Professor of Rock

Coming up next, we've got Devo and a song that is not at all what it seems: Whip It. For over 40 years everyone has thought this all-time hit was "Dirty." It was such a catchy ditty it became a slogan of the 80s and it was one of the first major hits where the main riff was from a synthesizer from one of the funniest bands ever.. Whip It was actually pieces of three different songs that were all in different time signatures and different tempos but Devo combined them into one composition…. the Whip It music video ruled MTV and it was made for a little over 10 grand... Today we have one of its co-writers and singers telling us the real story. Next of 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 featured song Kung Fu Fighting by Carl Douglas will have you kicking some serious butt while moving to the groove. A smash hit from the 70s, Kung Fu Fighting was inspired by a dance fight at a pinball arcade. As Carl Douglas watched what was taking place, the lyrics and melody started flowing into his head. However, the song wouldn’t resurface until later on. In the studio, Carl was recording what was supposed to be his break-out hit. And he had three hours to do it. But when he was done, his producer told him they also needed a B-side. With just A COUPLE OF minutes left on the clock, Carl rushed a recording of Kung Fu Fighting... after all, it was just gonna be a throwaway track. But as it turns out Kung Fu Fighting was the one that got all the attention. It became a monster 70s hit, tapping into two cultural phenomenons with expert timing. It’s one of the biggest-selling singles of all time. 11 million sold. 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.

So I gotta ask… Is this the most tortured track of the 80s? I mean we’re talking about With or Without You by U2, a song that is physically painful to listen to. And really, that’s a good thing… This song is so agonizing, you can’t “not” listen to it. It pulls you in every time… Written at a crucial time in Bono's career, he was being pulled in two opposite directions at once… between his music and the woman he loved. And it was tearing him apart. Was there any hope? With or Without You had the potential to change everything for Bono and U2. The only thing is, they couldn’t finish it. And after repeated attempts to arrange it, they just kept coming up empty. So they were about to abandon it. That is until an unexpected secret weapon saved the day. It was kind of a miracle. Find out what that secret weapon was and if this tormented artist ever made his peace… 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... Tipsy from some serious ‘day-drinking,’ two members of one of England’s premier bands, The Hollies, composed a song about the Prohibition Era when alcohol was illegal. Long Cool Woman in a Black Dress was a rock epic that evolved into a mystery about a beautiful woman in a sexy dress. The Hollies purposely mimicked Elvis’s sound on the song using a vocal effect to give it some pop. It became the band’s biggest hit in the States, as well as one of the most played songs in classic rock radio history. But then The Hollies got sued for plagiarizing the song. But they didn’t get sued by ELVIS who they were deliberately trying to sound like… They got sued by a rival band Creedence Clearwater Revival. Then they found out that the song was used by the FBI on their two-way wrist radio to solve crimes. Find out what happened to the band 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.

Imagine a time when one man's voice was heard on about every other song on the radio. Dubbed "the man of a thousand voices," Tony Burrows holds the unique distinction of being the lead vocalist on FIVE hit songs from the 70s including Let's Go to San Francisco, My Baby Loves Lovin', and Beach Baby… In fact all five songs were one-hit wonders and four of them were on the singles chart at the same time! You’d think that a musician who sang on so many big hit singles during the same year would’ve been all over the television, yet Tony Burrows's pervading success on the airwaves got him banned from appearing on Top of the Pops for 4 years! Let’s jump into the fascinating story of this 'go-to' singer who made a significant mark in the annals of popular music history, all while remaining a mystery to the world outside of the recording studio. You’ll have to pay close attention, but you’re gonna have fun just singing along to the songs featured in our story that is 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.

Up next, a Hall of Fame Songwriter Billy Steinberg who wrote five #1 hits for Madonna, Whitney Houston, the band Heart and the Bangles tells the story of working with one of the Founding Fathers of Rock and Roll.., the great Roy Orbison. Roy has electrified everyone from Elvis to Bob Dylan. He passed away in 1988 but Roy had always been Billy's hero and so he wrote a song for him called I Drove All Night. SO had and his songwriting partner Tom Kelly tracked Roy down. They found him playing old supper clubs. It seems he'd been forgotten. So Billy and Tom talked Roy Orbison into recording their.song. It was the first domino to fall in Roy's full blow comeback right before he.passed away. He went on to have several more solo hits and hits with the supergroup Traveling Wilbur's. Cyndi Lauper made their song a hit in 1989 but then after Roy Passed, , Jeff Lynne of Electric Light Orchestra used special technology to reconstruct Roy's vocal and music to release the recording after his passing. A great tribute to the great Roy Orbison. 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.

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I’m telling you won’t believe this story. Today’s rocker Jim Peterik used to give this beautiful girl a ride home from school… He was head over heels in love with her. But she had no idea. He wanted this girl to notice him but he was already stuck in the friend zone so he wrote a song about her called Vehicle and brought it to his band Ides of March. They put some relish on it, and it blew up… it became the fastest-selling song in Warner Brothers history. Unfortunately, Vehicle would be a one-hit wonder.. but Jim was a fighter… He not only won over the girl’s heart with this song, he married her and he rose from the ashes to form Survivor, a band that would become one of the biggest rock acts of the 80s and he even got to the top of the charts again. Up next, the interview and story 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.

Next up, 50 Ways to Leave Your Lover, a timeless anthem of liberation from a suffocating romantic entanglement. Fashioned by Paul Simon, one of music's master lyricists following the breakup of his Simon and Garfunkel along with the end of his first marriage. Paul Simon dismissed it as nonsense, a song that was just a joke… a game he was playing with his toddler to teach him how to rhyme simple words. It made his son giggle and somehow it turned into a song he recorded as an afterthought. It was even the last song released from his album…and it became a #1 SMASH… THE BIGGEST OF HIS SOLO CAREER. THE AMAZING STORY IS coming right up 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 iconic singer-songwriter Suzanne Vega who climbed up from the underground and had one of the biggest hits of 1987 with Luka. This hit song was one of the most unlikely hits of the decade because of its subject matter. When Suzanne played it for live audiences they never really liked it because it was sad and made them uncomfortable. So when her manager told her it should be her lead-off single she was shocked. She argued that it would never be hit, but he talked her into it. He was right… ASCAP awarded Luka the most performed song of the year and it went to the top of the charts…The thing is, Luka was written about another person, but many would find out decades later that the secret in the song was about Suzanne Vega herself. 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, an interview with the band Animotion, which was somehow a one-hit wonder TWICE. In 1985 they released Obsession, a song that had a killer hook that will be in your head for days and that’s a GOOD thing. Obsession Blew up the top 10 and then a few years later principals Astrid Plane and Bill Wadhams were FIRED and replaced with another duo. And they had a top 10 hit in 1989 only to break up soon after. Find out what happened and how in the end the original group had the last laugh in a compelling interview with Astrid Plane and Bill Wadhams 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, the story of Can't Take My Eyes Off You, a song that has had a huge impact on pop culture since its release over 50 years ago. Before it dominated the global pop charts, it had to overcome fierce resistance from a record label that feared a solo transition by frontman Frankie Valli would destroy their golden goose Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons—a four-piece pop group that had been America's biggest act for years. Frankie wanted to perform the song in a style that was completely different from what had made him a household name… Namely, he wanted to sing in a whole new way What to do, what to do? Let’s dive into the drama 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.

They’re brash, they’re cocky, and completely full of themselves… And today’s featured bandmate brothers Liam and Noel Gallagher of Oasis were as likely to punch each other in the mouth as they were to kick out chart-topping hits. But for whatever reason the dynamic worked. And this sibling rivalry captured the imagination of a nation propelling Oasis to heights not seen in decades. For this episode we’re zeroing in on their most iconic track: Wonderwall. A song that was supposedly written about Noel’s girlfriend… only the thing is… He had to lie to the world and to her about it’s meaning. Later, after they split up, he told the real story. And in time, Wonderwall become so popular that Liam could NOT stand to sing it, saying it made him want to gag. And what’s ironic is that Noel always regretted giving it up to Liam to record… He wished he’d kept it for himself. It’s the story of an overnight sensation turned train wreck… 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.

Today’s Legendary band Aerosmith killed in the 70s, faltered in the early 80s, and then made one of the biggest comebacks in rock history in the late 80s and leveled up in the 90s… with 3 massive #1 hits, Cryin', Amazing, and Crazy, that... well… kind of sounded like the same song with different lyrics! Let’s go behind the scenes and investigate a rich time for Aerosmith…You’ll find everything from song-doctored singles and music video muses. We’ll listen to three huge hits that have different titles and we’ll find out if this band ripped themselves off several times 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… the story of one of the most influential singer-songwriters of the rock era, Carol King. Ironically, Carol despised her own voice and, when she started composing songs without her famous husband, she doubted anyone would care. It took the friendship of another emerging superstar of the singer/songwriter world, James Taylor, to encourage her to open for him at an iconic nightclub in West Hollywood. During Carol's set, literally shaking from nervousness, she sang You've Got a Friend, a song that mesmerized James, who was watching from the club balcony. Enchanted by her performance, Taylor felt compelled to record the song for his upcoming album. Little did he know that Carol King had written the song as a response to his first big hit. To her surprise, his cover of her song became a #1 smash… Let’s relive the magic of this heartwarming classic and the musical icons that brought it to life…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, icon John Oates tells the surprising story of the classic Maneater. This all-time hit came to John after he sat next to a famous actress in a restaurant and she began to cuss like a sailor telling dirty joke after dirty joke… Oates was no prude, but he was SHOCKED. All of a sudden, one of the most familiar lyrics of the 80s came into his head, and within a few minutes, he was jotting down Maneater… His musical collaborator Daryl Hall made some tweaks the next day and they recorded it. It became a #1 smash. Who was the actress and what was the change that made this a hit? Find out 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… the story of Eagles, one of the biggest-selling rock bands ever... and their all-important third album On the Border, as told by 2 great interviewees J.D. Souther and Jack Tempchin who co-wrote the 2 hits that transformed Eagles into rock royalty: Already Gone and Best of My Love. Their first 2 albums established them as a force to be reckoned with but it also typecast them as soft rock…Glenn Frey wanted to harden up their sound so they fired their producer and shelved all the songs from the session but two. They got a third guitarist and were sent Already Gone, a song that would end up being their heaviest rocker yet. But they also had a ballad from their previous session, Best of My Love, that was written in a booth at a restaurant in the middle of dinner that had promise. But they were reticent to release it and went with the rocker first. It did pretty well. hitting #32, defiant against releasing the ballad they had another rocker as their second single… it wasn’t a hit. Finally, Eagles reluctantly released the ballad… To their shock the label edited the hell out of it without their permission…but it became their first #1 hit. Up next, Jack Tempchin and J.D. Souther, the co-writers of these hits, give us the inside scoop about how the band got even with the label for editing their song, 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, a tale of one of the most misjudged, underrated, and overlooked tracks that evolved into a classic rock favorite, Old Time Rock and Roll by Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band. This song was sent to Hall of Fame rocker Bob Seger by a legendary group of session musicians searching for the perfect performer to bring it to life. When Seger recorded Old Time Rock and Roll, he says he rewrote all the verses and only kept the chorus, but refused a writing credit because he thought it would be a deep track. Seger never thought it would be a hit or even be released as a single. The problem is Old Time Rock and Roll became a hit after his band played it to standing ovations in concert and the song skyrocketed in popularity thereafter due to an iconic movie scene. Bob Seger didn’t receive any royalties. In fact, he likely lost millions upon millions of dollars. We take those old records off the shelf and reminisce 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.

Just a word of advice. Don’t rush this guy. Today we’re telling the story of Boston's perfectionist rock savant Tom Scholz whose attention to detail is the secret ingredient to some of the rock era’s most iconic tracks. After spending six years working on demos in his basement studio, Tom Scholz and Boston released one of the best-selling records of the 70s. Its lead single More Than a Feeling blew everyone away. Two years later, Boston kicked out another blockbuster album. Only Scholz didn’t think the record was ready. So he vowed to take his time with the next record. It would be 8 years before it was released… which led to a contentious legal battle. But when this LP was released it went to #1 even though the musical landscape had completely changed. Now with six studio albums to their name, Boston averages about a decade between records. Get the story behind this musical mastermind and this legendary band and their evolution told through five essential tracks… 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, an interview with Buck Dharma and Eric Bloom of Blue Oyster Cult, a band that haunted radio in the 70s with the CHILLING ROCK CLASSIC Don't Fear the Reaper. It was written as a spiritual song, but its hypnotic guitars, thrilling percussion, and stirring harmonies led to so many urban legends and false narratives about its real meaning. Don't Fear the Reaper was unfairly painted as wicked and satanic. Then decades later it captured the zeitgeist again after its iconic use on a Saturday Night Live segment. The band had no idea, and they happened to catch it on TV in their hotel room while they were on tour. Don't Fear the Reaper became a hit all over again, but today we get the real story of this mesmerizing rock classic 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.

Alright, get this. So in an effort to perfect today’s featured song All Night Long (All Night), Lionel Richie stalked his wife’s gynecologist. That’s right, you heard me. Lionel repeatedly called up his wife’s doctor because he wanted to learn how to emulate a Jamaican accent for All Night Long. Finally, this doctor had to tell Lionel to stop calling because it was interfering with his work. But that’s not the only crazy piece of trivia connected to this track. All Night Long (All Night) also includes a completely made-up language that sounds like it's real… but it's 100% gibberish. Later on, All Night Long would also headline on one of the world’s biggest stages, with over 2 and a half billion people tuning in to catch the performance. All these stories and more are coming up. So get ready to raise the roof and have some fun… 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. Today’s guitarist Mike Campbell was elated. He thought he’d written the best song of his career, The Boys of Summer. He was over the moon to show it to his band The Heartbreakers and their legendary singer Tom Petty. When Mike brought it in to show Tom and their producer, Jimmy Iovine. They both passed on it. They didn’t hear. it. Mike Campbell was crushed. Jimmy Iovine felt bad so he set this guitarist up with another legendary singer who need songs for his new album... Don Henley. The next day when Mike played it for him, Don too seemed indifferent to the song. He walked out of his house without saying a word. Mike was again CRUSHED. But about an hour later he got a call from Henley who said I think I’ve just written the best song of my career! Up next an interview with Mike Campbell on The Boys of Summer... the song that became the biggest hit of his career, that was rejected by the band he’s known for, and etched in stone by a rival singer! 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, interviews with Eric Burdon and Harold Brown of the 70s group Eric Burdon and War... on their hit debut single Spill the Wine. It was one of the biggest songs of 1970. It was also one of the strangest. So many urban legends behind this one. Spill the Wine is rumored to have been inspired by the band members knocking over a bottle of wine on the studio console. The song was hard to interpret. It had Spanish in it, spoken word, and singing only in the chorus, and the lyrics have been sung incorrectly by listeners for years. And it’s probably a good thing because the actual lyrics are pretty risqué. In fact, Spill the Wine was rumored to have been about drugs… but it might actually be the only hit song of the rock era about an orgy. This is a family channel so I’ll be careful here, but the interview with the lead singer and the drummer is coming up next on Professor or 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.

Up next one of rock’s most mesmerizing frontmen, Jim Morrison, was playing one of The Doors's new songs "The End" as the house band for one of California’s most happening clubs... when Jim suddenly went off on a creative tangent that hearkened back to a story from Greek mythology. But the audience had no idea what was going on… Jim Morrison took a song that was already about death, birth, freedom, sex, murder, madness, and whatever else you can think of and put some relish on it. He screamed out a profanity-laced desire that would shock every generation thereafter who would hear the story or the song. and that’s not all. There are some insane stories that go with this epic 12-minute song… including how Morrison was fired for performing it and how he got buck-naked and hosed down a recording studio with a fire extinguisher. And there’s plenty more where that came from… It’s all 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… an interview with the singer and songwriter Don McLean… an all-time legend on the story behind the most storied rock and roll song ever, American Pie. Its lyrics have fostered debate and conjecture for over 50 years, with a chorus that everyone knows by heart and never gets tired of. American Pie is probably the song that will live on the longest because of its message. It was the longest song ever to hit #1… So long it took up two sides of a single... with a last verse and chorus that make even the toughest men and women cry like babies… the story straight from this legend 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.

While gazing out from a hilltop in the English countryside, for the first time in forever, Peter Gabriel saw his life clearly. Seven years, six albums, mega-superstardom, and masses of fans with his band Genesis.. yet it had all run its course. Fame wasn’t all it was cracked up to be. Peter left it all for a time to focus inward… In fact, this Genesis kept their break up a secret for a year… After some time off Gabriel wrote a classic song, Solsbury Hill, that kicked off one of the greatest solo careers ever. Up next, the story of Peter Gabriel's journey to solo stardom... 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.

Use my code PROFESSOROFROCK to get $5 off your delicious, high protein Magic Spoon cereal by clicking this link: https:// sponsr.is/magicspoon_professorofrock_0624 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 the most powerful moments with an artist that I’ve ever had in an interview. You’ll see why. Kenny Loggins has had huge hits in every decade since the 70s. Up next Kenny tells the story of two of his classic songs including one about the first song he wrote as a teenager, House at Pooh Corner, and how Disney had their lawyers block it... until a twist of fate willed it to the masses… decades later he wrote a new verse and called the song Return to Pooh Corner and it gave him one of the best selling children’s albums ever... Then in another story, Kenny breaks down discussing the most emotionally difficult song he ever wrote, The Real Thing. This is a must-see 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.

When one of the biggest bands in history, The Beatles, broke up, all the members of the band released solo projects almost immediately. The first of the band to have a number-one hit was a bit of a surprise thought... George Harrison. He ended up having one hell of a solo run but his biggest hit My Sweet Lord would also become his greatest trial. Harrison got sued for sounding too much like another big hit from years before… It was a catastrophic lawsuit that nearly destroyed George and plagued his career for years because it put him in a never-ending bout with writer’s block. And it stopped him from recording for years. But in the end, Harrison would have the last laugh. Rock’s most honest songwriter dealing and allegations of plagiarism... This is a story you have to hear to believe 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.

Alright, you’re never going to believe this one. Coming up on today’s episode, we’ve got a song that has no name, no artist, and no date as to when it was recorded. Most believe it was composed in the early to mid-80s. But really, everything about this song has been lost to history… Not even Google can figure this one out. And forget Shazam and ChatGPT. The only evidence we have that this song ever existed is an obscure cassette recording off the radio. First uploaded to the Internet in 2004, for the past 20 years, a grassroots community has been trying to identify this track. In more recent years this song has gone viral across the Internet… with users on Reddit, YouTube, and Discord piecing together clues about its origins… and debunking some imposter bands in the process. Today we’re pitching in and doing our part to get this crazy story out there… It’s the tale of the track that many are calling “The Most Mysterious Song on the Internet”… 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.

Quiet Riot led the charge for the popularization of metal music in the 80s with a landmark album of rebellion called Metal Health. Yet the sharp-tongued comments to the public by their outspoken frontman Kevin DuBrow, the jealousy of their peers, and altercations with fans, made them the most vilified band in rock. DuBrow had a self-proclaimed alligator mouth, and his reckless audacity ultimately led to him being sacked from the group that he co-founded. The story of the iconic, metal anthem Bang Your Head (Metal Health) and Cum one Feel the noize that took Quiet Riot to #1 on the pop charts in one of the most competitive times chart history, and was once sung in front of more than 300,000 people 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.

The Story of the 1985 song Brothers in Arms by Mark Knopfler and Dire Straits. Dire Straits ruled 1985 and 1986 with their blockbuster multi-platinum classic album Brothers in Arms, pushed forward by the big hit Money For Nothing with it's bombastic MTV video and the secondary hits So Far Away and Walk of Life. But the most moving song on the album is the incredible title track Brothers in Arms. Professor of Rock breaks down the song and its meaning and origin. 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.

Over the course of several years, Bruce Springsteen wrote around 100 songs… And somehow he whittled them down to just one epic record called Born in the U.S.A. It was a record that was more commercial than he had ever wanted to create. Exhausted and ready to move on, Springsteen was finally done with it. Only, his manager said it wasn’t enough. He told The Boss he needed a blockbuster hit. Pissed off, the boss said HELL NO… If you want another song you write it. But eventually, Bruce went back to his hotel wrote the most commercially accessible song of his career, Dancing in the Dark. Then he buried it near the end of his record. But when Dancing in the Dark was released as a lead-off single, it was the spark that started a fire… leading to the most hits from one album in history …and Born in the U.S.A. would sell 30 million copies…Get the story of this reluctant hit-master Bruce Springsteen… 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 Rod Stewart was a gravedigger who wanted to be a rockstar. So in his spare time, he wrote music and played in a band hoping to make it. Rod wrote a song called Maggie May about the most embarrassing moment of his life. He thought the song rambled on, had no hook, and was crap. It was put onto the B-side of Reason to Believe, a song he didn’t even write. Well, it so happens that Reason to Believe sputtered on the radio and a DJ saved his career by playing the crappy B-side Maggie May… It made Rod Stewart a global sensation hitting #1 across the world. The story of how Rod's most embarrassing moment became his lifeline. 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, an interview with the singer Phil Wright of the 70s band Paper Lace, with one of the most fascinating song stories of the 70s. Paper Lace had two #1 hits in the 70s but was a one-hit-wonder hit in America with The Night Chicago Died. There were two hits that were written by the same songwriting team. First, Paper Lace recorded Billy Don't Be a Hero and it hit #1 in the UK but out of nowhere, before they could release it in America another band beat them to the punch and put out their version that went straight to #1. So Paper Lace band hurried and recorded The Night Chicago Died and it became their 2nd massive hit in the UK and only #1 hit in America. People have tried to figure out if the song was a true story or fiction. Find out 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, the story of Genesis, a band that was so great at creating hits that they had multiple projects in between albums… In fact, between lead singer Phil Collins and bassist Mike Rutherford, they had over a dozen top 10 hits over just a couple of years. But today’s song Land of Confusion might be their best. It was so prophetic many now wonder if they were time travelers because this 1986 smash hit describes our day to a tee. And most don’t realize that it’s a protest song... It helped that the music video supporting the song was just as compelling as the song… led by some really deranged muppets…that cost 10K each. 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.

So coming up, today’s featured song Ticket to Ride is pretty loaded. And by their own admission, so were the Beatles when they wrote it. There are some conflicting accounts of what inspired this one… Paul McCartney cited just an average-ordinary train ride as its source. While John Lennon credited German prostitutes. That’s right. Bet you weren’t expecting that one. Lennon would also call Ticket to Ride one of the founding tracks of the heavy metal genre. But are any of these claims true? Whether they are or not, one thing is for certain… Ticket to Ride marks a critical turning point for The Beatles in an artistic direction that would change rock and roll forever. Breaking the mold of the two-minute pop song, Ticket to Ride opened up a new world of possibilities. It’s a story you’re not going to 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.

Man, I may be going against my better judgment on this one. In the crosshairs today, I’ve got a selection of cringe-worthy 80s novelty tracks that are “so bad, they’re good.” We’re talking songs like Pac-Man Fever, Party All the Time, and the Super Bowl Shuffle. But on the other hand, some of these songs killed it on Billboard Hot 100. So someone must have thought they were good back in the day. Will you admit to liking them? I have to admit I’m a sucker for Bad B-Movies and Bad B-Songs… Is that a thing? Get ready for a trip into the quirky, the bizarre, and the truly awful. But be warned… after you go down this rabbit hole, you will never be the same again… 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.

The gripping story of one of the most CHILLING songs of the rock era … Hey You by Rock’s most mysterious band Pink Floyd. The author of this song Roger Waters found out over the phone that his wife was leaving him for another man… And so did Hey You's protangonist Pink. This emotional revelation was just one part of a devastating list of psychological daggers that nearly killed him… Choosing to isolate his soul from the world, the madness swallowed him whole… Hey You was from his perspective in these last lucid moments. It’s the story of a disillusioned musician’s last contact with reality and his last hope for survival. Today’s song is the definition of madness. Get 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, it's the story of Queen and their #1 rockabilly smash, Crazy Little Thing Called Love, one of the best-selling singles of 1980. Although the song was a tribute to the King of Rock n’ Roll Elvis Presley, its genesis had nothing to do with hound dog, or a pilgrimage to Graceland… It was actually conceived while Freddie Mercury was taking… a bubble bath. He ran it into the studio immediately and recorded it before he forgot it. Brian May added his parts and John Deacon and Roger Taylor were on fire during the session… It was so good that many people thought it was a new song by Elvis. The crazy details of this international smash that was rushed from a hotel bathtub to a recording studio 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.

Coming up, an interview with Lou Gramm, one of the greatest rock voices in history about his biggest hit. He was in the Hall of Fame band Foreigner, and they ruled the 70s and 80s. But as they hit their peak the Lou wanted to Rock, but their guitarist and band leader Mick Jones was writing softer ballads. So Lou brought in a rock song he’d written called Midnight Blue to possibly put on their next album. But his writing partner didn’t want to do it. So in the end Lou Gramm recorded it for his solo album. And lo and behold it became the most-played song of 1987, and out-performed every single from Foreigner's new album in direct competition. Get ready for a very funny interview with the great Lou Gramm, next on Professor for 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 the most incredible bottled lightning stories ever. Today’s artist Billy Vera released what he felt was a huge hit, At The Moment. But it failed in 1981… Years went by and Billy’s prospects dwindled… he thought his career was over. But then in the mid-80s, he caught a lucky break. A popular TV show, Family Ties, played At This Moment on an episode and millions of viewers were blown away, what was this song? People were calling the TV station, they were writing letters… they wanted to buy the album, but the record was out of print… Billy Vera worked with an indie label to get it re-released and At This Moment became a #1 hit in 1987 in what might be the greatest song comeback of all time. Billy tells us the story of scoring a smash hit at 43! 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.

After Led Zeppelin dropped their fourth album, arguably the greatest rock album of all time, at the tail end of 1971... the world braced for what came next. Expectations for the next record were through the roof. with everyone assuming it would be a hard-hitting and heavy sequel. But everyone was wrong. Zeppelin’s 1973 follow-up Houses of Holy was a diverse and experimental collection of unconventional tracks. And the critics spit on it. So did some fans. But Houses of the Holy boasts some of this legendary group’s most iconic tracks, including today’s featured song Over the Hills and Far Away… which completely subverts your expectations… Lulling you in as a breathtaking acoustic ballad then it does an about-face and tricks you with a trap-door ending! You’ll see what I mean. Get ready for a deep dive into Over the Hills and Far Away, a song that got the shaft from the naysayers and on the US charts… but is now bigger than any of the songs that were ahead of it. … 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.

If you're free tonight, I'd love to invite you to an exclusive party. It's going to be packed with 'A-list' celebrities, and we'll be living it up like rock stars... Doesn't that sound like a blast? Maybe… But for Pete Townsend, a musician who could easily be carved into the Mt. Rushmore of guitar heroes, the glitzy lives of the rich and famous aren't all they're cracked up to be. In fact, for this icon, it's all just a ‘put on. This is a story of The Who, who were teetering on implosion, grappling with the loss of the legendary figure Keith Moon, and Eminence Front, a track that was initially panned but has since risen to become a modern rock classic. So come on… join the party…dressed to KILL… 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, an interview with Graham Russell and Russell Hitchcock of Air Supply, a band that got into music because of the Beatles. And then in the 80s, they quietly equaled them with so many hits that they had a greatest hits album 3 years into their career. When Air Supply started out they were so poor they were couch diving to find change just to eat. Just a few years later their first 7 singles hit the top 5 on the charts including today’s hit Making Love Out of Nothing at All was written and produced by Jim Steinman who had the #1 and #2 songs in the charts at the same time by two different artists! The thing is... both these songs, Making Love Out of Nothing at All and Total Eclipse of the Heart sounded pretty similar. Was it the same song with different lyrics? Find out 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, the story of the immensely talented yet unsettled vocalist Sinead O’Connor, who had a fleeting moment of fame in 1990 with a massive hit single Nothing Compares 2 U—a stunning remake of a song written by Prince, one of the true musical geniuses of our time. However, Sinead’s encounter with Prince turned into something straight out of the Twilight Zone. Despite the incredible success of the remake, which could have solidified her as one of the greatest vocalists, Sinead O’Connor chose to steer clear of commercial prosperity. She preferred to be a protest singer, not a pop star. Instead of concentrating solely on the merit of her music, the remainder of Sinead’s career was largely mired in controversy. It’s a tale of a remarkable Hailey’s Comet that spiraled into an emotional tempest for one of the most enigmatic artists of the Rock Era…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… an interview with the most underappreciated band of the first half of the 90s, the Gin Blossoms. They created a newly flawless major label debut New Miserable Experience, but during the recording of it, their primary songwriter and guitarist Doug Hopkins had to be fired due to his out-of-control drinking. Then their debut album imploded when it was first released in the summer of 92. The Gin Blossoms thought they were DOA. But then a year later, their music video for Hey Jealousy caught fire on MTV and radio started playing this debut single which was over a year old and the band blew up. They would have four big hits including Hey Jealousy, Until I Fall Away, Allison Road, and Found About You and the album would sell 4 million copies, but with their rise, their former bandmate watched all of this from the sidelines and ended up taking his own life. The band would go on to have another three hits off their next album.. 7 hits in just over 3 years but then just a quickly as they blew up, they imploded… breaking up a short time later. I tracked down singer Robin Wilson and guitarist Jesse Velenzuala to get into it. 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.

Next, Berlin’s Terri Nunn was an up-and-coming actress who had some great roles on TV and was a finalist to play the role of Princess Leia in Star Wars. She even auditioned with Harrison Ford. But as she’ll tell you in our interview next he didn’t like her. Terri also managed to piss off William Shatner in another appearance... So she didn’t get the role and turns out her acting career would be short lived… which was fine by her since she was a passionate singer in a band that was ready to rise from the underground… Terri became a new wave icon with several classics in the 80s including the #1 hit Take My Breath Away and today’s underground classic The Metro that shook up the mainstream with a deadpan vocal and a cosmopolitan sophisticated European vogue sound that was actually by way of orange county… From a video that been banned by YouTube twice… the interview’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.

It was a trans-Atlantic musical arms race… two titanic rock and roll bands — The Beach Boys and The Beatles — trading punches and landmark records. Each chasing perfection and forever changing how we listen to music. In the midst of this musical battle, genius whizkid Brian Wilson envisioned the perfect album, a record to end all records. An innovative masterpiece he called SMiLE. The symphony was already playing in his head, and he knew if he could get it down on vinyl, it would push the boundaries of music beyond what anyone thought was possible. But what Brian didn’t count on was losing his sanity in the process. In a state of drug-addled madness, he came to a crashing halt. And so did SMiLE… leaving us all wondering what could have been. It’s the story of the greatest unreleased album of all time and an interview with its genius 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.

Up next… I used to Hate ABBA’s music. But you all convinced me to give them another chance. So I took your advice and today’s song The Winner Takes It All has become a favorite… and the story behind it is just as rich! It was written by the group’s main songwriter Bjorn Ulvaeus as he was going through a tough breakup with one of the singers of the band, Agnetha Faltskog… It was a heart-wrenching, vulnerable song about DIVORCE and Bjorn admits the subject was so challenging emotionally that he wrote it while drunk…then he brought it into record and decided he was going to sing it. But Bjorn knew in his heart that his ex had to be its interpreter… even though the other famous female in the band Anni-Frid Lyngstadt could handle it… In fact, Anni-Frid was jealous she didn’t get to do it. So in the middle of their separation, while her ex-husband already had a new girlfriend, this songbird sang the hell out of a song that would become a classic. and that was only the start…she had to sing it every night live with him right next to her until the band eventually broke up! The heart-aching story of The Winner Takes it All 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.