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 hi...
Latest episodes
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32 min
Rock’s Biggest Meltdowns Countdown: Ozzy Osbourne, Samantha Fox, Keith Moon, and More
Coming up, we’ve got rockstars going off the rails. And yeah, rock stars have always lived by their own rules — but some of them have been known to take things just a little too fa…
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33 min
The Stories Behind Iconic Hits: Guns N’ Roses, Boyz II Men, The KLF, and Metallica
Well, we took a couple of months off from this show, but due to overwhelming feedback, we did another episode… We brought it back at least one more time… It’s outdated… Time in a B…
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33 min
The Greatest Animated Movie Songs: Phil Collins, Michael Bolton, and More
Alright, in the past we’ve tried our hand at soundtrack hits, movie scores, television themes, and even cartoon theme songs. But on this episode of POR, we’re trying something new…
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16 min
FROM THE VAULT: How The B-52s’ Rock Lobster Inspired John Lennon’s Return to Music
Back with the B-52s! Coming Up... a song that missed the top 40 in the early 80s but has since then Rock Lobster by the B-52s has become a modern day standard and a major influence…
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35 min
1977’s Greatest Rock Hits: The Stories Behind “Go Your Own Way,” “Walk This Way” & More
Coming up…a year in music that needs some tweaking. It was the best of times, but today we’ll make it even better as well as select the 10 songs that should’ve been #1, including t…
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34 min
6 Bands That Should Have Been Bigger: The Stories Behind EMF, Tonic & Derek and the Dominos
Today we’re returning to a show that we haven’t done in a long time. It’s a variation on our Bottled Lightning series called One and Done… stories about bands who should have been…
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18 min
FROM THE VAULT: Narada Michael Walden on Producing Whitney Houston & Prince’s Legendary Basketball Skills
Let's run it back with this classic! Legendary producer Narada Michael Walden tells us two stories that will make you laugh with joy! One of the most successful producers ever tell…
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34 min
Top 10 Worst Celebrity Music Projects: Corey Feldman, Hulk Hogan, Eddie Murphy & More
Okay, okay. I’ve been meaning to do this episode for years. And well, I just can’t put it off any longer. Today, I’m counting down my Top 10 picks for the dumbest and cheesiest cel…
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35 min
Top 10 Greatest Cover Songs of All Time: Joe Cocker, Johnny Cash, Elvis Presley & More
A great cover song takes a track you thought you knew, turns it inside out, and makes you forget it ever belonged to anyone else. Today we're counting down the Top 10 greatest cove…
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34 min
7 Songs That Saved Lives: The Incredible Stories of Pearl Jam, Foo Fighters, and Soul Asylum
Go to https://buyraycon.com/professorofrockBC to get 30% off. Thanks to Raycon for sponsoring!We need this show right now. I have always believed that music is the universal langua…
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31 min
The Greatest Hits of 1973 That Never Made #1: A Classic Rock Countdown
Go to https://www.kachava.com/ and use code POR for 15% off your first order. Coming up… It’s time to rewrite history and give the greatest songs of 1973 their real due. These Top…
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29 min
Halloween Countdown: The Darkest True Crime Stories in Rock History
Watch at your own peril….this one is spooky and creepy…Rock has always flirted with the dark side — but some stories go too far beyond the music. Today we're pulling back the curta…
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17 min
Pete Byrne’s Final Interview: How Naked Eyes Created Two ’80s New Wave Classics
It’s been a horrible year in terms of losing legends in music, and sadly we just lost another one. The compelling singer who gifted us with several 80s classics from our youth. Pet…
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21 min
FROM THE VAULT: How a Session Guitarist Transformed Steely Dan’s "Reelin’ in the Years" into a 70s Classic
Let's take it back!Two of most cerebral rockers and known perfectionists Donald Fagen and Walter Becker AKA Steely Dan, just knew they had a song for their debut album with Hit pot…
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35 min
Top 10 Underrated Hits of 1986: Van Halen, David Lee Roth, Sting & More
Coming up… In 1986, these songs didn’t crack the Top 10; some may have thought they were also rans, but over time, they became bigger than songs that did, and some even bigger than…
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36 min
Top 8 Feel-Good Songs We Secretly Love—The Carpenters, Air Supply, The Osmonds & More
I KNOW YOU’RE GOING TO LOVE THIS EPISODE. If you don’t, I’ll eat my Hat live on camera. So everyone has that “one” playlist. You know the one with all the cheesy songs you’re embar…
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32 min
The Weirdest and Wildest Songs of the ’50s — Wanda Jackson, “Purple People Eater” & More
The 1950s gave us the birth of rock and roll — and with it a collection of song stories so bizarre and completely unhinged that they sound made up. Behind the poodle skirts and the…
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18 min
Remembering Duncan Sheik: A Lost Interview About “Barely Breathing” and His Greatest Songs
Sadly, we lost a great artist recently. Duncan Sheik, the singer-songwriter who wrote one of the best songs of the late 90s and, statistically, the biggest one-hit wonder ever. Bar…
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31 min
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 r…
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31 min
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…