Professor of Rock

Coming up. It’s the story of a song that never really got its due when it was released as a single. My Best Friend's Girl by the Cars… Yeah, sure it was a Top 40 hit… but not by much. And yet I don’t think anyone today could deny that this song is an absolute classic rock staple. It’s also a signature song from a debut record so strong that honestly, it could have been released as a greatest hits album. Written by Rik Ocasek with vocal help by Benjamin Orr, this song, along with Just What I Needed, lit up radio in 1978 and we’ve had the meaning of the song backwards from the start. Up next, the story of a 70s classic by a band that balanced punk, new wave, power pop, and rock. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Up next one of the coolest stories of a one hit wonder ever…This artist dropped out of high school to follow his rock and roll dreams, he scratched and clawed for 10 years before a chance meeting in an elevator gave him a shot at a record deal. Grayson Hugh arranged and helped finish a song that he knew would be a hit, but then couldn’t release it because an Icon got first dibs on releasing her version. Finally after so many failed promises, His song, the 1988 hit Talk It Over shot up the charts… The unbelievable story of rock and roll perseverance straight from the artist 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.

Every now and again in an interview with an artist, a story is told that is so unique, Poignant and heart felt that the story enhances the song to an unparalleled level. It seems to deepen with every listen. This is the case with Marc Cohn’s hit Walking in Memphis... Most people thought this massive hit was a made up homage to an artist, poetic license on steroids, but as we’ll find out in the exclusive interview coming up, every part of this song actually happened. the Ghost of Elvis to Al Green preaching. Marc Cohn was a Struggling singer songwriter and trying to find that one hit that would get him his first big break and he found it in one weekend. the story from grammy winner Marc Cohn 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.

"In 1967, a brilliant concept album was recorded that shattered the boundaries of song arrangement, and forever changed the art of recorded music. The Beatles Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. Maybe Paul McCartney, John Lennon, George Harrison and Ringo Starr created a concept record about an imaginary band. They were in a race with the Brian Wilson and the Beach Boys to create the greatest record ever.. The last cut on their ground-breaking record A Day in the Life was a mind-altering composition inspired by the death of a notorious socialite, and psychedelia. We raise the curtain on this fantastic voyage across the perils of stone cold realism.. and the fantasy of lysergic imagination….NEXT on Professor of Rock." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today, it’s the song that drove one of the UK’s biggest bands The Cure kicking and screaming out of obscurity into the Mainstream Thematically, Robert Smith’s Lovesong was completely out of character for the pope of mope… It was an unexpected bright spot on Disintegration.. the 1989 album that makes you feel like you might never see daylight again. Don’t get me wrong, it’s easily one of the most darkly beautiful records ever created. It is a moody, melancholy masterpiece that has not only been hailed as the peak of this band’s career, but also one of the greatest albums of the 80s. So what was this so-called ‘happy’ track even doing there? And could this band’s reluctant rockstar make peace with the song that turned this indie band into stadium headliners? We’ll find out... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Coming up, a tale of identical twin brothers who were told by everyone in the music industry that if they wanted to make it in show business, they had to lose their thick Scottish accents. The Proclaimers had a lot against them before they hit with I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles). For example...famous British TV host Paul Yates called them “weird” on their national television debut… But they didn’t care. They refused to drop their accents, and proved their skeptics wrong when their 2nd single rose to #3 on the British Pop Chart, and their 4th single became an International smash- largely because of their accent, Then the band got a stroke of luck, when American actress, Mary Stuart Masterson (who had become a fan of the band), submitted their music to be used in the Johnny Depp film Benny and Joon. The music instantly gripped the crew and everyone who saw the movie and took it to the top 3 in american 5 years after it was a huge hit everywhere else. 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.

Conflicting stories, throat surgery, destitution, overblown egos, and cartwheels across sports cars. It’s all part of today’s #1 80s rock anthem Here I Go Again by Whitesnake. Singer David Coverdale first recorded this song in 1982 and it went nowhere… then he was on the cusp of a break through record when he had to have throat surgery and didn’t think he’d ever sing again. He was 3 million in debt and his label wouldn’t give him the cash to make a music video to promote the song… yet somehow he overcame… With Whitesnake self titled that had 3 big rock hits, Still of the Night, Here I Go Again and Is This Love from 1987 into 1988… The key was dusting off the 1982 recording of Here I Go Again and giving it new life… on his way to world domination.. but he had re record it 3 times with 3 different bands because he fired his entire band before the album came out. Find out 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.

This is such a cool 80s story. The band the Hooters formed in 1980. they released an album independently and then took some time off when two of their principal members were hand picked to work on the 1984 blockbuster album Cyndi Lauper’s She’s So Unusual including helping with Girls Just Wanna have Fun and co-write the 1984 #1 hit Time After Time. Then they were signed by Columbia Records and released the 1985 2 X platinum album Nervous Night that had 3 big hits including the classic 80s anthem And We Danced plus Day by Day. They opened live aid and were killing it in 85 and 86 and then they disappeared out of the limelight in the US only to hit it big in europe and come back in the 90s writing another monumental hit One of Us for Joan Osborne. In an exclusive interview, principle members Rob Hyman and Eric Bazilian tell 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.

IN 1983 in the midst of the 2nd British Invasion, a new wave band with a cool name almost no one could pronounce rocketed up the charts with a one-hit wonder for the ages. Kajagoogoo with the mind-blowing bass infused 1983 ditty Too Shy. They were led by a singer with one of the decade's most iconic hairstyles with one name, Limahl! The group seemed poised to be a lot more than a one-hit outfit but then the band fired this charismatic singer and they never had another hit… but he did. In an exclusive interview, the former lead singer tells the story of this singalong ditty 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 landmark album that is all killer and no filler. Def Leppard Hysteria… This 80s hard rock masterwork was so epic that not even two car crashes, the brave drummer who lost his arm, and millions of dollars of debt could stop it from dominating the airwaves. Actually, when today’s band got started on it, they were intentionally trying to beat out the biggest selling album of all time. Michael Jackson Thriller, who actually kept their last album 1983’s Pyromania out of #1. But that’s not all. We’re also giving you the story behind its Top 10 title track, the Pink Floyd like power ballad Hysteria A song that perfectly sums up the magic that went into the making of this seminal record with A cameo interview part form lead singer Joe Elliot… it’s the story of Gen X’s greatest 80s rock blockbuster. 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.

Standing at the crossroads of her career, Stevie Nicks traded in the surefire success of Fleetwood Mac after Rumors and Tusk for a shot to prove she could do it on her own. But solo success wouldn’t come easy. Especially when two tragedies affected the progress of her album. The first of these would shake us all. The death of Beatle John Lennon The other was more personal, but still just as devastating. Stevie wrote and recorded Bella Donna with two duets… Stop Draggin My Heart Around with Tom Petty and Leather and Lace with the Eagles Don Henley but the breakout was Edge of Seventeen that came from a misheard phrase and a an inflight menu…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.

"One evening in the early 70s, a trio named the Bee Gees took the stage to play to a hometown crowd It was supposed to be a fun show but it turned out to be a demoralizing indicator of where their career stood at that moment. The attendees were more interested in getting drunk, then listening There was no question about it…the Bee Gees were at a crossroads… With 3 straight albums that were commercial failures. They were in a bad place but the adversity made the bond between the brothers Barry Gibb. Maurice Gibb and Robin Gibb was stronger than ever. It’s the story of how one of the most successful acts of the Rock Era reinvented themselves when Barry found his falsetto and the #1 hit Jive talkin came from driving over a bridge and the sound the tires made on the road... 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 one of the greatest rock vocalists ever Sammy Hagar on a song that changed everything. Right Now by Van Halen. After joining of the the mighty Van Halen and having back to back #1 albums with 5150 and 0U812, the band needed to evolve with the changing times. Sammy had the lyrics to this song in his head for months but his cowriter Eddie Van Halen wasn’t on board. one night Sammy was playing video games and heard Eddie playing something on the piano instead of the guitar … the Red Rocker walked in and started singing his lyrics over the piano figure and the game changing song was born. It had a legendary music video to go along with it, but the Sammy HATED it until he didn’t;. they put it in on an album he wanted to call the F word. Sammy tells the story in this exclusive interview coming up on Professor Of Rock. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Coming up next an exclusive interview with one of the founding fathers of New Wave. Singer and snazzy dresser Martin Fry of ABC He helped the brits battle it out in the second british wave in the 80s. He tells us about his band’s signature hit, the elegant synth pop masterwork The Look of Love. It lit up both sides of the Atlantic. Most think it’s a happy song because of the music but it actually came from the lead singer getting his teeth kicked in by an ex lover.. Well The producer Trevor Horn Video Killed the Radio Star Fame, was such a perfectionist he actually had Martin’s ex lover come in and record a part in the song so it was true to life! The story if 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.

When hot shot rookie Terrence Trent Darby arrived on the scene, he was hailed a rival to the biggest names in music history. but there’s a catch, he was the one who started the rumor. With his eyes firmly fixed on rock immortality not only did he declare himself a musical genius, but he claimed his debut was better than the Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper. However, the self-hype started to get so big that people started to wonder if he was his own biggest fan. But to his credit, his record the Hardline According to Terrence Trent Darby topped the album charts and two of his singles Wishing Well and Sign Your Name were massive on the Hot 100. Could he sustain the success or would he falter… the story of both songs and his career are next... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The story of the desolation of the Police and the birth of Sting’s first solo hit, If You Love Somebody Set Them Free, as song he wrote as a remedy to the disturbing stalker #1 hit of 1983, Every Breath You take. After 4 straight #1 albums in the UK, their first #1 Album in America, and first #1 Single… the Police were on top of the world. No one was bigger than they were at the time. Which made what happened next so perplexing to their fanbase. They simply quit. Or at least they quit playing together. Today, we try to figure out why and tell the story of how their iconic lead singer Sting gave up a guaranteed goldmine to go it alone while taking a huge gamble on his first solo album. How a nightmare about a blue monster actually broke up the band… 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.

Visit https://iolo.com/professorofrock and use code PROFESSOROFROCK to get 60% off System Mechanic Ultimate Defense with 30 Days of FREE 24/7 Live Tech Support. Thanks for Sponsoring the video iolo! Today’s song contains one of the most iconic opening riffs of all time… from one of the most notorious and dangerous bands of the 80s: Sweet Child O’ Mine by Guns N’ Roses. 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.

Shrouded in the intrigue of an urban myth about a deadly acid trip, and cryptic lyrics, many shared that this 70s classic was about a suicide. American Girl by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers etched the superstar onto the Mt. Rushmore of rock n’ roll storytellers. The fact & fiction surrounding one of the greatest rock songs ever. IN hindsight it’s actually this Tom and his band the Heartbreakers biggest hit ever… Except for the fact that it wasn’t actually a hit.. and it was the last song he ever played live. the real story of this classic rock standard is next.. …. 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 and interview with a musical genius, one of the word’s greatest living guitarists Carlos Santana. This interview blew my mind. He’s such a guru. 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 last great power Ballad of the 80s, I Remember You by Skid Row. And it almost didn’t make it onto the record because the band thought it was just okay. In fact, their exact thinking is that it was cheesy even though it rocked harder than most ballads… Well, their label and management both felt it would be a smash as did the band’s friend John Bon Jovi. So Dave the Snake Sabo, Rachel Bolan, Sebastian Back, and the band recorded it. Coming up the founder, guitarist, and co-writer Dave Sabo shares the first-hand account of one of the most chosen songs for the prom with one of the best vocals of that year, from a band that was deemed hair metal even though they were straight hard rock. 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.

Up next legendary singer songwriter John Oates of Daryl Hall and John Oates (Hall and Oates) tells us the story of their first single. The 70s classic She’s Gone! A song from that was released 3 times over a few years before it finally charted at #6 and became an all time classic helping put the most successful duo on the map for good. And to think it all came from John getting stood up by a beautiful woman on new years eve. He may owe his entire career to that rejection… We also discuss the story behind the hit Sara Smile.Get the stories in an exclusive interview 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.

Is it a hidden gem or a no brainer hit hiding in plain sight? Even though today’s song broke the Top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 and claimed #1 on the Mainstream Rock chart, What it Takes By Aerosmith has faded into obscurity since its moment of glory. Which is a huge oversight, because its one of the best songs in its genre from one of the biggest bands in the world. It came from one of the best rock albums of 1989 in Pump the also included the hits Love in an Elevator and Janie Got a Gun and get this, The song started out as a country western song but Steve Tyler and Joe Perry knew they could never get away with that so Tyler gave it a no holds barred hard rock twang, which molded into a fierce power ballad that set an all time record for the most repeated lyrics in a top 10 hit. 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 legend Randy Bachman, a co-founding member of both Bachman Turner Overdrive (BTO) and The Guess Who on his classic rock standard Takin’ Care of Business TCB that sat unfinished for years, because The Guess Who thought it sounded too similar to the Beatles Paperback Writer... Then one day he got an idea from a random saying he heard on a radio show and the chorus was finished, but it was still missing something musically until a pizza delivery guy walked in and offered to play piano on the track which was the missing piece… When he played the demo for a record exec, he flipped out… He wanted him to release it asap… Now Randy just needed to track down the pizza guy to sign a release… Which proved too tough. He had to call every pizza place to try and track him down… Elvis also picked up on the song and made it his mantra. Which brought it full circle since Elvis was the reason Randy got into music as a kid... 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 greatest comeback stories in music history. Neil Sedaka had 6 top ten hits as a rookie including one of the biggest #1s of the time with Breaking Up is Hard to Do. Then literally overnight he became a has been. When the Beatles came out and wiped his style from the musical hemisphere. His label wouldn’t release his music. He even moved to the other side of the world and played gigs at dives just to keep his dream alive. He was shut out of the charts for 13 years. One day he ran into the biggest star in the world, Elton John at a party and Elton gave him a chance for a comeback. He wrote a great song, Laughter in the Rain that he knew was a smash… It returned him to the top of the charts almost a decade and half later…This Hall of Fame artist give us 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.

Today’s track is like rollin’ thunder. And it comes at you just like a hurricane. It’s a powerful, heavy hitting anthem, and designed to blow you away. Hells Bells by AC/DC But in spite of that, it was actually written as a tribute to a fallen frontman, Bon Scott. Brian Johnson came into the band with some big shoes to feel as Angus Young and his brother Malcom young along with uber producer Mutt Lange created the biggest selling rock record ever… Back In Black . Charged with writing the lyrics to this rock epitaph on the tight deadline of just one day, Brian Johnson found himself paralyzed with writer’s block. But after some unexpected inspiration and spooky, supernatural experience, his fortunes began to improve. He felt like he received some help from the grave, then later the band had a 1 ton bell commissioned to get the right sound for the song...the story is coming up next on Professor Of Rock. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Coming up, a song that has received a lot of hate… Many don’t want to admit that they know every lyric… In fact, I would say if you’re a Gen-Xer and you claim not to know every word to this massive #1 hit you’re a big fat liar… I'm talking about Ice Ice Baby by Vanilla Ice. I present to you an exclusive interview, with maybe the greatest Bottled Lightning story of them all. For about a year Robert Van Winkle, AKA Vanilla Ice was the biggest star on the planet. He was at #1 for 15 weeks, Madonna wanted to date him, he had the first rap #1, and then overnight he was cast off. He ripped off Queen and David Bowie’s Under Pressure- the beat and bass line. Then he got caught in some tales from his past and he was done. Many were livid that he ripped off the song and didn’t pay out royalties at first, but he actually introduced the song to many all over the world…as it wasn’t a hit in America. So, so, so many twists and turns to this story. It's the breakdown of a song that still moves the needle, in an exclusive Professor of Rock 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 classic hit double A Side from one of the Depeche Mode In the 80s the band was starting to make it’s way up the charts and they haven’t stopped since. Today we break down the beautiful, sensitive Martin Gore Ballad Somebody along with it’s other side Blasphemous Rumors. Believe it or not the latter song caused an uproar in my small community of Blackfoot Idaho for it’s out right blasphemy…in fact when the main writer showed it to the rest of the band one key members was afraid it would offend everyone… . When Martin Gore brought Somebody to David Gahan, the late Andrew Fletcher and Alan Wilder he decided to sing it.. and sing it he did… buck naked. He wasted to sing it in the nude to capture the vulnerability perfectly. Boy did he ever. Coming up next the story of an 80s DM classic and how it lead to other great song of the same nature like, Enjoy the Silence, Stripped, A Question of Lust and more.. 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 harrowing details behind a near fatal car crash that put one of the great musical Genius Stevie Wonder in a coma for 4 days. He had just come off Talking Book the #1 album that gave him grammys and hits including You are the Sunshine of My Life and his cousin smacked into a flatbed truck in front of them and Stevie was stuck in the head and bleeding. He was rushed to a hospital and was near death for days. When his cousin came to see him he began to sing his latest song Higher Ground softly to him and Stevie woke up. He was afraid he’d lost his musical abilities since he could no longer taste or smell but days later he mustered enough to try his clarinet and he could still jam. Stevie felt that the accident was his destiny and felt he was given a second chance at life and Higher Ground was the perfect omen for that. He would then release several historic albums including Songs in the Key of Life and fulfillingness first finale and embrace the future. We also include an interview with rock hall of famer who witnessed it first hand when Little Stevie Wonder came to Motown. He had just written his first song at the age of 10! 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 #1 smash with the distinction of having one of the most innovative and unforgettable music videos ever made. Peter Gabriel’s super catchy #1 hit Sledgehammer. Made up of over 100 hours of filming…the song was written by the master artist who lived on the fringes of pop culture stardom for decades. But after releasing this song, it’s awesome video, and his extraordinary album So, Peter Gabriel was on everyone’s radar. And in the process, he even one-upped his former bandmates, Phil Collins and Genesis stealing the #1 spot from one of their biggest hits, Invisible Touch, replacing them at the top of the charts. Most people don’t realize, this innocent fun loving hit is all about SEX! Coming up, get the story of how this slice of ear candy came out of nowhere to become an all-time 80s favorite and actually When He REPLACED his Former Band Genesis at #1, Phil Collins Wanted to Send a Note that said: Congratulations Bastard! 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 the story of the monumental #1 hit the Age of Aquarius/Let the Sunshine one of the biggest #1 hit of 1969 by the 5th Dimension… It’s definitely a song that defined it’s time. today we have an exclusive interview from two important former members of the group, Billy Davis Jr and Marilyn McCoo. … It all happened because Billy accidentally left his wallet in a new york taxi cab…. He realized this when he got to hit hotel room and his wife said well you’ll never see that again… they they got a call some time later from an honest stranger who found the wallet and wanted to return it… The stranger happened to be a big broadway producer and would invite the two of them to see the hit musical HAIR. As soon as the two of them heard the Age go Aquarius they knew they had to record it. So an act of honestly led to a magical song that has changed the world. It swept the Grammies and we still sing this ditty everyday... Find out how it came together 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.

One of the coolest and lesser known stories in rock history. Drummer Keni Richards used to be David Lee Roth’s jogging buddy One day Diamond Dave asked him what he was up to and Keni showed him a demo of the band he was in. DLR wasn’t impressed. Keni then showed him a demo tape of a bunch of his drinking buddies who jammed together on the weekends.. They weren’t even a band.. Diamond Dave love the sound that offered the non existent band a slot to open for Van Halen on their 1984 tour. Keni was ecstatic. So they put together the band officially and decided to name it Autograph comprised of lead singer Steve Plunkett and tapping genius guitarist Steve Lynch. But Lynch was told that he could use his tapping style while on tour with Van Halen because that was Eddie Van Halen’s thing. As the make shift band came together and played they got better and better and ended up getting a record deal which lead to writing one of the 80s best hard rock songs.. Turn up the Radio. Only Autograph had to fight to get it released as the label didn’t believe in it. Then they had to sell out a little without he music video which was sponsored by paper mate and one of the most obvious product placement videos ever. The song was a smash as Autograph had a built in pedigree for radio with it’s call to action and recorded version for stations… This was a band on fire and then they never had another hit. They are now remembered as a one hit wonder but they deserved better. We find out where the band is now. Hint: the band is still going but does’ have any original members. 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 1986 Level 42 was coming off one of the best songs of the 80s in Something About You. which went to the top ten on both sides of the Atlantic and the double platinum album World Machine. The trick now was figuring out how to do it again. the struggle for every musician. Repeating success in the 80s wonderland of blissful and magnetic rock and pop spectacles was not an easy feat. Fortunately singer bassist Mark King and falsetto singer and keyboardist Mike Lindup were up to the task coming up with a song that nearly matched its success in America and actually bettered it every where else including going to #1 in 5 other countries. the story of the 80s classic Lessons in Love from the album Running in the Family . Up next co-founding member Mike Lindup shares the in depth story of this undeniable 1987 hit that you may’ve forgotten about but will be delighted to rediscover. 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 renowned rock front Ed Roland of Collective Soul gives us the skinny on his band’s first number one hit Shine that came years before... He was visiting his parents and his kid brother Dean who was only 15 was messing around with a riff.. Ed loved it and finished the song on the spot…5 years later it would be the biggest rock song of the year in 1994… the brothers would later elaborate calling the chorus a prayer… a rock and roll prayer and a few years later one of the greatest legends of last 50 years, Dolly Parton would record a very strange but cool version.. How Collective Soul became the best of the post grunge era… Critics said they were copy cats of the grunge genre but they wrote this #1 hit years before the genre blew up...The interview is next on professor for rock. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Coming up this 70s rock band ruled radio on their first release… Green Eyed Lady by the band Sugarloaf flew out of the gates as an irresistible ditty fronted by a sensational bass line and mysterious lyrics about a beautiful lady that took the band to the top of the charts quickly. But then the band fell apart. Then they lost their record deal.. Not once but TWICE! Desperate to overcome being labeled a one hit wonder the band reformed and recorded at a friend’s studio. They did a song about the real struggle of trying to get the record label to notice them and the cut throat experience they battled through to get That first and only hit. It worked! The song Don’t Call us We’ll Call you gave them another hit but would they be able to turn that momentum into long term success or fade away again. an original surviving band member, Guitarist Bob Webber tells us both the story of these 2 hits. Singer Jerry Corbetta passed away several years back leaving Bob to tell us the history. 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.

Merry Christmas from Professor for Rock! Today we have a special gift for you from our friend the 3rd biggest selling male artist of the 20th century behind only Elvis Presley and Frank Sinatra… He tells the story behind his classic Christmas record as well as the magical story behind his #1 hit Chances Are! The first time he heard it on the radio he almost wrecked his car he was son excited. 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 is one of the most tragic tales of the rock era. Band leader Syd Barrett fronted Pink Floyd for a time and then cracked under the pressure. Whether it was due to excessive drug abuse, a preexisting mental illness, or psychological strain its not entirely clear. However the band was forced to go without him. But his memory would haunt the band members Rogers Waters and David Gilmour ever after, and cast a shadow over some of their greatest work including The 70s opus the Dark Side of the Moon. with would spend almost 20 years on the charts and become one of the biggest albums ever. Today, we are taking a deep dive into the classic rock standard Brain Damage and Eclipse the phenomenal album’s ending that was inspired by these events. 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 in-depth story of one of the biggest selling singles of all time. The only 80s song to hit #1 four different times … Do They Know It’s Christmas by Band Aid was put tother by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure to fight starvation in africa. Geldof saw the famine on television and knew he had to do something do ha assembled an A list team to record a song that he hoped could generate millions for relief. Everyone from Sting to George Michal to Duran Duran, Boy George, Spandau Ballet, Bono of U2, Phil Collins and many more. Up next an exclusive mini Documentary on the story of the song with co-writer and creator Midge Ure of UltraVox as well as interviews with 80s icons Paul Young, Tony Hadley formerly of Spandau Ballet. Four different versions of the song have went to #1 in the UK. The heart felt story is told in this new mini-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.

Today it’s the origin story of one of rock’s best drummers and how a failed pilgrimage to England brought him face to face with destiny. Neil Peart struggled to make it for years. He even felt his audition for Rush was a disaster. Geddy Lee like him but Alex Lifeson originally didn’t think the mighty Neil was cool enough for the band. Neil went from being a high school dropout to one of rock’s finest and most cerebral lyricist. Today we break down the first song that the power trio wrote together as the classic lineup of Rush in the 70s, Fly By Night from the legendary album. How the three of them came together with this classic prog rock record to forge a new path and give the world new insight into what it means to be truly elite. 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 their first massive hit in America. it kicked open the door and let people know that they were here to stay leading to them being one of the biggest bands of the last half of the 80s… INXS and their top 5 hit What You Need ruled MTV with it’s innovative music video that won many awards and get this they made it for just 200 bucks.. After Michael Hutchence and Andrew Farris wrote the song and it became such a huge hit, Andrew says that he and Michael felt a lot of pressure to follow up it up with a massive Hit. He says they both worried that What You Need Was their peak so they dug down deep and approached their next album with the idea that every song would be a hit. That’s where the #1 1987 album Kick came from...up next the co-founder and cowriter of this legendary band Andrew Farris tells us the rest of the story. 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… one of the coolest stories you’ll ever hear about a #1 song… First of all the singer Brad Arnold wrote it when he was 15 in math class in about 10 minutes. Then he begged his local radio station to play it and then it was the most requested song on the station for months… then a few months later they were playing next to the giants of rocks… The story of Kryptonite by 3 Doors Down is so unbelievable you’ll think they made it up! The song went #1 on 3 different charts. Next this band tells the amazing story and I’ll tell you if you aren’t a fan You will be after this interview. Two of the nicest guys in all of music. Here’s the story of song that has sold 5 million copies and been streamed over a billion times! 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 absolute legend … Randy Bachman who made up a big part of two bands in the 60s and 70s… The Guess Who and Bachman Turner Overdrive or BTO... He’s written or co written some of the greatest classic rock standards ever as one of the only artists with a #1 hit with 2 different bands… The only other person to do that… Paul McCartney…Next He tells the story of recording a song as a total joke….. He wrote and recorded a #1 70s rocker to play a practical joke on his brother… But when a label executive didn’t hear any hits on his band’s new record, out of desperation A BAND MEMBER talked him into playing the joke song and the EXEC knew it was a smash. the only problem was that this singer songwriter didn’t want to release it Up next is legend tells the hilarious story of a classic rock standard 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 early 80s this Survivor co-founder Jim Peterik came home for Lunch and checked his answering machine. He couldn’t believe his ears, Sylvester Stallone asked him to call him right back. He thought it was someone trying to prank him. but when he called back it was really him… Sly Stallone wanted unknown band Survivor to write the Anthem to a sequel to one of the greatest franchises ever, Rocky 3-apparently Queen had turned down the use of their #1 hit Another Bites the Dust… In a very fun interview, Jim tells us how he and Frankie Sullivan wrote the Eye of the Tiger for the opening montage and went to #1 for 6 weeks because Stallone was willing to give his rookie band the chance even though they’d never had a hit. How they created the perfect 80s classic rock anthem that still rules. 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 notoriously misheard lyrics in rock history. A line that was supposed to be referring to a Hot Rod, has instead confused generations of listeners because it sounds like a reference to a feminine hygiene product. Revved Up Like Douche…was supposed to be Revved up like a deuce... Yeah, no joke. Manfred Mann’s Earth Band took legend Bruce Springteen’s first single and turned it into a Billboard #1 hit. And it is the garbled delivery of that cover version of the song that is the culprit. because Sprinsteen’s original failed to chart, it’s feminine-health counterpart rocked the charts….Shaking his head in disbelief, the Springsteen joked that the public had spoken. Get the story behind the song and find out what the real lyrics actually say… 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 exclusive interview with a cofounding member of the classic 70s and 80s group Little River Band. Graeham Goble who wrote and arranged the most played song in American history by an Australian band or artist…Reminiscing. The song went to #3 in the billboard charts in 1978. Since then it’s been played almost 6 million times on radio. There’ve been a lot of great australian artists over the years…right? AC/DC, INXS, Nick Cave, The Church, Olivia Newton John, Rick Springfield... and on and on and Little River Band or LRB as many know them by have the top song ever by an Aussie and the song almost got thrown out.. They couldn’t get the arrangement to work and were about to move on after trying to record it 2 separate times … Goble talked them into trying it just one more time and someone that wasn’t even in the band is the one who figure out how to make it work… also Beatle John Lennon said it was one of his favorite songs…. 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.

Legendary 70s singer guitarist Mark Farner formerly of Grand Funk Railroad or just Grand Funk as they came to be known, tells The wild story of the 70s classic rock staple We’re An American Band! A song that every fledgling bar band has covered on their way up. A staple of the Classic Rock Canon. First of all he recorded it with a broken nose… and he co wrote the song with the drummer but he says out of the goodness of his heart, he allowed the drummer to have the sole writing credit which has ended up costing him millions We get the real story behind an urban legend that’s been floated for years. In 1971 Grand Funk sold out Shea stadium faster than the beatles and has been snubbed by the rock and roll hall of fame for decades 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.

Coming up the two principals from an 80 rock band that is a true mystery… Wally Palmer and Mike Skill of the Romantics explain their 1983 #1 hit Talking In Your Sleep… First of all they had two huge hits that everyone knows… Talking in Your Sleep and What I Like About You...Only What I Like About You wasn’t actually a hit. It was sung by the drummer and got a lot of Mtv and radio play but stalled at #49 Then Talking in Your Sleep went to #1 in 1984 and in addition it was top 3 on all of the charts. Dance, Rock and Pop... It seemed like they were poised for stardom, THEN they found out that their managers had been misappropriating the profits earned by the band from its records and live performance since day one and the lawsuit that followed kept the band from recording anything for over a decade…. Up next this band tells the story of their #1 hit and how they came back from an 11 year hiatus to reclaim their legacy.. 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 reached the Top 5 all over the world and went to #1 in 8 different countries. It was also one of the early warning shots of the Second British Invasion. and the Human League frontman Phillip Oakey had only learned how to play an instrument months before And although Don’t you Want Me has gone down in history as one of the most pivotal tracks of the 80s, singer Phil Oakey actually hated it. Hoping that no one would ever hear it, he made sure it was the last track on the album and begged his label not to release it. But it wasn’t enough. The song was pure pop gold and they weren’t going to pass on a surefire hit. It’s the story of one of the greatest new wave songs ever by one of the most influential synth pop bands of the 80s... 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 some call it the greatest power ballad ever recorded.. Faithfully by Journey. It was one of the best songs of one of the best years in music history.. 1983. It was so universal and impactful that when Prince was writing his own power ballad Purple Rain, he was concerned that he may have subconsciously borrowed from it so he called the band to see what they thought… and even though the legendary guitarist Neal Schon and Super human lead singer Steve Perry figure prominently on this one, the song was actually written by the keyboardist Jonathan Cain from something real he was dealing with. Up next the keyboardist and guitarist of the rock hall of fame band give us the real story of a classic next on professor of rock . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today, it’s the origin story of an unrivaled rock band that was actually “this close” to never happening…Led Zeppelin almost didn’t work. At least not with the legendary lineup we’ve all come to revere. Rising from the ashes of another historic band, the Yardbirds young guitar virtuoso Jimmy Page dreamed of assembling the ultimate rock powerhouse… The only catch was, with a tour already booked, he only had a month to do it. Now he just needed to find three prodigies who could help him alter the rock’s sonic landscape forever... No problem, right? How Jimmy Page recruited John Bonham, Robert Plant and John Paul Jones and recored their 70s classic Good Times, Bad Times to make everyone forget about the Beatles breaking up and it only took 15 hours of rehearsal before they recorded their massive debut record that a critic once called weak… Didn’t matter, they became the heaviest band 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.

A tribute to the beautiful Christine McVie...She was the endearing “secret weapon” of the brilliant, yet treacherous supergroup Fleetwood …the enchanting songstress that illuminated natural beauty with a quiet, unpretentious confidence. Her bluesy, angelic voice mesmerized us, and the sincerity of her music inspired us with some of the greatest songs of the rock era… Like Everywhere, Don’t Stop, You Make Loving Fun, Little Lies, Songbird, Hold Me and her solo hit Got A Hold on Me… She was so underrated especially on Fleetwood Mac’s monumental album “Rumors”. 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.