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:

FROM THE VAULT: How Pink Floyd’s Time and The Great Gig in the Sky Keep Dark Side of the Moon Timeless Aug 04, 2026

Show notes

Let's run it back with this classic!

Pink Floyd The Dark Side of the Moon...Imagine if you will an album so legendary.. So in Demand that there were factories working around the clock to manufacture it and still couldn’t keep up.. or so the legend goes or urban legend that is. . And it'’s still selling like hotcakes. It spent almost 20 years on the charts but never went to #1 in its native land..It has spawned more folk tales than any album ever.. Led by a provocative and talented lyricist/ singer Roger Waters as well as a true guitar legend in David Gilmour. Today we un peel the endless sonic layers of the song Time and the Great Gig in the Sky… Songs so stunningly true to life and space they have the power to stop time. With incredible contributions from Rick Wright and Nick Mason and with Commentary from the great Alan Parsons… The Dark Side of the Moon is a true 70s classic rock manifesto and the breakdown is next.

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Top Songs of 1969: The Final Countdown | The Zombies, Tommy James & More Aug 03, 2026

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Coming up…we take the time machine back to a year that changed everything with songs that were all over the map. We’ll tell the tale of Time of the Season that became a massive hit after the Zombies, the band that recorded it, broke up, and they had no idea that the song was soaring around the world. As well as Sugar Sugar, a song that was one of the catchiest of all time, but it was recorded by a fictional kids' band, and it became the biggest hit of the year even though the man who sang it was a mystery for a decade. And... the drama behind Tommy James, who battled a mobster who threatened to take him out rather than pay him the 10million he’d stolen from him. So the Singer had to produce his new song Crimson and Clover himself and when he took it to a local DJ to show him a rough demo, the DJ played it on his radio show and it became a #1 hit overnight. It’s all coming up next.

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The Greatest Novelty Songs of the '80s: So Bad They're Good Aug 02, 2026

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I'm counting down the top 5 most cringe-worthy 80s novelty tracks that are “so bad, they’re good.” We’re talking songs like Pac-Man Fever, Party All the Time, and the Super Bowl Shuffle. But on the other hand, some of these songs killed it on Billboard Hot 100. So someone must have thought they were good back in the day. Will you admit to liking them? I have to admit I’m a sucker for Bad B-Movies and Bad B-Songs… Is that a thing? Get ready for a trip into the quirky, the bizarre, and the truly awful. But be warned… after you go down this rabbit hole, you will never be the same again… including Geddy Lee of Rush's biggest hit. A novelty song! NEXT on the Professor of Rock.

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The Women Who Drove Rock Stars Wild—and Inspired Classic Songs Aug 01, 2026

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Coming up on today’s episode, we're back at it again. We’re counting down the most dangerously alluring song about females in rock history … These songs were written about real women who did a real number on some of the most famous rockstars ever. We’re gonna tell the story about a notorious woman known only as “Wildcat” who made a surprise late-night call to Chris Isaak. He knew she was trouble but told her to come over anyway. But before she arrived at his door, he picked up his guitar and wrote one of the most seductive songs of its time. But when she got there, he was more enamored with the song than her, and he was grateful she’d inspired him to write what would become his biggest hit. Then there’s the volatile couple Ian Astubry of The Cult and Renee Beach. They kept a pet goldfish on their tour bus and were so obsessive about it that they pissed off the other band they were touring with… To get revenge, they pulled off the most epic goldfish prank in history. And finally, there’s the iconic 70s femme fatale song Killer Queen that may or may not have actually been written about a man. Will get both sides of the story next!

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The Mamas & the Papas’ “Monday, Monday”: The #1 Hit Recorded in the Wrong Key Jul 30, 2026

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What is it about Mondays that gets us all down? It’s as if that day casts a shadow over us all, shifting the mood of the universe for a full 24 hours. With that in mind, one of the most talented yet volatile bands of the Rock Era, the Mamas and the Papas, created Monday Monday, a song that unintentionally summed up their brief but brilliant run and gifted us with a breathtaking classic. Monday Monday was written in 20 minutes, and nobody in the band liked it. Especially singer Denny Doherty... Some even hated it with a passion, so imagine their surprise when it hit #1. Then everyone wanted to know what the song was really about. Well, as it was not even the writer, John Phillips had a freaking clue what it was about…decades later it turns out the song was an eerie prediction for what would happen to the band. When Michelle Phillips and Mama Cass Elliot, Denny and John fractured. The story is NEXT… on Professor of Rock.

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Punchlines: Rock & Pop’s Biggest Musical Punchlines and Their Wildest Stories Jul 29, 2026

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In the music business, there’s a thin line between iconic and ironic. Some artists spend decades building a legacy, only to watch the internet reduce it to a dumpster fire. While others were the first to strike the match. Coming up, we're counting down the musicians and their songs who became everybody's favorite joke — whether they meant to or not. It’s our latest edition of Punchlines, and this episode has a few musicians who weren’t afraid to throw the first punch… including the genre-bending rocker Kid Rock, who was at the center of a Waffle House beat-down. The incident ended with him being arrested after he tried to flee the scene in his tour bus and flashed a “Jr. Police Badge” when the cop pulled him over. There’s also the female pop star Paula Abdul who conquered the charts, survived tabloid chaos, and racked up 6 consecutive #1s with a little help from a cheesy animated cat. Plus, a famous Radio Personality who tried to make a mockery of the famous comedy band Steel Panther, but this band of jokesters turned the tables on him and made him the punchline. These stories and more are stealing the headlines next on POR. Let’s get into it.

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FROM THE VAULT: How Led Zeppelin’s “No Quarter” Became a Haunting Masterpiece and a Point of Contention Jul 28, 2026

Show notes

All eyes were on this legendary band after they released their megalithic fourth album Led Zeppelin IV. Championed by many as the greatest rock record ever written… Everyone was clamoring for a sequel. But they wouldn’t get it. Instead, Robert Plant, Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones, and John Bonham took a sharp left turn into unexplored territory… kicking out a bold collection of songs that tapped into a diverse selection of genres: House of the Holy. The rock press eviscerated them for it. But time would prove that they knew what they were doing. An essential entry into the compendium of rock, House of the Holy also boasts today’s featured song, No Quarter. And I’m telling you, we’re zeroing in on a haunting masterpiece. Written by the band’s most underrated member. This foreboding track is a work of sheer genius and will engulf your soul. It was also part of a cut-throat moment when two of the members reunited, leaving him out while naming their project after his song! Find out next on Professor of Rock.

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Top 10 Songs of 1981: The Untold Stories Behind Journey, Devo, Blondie & Pat Benatar Jul 27, 2026

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Coming up… It’s nostalgia overload in a trip back to a perfect year in music. Including the provocative hit Whip It by Devo that sparked controversy so intense, actress Lily Tomlin refused to host a major late-night show unless the band was CUT. Plus, legendary guitarist Neal Schon was told his guitar solo for Who's Cryin' Now was too complex… he was told to simplify it. So he played the dumbest lead he could think of... it made the song a classic. Then there’s the famous TV theme song Beleive It or Not from a beloved comedy-drama whose lead character’s name was changed to dodge a link to the infamous man who tried to take out our leader.… Plus the #1 hit Rapture by Blondie that has gotten away with the mother of all profanities for 45 years and the rock icon Pat Benatar who erased her biggest hit from existence over one lyric line. And a Dan Fogelberg's deeply moving tribute to his father written just before he passed away. …

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Greatest #3 Hits of the 1970s: Bill Withers, Fleetwood Mac, Foreigner & More Jul 25, 2026

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Today we’ve got 10 tracks that were going for the gold but came up just short… bringing home the bronze instead. That’s right, it’s another edition of our #3 Hits Countdown, but this time we are counting down the greatest #3s of the 1970s songs that peaked at just two spots from the top on the Hot 100. On this episode you’ll hear the story of Navy veteran Bill Withers, who spent years installing toilet facilities inside commercial airplanes for $3.50 an hour. And when he scored a record deal he refused to quit his day job. It wasn’t until his debut single Ain't No Sunshine sold a million copies, and his label gave him a gold-plated toilet seat, that he changed his mind. Then there’s Fleetwood Mac's John McVie, who spent nearly 4 decades performing the song Don't Stop live — night after night — without ever realizing his ex-wife had written it about their divorce. And finally… The tale of a hotshot rookie band Foreigner who got a slot at a highly coveted rock festival, but they ran out of songs. 50K fans were screaming for an encore, so they took a brand new idea they’d been tinkering with that was totally unfinished…They weren’t even sure it was a song yet, but they ad-libbed it, and the crowd went insane, so they knew what their next single was gonna be… Let’s do it.

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The Doors’ “The End”: Why Jim Morrison Got Fired Over Rock’s Most Controversial Song Jul 24, 2026

Show notes

Coming up next… a song that was so offensive, the Doors were fired on the spot for performing it. Here’s what happened: Jim Morrison, was playing one of The Doors's new songs "The End" as the house band for one of California’s most happening clubs... when Jim suddenly went off on a creative tangent that hearkened back to a story from Greek mythology. But the audience had no idea what was going on… Jim Morrison took a song that was already about death, birth, freedom, madness and a bunch of other words I can’t say on here plus, whatever else you can think of and put some relish on it. He screamed out a profanity-laced desire that would shock every generation thereafter who would hear the story or the song. and that’s not all. There are some insane stories that go with this epic 12-minute song… including how Morrison was fired for performing it and how he got buck-naked and hosed down a recording studio with a fire extinguisher. And there’s plenty more where that came from… It’s all coming up NEXT on the Professor of Rock.

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