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 of Pat Benatar's Rise to Rockstar and Her 5 Greatest Songs Oct 10, 2020

Show notes

Pat Benatar’s rise to stardom is a narrative of relentless pursuit, and a heartwarming story of romantic alchemy. Once Pat Benatar knew what she wanted, she was fearless- scratching and clawing her way to becoming the Governess of Rock. Here we focus on her five greatest songs including We Belong, Love is a Battlefield, Hit Me With Your Best Shot and more. We also talk about Neil Girlaldo’s guitar playing and production.

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Eddie Van Halen Tribute: Top 5 Songs from Both the David Lee Roth & Sammy Hagar Eras Oct 09, 2020

Show notes

We lost one of the most influential and innovative guitarist of the Rock Era, when Eddie Van Halen succumbed to his long battle with throat cancer. He was only 65 years old. the word Legend is thrown around too much in the world we live in now. The over use of the term waters down the meaning for true legends and make no mistake the word legend was coined for EVH. Here at Professor of Rock, we want to honor to the Legend Eddie Van Halen through the music. Not only was Eddie one of the all-time greatest guitarists, he was also a master composer, lyricist, producer, and multi-instrumentalist. He was a lightning fast player, a relentless originator, and a veritable trailblazer. Here we break down Eddie’s top 5 song from both David Lee Roth era and the Sammy Hagar era including Runnin’ with the Devil, Dreams, 5150, Panama, Best of Both Worlds, Mean Streets, I’m the One, Jump, When It’s Love, Poundcake and more with commentary by Sammy Hagar.

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Gilbert O'Sullivan on Writing the 1972 #1 Hit "Alone Again (Naturally)" at Age 21 Oct 08, 2020

Show notes

On this episode of Revelations we talk with the great Gilbert O’ Sullivan the singer songwriter behind the heart wrenching 1972 classic Alone Again, (Naturally). The song spent 6 nonconsecutive weeks at #1 on the Hot 100 in 1972. It was the second biggest song of that year and the 5th biggest song of the entire decade. Here is the story of the song from Gilbert himself.

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Tribute to Helen Reddy and Mac Davis | Remembering Their Legacy Through Music Oct 06, 2020

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Now, Not to take anything away from actors, athletes, writers, comedians, dancers, directors, etc but when musicians like Tom Petty, Prince, George Michael, Neil Peart, Aretha Franklin, Chuck Berry, Glenn Campbell, David Bowie, Little Richard and so many others die within 3 years or so, of each other, it really exemplifies the role great music has within our culture. It also makes you realize that the golden era of popular music is truly gone. You can say that I'm an old man who's saying the same thing my own dad may have said before, but you'd be wrong. The greatest music in the history of our universe was released between 1955 and 1995. In this segment we remember Helen Reddy and Mac Davis.

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Top 5 Forgotten 80s Songs You Need to Revisit | Pop Fix Oct 03, 2020

Show notes

Hey Music Junkies, Professor of Rock , always here to celebrate the greatest artists and songs of all time; If you’re passionate about the greatest music of the rock era subscribe below and hit the bell so you always get our daily content. Also join our exclusive club the dean’s list by clicking on our patreon link below.

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Build Your Dream Supergroup: Who Makes the Cut? | On The Fly Sep 27, 2020

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You’ve just been granted the ability to form two music Supergroups in different in 2 separate genres. Here are the rules: Each group will record a studio album and go on tour. Also, you have 6 slots in each group to fill, which must include all instrumentalists and a producer but you choose the makeup. All of the members of this Supergroup must be living. Lastly, you get 1 Superpower per group. That Superpower is that you can give one member in each band a return to peak performance . Who will be in your supergroup? I share mine, now share yours…

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Top 5 Genesis Songs of the 80s Featuring Phil Collins Sep 25, 2020

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The Genesis nucleus of: Mike Rutherford, Tony Banks, and Phil Collins rocked the 80s with many top ten hits and several big album including Invisible Touch and Abacab. The band’s commercial success increased dramatically in the 80s . Although they continued to incorporate elements of their progressive rock heritage into their recordings, the 80s marked the transition by Genesis to craft tighter, more singles-oriented songs, that generated new-found prosperity in America, where they became one of the most prolific groups of the decade. Here is our top 5 Genesis songs including That’s All, Land of Confusion, Duchess, Misunderstanding, and Throwing It All Away.

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1984 vs. 1987: Which Was Music’s Best Year? Sep 20, 2020

Show notes

Our new "On the Fly" feature: 1984 or 1987? What was the better year in music? In 84 the blockbuster album was king with Prince "Purple Rain", Bruce Springsteen "Born in the USA" The Footloose soundtrack, and Tina Turner "Private Dancer" along with the continuation of Michael Jackson "Thriller" and Lionel Richie "Cant Slow Down" vs 1987's superstars of George Michael with "Faith", Whitney Houston "Whitney" and U2 taking the world by storm with "the Joshua Tree" as well as Michael Jackson "Bad" and Bon Jovi topping the charts with "Livin' on a Prayer". In 1987 Def Leppard released Hysteria and Guns 'n' Roses dropped "Appetite for Destruction" while 1984 featured Van Halen "1984" and Metallica "Ride the Lighting". The Professor of Rock gives you the background and you decide what year was more impactful. This is the first episode of "On the Fly": A raw, uncut discussion between Professor of Rock and our community, Vote now and comment. We want to hear from you!

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Sammy Hagar on Joining Van Halen & Creating the 80s Anthem “Dreams” Sep 17, 2020

Show notes

Today the Red Rocker, Sammy Hagar tells us how he joined Van Halen and the resulting Music. He also tells the story behind creating the game changing song Dreams, the second single from their 1986 album 5150 which was the first Van Halen album to go to #1. The album 5150 is named after Eddie Van Halen’s studio. 5150, sold a million copies in it’s first week. Think about that for a second. The last few years, there have only been a couple of artists or albums that have sold 1 million copies over an entire year! Enjoy our Exclusive Interview with Sammy Hagar.

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Bryan Adams' 1980s Reign: From “Summer of ’69” to “Heaven” Sep 12, 2020

Show notes

On this episode of VOX, we celebrate Bryan Adams The raspy voiced, guitar-slinging rocker born in Kingston, Ontario, Canada. In the 80s Bryan dominated radio with classic hits like “Run to You” “Heaven” “Summer of ’69” “Cuts Like a Knife” “It’s Only Love” and so many more. This is the story of Bryan Adam and his classic songs including a top fiver.

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