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 a DJ Accidentally Saved The O’Jays with “Love Train” Oct 18, 2023

Show notes

Coming up… a 70s classic that has one of the most iconic opening lines of the decade… Sign says long-haired freaky people need not apply was a happy accident The song came to singer Les Emmerson of Five Man Electrical Band when he was cruising on Route 66 and saw all of these billboards advertising different things in the middle of nature. It was actually obscuring mother nature and Les wondered where these rules came from so he wrote a 70s classic protest song... the song was actually a B-side until DJs flipped the record over and started playing it. It became a massive hit thereafter with a great message. Up next the surviving members of the bands give us the story on Professor of Rock.

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How the B-52s’ “Rock Lobster” Defined a Decade Early Oct 17, 2023

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Skinny ties and mullets… A quirky band named the Cars with two singers (Ric Ocasek and Benjamin Orr) who split the difference between rock and new wave and power pop. They sabotaged radio with their 1978 song that seemed to start the 80s off two years early. Just What I Need became the ultimate Singalong classic. The character in the song is a little unhinged but the chorus is so catchy and relatable it was tailor-made for ad campaigns that would follow for decades after… The story of a song that opened the floodgates for a band every social circle loved but didn’t sound like anybody else… Next on Professor of Rock.

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The Misquoted Lyric That Became a Fan Favorite: Bob Dylan’s “Blowin’ in the Wind” Oct 16, 2023

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Bad Moon Rising, written by John Fogerty of Creedence Clearwater Revival was released in 1969… It stands as a timeless musical monument to one of the most turbulent periods in American history. The classic swamp rock song encapsulates the fear & uncertainty that characterized an era of social upheaval, political unrest, and cultural shifts. It came from a very strange place, to say the least. It also contains one of the funniest and most famous misheard and misquoted lyrics ever. Let’s delve into the historical and cultural context surrounding the creation of this classic rock standard that became an anthem for a generation caught in the crosscurrents of change… NEXT on Professor of Rock.

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How MTV’s Late-Night Play Propelled The Proclaimers to #1 with “I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles)” Oct 14, 2023

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Dangerous, volatile, and even outright destructive, today’s band is what rock is all about. Guns N’ Roses Broke onto the scene in the mid-80s, their hard-hitting music and reputation absolutely freaked out the media establishment… Radio refused to play their 1987 Masterpiece Appetite for Destruction, they were blacklisted by MTV, oh and parents confiscated what few tapes actually got sold… As unbelievably talented as these guys were, their music was never going to see the light of day. But just as their label was about to give up on them, one never-say-die A&R man threw up a Hail Mary called Welcome to the Jungle. He begged his boss to call in a favor to MTV and this band’s video of Welcome to the Jungle was given one solitary play on the channel… in the worst possible time slot. would it work? Find out the all-time rock and Roll Underdog story of a band that went from never heard of ‘em to the biggest debut album ever.

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How “Jessie’s Girl” Went from a Joke to an 80s Anthem Oct 13, 2023

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We’re heading back to the Summer of 1985, to immerse ourselves in song so saturated with nostalgia euphoria that you may never want to take it off repeat. Summer of 69 by Bryan Adams. It was an up-tempo rocker and a legitimate rite of passage for every 80s kid. But I have to admit that it doesn’t mean what I thought it did when I was growing up. For years people have debated its message. Bryan Adams wrote it with longtime partner Jim Vallance for his 1984 classic album Reckless. Actually the song title was supposed to be a temporary lyrics meant as a joke… They kept it in though and it became an 80s smash. Does it reference a specific year in history? Or is it simply about getting some summer lovin’? Let’s see… This episode will have you longing for “the best days of your life.” NEXT on they Professor of Rock.

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The Hidden Meaning Behind “Hotel California” by Eagles Oct 12, 2023

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A hit song can come from anywhere… a billboard, a magazine cover, a summer romance, a TV evangelist, or… maybe the idea for a song could come from a cheap bottle of wine. The incomparable Neil Diamond has written a song about ALL of the sources I just mentioned. One never knows where & when imagination will strike, and that’s what makes the backstory of the 70s classic Cracklin’ Rosie so cool. Let me take you on a little journey back to the late 60s to show you what I mean. Come on board and take a ride with me to the outer reaches of northern Canada to discover the origin of this feel good classic you’ve sung THOUSANDS of times and have had the meaning wrong the whole time! …NEXT on Professor of Rock.

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How Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Sweet Home Alabama” Became an Instant Hit Oct 11, 2023

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Coming up… an interview with one of rock’s most legendary singers… Robert Plant, Freddie Mercury, Ann Wilson of Heart, they’ve all cited him as the great one. I’m talking about Paul Rodgers… The man who helmed Free and Bad Company and the Firm with Jimmy Page. Paul tells us the story behind arguably his most iconic song…Alright Now by Free It took radio by storm and according to stats it’s played about every 45 seconds in this country! It came after the band played a horrible gig where only 30 people showed up and didn’t notice the band at all. They needed something that would wow the crowd and take them to the next level. They were so determined they wrote the song in about 10 minutes and the next thing they knew they were playing it at a gig in front of 600k people Find out the details of this classic from the legend who created it, next on Professor of Rock.

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The Timeless Message of John Lennon’s “Imagine” Oct 10, 2023

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Coming up... this song was written to be part of a rock opera that legendary guitarist Pete Townshend of the Who wanted to make into a film but he couldn’t get it off the ground so he threw it on his band’s next album which happened to be the all time classic Who’s Next! It became one of the most powerful rock anthems ever. So powerful that the legend’s iconic scream was so piercing when the band first heard it they thought their singer Roger Daltrey had gotten into a fistfight with the engineer. It’s a song that is about a revolution but unfortunately, life has now imitated art because the lesson in this song has still not been learned 50 years later… We need to figure this out now! The story of the 70s classic Won’t Get Fooled Again by the Who is next!

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How Stephen King Inspired AC/DC’s “Who Made Who” for Maximum Overdrive Oct 09, 2023

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The first 500 people to use our link: https://skl.sh/professorofrock1023 will get access to one of Skillshare’s best offers: 30 days free AND 40% off your first year of Skillshare membership! It’s a song that would spawn hundreds upon hundreds of clones… LITERALLY...I’m telling you everyone wanted to be just like AC/DC's fire-breathing guitarist Angus Young...Everyone wanted to sound like him, and yes, even dress like him. And you know what? That was a good thing. Because at this point in AC/DC's career, their commercial prospects were steadily declining. But then everything turned around with a surprise invitation from one of their biggest fans… who was also America’s most iconic author, Stephen King… He was diving into his big-screen directorial debut and wanted them to play the soundtrack to his film Maximum Overdrive. Now the movie wasn’t exactly Oscar material. But its headlining track, Who Made Who...that was something else entirely. It absolutely rocked. And it jumpstarted this band’s career after 3 rough albums. This is going to be a good one. The story is coming up… NEXT on the Professor of Rock. Brought to you by Skillshare.

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The Pressure on Fleetwood Mac’s “Tusk” to Break Even Oct 07, 2023

Show notes

What do Queen’s We Will Rock You, The Beatles’ Come Together, Aerosmith’s Walk This Way, and AC/DC’s Back in Black all have in common? Well, today’s featured song Pour Some Sugar On Me by Def Leppard. Each of these songs played a role in the creation of this 11th-hour hybrid track. Actually, Joe Elliot didn’t think it was worth recording. And just wanted to save it for the next album. I mean, Def Leppard had been in the studio for years working on Hysteria and were ready to be done. But when their producer Mutt Lange heard him playing it, he said that they had to do it. HAD TO… It was the best hook he’d heard in 5 years. IT WAS THE RIGHT CALL. Because IT BECAME the most important track on the record...it saved the album from being a failure and turned it into a blockbuster it single-handedly turned everything around. So “Step inside…” join us for Professor of Rock.

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