Professor of Rock

Coming up... the story of a band on the brink of destruction. They had no direction, no identity, and no money. The Moody Blues lead singer & frontman had left the band, and in a last-ditch effort to save the group, the remaining founders hired a 19-year-old lead singer named Justin Hayward- hoping he would spark new life into their sagging future. After a late-night gig, Justin returned home to his one-room flat, sat on the edge of his bed, picked up an acoustic guitar, and wrote two verses and a chorus to a song that had been milling around in his head. He’d recently been dumped by a woman that he deeply loved, and although he had been in several relationships since the breakup still tore him up inside. Inspired by a posh but boring gift of bed sheets from a girl that he had briefly dated after his traumatic breakup, he wrote lyrics that unexpectedly progressed into the foundation of a song for the ages. Night in White Satin by the Moody Blues...It ended up being more than just a song…it was the precursor to a movement of prog rock in rock & roll history. The birth of a trailblazing, art rock classic 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.

Today we’re talking supergroups. And in particular one of the most unexpected collaborations of the 1980s. Damn Yankees. This band featured three big-time names, coming out of three big-time careers… Jack Blades from Night Ranger, Ted Nugent, Tommy Shaw of Styx, and Michael Cartellone from Lynyrd Skynyrd. Starting completely from scratch, they wrote half an album their first weekend together as a band… including the massive hit Hight Enough. The only thing is two of them were sure their other bandmate was going to hate the demo. Kind of a rogue character, they were really freaked he would tear this song apart. Then a couple years later, with two successful albums in the bag, the music industry completely turned upside-down. And their label actually offered them $1 million dollars not to record a third album. Just to walk away. So crazy. Did they take the money? Or did they make the album anyway? I tell you, this band’s story is pretty damn good. Find out all the details 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 how much is too much of a good thing? Well, today’s artist Phil Collins may epitomize the answer. This radio titan got off to a strong start in the 70s, was pretty much everywhere in the 80s, and barely slowed down for the 90s. He took over an established band in the 70s in Genesis then in the 80s he doubled his output by kicking off an unrelenting solo career… Beyond that, he also tried his hand at producing and collaborating with many legends… which brings us to today’s track: a so-called side-project that became a surprise duet when the Phillip Bailey of Earth Wind and Fire, whom he was producing suggested they write one together. It came quickly and they created a rough demo…except when they came back the next day to record it, they realized the demo was perfect so they released it…the story of one of the catchiest songs of 1985 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.

In an exclusive interview, Mark Farner formerly of Grand Funk Railroad or just Grand Funk tells the story of a song the came to him while praying. I'm Your Captain (Closer to Home) became an all-time 70s rock classic even thought it was 10 minutes long. It was the opening shot that made Grand Funk Railroad a household name, later having major hits with We're an American Band and The Locomotion, this 3 piece rock band was so huge...they sold out Shea Stadium faster than the Beatles. They've had 13 gold and platinum records and were one of the biggest concert draws of the 70s and they are not in the rock and roll hall of fame. Mark Farner tells the story of the classic.in this in depth song documentary. 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 Cure were underground for years making music that the outcasts embraced but then all of a sudden in the late 80s they started getting played on mainstream radio… and then they had a #2 hit with Lovesong from their 1989 classic Disintegration. After that The band that was everybody’s secret became mainstream and then they released today’s song. Robert Smith and the Cure put out a catchy sing-along classic that had half their fans screaming sell out! Friday I’m In Love hit #1 on the Alternative airplay chart and crossed over to the pop charts. To many, it was just a feel-good happy ditty but when the band had been the harbingers of doom for over a decade it was hard to fathom… Today’s story raised the question is it called selling out or is mainstream popularity the unavoidable price for reaching new audiences? We’ll 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, it’s a smash hit from a band that was absolutely hammered by the rock press… At the center of a smear campaign, they called ‘em knock-offs, copy-cats, clones… And they were accused of being derivative of other popular bands at the time. Stone Temple Pilots took a lot of flack... But it was completely unwarranted… and untrue. In fact, in one Rolling Stone poll, STP was voted the worst new band by critics, and the best new band by readers….but It was the fans that got it right. This band was hugely popular. And their breakthrough song… PLUSH was a commercial monster, ruling the rock airwaves and MTV. Written in a hot tub, this mysterious track was inspired by a tragic kidnapping and murder, but its meaning is still something of a mystery. For decades, fans have tried to unravel its imagery… A classic by Scott Weiland….Smelling dogs, stolen masks, storms in your bedroom. See if you can figure out what it means. 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. IN 1984 a film starring SNL alumni Bill Murray and Dan Ackroyd called Ghostbusters needed a theme song badly but scores of artists had tried or been approached but nothing was working. Ray Parker Jr. came in with just days to go before the song was due… but he had nothing and he had the challenge of fitting the strange and very long movie title into the chorus. But what rhymes with Ghostbusters??? Well one night at 3 in the morning Ray Parker was watching TV half awake when a pest control ad came and right there the song’s genesis came to him… the idea became one of the most recognizable songs ever.. this artist tells 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 a musical genius who was in the room for some of the biggest chapters in rock history: Alan Parsons. He was with Pink Floyd on their landmark album The Dark Side of the Moon and the Beatles on several of their masterworks including Abby Road. It doesn’t get any bigger than that. But you know what? This prodigy wrote a mind-blowing chapter of his own. Masterminding an unprecedented rock experiment, he not only gave us some of the most thought-provoking albums of the 70s and 80s but also one of the era’s most iconic tracks… Eye in the Sky a song that has provoked a lot of speculation about its meaning. Is it about Big Brother? A dystopian future? Gambling? Or maybe it’s a break-up song… Plus, get the story of the copycat song that has been called a nothing more than “lazy rip-off” of this epic track we get the story straight form the genius himself 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.

It was the biggest song of 1980, by a band that defied all classification. Blondie. I mean you just couldn’t put this band in a box. With connections to new wave, rock, punk, disco, reggae, and r&b, you never knew what you were going to get with Blondie. Versatile and experimental, they were musical chameleons. So it’s no surprise that they jumped at the chance to try something new when the opportunity came knocking… Even if they were the 2nd choice...the chance to headline a movie soundtrack with a completely new sound. Call Me became a 6-week #1 smash. Enter an eccentric Italian producer named Giorgio Moroder who worked tirelessly; to write the perfect song for this band… only Blondie's phenomenal front-woman Deborah Harry liked the music but re-wrote the lyrics on the fly after watching a rough cut of this movie. As you’ll find out, the song was better than the movie. In the end, though, the song was put on the soundtrack and not this band’s new album denying them millions of album sales... Find out why 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, the last musical will and testament of an all-time legend. Jim Morrison of the Doors! Taken from the planet at the age of 27… Today’s song, Riders on the Storm was nearly as haunting as his death… It’s a sinister and mystical epic about a spree killer that has some incredible insight into the artist who created it as well as the human psyche. After lighting up the world with Break on Through and Light My Fire the Doors took their mystical rock to a new level of brilliance, but at what cost? We break down the epic rock track and 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.

The story of Glam Metal band Warrant and their MASSIVE 1990 Hit Cherry Pie! Written by lead singer Jani Lane. The song may've been a curse. Jani said as much himself.. It was also one of the last big hits of the Glam Metal genre that towered over the 80s. It may have been the song that ended the genre, coming at a time that GRUNGE took over and obliterated the excess of the music and the neon decade. Current Warrant band members Erik Turner and Joey Allen tell the story of writing and recording Cherry Pie and its impact on the time! 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 electrifying tale about a fateful encounter between a musical prodigy and the devil himself. Set against the backdrop of the American South, the encounter boldly turns into a fiery, foot-stomping duel known as The Devil Went Down to Georgia by The Charlie Daniels Band. A musician’s life is on the line. In the 80s classic hit, if he loses the bout, the devil gets his soul forever! It’s an epic battle of good vs. evil, a southern rock country fiddle classic, and an irresistible blend of story-telling and musical prowess in a classic song that crossed over to every genre and generation and had a swear word you didn’t normally hear on radio… 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 an artist who is on the shortlist of greatest singers ever. Part 2 of our sit down with Paul Rodgers who made his bones with many huge rock bands from Free to Bad Company to The Firm. Paul Rodgers killed it with every band he was in. In fact, he is one of a few artists in rock history to sing and write a top 5 hit with 4 different bands. Today he tells the story of a song that was so atmospheric and cool that the band drug all their recording equipment out to the middle of a field at night in the moonlight. It took hours to get everything hooked up, this was the 70s so it was difficult and Paul nailed it in 1 take. The name of the song would become the name of the band: Bad Company. He tells 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 arguably the greatest duet ever recorded and well it almost didn’t happen. Under Pressure by Queen and David Bowie. So First of all the iconic bass riff that galvanized the song was forgotten after the musicians took a dinner break… Then David Bowie almost blocked it from release because he was unhappy with it. the unorthodox structure of the duet came from every member of Queen including Freddie Mercury and David Bowie getting in separate vocal booths and singing improv without hearing what each other was singing… In the end, it fit like a glove… Then it wasn’t even a hit in America until the famous bass riff was Stolen by rapper Vanilla Ice in his song Ice, Ice Baby a decade after it was released reminding everyone of its sonic brilliance. The story behind this one is too good to be true. Yet it 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.

Coming up, Eagles were the most popular band in the world when they released the landmark 70s album Hotel California... It became a #1 hit and made them even bigger with 2 huge hits, the title track and New Kid In Town… Don Henley and Glenn Frey and company were on fire... the irony here is that this #1 song was the band singing about getting replaced by an up and coming artist and becoming forgotten. Next one of the legendary songwriters behind New Kid In Town, JD Souther who co-wrote 3 of the Eagles' #1 hits, tells us the anxiety and pressure the band had trying to maintain their top-of-the-charts status and we’ll find out if they remained on top or faded away… 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 backstory of today’s classic rock epic reads like the front page of The National Enquirer. Another Brick In The Wall by Pink Floyd from their landmark record The Wall but at first it was only a minute long and musically it was a little boring… it would take producer Bob Ezrin's secret mission and a fair amount of subterfuge to turn this Another Brick In the Wall to into the monster anthem it is today. With Roger Waters's prophetic lyrics and David Gilmour’s Disco guitar riff... It’s the tale of one of the most controversial songs ever to reach #1 on the Billboard Hot 100. And you’re not going to believe just how controversial it was. The story is 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.

Many have speculated on the real story behind this historic 70s classic. Peg by Steely Dan is an all-time. But the duo of Donald Fagen and Walter Becker have been famously tight-lipped about it. Well, today we try to solve this mystery from the two foremost perfectionists of modern music. The song is historic for myriad reasons. It contained 40 of the greatest musicians in the world. It introduced the world to one of music’s most legendary singers in Micheal McDonald who actually sang backup on it and to top it all off they had 7 of the top session guitarists record the iconic solo before they chose the one that made the cut and then he had to play if for 6 hours before the band was satisfied… a band that was once called sociopaths masquerading as benign dictators. 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 Good Lovin’ by the Young Rascals or later known as just the Rascals. Every now and again you hear a song that has so much magic, you know it’s gonna be a smash. Here's the story of this rock classic from an interview with Felix Cavaliere the lead singer and keyboardist of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame band. The song explodes in the first 3 seconds and hooks you. The #1 hit story 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.

Written in just 10 minutes, today’s songwriting virtuoso, Elton John had this landmark track ready to go before his bandmates woke up for breakfast… Staying in a haunted 18th-century mansion at the time, Elton John and his band were out to write the album of their lives and they did…when this album and this song launched they darted to #1 Honkey Chateau and his 70s classic Rocket Man. But as it was rising on the charts the accusations started to fly… Was this song a rip-off of another iconic track? Namely David Bowie’s Space Oddity. It’s an allegation the duo of Elton John and Bernie Taupin strongly denied. However, they did admit that it was heavily influenced by a completely different song. But despite its origins, this anthem was destined to become a standard… It’s gonna be a long, long time before we ever hear anything like this again. The story is 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… a 70s classic that has one of the most iconic opening lines of the decade… Sign says long-haired freaky people need not apply was a happy accident The song came to singer Les Emmerson of Five Man Electrical Band when he was cruising on Route 66 and saw all of these billboards advertising different things in the middle of nature. It was actually obscuring mother nature and Les wondered where these rules came from so he wrote a 70s classic protest song... the song was actually a B-side until DJs flipped the record over and started playing it. It became a massive hit thereafter with a great message. Up next the surviving members of the bands give us the 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.

Skinny ties and mullets… A quirky band named the Cars with two singers (Ric Ocasek and Benjamin Orr) who split the difference between rock and new wave and power pop. They sabotaged radio with their 1978 song that seemed to start the 80s off two years early. Just What I Need became the ultimate Singalong classic. The character in the song is a little unhinged but the chorus is so catchy and relatable it was tailor-made for ad campaigns that would follow for decades after… The story of a song that opened the floodgates for a band every social circle loved but didn’t sound like anybody else… 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.

Bad Moon Rising, written by John Fogerty of Creedence Clearwater Revival was released in 1969… It stands as a timeless musical monument to one of the most turbulent periods in American history. The classic swamp rock song encapsulates the fear & uncertainty that characterized an era of social upheaval, political unrest, and cultural shifts. It came from a very strange place, to say the least. It also contains one of the funniest and most famous misheard and misquoted lyrics ever. Let’s delve into the historical and cultural context surrounding the creation of this classic rock standard that became an anthem for a generation caught in the crosscurrents of change… 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.

Dangerous, volatile, and even outright destructive, today’s band is what rock is all about. Guns N’ Roses Broke onto the scene in the mid-80s, their hard-hitting music and reputation absolutely freaked out the media establishment… Radio refused to play their 1987 Masterpiece Appetite for Destruction, they were blacklisted by MTV, oh and parents confiscated what few tapes actually got sold… As unbelievably talented as these guys were, their music was never going to see the light of day. But just as their label was about to give up on them, one never-say-die A&R man threw up a Hail Mary called Welcome to the Jungle. He begged his boss to call in a favor to MTV and this band’s video of Welcome to the Jungle was given one solitary play on the channel… in the worst possible time slot. would it work? Find out the all-time rock and Roll Underdog story of a band that went from never heard of ‘em to the biggest debut album ever. 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’re heading back to the Summer of 1985, to immerse ourselves in song so saturated with nostalgia euphoria that you may never want to take it off repeat. Summer of 69 by Bryan Adams. It was an up-tempo rocker and a legitimate rite of passage for every 80s kid. But I have to admit that it doesn’t mean what I thought it did when I was growing up. For years people have debated its message. Bryan Adams wrote it with longtime partner Jim Vallance for his 1984 classic album Reckless. Actually the song title was supposed to be a temporary lyrics meant as a joke… They kept it in though and it became an 80s smash. Does it reference a specific year in history? Or is it simply about getting some summer lovin’? Let’s see… This episode will have you longing for “the best days of your life.” NEXT on they 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.

A hit song can come from anywhere… a billboard, a magazine cover, a summer romance, a TV evangelist, or… maybe the idea for a song could come from a cheap bottle of wine. The incomparable Neil Diamond has written a song about ALL of the sources I just mentioned. One never knows where & when imagination will strike, and that’s what makes the backstory of the 70s classic Cracklin’ Rosie so cool. Let me take you on a little journey back to the late 60s to show you what I mean. Come on board and take a ride with me to the outer reaches of northern Canada to discover the origin of this feel good classic you’ve sung THOUSANDS of times and have had the meaning wrong the whole time! …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 one of rock’s most legendary singers… Robert Plant, Freddie Mercury, Ann Wilson of Heart, they’ve all cited him as the great one. I’m talking about Paul Rodgers… The man who helmed Free and Bad Company and the Firm with Jimmy Page. Paul tells us the story behind arguably his most iconic song…Alright Now by Free It took radio by storm and according to stats it’s played about every 45 seconds in this country! It came after the band played a horrible gig where only 30 people showed up and didn’t notice the band at all. They needed something that would wow the crowd and take them to the next level. They were so determined they wrote the song in about 10 minutes and the next thing they knew they were playing it at a gig in front of 600k people Find out the details of this classic from the legend who created it, 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... this song was written to be part of a rock opera that legendary guitarist Pete Townshend of the Who wanted to make into a film but he couldn’t get it off the ground so he threw it on his band’s next album which happened to be the all time classic Who’s Next! It became one of the most powerful rock anthems ever. So powerful that the legend’s iconic scream was so piercing when the band first heard it they thought their singer Roger Daltrey had gotten into a fistfight with the engineer. It’s a song that is about a revolution but unfortunately, life has now imitated art because the lesson in this song has still not been learned 50 years later… We need to figure this out now! The story of the 70s classic Won’t Get Fooled Again by the Who is 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.

The first 500 people to use our link: https://skl.sh/professorofrock1023 will get access to one of Skillshare’s best offers: 30 days free AND 40% off your first year of Skillshare membership! It’s a song that would spawn hundreds upon hundreds of clones… LITERALLY...I’m telling you everyone wanted to be just like AC/DC's fire-breathing guitarist Angus Young...Everyone wanted to sound like him, and yes, even dress like him. And you know what? That was a good thing. Because at this point in AC/DC's career, their commercial prospects were steadily declining. But then everything turned around with a surprise invitation from one of their biggest fans… who was also America’s most iconic author, Stephen King… He was diving into his big-screen directorial debut and wanted them to play the soundtrack to his film Maximum Overdrive. Now the movie wasn’t exactly Oscar material. But its headlining track, Who Made Who...that was something else entirely. It absolutely rocked. And it jumpstarted this band’s career after 3 rough albums. This is going to be a good one. The story is coming up… NEXT on the Professor of Rock. Brought to you by Skillshare. 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.

What do Queen’s We Will Rock You, The Beatles’ Come Together, Aerosmith’s Walk This Way, and AC/DC’s Back in Black all have in common? Well, today’s featured song Pour Some Sugar On Me by Def Leppard. Each of these songs played a role in the creation of this 11th-hour hybrid track. Actually, Joe Elliot didn’t think it was worth recording. And just wanted to save it for the next album. I mean, Def Leppard had been in the studio for years working on Hysteria and were ready to be done. But when their producer Mutt Lange heard him playing it, he said that they had to do it. HAD TO… It was the best hook he’d heard in 5 years. IT WAS THE RIGHT CALL. Because IT BECAME the most important track on the record...it saved the album from being a failure and turned it into a blockbuster it single-handedly turned everything around. So “Step inside…” join us for 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 one of the pioneers of Thrash Metal: Anthrax... In our exclusive interview, we’ll find out why guitarist Scott Ian from Anthrax’s classic 1985 music video for Madhouse was banned by the suits at MTV. And how a Stephen King book inspired their next 80s classic record. And how a failed duet called I’m the Man with the Beastie Boys became their breakout hit when they had to do it on their own. All of this 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.

Coming up….the saga of how a teenage girl at a clothing store completely bewitched a journeyman lead singer- Who wrote a song just minutes after meeting her that would become the fastest-selling debut single since the Beatles… The story of MY SHARONA by The Knack. This song eventually outdid them with 10 million copies sold. Times were good for The Knack with Doug Fieger...they had the #1 song of 1979 and this girl Sharona broke up with her boyfriend to be with Knack singer Doug Feiger but then just as quickly as their fortunes rose they fell… By 1982 the band vanished from the charts forever and Sharona broke up with the singer. Find out what happened to the band and the girl in from a song that is really the Halley’s Comet of rock, 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.

Sometimes you just gotta kick back and let it rock. And that’s what today’s song is all about. One of the 80s’ ultimate party anthems, Poison and their hit Nothing But a Good Time is a high-octane antidote for the daily grind. But even though it nearly reached the top of the charts and anchored a multi-platinum record with Open Up and Say Ah!, this song actually came from humble beginnings. Living in a hole-in-the-wall warehouse, complete with cockroaches, this band was really slumming it. But at the same time, they were hustling hard. With an unrelenting work ethic for promotion their band they hit the streets and clubs of LA… determined to make a name for themselves. They even tried to hijack Van Halen and Motley Crue fans out in the parking lot before their shows. These guys would stop at nothing to make the big time. It was platinum or bust for Bret Michaels, CC DeVille, and Poison … But either way, these guys were determined to enjoy every minute of it. The story is 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.

There’ve been hundreds of hits based on the apotheosis baby I made a horrible mistake and I want you back but this one is the king of all those songs…a 70s classic as told by the singer. He wrote it when his wife walked out on him… after he wrote it he knew it was A #1 hit He was so sure he guaranteed the record label… Well, he was right and decades later it’s still one of the biggest songs ever with every generation. The song was helped by a huge pause right before the chorus that made the ending of this song legendary find out 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.

They’re one of the greatest Duos ever. A rare and unique pairing that comes along maybe once a generation. Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel…AKA Simon and Garfunkel… Over the span of half a decade, they became so popular that at one point their records owned the top 3 spots on the US Albums chart. Sadly, however, this partnership didn’t last. Fraught with jealousy and bitterness, their relationship came to a passive-aggressive climax with the final song they recorded for their final album. Bridge Over Troubled Water became a #1 hit and a wedge between them. After the song’s writer Paul Simon gave it to Art to sing, he soon came to regret it. It was blowing up and legions of fans were cheering for his partner. Infuriated, Simon wished he had kept it for himself. Soon after, the two were irreconcilable. Find out how this song put the final nail in the coffin of this iconic partnership… 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 the epic 70s rock track with so many dramatic subplots, it should’ve been made into a full feature bio-pic- like Bohemian Rhapsody or Walk the Line. Derek and the Dominos classic Layla The roots of Layla go back to the the writings of a romantic tragedy by a 12th century poet that was a foreshadowing to Romeo & Juliet. Hundreds of years later, an adaptation of his work found its way to an all-time legend…Eric Clapton... a man who stole his best friend George Harrison’s wife! and that’s just the start... of a song shrouded in murder, drug abuse, tragedy, and despair. The tangled web of one of the all-time greatest songs of the Rock Era is NEXT on Professor of Rock... and it’s a doozy. 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 song that has become a classic rock standard and one that started it all for one of the greatest American rock bands in history... Journey… The song? Wheel In the Sky from their 70s classic album infinity... To think it wouldn’t have happened if the road manager hadn’t insisted on pulling the tour van over to get a candy bar.. or Take a piss, depending on the story! At the time the young virtuoso Neal Schon pulled out his guitar and created a riff that would live on radio forever but it also needed a legendary vocal and 2 different singers would end up recording it. Robert Fleischman, and a young kid named Steve Perry. Find out what version got released as the iconic guitarist and founder tells us the amazing story in an exclusive interview 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.

Glam Metal band Europe wrote a keyboard instrumental to be the opening music for their live shows…to play while they were walking out on stage… Then half the band HATED it…and they actually shelved it for 5 years. Then they needed a song for their next album and dusted it off thinking it would be no more than a filler track. It not only became their signature song.. it became a stadium rock anthem that would rule our culture and it’s still killing it. The story of Europe and their hit the Final Countdown that ruled 1986 and 1987. 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 interesting how a band can blow up on the other side of the pond in the UK and be one of the most renowned bands of it’s time and then over here in the States are just a one-hit wonder… Well, today’s band and song are a lot more than that! The band Madness were trailblazers in their native England with 30 top 40 hits over the course of the 70s 80s and 90s with 17 of those going to the top 10. In America, they conquered the charts in 1983 with their only hit stateside but it was a big one. Our House by Madness was a monster smash. It’s a classic we all still sing along to pretty much every week. Madness is a band where every member came from a working-class family trapped in cramped quarters and several members even had criminal records before they hit the big time. It’s a compelling story of a band of brothers who rose above poverty and crime to create a musical movement that changed everything. We break down this sentimental classic by the “working man’s Pink Floyd"…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… separate interviews with 2 legends behind one of the most truthful and compelling songs of the rock era: The Heart of the Matter by Don Henley written for his solo album The End of the Innocence. It's a song that’s changed so many people’s lives including mine with a message that’s so life-affirming and real it should be required listening… It’s just universal. And one of me most important parts of the song was written improv when its legendary singer was recording it… They needed a verse and he sang what came into his head on the spot and it tied the song together. You have to hear this story and interview coming up with 2 of the 3 co-writers of this song, JD Souther who wrote 3 #1 hits for the Eagles including Best of My Love and Heartache Tonight, and Mike Campbell the former guitarist, producer and co-writer of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. 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 1977 legend Jeff Lynne of ELO (Electric Light Orchestra) was trying to write songs for a new record but the weather was so dark around him he went into a funk.. Down and depressed he battled writer’s block and couldn’t write for weeks… He drowned his sorrows at the pub but one morning the sun came out and it shook him from his gloom and inspired him to write 13 songs in a little over a week including a classic hit Mr. Blue Sky. The song was about a make-believe superhero, inspired by a silly TV show he loved as a child. It was recorded with percussion played on a fire extinguisher and was so powerful and singable, later astronauts would use it as an alarm in space and it would be voted the happiest song ever! 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.

It’s a song that is guaranteed to REARRANGE your mind. Just ask the legendary artist who wrote it. Freddie Mercury of Queen. Before this track, neither he nor his band QUEEN had much to show for their efforts. Two albums in, and almost no one knew who they were outside the UK. Actually, they tried touring across America to get their name out there. But their guitarist, Brian May had to be hospitalized… twice. Completely pulling the rug out from under them. They needed a hit so their Freddie popped one off quickly which would start a habit of writing at the spur of the moment from scribbling down lyrics, with nothing to do on a Saturday night to writing a complete song in the bathtub. It would alter the sound of the band and make them legends… Killer Queen from their album Sheer Heart Attack made them rock legends... Find out how this band found their signature sound and conquered America 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 one of the most essential tracks of the 80s, a song that perfectly captures the neon decade in all its glory and infamy. Everybody want to rule the world by Tears for Fears. The thing is... it almost never happened. Written by a band that was virtually unknown in the US at the time, this track changed everything… it went to #1 and is still arguably the definitive track of the 80s… But the truth is, the singer-songwriter who wrote it didn’t even like it. And didn’t want it on the album. He called it lightweight and said it didn’t fit with the rest of the songs. With just one slot open, it came down to this one and two other tracks. Find out what changed his mind. Plus, discover which two songs inspired the process of writing it. The story behind this one will make you hear it in a whole new way.… It’s 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.

Today’s song only needed its opening note to spark a revolution on rock radio. It’s sinister, it’s mind-altering, it’s empowering. One growling intro note is all it takes to open the portal to an otherworldly soundscape, masterfully crafted by one of the most colossal forces in rock history. This Rock band broke the world in two with this 1981 gateway anthem that turned all of us into believers and even though it’s one of the biggest songs in rock history technically, it wasn’t a hit and the band hated it until it got mixed.. it was inspired by a literary classic that every generation has read, and even though it was a tall order to name the track after this novel, it’s that rare case where the song is better than the book and the movie. Find out next! 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… New Wave and Rock icon Chrissie Hynde of the Pretenders faced the unpleasant task of having to fire one of the co-founders of her band…Then two days later, she faced the death of another co-founder that she cherished as “her right hand,” James Honeyman-Scott, and struggled with a volatile relationship with her ex-lover, Ray Davies of the Kinks. All of this happened while she was three months pregnant. It was a period of deep sadness and conflicting emotion, but Chrissie is a resilient warrior... and she rose from the anguish with a thought-provoking smash, the top 5 80s smash Back on the Chain Gang that became her band’s highest charting hit in America. A story of passion & pain for a Rock n’ Roll Hall of Fame band 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.

They spent roughly a million dollars making an album that should have been the biggest of its time. However, after the better part of a year, this band, Foo Fighters threw it all away… They completely scrapped the record. No one in the band liked the finished tracks, which Dave Grohl and Taylor Hawkins dubbed them the “Million Dollar Demos.” Even worse, all four band members were all at each others’ throats. In-fighting was on the verge of fist-fighting. Three albums into their career, they were done. Or so it seemed. With their frontman touring with another band, but somehow they found their mojo and recorded 14 new songs in a matter of days… Including today’s iconic ‘never say die” hit single, Times Like These...This song turned everything around for this band as they stared down the crossroads. It’s a story of near disaster and unexpected miracles…and how the song has a whole new meaning now… 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… It may just be the greatest Hard Rock song ever. With music by the foremost guitar hero of Generation X, the late Eddie Van Halen, and lyrics by rock’s ultimate frontman Diamond Dave… David Lee Roth. He wrote the words in response to a reporter's editorial that he only sang about "women, partying, and fast cars.” Diamond Dave took exception to the reporter implying that he was a stereotypical, vacuous rocker. After pondering on the critique, he realized he’d never actually written a song about “fast cars,” and he did so with piss and vinegar… the result was Panama from their multimillion-selling hard rock masterpiece, 1984. Not even a broken nose could stop him from singing after an accident live on stage...and to think this song barely missed the top 10… Today we're giving it the #1 spot… 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.

Three strikes and you’re out. Isn’t that usually how it goes? Well, not for today’s band… Alphaville who despite repeatedly failing to break into the Hot 100 with the same single…the 80s classic Forever Young, still turned the 1984 single into a massive pop culture phenomenon. Played on underground radio here in America, a lot of people here just didn’t catch on to it until long after its release… Maybe that had something to do with Alphaville refusing to tour in the US for more than a decade. Even so, time was on their side. Because radio hit or not, this Forever Young was destined to be an eternal track… Perfectly capturing the dramatic longing and angst that we all feel when we’re young, this song drips with nostalgia and they released it half a dozen times… Would it ever be a hit? 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.

All eyes were on this legendary band after they released their megalithic fourth album Led Zeppelin IV. Championed by many as the greatest rock record ever written… Everyone was clamoring for a sequel. But they wouldn’t get it. Instead, Robert Plant, Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones, and John Bonham took a sharp left turn into unexplored territory… kicking out a bold collection of songs that tapped into a diverse selection of genres: House of the Holy. The rock press eviscerated them for it. But time would prove that they knew what they were doing. An essential entry into the compendium of rock, House of the Holy also boasts today’s featured song, No Quarter. And I’m telling you, we’re zeroing in on a haunting masterpiece. Written by the band’s most underrated member. This foreboding track is a work of sheer genius and will engulf your soul. It was also part of a cut-throat moment when two of the members reunited, leaving him out while naming their project after his song! 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…. Jimmy Buffett became the wealthiest artist of the rock era because of his clever songs that he turned into crafty entrepreneurial maneuvers. But there was a time when he was given free drinks as compensation for entertaining barflies, and didn’t own a collared shirt or a pair of jeans with no holes. His career was in such bad shape, he contemplated committing suicide in a hotel room. The game changer was when he came to his producer Norbert Putnam with an idea for a song that described a typical day, entwining the mundane, the frustrating, and the comical. Margaritaville! The producer told him it was a “terrible idea” for a song, but he went ahead…and recorded it anyway. Margaritaville became an iconic sing-a-long classic, but even more, it became a state of mind and the foundation of a multi-million dollar enterprise. Let’s put our ‘FINS UP,’ and get on board. A good time will be had by all in our tribute to legend Jimmy Buffett… 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 this rookie hit the top 10 for the first time in 1983 he was ready to take his place amongst the legends with his follow-up… Prince Rogers Nelson otherwise known as just Prince created something that he wasn’t really comfortable doing. Writing a big stadium power ballad. He actually saw Bob Seger inspire a crowd doing one of his own classics and was intrigued, believing he could write a great one. He worked up a demo and it was 10 minutes long. Then he sent it to Stevie Nicks and asked her to write lyrics… she was too overwhelmed thinking she’d ruin the song. Then when he finally finished playing one of the best guitar solos of the decade he was worried he might’ve ripped it off Journey’s recent big ballad Faithfully. So he actually called Journey and asked them to listen to it. They were so mesmerized by this that they told him to run with it. It became the power ballad of 1984 and one that would push him to the apex of all of music. Up next through interview and story the tale Purple Rain! 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.