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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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- Yesterday26 min
The Craziest Guinness World Records in Music History | Foo Fighters, Muse & More
You won’t believe this epsidoes. A Rock concert that was so loud and unruly it caused an earthquake from the Foo Fighters? An unfinished 80s instrumental song that sold half a billion copies from an imaginary band who scammed half the world, and a an icon that had a hit song for 7 straight decades Coming up, it’s a countdown that centers on Guinness World Records but for music. And for this episode we’re bringing you six larger than life stories. Including rock band who destroyed the most guitars on a single tour…It’s over 140 by the band Muse. and a band who played 8 concerts in 8 different cities throughout 3 different states in just 24 hours but we start out with the rock band that I mentioned previously who caused an actually earthquake with their insane rock show. can you guess the band? 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.
- 2 days ago22 min
FROM THE VAULT: The Grateful Dead’s 'Touch of Grey': The One Hit Wonder Who Played to 25 Million Fans
Let's take it back with this classic! The Grateful Dead may have the most passionate & loyal following of the Rock Era. The Dead were jamming their way to the highest echelons of live music when In 1986, this legendary band’s front man Jerry Garcia nearly died, and the future of the group was in serious jeopardy. Jerry recovered, and the Grateful Dead made a miraculous comeback with their first album in 6 years In the Dark which led to their one and only hit song, Touch of Grey! Most are shocked when They realize this all time group only had one hit. They’ve played live to the most people in rock history over 25 million but only had 1 top 40 hit. Coming up... the making of the unlikely anthem by the psychedelic road warriors from Palo Alto, and the unheralded author Robert Hunter who was an indispensable part of the group, even though he never performed with them. The story 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.
- 4 days ago30 min
80s TV Theme Songs: Unsolved Mysteries, Moonlighting, Bosom Buddies & More
You’re gonna love today's episode. Today We’re taking a trip back to the 80s for more of the best that television has to offer. It’s our latest edition of 80s TV Theme Songs. On previous shows have covered primetime juggernauts like Cheers, Family Ties, Knight Rider, The A-Team, and a bunch of others. That episode had some great stories, like how The A-Team ripped off Cream’s epic rock classic Sunshine of Your Love, but CREAM LOVED IT, and how the Cheers theme started off in a musical. But we’ve got a whole new line-up of classic 80s themes… including Unsolved Mysteries that scarred a generation of kids and had parents writing and calling, begging the show to change the song because it was so disturbing. Plus, there’s the famous TV actor Alan Thicke, who almost nobody knows was a secret TV THEME song master. When nobody was looking, he wrote 40 TV songs, including 3 of the biggest ever, and he even sang one. Plus the hit TV song for Moonlighting that a respected artist got talked into leaving off his new album because his producer thought it wasn’t on point with the other tracks… He lost out on over a million in sales! But we kick off the episode with a TV show that would never get made today because of its so-called politically incorrect premise, it starred a rookie actor named Tom Hanks, who would become the biggest box office draw of the late 80s and 90s, and it used one of the biggest hits of the late 70s as its TV theme until the rights got too expensive, and so they commissioned a SHODDY CHEESEBALL COVER of it that many misunderstood as the real deal… https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fGqJqWwyvnoSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
- 6 days ago35 min
Countdown: Rock Hits That Got Bigger With Age—Eddie Money, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Steely Dan & More
Coming up, we’ve got a brand new show, and I’m pumped for it. We’re telling the tale of songs that, in their time, were considered also-rans... they didn’t crack the Top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100, but, over time, became bigger than songs that did, and even bigger than the songs that made it to #1. We’ll share how Eddie Money, one of the most recognizable vocalists of the Rock Era, was threatened with a lawsuit by an icon of Hollywood’s Golden Age for ripping off her exact lyrics for a 70s rock classic… A boogie-boogie tune by Lynyrd Skynyrd that spawned from a bloody fight inside a hotel bar between a band roadie and a hotel guest. The fight got so intense that the lead singer cut the guitarist’s hand and nearly ended his career. Plus Steely Dan's 2 sociopaths, who were such perfectionists that they fired 6 legendary guitarists before settling on their 7th and then made him play a solo for 6 hours before they thought it was good enough for their song. We have classics from Heart, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Billy Joel, the Who, Eddie Money, and more. Our countdown starts with an iconic artist we lost in 2025 that the media totally ignored. His record label forced him to change his name to Benny Santini, but he turned the tables on them and kept his real name and made fun of the dumb name on his debut album by calling it What ever happened to Benny Santini. 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.
- 1 weeks ago29 min
The Catchiest Songs of the ’60s: The Monkees, ? and the Mysterians, Steam & More
I’ve got a great one today. We’re counting down the Catchiest songs of a legendary decade. These songs were all hits, but they are the kinds of hits that you’re pumped when they get stuck in your head… they’re that good. The 60s produced some of the most irresistible, perfectly constructed rock songs ever recorded, and they have even better stories. One of these classics went to the top of the charts, and as it got radio play, fans misheard a key lyric in it… at first it frustrated the legend who wrote it, but in the end he started singing the misheard lyric that way in concert as a joke between him and his fans. Plus the most Mysterious band in history: ? and the Mysterians. Some say they came from Mars; some say the singer is thousands of years old. Seriously, nobody is sure what is true about this band’s enigmatic singer and his biggest hit. In fact, I got in trouble with the singer over a show I did on them years ago… Will we ever know who they really are? Plus the rookie band The Monkees that was in competition with the Beatles, and then their main songwriter misheard The Beatles' new song on the radio and made a song out of it that ended up dethroning their greatest rival on the charts. And finally, Steam, a group of musicians who were so embarrassed by a throwaway B-side that they recorded, because they made a joke out of the recording session and were so over the top and silly that they slapped a fake band name on the song… and then watched in horror as the label made it the A-side and it went on to sell 6 million copies. And that’s where our countdown starts...See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
- 1 weeks ago25 min
FROM THE VAULT: The Story Behind Led Zeppelin’s Whole Lotta Love – A Rock Revolution and Controversy
Let's run it back to 2022! How Led Zeppelin created their biggest hit song, their only top 10, the provocative 70s smash Whole Lotta Love through rough waters including conservative radio programmers and later a lawsuit. Jimmy Page’s Riff has been called the best ever, Robert Plant’s evocative vocal and the incredible rhythm section of John Paul Jones and John Bonham, this song is a bonafide rock classic.... Coming up.. the story of a provocative Top 5 smash created by a daredevil supergroup that challenged the gatekeepers of commercial radio conservatism...and wound up being sued for violation of copyright laws. There’s a whole lotta yearnin’ ...and a whole lotta schoolin' 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 ago34 min
1990’s 10 Greatest Hits That Never Reached #1: Depeche Mode, Tom Petty & More
Today we’re going back to the strange year that separated two decades… where music really had no identity… Hair Metal was waning, and Grunge was still undiscovered, but today we entering an alternate universe where music history has been changed. As we count down the 10 songs that made the top ten but missed #1 but today they get their due… including Depeche Mode's Enjoy the Silence that a band member stole from its writer and snuck behind his back to CREATE a whole new musical backbone BEHIND IT. SPEEDING IT UP adding a new beat to it AND MAKING IT SOAR. The writer was LIVID, but itmade the song perfect and gave the band their biggest hit. Plus, Phil Collins, the biggest hitmaker of the 80s, was hired to write a song for a movie, but then the producers rejected it... so he kept it for himself, and he had sweet revenge when it was a bigger hit than the movie. Plus, Free Fallin', a song by the iconic singer Tom Petty making up funny lyrics to make his legendary producer laugh. The lyrics got dumber and dumber, but his joke song became his biggest hit and an all-time classic. And then there’s the only album in music history with 7 top 5 hits. And Skid Row, the hard rock band who fought like hell to keep a corny power ballad off their blistering debut... but their singer hit one of the most insane high notes in history and they were forced to put it out, and that story is where our countdown starts.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
- 1 weeks ago34 min
The 15 Most Controversial Songs of the ’80s: Inside the PMRC’s Filthy Fifteen
Coming up, we haven't done one of these in a long time, but it's a special edition of our popular show Taboo Songs. But this time we're gonna give you the 15 songs from the 80s that shook the world with their sheer explicitness. In 1985, Tipper Gore, wife of Al Gore, and several other politicians' wives had a little too much time not here hands and decided to create a committee to save us from offensive and disgusting music that would certainly warp the minds of all the children. More than 40 years later, all of us, Gen Xers that they were trying to protect, have mostly turned into law-abiding citizens, and we now laugh at the shock and the horror that these songs caused. There's a reason why they were called the filthy 15 and today we're gonna count them all down and tell you why they were banned down to the specific nasty lyric and where the artists are now including Prince who had three entries in this countdown, that includes the song Darling Nikki that actually corrupted Al and Tipper Gore’s own child plus what the lead singer of AC/DC said to these elites when he found out one of his songs made the list… I’ll give you a hint it has to do with the middle finger, but far worse let's count down the filthy 15See 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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