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:

Why “Things Can Only Get Better” Is Scientifically the Happiest Song Ever May 23, 2025

Show notes

Coming up next… I found an interview I did years ago with 80s icon, Howard Jones, that I thought was lost! This legend takes us through his songs that were the backbone of the 80s… Songs everybody knows and loves… including Things Can Only Get Better, a song that was measured by scientists to have one of the highest vibration readings in a special experiment. It might be the most positive song ever recorded and has a chorus we all sing at the top of our lungs… It’s impossible not to sing along to. Then there is the story of his biggest hit, No One is to Blame, that would’ve been a guaranteed #1 hit, but his label was in a dispute with some big radio stations. So in protest, the stations wouldn’t play the song, and it cost him #1. No One is to Blame came from a cheesy line a promoter said to him, and he turned it into a smash. The song was praised for it’s unique drum loop which everyone assumed was played by the famous drummer/singer who produced the tracks but it was actually today’s singer who didn’t even play drums.. and it really confused fans when he put out 2 versions of the song that were on radio at the same time. The story is next on Professor of Rock.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Zombies’ “Time of the Season”: Hit After Breakup, Forgotten Then Reunited 50 Years Later May 22, 2025

Show notes

Up next, we have the whole band sitting down to share the story of an absolute Zombies classic. Today’s classic Time of the Season was so ahead of its time in its lyrics, music, and feel... it capsized. This famous song was released in 1969, going into the 1970s, it was the perfect invasion of psychedelic 60s blessing into the excessive 70s, and it has so many back stories. First of all, Time of the Season didn’t become a hit until a year after Zombies had actually broken up. Its unique handclaps and audible breathing made it one of the most unique million-selling hits ever, and it contained a cool phrase that would become part but the label was ready to cut their losses with he classic album this song came from. But it was saved at the last minute, but even then the record’s title was misspelled, and it still hasn’t been corrected all of these years later. Then, to add insult to injury, when the song hit the top of the charts, with the band broken up a promoter put out a fake version of the band and began to tell people the lead singer had died… in fact, The lead singer found out about his own death when reading the paper. The story is next on Professor of Rock…

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Top 10 Guitar Solos of the ’80s: From Eddie Van Halen to Unexpected Legends May 21, 2025

Show notes

It was the decade full of blistering shredders, but the greatest solos weren’t just about melting faces—they were about moving hearts. Some of the most unforgettable licks came from guitarists you’ve never heard of… players who sounded like they were channeling something divine. One guitar icon, Eddie Van Halen, delivered an all-time classic solo as a personal favor to Michael Jackson… It’s probably the most famous solo of its time & he didn’t get paid a thing for it. And it contributed to keeping his own band out of #1, see what I mean next... and then there’s the legendary guitarist who’s solo was too complicated for the band so the producer told him to play something really simple so this legend played the cheesiest most simple solo he could and it became the best part of the song! So many great stories and special guests as we’re opening up the case, plugging into the amp, and counting down the Top 10 Guitar Solos of the 80s... NEXT on Professor of Rock!

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Top 10 of ’76: Rock Anthems, Accidental Hits, and Freddie Mercury’s Masterpiece May 19, 2025

Show notes

Coming up, we jump inside the time machine and travel back to a year of radio magic… as we count down the top song of the bicentennial. Including the story of Bohemian Rhapsody, an epic track that a major label tried to bury because it was too epic... too spectacular… Freddie Mercury got even by leaking it to the radio on purpose. It became the biggest song of the 70s! There was Aerosmith's breakout smash Dream On, which was written when he was barely 14 years old… Then there was the throwaway song 50 Ways to Leave Your Lover that a Paul Simon wrote as a joke with his toddler to teach him how to rhyme… and then there was Take It to the Limit that was written and sung by the backup singer of the Eagles, but his lead vocal was so powerful, it because the show stopper of all their live shows thereafter. Many people buy a ticket just to hear that one note. It’s our countdown of the Top 10 Songs of ’76..NEXT on Professor of Rock.”

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

“Ten Years Gone”: The Zeppelin Masterpiece Too Complex for the Stage May 18, 2025

Show notes

Robert Plant, rock's greatest frontman, was given an ultimatum by his girlfriend. Choose me or your music. Sure, Robert was deeply in love and was dirt poor with questionable prospects... at least at that moment. He was scraping by searching for his big break. And as heart-wrenching as the decision was, he chose music. But the love standoff was one he’d never forget. 10 years later, after a gaggle of legendary albums and songs under his belt... and sitting on top of the world, he seized upon that moment and wrote Ten Years Gone. Reflecting on his torment and heartbreak, and what might have been... it became one of the greatest album cuts in history. And the song influenced a genre that would be Rock’s last stand. Up next, the compelling story of Ten Years Gone, a song with one of the most epic guitar solos of the 70s. In fact, the 14 guitars on the track made the song impossible to play live, even though it came from one of the biggest records ever.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

5 Rock Career Killers: How One Interview Ended Quiet Riot’s Reign May 17, 2025

Show notes

Some music careers collapse slowly, others implode in an instant. In the world of rock, where egos are amplified and every move is under the microscope, even legends can sabotage their own careers. With this in mind, we’re counting down the Top 5 worst decisions in rock. Blunders so bad, they’ve gone down in history as cautionary tales. These missteps derailed albums and turned icons into punchlines. One of these stories is about an obsessed Axl Rose who sunk 13 million dollars and a decade into the album Chinese Democracy, which in the end was kinda lame. Another one is about Kevin Dubrow, who had the #1 band in the world: Quiet Riot. But one Bad interview and his career ended almost overnight… U2 thought they were clever when they gave away an album for free to many Millions of people, only to have them lead a worldwide revolt. And Billy Squier flushed his career down the toilet after putting out 1 of the worst music videos ever. These stories and more are coming up NEXT on the Professor of Rock.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Story Behind “Rocky Mountain Way” and Its Untouchable Bass Line May 16, 2025

Show notes

Coming up next a classic rock standard that came to legendary guitarist Joe Walsh while he was mowing his lawn. He saw the beautiful scenery around him, the mountains, the greenery, and nature, and the lyrics to the 70s classic Rocky Mountain Way came to him in an instant. He was so excited and so worried he’d forget them, he ran into his house to write them down… The only problem is he forgot to turn off his lawnmower, and it created havoc on his neighbor's yard. Find out what happened next in the story of the guitar classic, and we also have Kenny Passarelli, the co-writer and bassist of the song, to tell us his side of the story next on Professor of Rock.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

How a German Song Became an ’80s Classic in English May 15, 2025

Show notes

Coming up next, After the Fire, a band that became a one-hit wonder… After they broke up. Today’s song, Der Kommisar, is a true classic from the 80s, but it had 2 very different lives… First, it was first released by Falco and it was in German… it was a massive hit in 10 different countries, but it flopped in AMERICA. Then American Prog Rock band After the Fire was dabbling in new wave and got hold of it… They translated it from German to English, except for a few mysterious lines, and released it. And it FLOPPED AGAIN! So at this point, this band was in massive debt, they were burned out, and in a war with their label. So they broke up. And then out of nowhere, Der Kommisar climbed to the top of the charts and became a classic. Up next, we find out where After the Fire went and after 40-plus years of wondering what the hell Der Kommisar means… We finally find out coming up next on Professor of Rock.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Sex, Fire, and Spray Paint: Untold Stories of '70s Album Covers May 14, 2025

Show notes

Coming up, we’re counting down the Top 10 intriguing and in some cases most bizarre stories behind the greatest album covers of the 70s… We’ve got a lot packed into this one… controversial covers, urban legends, and death-defying photo shoots. For Led Zeppelin's Houses of the Holy, two kids were coated with vehicle-grade spray paint to get just the right look. The Rolling Stones Sticky Fingers cover featured a pair of jeans with a working zipper. But it had to be unzipped because it was scratching other records when it was shipped. The Cars' Candy-O featured a provocative illustration of a woman. But she later backed out and didn’t want her face on the cover. So they kept her body and drew in another woman’s face. Oh, and then there’s Wish You Were Here where a man was lit on fire to get the perfect shot, but the wind blew the fire and it burnt his face... and then there’s the famous photographer who took the worst shot of her life, and it ended up being her most famous photo! WE have the songs, the stories, and special guests next on Professor of Rock.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

From Laughable to Legendary: The Wild Stories Behind Rock’s Unlikely Classics May 13, 2025

Show notes

Coming up, it's a countdown of some of the greatest songs of the Rock Era from a year that is always in the conversation for the best year in music history. Including the #1 hit 96 Tears by a mysterious singer whose identity wasn’t known for decades. As well as Wild Thing, the song that was so bad the singer couldn’t stop laughing when he recorded it... and it became such a classic the writer Chip Taylor blew all the money in casinos and his habit got so bad he was kicked out of every major casino in Las Vegas. Then there was the song The Sound of Silence that flopped so badly that Simon & Garfunkel broke up. But then a producer remixed it, adding more instruments to it, and released it. The duo was livid till it hit #1. And then there’s the song California Dreamin' that a famous singer recorded. But he went scorched earth when he heard it on the radio, and his entire voice had been erased. We have legendary guests and stories on a special countdown coming up NEXT on Professor of Rock.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

Professor of Rock

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected