Professor of Rock

Επεισόδια

• Top Songs of 1972: Neil Young, Harry Nilsson, America & Gilbert O'Sullivan 20.07.2026 34λ

  Coming up… We took a little break from this show but due to popular demand, we’re back. We take the time machine back to the 70s in a year full of classics, where Neil Young, one of rock's most cantankerous icons, had serious back issues but altered his style to create his lone #1 single, Heart of Gold. Instead of celebrating the song’s success, Neil decided to defy commercialism and purposefully write music that wouldn’t chart. Then America was accused of intentionally imitating this same notorious curmudgeon’s song by critics and the artist alike. It got worse when their song, A Horse with No Name, replaced said song at #1. Then there’s Harry Nilsson, the former bank worker who argued with his producer about transforming Without You into one of the first power ballads. He tried to sabotage the song at every end but it still hit #1; Without You would end up being a curse when he lost his voice after singing it so many times. Plus, a story of Gilbert O’Sullivan, a 21-year-old kid who wrote one of the most introspective masterpieces ever that no one thought was a hit, after it became one of the best-selling singles of all time. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
• The 7 Catchiest Songs of the ’70s: “September,” “Come and Get Your Love,” “Long Cool Woman” & More 18.07.2026 33λ

  To me the definition of great hit song is one that is so catchy and undeniable that whenever it comes on you feel like your 20 feet tall and invincible. It’s a song that you are grateful when it get stuck in your head because it never gets old. Today we’re gonna celebrate the 7 catchiest songs of the 70s that are sonic masterworks… including the tale of a struggling songwriter who was surviving on food stamps. But when her phone rang out of nowhere and Earth, Wind and Fire's Maurice White asked her to co-write his next album… she was saved from the brink. And the hit song September they wrote together is a guaranteed bad mood killer. Then there’s The Hollies, who released their biggest US hit after their frontman had already quit. Sitting at home, he had to watch their song climb the charts while another singer performed his parts on tour. Would he get back with the band? And finally… right in the middle of tracking the all-time feel-good classic Come and Get Your Love, the studio door swung open, and the drummer’s wife walked in and served divorce papers while he was behind the kit. But he didn’t slow down or even miss a beat. Find out what happened next on Professor of Rock. Let’s get started. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
• Rock’s Biggest Betrayals: Supertramp, Iron Maiden, Badfinger & the Worst Backstabbing in Music History 16.07.2026 26λ

  The music industry has never had a shortage of shady handshake deals. What many have learned is to have a lawyer look over it and get it in writing. So many musicians were pushed out, had their royalties stolen, & screwed over every which way but loose... Today we have some of the biggest backstabbing stories in rock history. Including Supertramp co-founder Roger Hodgson, who walked away from his band with a gentleman's agreement. He had written a lot of hits, and his co-singer promised not to play his hit songs in exchange for the band name.… But then, when ticket sales plummeted, he reneged on the deal and toured under the name, played the hits, and then wouldn’t let the fans see a final reunion. Then there’s the Iron Maiden heavy guitarist who was fired from the band after his manager caught him listening to the Eagles on their tour bus. Plus the tragic story of Badfinger, a band of gifted songwriters who trusted the wrong guy. Too little too late they discovered their business manager had stolen all their money and bankrupted the band, and the damage was enough to end their lives… Victims of the biggest fraud in history. Let’s get into it. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
• FROM THE VAULT: How Led Zeppelin’s “Hey Hey What Can I Do” Became a Lost Classic for Decades 15.07.2026 22λ

  How Led Zeppelin threw this song away is beyond me. Next we break down a classic rock hidden gem Hey Hey What Can I Do which was the B side to the 45 of Immigrant song Written by the world’s biggest rock band Sadly, it never made it onto its intended album, Led Zeppelin 3 or any of the six that followed. And yet it has been hailed as a top-notch tune, living for decades as a holy grail rarity. A status reinforced by the fact that Robert Plant, Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones and John Bonham never played it live. It’s a 70s hidden gem for the ages. One that was forgotten to almost everyone aside from avid record collectors and classic rock DJs. Would fans ever get their hands on this incredible track? Find out... NEXT on the Professor of Rock. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
• Remembering Bonnie Tyler: The Story Behind “Total Eclipse of the Heart” and Her Legendary Voice 14.07.2026 21λ

  I am heartbroken to hear the news about Bonnie Tyler’s passing. Bonnie died in a hospital in Portugal, where she was being treated for an illness, according to a statement, which was posted on her official social media channel. Bonnie was a force to be reckoned with, one of the distinct and emotional voices of the last 50 years. She will continue to blow the minds of listeners for the next 500 years with songs that are not only powerhouses of the last half century but standards of their times like Holding Out for a Hero, It’s a Heartache, and of course, the 80s classic Total Eclipse of the Heart. Today I wanted to share a show we did about 5 years ago, but we put in this one an uncut video of our story behind that perfect song. Rest In Peace, Bonnie. Thank you for the music. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
• Top 10 Forgotten Classics of 1986 14.07.2026 35λ

  I was thinking the other day, it’s hard to believe that the year 1986 was 40 Years ago. Talk about a Phenomenal year for music. There were so many classic Hits that a lot of them missed out on hitting #1, but they deserved to be. Today we are going to fix that, as we take the time machine back and put it right, with 10 songs that are #1 in our hearts. Including the making of the Dream Academy classic Life in a Northern Town, mentored by one of rock’s greatest lyricists, and produced by a guitar legend, yet passed over by dozens of record labels who wanted NO part of it. Plus the futuristic 1986 song Silent Running that describes our day to a tee but got banned years later because it was deemed too dangerous for us to hear. What were they hiding? Plus the perfect song that was, unsurprisingly, a 1 hit wonder because no band in history could’ve followed it up. It was just too perfect. And Danger Zone that was turned down by half a dozen legends, so the producer, in a panic, called a singer in who was working in a studio close by and he laid it down and it became his biggest hit. And to think it was co-written by a guy who fixed the producer's brakes on his car. And finally the greatest song of all time, Level 42's Something About You, at least in my humble opinion. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
• The Most Addictive Songs of the ’60s: The Association, Simon & Garfunkel, The Troggs & More 11.07.2026 37λ

  Today we cover a decade that produced some of the catchiest, most enduring songs ever recorded — tracks so deeply embedded in our psyches that you can hum them just by hearing their song titles… without even trying. We have a brand new show today about the most addictive songs ever. But these are the Songs we love having stuck in our head… and they have some incredible stories, including one legendary athlete who was so furious about being immortalized in Simon and Garfunkel's Mrs. Robinson, one of the biggest songs of the decade, that he wanted to sue the songwriters for dragging his name through the mud. Then there’s the struggling songwriter who wrote a song in just a few minutes asjoke to himself a chuckle… in fact when he finished recording the demo he felt on the floor laughing because it was so dumb… the song, Wild Thing, was a code word for Sex and he was certain it would never get played... instead it became one of the biggest songs ever and it made him 10 grand a day for years but he blew it all gambling in vegas. Plus, we have the forgotten The Association, a band that 6 hits in 2 years and were competing with the Beatles during this peak, but they vanished forever. Decades later, three of those 6 hits were amongst the most played songs in history and still are, but nobody under 50 really knows this band’s name or knows they sang these massive hits. Let’s do it. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
• FROM THE VAULT: The Dark Legends Behind “Gimme Shelter” by The Rolling Stones 09.07.2026 24λ

  Coming up, the story of the epic 70s rock track with so many dramatic subplots, it should’ve been made into a full feature bio-pic- like Bohemian Rhapsody or Walk the Line. Derek and the Dominos classic Layla The roots of Layla go back to the the writings of a romantic tragedy by a 12th century poet that was a foreshadowing to Romeo & Juliet. Hundreds of years later, an adaptation of his work found its way to an all-time legend…Eric Clapton... a man who stole his best friend George Harrison’s wife! and that’s just the start... of a song shrouded in murder, drug abuse, tragedy, and despair. The tangled web of one of the all-time greatest songs of the Rock Era is NEXT on Professor of Rock... and it’s a doozy. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
• Counting Down the Greatest TV Theme Songs of the ’70s 08.07.2026 32λ

  Today, we’re going back to the 70s for another helping of great TV theme songs. This time we’ve got some perfect themes that will take you back, including a gritty, action-packed cop show Starsky & Hutch, that was named as an “accessory to the crime” in a highly publicized court case… And because of public outcry, the show had to completely rework its theme song. In fact, the hit show changed its theme song every single season! Then on the other end of the spectrum, there’s a wholesome family sitcom, The Brady Bunch, with one of the most recognizable theme songs ever. But they had the cast sing it, and one of the main kids was so tone deaf they had to secretly MUTE his mic during the recording. He didn’t find out for decades. Plus, one of the actors on the show who was 15 at the time asked his 36-year-old TV mom out on a date. And she actually said yes… but you gotta hear the story. And then there’s the Saturday morning show Land of the Lost where they had to rewrite the theme song because the lead actor quit after a disagreement over a lunchbox. Let’s get started. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
• The Greatest #3 Hits Ever: Love Shack, Luka, Dirty Laundry & Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic 07.07.2026 34λ

  Everyone talks about the Runner ups… The #2 hits the one that almost got to #1, but what about the #3s? Today we are doing something nobody does… Counting down the greatest #3 Hits in history. Including the legend of a cabin that sparked the iconic smash Love Shack, but was left in ashes by an arsonist. Then there's the haunting song Luka that many believed was about a made-up little boy, but decades after the song hit the top of the charts, the singer behind it revealed the devastating secret it was actually about her own years of abuse by her stepfather. Plus Dirty Laundry a song well before its time, giving the middle finger to the media…but was it inspired by a famous anchorwoman in the LA news media?…. And finally, the piercing journey of Every Little Thing She Does is Magic, a song born from poverty and sleepless nights—an out-of-work, down-and-out songwriter turning despair into a melody that refuses to fade. He had no money, no interest, and no place to live and he wrote it about his Wife’s Best friend who didn’t know of his feelings, but 5 years later he recorded the song in the middle of that marriage, and then a few years later the song finally came true… It’s all next on POR. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
• Top 5 Artists Who Hated Their Biggest Hits: The Who, R.E.M., The Turtles & More 05.07.2026 30λ

  We All Love This Legend But He Wrote THE MOST IRRITATING Song of the 70s & Even He Admits It!For many artists and bands the song that makes you famous is the one that you wish you had never written. Some artists spend decades dodging their biggest hits, cringing every time they hear them on the radio and refusing to play them in concert. Today, I’ve got another Fiver for you. For this episode, we’re counting down the Top 5 artists who hated their own songs and the strange stories behind them. First… Pete Townsend dashed off Pinball Wizard in a blind panic… as a straight-up bribe to win over a single newspaper critic. He later called it an embarrassment, even as it climbed to the top of the charts in his home country. There’s also the cryptic frontman, Michael Stipe, who was mortified by his band's bubbliest hit: Shiny Happy People. He turned down a deal to make it one of the biggest TV theme songs of all time… His hatred for the song cost him a fortune. And finally, we’ve got the story of a guitarist who passed on a songwriting credit for The Turtles' Happy Together... which would have set him up for life and his kids and their kids. But he refused the writing credit, all because he thought it sounded too simple. Let’s get into it. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
• The Story Behind “Brandy”: Looking Glass, Guardians of the Galaxy & an Unlikely #1 Hit 04.07.2026 25λ

  I’ve got a special treat for you today. It’s an interview I released years ago but got taken down within a few hours over copyright claims… Well I worked it out and Now I can put it back up. Clive Davis helped bring it to life. It’s a happy singalong classic that everyone adores. Brandy (you're a Fine Girl) by Looking Glass from a singer songwriter who look and sounds like Dustin Hoffman. the song is about Girl that many have wondered if was based on a real person… Well it was such a popular song it made the girl’s name blast toward the top of the rankings of baby names for the next 5 years and as you’ll find out from the singer… it has great story first of all the song was too long for radio to play so he fudged the actual running time on the record he send to radio stations saying it was 2:55 when it was longer than that. Then it was merely an album track as part of a muti song acetate that sent to stations and the DJ played the A side but it floundered but the DJ was talked into hearing the other songs and he turned the record around and play the b side or album track and the phones lines lit up and practically overnight the song was a #1 smash. then he was called decades later by Filmmaker James Gunn who wanted to use the track in his big superhero movie Guardians of the Galaxy 2…today’s artist thought it would be cool to have a few seconds of his song in the film but was shocked when most of the song was used, multiple times and even became a plot point and made the song a smash all over again. Let’s get into it. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
• Female Hidden Gems: Brandi Carlile, Cowboy Junkies, Natalie Imbruglia & More 03.07.2026 31λ

  Alright, it’s been a long while since we covered one of these. Today, we’re coming back to a channel favorite: Female Hidden Gems! For this countdown, we’re highlighting some incredible songs sung by amazing female artists that have just gotten lost in the shuffle, and it’s time to dig ‘em up and add them to our playlists. Coming up, we’ve got the story of the Cowboy Junkies, a band so desperate to record their album in a historic church building that they invented a fake but wholesome band name and lied to church officials to get approval. They had to do a top-secret recording. Find out if it was worth it. Then there’s Brandi Carlile, who was stricken with laryngitis while recording her signature song. As she belted out the track’s climactic finish, her voice cracked under the strain… giving us one of the most “technically wrong but emotionally right” vocals ever. And finally, there’s the artist Anne Preven, who wrote a global chart-topper called Torn, but nobody knows who she is… because when she released her original version of the song, it flopped. But when another singer gave it a pop makeover, it became 1 of the biggest hits of its time, but I’m telling you… Nobody knows this song is a cover. Let’s do it.  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
• The Greatest Songs of 1970's: The Stories Behind “Love Hurts,” “Lovin’ You” & More 02.07.2026 30λ

  Coming up… It’s our final TIME IN BOTTLE COUNTDOWN for now. I’ve really enjoyed doing this series of songs that take us right back to the moment these song were on radio Today we are traveling back to a big year in the 70s with so many classic songs that will take you back including a song that was written after a member of a legendary band lost his beloved dog it was a sad song but it would end up causing a ruckus on the air when the most famous DJ in America flipped out in the middle of his famous show in a profanity laced rant when it was played during his most listened to segment. There is also the famous 17-minute overtly sensual song that came from its iconic singer having multiple AHEM peaks while recording it. It was banned pretty much everywhere, but still hit #1. We also have a rock band that had 15 hits and influenced every band that came after, but they’ve been erased from history for no good reason, plus the song that one of the greatest songwriters of all time got from his 3 year old song. He wrote it as a joke, and it became his biggest hit… Let's do it.  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
• FROM THE VAULT: Debunking the Urban Legend Behind Phil Collins’ “In the Air Tonight” 30.06.2026 19λ

  Let's run it back! The 80s classic hit In the Air Tonight by Phil Collins has arguably the most famous urban legend behind it in rock history. Told and retold thousands of times. Did Phil Collins of Genesis really witness a potential murder and then write about it to haunt the killer? Or is it a total farce? The story of a song that has become one of the biggest of its time only to stall outside of the top 10 back in the early 80s. we give it it’s due as a #1 in our hearts and find out the real story next. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
• The Mamas & the Papas: The Truth Behind Mama Cass, “California Dreamin’” & the Pipe Story 29.06.2026 17λ

  I love the Mamas and the Papas. They had such a unique style with hits like California Dreamin' and Monday Monday, but today I have a really strange tale. It’s one that most people haven’t heard. 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? Well, one of the biggest creeps in music history originally cut her from the band for being overweight. Buy Cass would have the last laugh with a dozen hit. We’re delving into another fascinating case of fact vs. fiction, through the songs of the Mamas and the Papas, including California Dreamin', and CREEQUE ALLEY next on Professor of Rock. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
• The Women Who Inspired Rock Classics: Top 10 Femme Fatale Songs 28.06.2026 34λ

  Alright guys, you better watch your step… We are about to count down the greatest “femme fatale” songs of the rock era. And every one of these songs is based on a real woman… and they are all a little bit dangerous. Including one foul-mouthed model-turned-actress named Kelly LeBrock who changed me from a boy to a man after watching 1 particular 80s film. This 80s fox cussed like a sailor and told jokes I can’t repeat on here or even in public. When John Oates met her, he couldn’t believe what he was hearing. It inspired him to write one of the most dangerous hits of the 80s: Maneater. Then, there’s the story of one of rock's biggest bands, Bon Jovi, that might not have cracked the mainstream if not forvolatile, party girl actress Diane Lane who tore through the band. She inspired two of their biggest hits after dating the singer and the guitarist back to back or at the same time. Plus there’s the hitmaker Phil Collins whose biggest muse was his ex-wife, whom he loathed. Yet every time he thought of her, he spun her memory into hit after hit after hit. … turning his bankrupt marriage into a very profitable venture. The knives are coming out for this one. Don’t say I didn’t warn you. Let’s get into it. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
• The True Story of Player’s #1 Hit “Baby Come Back” 27.06.2026 20λ

  Peter Beckett, lead singer of the band Player, tells the story of the group's huge number one hit, Baby Come Back, the smooth 70s classic that has now become a yacht rock standard. It was just covered by Keith Urban for his new album. Peter’s wife left him. He got off tour, and she had abandoned their home together, taking everything with her. He never saw her again. He poured his pain into the one-hit wonder. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
• Bob Seger’s “Old Time Rock and Roll”: The Accidental Guitar Hero and the Hit Nobody Expected 26.06.2026 21λ

  Behind the platinum records and the sold-out arenas, the music world hides a shadowy world of surveillance, syndicate deals, and criminal acts that most fans don’t know about. Today we're pulling back the curtain on some dark true crime stories on our latest edition of Rock and Roll True Crime. Including Mariah Carey, one of the biggest pop stars on the planet, who was imprisoned inside a $22 million fortress rigged with hidden cameras, armed guards, and recording devices held by 1 of the most powerful men in the business. He would punish her more by sabotaging her career. Then there’s the group of obsessive Lynyrd Skynyrd fans who broke into a cemetery under cover of darkness, smashed open a marble mausoleum, and tried to pry open a rock star’s casket to settle an urban legend about a t-shirt. Plus the Allman Brothers Band, the Southern rock icons who got so tangled up with a ruthless criminal syndicate their lead singer had to take the witness stand to testify against their road manager. It tore the band apart. And finally, Dave Navarro, the rock star who came face to face with his mother's killer after a decade of trying to capture him. It’s all coming up next.  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
• How The Byrds Changed Music Forever with “Mr. Tambourine Man” 25.06.2026 34λ

  Coming up next on of the most important interviews I’ve ever done with one of the greatest legends in rock history. He was the leader of a band that was competing with the Beatles and the Stones and the Beach Boys and Bob Dylan back in the 60s in the quest to take music to higher ground. We’ve shown pieces of this interview before but today show the full uncut, never-before-seen sit-down with Roger Mcguinn of the Byrds including the story of their #1 hit Mr. Tambourine Man that Bob Dylan gave them, Dylan never had a number one hit himself, he gave his away and the Byrds did justice with it. Also the story of Turn! Turn! Turn! the nearly 3000 year old song that he and the Byrds took to #1. Plus the story of the song he wrote for the classic film Easy Rider and the song He wrote as a scathing diss track against manufactured bands… Many think it was a direct shot at the Monkees, who were outselling many of the biggest bands of the time, including the Beatles. See what he says about it. Let’s get into the stories of some of the greatest songs ever from a SUPERGROUP that not only included Roger McGuinn but David Crosby, Gene Clark, Chris Hillman, and Gram Parsons. A band that helped birth Entire new musical genres, including folk rock, psychedelia, and Country rock. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.