Professor of Rock

Gamut Podcast Network
  • 4.9 (215)
  • Music
  • Updated Daily

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.

  1. 1d ago

    The Greatest Hits of 1974 That Should’ve Been #1 — Elton John, Steely Dan, Chaka Khan & More

    Coming up, a grand year in music where once again a bunch of legendary Top 10 hits that missed the #1 spot on the charts were actually better than the songs that did. Today we’re rewriting history by putting them where they belong… at #1. We’ll spotlight a classic from an Elton John who got so upset about the cadence a song was written in that he recorded it with an EXAGGERATED AMERICAN ACCENT, and it made the song a classic. Plus the song Longfellow Serenade that stole its idea from a 19th century poem to seduce an older woman, and it ended up becoming a classic. Plus, the cocky college student from Steely Dan who hit on his professor’s pregnant wife and actually got her number, but instead of having an affair, he turned it into his biggest hit on the charts. And the Lynyrd Skynyrd rock icon who ominously predicted his demise, proclaiming that he wouldn’t make it to age 30. His prediction came true when he tragically passed away less than 3 months before his 30th birthday. Then there’s the mysterious man Tony Burrows, who recorded vocals for 5 different bands and strangely enough, each of those songs became a one hit wonder. But we start with the bold teenager Chaka Khan who told the biggest music Icon of his time that the song he gave to her rookie band to record was Trash and he needed to give them something BETTER…  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

  2. 3d ago

    Countdown: The Greatest Songs That Were Never Released as Singles — The Beatles, Nirvana & More

    Some of the best songs ever recorded were never released as singles. But today, they have become bigger than a lot of these legendary bands’ biggest hits. Today we're counting down the most beloved album cuts that became the band’s signature tracks, and for starters, we have an acoustic track that’s become the most-streamed song in the Beatles catalog… despite being purposely passed over back in the day. It ended up bettering every massive hit the Beatles have ever released, and they had dozens of #1 hits…Then there’s Kurt Cobain, who wrote a harrowing tale about living homeless under a bridge to explain his song's haunting origins… but it turns out the story was totally fabricated and debunked by his bandmate after he passed. Plus the song that you won’t get through without collapsing in complete devastation. The most soul-crushing song in history. Plus the Smashing Pumpkins song that got its bizarre title from a Japanese translation blunder. It was deemed too long and too strange for radio, but has since become one of their most essential songs. And that’s where we’re starting the countdown. 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.

  3. 5d ago

    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.

  4. 6d ago ·  Bonus

    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.

  5. Sep 16

    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=fGqJqWwyvno See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

  6. Sep 14

    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.

  7. Sep 12

    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.

  8. Sep 10 ·  Bonus

    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.

See All (1.7K)

Hosts & Guests

4.9
out of 5
215 Ratings

About

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.

Information

  • Creator
    Gamut Podcast Network
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    1.7K
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Professor of Rock | Gamut Podcast Network
  • Show Website
    Professor of Rock

You Might Also Like