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 Strip Clubs Saved Def Leppard’s 'Animal' and Turned 'Hysteria' Into a Smash Oct 14, 2024

Show notes

Today, we’ve got a drama-filled double feature from Def Leppard, a band that ruled the airwaves with one album, Hysteria, from 1987 to 1989. At the time these guys were everywhere. Not only did they dominate radio, but every kid from the age of 8-18 had Hysteria. When all was said and done it boasted six Top 20 singles and a seventh that went Top 10 on the Rock Charts. Was there anything that could slow these guys down? Well, how about themselves? Get this, Def Leppard had been on tour for a year and they had no idea how to play their biggest hit Love Bites. How is that even possible? This track completely caught them with their pants down. Plus, we’re also telling the story of another hit song Animal, that was written in reverse… you’ll see what I mean. And this one may have saved the album from flopping. The tale of two rock classics is coming NEXT on the Professor of Rock.

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The Stories Behind 5 Banned or Disowned Songs in Rock History Oct 12, 2024

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Coming up, we’re counting down the Top 5 songs that stirred up so much controversy, for the most part, the artists themselves won’t perform them anymore. From the Beastie Boys who actually came out and apologized years later after getting married, to the Rolling Stones who own one of rock’s greatest riffs that due to some lyrics now won’t ever be heard live again, to one Heart song Ann Wilson calls hideous and creepy, to one by the Kinks that I had to bleep out certain words while talking about it because this platform would ban it. These songs were so controversial most of their creators will not play them live. Find out which songs made the list and the stories behind their taboo status, next on Professor of Rock.

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The Story Behind 'Lunatic Fringe': A One-Hit Wonder That Was Never a Hit in America Oct 11, 2024

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Today’s band Red Rider was a well-kept secret in their time and they had multiple hits in their homeland of Canada. In the early 80s inspired by several transformational moments, they wrote a masterpiece: Lunatic Fringe. It’s been called one of the coolest one-hit wonders ever. The only problem is… It was never a hit. At least not in America where it’s always in the top one-hit wonders of the time. Well, today we give Lunatic Fringe its due and the Cinderella band that created it, Red Rider. They crafted many hits in Canada but always came up short here in the States. But when lead singer Tom Cochrane went solo, he had a top 5 hit his first time out of the gate. The story is next on Professor of Rock The song had to be re-recorded because the master tape fell apart. This was devastating for the band, but they ended up with a better version, complete with the Peter Wolf keyboard intro - he wasn't part of the first recording.

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From Fired to Headliner: How Lemmy Kilmister Made Motörhead a Metal Icon Oct 10, 2024

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"Coming up…the story of metal rock icon, Lemmy Kilmister who toiled behind the scenes as a roadie for the great Jimi Hendrix, and was fired from a band after being arrested. But soon after the tables were turned and the band he was fired from was opening for him! He was a scruff from Newcastle with the most famous chopstache of the Rock Era, who LOVED to gamble- while playing his music with Motorhead ‘fast and vicious.’ We push up the ante, and play with the 'dead man’s hand’. with the 80s metal classic Ace of Spades a song that helped invent heavy metal and the a song that will split your head open!..NEXT…on Professor of Rock.’

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How Cass Elliot Overcame Rejection and Became the Voice of the Mamas and the Papas Oct 10, 2024

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Coming up… the strange tale of how a lead pipe falling at a construction site allegedly gave Cass Elliot of the Mamas and the Papas one of the most iconic voices of the '60s the ability to sing three octaves higher. As the story goes, Cass auditioned for the up-and-coming band but was initially denied because her range was not good enough. Then Cass was at a construction site and got hit in the head with a pipe and when she came to, her range drastically expanded. And Cass got into the group because of it and had an incredible career. But did this really happen? And if not, why was the story told in the first place? Was there another reason why she was initially rejected? We’re delving into another fascinating case of fact vs. fiction, thought the songs of the Mamas and the Papas including California Dreaming, and CREEQUE ALLEY next on Professor of Rock.

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How 'You Make My Dreams' Became Hall & Oates’ Most Beloved Song Decades Later Oct 09, 2024

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Coming up next, one of my favorite singers ever and one of the most celebrated singer-songwriters of the past 50 years, Daryl Hall tells us the stories of many of his biggest hits. First of all, Daryl Hall and John Oates dominated the 80s with the most hits of the decade. But the #1 hit that set it all up, Rich Girl, happened in the 70s and it was a doozy. It had a swear word in it and it riled up radio pretty good. In fact Rich Girl became the first #1 hit to have bleeps in it. We also talk about several of Daryl's hits that were inspirations for Van Halen and Micheal Jackson’s two biggest hits, as well as his new record D. And the hits I Can't Go For That and you Make My Dreams, Get ready for a conversation with one of the greats next on Professor of Rock.

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Why Kansas Almost Left 'Carry On Wayward Son' Off the Album and How It Became a Classic Oct 08, 2024

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For just short of a decade today’s classic song Carry On Wayward Son by Kansas was the most-played song on rock radio... and it was almost never released. The band almost left it off the album. Kansas was shocked when it was a hit because it was so out of the ordinary… Carry On Wayward Son was a revelation, it felt like 4 different songs combined, it changed tempo and the funny thing is the band pretty much nailed it in one take. I know you’ve heard that before, but to do that on this classic song is hard to believe. It is the song that every rock song is measured by and it never gets old. And today we have 2 members of the band to tell the story... one who was the guitarist who was there helping formulate it and their current lead singer who bought the song in high school, loved it, and probably had no clue he’d be singing it with his favorite band decades later. You gotta hear this to believe it, next on Professor of Rock.

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How The Carpenters’ 'Goodbye to Love' Accidentally Invented the Power Ballad Oct 07, 2024

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Coming up… we get into the story behind a Top 10 hit from one of the biggest duos EVER, The Carpenters. Known more for their angelic harmonies and light and easy hits than for a shredding guitar solo, but in the 70s they took a bold leap with today’s song Goodbye to Love… Going hard rock for one hot minute… Goodbye to Love was a major departure from their usual sound, and their fans weren’t happy—hundreds wrote in, accusing them of “selling out.” But the song was a smash and would set the tone for the Motley Crue’s and Def Leppard’s of the world as quite possibly the first Power Ballad ever. So, what led to this dramatic shift? Find out NEXT… on Professor of Rock.”

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The Untold Story of Pink Floyd: Brilliance, Chaos, and the Greatest Albums of All Time Oct 05, 2024

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Okay, it doesn’t get any bigger than this. I’ve got an impossible task ahead of me and I don’t know how I’m going to do this. For this episode, I’m tackling the story of one of my Top 3 bands of all time, Pink Floyd. They have over a quarter of a billion albums sold and a catalog of studio albums spanning nearly five decades. But their acclaim isn’t counted in albums made or sold. It’s all about the music… songs that have captivated generation after generation. And to do it in the way that they have, it truly is the greatest rock and roll story ever told… Light and dark, genius and insanity, high stakes drama, hostile takeovers, decades-long feuds, bitter firings, near breakups… and then a real break up. But mixed within the madness… some of the greatest albums ever put to vinyl. How can so much dysfunction breed so much brilliance? Find out… NEXT on the Professor of Rock.

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The Story of 'La Bamba': Ritchie Valens’ Legacy and the Coin Flip That Changed History Oct 04, 2024

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You can’t make this up… a foreign language song that was originally released as a B-side all of a sudden became a massive worldwide #1 smash nearly 30 years after it was released. How does that happen? Well, it helps when one of the great rock and roll stories comes back into the zeitgeist. Ritchie Valens was a mere 16 years old when he recorded La Bamba. He came in a time of teen idols who had their own songwriters, but he was one guys who wrote his own stuff and had a world of possibilities ahead of him... until he was killed in a tragic accident. Since then, we have all wondered what might have been. 'What ifs’ are always hard, but this one is even worse because his fate was determined by a coin flip. Join us for a great tribute to Ritchie Valens, an original guitar hero next on Professor of Rock.

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