Music

Professor of Rock

The ultimate rock music history podcast for fans of the greatest era of music. If you’ve ever wondered about the true stories behind your favorite songs, or wanted to hear directly from the legends who made them, Professor of Rock is your new go-to podcast. Hosted by music historian and superfan Adam Reader, this show brings the golden era of music back to life with exclusive interviews, behind-the-scenes stories, and deep dives into the songs that shaped our lives. This podcast uncovers how timeless tracks were made, the creative breakthroughs, the near-breakups, and the powerful moments that defined music history. Each episode is a masterclass in rock culture and nostalgia—whether it’s a chart-topping ‘80s anthem, a one-hit wonder with a wild backstory, or a candid conversation with the legends themselves. Hear the Stories. Relive the Music. Only on Professor of Rock.

Latest Episodes:

How Blondie’s "Heart of Glass" Defied Critics and Became a #1 Hit Jun 12, 2023

Show notes

Coming up…. When punk rock band Blondie recorded a disco song they alienated their punk followers who accused them of selling out. Deborah Harry and Chris Stein loved disco but their fans didn’t. On the flip side, the disco faithful treated them like outsiders who were merely pandering for commercial success. But here’s the thing… It’s one of the coolest songs of its time… In the middle of this identity crisis, that same disco song Heart of Glass, surprisingly, became a huge international hit, and catapulted the band to superstardom… and the iconic title of the song came from the band trying to figure out how to replace a lyric that was a swear word for fear of getting censored on radio. You won’t believe this story next.

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Interview with Huey Lewis: How "The Power of Love" Became a #1 Hit for Back to the Future Jun 10, 2023

Show notes

Coming up, an interview with a true 80s icon, Huey Lewis and the News on one of the biggest songs of the 80s. The Power of Love from the 1985 blockbuster Back to the Future. He was in the midst of a huge album in Sports that had 4 big hits Heart and Soul, The Heart of Rock and Roll, I Want a New Drug and This is It. Then he got invited to sit down with the biggest director in film history, Steven Spielberg, who wanted Huey to write a song for his new movie because as he explained… the main character Marty McFly would be a fan of his band… Huey had never written for film before and was hesitant… He told Robert Zemeckis and Spielberg he didn’t want to write a song with the same name as the movie. The director said fine just send me the next thing you write… He did just that and it became a #1 smash… Only problem is the filmmakers didn’t capitalize on it and they missed a window to have a big soundtrack album…up next is the story of how this singer gave 10% of the song’s royalties to an old friend for coming up with the title of the song. Only problem is the title was the same as 2 other hits at the time. also how he had a cameo in the movie… See if you remember next….

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How Def Leppard’s "Rock of Ages" Borrowed from a Hymn and Made Pyromania a Rock Classic Jun 09, 2023

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The making of one of the biggest rock albums of the 80s was full of drama, comedy, secret messages, and young lust. Def Leppard Pyromania... It started out with Def Leppard having to fire their longtime guitarist Pete Willis who was so drunk he couldn’t play the songs. They brought in a hot shot rookie named Phil Collen who became the missing piece that helped make this band one of the biggest of the rock era and the only rock band outside of Led Zeppelin to have 2 straight 10 times platinum records and this was the start. Joe Elliott was revved up and ready to go with iconic hits like Rock of Ages, Photograph, and Foolin... Up next, the story of a rock song that came from an old hymn book and the origins of the iconic gibberish that everyone has tried to translate for years but came from the band not wanting to say the same old thing. The story of a record that sold over 10 million copies but was cursed to be #2 never reaching the #1 spot… Next on Professor of Rock.

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How Iron Butterfly’s "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida" Became an Accidental Epic and Missed Woodstock Jun 08, 2023

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Coming up, it’s a song that can only be described as ‘epic.’ In a Gadda Davida by Iron Butterfly, originally radio-friendly in length,later grew to monster proportions, swallowing up an entire side of an album. All thanks to a prolonged jam session that wouldn’t stop. The engineer liked what he heard and kept the tape rolling… and when it was done, Iron Butterfly had made history. Plus its gibberish title In a Gadda Da Vida had listeners wondering what in the world the song was about. Turns out, the singer was so sloshed when he first sang it, his bandmates thought he was singing something else entirely. But they liked it, so they kept it. Later on they would also have a chance to perform this legendary track at Woodstock… but after they pissed off the Performance Coordinator they found themselves stranded at the airport. Could they get there in time? An epic tale NEXT on the Professor of Rock.

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Interview with Terri Nunn: How Berlin’s "Take My Breath Away" Became a #1 Hit Despite Band Backlash Jun 07, 2023

Show notes

Up next, an interview with 80s icon Terri Nunn from New Wave band Berlin about her band’s biggest song. It was a #1 hit… It was a central song from Top Gun one of the biggest movies of the decade. It was even nominated for an Oscar! Thing is, as we’ll find out... some of the band members didn’t want any part of the song because they didn’t write it. First of all, Berlin wasn’t even the first choice. Legendary Producer Georgio Moroder had the Motels as the first band in position, but then when he turned to Berlin, the band’s principals had a major disagreement about doing someone else’s song... then when it became popular it divided their fanbase. Then when you thought there couldn’t possibly be any more drama…When it was nominated for an Oscar the band didn’t even get to perform it… Find out why they chose someone else next in this exclusive interview.

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How Dobie Gray’s "Drift Away" Became a Timeless Classic and Finally Hit #1 Decades Later Jun 06, 2023

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Coming up…a down & out songwriter named Mentor Williams and a down & out singer named Dobie Gray after the TV show came together to collaborate on a song that nobody wanted. “Drift Away" The writer was living in his brother Paul Williams's shadow who was one of the most famous songwriters ever having written numerous hits for the Carpenters, Three Dog Night, and Rainbow Connection for Kermit the Frog. and the singer Dobie Gray was well-traveled with a few minor hits but was looking for the big one to set his career in stone… Even though they had no juice in the record business, they landed a pitiful recording budget- went to Nashville, and created a million-selling single beloved by generation after generation. We break down the 70s rock classic Drift Away and “get lost in the Rock n’ Roll” next on Professor of Rock…..

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Interview with Bobby Colomby: How Blood, Sweat & Tears Rose to #1 and Faced Government Pressure Jun 05, 2023

Show notes

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

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How The Police’s "Don’t Stand So Close to Me" Sparked Controversy and Launched Their Stardom Jun 03, 2023

Show notes

Hey teacher, leave them kids alone! Today we’re telling the story of the classic 80s track Don’t Stand So Close To Me by the Police. The controversial song is about a classroom instructor who crossed the line with one of his students. And since Sting was a teacher before joining this band, a lot of fans wondered if it was really about him. Was he speaking from a real experience? Besides that, this song holds another claim to fame as well. It is notorious for trying to pass off one of the worst rhymes in a pop song ever. Even band mates Sting, Andy Summers and Stewart Copeland admitted it was terrible. But despite all the drama surrounding it, this song was just they needed at the time. Not only did it become one of their most popular tracks, it opened the way for them to become global rock stars. and part of it would come back around a few years later to help create another massive hit. Money For Nothing from Dire Straits So get ready, we’ve got some controversy coming up on this one… NEXT on the Professor of Rock.

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Interview with Carmine and Vinnie Appice: The Truth Behind Dio’s "Holy Diver" and 80s Satanic Panic Jun 02, 2023

Show notes

So I was looking through some old interview footage and I found this cool zoom session I did with two of the greatest drummers from hard rock and Metal. The Appice brothers Carmine and Vinnie Appice. They both played for two of the greatest rock singers ever… Ozzy Osbourne and Ronnie James Dio. They have some great stories including an inside story about an 80s rock masterpiece Dio’s Holy Diver that has been severely misunderstood due to the embellishment of 80s satanic panic… including an experiment that this drummer and the iconic singer he played with did to prove that the media and the naysayers were lying about hidden messages in songs. Great interviews coming up next.

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Interview with Randy Bachman & Burton Cummings: How "American Woman" and "No Sugar Tonight" Were Born Jun 01, 2023

Show notes

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

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