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:

The Story Behind the 1979 Sci-Fi Hit About a Robot Hooker That Topped the Charts Mar 21, 2023

Show notes

Coming up next an artist who changed everything. He grew up with aspergers. He was lonely and misunderstood but found solace in the writings of science fiction..he wrote this song as a teenager on an out of tune piano about a robot prostitute.. It ended up selling a million copies and going to #1 and no one knew what the song was really about. Up next in our interview this artist tells us the story.

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How a Trucker’s Outburst Inspired Bachman-Turner Overdrive’s 70s Classic “Let It Ride” Mar 20, 2023

Show notes

Coming up, another great story from an interview I did with one of rock's greatest storytellers. Mr. Randy Bachman from the Guess Who and Bachman Turner Overdrive BTO… This 70s rock hit came when BTO was on tour with the Doobie Brothers. The band was on the road going to a gig when during a traffic jam a truck driver boxed their tour bus in… so a little while later this rock legend confronted the trucker at a rest stop. A brawl was about to go down… from this incident... the trucker said something that would inspire a rock classic. Let it Ride… It became a 70s guitar classic. Get the story from this rocker next on Professor of Rock

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Why Billy Joel Is Embarrassed by His Iconic Hit “Piano Man” Mar 18, 2023

Show notes

On the run from a dishonest record label and a bum contract, multi-platinum, grammy award-winning, rock hall of Famer Billy Joel dropped off the grid and hid out in a dive bar in LA. There under an alias, he spent six months on the down low playing music for down-and-out crowds. It didn’t pay much, and there was no glory in it, but it was a life-altering decision. That’s because it taught him how to take his song-craft to a new level and gave him the inspiration to write the signature song all signature songs are judged by…Piano Man. It would break him into the mainstream and make him a superstar. It’s a song that generations of fans have turned into a go-to karaoke classic and an essential track for any Saturday night and years later Joel would find out he initially made only about 8 grand off of it even though it’s one of the biggest songs ever. The story of a 70s classic is next.

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How Barry Gibb Dominated the Charts With “Stayin’ Alive” and Made History Mar 17, 2023

Show notes

Up next we go behind the signature song behind a ground-breaking album that boasted 11 Top 40 singles on the Hot 100, and seven #1 hits*. Just unbelievable numbers. I’m talking about Saturday Night Fever the soundtrack from 1978 that really is a Bee Gees album. the record was so big you almost have to call it a movement…The song most associated with this movement the Bee Gees Staying Alive has been misunderstood for decades! Everyone knows it as a carefree, jolt of swagger but it’s actually a very serious song from a group that absolutely dominated the charts even doing something the Beatles didn’t do. Barry Gibb replaced himself at #1 not once, not twice but three times with four straight #1 hits. With Staying Alive, Night Fever, If I Can’t Have You, and Love Is Thicker Than Water… Stayin’ Alive started the momentum and it almost didn’t get released… the story is coming up… NEXT on the Professor of Rock.

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Why Phil Collins’ Hit “Take Me Home” Deserved More—and His Rock Hall Snub Mar 16, 2023

Show notes

In the space of just over two years, Phil Collins scored twelve Top 10 singles on the Billboard Hot 100. 12...That’s insane. And actually, that list includes five #1s, and the lowest single really came in at #7. So 12 Top 7 singles? And as it just so happens, today we’re covering that #7 song. Take Me Home from his 25 X Platinum album No Jacket Required from 1985. But what makes this story even more compelling, is the fact that Phil Collins hired the singer he once replaced to sing on the track. Peter Gabriel…. And when I say replaced, I’m talking about fronting one of the biggest bands of the rock era... Genesis. So you would expect there to be some bad blood. Find out if there was. This is definitely one of my favorite tracks from this artist and honestly, it deserved a higher ranking than it got. Get ready, the story is coming up… NEXT on the Professor of Rock.

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Ann Wilson on the Struggles of Recording Heart’s Classic Hit and Legal Battles Mar 15, 2023

Show notes

Wow. You’re in for a treat, the greatest female rock singer in history, Ann Wilson takes us through her band, Heart’s greatest Hidden gems including a walk through their peak in the 70s. After Dreamboat Annie, their first album made the global superstars they had a legal battle with their label Mushroom Records when the label released their follow-up album without the band’s approval and unfinished. They fought them and were able to get them to stop production and a judge gave them just 2 days to finish songs, mix, and master theirs. so 2 versions exist. also the story of this legend’s favorite album track and how it devastated her to write it. Coming up next.

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Unraveling the Mystery Behind Tears for Fears’ 80s Classic “Head Over Heels” Mar 14, 2023

Show notes

Following on the heels of two gigantic #1 Hot 100 hits in 1985, today’s featured song the 80s classic Head Over Heels, written by iconic synth rock pioneer Roland Orzabal and sung with his partner Curt Smith of Tears for Fears, was in line to make it three in row…but would it happen? Ambitious and anthemic, this song boasts some highly intelligent lyrics that take many listens to unriddle. It came From a record that was named after a bad TV movie. Songs from the Big Chair with a music video that defined the 80s. It’s one of the most under-appreciated songs of the neon decade. So good a cult movie Donnie Darko based an entire sequence on the song and filmed it without knowing if they’d even get the song rights. We solve this mysterious 80s song riddle next.

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How Kenny Loggins and Michael McDonald Accidentally Created the Hit “This Is It” Mar 13, 2023

Show notes

Coming up two legendary artist tell the story of an all star collaboration Kenny Loggins and Michael McDonald and their 70s classic This Is it. At the time Michael McDonald was fronting one of the biggest bands in rock with the Doobie Brothers and the Kenny Loggins had just left a classic duo in Loggins and Messina to create a solo career… They had just collaborated on the grammy winning song What A Fool Believes about a year before and they were afraid they’d jinx their partnership.. so after a while apart they ran into a each other in the supermarket and said let’s just get together and write a piece of crap get that out of the way and then we can write a good one.. That piece of crap became another grammy winner and 70s classic. when they wrote the chorus they thought it was love song but 1 event changed it completely find out the story in our exclusive interview next…

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How Billy Squier’s “Rock Me Tonite” Video Ended His 80s Rock Reign Overnight Mar 11, 2023

Show notes

Coming up, the story of a journeyman rocker, who finally scored fame when he reached his 30s. Billy Squire’s breakout hit The Stroke was a provocative sledgehammer - misinterpreted by innuendo that led the way to one of the biggest albums of the 80s. It sold 4 million copies... In 1981... he was on top of the business he loathed, but ironically... just a few years later, after releasing his highest charting single, Rock me Tonite his career suddenly plummeted due to a music video. After that, he just up and disappeared! The details of the slow climb and the rapid fall of an 80s icon is NEXT on Professor of Rock.

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The Story Behind Elvin Bishop’s 70s Classic “Fooled Around and Fell in Love” Mar 10, 2023

Show notes

It was a top 3 hit in 1976 barely missing the number one spot only to come back decades later to hit number one as part of the bestselling soundtrack from Guardians of the Galaxy: Fooled Around and Fell in Love credited to Elvin Bishop was sung by underrated vocalist Mickey Thomas who went on to kill it with Jefferson Starship and then just Starship in the 80s with #1 hits like WE BUILT THIS CITY and SARA… Like I indicated it’s one of those rare songs that’s credited to the guitarist instead of the singer…but WOW what a vocal performance! He sang the HELL out of this 70s ringer and he’s the one who’ll tell us the story and in the middle of it he grabs his guitarist and sings it!. The story of an all-time classic next on Professor of Rock.

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