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: Journey’s Neal Schon & Jonathan Cain on How “Don’t Stop Believin’” Became Their Biggest Hit 40 Years Later Oct 22, 2022

Show notes

This Legendary Rock band knew that this song would be really big. So It was perplexing when it finished in 3rd place out of the four singles released from their 1981 blockbuster album Escape. I’m talking about Don’t Stop Believin’ By Journey. It was a strange song in that Steve Perry’s immaculately sung chorus doesn’t show up until the last 30 seconds of the song and Neal Schon has a blazing solo in the first 30 seconds but it’s promise would grow over the decades after it was released and when Glee wanted to cover it in their landmark episode the Neal Schon in our interview said he was pretty nervous that it would ruin the song and turn it into Mary Poppins, taking all of the Heaviness out of it. Instead it helped turn it into the biggest selling digital rock single ever. In a star studded episode including Carlos Santana, Toto, Sammy Hagar and Panic! at the Disco, we get the story from the principal band members of Journey including Co-writers Neal Schon and Jonathan Cain and current lead singer Arnel Pineda…

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How AC/DC Proved Their Label Wrong and Sold 50 Million Records with Bon Scott’s Voice Oct 20, 2022

Show notes

Coming up, an all time anthem by AC/DC that was completely misunderstood by the critics and haters. Thinking that Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap was evil and meant to influence children to follow Satan the 70s tune was actually inspired by a cartoon character the band members watched on the telly as little children. It was released on an album that wasn’t released in America for almost 5 years until Back in Black blew up in the early 80s. By this time their incredible singer Bon Scott had already passed away. the album went on to sell 6 million copies ever 5 years after it was recorded. The band’s label didn’t believe in Bon Scott early on and refused to push AC/DC in the states but the band proved them wrong with sold out stadiums and over 100 million records sold and has been the ultimate kryptonite to cancel culture with their no holds barred, no apologies brand or hard rock!

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Interview: Steve Lukather & David Paich on How “Hold the Line” Made Toto Stars—Despite Their Mixed Feelings Oct 19, 2022

Show notes

When these guys were still in high school, they were late for class because they were up all night doing recording sessions with Some of the most legendary bands of the 70s… Steve Lukather and David Paich as well as the Late Jeff Porcaro formed Toto soon after and David Paich wrote the riff of the 70s classic Hold the Line in his first apartment so loud and so many times that he was evicted after other renters complained but in the end the song sold a million copies and put the band on the map. IN this exclusive interview with Steve Lukather and David Paich we get the story first hand as well as the story of 99 and how their classic logo came to be.

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Interview: How Dan Hartman Turned Rejection into the 80s Classic “I Can Dream About You” Oct 18, 2022

Show notes

He wrote and performed one of the most eartastic hook laden classics of the 80s. I Can Dream About You, the underrated top 10 hit from 1984 is true sonic time machine.. over it’s 4 minutes it transports you back the greatest year in music history. Sadly it’s singer, the great Dan Hartman would only live for another few years after it was a hit Dying at only 43 from a brain tumor… today’s story is an interesting one… He wrote this song as a demo for Daryl Hall and John Oates only they weren’t able to record it.. So he pretty much recorded the way he thought they would’ve done it imitating their sound with reverence and it was brilliant. Used for the cult classic film Streets of Fire it became a smash of the summer of 1984. Including exclusive interviews with John Oates from Hall and Oates and his former bandmate, Edgar Winder from the the Edgar Winter group, this is a cant miss.

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How Joan Jett Turned an Obscure B-Side into the #1 Anthem “I Love Rock ‘n Roll” Oct 17, 2022

Show notes

"Coming up, the evolution of a universal rock standard that was rescued from obscurity by a 17 year old, future icon, who happened to see a live performance of the song while watching TV in a hotel room in London. Joan Jett was touring with the Runaways when she saw the Arrows perform I Love Rock and Roll on TV. Joan made a pact to cover the song no matter what. She Knew it would be a #1 hit. It took 6 years after her band rejected it and it was released as a B-side not once but 2 times. When She finally covered it as Joan Jett and the blackhearts including Ricky Byrd on guitar it was a #1 smash. topping the billboard hot 100 for 6 weeks. The story of perseverance and destiny…is NEXT on Professor of Rock.”

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Interview: How Jack Tempchin’s Only Drunken Night Led to the Eagles’ “Already Gone” Oct 15, 2022

Show notes

This all time rock classic appeared on the biggest selling album of all time. Eagles: Their Greatest Hits 1971-1975… Already Gone was the most rocking single that Glenn Frey and Don Henley and the Eagles ever did.… It came out of funny situation…while in the backroom of a place he used to gig at Hall of Fame songwriter Jack Tempchin was thirsty and searching for something to Drink. when he opened an old fridge and found a jug full of a strange liquid. He was so thirsty he drank it… it ended up being very heavy as in no time he was three sheets to the wind. … about 20 minutes later he had written a song that would bring him Millions. Find out this and more in our new interview with Jack next.

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How Red Rider’s “Lunatic Fringe” Became an 80s Rock Staple Without Ever Hitting the Charts Oct 14, 2022

Show notes

For a lot of US listeners, today’s band is a well-kept Canadian secret. And that’s not a good thing, because these classic rockers have turned out a killer catalog that includes multiple Top 40 hits... just not on this side of the border. It’s Tom Cochrane’ and his band Red Rider. Their classic rock battle cry: Lunatic Fringe is continually cited as one of the best one hit wonder of the 80s only it was never a hit on the charts. It missed the top 40 completely thought it did go top 20 on the rock charts IN fact Red Rider never had a top 40 hit in America. Even so Lunatic Fringe has become a classic of rock radio.... It’s a haunting battle cry, burning with righteous indignation. A call to defend the downtrodden and stand against hate. Tom’s management actually tried to talk him out of even recording it and he nearly listened to them but a devastating tragedy motivated him to see it through.. This is the story of a singer who never gave up and found redemption in the chart later on because of it… his band barely missed the U.S. top 40 for almost 20 years but his first solo single Life Is A Highway hit the top 5 everywhere.

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The Underrated Genius of Billy Joel: 5 Deep Cuts That Should Have Been Hits Oct 12, 2022

Show notes

When anyone thinks of the baddest rock stars on the planet, Billy Joel would likely be at the back of the line because they judge his work and persona off of a few radio hits. Uptown Girl, Just the Way You Are, We Didn’t Start the Fire... Well that bias has caused many to miss out on one of the greatest back catalogs of songs in history and one of baddest cats in the business… Mr. Billy Joel the Piano Man. Truth is he’s one of the baddest dudes in the game and one of the greatest artists in rock history and he’s been hiding in plain site all these years. Let me just give you some starters…

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How a Bathroom Encounter Led to Rick Springfield’s “Affair of the Heart” and Other 80s Hidden Gems Oct 11, 2022

Show notes

Coming up an icon of the 80s was using a urinal when a fan recognized him and came up midstream and pitched him his demo. He gave him the tape when he was finished. the icon was Rick Springfield mourned the times Jessie’s Girl was a hit. Part of the music on that demo became his top 10 hit Affair of the Heart. Then a few years later another 80s icon (Steve Kilby of the Church) was using the bathroom of a woman he had come home with and heard a strange noise in the adjacent bathtub.. He pulled back the shower curtain and found a huge Lizard lurking which inspired another great 80s song, 80s hit Reptile. These interviews as well as one with John Oates and Colin Hay of Men at Work from the stories of the 5 best underplayed hits of the 80s including One hit wonder, The Captain of her Heart by Double and the amazing Electric Blue by Icehouse. . Urinals inspiring big hits… Anxiety keeping one artist up at night… Its all hear in the best of 80s hidden gems.

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Interview: Ed Roland on How Collective Soul’s “The World I Know” Inspired a #1 Hit Oct 10, 2022

Show notes

This band’s heavy Debut single was one of the biggest rock hits of the year but critics wrote them off as a Grunge also ran. Collective Soul hit #1 on the Rock charts with Shine. Critics were dead wrong. It was a huge mistake on their part since Ed Roland and Collective Soul weren’t of that caliber just in the same time frame.. Their second album 90s classic December blew the sophomore jinx out of the water with several #1 hits including today’s feature. The World I Know Ed Roland walked out of his hotel room in New York City and just moved around the skyscrapers by foot observing the grittiness and the turmoil of the people in this metropolis inspiring him to write this #1 smash. Iris by the Goo Goo Dolls borrowed from it considerably and in my interview with Ed he has the perfect comeback. Also with their other #1 Rock hit, the rest of the band called the song the worst shit ever and didn’t want to record the song. Ed told them to forget it…THEY WERE RECORDING IT.. he was right.. It was one of their biggest this.

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