Professor of Rock

Gamut Podcast Network
  • 4.9 (145)
  • 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. 20H AGO

    How Alice Cooper Inspired Punk, Shock Rock, and a Rock Renaissance

    I’m excited to share today’s interview. He’s had 11 Top 40 hits, sold over 55 million albums, and is one of only a few artists in history with a Top 50 album in six consecutive decades. But even more important — today’s guest is a rock pioneer who helped build and shape some of the most important musical genres and movements of our lifetime and beyond. Like shock rock, of which he’s the king. But also punk rock — Johnny Rotten’s tryout that got him the job as singer of the Sex Pistols was Alice’s song I’m Eighteen, and the first song Joey Ramone wrote for the Ramones was based on the chords of that same song. The seeds of punk rock came from Alice! And of course, hard rock and metal owe a debt of gratitude to Mr. Cooper. KISS begged, borrowed, and stole from Alice — even they admit it — among many others. And what other living rock star was beloved by Groucho Marx, Mae West, and Salvador Dalí? Or was called a great songwriter by Bob Dylan? Or had a comic book series created about him by Neil Gaiman? He also waged one of the greatest comebacks in rock history in 1989 with Poison after critics said he was done — and then won the hearts of a whole new generation in Wayne’s World. We cover all of that, plus the real story behind the chicken and many other urban legends. You’ll get some surprises along the way — and some of the best stories I’ve ever heard in an interview. I’m recording this intro just hours before going in for serious surgery… hoping this isn’t my final interview. But if it was — I’d take it! Ha ha. Here’s Alice. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

    1h 11m

  2. 1D AGO · BONUS

    FROM THE VAULT: The Shocking Story of 'I Touch Myself': Written by Men, Sung by a Rock Icon, and Still Debated

    FROM THE VAULT: The controversial song about female self-love… was written by a dude? Ha ha. It's I Touch Myself by the Divinyls. This story is almost too good to be true, and yet it is. I have an interview with a Hall of Fame songwriter Billy Steinberg who wrote 5 #1 hits with his songwriting partner Tom Kelly. And all five #1s were for female artists. All 5 songs were huge in the 80s, but at the end of the decade, Billy met with a prolific Australian band and sheepishly gave them his private notebook of lyrics and asked what song they wanted to work on. And today’s iconic female rocker Chrissy Amphlett chose a song that was about self-love. I Touch Myself wasn’t quite finished so the band and the songwriting team tackled it. It’s pretty straightforward forward, and though it was controversial it became a global smash. Let's run it back, 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.

    20 min

  3. 2D AGO

    Electric Light Orchestra’s Greatest Albums and the Birth of “Mr. Blue Sky”

    Today, we're diving into one of the most innovative and enjoyable bands to listen to in rock history…it’s a group that blended symphonic grandeur with pure pop perfection. It's Electric Light Orchestra. And if you can’t get on board with these guys, you better check your pulse. And there’s great stories to get into along the way… Including the panic-written hit Evil Woman that may have been inspired by a wicked California groupie whose identity is still a complete mystery. But this singer, Jeff Lynne, got even when he lambasted her on radio. Then there's the tale of the double album Jeff said he would write in a month… Only he got writer’s block soon after, and he couldn’t break through it until one day the clouds literally parted and his depression fizzled and he wrote Mr. Blue Sky to chase away his anxiety, and it actually ended up being the happiest song of all time, as backed and certified by scientists. It’s a journey through five landmark albums that changed the sound of the 70s and 80s forever... 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.

    34 min

  4. 3D AGO

    Songs That Almost Didn’t Happen: Pearl Jam, Tom Petty, Weezer & a Vanished Hit

    I ended this series a few months ago because I didn’t think there were any great top 40 songs after 1994. Well, after months of reflection, I admit I was wrong. Most of the songs in today’s year countdown were reluctantly recorded, and were either not intended to be a single, or were an embarrassment for the artist who created it- and they ended up being masterworks... including the Pearl Jam song about a traumatized boy who watched a man he thought was his real father hurt his mother. He turned it into a song years before he hit it big, and never wanted to put the song out. Then there was the Tom Petty song that MTV initially banned, and then edited a lyric by playing a word backward that confused the hell out of listeners and changed the meaning of the song. Then there was the pissed off fan who offered Weezer a multimillion-dollar fortune to just go away, because they couldn’t match the majesty of their perfect debut album. Our countdown is next on Professor of Rock… 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.

    36 min

  5. 4D AGO

    The Underrated Rise of Triumph: Canada’s Other Power Trio

    Today we are telling the story of the other Canadian power trio that originated in the 70s. And their name isn't Rush. It's Triumph and they maybe the most underrated band of their time. Coming up, We've got the wild tale of how a single radio DJ in San Antonio, Texas turned these three unknown guys from Toronto into arena rock legends, back when that sort of thing could happen. Plus we’ll cover the anthem Never Surrender that ironically planted the seeds for the band's eventual breakup. It’s our latest episode of Short and Sweet, 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.

    12 min

  6. 5D AGO

    The Greatest Women’s Power Ballads: Total Eclipse, Roxette & More

    I’m pretty sure this episode is going to blow your mind. Today, we’re counting down the biggest female power ballads of all time. And some of these are serious scorchers. But there’s a catch. There may just be no such thing as a 100% female power ballad. Let’s just say someone else might have been pulling the strings. There are some truly twisted stories here. There’s the “tough as nails” lead singer, Chrissie Hynde, who was desperate for a hit; she openly admitted she was selling out to get it. Then, when the song was finished, she called it CRAP. Talk about a love-hate relationship. There’s also the turn it to 11 track about Monsters getting it on... Total Eclipse of the Heart. It was originally written for a Nosferatu musical and coveted by one of the most theatrical rock stars of all time. But he didn’t get to sing it. Then there’s the unlikely story of how an American exchange student armed with a cassette tape turned the European power pop duo Roxette into global superstars. Plus, the school teaching duo Quarterflash, who were teaching in the day and playing clubs at night, till their power ballad rocked the 80s, and they could quit their day job. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

    35 min

  7. 6D AGO

    Huey Lewis on the Stories Behind ‘Hip to Be Square,’ ‘Stuck With You,’ and More (Full Interview)

    Coming up next Ya know I’ve interviewed over 800 Famous musicians over my career and I have to say today’s guest is my favorite He’s my favorite person in the music business. A humble guy, a great person. next is A full uncut interview with Huey Lewis… From 1984 to 1988 nobody was bigger. he had so many classic hits like The Heart of Rock and Roll, Heart and Soul, Jacobs Ladder, I Want a New Drug, Stuck With You, The power of Love, Hip to Be Square and a dozen more. Huey Tells the story of all of them here in some of the best stories you’ll hear on this channel. i’ve only shared some tidbits from this interview over the years.. Never the whole thing. 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.

    1h 6m

  8. NOV 6

    How Jason Mraz’s Forgotten Song “I’m Yours” Took Over the World

    Coming up, an interview with Jason Mraz, one of the nicest guys in music... about one of the catchiest singalong hits of the last 30 years: I'm Yours. The song started as a rough demo that this artist put on their website. It was just a throwaway B-side. He thought it was good, but it was just a simple song; it was easy to sing, almost like a nursery rhyme, but he soon forgot about it... until a few years later when he was playing a concert in a foreign country and ran out of songs. Ao he played the old B-side and was floored when 10K people knew every word and were singing it in unison. He couldn’t believe it. So when he got back home, he did a proper recording of it. And put it out and it blew up. It set a record at the time of being on the charts for almost 2 years. He tells the story 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.

    15 min
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4.9
out of 5
145 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
    2K
  • Episodes
    1.5K
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Professor of Rock | Gamut Podcast Network
  • Show Website
    Professor of Rock

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