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:

Female Hidden Gems Vol. 3: Duffy, Stevie Nicks & The Go-Go’s Feb 14, 2026

Show notes

It's a music marathon. We’re shining a light on some of the most underrated songs from female artists… It’s the latest edition of Female Hidden Gems. But behind these beautiful melodies lie some of the wildest and most twisted stories in rock. Seriously. We've got the haunting duet where the female vocalist Hope Sandoval sang a love song with one brother while secretly dating the other. Then there's the soulful singer Duffy whose breakout hit Mercy became eerily prophetic after she was kidnapped and held captive years later. The tragic incident turned the song on its head, but ultimately it became an anthem of empowerment. And we'll also reveal how one of the biggest girl groups of the 80s The Go-Gos recorded their final hit Head Over Heels in a studio combat zone. That story involves physical altercations, thrown bottles, substance abuse and sabotaged instruments. All while the song's lyrics literally documented the band's collapse in real time. Plus Stevie Nicks who canceled her wedding night and honeymoon to record her song Stand Back where she basically ripped off Prince’s new song by basically putting new lyrics over his music… It became a smash… We’ll see what his reaction was on it. Let’s get started.

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America on “Ventura Highway” and the Prince Connection Feb 13, 2026

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Coming up an interview with one of the biggest selling bands of the 70s, America, led by Dewey Bunnell, Gerry Beckley, and Dan Peek. Here, the 2 principals, Dewey and Gerry, give us the story of a song that became their third consecutive top 10 hit and a radio staple of the early decade, Ventura Highway. The song conjured up imagery of a wondrous and mystical destination, although the group has taken flak for decades for some of the lyrics… including one about flying alligators? or maybe listeners just heard them wrong? One strange lyric was used by Prince a decade later in a song and a record that would blow up… Purple Rain. But America was the first to use it in a pop song… Maybe Prince was listening! Featuring one of the most creative guitar lines of the time, Ventura Highway is a sonic time machine and will take you back to the carefree 70s in an instant. The interview is next on Professor of Rock.

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The Legacy of Brad Arnold: 3 Doors Down’s “Kryptonite” and One of Rock’s Good Guys Feb 12, 2026

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Tribute to 3 Doors Down frontman Brad Arnold. who passed away from Cancer. Brad was one of the good guys. In this interview, Brad open up about 3 Doors Down and their Biggest hit Kryptonite which Brad wrote when he was only 15 years old in math class when he was bored... He did it in 5 minutes. Rest in peace Brad

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FROM THE VAULT: The Story Behind Whitney Houston’s I Wanna Dance with Somebody Feb 11, 2026

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1987 was one of the most iconic years in music history, with classic releases from Def Leppard, Guns N’ Roses, George Michael, Michael Jackson, and more—but Whitney Houston ruled the year. Her euphoric anthem “I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me)” hit #1 in 13 countries and became one of the defining songs of the 1980s. In this special From the Vault episode honoring Whitney Houston on the anniversary of her passing, legendary producer and drummer Narada Michael Walden tells the inside story of how this global smash was created. It’s a powerful tribute to Whitney’s legacy, a landmark moment in pop history, and one of the greatest feel-good songs ever recorded—on Professor of Rock.

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How Phil Collins Turned Heartbreak Into Hit Songs Feb 10, 2026

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Today we're diving into one of the most underrated careers in rock history—Phil Collins, a guy who turned his own devastating heartbreak into a commercial empire, while simultaneously fronting one of the world’s biggest bands, Genesis, from the back of the stage. Haters call him vanilla… but digging into his catalog, Phil Collins is anything but ordinary. And we’ve got some insane stories to back it up. Including the future #1 hit classic Against All Odds Phil Collins refused to put on.. not one, but two of his own albums… because he thought it sucked—but after it soundtracked a box office bomb, it somehow became his first chart-topper. Then there's the deeply personal track If Leaving Me is Easy that he banned himself from performing live after audiences refused to give it any respect…. It’s one that caused his ex-wife to flip out on him when he was settling his divorce across radio… And we’ve got a couple urban legends to address… like how one upbeat pop anthem Something Happened on the Way to Heaven secretly tells the story of a ghost who skips the afterlife so he can stay behind and haunt his lover. And also the In the Air Tonight legend about how Phil saw a man who murdered a man and later called him out in concert. Let’s go.

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The Rise, Excess, and Tragic Fall of Lynyrd Skynyrd Feb 09, 2026

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Sadly this legendary band went down in flames. Lynyrd Skynyrd's famous album cover even predicted it. And so did one of their songs… Lynyrd Skynyrd wrote That Smell in 1977…It was an eerily prophetic rocker that warned them there would be hell to pay. They created their album cover with Fire and Flames around them! Truly, no one worked harder than Frontman Ronnie Van Zant and the wild boys of Lynyrd Skynyrd, but then again no one partied harder either… and it was nearly to the point of self-destruction. Their trail of carnage included knock-down drag-out brawls, punched-out teeth, furniture flying out of fifth-story windows, cutting and maiming their guitarist hands the night before a big show and one time when the lead singer tried to throw a roadie out of a plane… mid-flight. I mean come on… that’s insane. Blacklisted from hotels and airlines alike, it all came to a tragic conclusion on October 20, 1977. After that day, this band would never be the same again. The story of two classic hits from their 70s classic album Street Survivors: the 70s hits, What’s Your Name and That Smell….Brace yourself, this one’s as crazy. as rock and roll gets… The story is coming up… NEXT on Professor of Rock.

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Top 8 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Snubs: Legendary Artists Still Shut Out Feb 08, 2026

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Okay, it’s that time of year again. We’re gearing up for the Rock and Roll Hame of Fame’s class of 2026. And AS PER usual The Rock Hall is going to snub some of the best rock bands and musicians of all time. Hey, it’s what they do. So today, I want to make the case for some extremely talented artists who deserve to get in and see if we can create a groundswell for some of the most deserving musicians of all-time. That’s right, I’m counting down my Top 8 acts who the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has consistently ignored and neglected for decades. I want to give them some love and at the end of the video, I’ve got an important Call to Action that I need your help with, so we can get the #1 band into the Hall of Fame. So let’s get right to it.

Sign the Professor of Rock's petition to get Boston inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. https://c.org/TTyvqVjTzJ

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Herman’s Hermits’ Unbelievable Run: Peter Noone on Beating the Beatles Feb 06, 2026

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Up next an interview with an icon of 60s rock and roll, Peter Noone of Herman’s Hermits. Peter was only 15 years old when he became the singer behind Herman’s Hermits, who would go on to garner 18 hits, including an amazing 11 songs that hit the top 10 and several that went to #1. In fact, before Peter got to his 18th birthday he and Herman’s Hermits finished ahead of the Beatles on the Billboard year-end survey for top groups. It was on the strength of two big hits that kept his band in the top ten for 6 months! Including today’s song “I’m Henry the Eighth, I Am” that was actually from the year 1910… It caught on because it was so easy to sing and so easy to remember…It’s because the band repeated the same verse three times because they only knew the one verse, even though the song had numerous verses…it made “I’m Henry the Eighth, I Am” one of the most famous novelty songs ever… and the story of Mr’s Brown, You’ve got a lovely Daughter...The story is coming straight from the icon next on Professor of Rock.

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The Forgotten Great Voice of Rock: Mickey Thomas on Jefferson Starship, Starship, and His Biggest Hits Feb 05, 2026

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Coming up next, an interview with a man who is on a shortlist of the greatest singers in music history but he never gets his due. Mickey Thomas of Jefferson Starship and Starship... He’s had numerous hits, and his voice is so gritty, and his range is so high that he can go toe to toe with anybody. And up next, we cover his greatest hits, including the song that put him on the map. But it was a total accident. He was invited to sing backup for a famous guitarist on a song he’d written, but during the session, the famous producer said let’s have this rookie background singer try a take… The take was so amazing that it blew everyone away, and luckily, the engineer was recording. Even the famous gutiarst was like it’s your son,g brother. Soon after it flew up the charts but barely missed #1… and then decades later after it was used in a big movie, it finally hit #1. The song was Fooled Around and Fell in Love by Elvin Bishop.

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The Quiet Masterpieces of the ’80s: 8 Songs That Deserved More Love Feb 04, 2026

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Today, we're shining a light on eight 80s classics that deserve way more recognition, but I'm not talking about hidden gems here. A lot of these were huge songs, but they were quietly great four decades later; these songs don't get the headlines. like the overplayed ones. So what happened? In most cases, they've been overshadowed by bigger hits from their band. But make no mistake, these are top-tier tracks. All timers. Including an awe-inspiring song On the Turning Away that emerged from one of rock's nastiest legal battles... probably one of the most notorious conflicts of the 80s. Then there's the perfectionist Lindsey Buckingham, who brought in one of rock's legendary drummers to record on his track... only to reject every single take and "roboticize" him by looping just 4 seconds of his drumming through the entire song. And I've also got the story of the Duran Duran music video that nearly got the band lynched by four thousand Buddhist monks... and then almost killed the guitarist when he contracted a tropical virus in a lagoon filled with elephants. From synth-pop gems to guitar-driven anthems, these are the quietly great songs that shaped the 80s. We give ‘em their due today.

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