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: Jack Tempchin on Writing Glenn Frey’s “The One You Love” and Their Post-Eagles Hits Aug 18, 2022

Show notes

Songwriters Hall of Fame inductee Jack Tempchin, who wrote several Eagles classics including Peaceful Easy Feeling and Already Gone tells the story of writing with his best friend and eagles co-frontman Glenn Frey after the Eagles broke up in the early 80s. The wrote the first post Eagles hits including the #15 hit, The One You Love. Jack shares the hilarious story of how Glenn set up a room with over 100 candles and served a $20,000 bottle of wine to try and welcome the songwriting muse to help them write a hit and the incredible legacy that Glenn Frey and Don Henley created years after Glenn’s death and why he should’ve been more celebrated!

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Interview: Otis Williams on How “Ain’t Too Proud to Beg” Pushed David Ruffin to Perfection Aug 17, 2022

Show notes

The compelling story of Ain’t Too Proud to Beg by the Temptations...An up and coming writer producer named Norman Whitfield got the Temptations to record his song...He purposely put the key a step above the lead singer David Ruffin's top range to push him to reach for his best… a fierce and passionate take.. the legend is the singer was sweating buckets by the time it was done but he killed it! Then this producer had to pitch the song against the groups regular producer who happened to be the hottest in the business…Smokey Robinson. How the 60s classic Aint Too Proud to beg went from underdog to Classic with an interview with the last remaining member of the original Temptations Otis Williams..

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Interview: Mickey Thomas & Narada Michael Walden on How “Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now” Became a #1 Hit Aug 16, 2022

Show notes

Up next the story of one of the biggest #1 soundtrack hits of the 80s.Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now by Starship for the 80s cult classic movie Mannequin starring Andrew McCarthy. It was a duet between two power house voices in Mickey Thomas and Grace Slick who started Jefferson Airplane back in the 60s and then became Jefferson Starship in the 70s and just Starship in the 80s. This #1 hit written by by Diane Warren and Albert Hammons wasn’t really working until the legendary producer Narada Michael Walden who had just written massive hits for Aretha Franklin and Whitney Houston decided to have the male and female parts swapped. So Mickey and Grace switched their singing parts which brought a completely different sound ..and the song started to explode going to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1987. Then it became a hit again decades later when it was used in a commercial. Up next the singer Mickey Thomas and the producer Narada Michael Walden tell us the story of this movie hit.

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How Red Hot Chili Peppers’ One Hot Minute Became the Forgotten Album in Their History Aug 13, 2022

Show notes

It has been called a flop, a letdown, and a failed album... Pretty much erased from the pages of music history, Red Hot Chili Pepper’s 6th studio album, the 90s classic, One Hot Minute has become a ghost record. It has been overshadowed by the massive success of its predecessor Blood Sugar Sex Magik and its follow-up Californication. But climbing to #4 on the Billboard Album Chart and selling over 2 million US units, and 4 million worldwide and producing 3 Top Ten hits including the #1 Hit My Friends is far from a letdown. Anthony Kiedis, Flea, Chad Smith and new guitarist Dave Navarro were going with the flow that took the band through a harrowing experience making the record including Anthony’s relapse. … A 4X platinum album? Most artist would die for that.. But, what happened? How did one of the most anticipated albums of its day become a lost chapter in this band’s history? well it all starts with a key member quitting and then later coming back.... John Frusciante is the key . Get the story next.

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How Bloodrock’s “D.O.A.” Became One of the Most Banned and Disturbing Hits of the 70s Aug 12, 2022

Show notes

In 1971, considered the greatest year in music history by many, with Led Zeppelin, the Who and Joni Mitchell all releasing monumental albums, a band from Fort Worth, Texas horrified & fascinated radio listeners with a song about about a grisly plane crash.The single was widely banned from the airwaves for its explicit subject matter, and for containing the eerie wailing of ambulance sirens that consumed listeners when they were driving… 70s band Bloodrock created their disturbing one hit wonder called simpy DOA from a real life event. Their guitarist had been the witness to a real life plane crash. For the stations that dared to play it,- the request lines immediately lit up like a Christmas tree! . Soon the FCC (Federal Communications Commission tried to outlaw it.and had it not been banned, it might've been a #.1 hit... Up next the story of the most grotesque song ever to crack the Billboard Hot 100 on Professor of Rock.”

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Interview: Ann Wilson on How Heart’s “Alone” Revived Their Career with the Greatest Scream of the 80s Aug 11, 2022

Show notes

After major success in the 70s, the band Heart hit a wall in the early 80s and went years without a hit. They were struggling so much that lead singer Ann Wilson thought the band's career might be over. Then they pulled off one of the greatest comebacks of the decade When they scored their fist #.1 album in 1985 followed by two consecutive #1 hit, These Dreams and the 1987 smash... the power ballad called Alone from the album Bad Animals. Alone was such an amazing vocal performance by Ann including a heart wrenching heavenly scream that made every 80s kid hit the rewind button on their walkman a few hundred times... Alone became a #1 Hit for a month... It revived their career for good and the song became one of the most covered from the 80s. Up next Ann Wilson of Roll Hall of Fame band, heart tells the story of making some huge sacrifices to keep the music alive and how alone brought them back from the dead.

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Interview: How Vanilla Fudge Transformed “You Keep Me Hangin’ On” into the Definitive Rock Version Aug 10, 2022

Show notes

Coming up, the story of a rare hit song that went to number one on the Billboard Hot 100 two different times. You Keep Me Hanging On went to to #1 for the Supremes in 1966 and then in 1987 for Kim Wilde. But! That’s not all. 2 other versions were top ten hits as well.. In fact the first time it hit #1 with it's soaring up beat hook laden take, just a few months later a totally different version from an explosive heavy rock psychedelic group went to #6… Carmine Appice and his group Vanilla Fudge It’s one of the most played songs ever and we have an all star cast of including Lamont Dozier of Motown, Mary Wilson of the Supremes and Carmine Appice of Vanilla Fudge to tell the story of this 60s 70s and 80s smash. With the recent passing of legend Lamont Dozier who along with the crack shot team of Holland Dozier Holland wrote many of Motown's biggest hits, we see in this video what made Lamont Dozier so special. He wrote or co-wrote 14 #1 hits from the 60s to the 80s including one with Phil Collins.

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Interview: Cy Curnin on The Fixx’s “Saved By Zero” and the Controversy Over Its Famous Ad Use Aug 09, 2022

Show notes

The Fixx Came at the right moment in the early 80s and captured those times so eloquently in their new wave radio hits but strangely enough their songs seems to be the perfect soundtrack of the times we are living through right now. up next their lead singer Cy Curnin tells the story behind the 1983 classic Saved By Zero that may well be their signature song and how the song was written as a way to clear your head and put away your fears.. on professor of rock.

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How Motörhead’s “Ace of Spades” Cemented Lemmy as a Rock Icon Like No Other Aug 05, 2022

Show notes

"Coming up…the story of metal rock icon, Lemmy Kilmister who toiled behind the scenes as a roadie for the great Jimi Hendrix, and was fired from a band after being arrested for drug possession. He was a scruff from Newcastle with the most famous chopstache of the Rock Era, who LOVED to gamble- while playing his music with Motorhead ‘fast and vicious.’ We push up the ante, and play with the 'dead man’s hand’. with the 80s metal classic Ace of Spades and get the story behind this classic NEXT…on Professor of Rock.’

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Interview: How Violent Femmes’ Debut Album Became an Underground 80s Classic Without Any Promotion Aug 04, 2022

Show notes

Coming up next an interview with 80s underground band Violent Femmes.. They somehow sold 1 million copies of their self titled Violent Femmes debut album with absolutely no promotion. No radio play, no label support... nothing. The album had several familiar songs that the children of the 80s know by heart, like Add it Up, Blister in the Sun, Kiss Off and Gone Daddy Gone but the album was like contraband, if you had it you were lucky because it was hard to find. How did this little band that could sell a million albums fin out next with an exclusive interview with the band members including original members Gordon Gano and Brian Ritchie.

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