Who Ordered the Pie? | Classic Rock Music History & Cocktails

Christopher Machado
  • 5.0 (18)
  • Music History

Who Ordered the Pie? is a classic rock music history podcast that explores the hidden stories behind legendary songs and the artists who shaped rock history. Each episode dives deep into rock history, Billboard chart performance, and behind-the-song storytelling, exploring the real-life moments that shaped legendary tracks and classic rock culture. Part narrative storytelling, part music documentary, and part barstool conversation, the show blends classic rock history with craft cocktail culture in a way that feels both nostalgic and fresh. If you love discovering what really happened behind the songs, tracing their rise on the charts, and hearing the stories that shaped music history, pull up a chair. This is your show.

  1. Oct 25

    Episode 52: Songs You Endure | Part Two | Halloween Special

    Send us Fan Mail Episode 52: Songs You Endure | Part Two | Halloween Special Some songs give you chills. Others make you wish you'd never pressed play. Last Halloween, we explored 5 songs that took us into the darker corners of music history. This year, we're going back for more. In “Songs You Endure | Part Two,” Christopher uncovers the disturbing stories behind 5 unforgettable recordings, from murder and madness to obsession, psychological horror, and mysteries that refuse to be explained. This year's unsettling countdown features: Warren Zevon, “Excitable Boy” (1978)Alice Cooper, “Steven” (1975)Violent Femmes, “Country Death Song” (1984)Lisa Germano, “A Psychopath” (1994)Helen Reddy, “Angie Baby” (1974)Discover the abandoned horror-film concept behind Alice Cooper's nightmare, the teenage songwriter who created one of rock's most disturbing murder ballads, and the chilling real-life fear captured in Lisa Germano's recording. Then explore the strange mystery hiding beneath one of Helen Reddy's biggest pop hits. And because it's Halloween, we're finishing with something a little sweeter: a Candy Corn Daiquiri made with Probitas Blended White Rum, fresh lime, and homemade candy corn syrup. Some songs are meant to be enjoyed. Others are meant to be endured. Listen, if you dare. Website: https://whoorderedpie.com Listen to the podcast: https://whoorderedpie.buzzsprout.com Support the show Who Ordered the Pie? a music history podcast with custom cocktail pairings. Show notes, recipes, and extras: WhoOrderedThePie.com Follow: Apple Podcasts • Spotify • YouTube • Instagram

  2. Oct 16

    Episode 51: When Soul Got Fuzzy | R&B with the Guitar Turned Up

    Send us Fan Mail Episode 51: When Soul Got Fuzzy: R&B with the Guitar Turned Up Motown had a sound of its own. Then fuzz guitar started cutting through the polished soul, adding a rougher, louder edge. In this episode, Christopher follows the Isley Brothers’ “Who’s That Lady?” from its swanky 1964 original to the guitar-driven 1973 reworking, “That Lady.” Then we hear how the Temptations moved from the psychedelic soul of “Cloud Nine” to the restless, urgent “Ball of Confusion.” We close with R. Dean Taylor’s “There’s a Ghost in My House,” a song that found a second life on the Northern Soul dance floor. Featuring: The Isley Brothers, “Who’s That Lady?” and “That Lady” The Temptations, “Cloud Nine” and “Ball of Confusion” R. Dean Taylor, “There’s a Ghost in My House” The cocktail for this episode is The Electric Wallbanger, a twist on the Harvey Wallbanger with lemon juice and grapefruit bitters. Join the Green Room mailing list for new episode news and behind-the-scenes updates: https://whoorderedpie.com A personal ask: I made the Top 20 in the Ryan Seacrest Top Host competition, and I’m currently 13th in my group. The next cut is the Top 15. Voting is free, and you can vote once a day. Voting closes Thursday, October 22, at 7 PM Pacific. Vote for Christopher: https://tophost.org/2026/christopher-machado Support the show Who Ordered the Pie? a music history podcast with custom cocktail pairings. Show notes, recipes, and extras: WhoOrderedThePie.com Follow: Apple Podcasts • Spotify • YouTube • Instagram

  3. Oct 9

    Episode 50: Something Strange in the Speakers: Creepy Sounds and Studio Legends

    Send us Fan Mail Have you ever heard something in a song that made you stop, back it up, and wonder, “What the hell was that?” This week on “Who Ordered the Pie?” we’re exploring the creepy sounds and studio legends hiding inside familiar records. From the haunted streets of The Specials’ “Ghost Town” to the unsettling world of Peter Gabriel’s “Intruder,” we’ll hear how musicians turned studio experiments, unexpected accidents, and a little imagination into something wonderfully strange. Along the way: The Beatles’ “Blue Jay Way” and “Strawberry Fields Forever,” the eerie cries of Pink Floyd’s “Echoes,” and the infamous scream in Ohio Players’ “Love Rollercoaster.” There’s backward listening, a Phil Collins drum connection, and a chance to hear the sounds yourself before the stories get into your head. Then we head to the bar for “The Phantom Note,” a gin-and-elderflower cocktail with a quiet herbal mystery in the background. Listen closely. And maybe leave the hallway light on. Support the show Who Ordered the Pie? a music history podcast with custom cocktail pairings. Show notes, recipes, and extras: WhoOrderedThePie.com Follow: Apple Podcasts • Spotify • YouTube • Instagram

  4. Oct 2

    Episode 49: A Life in Records | 1 Year of Who Ordered the Pie?

    Send us Fan Mail 1 year. A lot of music. And a wife whose suggestion to start a podcast turned out to be an excellent delegation strategy. For this anniversary episode of “Who Ordered the Pie?” I’m sharing how a lifelong love of liner notes and music trivia became a show about the stories behind the songs. Go behind the microphone to hear how I handpick songs I believe deserve an audience, find the connections that turn them into episodes, and sneak little jokes into the music. There’s also my 49ers game-day soundtrack, my early-morning “KJAZ voice,” and a first-year highlight: hearing directly from John Sebastian after he listened to his episode. We’ll raise a traditional 1944 Trader Vic’s Mai Tai to a year of discoveries, unexpected connections, and everyone who’s made this show part of their routine. Thank you for being my kind of people. Have a song suggestion, a favorite moment, or something you’d like me to explore? Visit the Backstage Door at https://whoorderedthepie.com or email whoorderedpie@gmail.com. Here’s to loud riffs, quiet sips, and the stories in between. Support the show Who Ordered the Pie? a music history podcast with custom cocktail pairings. Show notes, recipes, and extras: WhoOrderedThePie.com Follow: Apple Podcasts • Spotify • YouTube • Instagram

  5. Sep 25

    Episode 48: Right Song, Wrong Timing | The Power Pop Pioneers

    Send us Fan Mail Before Cheap Trick, The Cars, The Knack and the power pop bands that followed, a handful of artists were already combining loud guitars, huge hooks and ’60s-inspired harmonies into something that would help define the genre. In this installment of “Right Song, Wrong Timing,” Christopher goes back to the power pop pioneers who had the songs and the sound, but ran into bad timing, record label problems, changing musical trends and some truly bizarre twists of fate. This episode features Big Star’s “September Gurls,” The Raspberries’ “Overnight Sensation (Hit Record),” Dwight Twilley Band’s “I’m on Fire,” The Rubinoos’ “I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend,” and The Real Kids’ “All Kindsa Girls.” Along the way, you’ll hear how Alex Chilton and Big Star became one of rock’s most influential cult bands, how Eric Carmen blended Beatles melodies, Beach Boys harmonies and the power of The Who, how “Jaws” helped derail Dwight Twilley’s follow-up to a Top 20 hit, why The Rubinoos played “Sugar, Sugar” to a Jefferson Starship crowd, and how a French music journalist helped The Real Kids make their first record. The story also crosses paths with The Ramones, Tom Petty, John Lennon, Jonathan Richman and more as we trace the roots of the sound that became power pop. Then it’s time to turn down the guitars, open the bar, and mix this episode’s featured cocktail, “The Overnight Sensation.” If you love classic rock, power pop, ’70s rock, Big Star, The Raspberries, music history and the stories behind the songs, this episode is for you. Support the show Who Ordered the Pie? a music history podcast with custom cocktail pairings. Show notes, recipes, and extras: WhoOrderedThePie.com Follow: Apple Podcasts • Spotify • YouTube • Instagram

  6. Sep 18

    Episode 47: Right Song, Wrong Timing | Around the World in Five Great Songs

    Send us Fan Mail 5 songs. 5 countries. Very different stories on opposite sides of the world. In this edition of “Right Song, Wrong Timing,” Christopher follows Split Enz, Moving Pictures, Jon Astley, Peter Schilling, and Golden Earring through family connections, missed opportunities, and unexpected second chances. From the Finn brothers’ story behind “I Got You” to the overlooked voices in “What About Me,” the uneasy romance of “Jane’s Getting Serious,” and the strange worlds of “Major Tom (Coming Home)” and “Twilight Zone,” we explore why a memorable song doesn’t always lead to lasting recognition. Along the way: a producer hears something worth recording during a studio break, a familiar surname causes confusion, and a famously misheard chorus finally comes into focus. Featured songs: • Split Enz: “I Got You” • Moving Pictures: “What About Me” • Jon Astley: “Jane’s Getting Serious” • Peter Schilling: “Major Tom (Coming Home)” • Golden Earring: “Twilight Zone” This episode’s cocktail is The Layover, a full-strength Jet Pilot riff with 3 rums, citrus, cinnamon, and falernum. More stories and cocktail recipes: whoorderedthepie.com Get in touch: whoorderedpie@gmail.com Support the show Who Ordered the Pie? a music history podcast with custom cocktail pairings. Show notes, recipes, and extras: WhoOrderedThePie.com Follow: Apple Podcasts • Spotify • YouTube • Instagram

  7. Sep 11

    Episode 46: Right Song, Wrong Timing | Canada Comes South

    Send us Fan Mail Why were some of the biggest Canadian rock bands of the 1980s huge at home, yet barely known in the United States? In Episode 46 of "Who Ordered the Pie?," Christopher heads north for another installment of "Right Song, Wrong Timing" and follows 5 Canadian bands as they try to turn success in Canada into hits south of the border. The Kings actually charted higher in the U.S. than in Canada with "This Beat Goes On / Switchin' to Glide," a Bob Ezrin-produced FM rock classic that spent nearly 6 months on the Billboard Hot 100. Vancouver's The Payolas scored a major Canadian hit with "Eyes of a Stranger," featuring future superstar producer Bob Rock, yet somehow missed the U.S. Hot 100 entirely, despite American rock-radio airplay and an appearance in the movie "Valley Girl." Honeymoon Suite came even closer, taking "New Girl Now," "Feel It Again," "What Does It Take" and more across the border while touring the U.S. and getting exposure on MTV. Then there's Platinum Blonde, one of Canada's biggest bands of the mid-'80s. "Crying Over You" went to #1 in Canada, "Alien Shores" became a multi-platinum album, and Rush guitarist Alex Lifeson even played on the record. But in America? A very different story. And finally, Glass Tiger shows what happened when everything lined up. With songwriter and producer Jim Vallance, backing vocals from Bryan Adams, and "Don't Forget Me (When I'm Gone)," this Canadian band didn't just cross the border. They broke through. Along the way, we revisit MuchMusic, MTV, the JUNO Awards, Billboard's Hot 100, Canadian radio, Bob Rock, Mick Ronson, Alex Lifeson, Bryan Adams and an era when a band could be a household name in Canada and almost anonymous just a few hundred miles south. Why did some Canadian hits cross over while others stopped at the border? Sometimes it wasn't the song. Sometimes it was the market, the label, the radio station, the timing... and sometimes it was simply the right song in the wrong place. Featured artists and songs: The Kings — "This Beat Goes On / Switchin' to Glide" The Payolas — "Eyes of a Stranger" Honeymoon Suite — "New Girl Now" Platinum Blonde — "Crying Over You" Glass Tiger — "Don't Forget Me (When I'm Gone)" Plus: Rock and Hyde, Bob Rock, Mick Ronson, Rush's Alex Lifeson, Bryan Adams, Jim Vallance and more. And in The Lounge, we're mixing this week's Canadian-inspired cocktail: "Alien Shores." Episode 46: "Right Song, Wrong Timing | Canada Comes South" "Who Ordered the Pie?" — music history, the stories behind the songs, and a little something in your glass. Support the show Who Ordered the Pie? a music history podcast with custom cocktail pairings. Show notes, recipes, and extras: WhoOrderedThePie.com Follow: Apple Podcasts • Spotify • YouTube • Instagram

  8. Sep 4

    Episode 45: Sunshine Pop | The Happiest Hits of the '60s and '70s, Part 2

    Send us Fan Mail Sunshine Pop is back for Part 2, with 4 more ridiculously catchy records from the late ’60s and early ’70s, and some of the strangest stories behind them. This time, Christopher digs into Edison Lighthouse, The Cyrkle, The Association, and The Grass Roots, and discovers just how much was happening behind some of the happiest-sounding records on AM radio. How do you score a massive number 1 hit when your band doesn’t actually exist? Why did John Lennon end up naming an American college band? How did Paul Simon help launch that same group, only for The Beatles to later keep them out of the number 1 spot? And how did a song originally written as a gentle waltz become one of the defining pop records of the summer of 1967? Along the way, there’s a session singer seemingly everywhere at once, a Paul Simon song somebody probably wishes they hadn’t turned down, an all-night recording session, a surprising Leonard Bernstein connection, and a lyrical coincidence that suddenly takes us from Sunshine Pop to a 1980 country hit. It’s another trip through an era when great melodies, huge harmonies, and unforgettable hooks could make even a breakup song sound like the best day of your life. And after the music, we head to the bar for a bright, refreshing cocktail inspired by one of the songs in the episode: The Red Rubber Ball. Support the show Who Ordered the Pie? a music history podcast with custom cocktail pairings. Show notes, recipes, and extras: WhoOrderedThePie.com Follow: Apple Podcasts • Spotify • YouTube • Instagram

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5
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About

Who Ordered the Pie? is a classic rock music history podcast that explores the hidden stories behind legendary songs and the artists who shaped rock history. Each episode dives deep into rock history, Billboard chart performance, and behind-the-song storytelling, exploring the real-life moments that shaped legendary tracks and classic rock culture. Part narrative storytelling, part music documentary, and part barstool conversation, the show blends classic rock history with craft cocktail culture in a way that feels both nostalgic and fresh. If you love discovering what really happened behind the songs, tracing their rise on the charts, and hearing the stories that shaped music history, pull up a chair. This is your show.

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