had an audience of 600 Million people. Her song Fast Car was so powerful it made her a star in 4 mins and she sold 2 million records the week after. We countdown the 10 best songs of 1988 next. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today’s song Vienna by Ultravox has been voted the greatest bridesmaid song in history. The Greatest #2 ever. Sadly it was kept out of the #1 spot by one of the worst songs ever. It was a novelty song that annoyed everyone all the way to the top of the charts. But today we have Midge Ure the singer and writer of the classic #2 song with us to tell the story. Vienna also has a badass viola solo in it that was nearly impossible to get recorded and it still haunts anyone who dares to listen to it. One of the 80s most underappreciated artists has the story next on Professor of Rock. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Coming up… we’re counting down 5 massive hits from the Rock Era that were once everywhere but have since become socially unacceptable. These songs topped the charts, ruled the airwaves, and seemed untouchable—until shifting times and cultural scrutiny pushed them into taboo territory. Some artists refuse to play them, others have tried to rewrite history, and a few have vanished from pop culture. Which songs made the list? Well, there are two #1 hits on this countdown that two legendary artists have refused to play… In fact, one was one of Cher's biggest hits and she left it off her greatest hits album! Another is a classic of the rock canon from The Who that the band refuses to talk about, essentially erasing it from existence. And another by Sheena Easton that pissed off feminists when it hit #1 in the 80s even though it was sung by a female. Very interesting stories here, including an artist interview… NEXT on Part 3 of our Taboo Songs of the Rock Era countdown on Professor of Rock! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today’s band Foreigner was a revelation in the '70s and '80s. A British band with an American singer, they set the FM radio dial on fire with half a dozen smash hits over their first few albums getting as close as you could get to #1 but they were always the bridesmaid. Actually, they created the biggest #2 hit in history, sitting at the runner-up spot for a record 10 weeks. Then in 1984 into 1985 that all changed. Releasing the no doubt about it #1 hit I Want to Know What Love Is, with one of the most inspired vocals ever. So inspiring everybody in the control room was bawling. Pretty good for a song that was written at 3 in the morning minutes after this legend was awakened by inspiration. The 80s power ballad not only gave them a #1 hit across the globe, but it has recharted 4 more times for various artists after the 80s. But no one can touch the original vocal. In fact, it might just be the greatest vocal performance on a #1 hit with the song being further opened up by an amazing and unexpected musical weapon… and it knocked 2 record-breaking hits out of #1. Interviews with the Singer and guitarist are next. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Coming up next, the most requested band of the last year… April Wine. I’ve received over a thousand requests in our comment section for the last year to interview or cover this band. Well, I actually interviewed their guitarist Brian Greenway over a year ago, but the Zoom interview didn’t work. The file wouldn’t open. Well, the other night I tracked it down again and was finally able to make it work! So up next an interview with the longest-serving member of April Wine, a famous hard rock band that had 20 hits in their native Canada but only 3 in America but what a band! They were the first Canadian band played on MTV and still ignite classic rock radio. Plus they had a song that most 80s kids remember because it spelled out a hardcore profanity in its chorus but got past censors. Stay tuned for a treat next on Professor of Rock. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

We’ve all been there—watching a movie we thought was amazing, only to find out that someone else absolutely hated it. Or going to a restaurant a friend swore by, only to think it was terrible. You’ve probably said to yourself, “I’m never listening to that guy again!” Well, music works the same way. You might totally vibe with a song that someone else can’t stand. It’s all so subjective, and that’s part of the fun—finding something you truly love, even if others don’t get it. Coming up, we’re going to dive into that spirit and shake things up with a countdown of the Top 5 Songs from the 80s from bands that Shoulda Been Bigger including The Sundays' singer Harriet Wheeler who has gone MISSING, as well as Can't Hardly Wait by the Replacements, a band was so worried about not selling out that it stopped them from being the greatest band of the 80s, and How Soon is Now by the Smiths that has been called the Stairway to Heaven of the 80s with a haunting guitar drone that came from a butter knife. The stories and song are …. NEXT on Professor of Rock. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today we’re telling the story of Cheap Trick, a band who may have invented the phrase “Big in Japan.” These guys really struggled to get off the ground and were flirting with disaster when they discovered they were revered as rock royalty halfway around the world. Capitalizing on this good fortune, things really blew up when they recorded their live album Cheap Trick at Budokan which wasn’t meant for distribution in the US. But it got so popular, they released it here as an import even though they are an American band! But it ended up saving their career. But then after scoring a handful of hits Cheap Trick once again found themselves on the brink of extinction. Looking to make a big-time comeback, they agreed to record someone else’s song… a surefire hit called The Flame. Only their guitarist hated it. In fact, he hated it so much that he crushed the demo tape underneath his boot. Find out what happened next as we get into the story of rock’s most resilient and entertaining bands… NEXT on the Professor of Rock. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Many called Bonnie Raitt an overnight success when she swept the Grammys in 1989… but today’s guitar-toting songstress was actually two decades and ten studio albums in the making. Without a doubt, it was a long, hard road to get there. Dropped by her label, written off by critics, and getting loaded after every show, it seemed like Bonnie's career was over. But Raitt’s comeback was oh so sweet when she hit #1 in 1989 and swept the Grammys. Her legend was etched in stone when she covered a former NFL football player's song I Can't Make You Love Me that was so heart-wrenching she could barely get through it because she was sobbing over the entire recording. Today’s song is definitely a candidate for the saddest ever written. It’s one you can only listen to a few times a year... and it was inspired by something a man said to a judge when he was being sentenced for shooting up his girlfriend’s car. With an amazing guest instrumentalist, the story is NEXT on the Professor of Rock. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Coming up, we're celebrating 10 songs from one of the greatest years in music, 1973. It was a year when we were gifted with songs that rejuvenated our souls like few others. There were iconic guitar riffs and solos that were considered the best of the Rock Era... including a song called D’yer Mak’er that was so hard to say DJ’s and fans still mispronounce it 50 years later even though it’s played all the time. Then there was the Reelin' in the Years guitar solo that was perfectly executed on its first take, everyone in the room was astonished… problem was the engineer forgot to record it. As well as a song that a legendary guitarist helped write but out of the goodness of his heart gave full credit to the drummer who helped write it… That kindness cost him millions. We have legendary guests here to help us countdown the Top 10 Songs of 1973... NEXT on Professor of Rock! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Coming up next an interview with a true legend… Smokey Robinson. I’ve been wanting to talk to him for a long time because he has one the greatest voices of any era, not to mention he's one of the greatest lyricists and producers…and he has some legendary stories behind today’s songs… one he started singing in the middle of a concert as his group was ending a song, he got caught up in the moment and started belting out an entry new song on the spot… It would later become a #1 hit. Then another one that he recorded as a slow bluesy number. It got released and was played on the radio… Then one night he got a phone call at 3 in the morning… It was the head of the label who said I just figured out that you need to re-record your new song with a faster tempo. problem was he wanted him to come into the studio that minute to do it. So he did and sure enough, the song became a smash. The interview is coming up next. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Coming up, it’s the most played song by an Australian act and if you took 100 guesses you get it wrong. It’s not a song from Men At Work or AC/DC or INXS, it’s by Little River Band that had many hits in the 70s and 80s on the American charts, but "Reminiscing" was their biggest... It went to #3 and since then it’s been played over 6 million times on American radio and the song was almost thrown away. As the band was recording it, they couldn’t get the arrangement right so they decided to nix it after trying to record it 2 separate times … today’s guest, the writer of the song, talked them into trying it just one more time and someone who wasn’t even in the band is the one who figured out how to make it work… It’s a great story and it’s coming up next on Professor of Rock. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Coming up I’m gonna take you back to the 80s as we count down five Phenomenal songs from the decade that are severely underplayed..maximum velocity tracks that were hits in their day but for whatever reason have gotten lost in the shuffle as the years have gone by. when you hear them, you’ll wonder why you don’t listen to them more often including One that was written by an 80s rocker for a big name 70s band, but they passed on it…So the songwriter recorded it himself and after it became a hit the band who passed said they never actually heard the demo, apparently their label passed and didn’t tell them. Then there’s another song that was written about the singer’s old high school girlfriend. The song inspired him to go track her down decades later… but it didn’t go so well plus another song that has become a lost art!. plus I’m including my favorite song of all time in this countdown. Find out… NEXT on the Professor of Rock. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Coming up, we’ve got another great countdown, spotlighting songs that brought some of music’s biggest legends back into the spotlight— it's the top comeback songs of all time including one that came when the singer Tina Turner was playing half-empty ballrooms on the oldies circuit. When it hit #1 it made her the oldest singer to have a #1 at almost 45… Another was from former teen idol Donny Osmond who was so uncool radio wouldn’t touch him so a fans sent new song on a blank cassette. When it was played everyone loved it but nobody knew who it was… eventually it became a smash… And then one where Elvis Presley was walking down the hall of a recording studio and heard an anonymous song being performed in a studio by girl singers, it was so good he pointed to them and said I want that song and I want those girls… He got both and it hit #1… So many great stories next on our countdown of the Top 5 Comeback Songs…. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Coming up, a tale of twin brothers of The Proclaimers who were told by all the tastemakers that if they wanted to make it in music they should learn to sing without an accent. Their thick accents stopped many labels from giving them a chance and they were so original that a famous TV host called them weird on live TV… But this only motivated them and eventually, they had a massive hit all over the world in 1988 well everywhere but America… I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles). They couldn’t understand why it didn’t take off in the US. But then in a stroke of good luck, a famous actress made the director use the song in her scene in a movie, and it blew up 5 years after it was a hit everywhere else. 500 Miles hit #1 here, but even then some radio stations wouldn’t play it because of a misheard lyric that they found offensive. The story is next on Professor of Rock. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

1965 was a landmark year in music because it marked a moment when creativity, experimentation, and cultural change collided. It was the year rock music found its voice as a serious art form. Bob Dylan went electric and proved that lyrics could be as profound as poetry. The Beatles and the Beach Boys were showcasing their evolution from pop idols to groundbreaking artists, while The Byrds an Americana supergroup merged folk and rock with biblical proportions, introducing the world to the jangle of the 12-string Rickenbacker and then you had a legendary artist write one of the greatest songs ever only to give it to a rival band! So many great stories are included and so many legends are here to help me count down the 10 greatest songs of 1965. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Coming up, an interview with the greatest rock impersonator ever, Jess Harnell, and one of the funniest most entertaining stars in the business. He’s become a dear friend and you’ll love this interview. Jess has done something incredibly unique in rock and roll where he combines some of the biggest rock songs ever in a fresh and exciting way and he’s so great at it, that one of rock’s all-time greatest frontmen actually sued him for sounding too much like him. His talent for rock impressions has made him the best voice actor on the planet and one of the coolest singers out there. He has a new project out that you’ll love and next, we get the story of it and how he had fooled some of the most famous people into thinking he’s Gene Simmons of Kiss. You’ll love this! Coming up next on Professor of Rock. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today it’s the origin story of rock’s greatest drummer Neil Peart and how a failed pilgrimage to England brought him face-to-face with his destiny. Namely, a force of nature that defined classic rock excellence forever... Rush. After returning to his Canadian hometown, Neil auditioned for Rush, but he felt his tryout was a complete disaster. It’s proof that 1st impressions aren’t always accurate, especially in rock and roll. Not only did he step into Rush as the final piece to their musical puzzle he also became the most compelling drummer lyricist on the planet. Coming up, the story of the rise of the great ones and the song that is now a 70s standard Fly Ny Night, that paid tribute to his struggle to find his place. The high school dropout who became the smartest lyrics in rock and the backbeat of rock’s most complex band… one who the Rock Hall of Fame passed over for 14 years even though they are the epitome of musical perfecto. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Is this the most hated genre on the Professor of Rock channel? I don’t know. You tell me. Whenever I release videos from this genre I never know what’s going to happen. Some episodes have blown up, getting phenomenal feedback. And others have been torn to shreds. I might be taking a risk with this one, but I’ve gotta confess that I love this genre. So today I’m giving you my top 5 songs that I hope will win you over to this genre. Including one that was created in a cramped closet for an imaginary album. Another that is the definition of schizophrenic. And one that the band refused to release as a single, but it got picked up by radio and became their most iconic track. five songs from the last great rock revolution of the rock era… and they’re coming your way NEXT on the Professor of Rock. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Get ready to rewind more unforgettable sounds of the '80s as we count down the Top Cover Songs of a decade full of them. From unexpected twists on classics to fresh takes that outshone the originals, these songs left an indelible mark on the music world... including one where The Bangles transformed a Simon and Garfunkel folk song into a driving rocker and another where the wailing banshee from Led Zeppelin had a smash hit by crooning a 50s tune that to this day most people have no clue it’s him, and another one by Paul Young became one of the funniest misheard lyrics of the decade and a Los Lobos cover that was first all Spanish song to hit #1 in the rock era. We break down the stories behind these iconic covers, the magic they brought to the table, and how they became monster hits in their own right. The countdown is NEXT on Professor of Rock. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In the 60s The Beatles threw away the rule book. They were used to writing catchy #1 hits but with today’s brilliant concept album Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, they shattered the boundaries of song arrangement and forever changed the art of recorded music. And during the time they were creating this masterpiece they were in a race with another progressive band the Beach Boys, with a goal to create the greatest record ever. And it was only recorded on a 4-track machine. The last cut on their ground-breaking record A Day in the Life was a mind-altering composition inspired by the death of a notorious socialite, and may have invented a whole new genre… it had an accidental bridge that started out as its own song and only meant to be filler but in this song it became a revelation. A Day in the Life would’ve been a surefire #1 hit, but the Beatles never put it out. But it was so exceptional it put them in a class all their own and became the greatest album closer ever. We raise the curtain on this fantastic voyage across the perils of stone-cold realism.. and the fantasy of lysergic imagination….NEXT on Professor of Rock." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The year 1980 was a fascinating time for music…. The decade was ushered in by some bold songs by artists who pushed their own boundaries to stay relevant and challenge their fans. It’s also a year that gave us some of the most influential & timeless tracks of the Rock Era. Including two of rock's greatest bands, Pink Floyd and Queen releasing disco-influenced tracks… by rock’s most progressive band in Another Brick in the Wall part 2 and Another One Bites the Dust by Queen who stole the iconic bass line from Disco group CHIC but everyone claimed Chic ripped Queen off. then there Kenny Loggins' I'm Alright that has a mystery vocalist that shocked people when they figured out who it was and as well as Call Me by Blondie that we’ve all sung for years even though it’s about a male... well ya know... And AC/DC's classic song You Shook Me All Night! it’s all. Coming up NEXT as we countdown the Top 10 Songs of 1980… on Professor of Rock Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today’s track Lovesong by The Cure is extremely complicated. First of all, it only exists because its creator Robert Smith saved its lyrics from a house fire. Then he gave the song to his wife as a wedding present. It’s also the song that drove his band kicking and screaming out of the underground of obscurity into the Mainstream. He called the record total shite, his label called it commercial suicide. Thematically, it was completely out of character for him… He said it took him 10 years to even feel comfortable singing a song like this. And it was an unexpected bright spot on a very dreary album, Disintegration... a classic 80s album that makes you feel like you might never see daylight again. A moody, melancholy masterpiece that has not only been hailed as the peak of this band’s career but also one of the greatest albums of the 80s. So what was this so-called ‘happy’ track even doing there? And could The Cure's reluctant rockstar make peace with the song that turned this indie band into stadium headliners? Well, I’ll give you a clue… Smith hated the popularity it was bringing him, but then got pissed when it missed out on #1. You gotta hear this one! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Coming up next we break down the evolution of the Doobie Brothers named after a drug and half the band didn’t know what it was! Today we have four famous members here to tell the tale. Tom Johnston, Michael McDonald, Patrick Simmons and Skunk Baxter! It’s the story of a group that was a straight-up rock and roll band with a score of classic rock standards and a huge number-one hit. and then became something entirely different when their lead singer Tom Johnston was sidelined and they had to bring in a replacement in Steely Dan alumni Michael McDonald to keep the music playing.. and they moved their sound to a more smooth and soulful place returning to #1. Up next we have Sheriffs with Samurai Swords in the song China Grove, a record that a DJ accidentally turned around and played the B-side of in Black Water going straight to #1, and another song in What a Fool Believes that defeated disco in 1979. We have all the legends here to tell the story next on Professor of Rock. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

It’s the voice that saved an underperforming jam band and kicked off an arena rock revolution. After three hitless albums in the 70s, this Journey was on the chopping block. But the addition of an unknown singer named Steve Perry changed everything—transforming them into one of the biggest rock acts of all time. From stadium-shaking anthems to soul-stirring ballads, their music dominated airwaves and defined an era, becoming the soundtrack of a generation. In this Evolution episode, we've got Don't Stop Believing, a song that broke every rule in the book and is now the #1 song ever, as well as Separate Ways (Worlds Apart) the most epic rock song to be made into the most cringe-worthy music video and Open Arms, a song that almost made the guitarist puke and it became their biggest hit. The band is here to tell the stories next on Professor of Rock. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

'Go to http://www.hometitlelock.com/professorofrock and use promo code ROCK30 to get a 30-day FREE trial of Triple Lock Protection and a FREE title history report! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today we are going back to the classic year of 1983 and counting down the top 10 songs of this same week and then we’re going to put the actual top 10 plus some other great songs from that week and recalibrate them to tell you what the real top 10 songs are based on all-time streams, views and radio play. 4 decades later you’ll see what lasted and which ones died. And we have interviews, stories, and your comments… including The Clash who wrote Rock the Casbah protesting Iran banning Disco songs, as well as a song that failed on the charts until a soap opera used it, and then it went to #1 after it’s broadcast. Then a duet between the two biggest stars in music that was a huge letdown to the backing band because it was so cheesy and another song that a legend wrote a big old middle finger to the media. I’ll tell you what there’s no autotune here, just absolute talent. Coming up next on Professor of Rock. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

1971 was a game-changing year in music history—a period when creativity exploded across genres, legendary albums dropped left and right, and artists redefined the sound of a new generation. Many refer to ’71 as the most pivotal and exciting of the Rock Era, and I wholeheartedly agree It’s top 3 easy. So I’m doing the impossible…I’m counting down the Top 10 Songs from this emblematic year. All 10 of these songs are legendary including Marvin Gaye's revolutionary song What's Going On which was written on a golf course by some drinking buddies. Another Joy to the World was written for a kid’s cartoon that never got off the ground so a band made it one of the biggest rock songs ever... and Take Me Home, Country Roads that came from the songwriter misreading a road sign and yet another by Led Zeppelin that was written as a joke but the fans took it very seriously and made them rock gods because of it… It all coming up on … on Professor of Rock! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Coming up, Wang Chung, a band that finishes many of the top one-hit wonder countdowns but the problem is..the band had 5 hits including 3 everyone knows and radio still plays. Today’s song Everybody Have Fun Tonight is the one that many point to as their one hit… it also finishes in the top countdown of worst songs and that’s why I wanted to cover it. It is definitely not one of the worst songs ever. Everybody Have Fun Tonight is a classic from the 80s that did a couple of really cool things. It became an accidental catchphrase of the decade that defined the 80s and it introduced a new word into many dictionaries which also happened to be the band’s name. When this singer brought the song to his bandmate, he wanted nothing to do with it. He thought the band was too smart for it and that it was too commercial. But it became a smash and its iconic music video was banned for being too visually dangerous for some with the potential to cause a severe medical condition. the band is here to tell the story… It’s next on Professor of Rock. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Coming up next, Lost interview footage I didn’t know I had with one of the greatest band’s in recorded history. and there are Some real revelations here. An all time #1 Hit that happened because the band re recorded a song they’d already released on their album. When they put it on the album it was thought of as filler…An album track but then The genius behind their music woke up one day and knew if he had the band rerecord the song and drop 1 instrument and change the spelling of a word in the chorus it would be a hit. He was exactly right… the song soared to #1 with a totally different singer then the band had used on their singles before and it immediately had an effect on what parents would name their newborns. also exactly 25 years to the day after this song hit #1 the writer’s 2 daughters would have a #1 hit for themselves. Plus we try to solve a long term mystery about one of the most famous song ever on Professor of Rock. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

We’ve all felt that pressure to act a certain way just because someone else expects it. That’s when a solid "don’t give a damn" anthem can really hit the spot, maybe even stopping you from doing something you might regret. When an artist makes it big, the tradeoff is constant scrutiny from the public, with everyone having an opinion on how they should live their life. But when you find a song that captures that feeling of frustration and defiance, it gives you a jolt of energy and strength. You feel as if that artist wrote that song, especially for you. We’re plunging into that sweet, purging spirit, with a countdown of the Top 5 "Don't Give a Damn" songs including Tom Petty’s You Don’t How It Feels that had naughty words so bad MTV played it backward making the song even bigger, and another Watching the Wheels that brought Beatle John Lennon out of retirement and one, My Life by Billy Joel that got me grounded—coming up NEXT on Professor of Rock. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today we’ve got a super-sized episode coming your way… featuring Pink Floyd's Echoes, a song so epic that it began as 24 separate songs. Songs that the band didn’t know what to do with. In fact, they called them “Nothing, Parts 1-24.” Well, when Pink Floyd did figure it out, what they had on their hand was a song so monumental that it changed the course of their entire career and rock music… jumpstarting The Dark Side of the Moon, one of the best-selling and most iconic albums of all time. But the intrigue doesn’t end there. Echoes may also have an unexpected connection to oceanographer Jacques Cousteau, a two-thousand-year-old volcanic blast, and an anti-Woodstock concert played to an empty stadium. We’ve got an incredible story from one of my all-time favorite bands, coming up… NEXT on the Professor of Rock. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Coming up next one of rock’s great frontmen Rob Halford of Judas Priest tells the story of the 80s classic You Got Another Thing Coming that became the mantra of hard rock and the iconic phrase actually came from a thesaurus! The song was also just a throwaway B side until it was played and became the song that brought metal to mainstream radio and to MTV and became the crown jewel of the 15 most dangerous songs that were banned by Big Brother with the PMRC... It’s the 80s underdog song that became the hard rock expression of the decade with one of the 80s biggest rock stars next on Professor of Rock. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

You know, I agree with a lot of music historians who have called 1984 the greatest year in music. There were a ton of great songs and albums released that year… But, after going back and reviewing the music that came out in 1985… I am not so sure that ’84 is better than ’85. You will see what I mean when we countdown the Top 10 Song of 1985 NEXT on Professor of Rock... INCLUDING a Movie song -- Don't You Forget About Me -- that was turned down by everyone except for a female-fronted rock band. But she was pregnant and couldn’t do it so she talked her husband Jim Kerr of Simple Minds into it... and Born in the USA, which is the most misinterpreted song ever, and even to this day it played for all the wrong reasons... and another #1 hit by Tears for Fears that the band admittedly ripped off the title from a rival band’s song and paid him 5 bucks for it. It’s the best of 1985 next on Professor of Rock. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Coming up next an interview you won’t be able to take your eyes off of. I tracked down a lost paragon of the 80s. Dale Bozzio from Missing Persons This interview is a train wreck in the best possible way with Bozzio a singer whose band had 3 songs that everybody knows. And Even though any 80s kid can sing along to these songs and they defined early MTV.. NONE of them were actually hits. They got really close two of them hit #42 on the charts including Destination Unknown and Words and two others hit the Hot 100 including Walking In La and were all over the radio. The funny thing is Missing Person always gets included in the greatest one-hit wonders so really you could say they came close to being a one-hit wonder four different times but they definitely left their mark with a frontwoman whose strange costumes and futuristic style made here one of the most influential personalities of the time and it almost never happened… She almost died early in her career when she fell out of a high window at a holiday inn escaping an attacker. You gotta see this! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

After 4 straight #1 Albums in their Native UK and a #1 album in America that contained the #1 song of the year The Police were the biggest band in the world. And while they were at their peak they BROKE UP! Their fans were perplexed! Today we try to figure out why and tell the story of how their legendary lead singer Sting gave up a goldmine to go it alone... while taking a major gamble with his solo album and writing a hit song -- If You Love Somebody Set Them Free -- that was a therapeutic antidote and sequel to his disturbing and misunderstood smash hit Every Breath You Take. We have exclusive interviews with band members… the story is next on Professor of Rock. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Music has the power to change the course of human behavior. It’s truly the best medicine for the soul. When you're stuck in a funk, frustrated with everything, and feeling like your world is falling apart, sometimes all it takes is one of your favorite feel-good songs to turn it ALLLL around. It’s magic we can’t always explain, but who needs explanations. This is actually the hardest countdown I’ve ever had to put together because there are so many worthy choices, but we’re gonna count down the Top 5 Feel Good Songs of all time, including some exclusive insight by the artists that created them… including Walking on Sunshine that was so positive it irritated Katrina and the Waves and Come Sail Away that ‘supposed to be science fiction but it actually happened and Good Vibrations that might be the most insane production ever —NEXT on Professor of Rock! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today we’re giving you a front-row seat for a behind-the-scenes look at Aerosmith, one of the most chaotic, bad-boy rock bands ever. This five-piece knew how to grab headlines for all the wrong reasons. I mean the evolution of this band’s career was a wild ride fueled by drug abuse, in-fighting, and even a toxic disdain for the lead guitarist Joe Perry’s girlfriend… In fact, one of today’s songs Sweet Emotion put that girlfriend in the crosshairs…calling her a pig with a man’s face. Another song, Janie's Got a Gun, is a haunting narrative of vigilante justice that owes its origins to a treadmill epiphany. And then there’s Back in the Saddle which features a pretend bullwhip, coconuts, and yodeling. And it was written while the guitarist was stoned out of his mind. We’ve got decades of drama, controversy and unexpected song stories that you’re not gonna want to miss… NEXT on the Professor of Rock. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Coming up, an interview with Carlos Santana, a musical genius, a guru of the highest order, and a saint. You have to see this interview. So try to follow this if you can. Santana's biggest song of the 70s, Balck Magic Woman, was a rock classic that many people have no clue is a cover from a band that started as a blues band... but would end as one of the biggest rock bands ever when it became a completely different set of members but that’s not all. It was a cover but the guy who wrote it basically admitted that he ripped off the music from a song from the 50s. So when the cover song became a huge hit for today’s guitarist he decided to send royalties out of his now pocket to the guy who got ripped off! Today’s legend got inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame after several decades of legendary songs and albums and everybody thought his career was winding down and then the year after his induction he had one of the biggest albums ever including a song that was the #1 song of the year in two different years falling at the end of a decade and beginning a new one. The stories are next on Professor of Rock. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

You know, the best songs often come from a whirlwind of emotions—whether it's fiction, non-fiction, or somewhere in between. The heart and soul behind the lyrics are what makes them so compelling. In this episode, we're turning the spotlight on songs that were lit by frustration, anger, and even heartbreak. From Paul McCartney answering a critic who claimed a legend wrote silly songs to Carly Simon calling out a cocky lover that became the biggest mystery in the history of recorded music, to Roger Waters voicing political frustration and one that ripped a Stevie Nicks so deeply she asked her ex-lover to change the lyric but he wouldn’t and then she had to sing it next to him for decades… it’s all here! It’s a countdown of songs in the key of diss… the top 5 disses of the 70s, coming up NEXT on Professor of Rock! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Coming up next, it's a story that you have to hear to believe. Today’s band The 5th Dimension was coming off a huge song that took ‘em to the top of the charts and won them multiple Grammies. But they needed a follow-up song to keep the momentum going. And they found it in the most peculiar place. The band’s singer left his wallet in the backseat of a taxi one night and he knew he’d never see it again. Then out of nowhere, a stranger returned the wallet to him and they got to talking and turns out the man who found his wallet was a songwriter and asked him to bring his band to see his Broadway musical. They attended the play and were blown away by several songs in it that they knew they had to put on their next album. Turns out the song wouldn’t only be a #1 hit but a transformative song in the history of music. The band tells the whole story next on Professor of Rock. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today’s bass line broke 70s radio! It was from the song was Green Eyed Lady by the rookie band Sugarloaf, and it flew out of the gates with mysterious lyrics about a mysterious woman that took them to the top of the charts. But then just as quickly the band fell apart…Then Sugarloaf lost their record deal, not once but two times… desperate to overcome the one-hit wonder label the band re-formed and recorded a demo at a friend's studio, no record deal, just a demo. They actually recorded a song about what they were going through at the moment. it was a song about getting rejected by labels and the quest for a hit song and the song became their second hit and destroyed the one-hit wonder curse... or did they? Turns out they were in trouble with the feds when the random phone number they cited in their song ended up being the phone number to the white house! Find out next as I track down this band to find out what happened. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Coming up…. Tom Jones, one of the greatest singers of all time, and the story of two of his classic songs that we all know by heart: It's Not Unusual and What's New Pussycat? The first one was recorded by him before anyone knew who he was… He sang it as a demo to show an icon of the time how the song should sound. When this icon heard the demo, she knew it would be a hit but his vocal was so perfect she told him he should record the song because it would be a smash and she was exactly right. Then another song became a top 5 hit and a touchstone of the swingin’ 60s but it was so bizarre when the singer heard a demo of the tune, he asked the prolific lyricist who wrote it “What in the bloody hell do you want ME to sing this for?” thinking the song was a big joke. And it kind of was but the famous musician behind it asked him to be serious and sing it with some authority… he did and it became a standard, the stories are next on Professor of Rock. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Billboard Magazine called 1984 as the ‘greatest year ever in pop music.’ I don’t often agree with the music press, but I have to say that I concur with that evaluation. Some of the best singles and albums were released in ’84, including many of my all-time favorites. To celebrate that glorious, impactful year in music, we’re counting down the Ten Best Songs of 1984. Including Night Ranger's Sister Christian one where the singer let the drummer have a go at recording the vocals and it became the band’s biggest song… Another, Prince's Let's Go Crazy, is a party anthem that most people don’t realize is about God and one where Billy Joel hit a high note in the chorus that was so grand he knew he would never be able to hit the notes again and sure enough on his next tour he had to bring in a backup singer to nail it. We have many of the artists participating in this celebration of the best song of music’s best year. See if you agree with my picks, next on Professor of Rock. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today’s band AC/DC was blowing up radio and arena when their frontman Bon Scott passed away in a most horrible fashion. The band was devastated and had no idea what was next. Little did they know that in the form of a large bell, a supernatural visit from their dead singer, and a new singer who said he could write lyrics but then battled writer's block for months this band would create the biggest-selling rock record in history: Back in Black. It has sold 50 million copies but it never went to #1 and didn’t contain any hit singles. And it had a perfectionist producer Mutt Lange who spent months recording to get just a drum sound on 1 song. But here’s the thing…even with all of those hours recording, and 15 mics capturing the sound of a large bell the band had commissioned to be the backbone of one of the album’s most famous tracks, Hell Bells... to this day AC/DC has never been able to capture the exact sound of the bell on the recording when they play it live. Coming up the story of the biggest-selling rock record ever and the uphill battle to get it right and out to the masses and trying to solve the mystery of who really wrote these classic songs the dead singer or the replacement. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Coming up, back by popular demand: we’ve already done five. And now we’re doing five more. It’s another countdown of the most controversial songs from the Rock Era. Last time we covered taboo tracks by Heart, the Stones, and even the Beastie Boys. This time, we’ve got five more fiery offerings that rustled up cancel culture, provoked radio censors, and got blacklisted from the airwaves. For Frankie Goes to Hollywood's Relax, a DJ literally lifted the needle off the record mid-song because he thought the lyrics were too obscene. David Bowie's China Girl was accused of being xenophobic but was actually the opposite. And then there’s Bloodrock's DOA, a song that has to be the most disbarring single of the 70s… It was so bad that drivers were freaking out and pulling off to the side of the road while listening to it And that’s just the beginning. We’ve got five more controversial songs coming up next on Professor of Rock. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.