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:

Billy Ocean’s Run of 80s Hits – Why He Dominated Then Disappeared Mar 03, 2025

Show notes

Just call him smooth… The familiar voice of Billy Ocean took the 80s by storm with 8 Top 10 hits in just a few years, including three #1s and two #2s. And you know all of them by heart. There are also some surprising stories around these songs including Caribbean Queen that was recorded under three different names for three different continents. Another, Get Outta My Dreams, Get Into My Car that was an innocent track, but almost blacklisted because DJs thought the song was about solicitation. . And Loverboy that had a music video so strange, not even Billy Ocean knew what it was about. Plus, Billy is also the subject of a bizarre urban legend that claims that he is such a good singer because he has a third lung… Could it actually be true? Stick around to find out. All this and more is coming up… NEXT on the Professor of Rock.

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The Top 10 Songs of 1981 – The Wild Stories Behind the Year’s Biggest Hits Mar 01, 2025

Show notes

1981 was a wild ride for music, bursting with fresh sounds and unexpected hits. Some of the year's best songs came together through Mistakes, mysterious women, and a little bit of chaos. Jessie's Girl was written about another guy’s girlfriend…and when it hit #1 they tried to track the mystery girl down…45 years later they still haven’t found her find out why… another classic Steve Winwood hit was almost lost forever thanks to a major studio blunder when the engineer erased an entire drum part but in the end instead of freaking out, the legend put his head won and found a better way. Then there was Foreigner singer Lou Gramm who was struggling with a vocal for a song when the most beautiful girl he’d ever seen walked in the recording studio… it motivated him to dial his vocal to 11 and after he rushed to go meet the girl but she vanished into thin air. And find out how an AC/DC warm-up guitar part became one of the nastiest riffs ever! It was a year packed with legendary tunes and even crazier backstories from rock royalty as we countdown the Top 10 Songs from 1981 is NEXT on Professor of Rock.

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Huey Lewis on I Want a New Drug, Ghostbusters, and the Biggest Music Lawsuit of the 80s Feb 28, 2025

Show notes

Huey Lewis and the News came out of nowhere in the eighties to take over radio… fact is Huey paid his dues for almost a decade and had a failed band and record deal before he finally made it with his first hit at 33 year of age. But Huey stole the spotlight in the most completive year in music. and the song that put them over the top for good was one the singer wrote in mere minutes: I Want a New Drug… he was driving and the song came to him in a flash so..he quickly pulled over and ran into an office and screamed for a pen and paper and wrote it in about 90s seconds. It became a smash but was sorely misunderstood then later it was part of a huge lawsuit when the biggest film of the year Ghostbusters asked him to write a song for their soundtrack. And when he had to decline they allegedly asked another artist to write a song with the exact sound of this one. This legend is here to tell the story next.

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The 5 Greatest Bass Lines in Rock History – The Stories Behind the Legends Feb 27, 2025

Show notes

Bass players don’t always get the credit they deserve when it comes to hit songs. A lot of it comes down to their role—laying down the foundation of the track in a lower frequency range that isn’t always front and center. To the casual listener, the bass can feel like it’s just hanging out in the background while the melody and vocals steal the spotlight. But the truth is, a killer bass line is what gives a song its groove and holds everything together. Up next I’m going to attempt the impossible... Naming 5 of the most killer bass lines of the rock era, including the guitar riff by Cream that probably invented heavy metal and is played by guitarists all the time in guitar shops around the globe... but it’s actually a bass riff! Plus a killer bass line by Queen that tops dozens of lists of the greatest baselines ever… but the band admittedly ripped it off the disco band Chic. In fact that disco band’s bass line is the most sampled and ripped-off piece of music ever. We get the stories next on Professor of Rock.

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Firefall’s Rise and Mysterious Disappearance – Rick Roberts on Their 70s Soft Rock Classics Feb 26, 2025

Show notes

Coming up, a band that took over radio with 6 hits in the late 70s. Soft rock kings…Firefall. They ruled radio with You Are the Woman and Just Remember I Love You and then up and disappeared in the 80s. These are classic hits we still listen to today and they were written and sung by a master of am gold, Rick Roberts…. I’ve wondered for the longest time what happened to Firefall and Rick so I tracked him down and drove across several states to talk to him… Up next I solve a music mystery as this lost singer-songwriter tells me the story of a 70s classic that half a dozen women have sworn is about them but we get the truth... plus another classic that is so smooth it’s like a big stick of butter set to music but come to find out it was a famous serial killer’s favorite song. Up next we travel to beautiful Colorado to get the stories of the songs.

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How Jimi Jamison Saved Survivor – The Story Behind The Search Is Over Feb 25, 2025

Show notes

Today’s band Survivor was flying high in the early 80s they’d just scored their first #1 hit Eye of the Tiger. In fact, it was one of the biggest hits of the year and they were ready for more but when their next album flopped and their lead singer lost his voice, many wondered if this band would survive… After auditioning many singers they found the perfect frontman Jimi Jamison, which led to several songs that the band knew would be hits... and they were right. But the best song The Search is Over came when the band had already handed in the album. In fact, it came to them minutes after giving the label the finished product. So they hurried and recorded it and it’s a good thing they did because it became a #1 hit and took them back to the top. Up next we have the songwriter and a founding band member to tell the story of one of the greatest records of the mid-80s.

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My Top 5 Guilty Pleasure Songs – The Ones We Love But Won’t Admit Feb 24, 2025

Show notes

We all have those songs—the ones we blast in the car but quickly turn down when we come to a stoplight. You know what I’m talking about, songs we pretend not to know every word to… We often call them guilty pleasures. Tracks that are just SO UNCOOL…So we listen to them in secret when we think no one else is around…Today, we’re coming clean in the ultimate musical confession booth and counting five guilty pleasures most of us are embarrassed to admit we love. On this countdown, we’ve got the theme song from The Monkees, a manufactured boy band that has finally started to get the rock cred they deserve, as well as Copacabana, a song that was made into a TV movie and a Broadway musical that everyone sings along to even if they won’t admit it, and my #1 pick by Paula Abdul will most definitely lose me some subscribers… Let the hate begin. I hope you’ll drop your inhibitions and embrace my top 5 Guilty Pleasures… Love ‘em or hate ‘em I swear you’ll be entertained… NEXT on the Professor of Rock.

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The Top 10 Songs of 1975 – The Stories Behind the Year’s Biggest Hits Feb 22, 2025

Show notes

Coming up…. we tackle the challenge of ranking the top 10 songs from yet another legendary year in music. This list is jam-packed with unforgettable tracks, including a Bee Gees song inspired by the road noise of tires on a bridge that unlocked a legendary falsetto 10 years into a legendary career… another by Sweet was born from the band’s chaotic escape from a bottle-throwing crowd, another from War came from the drummer screwing up the beat but the mistake made it a smash and yet another where the Aerosmith's Steven Tyler ripped his guitarist's wife apart and my #1 pick is, in my opinion, the greatest song in rock history. It’s the Countdown of the Top 10 Songs of 1975—NEXT on Professor of Rock!

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Joe Jackson’s Steppin’ Out – The Timeless 80s Classic with a 1920s Soul Feb 21, 2025

Show notes

Coming up next, a song by Joe Jackson called Steppin' Out. It is so haunting, fascinating, and unique, that it rose above the regular rock and pop fair of one of the greatest years in music… I mean this song was unlike anything on radio or MTV at the time then and now. This song sounds out of place in any decade and that’s a great thing... Joe was absolutely on a higher musical vibration at his peak. Joe Jackson rocked the end of the 70s with his new wave hit Is She Really Going Out with Him, but then after several albums, Joe got tired of being categorized in that genre. So he wrote Steppin' Out, a song that called on the ghosts of George Gershwin and Cole Porter with a modern flair, and a sonic quality that whisks you away to musical ecstasy... from an artist who in these days of social media instant celebrity still has an air of mystery about him… Today’s song may be the most overlooked masterpiece of the 80s and that’s saying something. Up next the story of the most unsung hit.

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The Top 5 Vocal Performances of the 80s – The Most Powerful Voices of the Decade Feb 20, 2025

Show notes

Coming up, we’re breaking down seminal vocal performances that defined the ‘80s. One where John Bon Jovi hit such a high note, that he would never be able to perform it in the same key live ever again with Living on a Prayer.. and then Steve Perry when he was in Journey was so overwhelmed by the song Mother Father's realism, he barely made it through the recording. and Total Eclipse of the Heart, sung by Bonnie Tyler about Vampire’s hooking up but it was sung with such feeling nobody noticed, and another Alone that saved Heart’s career. And the artist at #1? His voice was so spectacular, with so many stunning performances, he could’ve easily dominated the entire list. Our countdown of the Top 5 Vocal Moments of the ‘80s is NEXT—right here on Professor of Rock!

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