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:

Mark Slaughter on “Fly to the Angels” and the Loss That Changed Everything Jun 14, 2026

Show notes

Coming up… an interview with hard rock singer Mark Slaughter on his band, Slaughter's biggest hit: Fly to the Angels. It’s one of the most gut-wrenching songs of its time that came from very tragic circumstances. Mark had come off tour and called up his friend to get his old girlfriend’s number. He was looking forward to seeing here after being out on the road. His friend called the next day, but instead of giving him her this girl's number, he conveyed the sad news that she had just passed away. Fly to the Angels came to Mark when he attended her funeral. Up next, it's a powerful story from Mark Slaughter on a song that became a classic on Professor of Rock.

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Rock’s Greatest Vault Songs: The Hits That Never Got Released Jun 13, 2026

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Some of rock’s greatest songs never make the album. Instead, they get buried in a vault and forgotten for decades. Today I’m going to unearth some of the greatest songs that should’ve been massive hits, but they were never released. It’s a goldmine, my friends. Including a song written by rock icon Freddie Mercury, who was secretly dying. Carrying this heavy burden alone, he channeled his grief into a haunting meditation on mortality. But it never got picked for an album.

Then, after he died, the tapes became so badly damaged the song couldn’t be saved… then a miracle happened. Then there's Michael Jackson, one of the greatest pop stars who ever lived, who recorded a song so brilliant, it could have anchored the biggest-selling album of all time… if it had been recorded just a few weeks earlier. But today, it still hasn't been officially released, even though it’s one of MJ's best songs. And finally, there the singer-songwriter John Mayer, who was so devastated by a breakup that he couldn’t bear to set foot in the city where his ex lived… Instead, he wrote a song about it. And for decades, he has refused to make a studio recording of it. As a live song, it’s become the stuff of legend.

Let's do it.

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Double-Cross! The Wildest Betrayals in Music History Jun 11, 2026

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Today I have a new show for ya all. Ya know, sometimes the music industry can seem more like a blood sport than an art form. For every legendary band forged in brotherhood, there's a back-alley betrayal that left someone burning in the wreckage. On today’s episode, we’re counting down the stories they don't put in the liner notes… tales of betrayal and backstabbing. We’re calling this one double-cross!, and we’re featuring one of rock's most iconic guitarists, Dave Mustaine, who couldn’t hold his liquor. So as he lay passed out drunk, his Metallica bandmates packed his bags and bought him a one-way bus ticket out of the band. By the time he sobered up, he’d been replaced. Plus, The Smashing Pumpkins' Billy Corgan, who made his bandmates sit and watch him in the studio as he re-recorded all of their parts for their sophomore album. Also, one of rock's greatest icons, David Bowie, fired his band mid-concert, but made them play the rest of the show before sending them on their way. And finally, the female singer Martha Wash, who laid down a perfect vocal on a song, but later the song became a hit, and when she saw the music video, a fashion model was lip-syncing her voice and got all the credit for it! Let’s get into it.

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The Story Behind Tommy James’ “Draggin’ the Line” and His Near-Death Collapse Jun 10, 2026

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Tommy James was the leader of one of the most successful acts of the 60s, Tommy James and the Shondells. Together they had 14 Top 40 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 from 1965 to 1970. But it all came crashing down for Tommy when, at what ended up as the band’s last performance, he collapsed backstage and was even pronounced dead! Tommy didn’t die, but when he regained consciousness he was a wreck. To recuperate, James moved to the country and convalesced for months, vowing to never record again…. After convalescing for a year, Tommy James got his mojo back, went back to the studio, and recorded his first solo album... Christian of the World, featuring Draggin' the Line, a song that was a surprise top 5 smash with one of the catchiest bass riffs of the Rock Era. It would later be ripped off by a major restaurant chain on a popular ad campaign. The story along with an interview with Tommy James is next on Professor of Rock.

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FROM THE VAULT: How Pearl Jam’s “Daughter” Became a #1 Hit Despite Their Rejection of Fame Jun 09, 2026

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Let's run it back!

It was Pearl Jam against the world when they were working on their follow up album to Ten that sold more copies that even Nirvana Nevermind in the early 90s. But as Eddie Vedder and co prepared for VS. their sophomore offering, they were tired of fame. They had planned on ten doing so well and they refused to do promotion of the album in terms of music videos etc… The album still hit #1. The signature song from the record called Daughter would actually start out with a different name and lyrics but Eddie Vedder really sunk his teeth into its message about child abuse and learning disabilities.. which had never been covered in a massive single before. Up next the story fo a 90s masterpiece.

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Countdown: The Greatest Hits of 1977 and the Stories Behind Them Jun 08, 2026

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Coming up, a year of classics and all-time songs. The songs that will take you back because they sound exactly like the year they were ruling the charts in the 70s... including the song Just a Song Before I Go by CSN, that was motivated by a bet that a legendary singer couldn’t write a song in 10 minutes. Not only did he win the bet, but it became his legendary group’s biggest hit. Plus, Rich Girl, a song that horrifically inspired the behavior of a serial killer, or so he says. Plus a song that the producer called utter crap… It ended up being a massive hit and spawned a billion-dollar business. Also, a track featuring a signature performance by a singer who later dropped dead on stage in the middle of his concert. And Blinded by the Light, a tune that was rescued from obscurity and had listeners singing a chorus about a feminine hygiene product. The problem is, it was the wrong lyric, and it infuriated Bruce Springsteen, who wrote it... until he started getting huge royalty checks when the new version BLEW UP. It’s all next on POR.

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Top 10 Times Rock Stars Sabotaged Their Careers, Concerts, and Hit Songs Jun 07, 2026

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You gotta see this! Back by popular demand, it’s time for another sabotage countdown. In the past, we’ve told stories of bands that undercut rivals on stage, acts that have tried to tank their most popular song, and even bands who have accidentally sabotaged their careers. We’ve got all that and more this time around. Including the story of singer Shirley Manson who cussed a fan out in the middle of a concert over bouncing a beachball… at the next show, 100s of fans came to the jilted fan’s rescue. Find out what happened. Plus, the famous songwriter who wrote a hit song for Kelly Clarkson… problem is he wrote the exact same song with different lyrics for Beyonce too. Both came out at the same time, so this Kelly Clarkson did everything she could to sabotage her own song, but it was still a hit. And then there was Blind Melon's frontman who stripped off all his clothes onstage and took a wiz on concertgoers. Not exactly the best way to win over a crowd.

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Is Journey's Steve Perry the G.O.A.T...? The Professor of Rock and Black Pegasus Discuss! Jun 06, 2026

Show notes

I’ve never done this before. Coming up I show a fellow YouTuber and rapper my favorite Journey song "it's a classic" and get his immediate take as we discuss the song in depth and listen to the entire song. The Greatest Singer of All Time Steve Perry I play a full song for the first time ever on my channel.

Make sure to subscribe below and check out Black Pegasus channel and subscribe to him. Until next time, 3 chords and the truth.

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Top 10 Modern TV Themes: The Songs That Defined Stranger Things, The Sopranos, and More Jun 05, 2026

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You know, a great TV theme song is more than just an earworm. The best of the best rewire your brain so that, decades later, hearing it, you’re teleported straight back to the year you first heard it. We’ve had a lot of fun with this TV theme song series, covering tracks from all across the rock era. Today, we’re at it again, counting down the Top 10 picks for the best modern themes… We’ve got the Duffer brothers who stole an indie song off Bandcamp to use as the music for their series Stranger Things that they pitched to the biggest streamer in Hollywood… It not only got their show greenlit, but it became the biggest show of its time. But what happened to the band that wrote the song? Find out. Plus, the band Alabama 3, who sold their song for 500 bucks to The Sopranos, a TV show that became one of HBO’s biggest ever. They regretted it when the Theme song made Millions. And finally, a singer forgot that he had a meeting with a TV producer about writing the Big Bang Theory theme song. He only had 15 mins before the meeting was going to start, so he wrote a song in 5 minutes and recorded it in less time than that. It became so big it made more money than the #1 band's entire catalog combined! Let’s do it.

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FROM THE VAULT: Eddie Van Halen Tribute Jun 03, 2026

Show notes

Let's take it back with this POR Classic!

We lost one of the most influential and innovative guitarist of the Rock Era, when Eddie Van Halen succumbed to his long battle with throat cancer. He was only 65 years old. the word Legend is thrown around too much in the world we live in now. The over use of the term waters down the meaning for true legends and make no mistake the word legend was coined for EVH. Here at Professor of Rock, we want to honor to the Legend Eddie Van Halen through the music.

Not only was Eddie one of the all-time greatest guitarists, he was also a master composer, lyricist, producer, and multi-instrumentalist. He was a lightning fast player, a relentless originator, and a veritable trailblazer. Here we break down Eddie’s top 5 song from both David Lee Roth era and the Sammy Hagar era including Runnin’ with the Devil, Dreams, 5150, Panama, Best of Both Worlds, Mean Streets, I’m the One, Jump, When It’s Love, Poundcake and more with commentary by Sammy Hagar.

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