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Professor of Rock: Daily Summaries Delivered
by Gamut Podcast Network
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.
Latest Episodes
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- Today22 min
FROM THE VAULT: Peter Frampton Turned Procrastination into a Historic Success
We're bringing back this absolute CLASSIC! Up next an exclusive interview with 70s Legend Peter Frampton the singer write guitarist who had failed as a solo artists for years. He procrastinated and only had a few days to write an album that's songs would eventually become part of Frampton Comes Alive which for many years was the biggest selling album ever until the 80s. At the time He felt his songs were good but for some reason they just weren’t going anywhere. He partied and frittered away his time to record and was left with only a few days to create an entire album. He did and it would pay off big time. Up next, the story of Show Me The Way and he talks about his time working with George Harrison’s. Peter also tells us the story of how he learned to use a very cool effect on his guitar to take one of these songs to classic rock legend and how he went from zero to hero virtually overnight 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.
- Yesterday35 min
The Songs That Ruled 1989: Roxette’s Surprise #1, Sheriff’s Comeback & Aerosmith’s Revival
Coming up, we’re popping the lid off another Time Bottle to let the music do the talking, with songs that transport us back to the end of a decade of great music. There's the song that defined the moment they came on our radio…coming up, we’ll tell the tale of an unknown band named Roxette that defied the odds to hit #1 because an American foreign exchange student came back from Europe with their song and talked his local DJ into playing their song and hit #1 virtually overnight. There’s also the story of a pop song written by a child actor, Martika, expressing the pain of losing a friend to a deadly drug addiction that even made the metalheads raise their fist…. Plus a crazy night where two rock icons, Ozzy and Lita, got so obliterated, they didn’t remember recording a song that would become a Top 10 smash….and an inspiring account of a resurrected hit by the band Sherrif that reunited a band that had broken up after the song was a big fat stiff 5 years earlier… And an Aerosmith song about a real-life X-rated incident that happened in a hotel elevator that fueled the return of one of rock’s most famous bands. Let’s do it.Go to https://buyraycon.com/PROFESSOROFROCK... to get 15% off. Thanks to Raycon for sponsoring!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
- 2 days ago20 min
Mark Slaughter on “Fly to the Angels” and the Loss That Changed Everything
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.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
- 3 days ago35 min
Rock’s Greatest Vault Songs: The Hits That Never Got Released
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.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
- 5 days ago32 min
Double-Cross! The Wildest Betrayals in Music History
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.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
- 6 days ago18 min
The Story Behind Tommy James’ “Draggin’ the Line” and His Near-Death Collapse
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.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
- 1 weeks ago21 min
FROM THE VAULT: How Pearl Jam’s “Daughter” Became a #1 Hit Despite Their Rejection of Fame
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.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
- 1 weeks ago28 min
Countdown: The Greatest Hits of 1977 and the Stories Behind Them
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.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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About 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.
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