Professor of Rock

Up next, the hippie band Jefferson Airplane revolutionized 60s rock with a rebellious psychedelic spirit, but after a split, they changed when the decade ended. Transforming into a classic rock 70s outfit named Jefferson Starship with a more accessible sound starting with the hit song JANE. sung by newcomer Mickey Thomas. who share this insight along with band member David Frieberg who co-wrote the classic, turning Classic Rock radio upside down but didn’t they get some inspiration from Hold the Line by Toto. Find out 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 next, an interview with an all-time legend who had 36 hits with his group and his solo career but only one of those songs hit #1 and it’s insane how it happened. Smokey Robinson and the Miracles with the Tears of a Clown! The eventual #1 hit was originally a forgotten album on an album. Nobody thought it was anything special… In fac,t Smoke Robinson and the Miracles released 7 albums over the next three years after the album with the forgotten song fell out of the charts… Then one day a lady who worked for their label in the UK chose that 3-year-forgotten album cut as a single in a place where the group had only a few hits… It soared to #1 and so it was released in America and it did the same thing. Becoming his only #1 hit and the only major hit featuring a basson. Up next, it's the story from the legend. along with stories of his hits Cruisin, Being With You, and Just To See Her! 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 decided to walk away from one of the biggest bands on the planet which had just had 2 massive albums... to go solo. But it turned out to be an uphill battle. First of all, two tragedies would shake her to her very core. Stevie would try and ease into her solo career by releasing two duets with legendary rockers Tom Petty and Don Henley. But the real risk was when she put out Edge of Seventeen, the heaviest song of her career. Guitar-driven and explosive, the song came from a misheard word that Stevie misunderstood because of a thick Southern accent. But thank heavens for it because it would become a catchphrase… She also got other parts of the song from a menu…. It became a smash and proved she could make it on her own. 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.

A cautionary tale is more than just a story—it’s a warning wrapped in a lesson. Today's songs spotlight the consequences of risky choices, showing exactly what can go wrong when someone ignores the red flags, turning life’s hard lessons into unforgettable lyrics and melodies that serve as a brutal wake-up call. Up next, Harry Chapin's Cats in the Cradle, a song that is the measuring stick for every father in the world. If you can listen to this one and not feel like a total loser you are doing well. It’s a song that was written by a legendary singer’s wife…he didn’t give it much credence when she showed him but a short time later when his wife found out he’d been cheating for years, he lost his marriage and his son for a time. When he turned his life around the song became a reality… Then there’s Hurt, a song that was covered by all-time legend Johnny Cash, and when the original artist Trent Reznor heard it… He hated it. His song was far too personal for someone else to cover it… But then he saw the music video and he released the song was no longer his. The stories are next on Professor of Rock. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

I gotta say this is one for the record books… One of the greatest collections of songs we’ve ever had on this show. Coming up I’m counting down the top 10 songs of 1969, a year so full of classics I could’ve done 5 different top 10s… Including a song that has become such a cultural singalong that we the fans have created our own lyrics to the chorus! Then another one that was the #1 song of the year Sugar Sugar, but decades later nobody knows who really sang it because it was an imaginary band! Then there’s the classic record by The Zombies where the main word in the title was misspelled and nobody caught it… so millions of sales and decades later it still hasn’t been fixed and then there is Creedence Clearwater Revival that had half a dozen songs hit #2, but never got to #1. You’ll be shocked… Next, we have many legends here with us to tell us the stories behind the greatest songs ever! 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 it’s one of the biggest songs in rock history: Hit Me With You Best Shot. Everybody knows it. It’s played at stadiums and arenas the world over…from pro sports to colleges to high schools… And it would become Pat Benatar's signature song… but recently the song has been banned… banned by the rocker that made it famous. She has said she’ll never play it again. What? Well, this story we covered briefly in a countdown, but ya gotta hear the whole story. It's pretty incredible. And to think it all came from a pillow fight! 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’re counting down the five best debut albums of the 70s. These are records that reshaped the sound of that glorious decade. Each one is a game-changer and an instant classic. One turned Lynyrd Skynyrd, a group of barroom brawlers into the kings of Southern swagger. Another by Black Sabbath introduced the world to a terrifying new sound, laying the foundation for the genre that millions of mothers would ban from their homes. The debut album by Boston was recorded in a basement, and it turned out to be one of the best-selling debut albums ever. And another by Van Halen redefined what was possible on guitar, leaving listeners’ jaws on the floor. Eddie even wrote a parody song making fun of punk and it ended up as one of the heaviest riffs ever. Each started a revolution in their own way. These records didn’t just introduce bands—they changed rock and roll forever. So stick around as we count ‘em down… 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’m going to do something a little different today. No teaser, no regular intro just a brief explanation of a very special episode of Professor of Rock… Do you remember back in the 80s they invented that term…. A very Special episode… It was kind of an advertising term that was used in promos that referred to an episode of a sitcom or drama series that deals with a difficult or controversial issue. These episodes usually had a brief message from the cast or like a title card that said viewer discretion advised… ya know just to let viewers know that the normally lighthearted show would have something potentially graphic or something that could be very personal or unsettling to some. Different Strokes had a few of them, like the one where Arnold and Kimberly hitchhike and are picked up by a bad guy and Arnold escapes and leads the police to arrest the man or I remember the one on WKRP in Cincinnati where the Staff at the station reacted to the real-life incident of that fatal Trampling that took place at the Who Concert… The story of Teach Your Children by Crosby Stills and Nash as told in my interview with Graham Nash. 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 funniest interviews I’ve been involved with and it’s one of the last full-length interviews this famous rocker ever gave and it’s entertaining as hell! His name is Eddie Money and today he tells the story of both a 70s rock classic Two Tickets to Paradise and his big comeback song of the 80s Take Me Home Tonight. He was a poor kid from the other side of the tracks dating a rich girl. Her parents didn’t want her seeing him He wanted to take her somewhere special but didn’t have the money so he wrote her a song… It became a rock classic then about 8 years later his career hit the skids when He had a sensational idea for a song that paid tribute to the music of his youth so he pulled a '60s legend out of retirement and had her sing a duet with him…It became one of the biggest hits of the decade… The interview 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.

Just call him smooth… The familiar voice of Billy Ocean took the 80s by storm with 8 Top 10 hits in just a few years, including three #1s and two #2s. And you know all of them by heart. There are also some surprising stories around these songs including Caribbean Queen that was recorded under three different names for three different continents. Another, Get Outta My Dreams, Get Into My Car that was an innocent track, but almost blacklisted because DJs thought the song was about solicitation. . And Loverboy that had a music video so strange, not even Billy Ocean knew what it was about. Plus, Billy is also the subject of a bizarre urban legend that claims that he is such a good singer because he has a third lung… Could it actually be true? Stick around to find out. All this and more 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.

1981 was a wild ride for music, bursting with fresh sounds and unexpected hits. Some of the year's best songs came together through Mistakes, mysterious women, and a little bit of chaos. Jessie's Girl was written about another guy’s girlfriend…and when it hit #1 they tried to track the mystery girl down…45 years later they still haven’t found her find out why… another classic Steve Winwood hit was almost lost forever thanks to a major studio blunder when the engineer erased an entire drum part but in the end instead of freaking out, the legend put his head won and found a better way. Then there was Foreigner singer Lou Gramm who was struggling with a vocal for a song when the most beautiful girl he’d ever seen walked in the recording studio… it motivated him to dial his vocal to 11 and after he rushed to go meet the girl but she vanished into thin air. And find out how an AC/DC warm-up guitar part became one of the nastiest riffs ever! It was a year packed with legendary tunes and even crazier backstories from rock royalty as we countdown the Top 10 Songs from 1981 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.

Huey Lewis and the News came out of nowhere in the eighties to take over radio… fact is Huey paid his dues for almost a decade and had a failed band and record deal before he finally made it with his first hit at 33 year of age. But Huey stole the spotlight in the most completive year in music. and the song that put them over the top for good was one the singer wrote in mere minutes: I Want a New Drug… he was driving and the song came to him in a flash so..he quickly pulled over and ran into an office and screamed for a pen and paper and wrote it in about 90s seconds. It became a smash but was sorely misunderstood then later it was part of a huge lawsuit when the biggest film of the year Ghostbusters asked him to write a song for their soundtrack. And when he had to decline they allegedly asked another artist to write a song with the exact sound of this one. This legend is here to 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.

Bass players don’t always get the credit they deserve when it comes to hit songs. A lot of it comes down to their role—laying down the foundation of the track in a lower frequency range that isn’t always front and center. To the casual listener, the bass can feel like it’s just hanging out in the background while the melody and vocals steal the spotlight. But the truth is, a killer bass line is what gives a song its groove and holds everything together. Up next I’m going to attempt the impossible... Naming 5 of the most killer bass lines of the rock era, including the guitar riff by Cream that probably invented heavy metal and is played by guitarists all the time in guitar shops around the globe... but it’s actually a bass riff! Plus a killer bass line by Queen that tops dozens of lists of the greatest baselines ever… but the band admittedly ripped it off the disco band Chic. In fact that disco band’s bass line is the most sampled and ripped-off piece of music ever. We get the stories 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 band that took over radio with 6 hits in the late 70s. Soft rock kings…Firefall. They ruled radio with You Are the Woman and Just Remember I Love You and then up and disappeared in the 80s. These are classic hits we still listen to today and they were written and sung by a master of am gold, Rick Roberts…. I’ve wondered for the longest time what happened to Firefall and Rick so I tracked him down and drove across several states to talk to him… Up next I solve a music mystery as this lost singer-songwriter tells me the story of a 70s classic that half a dozen women have sworn is about them but we get the truth... plus another classic that is so smooth it’s like a big stick of butter set to music but come to find out it was a famous serial killer’s favorite song. Up next we travel to beautiful Colorado to get the stories of the songs. 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 band Survivor was flying high in the early 80s they’d just scored their first #1 hit Eye of the Tiger. In fact, it was one of the biggest hits of the year and they were ready for more but when their next album flopped and their lead singer lost his voice, many wondered if this band would survive… After auditioning many singers they found the perfect frontman Jimi Jamison, which led to several songs that the band knew would be hits... and they were right. But the best song The Search is Over came when the band had already handed in the album. In fact, it came to them minutes after giving the label the finished product. So they hurried and recorded it and it’s a good thing they did because it became a #1 hit and took them back to the top. Up next we have the songwriter and a founding band member to tell the story of one of the greatest records of the mid-80s. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

We all have those songs—the ones we blast in the car but quickly turn down when we come to a stoplight. You know what I’m talking about, songs we pretend not to know every word to… We often call them guilty pleasures. Tracks that are just SO UNCOOL…So we listen to them in secret when we think no one else is around…Today, we’re coming clean in the ultimate musical confession booth and counting five guilty pleasures most of us are embarrassed to admit we love. On this countdown, we’ve got the theme song from The Monkees, a manufactured boy band that has finally started to get the rock cred they deserve, as well as Copacabana, a song that was made into a TV movie and a Broadway musical that everyone sings along to even if they won’t admit it, and my #1 pick by Paula Abdul will most definitely lose me some subscribers… Let the hate begin. I hope you’ll drop your inhibitions and embrace my top 5 Guilty Pleasures… Love ‘em or hate ‘em I swear you’ll be entertained… 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 tackle the challenge of ranking the top 10 songs from yet another legendary year in music. This list is jam-packed with unforgettable tracks, including a Bee Gees song inspired by the road noise of tires on a bridge that unlocked a legendary falsetto 10 years into a legendary career… another by Sweet was born from the band’s chaotic escape from a bottle-throwing crowd, another from War came from the drummer screwing up the beat but the mistake made it a smash and yet another where the Aerosmith's Steven Tyler ripped his guitarist's wife apart and my #1 pick is, in my opinion, the greatest song in rock history. It’s the Countdown of the Top 10 Songs of 1975—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, a song by Joe Jackson called Steppin' Out. It is so haunting, fascinating, and unique, that it rose above the regular rock and pop fair of one of the greatest years in music… I mean this song was unlike anything on radio or MTV at the time then and now. This song sounds out of place in any decade and that’s a great thing... Joe was absolutely on a higher musical vibration at his peak. Joe Jackson rocked the end of the 70s with his new wave hit Is She Really Going Out with Him, but then after several albums, Joe got tired of being categorized in that genre. So he wrote Steppin' Out, a song that called on the ghosts of George Gershwin and Cole Porter with a modern flair, and a sonic quality that whisks you away to musical ecstasy... from an artist who in these days of social media instant celebrity still has an air of mystery about him… Today’s song may be the most overlooked masterpiece of the 80s and that’s saying something. Up next the story of the most unsung hit. 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’re breaking down seminal vocal performances that defined the ‘80s. One where John Bon Jovi hit such a high note, that he would never be able to perform it in the same key live ever again with Living on a Prayer.. and then Steve Perry when he was in Journey was so overwhelmed by the song Mother Father's realism, he barely made it through the recording. and Total Eclipse of the Heart, sung by Bonnie Tyler about Vampire’s hooking up but it was sung with such feeling nobody noticed, and another Alone that saved Heart’s career. And the artist at #1? His voice was so spectacular, with so many stunning performances, he could’ve easily dominated the entire list. Our countdown of the Top 5 Vocal Moments of the ‘80s is NEXT—right here 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 band that was a major force in the 80s and 90s and you may have wondered whatever happened to them? I’m talking about 10,000 Maniacs... Well, they’re here today to tell us their story. they were an underground band for years but just when they started breaking through their lead singer Natalie Merchant told them she was quitting to pursue a solo career but she would do one more album with them. That album Our Time in Eden became their biggest one yet and led to one of the most iconic Unplugged albums ever…When Merchant left, instead of packing it in, the 10,000 Maniacs decided to make their backup singer Ann Ramsay the lead and their next album flourished giving them their 2nd biggest hit as a band in the cover of the Roxy Music classic More Than This and they still tour to this day… 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 the 80s Def Leppard, AC DC, Bon Jovi, Poison, Motley Crue, Guns N Roses, and Whitesnake ruled rock radio. But we have lead singer Stephen Pearcy in our midst today whose band RATT was right there with them, selling 5 million albums out of nowhere! Fueled by a true classic Round and Round due to a renaissance in pop culture might be more popular now than it was in its heyday. Next Stephen tells us where the song came from and how he and his guitarist threw live rodents at an 80s model for an album cover shoot during that time. And he talked his teen guitarist into quitting college to play with his band. Payola kept them out of the #1 spot there is no question about that. Find out how next on Professor of Rock. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today we’re sharing the cold hard facts on the velvet-voiced soft rocker Paul Davis, a guy who looked like your next-door neighbor and ordinary average guy... but who was extraordinary for a time when his classic 1978 hit I Go Crazy spent a record 40 weeks in the charts… In fact, he had 8 hits. But after his biggest-selling record in the early 80s, he wanted nothing to do with recording. It was so bad he ended his contract with his label and never recorded another album. He went MIA from the charts, preferring to write songs for other artists. But just as he was getting going he was shot in the stomach by a robber outside a Nashville hotel. He survived the ordeal, but would his music career survive? At this point, he seriously thought about packing it all in. These stories and more are coming up as we cover this hidden gem artist from the 70s and 80s 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.

1988 was an absolute goldmine for music—an era of massive hits, legendary albums, and songs that still give us chills. Looking back, it’s wild how many classics came out of that year! From soaring rock anthems to unforgettable pop gems, these tracks captured everything—passion, joy, romance, seduction, escapism, and pure musical magic including a song by Def Leppard with so many guitar parts it was impossible to duplicate live, also a Guns N Roses song that was guitar exercise that sounded like something the circus would play but the lead singer made the guitar player turn it into a song against his will and it became MASSIVE... There’s also the rookie Tracy Chapman who SUBBED in for a Legend at the last second when He had to cancel an appearance at a benefit Show that had an audience of 600 Million people. Her song Fast Car was so powerful it made her a star in 4 mins and she sold 2 million records the week after. We countdown the 10 best songs of 1988 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’s song Vienna by Ultravox has been voted the greatest bridesmaid song in history. The Greatest #2 ever. Sadly it was kept out of the #1 spot by one of the worst songs ever. It was a novelty song that annoyed everyone all the way to the top of the charts. But today we have Midge Ure the singer and writer of the classic #2 song with us to tell the story. Vienna also has a badass viola solo in it that was nearly impossible to get recorded and it still haunts anyone who dares to listen to it. One of the 80s most underappreciated artists has the story next on Professor of Rock. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Coming up… we’re counting down 5 massive hits from the Rock Era that were once everywhere but have since become socially unacceptable. These songs topped the charts, ruled the airwaves, and seemed untouchable—until shifting times and cultural scrutiny pushed them into taboo territory. Some artists refuse to play them, others have tried to rewrite history, and a few have vanished from pop culture. Which songs made the list? Well, there are two #1 hits on this countdown that two legendary artists have refused to play… In fact, one was one of Cher's biggest hits and she left it off her greatest hits album! Another is a classic of the rock canon from The Who that the band refuses to talk about, essentially erasing it from existence. And another by Sheena Easton that pissed off feminists when it hit #1 in the 80s even though it was sung by a female. Very interesting stories here, including an artist interview… NEXT on Part 3 of our Taboo Songs of the Rock Era countdown 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 band Foreigner was a revelation in the '70s and '80s. A British band with an American singer, they set the FM radio dial on fire with half a dozen smash hits over their first few albums getting as close as you could get to #1 but they were always the bridesmaid. Actually, they created the biggest #2 hit in history, sitting at the runner-up spot for a record 10 weeks. Then in 1984 into 1985 that all changed. Releasing the no doubt about it #1 hit I Want to Know What Love Is, with one of the most inspired vocals ever. So inspiring everybody in the control room was bawling. Pretty good for a song that was written at 3 in the morning minutes after this legend was awakened by inspiration. The 80s power ballad not only gave them a #1 hit across the globe, but it has recharted 4 more times for various artists after the 80s. But no one can touch the original vocal. In fact, it might just be the greatest vocal performance on a #1 hit with the song being further opened up by an amazing and unexpected musical weapon… and it knocked 2 record-breaking hits out of #1. Interviews with the Singer and guitarist 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.

Coming up next, the most requested band of the last year… April Wine. I’ve received over a thousand requests in our comment section for the last year to interview or cover this band. Well, I actually interviewed their guitarist Brian Greenway over a year ago, but the Zoom interview didn’t work. The file wouldn’t open. Well, the other night I tracked it down again and was finally able to make it work! So up next an interview with the longest-serving member of April Wine, a famous hard rock band that had 20 hits in their native Canada but only 3 in America but what a band! They were the first Canadian band played on MTV and still ignite classic rock radio. Plus they had a song that most 80s kids remember because it spelled out a hardcore profanity in its chorus but got past censors. Stay tuned for a treat 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.

We’ve all been there—watching a movie we thought was amazing, only to find out that someone else absolutely hated it. Or going to a restaurant a friend swore by, only to think it was terrible. You’ve probably said to yourself, “I’m never listening to that guy again!” Well, music works the same way. You might totally vibe with a song that someone else can’t stand. It’s all so subjective, and that’s part of the fun—finding something you truly love, even if others don’t get it. Coming up, we’re going to dive into that spirit and shake things up with a countdown of the Top 5 Songs from the 80s from bands that Shoulda Been Bigger including The Sundays' singer Harriet Wheeler who has gone MISSING, as well as Can't Hardly Wait by the Replacements, a band was so worried about not selling out that it stopped them from being the greatest band of the 80s, and How Soon is Now by the Smiths that has been called the Stairway to Heaven of the 80s with a haunting guitar drone that came from a butter knife. The stories and song are …. NEXT on Professor of Rock. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today we’re telling the story of Cheap Trick, a band who may have invented the phrase “Big in Japan.” These guys really struggled to get off the ground and were flirting with disaster when they discovered they were revered as rock royalty halfway around the world. Capitalizing on this good fortune, things really blew up when they recorded their live album Cheap Trick at Budokan which wasn’t meant for distribution in the US. But it got so popular, they released it here as an import even though they are an American band! But it ended up saving their career. But then after scoring a handful of hits Cheap Trick once again found themselves on the brink of extinction. Looking to make a big-time comeback, they agreed to record someone else’s song… a surefire hit called The Flame. Only their guitarist hated it. In fact, he hated it so much that he crushed the demo tape underneath his boot. Find out what happened next as we get into the story of rock’s most resilient and entertaining bands… NEXT on the Professor of Rock. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Many called Bonnie Raitt an overnight success when she swept the Grammys in 1989… but today’s guitar-toting songstress was actually two decades and ten studio albums in the making. Without a doubt, it was a long, hard road to get there. Dropped by her label, written off by critics, and getting loaded after every show, it seemed like Bonnie's career was over. But Raitt’s comeback was oh so sweet when she hit #1 in 1989 and swept the Grammys. Her legend was etched in stone when she covered a former NFL football player's song I Can't Make You Love Me that was so heart-wrenching she could barely get through it because she was sobbing over the entire recording. Today’s song is definitely a candidate for the saddest ever written. It’s one you can only listen to a few times a year... and it was inspired by something a man said to a judge when he was being sentenced for shooting up his girlfriend’s car. With an amazing guest instrumentalist, 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, we're celebrating 10 songs from one of the greatest years in music, 1973. It was a year when we were gifted with songs that rejuvenated our souls like few others. There were iconic guitar riffs and solos that were considered the best of the Rock Era... including a song called D’yer Mak’er that was so hard to say DJ’s and fans still mispronounce it 50 years later even though it’s played all the time. Then there was the Reelin' in the Years guitar solo that was perfectly executed on its first take, everyone in the room was astonished… problem was the engineer forgot to record it. As well as a song that a legendary guitarist helped write but out of the goodness of his heart gave full credit to the drummer who helped write it… That kindness cost him millions. We have legendary guests here to help us countdown the Top 10 Songs of 1973... 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 a true legend… Smokey Robinson. I’ve been wanting to talk to him for a long time because he has one the greatest voices of any era, not to mention he's one of the greatest lyricists and producers…and he has some legendary stories behind today’s songs… one he started singing in the middle of a concert as his group was ending a song, he got caught up in the moment and started belting out an entry new song on the spot… It would later become a #1 hit. Then another one that he recorded as a slow bluesy number. It got released and was played on the radio… Then one night he got a phone call at 3 in the morning… It was the head of the label who said I just figured out that you need to re-record your new song with a faster tempo. problem was he wanted him to come into the studio that minute to do it. So he did and sure enough, the song became a smash. The interview is 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, it’s the most played song by an Australian act and if you took 100 guesses you get it wrong. It’s not a song from Men At Work or AC/DC or INXS, it’s by Little River Band that had many hits in the 70s and 80s on the American charts, but "Reminiscing" was their biggest... It went to #3 and since then it’s been played over 6 million times on American radio and the song was almost thrown away. As the band was recording it, they couldn’t get the arrangement right so they decided to nix it after trying to record it 2 separate times … today’s guest, the writer of the song, talked them into trying it just one more time and someone who wasn’t even in the band is the one who figured out how to make it work… It’s a great story and it’s coming up next on Professor of Rock. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Coming up I’m gonna take you back to the 80s as we count down five Phenomenal songs from the decade that are severely underplayed..maximum velocity tracks that were hits in their day but for whatever reason have gotten lost in the shuffle as the years have gone by. when you hear them, you’ll wonder why you don’t listen to them more often including One that was written by an 80s rocker for a big name 70s band, but they passed on it…So the songwriter recorded it himself and after it became a hit the band who passed said they never actually heard the demo, apparently their label passed and didn’t tell them. Then there’s another song that was written about the singer’s old high school girlfriend. The song inspired him to go track her down decades later… but it didn’t go so well plus another song that has become a lost art!. plus I’m including my favorite song of all time in this countdown. 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.

Coming up, we’ve got another great countdown, spotlighting songs that brought some of music’s biggest legends back into the spotlight— it's the top comeback songs of all time including one that came when the singer Tina Turner was playing half-empty ballrooms on the oldies circuit. When it hit #1 it made her the oldest singer to have a #1 at almost 45… Another was from former teen idol Donny Osmond who was so uncool radio wouldn’t touch him so a fans sent new song on a blank cassette. When it was played everyone loved it but nobody knew who it was… eventually it became a smash… And then one where Elvis Presley was walking down the hall of a recording studio and heard an anonymous song being performed in a studio by girl singers, it was so good he pointed to them and said I want that song and I want those girls… He got both and it hit #1… So many great stories next on our countdown of the Top 5 Comeback Songs…. 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 twin brothers of The Proclaimers who were told by all the tastemakers that if they wanted to make it in music they should learn to sing without an accent. Their thick accents stopped many labels from giving them a chance and they were so original that a famous TV host called them weird on live TV… But this only motivated them and eventually, they had a massive hit all over the world in 1988 well everywhere but America… I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles). They couldn’t understand why it didn’t take off in the US. But then in a stroke of good luck, a famous actress made the director use the song in her scene in a movie, and it blew up 5 years after it was a hit everywhere else. 500 Miles hit #1 here, but even then some radio stations wouldn’t play it because of a misheard lyric that they found offensive. 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.

1965 was a landmark year in music because it marked a moment when creativity, experimentation, and cultural change collided. It was the year rock music found its voice as a serious art form. Bob Dylan went electric and proved that lyrics could be as profound as poetry. The Beatles and the Beach Boys were showcasing their evolution from pop idols to groundbreaking artists, while The Byrds an Americana supergroup merged folk and rock with biblical proportions, introducing the world to the jangle of the 12-string Rickenbacker and then you had a legendary artist write one of the greatest songs ever only to give it to a rival band! So many great stories are included and so many legends are here to help me count down the 10 greatest songs of 1965. 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 greatest rock impersonator ever, Jess Harnell, and one of the funniest most entertaining stars in the business. He’s become a dear friend and you’ll love this interview. Jess has done something incredibly unique in rock and roll where he combines some of the biggest rock songs ever in a fresh and exciting way and he’s so great at it, that one of rock’s all-time greatest frontmen actually sued him for sounding too much like him. His talent for rock impressions has made him the best voice actor on the planet and one of the coolest singers out there. He has a new project out that you’ll love and next, we get the story of it and how he had fooled some of the most famous people into thinking he’s Gene Simmons of Kiss. You’ll love this! 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.

Today it’s the origin story of rock’s greatest drummer Neil Peart and how a failed pilgrimage to England brought him face-to-face with his destiny. Namely, a force of nature that defined classic rock excellence forever... Rush. After returning to his Canadian hometown, Neil auditioned for Rush, but he felt his tryout was a complete disaster. It’s proof that 1st impressions aren’t always accurate, especially in rock and roll. Not only did he step into Rush as the final piece to their musical puzzle he also became the most compelling drummer lyricist on the planet. Coming up, the story of the rise of the great ones and the song that is now a 70s standard Fly Ny Night, that paid tribute to his struggle to find his place. The high school dropout who became the smartest lyrics in rock and the backbeat of rock’s most complex band… one who the Rock Hall of Fame passed over for 14 years even though they are the epitome of musical perfecto. 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 this the most hated genre on the Professor of Rock channel? I don’t know. You tell me. Whenever I release videos from this genre I never know what’s going to happen. Some episodes have blown up, getting phenomenal feedback. And others have been torn to shreds. I might be taking a risk with this one, but I’ve gotta confess that I love this genre. So today I’m giving you my top 5 songs that I hope will win you over to this genre. Including one that was created in a cramped closet for an imaginary album. Another that is the definition of schizophrenic. And one that the band refused to release as a single, but it got picked up by radio and became their most iconic track. five songs from the last great rock revolution of the rock era… and they’re coming your way 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.

Get ready to rewind more unforgettable sounds of the '80s as we count down the Top Cover Songs of a decade full of them. From unexpected twists on classics to fresh takes that outshone the originals, these songs left an indelible mark on the music world... including one where The Bangles transformed a Simon and Garfunkel folk song into a driving rocker and another where the wailing banshee from Led Zeppelin had a smash hit by crooning a 50s tune that to this day most people have no clue it’s him, and another one by Paul Young became one of the funniest misheard lyrics of the decade and a Los Lobos cover that was first all Spanish song to hit #1 in the rock era. We break down the stories behind these iconic covers, the magic they brought to the table, and how they became monster hits in their own right. The countdown 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 60s The Beatles threw away the rule book. They were used to writing catchy #1 hits but with today’s brilliant concept album Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, they shattered the boundaries of song arrangement and forever changed the art of recorded music. And during the time they were creating this masterpiece they were in a race with another progressive band the Beach Boys, with a goal to create the greatest record ever. And it was only recorded on a 4-track machine. 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 may have invented a whole new genre… it had an accidental bridge that started out as its own song and only meant to be filler but in this song it became a revelation. A Day in the Life would’ve been a surefire #1 hit, but the Beatles never put it out. But it was so exceptional it put them in a class all their own and became the greatest album closer ever. 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.

The year 1980 was a fascinating time for music…. The decade was ushered in by some bold songs by artists who pushed their own boundaries to stay relevant and challenge their fans. It’s also a year that gave us some of the most influential & timeless tracks of the Rock Era. Including two of rock's greatest bands, Pink Floyd and Queen releasing disco-influenced tracks… by rock’s most progressive band in Another Brick in the Wall part 2 and Another One Bites the Dust by Queen who stole the iconic bass line from Disco group CHIC but everyone claimed Chic ripped Queen off. then there Kenny Loggins' I'm Alright that has a mystery vocalist that shocked people when they figured out who it was and as well as Call Me by Blondie that we’ve all sung for years even though it’s about a male... well ya know... And AC/DC's classic song You Shook Me All Night! it’s all. Coming up NEXT as we countdown the Top 10 Songs of 1980… 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 Lovesong by The Cure is extremely complicated. First of all, it only exists because its creator Robert Smith saved its lyrics from a house fire. Then he gave the song to his wife as a wedding present. It’s also the song that drove his band kicking and screaming out of the underground of obscurity into the Mainstream. He called the record total shite, his label called it commercial suicide. Thematically, it was completely out of character for him… He said it took him 10 years to even feel comfortable singing a song like this. And it was an unexpected bright spot on a very dreary album, Disintegration... a classic 80s album that makes you feel like you might never see daylight again. 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 The Cure's reluctant rockstar make peace with the song that turned this indie band into stadium headliners? Well, I’ll give you a clue… Smith hated the popularity it was bringing him, but then got pissed when it missed out on #1. You gotta hear this one! 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 we break down the evolution of the Doobie Brothers named after a drug and half the band didn’t know what it was! Today we have four famous members here to tell the tale. Tom Johnston, Michael McDonald, Patrick Simmons and Skunk Baxter! It’s the story of a group that was a straight-up rock and roll band with a score of classic rock standards and a huge number-one hit. and then became something entirely different when their lead singer Tom Johnston was sidelined and they had to bring in a replacement in Steely Dan alumni Michael McDonald to keep the music playing.. and they moved their sound to a more smooth and soulful place returning to #1. Up next we have Sheriffs with Samurai Swords in the song China Grove, a record that a DJ accidentally turned around and played the B-side of in Black Water going straight to #1, and another song in What a Fool Believes that defeated disco in 1979. We have all the legends here to tell the story next on Professor of Rock. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

It’s the voice that saved an underperforming jam band and kicked off an arena rock revolution. After three hitless albums in the 70s, this Journey was on the chopping block. But the addition of an unknown singer named Steve Perry changed everything—transforming them into one of the biggest rock acts of all time. From stadium-shaking anthems to soul-stirring ballads, their music dominated airwaves and defined an era, becoming the soundtrack of a generation. In this Evolution episode, we've got Don't Stop Believing, a song that broke every rule in the book and is now the #1 song ever, as well as Separate Ways (Worlds Apart) the most epic rock song to be made into the most cringe-worthy music video and Open Arms, a song that almost made the guitarist puke and it became their biggest hit. The band is here to tell the stories 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.

'Go to http://www.hometitlelock.com/professorofrock and use promo code ROCK30 to get a 30-day FREE trial of Triple Lock Protection and a FREE title history report! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today we are going back to the classic year of 1983 and counting down the top 10 songs of this same week and then we’re going to put the actual top 10 plus some other great songs from that week and recalibrate them to tell you what the real top 10 songs are based on all-time streams, views and radio play. 4 decades later you’ll see what lasted and which ones died. And we have interviews, stories, and your comments… including The Clash who wrote Rock the Casbah protesting Iran banning Disco songs, as well as a song that failed on the charts until a soap opera used it, and then it went to #1 after it’s broadcast. Then a duet between the two biggest stars in music that was a huge letdown to the backing band because it was so cheesy and another song that a legend wrote a big old middle finger to the media. I’ll tell you what there’s no autotune here, just absolute talent. 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.

1971 was a game-changing year in music history—a period when creativity exploded across genres, legendary albums dropped left and right, and artists redefined the sound of a new generation. Many refer to ’71 as the most pivotal and exciting of the Rock Era, and I wholeheartedly agree It’s top 3 easy. So I’m doing the impossible…I’m counting down the Top 10 Songs from this emblematic year. All 10 of these songs are legendary including Marvin Gaye's revolutionary song What's Going On which was written on a golf course by some drinking buddies. Another Joy to the World was written for a kid’s cartoon that never got off the ground so a band made it one of the biggest rock songs ever... and Take Me Home, Country Roads that came from the songwriter misreading a road sign and yet another by Led Zeppelin that was written as a joke but the fans took it very seriously and made them rock gods because of it… It all coming up on … 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, Wang Chung, a band that finishes many of the top one-hit wonder countdowns but the problem is..the band had 5 hits including 3 everyone knows and radio still plays. Today’s song Everybody Have Fun Tonight is the one that many point to as their one hit… it also finishes in the top countdown of worst songs and that’s why I wanted to cover it. It is definitely not one of the worst songs ever. Everybody Have Fun Tonight is a classic from the 80s that did a couple of really cool things. It became an accidental catchphrase of the decade that defined the 80s and it introduced a new word into many dictionaries which also happened to be the band’s name. When this singer brought the song to his bandmate, he wanted nothing to do with it. He thought the band was too smart for it and that it was too commercial. But it became a smash and its iconic music video was banned for being too visually dangerous for some with the potential to cause a severe medical condition. the band is here to tell the story… It’s 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.