Professor of Rock

Let's take it back with this 2021.Up next the Godfather of Alternative rock Perry Farrell of Jane’s Addiction tells us the very personal story of one of the true standards of 1988, Jane Says. We solve the mystery of this very eerie and brilliant song and the woman who inspired the song and the band’s name. Plus he goes in depth on how he created the band’s seminal album cover. A bonafide Must see story behind the song next on Professor of RockSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Coming up, we’re back at it again. It’s the third edition of one of this channel’s new favorite shows: Punchlines! And for this one, we’re counting down 6 more entries of songs that have become punchlines, and we’re telling some stories that will make you do a double-take. Including how everyone thinks the #1 hit You're Beautiful is a romantic ballad, but it’s actually about a drug-fueled subway stalker who can’t stop staring at his ex-girlfriend. The song got so overexposed that even the singer James Blunt started mocking it, along with everyone else. Then there’s the girl group the Spice Girls, with a vocalist whose voice was not up to snuff. So producers repeatedly switched off her mic in concert so no one would know or hear her. Was she just lip-syncing the whole time? And finally, there’s the legend Tom Jones, who had a massive problem. Women wouldn’t stop throwing their underwear at him while he was on stage. It started with women passing him napkins to wipe the sweat from his brow. But then one night… one woman decided to pass him something more intimate… it launched one of the funniest running gags in concert history. Let’s get into it.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Coming up, we're counting down 8 great female hidden gems… songs by some of the industry’s best that too often get overlooked. And on this episode, we’ve got the story of upstart singer Marcella Detroit, who stole the mic and the spotlight on Shakespears Sister's biggest single Stay. And the principal singer Siobhan Fahey got so jealous, she fired her through an award ceremony acceptance speech… and she wasn’t even there to give it! She had her publicist do it! Then there’s the badass track that one of music’s greatest rockers Joan Jett covered back in the 80s, but decades later, the song’s original writer was convicted for some truly awful crimes so bad it’s made this song disgusting in hindsight.… Would she still sing it? Plus, there’s the 18-year-old guest vocalist Michelle Branch who sang on the Game of Love, a track by one of the most iconic guitarists of the rock era, a Woodstock legend. But she was hired only after the “Queen of Rock n Roll” after she bowed out. Could she even do the song justice? Find out next as we dive into our latest Female Hidden Gems countdown. Let’s get started!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Coming up, we jump back to a glorious year in music, to remember some hit songs that were so indicative of that period of popular music, you will cry tears of nostalgia…Were going back to 1987….We’ll tell the story about Chris de Burgh seeing his wife across the room at a party, and he was so enchanted by her presence after taking her for granted that he wrote the classic 80s hit Lady in Red about it. Yet the legacy of the song would be tarnished by a scandal when the singer had an affair with their nanny. There’s also the song Right on Track that came from the Breakfast Club, a band whose lead singer once told Madonna that she had ‘no talent,’ so she quit the group to prove him wrong, and did he ever pay for that dumb comment. And there’s the Genesis song Tonight Tonight Tonight about being trapped in the prison of cocaine addiction, yet the song was used by a beer brand to illustrate having a fun evening with friends. And lastly, a song by Yes, one of the most musically complex rock bands ever, with one of the stupidest lyrics in rock history. These tales and more on our feature about Dated Hit Songs from 1987….NEXT on Professor of Rock.See 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 #1 1985 smash Sussudio by Phil Collins. Based on a made-up word…. One that just fell out of Phil’s mouth while he was singing. Even Phil had no idea what it meant. Unable to think of anything better, Collins decided to just make up a meaning. But as weird as it is, this song completely captivated listeners. However, as Sussudio started gaining traction as part of Phil Collins ’ 1985 blockbuster album No Jacket Required, it also stirred up controversy. Critics noticed that its central riff was nearly a carbon copy of another huge hit from a few years earlier. 1999 by Prince. And not long after, Phil Collins confessed it was a rip-off job. But the question was “to what degree?” The parallels were unmistakable. But were they enough to nail Phil Collins for plagiarism? Find out… NEXT on the Professor of Rock.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

So this one’s gonna turn a few heads. Today’s show is all about misinterpreted songs… that may or may not be about “getting it on…Today We’re counting down 6 tracks you've been singing along to for decades… That may be the ultimate double entendre…Or maybe not… But today we’re having it both ways… We’re also debunking some tracks that people are certain are double entendres. But either way, I guarantee these stories will keep you entertained. One of these songs, Brick House, was innocently put in a musical Hallmark greeting card… for Mother’s Day! But the last thing you would want to do is dedicate this song to your mother. Then there’s the track Tutti Frutti whose name doubles as a frozen yogurt chain. But when it was originally written, its lyrics were far too explicit to be aired on radio. You’ll never look at frozen yogurt the same way again. And finally, there’s the Jamaican dance floor anthem, Electric Boogie, that sparked a viral internet rumor that put a whole new spin on the words “good vibrations.” But was it true? Get ready, we’re diving into Volume 1 of my Most Misinterpreted Songs series… Bedroom Edition. Let’s do this.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Let's run it back! How Led Zeppelin followed one of the biggest selling albums of all time, the 70s classic, Led Zeppelin IV with a bold venture that utterly confused their core faithful. It would’ve been a ’no-brainer’ to simply stay the course, and give the fans what they were used to. But Robert Plant, Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones and John Bonham went the other way, and purposely abandoned the heavy blues rock sound they were famous for. The 2nd single from this long play deviation was a reggae song named after the punchline of an old vaudeville comedy routine. Dyer Maker as in did you make her said in a cockney accent…It became one of the most mispronounced song titles in history. From Houses of the Holy, the story of an all time 70s classic rock standard next on P.O.R.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Coming up, we’re taking a field trip to the movies to study cult classic films that owe their success to their incredible soundtracks. Some of these films would have never survived without the music that backed their most iconic moments. There’s the iconic 70s stoner flick Dazed and Confused, named after a song by the Lords of Rock. But when the director wanted to use one of their songs in the movie, they gave him a FLAT NO!. So he swore he’d boycott their music for the rest of his life. Also, there is the movie Napoleon Dynamite that spent half of its minuscule budget on 1 song. Only the problem was that they ran out of money by the time they got to the epic scene and only had a few minutes of film left to nail the climactic moment of the film. So it would have to be perfect… Find out what happened. Plus, there’s the 80s teen flick Pretty in Pink, whose ending was booed by test audiences. After a desperate rewrite, the New Wave band OMD only had a few hours to compose a song for the new ending. And finally, we’ve got the story of the most cursed cult classic ever: The Crow. It was plagued by hurricane-force winds, unexplained accidents, and the tragic death of the film’s lead actor, Brandon Lee, on set. Let’s do it.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

FROM THE VAULT: On March 31, 1967, Jimi Hendrix shocked the world by setting his guitar on fire, cementing his legend as rock’s most unpredictable genius. But behind the flames was a far more complex artist. In this episode, we dive into the myths, mysteries, and misunderstood truths surrounding Hendrix… a left-handed virtuoso who loved science fiction, kept parakeets, and constantly pushed the boundaries of sound and consciousness.We explore the many competing origin stories behind one of rock’s most iconic songs, “Purple Haze”...from wild tales of kidnappings and stalkers to vivid dreams and altered states that blurred the line between reality and imagination. And we uncover the surprising vulnerability of a guitar god who was so insecure about his voice that he struggled just to record it.This is the story of Jimi Hendrix like you’ve never heard it—separating fact from fiction and getting closer to the truth behind the legend… NEXT on Professor of Rock.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Coming up…. a passionate spotlight on 10 non-hits that are far better than the number one hits from the epic year they come from. including a song that’s bass line is epic it make you wonder of if the band made a deal with the devil to get it which is what the song is about plus there’s the song born from the ashes of a house fire—everything burned except a wallet, and the spared contents led to such a heartwrenching track that even people who hate this strange band love this song. The Cure Pictures of You,.Then there’s Trent Reznor a pioneer of electronic rock who dismissed Head Like a Hole track as a throwaway, only to have it jumpstart his career and later embarrass him when a DJ sang an obnoxious version of it to his on LIVE tv to win a bet. There also the song Advice for the Young at Heart that one part of Tears For Fears wrote as a diss against his counterpart and it was brutal but the worst part is that the dissed band mate had no idea it was about him and actually sang the song! Plus Fine Young Cannibals who had several monster hits and a #1 album and at the peak of their fame walked away and never released another record ever again. Let’s do it.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Alright, it’s go time. Today, we’re going all in on band roster chaos! You know, some rock line-ups are built for the long-haul… But more often, bandmates come and go whether we like it or not. Infighting, personality clashes, creative differences, sheer fatigue, and even tragedies all take a toll on bands… On today’s countdown I’m giving you 6 band line-ups that have changed so drastically over the years you can hardly keep up … some of them are almost unrecognizable. I’m calling this one Downshift. And as usual I’ve got some stories! We’ll recount how one of the best and of the 60s and 70s, the Guess Who, had their identity stolen. And how these imposters got away with it for decades, until they were sued into oblivion! There’s also a couple of lead singers who stepped in to replace two of the most legendary frontmen ever: Freddie Mercury and Steve Perry. And after one gave a subpar performance, he told fans that if he got a million negative comments on social media he’d quit the band. Did he get voted out? Let’s get into it!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

So I was deleting some old files on my laptop and hard drives the other day, and I came upon an interview I did a long time ago…It must have gotten buried because I didn’t even remember doing it. But it’s from a multi-platinum hitmaking singer who’s written a few modern classics, including a dozen hits and several that went to #1. So even though I’m going to be cutting back on interviews, I thought, what the hell…Let’s get this one out there because He’s a great guy and he talks about all the hits here, including the song he says his mother sent to him from the after life…It hit #1… and the song where he referenced an old 80s band that had one big year in music, and I find out why he referenced that band. All the hits are here. Let's do it.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In honor of the great Steven Tyler's 78th birthday, we bring you back to this classic from 2021.In the early 70s 'the bad boys of Boston” know as Aerosmith were a maelstrom of chaos, and chemically induced tension. The leaders Steven Tyler and Joe Perry battled through their toxic relationship between themselves, and an interloper to produce a rockin’ rampage that started with bassist Tom Hamilton’s vibe, Sweet Emotion would be the band’s breakout hit. We relive the 'bitter sweetness' of a classic rock standard NEXT on Professor of Rock.HBD Steven Tyler!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Coming up, we’re temporarily trading in the studio album cuts for the “in concert” experience. On this episode, we’re counting down 7 classic live tracks that have surpassed their original recordings. Classic songs that are even better in concert. We’ve got the story of Peter Frampton, who woke up with a wine glass in hand after a heavy night of drinking. He took one look at himself and wrote the iconic hangover track Do You Feel Like We Doin minutes… But it didn’t become a hit till it was done in concert, and then it became the biggest-selling ever. There’s also the legendary song written by Stevie Nicks for Fleetwood Mac's Rumours. But the rest of the line-up voted to make it a B-side instead. Two decades later, she got her revenge on stage as she sang this song while staring down her bandmate and ex-boyfriend, and it made history. Plus my favorite song of all time that only gets better when it’s done in concert, as well as Bob Seger's Turn the Page which wasn’t a hit. In fact, the album hit #188, but a powerful solo on a live version years later made it the most chilling song of its time. Let’s do it. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Coming up, today’s band Foreigner took a frigid walk through New York City in minus 20-degree weather to nail down their classic 70s song Cold as Ice… a top 10 single about a gold-digging ice queen. A lot of people have wondered through the years if it was based on a real girl, and we’ll get to the bottom of that. Apparently, after finishing Cold as Ice, one of the song’s co-writers, Mick Jones, thought it was just a little too pop and wasn’t sure if it belonged on the album. But when his bandmates said they loved it, he came around. It was a good choice because Cold as Ice is an undeniable classic rock standard… Tag-teaming with me for today’s tale, we’ve not one, but two founding musicians from this legendary band, Lou Gramm and Mick Jones. And they’re both ready to give you a behind-the-scenes look at this frosty track… NEXT on the Professor of Rock.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.