Professor of Rock

Today, we’re going to go behind the Top 10 songs of this very same week from the year 1986. If you need a break from the sheer insanity of the 2020s, we’ve got you covered. We’re hopping into the DeLorean and returning to the golden era of rock. After counting down the Top 10 songs from 37 years ago, we’re re-ranking them according to how much the world has listened to them since. So by the end, we’ll have an entirely new Top 10 for you. This time around countdown contenders include multiple movie soundtrack hits including Danger Zone by Kenny Loggins a comeback single from legendary band the Moody Blues with In Your Wildest Dreams who found new life in the neon decade, and not one, but two heavy-weight rivalries between iconic bands and their former frontmen Including Van Halen with Sammy Hagar vs. David Lee Roth solo... You’re not going to want to miss one. 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.

They were likely Rock’s first supergroup and it all started when these virtuosos who went by the name of CREAM starring Eric Clapton, Jack Bruce and Ginger Baker all took in a Jimi Hendrix concert, and the bassist Jack Bruce was so juiced with inspiration by what he saw, he went home and created one of rock music’s most familiar and magical riffs. Sunshine of Your Love One that gets stuck in your head for days and that’s a good thing. However when they showed the guaranteed hit to the label head, legend Ahmet Ertegun he hated it. He thought it was crap. Some famous artists outside of the band had to talk him into putting it out. The supergroup was only together for a couple of years and they almost killed each other but their music will last a millennia creating genres and subgenera’s in the process. The story 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.

Making a comeback is a punishing challenge. In the entertainment business, it is extremely difficult, if not utterly impossible. But the Bee Gees beat ASTRONOMICAL ODDS by mounting a successful comeback not once, not twice but an amazing THREE times and on the third comeback they had to do it twice.. once in the UK and then again in American with two different songs. Barry Gibb, Maurice Gibb and Robin Gibb were the biggest band in the world and then Vanished from the charts for a decade. They didn’t have a hit for 10 years! The ruled the 70s with the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack with hits like Staying Alive and How Deep Is Your Love and then were pushed out by tastemakers but their hit You Win Again gave them a #1 hit in 1987 in the Uk and One a top 10 in America in 1989. 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.

Sibling rivalry, band-member infighting, and an ongoing wrestle for creative control all led to the break up of today’s featured band. Creedence Clearwater Revival... Theirs was a bottled lightning career, but they were no one hit-wonder. In fact, they kicked out 9 Top 10 hits in the space of two years… John Fogerty and his band never landed a #1, but they did have a record 5 #2 hits. Today’s song was certainly worthy of a #1. It is a true standard of the rock canon. It was also prophetic… predicting the collapse of this illustrious band. Have You Ever Seen the Rain predicted what was about to happen. But only Fogerty knew what it meant. The rest of the guys had no idea. Find out how one of the biggest bands in the world went from clear blue skies to pouring rain almost overnight and then they were gone forever… 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 tale about legendary singer songwriter Jackson Browne who wrote plenty of entries in the great American songbook including a deeply poignant classic that he wrote when he was only 16 years old called These days He was an old soul and after taking radio by storm in the 70s he decided to do something no other band or musician had done before Cut a completely Live rock album of all new material while touring America. Life on the road can be grim and bittersweet, living our of your suitcase severely exhausted from gig to gig This legend wanted to capture that so he made a concept album with all new material live… And not just onstage… But in hotel rooms, rehearsal spaces, and even on a moving tour bus. The result is iconic. Today, we’re giving you the story of behind this album and it’s title track Running on Empty, a moving masterpiece that makes you feel like you are there. Coming up next on Professor of Rock. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Coming up next, an interview with one of history's only rock singer-songwriters that has had a big hit in the 70s, 80s, and the 90s. Dennis DeYoung of Styx is a bonafide "3 Decades Icon." He did in the 70s with Babe, in the 80s with Mr. Roboto, and Show Me The Way in the 90s. Well, In the late 70s, Dennis needed a birthday present for his wife, so on the fly, he sat at the piano and wrote a very personal song to give to her… Well, the song was so good his bandmates begged him to put it on their new album. He wasn’t so sure but at the last second his bandmates got him to agree and it became the band’s first #1 hit and one of the biggest songs of 1979. Babe started out as a birthday present. He tells us the story next as well as insight on the iconic guitar solo. It’s a can’t miss. 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.

Struggling to stay faithful to his wife while on the road, the Man in Black, Johnny Cash wrote her a mournful love ballad backstage at one of his concerts to clarify his feelings he called it Because You’re Mine but it later turned into I Walk The Line. However, when he got the song to the studio, his producer increased its tempo, turning it completely on its head. And Cash hated it. Well, that is until he saw how audiences reacted to it. His fans went crazy for it. And with his deep baritone voice rumbling like a train down the tracks, it’s no surprise this song shot to #1. Today we’re not only giving the story behind this legendary hit but also interviewing another Icon who teamed up with this Johnny Cash to record an entirely new version of this track and we get a historic account of that recording that was a guaranteed #1 Mainstream Radio screwed him over. This untold story will blow your mind. 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 we present the story of a song that is truly a musical miracle …Aerosmith and their classic 70s and 80s hit Walk This Way. First of all the masterful riff from this 70s and 80s classic instantly came out of nowhere at a soundcheck… Then the iconic lyric came to singer Steven Tyler when he was in the middle of a movie at a theater. Steven Tyler wrote the lyrics in a flash but on recording day he left them in a cab and they were never recovered so he had to start all over because he couldn’t remember them… The band including Joe Perry were livid. Well they came out better on the second try. The song was a hit in the 70s and then America’s band fell flat on their face… They couldn’t buy a hit. After years of nothing producer Rick Rubin gave them a chance to remake this hit with a new hip hop group called RUN DMC and it started one of the greatest comebacks in rock history. The story 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.

After Ozzy Osbourne was fired from Black Sabbath, the band he’d fronted and helped make famous for a decade, a lot of people thought his career was finished. That he was a washed-up has-been. Exiled for being a drunk and a drug addict, and fighting demons and wild mood swings, you can’t really blame them. Even Ozzy thought his career was over. However, with the aid of an up-and-coming guitar hero named Randy Rhoades, he would surprise even himself… rising from the wreckage to become a larger-than-life rock icon. Even bigger than he had been with his former band. And kicking it all off was his seminal 1980 album Blizzard of Oz which delivered a full-speed-ahead, blazing rock track called Crazy Train that had listeners going off the rails… It missed both charts but spawned a classic following, a perfect moment in rock history. Come help us relive 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.

Coming up, it’s a full-speed, kick-you-in-the-teeth, adrenaline-fueled rocker… inspired by an 80s legend who literally had a death wish. Motley Crue and their once-in-a-lifetime rocker Kickstart My Heart from their 1989 classic Dr. Feelgood. It all happened on one notorious night back in 1987, Nikki Sixx the decadent rockstar overdosed after a night of reckless abandon… scaring the hell out of his bandmates Vince Neil, Tommy Lee, Mick Marrs, and his fans in the process. Pronounced clinically dead, rumors of his demise spread like wildfire. And it would take some serious Pulp Fiction needle-piercing action to bring him back to life. He would actually say he was out of body witnessing his death Then he woke up in the hospital. and he ripped out his tubes and escaped. He bummed a ride off a fan who thought they were seeing a ghost and then when he got home he shot up again! Well needless to say the incident’s aftermath led to his band’s biggest song ever and it would eventually help him get clean. The unbelievable story 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.

Legendary Producer and artist Jeff Lynne from Electric Light Orchestra, who was only a few years removed from writing and performing 8 top 10 hits with ELO, was producing George Harrison’s 1987 comeback album Cloud Nine. The comeback would be big with 2 huge hits.. including I Got My Mind Set on You and When We Was Fab. The two of them decided to put together a supergroup. They both agreed to find one person they admired and then make a record. However, in the process, they ended up bringing in 3 legends for a total of 5. Tom Petty, Bob Dylan, Roy Orbison, and Harrison and Lynne. The Traveling Wilbury’s were born. They created one of the greatest records of the 80s, Handle Me With Care. up next we tell their story… How 4 of these legends were so mesmerized by their bandmate they all stopped everything they were doing whenever he would record his part and the tragedy that followed their debut album. The story is NEXT on Professor of Rock. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In 1985, pop music was not a forum for the dark subject of abuse, doors were opened leading up to that year to take about deep subjects from Tears for Fears to an awkward singer named Aimee Mann was fronting a New Wave band called Til Tuesday from Boston brought the taboo topic to light with a groundbreaking song about empowerment. Voices Carry was a New Wave revelation. It was one of the most memorable hits of the mid-80s, with an acclaimed music video that was daring & disturbing. When you hear the story of this haunting track, you’ll likely hear it with a whole new understanding & appreciation of its brilliance. But it has a lot of stories… so which one is true? That’s what we’ll be trying to solve. By the way, this may be the most haunting song of 1985 and it also might be the year's catchiest. it’s all coming up NEXT on Professor of Rock.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Coming up, an interview with one of the most interesting frontmen in music on his band’s signature song. John McCrea of CAKE on their 90s classic GOING the DISTANCE A song that has one of the most iconic first lines of the last 30 years. I have to admit I was a little intimidated to interview Cake’s frontman because he’s wicked smart… You’ll have to see how I did. His explanation of the meaning of this song is pretty sobering. as he says you can’t explode into the world with great magnificence, and still feel like the guy underneath the Mickey Mouse head, with the fan batteries that have stopped working properly, and its dark under there, and everybody wants your autograph.” See what else he says 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 this next song is so good. So entertaining it almost feels made up, but it’s not. Van Halen with David Lee Roth at the helm headlined one of the first big festivals of the 80s… while they were in the middle of working on the song Jump from their blockbuster hard rock masterpiece 1984. The other big headliner was the Clash, the most famous punk band on the planet, and Joe Strummer and co dissed Eddie Van Halen’s band because they were getting paid more… Van Halen was already in disarray as the guitarist wanted to add more pop element to their hard rock while the David Lee Roth wanted to do cover songs. Eddie got so pissed he threatened to burn the masters. In the end, Eddie worked on a melody he’d had for a while and turned it into the band's biggest hit… Jump went to #1 for a month. But this happy-go-lucky 80s hit is actually pretty dark…Almost no one realizes some have said David Lee Roth wrote the song encouraging someone to take their own life… kind of... Find out the real 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 is arguably the most ambitious and iconic concept album ever created, written by a band that was coming apart at the seams. Pink Floyd the Wall. It was Born out of the mind of mad genius Roger Waters one of the rock era’s most provocative and insightful lyricists, its genesis began when a stadium-sized concert went sideways. Feeling disconnected from his audience, Roger Waters lost it when one fan tried to incite a riot. Roger got became so livid he spit in the fan’s face. It was a reprehensible action but it did lead to the creation of this blockbuster record. Today, we’re not only giving you the story behind this landmark album but also delving deep into one of its greatest tracks, Run Like Hell. First written by guitarist David Gilmour for a solo album along with Comfortably Numb, but it’s since become a powerful and dangerous warning against cutting ourselves off from reality. You’re not going to want to miss the breakdown on this one. 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.

Up next, a band that had to fight tooth and nail to get airplay on American radio in the late 70s. The Police struggled to get a fair shake in 1979 but just a few years later they were the #1 band in the world when Synchronicity and Every Breath You Take were #1 globally. Sting, Andy Summers, and Stewart Copeland’s global domination would begin with today’s song that is a no doubt about it classic. The 70s classic Message in a Bottle and in a way it was written by the singer Sting's dog… while the music was written in the back of a van while the band was traveling 100 miles an hour on the autobahn. Decades later it’s a surprise the song was recorded at all because the band was at each others’ throats all the time…Fist fights and shouting matches… but it kept the creative juices flowing. the amazing 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.

Today, it's the defining track of a big-budget, no holds barred rock opus. But writing this signature song would be a harrowing experience for this band’s frontman Dave Grohl. Just a couple years removed from the suicide of his friend and bandmate, Kurt Cobain when he was in NIRVANA, Dave Grohl was trying to move on. Now with a new band Foo Fighters and writing their second album the Colour and the Shape, he was facing all kinds of problems. The guys weren’t gelling and were exhausted from their perfectionist producer Gil Norton. And then he got served divorce papers at the studio. Crushed by the weight of his crumbling marriage… he put the sessions on pause and flew cross-country to his hometown. There he wrote his best song Everlong, pouring into it everything he was feeling. When it was finished, it would become the biggest song of his career. One that would have millions of fans singing along in unison. Get ready for a banger 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.

Alright, so today we’re going old school… taking you back to a shocking and iconic hit from the 70s. It was from a rockstar that defined the word and he put every teacher on notice when he wrote this defiant rocker. I”m talking about Alice Cooper and his anthem Schools Out. No two greatest words were ever spoken in a rock song… at least not to us when we were kids in school. All of us have been singing along to it ever since. It’s a teenage rebellion track that perfectly captures the restlessness of youth. Plus there are also some pretty crazy stories surrounding this one, from spooky urban legends like the band getting their name from making contact with a 16th-century witch to the over-the-top stage antics like the mostly accidental chicken sacrifice that blew this band’s legend up to the actual record coming with a switchblade, a slingshot and being wrapped in paper panties. Find out why they banned it. The story of everybody’s favorite rock and roll golfer who actually liked school, Alice Cooper. …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 an interview with a principal band member and cowriter of one of the most recognizable and popular songs of the 80s. except for the fact that it was actually written, recorded, released and peaked on the charts in the 70s! Video Killed The Radio Star by the Buggles was actually a 70s song But because it was part of one of the most revolutionary moments in music history when it was the first song played on MTV it’s known as one of quintessential songs of the 80s. and yet it was barely even a hit. registering at #40… The story of a barely one hit wonder that changed everything is up from the band Geoff Downes who was in the band with producer Trevor Horn. 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 the greatest living guitarists Nuno Bettencourt of Extreme tells us the story of his band’s hit that he believed in so much that he almost quit the band in protest. The label didn’t want to release More Than Words as a single because there was nothing on radio like it at the time. It was the time of big explosive power ballads and his song was more like a Beatles song… but he knew and singer Gary Cherone knew it was something special so he fought for it… He was right as it became one of the biggest songs ever. #1 hit. Plus he talks about the band’s new record and singles Rise which has the guitar solo of the century the interview 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.

When Led Zeppelin touched down with their debut album, it shook the entire world. And a short while later, they were shaking American concert-goers as well, as they toured non-stop to support this groundbreaking LP. They were so hot their label demanded they make another record, Led Zeppelin II just months after their debut dropped and they made them keep touring unrelentlessly… So they had to write and record the record in chaos and recorded it in 13 different studios across the world… Out of this record came a masterful feel good classic that was inspired by a legendary fantasy novel. Lord of the Rings… the track called RAMBLE ON was a scorcher with Robert Plant’s fierce vocals, Jimmy Page raging the guitar John Bonham playing percussion on something… In fact we try to solve that mystery of what Bonzo is using to play the catchy percussion and find out why this band said no to Woodstock and how they toppled the Beatles as the 70s arrived. 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 two principles from hard rock arena band Night Ranger. the band ruled 80s rock radio and here Professor of Rock interviews lead singer Jack Blades and drummer/singer Kelly Keagy as they shared the story behind one of the catchiest, raise your fist in the air, sing it to the top of your lungs rockers of 1984… the #1 classic Sister Christian. I don’t know if it’s illegal to turn the station when this song comes on the radio, but it should be. It all came from a misheard lyric. Drummer wrote it about his sister Christy and lead singer Jacke Blades misheard the lyric and begged him to change it to the lyric he misheard Sister Christian… Then the session was so rough the band had to play it over 100 times and drummer Kelly Keagy was so pissed he chucked the drumsticks at the producer. Well, this drummer actually ended up singing the song even though Jack Blades was the regular lead singer and it ended up being their biggest hit. The back story of what brought the character to life in this classic… it’s based on a real person. 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 80s power pop at its best. The Cars and their 5th studio album Heartbeat City it sold 5 million and churned out 5 big hits.. But it didn’t come easy for this lead song from the album. In fact, it was a lifetime in the making… Or at least that’s how it felt to it’s band. Used to kicking out albums on the fly, their first four albums were a breeze to record. However, their fifth? That was a different story. Teaming up with meticulous producer and master of sonic sorcery, Mutt Lange, Heartbeat City took over a year to complete. And it took a devastating toll on the Rik Ocasek and Benjamin Orr and the band. Maybe even breaking them up for good. Tempers flared. Plane tickets were bought… and this seminal 80s record was in danger of not getting done. So was it all worth it? Well, if you’ve heard the album and today’s song, You Might Think you know that it was. In fact, it’s cutting edge music video is one of the 80s best and it beat out the biggest selling music video of all time Michael Jackson Thriller ! Get the 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.

The game of life is like…a game of poker. And who would’ve known that some of the best advice for life would be found inside a song about playing poker The Gambler by all-time legend Kenny Rogers! … A SONG everyone knows by heart and a song that changed the fortune of a computer operator working a graveyard shift in up-and-coming songwriter Don Schlitz, and elevated a middle-aged singer into superstardom. You see everyone said Kenny Rogers was over the hill and on his way down… Instead, The Gambler made him even more of a sensation. Up next the making of a storybook song that grabbed an indelible piece of pop culture … 70s classic The Gambler has transcended time, genre, and generation. This video also includes an interview with the legendary singer, the late Kenny Rogers. 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.

Today’s rock band Survivor was on top of the world in 1982 with one of the biggest #1 hits ever in Eye of the Tiger... They were Poised to break out big time. But then their next album fizzled with no hits and then their singer Dave Bickler blew out his voice, in 1984 they would forge one of the biggest comebacks of the decade with a new singer Jimi Jamison who was tailor-made for their sound. They Hit #1 twice including today’s massive song The Search Is Over. they’d have another massive hit in 1986 in the Burning Heart from Rocky IV and then a top ten in 1987 but then they’d vanish from the charts never to be seen again…Next founding member and key songwriter Jim Peterik who used to be in the group tells the story of their 1985 #1 and we try to solve the mystery of why this band disappeared... 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 greatest supergroup ever assembled. And there’s not a close second. the thing is they only recorded one song and they are only together for one night. USA for Africa with the #1 charity single We Are the World. One night where legends of all time like Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan, Ray Charles, Billy Joel, Willie Nelson, Steve Perry of Journey, Daryl Hall and John Oates, Diana Ross, Tina Turner, Michael Jackson, Paul Simon, Huey Lewis, Kenny Loggins, Cyndi Lauper, Lionel Richie and so many more came together. I have exclusive interviews with 4 legendary members and they share some of the coolest stories you’ll ever hear. Man oh man buckle up for some pure unadulterated joy and nostalgia next on Professor of Rock. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

It’s the story of an 80s mega-hit song that topped the charts in at least 25 countries. But it almost never happened. While a young Rick Astley was looking for his big break, he got picked up by one of the UK’s premiere production teams. Stock Aitken and Waterman (SAW)... Only instead of letting him record an album, they had him doing chores around the studio… assigning him to make tea for the crew. When they finally gave him a chance, they hated his future hit a song called Never Gonna Give You Up and refused to release it. It was only by chance it started to get airplay. But when it did, it stormed the charts and nobody even knew who this mystery man was. After he blew up and had 7 hits , he decided to quit music and he pretty much vanished from the public eye. Decades later this iconic track was resurrected and became the mother of all pop culture tracks, the Rick Roll. Never Gonna Give You up even after hitting #1 in the 1988 It trounced its former glory in the 80s. The story’s… 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 classic 80s duo OMD (Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark) tell the unbelievable story of hitting an impossible deadline. They had to write and record a song for the iconic 80s movie Pretty in Pink in just one night. The Director, John Hughes already had a song from them but watched the pivotal ending scene at the prom where they would place the song but he needed something more. The 80s synth pop duo wrote a classic If You Leave... It would become one of the most memorable moments in film history, one that generations after would try to mimic. Their song would be the basis for every high schooler’s dream moment from that point on. But the song would also become a bit of a curse for the band. They would be deemed by many as one hit wonders even thought they had several more hits and were one of the premier bands of the era… Next the duo details the deadline of fury of how they pulled off one of most magical song of the decade in 1 night… 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 the 80s rock band Big Country whose sound was a unique mixture of modern rock and unique Scottish folk elements … After catching a break touring with Alice Cooper, they had bottles of urine thrown at them, but they held on and persevered and their debut album The Crossing would go on to sell over 2 million copies and produced one of the most timeless singles of the 80s… In a Big Country named after the band… Only before it became a huge hit, their lead singer, Stuart Adamson who wrote the song, didn’t think it was any good. It took some serious convincing from his producer Steve Lillywhite and an overhaul of the song to change his mind. But after that, it became their biggest hit in the United States. And also the only hit that most Americans remember. But was this band really a one-hit wonder? Or is there more to their story? 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.

I love stories like our next one. I had the chance to interview one of the nicest guys in music. He’s the equivalent of that children’s story the little engine who could. Technically he only had one hit… It was one of those rare songs where the song’s title is never said in the song…Romeo’s Tune by Steve Forbert… Forbert was a small-town guy who went to new york and made it in music. Truth is Romeo’s tune came out at the wrong time when his type of music was out of style. But the song broke through on the charts and hit #11 and the mystery girl that this song is about has never been revealed. See if he’ll tell who it’s about next on Professor of Rock. The greatest underdog story of 1979 come full circle today with Steve's recollection of this one hit wonder that dominated 70s radio plus info about his latest record! 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…. When punk rock band Blondie recorded a disco song they alienated their punk followers who accused them of selling out. Deborah Harry and Chris Stein loved disco but their fans didn’t. On the flip side, the disco faithful treated them like outsiders who were merely pandering for commercial success. But here’s the thing… It’s one of the coolest songs of its time… In the middle of this identity crisis, that same disco song Heart of Glass, surprisingly, became a huge international hit, and catapulted the band to superstardom… and the iconic title of the song came from the band trying to figure out how to replace a lyric that was a swear word for fear of getting censored on radio. You won’t believe this 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.

Coming up, an interview with a true 80s icon, Huey Lewis and the News on one of the biggest songs of the 80s. The Power of Love from the 1985 blockbuster Back to the Future. He was in the midst of a huge album in Sports that had 4 big hits Heart and Soul, The Heart of Rock and Roll, I Want a New Drug and This is It. Then he got invited to sit down with the biggest director in film history, Steven Spielberg, who wanted Huey to write a song for his new movie because as he explained… the main character Marty McFly would be a fan of his band… Huey had never written for film before and was hesitant… He told Robert Zemeckis and Spielberg he didn’t want to write a song with the same name as the movie. The director said fine just send me the next thing you write… He did just that and it became a #1 smash… Only problem is the filmmakers didn’t capitalize on it and they missed a window to have a big soundtrack album…up next is the story of how this singer gave 10% of the song’s royalties to an old friend for coming up with the title of the song. Only problem is the title was the same as 2 other hits at the time. also how he had a cameo in the movie… See if you remember 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 making of one of the biggest rock albums of the 80s was full of drama, comedy, secret messages, and young lust. Def Leppard Pyromania... It started out with Def Leppard having to fire their longtime guitarist Pete Willis who was so drunk he couldn’t play the songs. They brought in a hot shot rookie named Phil Collen who became the missing piece that helped make this band one of the biggest of the rock era and the only rock band outside of Led Zeppelin to have 2 straight 10 times platinum records and this was the start. Joe Elliott was revved up and ready to go with iconic hits like Rock of Ages, Photograph, and Foolin... Up next, the story of a rock song that came from an old hymn book and the origins of the iconic gibberish that everyone has tried to translate for years but came from the band not wanting to say the same old thing. The story of a record that sold over 10 million copies but was cursed to be #2 never reaching the #1 spot… 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 song that can only be described as ‘epic.’ In a Gadda Davida by Iron Butterfly, originally radio-friendly in length,later grew to monster proportions, swallowing up an entire side of an album. All thanks to a prolonged jam session that wouldn’t stop. The engineer liked what he heard and kept the tape rolling… and when it was done, Iron Butterfly had made history. Plus its gibberish title In a Gadda Da Vida had listeners wondering what in the world the song was about. Turns out, the singer was so sloshed when he first sang it, his bandmates thought he was singing something else entirely. But they liked it, so they kept it. Later on they would also have a chance to perform this legendary track at Woodstock… but after they pissed off the Performance Coordinator they found themselves stranded at the airport. Could they get there in time? An epic tale 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, an interview with 80s icon Terri Nunn from New Wave band Berlin about her band’s biggest song. It was a #1 hit… It was a central song from Top Gun one of the biggest movies of the decade. It was even nominated for an Oscar! Thing is, as we’ll find out... some of the band members didn’t want any part of the song because they didn’t write it. First of all, Berlin wasn’t even the first choice. Legendary Producer Georgio Moroder had the Motels as the first band in position, but then when he turned to Berlin, the band’s principals had a major disagreement about doing someone else’s song... then when it became popular it divided their fanbase. Then when you thought there couldn’t possibly be any more drama…When it was nominated for an Oscar the band didn’t even get to perform it… Find out why they chose someone else next in this exclusive interview. 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 down & out songwriter named Mentor Williams and a down & out singer named Dobie Gray after the TV show came together to collaborate on a song that nobody wanted. “Drift Away" The writer was living in his brother Paul Williams's shadow who was one of the most famous songwriters ever having written numerous hits for the Carpenters, Three Dog Night, and Rainbow Connection for Kermit the Frog. and the singer Dobie Gray was well-traveled with a few minor hits but was looking for the big one to set his career in stone… Even though they had no juice in the record business, they landed a pitiful recording budget- went to Nashville, and created a million-selling single beloved by generation after generation. We break down the 70s rock classic Drift Away and “get lost in the Rock n’ Roll” 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.

Ok, you’re not going to believe this story… Coming up.. a song.. a record that changed everything… Spinning Wheel by Blood Sweat and Tears. It dominated the charts because it was so fresh…so impactful It didn’t sound like anything on the radio at the time. With the amazing pipes of David Clayton Thomas. Up next the band’s co-founder Bobby Columby tells the story of this song that was a crossover hit on 3 major charts and that’s just one part of it. This band suddenly became one of the biggest in the world. They were up for record of the year, and they become the only band to have 3 straight #2 hits… their album hit #1 it sold millions and they were banned from touring in America at their peak because the US government wouldn't give singer David Clayton Thomas a green card… So they allegedly blackmailed the band that they would give them a green card if the band would tour behind The Iron Curtain. Hear the unbelievable 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.

Hey teacher, leave them kids alone! Today we’re telling the story of the classic 80s track Don’t Stand So Close To Me by the Police. The controversial song is about a classroom instructor who crossed the line with one of his students. And since Sting was a teacher before joining this band, a lot of fans wondered if it was really about him. Was he speaking from a real experience? Besides that, this song holds another claim to fame as well. It is notorious for trying to pass off one of the worst rhymes in a pop song ever. Even band mates Sting, Andy Summers and Stewart Copeland admitted it was terrible. But despite all the drama surrounding it, this song was just they needed at the time. Not only did it become one of their most popular tracks, it opened the way for them to become global rock stars. and part of it would come back around a few years later to help create another massive hit. Money For Nothing from Dire Straits So get ready, we’ve got some controversy coming up on this one… 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 was looking through some old interview footage and I found this cool zoom session I did with two of the greatest drummers from hard rock and Metal. The Appice brothers Carmine and Vinnie Appice. They both played for two of the greatest rock singers ever… Ozzy Osbourne and Ronnie James Dio. They have some great stories including an inside story about an 80s rock masterpiece Dio’s Holy Diver that has been severely misunderstood due to the embellishment of 80s satanic panic… including an experiment that this drummer and the iconic singer he played with did to prove that the media and the naysayers were lying about hidden messages in songs. Great interviews coming up next. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Coming up… Two of rock and roll’s greatest storytellers Randy Bachman and Burton Cummings formerly of the 70s band the Guess Who share the hilarious story of writing a #1 double sided hit… American Woman and No Sugar tonight. The two hits came from different experiences … One came when the Randy Bachman, who was not from the United States visited Haight Ashbury for the 1st time… He witnessed a tough guy get cut down to size by his lady… She cussed him out in front of onlookers and said a phrase that this guitarist had never heard but he turned it into a #1 hit. The other song came to the band on the spot when they were playing a show. Randy Bachman was vamping on a something and Burton Cummings spit out random lyrics and luckily a bootlegger was recording it because it became massive. The double interview with these legends is next on Professor of Rock Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In the mid 80s Australian band Midnight Oil was one of the hottest box office draws on their continent, poised to sell out arenas around the country…But instead of accepting the lucrative payouts, they chose to tour the MOST remote areas of the region- for a pittance of what they could’ve made. In these places, singe Peter Garrett and his band witnessed the harsh conditions and poor health that ran amok within the communities they toured in. For decades the people were mistreated by the government, Outraged by what they saw, the band created a song that conveyed their fury and beseeched the public to join them in a crusade to fight… Beds are Burning because one of the defining protest anthems of 1987 from their 80s masterpiece Diesel and Dust... The story behind their biggest American hit of the is that actually brought about real change 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, an interview with a true 80s icon. Colin Hay of Men at Work. This band was as big as anyone in 1982 and 1983. They actually pulled off something that not even the Beatles did… when their debut record, Business As Usual spent 15 weeks at #1 and they had 2 #1 hits Down Under and Who Can It Be Now and 4 top tens…they won a Grammy for best new artist and were on the cover of Rolling Stone… But By the mid-80s the band had disappeared.. and they NEVER had another hit. Up next we get the story behind these hits in an exclusive interview with Colin Hay and find out what the hell happened. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Coming up, it’s the story of the 1983 Hit Der Kommissar that had two very different lives. First released by a German-speaking 80s star, named Falco, the song went Top 5 in at least 10 different countries. But It crashed and burned in America… Although Falco would have his revenge with a different hit called Rock Me Amadeus a few years later….But then an American ‘prog-rock band gone new wave pop called After the Fire’ got their hands on this song. They translated most of it into English except for a few mysterious lines and released it as a single that same year. And it Crashed and Burned Again!… Deeply in debt, burned out, and at odds with their record company, they decided to break up the band. Then out of nowhere, this track made a run for the top of the US charts just two months later. Was the song’s sudden success enough to get the band back together? Also, what did the mysterious chorus mean when translated into English? 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.

It was a last-minute song written at record speed. When rock’s greatest trio Rush finished their 9th studio album Signals, they realized they still had 3 minutes and 57 seconds of space left. No big deal right? Well, Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson, and Neil Peart wanted to give their fans the most bang for their buck. So they decided to squeeze one more song onto the record. Only they didn’t write many songs under four minutes. So they gave themselves the ultimate challenge… two days to see if they could do it and dubbed it “Project 3:57.” Well, the song they cranked out called New World Man became their highest charting track of all time. It was unbelievable. I mean these guys practically pulled this song out of thin air. Just an afterthought and it rocketed up the charts. Find out how they beat the clock and improvised their way to their biggest hit… 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 1983 into 1984 every artist and band on the planet was massively outdone by one massive blockbuster. The Biggest selling album of all time. Michael Jackson’s Thriller…. The Police, Pink Floyd, Hall and Oates, Styx Foreigner, YES, David Bowie… All had to be second bananas and then some of the biggest albums of that times never got to #1 because of it. I’m talking Van Halen 1984, Def Leppard Pyromania, and Duran Duran Rio to name a few. That’s when a rising superstar named Prince Rogers Nelson who was part Jimi Hendrix, part Little Richard stepped to up the mic and unleashed a batch of songs that would one up Michael Jackson… He would dominate the charts with 24 weeks at #1 with Purple Rain but he’d also do something even Jackson couldn’t do.. Dominate movie theaters. He took a risk with a first time director and a song that had no bass called When Doves Cry… 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.

Coming up an interview with one of my favorite singer’s ever…He’s one of only a few artists in rock history who’s had a hit with three different bands and as a solo artist. Paul Carrack sang the 80s hit Tempted for Squeeze, Silent Running and #1 hit the Living Years for Mike + the Mechanics, the solo hit 1987’s Don’t Shed A Tear and today’s 70s classic How Long by Ace. He tells the story of this 70s rock and soul classic that even Yacht Rock has claimed. They Call him the man with the Golden Voice and here he explains how this song that everyone assumes is about adultery is actually about something else entirely and how he wrote it on a bus ticket…. 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 and guitarist from a hard rock band that exploded onto Radio and MTV in the 80s with a song that changed everything. Cult of Personality by Living Colour. Written by Singer Corey Glover and guitarist Vernon Reid. The opening riff blew minds and speakers… This band challenged the party all the time pop-metal bands of the moment giving us a dose of reality that set the stage for thinking man's rock and metal. and as we’ll hear in the exclusive interview that follows, They got their big break because the biggest star on the planet who loved their music told MTV if they didn’t put ‘em in heavy rotation he wouldn’t give them his new #1 hit video. The story Cult of Personality from the 1988 album Vivid by Living Colour 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.

When Pink Floyd’s leader Syd Barrett descended into madness due to a break from reality and using drugs. The band was concerned that losing their frontman could be the end of their career so Roger Waters stepped up and took over songwriting duties. Then they pulled off the massive album Dark Side of the Moon with the help of a brilliant young engineer named Alan Parsons who decided not to do their follow-up. Was it luck or could they create a compelling follow-up themselves? today’s song is the result. Wish You Were Here from the 70s classic of the same name was partly written about their lost frontman. It was also one of the only songs that the two principal songwriters of this legendary group Roger Waters and David Gilmour truly collaborated on. Waters would call it a simple little country song… What? Prog Rock's Elite band gone country? it may be the greatest acoustic riff ever recorded and it contained screw-ups like David Gilmour coughing and wheezing because he was quitting smoking… This song and its album also prove that even though this legendary band has written some of the greatest songs ever a greatest hits album would be a disaster find out why next. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today, it’s a band that started off strong in the 60s continued to dominate in the 70s with great songs like Night In White Satin...then Went away for a bit only to make a huge comeback in the 80s with an entirely new sound The Moody Blues… and in the process released one of their most successful songs ever. Your Wildest Dreams…a #1 AC hit from 1986 and #9 on the Hot 100... It’s a nostalgic track that will have you wondering whatever happened to the one that got away… And in fact, it had the songwriter Rock icon Justin Hayward wondering the exact same thing. It was an old Girlfriend he couldn’t forget. So believe it or not, decades later Justin tried to track her down. But was that a good idea? Find out what happened… if this shot in the dark turned into a happy ending or an all-out train wreck. No matter what though he got a #1 hit out of it. The story of the band, this comeback song, and this songwriter’s leap of faith 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.

One day Dire Straits Frontman Mark Knopfler was shopping in a retail store and he happened to eavesdrop on two meathead workers ranting about Rockstars and how easy they have it. It was such an interesting conversation that he borrowed a piece of paper and wrote down what they said verbatim. He turned it into one of the biggest hits ever. Yet this frontman got lambasted by critics for using their exact conversation… It was controversial for sure but it was also meant to be satire…Later the song was banned… Earlier a happy accident in the studio created the iconic guitar sound that’s become a part of our culture and then the band had an idea to get Sting to sing on the song. He happened to be in town windsurfing and was able to record an iconic line I Want My MTV that would make it very simple to market especially on MTV. Later Weird Al Yankovic would parody it with Knopfler playing the guitar. It would be the defining track on Dire Straits 1985 masterpiece blockbuster Brothers In Arms. 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.