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:

Guns N' Roses' 'November Rain': Axl Rose’s 8-Year Journey to a #1 Epic May 19, 2023

Show notes

Up next Rock’s most notorious bad boy Axl Rose had been working on a piano song for about 8 years… It was actually the only song he knew how to play on the piano and he wanted his band Guns N’ Roses to record it. But as guitarist Slash would point out...they weren’t a Ballad Band.. they wanted to rock. It would be called November Rain. They tried recording this epic that had more in common with classical music than rock… at one point it was 25 minutes long. In the end, Slash added 3 bold solos, then they added a choir that included a future rock frontman by the name of Shannon Hoon who was in Blind Melon. And together they created the most expensive video ever with a leading lady the singer had hand-picked from a magazine cover…Stephanie Seymour. He would ask her to marry him before it was over. Up next, the unbelievable story of one of the biggest songs ever... November Rain from Use Your Illusion on Professor of Rock.

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Gordon Lightfoot’s 'If You Could Read My Mind': The Heartbreaking Song That Almost Changed May 18, 2023

Show notes

It’s quite possibly the most vulnerable song about a broken relationship of the Rock Era. The late Gordon Lightfoot wrote an absolutely gut-wrenching ballad where a man, who was once a hero, calls himself out as the culprit for a failed marriage, and pleads with his wife not for forgiveness, but for empathy. It’s the story of the 70s classic If You Could Read My Mind. Years later Gordon’s daughter pled with him to change the lyrics to this heart-wrenching ballad. We also tell the story of Gordon’s rise to fame and pay our respects to the singer/ songwriter who was on Bob Dylan’s Favorites. An institution. Mr. Gordon Lightfoot. ...NEXT…on Professor of Rock.

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Top 5 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Snubs – Why Does It Hate Actual Rock? May 17, 2023

Show notes

Okay, so this one’s an episode I’ve been needing to do for a long time. And I’ll be upfront with you. It’s a topic that really gets under my skin, so I’ll try to be positive. Today we’re counting down my all-time, Top 5 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame snubs… bands and artists who are well overdue for the so-called honor, but routinely get passed over year after year. There is a long list of rock hall snubs…From Iron Maiden to The Guess Who from Pixies to Motorhead from New York Dolls to the Smiths from Joy Division/New Order to Slayer from Styx to Foreigner to Jethro Tull and Thin Lizzy, Motley Crue, Toto the list goes on and on. We’re also going to try to figure out why the Rock Hall routinely refuses to induct actual rock artists into their ranks. They’re called the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame but they seem to have a bias against rock and Roll? I’m not going to be pulling any punches here. I just want to give some love to some classic rock icons that I think we all admire and I want to hear yours too… It’s all coming up… NEXT on the Professor of Rock.

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Deep Purple’s 'Smoke on the Water': How a Disaster Led to Rock’s Most Iconic Riff May 16, 2023

Show notes

A flare gun fired by an idiot attending a concert led to the burning of a casino and a towering fire in the sky. The rock band Deep Purple happened to be in attendance and was supposed to record their new record Machine Head there the next day…they saw the whole thing. A few days later the band’s bassist Roger Glover had a nightmare about the fire and a legendary song title came to him Smoke on the Water…. sometime later a riff just as iconic came to guitarist Ritchie Blackmore that he borrowed from a famous classical piece… It would be a chore to record. They were shut down by the Police for playing too loud. Then they had to move to an abandoned hotel to record…It was a disaster. Once they recorded this legendary song. they didn’t think much of it. Ian Gillen sang the hell out of it. One day Deep Purple played it live and got a massive reaction. They decided to release it as the last single off the album and it became their biggest hit. The riveting story of the disaster in Montreux NEXT on Professor of Rock.

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The Doobie Brothers’ 'What a Fool Believes': How Yacht Rock Dethroned Disco May 15, 2023

Show notes

Today’s song was a comeback #1 hit for a legendary band named the Doobie Brothers who lost their iconic singer, Tom Johnston to Sickness. What A Fool Believes was written in a cool way… It was actually a collaboration between 2 legends Michel McDonald and Kenny Loggins. There were both aware of one another and wanted to write together. So a meeting was set… Kenny Loggins pulled up to Michael McDonald's house he could hear that the smooth voiced yacht rocker was at the piano trying to work out a song part he was stuck on… It was “What a Fool Believes” As Kenny made his way to the door the rest of the song came to him and he immediately said I know how the rest of the song should go and he sad this right before he shook hands and met him for the first time and they nailed the song in just a short time. up next we have interviews with both legends and get the real story of the definitive Yacht rock song ever! It went to #1 in 1979 one of the only non disco song to do so and won a grammy for song of the year!

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Red Hot Chili Peppers’ 'Soul to Squeeze': The B-Side That Became a #1 Hit May 13, 2023

Show notes

So here’s one for you. How many songs do you know that were cut from a ground-breaking album, turned into a B-side several times, and then placed on a movie soundtrack as an afterthought… only to then rocket up the charts to become a #1 single? Doesn’t happen very often, right? Well, the Red Hot Chili Peppers did just that with their 90s rock classic Soul to Squeeze. Actually, Anthony Kiedis, Flea, John Frusciante, and Chad Smith, the Red Hot Chili Peppers had it all ready to go as a part of a double album which was to be BloodSugarSexMagik, but their label demanded they cut the record in half. And since they’d already written another song like it the #1 hit Under the Bridge, they just dropped it. But as it turns out this song resonated with a lot of people who felt like outcasts. I guess everybody loves an underdog. Get ready, it’s the incredible story of the #1 Alternative Rock hit that never should have happened. And it’s coming up… NEXT on the Professor of Rock.

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Carole King: From Hitmaker to 70s Solo Superstar with 'Tapestry' May 12, 2023

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Legend Carole King wrote or co-wrote over 2 dozen hits for other people before she got a chance to record her own record... With husband Gerry Goffin.... Goffin King was the songwriting team of the 60s. In the 70s when she wanted to go solo the only problem is SHE HATED the sound of her own voice. She was criticized by some in the industry about it saying it was hoarse and too thin. One night legendary singer-songwriter James Taylor put her on the spot and pushed her to record a song she’d written for a famous group… She Killed it. This opened the door for a solo Record that would rival any artist or band in the 70s… Carole King's Tapestry with major hits like I Feel the Earth Move, So Far Away, It’s Too Late and You Make Me Feel Like A Natural Woman all were hits and made it a 70s vinyl classic. Carole King became a singer songwriter for the ages and the first woman to spend so many weeks at #1 on the billboard charts. She also had 24 hit before she was 20. The story is next on professor of rock.

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Ratt’s 'Round and Round': The 80s Rock Classic That Sold 5 Million and Endured May 11, 2023

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Coming up the hard rock and glam metal bands that ruled MTV and the concert circuit in the 80s are well documented from Motley Crue to Def Leppard to Bon Jovi and Whitesnake but one band that was just as big in that moment but don't get the credit they deserve is Ratt. Today we have an interview with the lead singer Stephen Pearcy. Many forget Ratt and their 80s hard rock album Out of the Cellar sold 5 million copies and contained a true classic from the era the glam metal masterpiece: Round and Round. The 1984 rocker still rules today from Cobra Kai to Stranger Things!. Next, the singer tells us how the song came about and how he and the guitarist threw live rodents at 80s model Tawney Kitaen for an album cover shoot during that time, and how they got legendary comedian Milton Berle to dress up like a woman for free in their iconic music video for Round and round and how a Geico commercial just sent the band back into the charts again in 2022!. Next on Professor of Rock

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The Couple Behind 3 Huge 80s Hits: What Happened to Them After 'Waiting for a Star to Fall'? May 10, 2023

Show notes

Coming up, it’s the story of two musicians who achieved global success both as songwriters and band members. They also happened to be romantically involved. You can credit them with two #1 Hot 100 hits for one of the biggest stars in the industry, How Will I Know and I Wanna Dance With Somebody, and another massive hit for themselves Waiting for a Star to Fall, a feel-good 80s staple, has become a sleeper classic. It’s catchy, it’s upbeat, and guaranteed to elevate your mood… Only, behind the scenes, this track has a much different story. While working on the song and their album, this couple couldn’t even look each other in the eyes. Their relationship was completely falling apart. Making for a bitter contrast to one of the most energetic 80s hit you’ll ever hear. So… would their crumbling relationship ruin everything they had worked for? Or would the stars once again align for them as the decade faded? the answer is next on Professor of Rock.

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Styx's 'Lady': How a DJ Turned a Jukebox Discovery into a #1 Power Ballad May 09, 2023

Show notes

Up next legendary rock singer Dennis DeYoung formerly of the band STYX tells the story of 70s classic Lady, the first quote-unquote power ballad The song was the breakout single for this future stadium band and it’s all because of a trusty DJ. The song had failed and stiffed on the charts because it’s tempo started slow and then revved up and so it really didn’t fit any format. But then a Chicago DJ heard it randomly on a jukebox in a pizza place and started playing it religiously and LADY caught fire and became the most requested song on this huge station it took a little while but within a year the song hit the top 10 and birthed an oft-copied style in rock the power ballad. The story is coming up on Professor of Rock

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