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:

The Beach Boys Passed on It, But "Seasons in the Sun" Made History Feb 23, 2024

Show notes

Coming up… it started out as a disturbing French song about death... Then it was translated into English and recorded by one of the biggest bands in rock history. The Beach Boys...but then Brian Wilson and his group abandoned the sessions and the song’s producer who was really an unknown at the time decided to record the song… Terry Jacks and his hit Seasons in the Sun…It became one of the biggest hits of the 70s and the best-selling song in Canada’s history.. on its way to sales of 15 million. It was a feel-good song unless one listened to the lyrics very closely or heard the original French version… Up next, the story of a one-hit wonder that is one part happy-go-lucky and one part sad and devastating… NEXT on Professor of Rock.

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The Wild Story Behind "Close My Eyes Forever," Ozzy's Biggest Hit Feb 22, 2024

Show notes

Coming up… Legendary female rock star Lita Ford was visiting with her famous manager, Sharon Osborne who happened to be married to arguably the most famous male heavy metal singer in the world Ozzie… These two rockstars started playing pool and before they knew it they were alone as Ozzie’s wife left. So what happened that night? Well, the one thing we know for sure. is that they wrote and recorded a song that would blow up MTV and Set radio on fire. Close My Eyes Forever... in one crazy sleepless night, these two metal icons created a top ten hit that still moves the needle… It’s a song they say came out of a bottle. They were both drunk when they wrote it and admit it was an accident but What else happened that night and how did it translate in the lyrics of this 80s smash and what does it have to do with a life-size stuffed plush gorillas. Find out next on Professor of Rock in our exclusive interview with Lita Ford. As well as the story of her smash hit Kiss Me Deadly Close My Eyes Forever became Ozzie’s biggest hit ever and Lita’s album cover became a favorite of every boy who came of age at that time!

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How AC/DC Created the Greatest Rock Riffs Ever—and Almost Lost One Forever Feb 21, 2024

Show notes

So the other day I tried counting down the all-time greatest rock riffs ever put to vinyl… by anyone… ever.… with a friend. And the crazy thing is, my top 5 picks all pretty much came from the same band! AC/DC! You know I tried to get some other bands in there. But these classic Riffs three were just too good… all of them pure rock and roll dynamite. So not only are we counting them down… we’re also giving their origin stories and some crazy insights what make these anthemic rockers tick. Including one riff that the band said stuck out like a dog’s balls… (Highway to Hell) But then after they recorded the guitar parts on a cassette, the engineer took it home and let his kid play with it, which unraveled the tape… Would the tape be salvaged? Find out next in an epic episode… It’s a hell-raising, triple-threat episode that will have you banging your head and shaking a leg… It’s the top 5 riffs from AC/DC from the dream teams of Bon Scott, Angus Young, Malcolm Young, and Brian Johnson! NEXT on Professor of Rock.

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"Tequila": The Accidental B-Side That Took The Champs to #1 Feb 20, 2024

Show notes

Coming up an interview with a true pioneer of rock and roll, Dave Burgess of The Champs…. He and his band recorded a single that the label was sure would be a hit Called Train to Nowhere. After their recording session as they were getting ready to leave, they realized they needed a B-side… So they started an instrumental jam session on the spot. They called it Tequila. They recorded it in just 1 take and they added the throwaway word Tequila in a silly attempt to cover up some holes in the song according to to engineer Leo Kulka … after all, it was just going to be a B-side… That is until a DJ in Cleveland flipped the A-sided record over and played this Spontaneous B side… a few weeks later it rocketed to #1 for 5 weeks on the Billboard charts making it one of the biggest hits of the year and the first rookie band to have an instrumental debut single hit #1… They also won the first Grammy award! Up next the last remaining member of this the champs, Dave Burgess tells the story on Professor of Rock.

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How Weezer’s Blue Album Became a Classic and Why a Fan Offered $10M for Them to Quit Feb 19, 2024

Show notes

To the world, WEEZER appears to be one of the most happy-go-lucky bands around. Just four nerdy musicians led by Rivers Cuomo rocking out with crunchy guitars and a touch of sweet pop perfection With music that was more fun than a carnival ride. However, that’s not how this band’s lead singer River Cuomo saw himself at all. He thought he was dark and brooding and troubled. So when everybody started laughing and calling his music hilarious, it was a punch to the gut. Dark, funny, whatever you want to call it, this band’s multi-platinum debut the Blue Album is a modern-day standard. It was so good, 15 plus albums later they have never replicated its success. With songs as perfect as Undone-the Sweater Song, Buddy Holly, My Name is Jonas, and Say it Ain’t So, this album was gold! So did they peak right out of the gate? Well, One zealous anti-fan said yes. Sick of so-called subpar albums, this hater offered to pay the band $10 million to go away for good. But was it enough money to break them up? It's a crazy story. Find out what happened… NEXT on the Professor of Rock.

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How a Misread Road Sign Led to John Denver’s Classic Take Me Home, Country Roads Feb 17, 2024

Show notes

Coming up, we go back to the making of a song that came from the basement sessions of an artist that originally wanted to work for the CIA. Songwriting couple Bill Danoff and Taffy Nivert were traveling to a family reunion when they read a road sign… It said Westernport Maryland but they misread it as West Virginia and so they wrote a song about the road sign… Their error would become an all-time standard. They originally wrote the song with Johnny Cash in mind but they were playing with a rookie by the name of John Denver who wanted to hear some of their newly written songs as both Denver and the songwriting couple were looking for their first hit. They showed him their West Virginia song called Take Me Home Country Roads but it wasn’t quite finished. They finished the song together and then next day when they played it to a small audience, the crowd went nuts… they were even singing along by the end. Take Me Home Country Roads became a 70s classic and It’s been named by legislation as an official song for West Virginia, even though the co-writers and the music icon that made it a huge hit had never been there before!. Let’s travel through the backroads to reach our destination and honor a true American standard…NEXT on Professor of Rock!

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The Untold Story of U2’s Pride (In the Name of Love): 20-Hour Days and a Race Against Time Feb 16, 2024

Show notes

Coming up, it’s the story of one of the greatest rock songs of the 80s. Pride in the Name of Love by U2. and it all started with a museum exhibit. U2 was on tour here in America and took in a museum and the song was basically written on the field trip…Then lead singer, Bono convinced a famous producer to put off retirement to work on the track and then it took months to record because the song wasn’t sounding right but U2 had to deliver their record The Unforgettable Fire by a strict deadline so in order to do it they worked 20 hours a day for 2 weeks to finish this masterpiece. Bono and the Edge were going out of their minds. Then they filmed 3 different music videos for the song and the band hated them all. Would this song ever get released? Find out how it did and why Bono changed the famous lyrics decades later!

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Beck’s Loser: How Self-Deprecation Turned Into a 90s Rock Revolution Feb 15, 2024

Show notes

Coming up, the story of an unlucky artist that bootstrapped from coast to coast trying to get his big break. “Ironically, his breakthrough hit came from a spontaneous outburst that he shouted because he was so embarrassed by his voice so he DISSED on himself as a joke and the diss became a Mantra for a generation. The song transformed the artist from a struggling wanderer into a sensation with its self-deprecating lyrics and wild, erratic energy. We’re gonna kill the headlights and put it in neutral… NEXT on Professor of Rock

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With a Little Help from My Friends: Joe Cocker’s Defining Woodstock Moment Feb 14, 2024

Show notes

How do you top the greatest band of all time? You can’t… The Beatles are the most popular group in history because of their flawless song craft…songs that have been covered more than any artist or band in history, more than a million times…but there was this one time that a gravelly-voiced madman named Joe Cocker did outdo the greatest band ever and he did it by spazzing out on the biggest stage in rock history… at Woodstock! playing a cover of the Beatles' 1967 hit “With a Little Help from My Friends" After his performance people couldn’t stop talking about his insane performance But clear back when the Beatles wrote this song, Ringo who Was chosen to sing the lead vocal was very concerned about one of the lyrics in the song and he refused to sing it unless the band changed it. It’s one of the most misunderstood songs ever from Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band...… the Vice President of the US hated it. Let’s get into the story next on Professor of Rock.

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Don’t Change: The INXS Classic That Defined a Generation Feb 13, 2024

Show notes

coming up … I actually have a tool that tells me what the most requested song story is from you...our viewers and today we're covering it with an exclusive interview with the songwriter who wrote this 80s classic. It’s Don’t Change by legendary band INXS. Written by the underrated team of lead singer and showstopping frontman Michael Hutchence and Andrew Farriss. It wasn’t a huge hit when it came out but over time it’s become a powerful anthem that many have covered and it shows this legendary band at their very best. Released in 1983 it would pave the way for the band's huge breakout a few years later Kick where they were arguably the biggest band of the late 80s with a frontman for the ages in Michael Hutchence So here it is. The most requested song from our comments and our viewers on Professor of Rock…

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