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:

Interview: Steve Vai on Creating “For the Love of God” and His Spiritual Journey to Guitar Greatness Nov 26, 2022

Show notes

Like sonic light cutting through the darkness, listening to this track is guaranteed to take you to a higher plane. It has been called one of the of the greatest guitar songs ever written. And it contains one of the greatest solos ever played. Steve Vai’s For The Love of God came about in an instinctive moment after this virtuoso picked up his guitar and everything just started to flow. He had fasted for 10 days to gain the spiritual intuition to get to a higher vibration. But amazingly, it would sit on the shelf years before it ever made it to record. In this episode I sit down with the legendary guitar hero himself and discover the origin story of one of the most powerful and inspirational rockers of all time. Oh ya and he also tells us about losing to his son when they play this on guitar hero. It’s a good one coming.

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How Lindsey Buckingham’s “Go Your Own Way” Turned Fleetwood Mac’s Heartbreak into Rock History Nov 25, 2022

Show notes

Description When Legendary singer guitarist Lindsey Buckingham wrote the bitter cut throat rocker Go You Own Way calling out his ex girlfriend Stevie Nicks, accusing her of sleeping around it was caustic and blatant. She had to sing it with him every single night! Fleetwood Mac had the biggest rock and roll Soap Opera ever documented. and it was all in the music we heard on the 30 million selling album Rumours. Produced by Ken Caillat Rumors had multiple dramas going on at the same time … from Mick Fleetwood to John and Christine McVie and Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham. Stevie would have her own take on the album with Dreams which had the scathing line Players only love you when they’re playing. With special guests Kenny Loggins and Neal Schon of Journey, we break down this 70s rock classic and hear the true story.

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How Tracy Chapman’s “Fast Car” Stole the Show and Made Her a Star Overnight Nov 24, 2022

Show notes

At a massive show at Wembley Stadium, the headliner Stevie wonder was all set to play in front of 72K people and a television audience of over 600 million. When all of a sudden his main instrument with all of his pre recorded backing music was gone… He could’t play so the promoters asked a little known artist named Tracy Chapman with only an acoustic guitar to fill in. She played her song Fast Car, a stark folky acoustic song about tough times and poverty. in less than 4 mins she blew the audience away and a few weeks later due to word of mouth her debut album went from selling a few hundred thousands to over 2 million. Up next the story of a song that didn’t sound like anything on the radio and how it somehow dominated radio in 1987.

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Interview: Mark Foster on How “Pumped Up Kicks” Sparked Controversy and Became a Modern Classic Nov 23, 2022

Show notes

For once on our show…A song that came from no real inspiration at all.. Just a Jingle writer forcing himself to write a song on a lazy day where he was about to sneak off to the beach or go home. Mark Foster of Foster the People wrote Pumped Up Kicks in an afternoon just messing around. He pretty much just pushed himself to write a song that would become a masterpiece. He recorded a rough demo playing every instrument . He played that rough recording for people and in the end he actually released the demo. It would become the #1 song of the year. It actually went to #1 on alternative, dance, rock and pop charts collectively. Some would even try to ban or hate on it due to it’s controversial subject, claiming it was a violent gun song but as Mark Foster explains in the interview no one bothered to really listen to the lyrics which shows that no violence occurs at all. A deep dive interview about the best song of this century thus far.. This Interview blew my mind and changed the way I look at the world as we discuss song from Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan, and Johnny Cash and how Taylor Swift and Weezer covered it.

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Interview: Midge Ure on Ultravox’s “Vienna” and the Awful Song That Kept It from #1 Nov 22, 2022

Show notes

Voted the greatest #2 hit in the history of Britain, this song is simply one of the finest singles of the 1980s armed with a spirit of mystery and noir by a new wave band who were kept out of #1 by one of the worst hits of it’s time… Vienna by Ultravox was an 80s phenomenon. Up next Midge Ure who wrote and sang this classic tells the story of creating this classic with it’s perfect Vilola solo. He explains that technically it was a nightmare and it took every last bit of patience and endurance to finish recording it. Midge Ure also co wrote Do They Know It’s Christmas and is one of the most under appreciated artist of the time. Middle also explains the feelings the band had as one of the dumbest songs ever was at #1 keeping Vienna from topping the charts. A blow by blow account of how Midge Ure helmed this sonic masterpiece is up next.

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How Kim Carnes’ “Bette Davis Eyes” Became an 80s Smash and Made the Actress a Legend to Her Grandkids Nov 21, 2022

Show notes

Bette Davis Eyes was recorded several times and didn’t go anywhere… Then 5 years later it was re recorded with a completely different arrangment with a voice so raspy everyone mistook the singer for Rod Stewart…With Kim Carnes distinct voice, the song spread like wildfire. Bette Davis Eyes had become a quintessential 80s synth classic. It got so big its success was impossible to duplicate. It eventually took home the record of the year grammy. It went to #1 on the billboard Hot 100 for 9 weeks and it outsold almost every other single in the decade. A true bottled lightning classic. The Writers of the song patterned it after the revered movie star Bette Davis who didn’t listen to the radio. The only way She only found out when her grandchildren finally thought she was cool and told her about it.

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How Paul McCartney Turned a Robbery in Nigeria into Band on the Run, His Greatest Solo Album Nov 19, 2022

Show notes

Former Beatle Paul McCartney was trying to establish his band Wings when he flew to Nigeria to record Band on the Run. 2 key members quite right before and then when they arrived equipment in the studio was dismal and one day when Paul and Linda were walking the streets they were threatened at knifepoint by a gang of terrorists… Paul had to keep calm if he was going to save he and wife’s life. So along with his wallet, he handed over a bag containing two of his most prized possessions... a notebook of lyrics and a demo tape of songs for his new album. Neither of which he had copies of. These thieves, having no idea who was standing in front of them, stole one of the 70s greatest #1 hits. Band on the Run alone with 70s classics Jet and Helen Wheels. After surviving the ordeal this musical genius knew he either had to track down the stolen lyrics and tape or try to remember it and recreate it… Find out what happened next on professor of rock.

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Interview: Toto on How “Africa” Went from a Wildcard Track to an Immortal #1 Hit Nov 18, 2022

Show notes

It’s one of the most recognizable songs EVER and one that had DOMINATED Pop Culture as much as any piece of music in the modern era. Africa by Toto has been a part of a long list of tv and film placements and covered by hundreds of artists, this classic rock standard has become an immortal entry in the pages of music history. And yet the band called it a “wildcard song,” THEY ABSOLUTELY never Expected it would do anything close to what it did. Band members Steve Lukather, David Paich and Steve Porcaro tell the sensational story of a #1 hit that came from reading about a continent they’d never been to in National Geographic to the all time pop culture punchline it’s the definitive story on the making of this #1 80s hit from Jimmy Fallon to Weezer.

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How a Schoolteacher Wrote Elvis Presley’s “Heartbreak Hotel” and Made Music History with Her Son Nov 17, 2022

Show notes

In the mid-50s, a school-teacher, and a former dishwasher repairman collaborated on writing a song allegedly inspired by the suicide note of a despondent man that was included in an article published by the Miami Herald. It would turn out to be for the King of Rock and Roll Elvis Presley… The song? Heartbreak Hotel. In fact the schoolteacher named Mae Axton vowed to Elvis that she would write his first #1 million seller and she did. Although Presley’s label RCA thought the song was a disaster. They hated it and predicated it would fail. It went to #1 for 7 weeks and was the biggest song of the years. Years later the school teacher who wrote it, would have a song Hoyt Axton who would write a #1 hit for Three Dog Night called Joy to the World making them the only mother and son to do so in history. Over the years the writing of Heartbreak Hotel from a newspaper article has become a mystery. Curiously, there is no evidence of such an incident in the public records of the State of Florida, nor is there any proof of a news article that was published on the alleged suicide by the Miami Herald. It’s the conflicting and mystifying story of the first #1 pop song by the King of Rock ’N Roll…NEXT on Professor of Rock.”

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Interview: Peter Frampton on How a Hangover Led to “Do You Feel Like We Do” and a Rock Masterpiece Nov 16, 2022

Show notes

This legendary singer songwriter woke up with a massive hangover after a night of partying. Multiplatinum singer songwriter Peter Frampton vaguely remembered some cool chords he’d been messing with the night before.. so at the studio a few hours later he was trying to recall the song and as he started playing his band members were ecstatic saying you have to put lyrics to that song…To which the singer replied . I can’t I have really bad hangover.. so they were like… write the song about that.. Out came one of the great 70s classic rock tunes. Do You Feel Like We Do from the classic record Frampton Comes Alive. Up next that legend tells the story on professor of rock .

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