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:

How John Frusciante Saved “Californication” and Reclaimed His RHCP Legacy Oct 02, 2025

Show notes

The Red Hot Chili Peppers broke through with their massive album Blood Sugar Sex Magik, and it made them one of the biggest rock bands of the time… but then their next album, One Hot Minute, flopped massively with a different guitarist. And they were in a tailspin.. So they fired their new guitarist and convinced their former guitar hero to come back to the band. They needed a comeback and felt they had a great song in the hopper... Californication. The only problem was the lyrics were incredible, but the music wouldn’t gel…In fact, this singer tried 10 different arrangements, but it got progressively worse. He got so frustrated that he threw the song away. But their guitarist saved them from the trash can and just when the record was about to be turned in he came to the rescue with the exact music the lyrics needed. He had actually just relearned to play the guitar after kicking drugs for good. But then the band handed in the record to the label, and their 3 best songs were shredded by the label. They called them second-rate, but they had the last laugh when all 3 songs hit #1, including the one that got saved from the trash bin.. Coming up next an amazing story of perseverance on POR.

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Rock’s Greatest What-Ifs: AI Explores Unreal Rock Scenarios and Alternate Realities Oct 01, 2025

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Today, we’re leaning into a two-word question that every rock fan has asked about their favorite bands… “What if?” What if The Beatles hadn’t broken up? Or The Police? What if we didn’t lose icons like Freddie Mercury, Bon Scott, or Keith Moon? Or if Lynyrd Skynyrd’s plane hadn’t crashed? Or if David Lee Roth had stayed with Van Halen? What would have happened? Well, with modern technology blurring the lines between science fiction and reality, maybe we can find some answers. For this episode, I am putting AI to the test to see if it can answer some of these “what if” questions. I’ve got two of rock's most revered bands in mind: Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd. And I want to know if Artificial Intelligence can tell me what would have happened to these bands if just one key moment had played out differently. And then I want you to tell me what you think about the results. Could this have happened in some alternate universe? Or is AI just full of crap? We’re going to try to get to the bottom of two unsolvable band mysteries next on Professor of Rock.

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FROM THE VAULT: Wang Chung on Turning Down Michael Jackson to Record Dance Hall Days Sep 30, 2025

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Coming up next… an incredible story from the POR vault with the two masterminds behind one of the most recognizable synth-pop songs of the '80s

Jack Hues and Nick Feldman of Wang Chung tell the wild story of how Michael Jackson wanted to record their song “Dance Hall Days” for Thriller—but only if he could change the lyrics.

The band said no, and instead turned the track into their own breakout hit in 1984. It’s a wild, what-if tale straight from the mouths of the artists who lived it—only here on Professor of Rock.

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Catchiest 70s Jingles...Including One the CIA Used for Interrogation Sep 29, 2025

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Alright, we’re going all in on the shortest songs that have left the longest impressions. Tracks that you just can’t get out of your head and never will, because, well… they’re the catchiest damn things you ever heard. I’m talking about the mini-anthems that ate up the space between your favorite TV shows back in the day. That’s right, jingles. I said it. We did this once before, and you loved it. We did the 80s. This time, we’re doing the 70s and they're even better. Today, we’re featuring some unbelievable stories… including one about an iconic singer-songwriter who has sold nearly 100 million records and had 25 hits, but he admits his greatest hit is an insurance commercial song. Then there’s the jingle that is so annoying that the CIA has used it to interrogate prisoners. And don’t forget about the radio jingle that lit up phone lines because listeners had to hear more of it. It was a commercial! The song later became one of the most famous TV ads of all time and was released as a single by multiple bands. You’re not gonna want to miss the stories behind these 70s viral hooks… It’s all coming up next on Professor of Rock.

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#1 Band & Their Music Ruled the 70's, BUT Now The Genre's Been ERASED From Society Sep 28, 2025

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Coming up, a fabled rock and roll story that is hard to believe. Today’s band had the promise and grit to become one of the greatest bands ever, with a singer-guitarist brother combo that lit up the stage. Then tragedy struck when the band’s guitar virtuoso died in a serious accident. The band was stunned… how could they go on? Well, their secondary guitarist stepped up and wrote a song that would take them to the top of the charts. It had taken him years to write the music, and then it only took him mere minutes to write the lyrics. It became the band’s signature song, but get his it was held out of the #1 spot by the future wife of their singer. 2 years later the iconic female who denied them the #1 spot would marry their lead singer and then one year after they lost their guitarist, they lost their iconic bassist to the same accident on the same road. The story is next on Professor of Rock.

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Fleetwood Mac, Mötley Crüe, and Rock’s Most Controversial Lyrics Sep 27, 2025

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Coming up, we’re traveling down a hazardous road of rock history with the stories of some of the most controversial songs ever. it’s our latest edition of Taboo Songs.. including a hit song from Rumours, one of the biggest-selling albums ever, where Lindsey Buckingham S-L-U-T shamed his ex-girlfriend Stevie Nicks in the song, and she had to sing it with him for the next few decades, but when ME TOO hit, it got the silent treatment when that iconic female singer downed it. Then there’s Motley Crue's Girls, Girls, Girls that was written on a napkin & it name checked sleazy gentlemen clubs. It became so big it increased their business 10-fold. Plus the happy song Timothy that sounded like a tune from the Partridge Family, but hidden in the lyrics is a DARK SECRET and once DJ s figured it out it was BANNED across the board. And speaking of disturbing, we have the story of the most horrifying song ever, Frankie Teardrop. It's so frightening that many have warned others not to listen to the song at night. It’s become a FAMOUS CHALLENGE & those who have dared have become physically sick & bad things have happened. 1 famous critic called it the scariest song ever. We have some great stories & songs coming up on POR.

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He Claims the Eagles Copied His Hit... And His Clapback Is Rock ‘n’ Roll Genius Sep 26, 2025

Show notes

Coming up, one of my favorite interviews with a legendary member of what I believe is the greatest hard rock band ever. He shares the story of the wildest music video of the MTV ERA. That was banned for a bit, but ended up being one of the most iconic of MTV’s history. Its star was a former centerfold, and the whole video was concocted by rock’s craziest frontman, including the iconic spoken word intro that the singer made up on the spot, plus he tells the story of what may be the coolest rock song of the 80s that a famous singer ripped off the year after. I ask today’s legend what he thought about the blatant rip-off, and his comeback is hilarious. You’ll hear stories never heard or told from one of the most famous records in rock history. So let’s do it. The interview is with Professor of Rock.

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Legend QUIT HEDONISTIC Band to PLAY GUITAR for GOD & Created His MAGNUM OPUS! Sep 25, 2025

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Coming up an amazing story of true musical genius. Today’s Legend was a young rookie at the top of his game as the new guitar genius stepping forward to play for David Lee Roth after the singer quit Van Halen… They hit back with a big record that had everybody talking and hit the top 5. He co-produced the next album, which was also a hit, but then he shocked everyone when he quit to play guitar for God, creating a sonic masterpiece that came from fasting for 10 days. He was in a spiritual flow and the result was what many have called the great guitar song ever written. he was playing in a higher vibration then he could have ever imagined and today he is here with me to tell the story of this once in life time track and he also explains how he was challenge by his young son on the video game guitar hero and lost to him on his own song. It’s a great interview next on Professor of Rock.

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Rock’s Most Iconic Concerts: Prince at the Super Bowl, Pink Floyd Reunited & More Sep 24, 2025

Show notes

Today, we’re counting down seven landmark performances that, for one day, turned stadiums into sanctuaries. Starting in the neon decade, we’ll revisit a Pink Floyd lightning-strike reunion that nobody believed would ever happen—a moment where bitter grudges melted away under the weight of a single setlist. We’ll witness a once-in-a-lifetime farewell, where Ozzy Osbourne literally ruled the venue from a throne. We’ll drop in on a confessional acoustic set that followed years of silence from Alice in Chains, whose scene had pretty much died, and it became one of the most gut-wrenching and unforgettable concerts of its era. And we’ll relive a rain-soaked halftime show where Prince didn’t just deliver the greatest Super Bowl performance of all time—he seemed to command the weather itself, turning a torrential downpour into a perfect storm. Nobody cared who played or won; they remember this legend. And then, 3 years before that, Prince blew half a dozen legends off the stage with a life-changing solo after a lame magazine had left him off their top guitarist list. Boy, did he ever get even. The stories are coming up NEXT on the Professor of Rock.

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FROM THE VAULT: How Cream’s "Sunshine of Your Love" Overcame Doubters to Become a Rock Classic Sep 23, 2025

Show notes

They were likely Rock’s first supergroup and it all started when these virtuosos who went by the name of CREAM starring Eric Clapton, Jack Bruce and Ginger Baker all took in a Jimi Hendrix concert, and the bassist Jack Bruce was so juiced with inspiration by what he saw, he went home and created one of rock music’s most familiar and magical riffs. Sunshine of Your Love One that gets stuck in your head for days and that’s a good thing. However when they showed the guaranteed hit to the label head, legend Ahmet Ertegun he hated it. He thought it was crap. Some famous artists outside of the band had to talk him into putting it out. The supergroup was only together for a couple of years and they almost killed each other but their music will last a millennia creating genres and subgenera’s in the process. The story is next.

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