Episodes
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Coming up, it's the ultimate countdown of classic crushes, heartbreaks, and unforgettable anthems. Some of these songs were written about real people, while others just needed the perfect name to make them timeless. Itâs our Girl in the Song countdown, including Prince's Naughty Song Darling Nikki that Offended Every Politicianâs Wife in Washington DC. And Angie, a song that Mick Jagger allegedly wrote to make peace when his buddy's wife found them in bed together. Plus Brandy (You're a Fine Girl), which made an obscure Girlâs name one of the most popular of the 70s. And another song, Beth, that Kiss hated so much, most of the key members didnât even show up to record it, and then it became their biggest hit. Interviews and stories are NEXT on Professor of Rock.
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It was a year of rock and pop magic. Today, we do our final top 10 countdown of the neon decade. It was year that saw Peter Gabriel replace his old band Genesis at #1 with the happy-go-lucky song Sledgehammer that most people still donât know is about making whoopee. And then another #1 hit Addicted to Love that was written while its suave singer, Robert Palmer, was asleep. Plus, you had a music critic quit his big-time magazine to go write music as one half of the Pet Shop Boys⊠His co-workers mocked him relentlessly until West End Girls became one of the biggest hits of the year. And this is the year that included what I believe is the coolest song of all time⊠Something About You by Level 42. Seriously, if I could only listen to 1 song for the rest of my life⊠it would be this one. Can you guess the year? We have special guests and epic stories coming up next on Professor of Rock.
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Missing episodes?
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I got one for ya. Today's song Soul to Squeeze was cut from the Red Hot Chili Peppers' ground-breaking album, Blood Sugar Sex Magik. It was turned into a B-side several times, and then put on the soundtrack of one of the worst movies of its time, The Coneheads, as an afterthought⊠And then out of nowhere, it flew up the charts and became a #1 smash? Well, Soul to Squeeze did exactly that. The Chili Peppers had it all ready to go as a part of their famous double album, but at the last second, their label demanded they cut the double record in half. And since theyâd already written a similar song, they just dropped it. They thought it was just OK anyway, so it was no skin off their noses. But as it turns out, Soul to Squeeze resonated with a lot of people who felt like outcasts. I guess everybody loves an underdog. Up next, we have the unlikely story of a second-class b-side from the soundtrack of the worst movie of the year that became a bona fide rock classic on Professor of Rock.
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Coming up, weâre uncovering the backstories behind the greatest movie themes of the 1980s. Songs that became pop culture history. And some of these backstories are just insane. The Batman theme was recorded in the cramped bathroom of an airplane at 30,000 feet. And the former 80s frontman turned composer, Danny Elfman, had to run back to the lavatory every time inspiration struck with the next part. Another classic adventure score, The Raiders March, actually started as two separate pieces of musicâbut they were both so good, the director made him stitch the two songs into a single, unforgettable track. Then there was the ET Theme that was so moving that it made Steven Spielberg cry the first time he heard it, and then he actually re-cut the film to match the flow of the music. Weâre telling these stories and more⊠Stick around as we count them down, NEXT on the Professor of Rock.
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Coming up next, a conversation with The Stylistics, a band that helped carve out an Incredible Musical Movement in the 70s. One that would influence everyone from Prince to Judas Priest to Daryl Hall and John Oates with some of the best baby-making music of all time. In fact, the members of this group told me that a couple told them that they have 3 kids and all were conceived to each of their 3 hits: Like You Are Everything, You Make Feel Brand New, and Betcha By Golly Wow. Up next, they tell the story of 2 of the biggest hits ever including one that came from an old Country Bumpkin Saying that they turned into a classic and another one that has one of the most striking falsettos of all time. The story is next on Professor of Rock.
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Coming up, the story of the 80s classic that just gets bigger every year, and it almost didnât get recorded. Todayâs singer-songwriter Robbie Dupree moved to LA and began to pay his dues, and he did for years, but he got nowhere. He submitted demos, including his song that would become an all-time classic: Steal Away. But it was rejected by every single label outright. So Robbie decided to move back to his old town and took a job loading carpets into trucks just to make ends meet, feeling like his chance had passed and he was ready to move on with his life. Then something completely unexpected happened. And it made his song a classic that has had a major resurgence in pop culture and is now one of the most played songs in radio history. Robbie himself tells the story next on Professor of Rock.
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Thereâs no shortage of opinions when it comes to the greatest Male rock singer of all timeâcritics, fans, and forums have debated it endlessly. And while we donât necessarily disagree with the usual names, there are some incredible voices that rarely get the recognition they deserve. So on this episode, we're shining a light on the unsung heroesâthe vocalists who should absolutely be in the conversation of the greatest ever, and there are some real surprises in here. Itâs our countdown of the Top 10 Most Under-Appreciated Vocalists⊠including the raspy rocker Bob Seger who was so poetic he made a seedy stripper seem like a Goddess, and Sammy Hagar who had such a talent at this peak that his 1986 hit with his new band was so grand it felt like he was just showing off. And then thereâs David Gilmour, who is one of the greatest guitarists ever and the secondary singer in Pink Floyd, but his melancholy performance on 1975's Wish You Were Here was so sensational itâs become the greatest album cut in history. The stories are coming up NEXT on Professor of Rock.
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Todayâs year was something else. Where it was the last hurrah for one Genre⊠Rock made a huge comeback with songs that have become like old friends. Including Who Are You by The Who that dropped the F-bomb clearly several times, but somehow got past the censors and is still played todayâŠThen there was the Punk Icon that questioned Freddie Mercury's masculinity, and then Mercury turned around and wrote the Toughest Rock Anthem of the time: We Will Rock You. Then there was the rookie band Foreigner that ran out of songs at their first festival, so they ad-libbed Hot Blooded on the spot, and it became a classic. Plus, the Saxophone song Baker Street by Gerry Rafferty made sales of the instrument skyrocket across the world. But the guy who played the sax part only got paid 36 bucks for it, and the check bounced! Weâve got a great countdown coming up on Professor of Rock.
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Coming up, the unbelievable story of the quintessential 80s classic that made it into the Guinness Book of World Records for the longest hike to #1... from the strange and entraining band Dead or Alive, led by larger than life frontman Pete Burns, whose botched plastic surgery became his downfall. He started out as a militant record store clerk berating customers whose musical tastes didnât align with his! He even got nasty, throwing their purchases back in their face. But then, later, he threw down a record of his very own⊠a song that would flood any dance floor or club anywhere: You Spin Me Round (Like a Record). Later, it would become the most rehashed karaoke song of the time⊠The band would have 7 top 10 hits over just a couple of years, even though to this day, people all think of them as a one-hit wonder. The problem is that, the moment the 80s ended, the band vanished. But 21 years after the song hit #1 in 1985, it hit #1 again! The story is next on Professor of Rock.
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Writing songs that felt like letters from a lonely highway or the deck of a sinking ship, Gordon Lightfoot turned heartbreak and history into chart-topping hits. And sometimes, the stories behind the songs were just as intense as the ones he told through lyrics. On this episode, weâre telling the story of one of Canadaâs finest through five defining songs. Including the chart-topping hit Sundown, fueled by jealous obsession over a passionate relationship with a woman who would later be jailed in connection with the death of a major icon.. And there is also The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald, a song that stopped radio listeners coldâa six-minute ballad about a doomed freighter. It became one of the most haunting songs of the 70s. Plus, If You Could Read My Mind, a song that was so commercially successful, the artistâs label changed the name of the album to match it. Weâre tracing the evolution of one of the premier troubadours of the rock era⊠NEXT on the Professor of Rock.
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Coming up, possibly the most likable person Iâve ever interviewed. Rupert HolmesâŠHeâs Such a great storyteller⊠Well itâs a special one today as he tells the story of a beloved song that was the final #1 Hit of the 70s and wouldâve been the first #1 of the 80s but Payola ruined that⊠Escape (the Pina Colada Song) Although he did hit #1 a week into the new decade but itâs ironic that this song was the last #1 of the 70s and one of the first of the 80s because the song itself has one foot in both decades and to think itâs singer and creator had a completely different lyric when he went into the recording booth but in a split second he changed the main lyric from one unique phrase to another that was completely off the wall and the split second decision changed everything. He was freaking out because he had to some crazy word play to make the syllables fit and the song had to have a second drummer to make it all fit but it became one of the most famous songs ever⊠The story is next on Professor of Rock.
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Coming up, the story of the nearly forgotten rockstar Adam Ant⊠He should be remembered more than he is⊠He started out destined for the top of the charts⊠His mother was Paul McCartneyâs housekeeper, so he ended up walking McCartneyâs Dog and later got the guts to sneak into his music room. Later, he formed a band, and they actually had 7 songs in the top 40 charts at the same time⊠He got so big he was voted Worldâs Sexiest Man in an MTV poll, which may have been the strangest choice, as he beat out everyone from Bruce Springsteen to Simon Le Bon of Duran Duran. But it was his odd style and persona that won over everyone and influenced the biggest stars of the time, including the King of Pop. Adam Ant's music dominated the new romantic new wave landscape of early MTV. He really was the face of early MTV with Goody Two Shoes that many confused as a critique of righteous living. But as youâll find out today, it was actually about him in a way. And later, weâd find out that he made his bandmates sign an agreement they wouldnât drink or smoke! Itâs a story that has rarely been told. Next on Professor of Rock.
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Up next, we celebrate a magical year in our culture. See if you can guess the year. A wide-eyed alien named E.T. captured our hearts on the big screen, and the alien the Thing filled our hearts with fearâbut over the airwaves, some of the most unforgettable songs of the Rock Era were blasting out of our speakers! Including New World Man, the only hit Rush ever had, and it was kind of a fluke. They had 3:57 of dead space on their finished album, so even though they never wrote short songs, they set a goal to write one in less than a day. Then there was Jackson Browne, who had his biggest hit ever: Somebody's Baby. But he thought it was fluff, so he refused to put it on his new album. And it may have cost him #1 and at least a million sales. Then there was Phil Oakey, who begged his label not to put out his catchy song Don't You Want Me. So, of course, it became the biggest song of the year! And finally, there was the duet Under Pressure that Freddie Mercury and David Bowie declined to sing in the same room. Crazy stories with Iconic guestsâŠNEXT on Professor of Rock.
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Coming up next, Earth, Wind & Fire's September, a 70s classic that contained a date that would become the most famous in song history! Many have wondered why the legendary group or songwriter chose the particular date⊠Weâll find out next. September is a stone-cold classic song that, whenever played, is a guaranteed floor flooder from a group that grooves like no other. It was a song written by a woman who was on food stamps, but this classic would immediately pull her out of poverty and make her one of the richest songwriters ever. But the legendary singer of the band, Maurice White, threw a nonsense word in the chorus that he was severely criticized for. Many wanted it changed⊠He stuck with it, believing it was a key to the songâŠBut what did it mean? Find out why it was so important as we celebrate maybe the greatest crossover classic in music history!
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Before streaming, before binge-watching, and long before the skip-intro button⊠there was the TV theme song. And in the 1970s, they werenât just an afterthoughtâtheme songs were an art form. A great theme could sell you on a show before the first line of dialogue. On todayâs countdown, weâre rewinding back to the golden age of polyester and primetime to bring you the Top 12 TV themes of the 70s. Along the way, weâll feature the M*A*S*H Theme Song written by a producerâs teenage son. And it became an enduring classicâeven though he was told to make it sound âstupid.â Another song, Come and Knock on Our Door, was supposed to be sung by the showâs cast, but they were so incredibly bad, they were replaced by professional singers. And the song Welcome Back Kotter was so good that the name of the TV show was changed to match it. These stories and more are coming up NEXT on the Professor of Rock.
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Coming up next: one of the greatest singer-songwriters of the '80s and beyond, Neil Finn, tells the story of his first band, Split Enz. They were underground heroes who would later conquer the mainstream with some of the best songs of the decade, including their 1980 single I Got You that became the biggest-selling single in Australian history, even though Neil thought the chorus was Corny and was planning to replace it but ran out of time. Then, another single One Step Ahead that became one of the first videos played on MTV, where one of his bandmates did the Moonwalk years before Michael Jackson would. Then thereâs the song that he wrote for a fan because they traveled all across the world to meet him. Itâs an entertaining interview with one of the finest songwriters ever next on professor of rock.
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Fleetwood Mac was a true supergroup in the ultra-competitive 70s and became the most enduring soap opera in rock history where it seemed like every band member was sleeping with each other at one time or another, and it actually enhanced the music. But fast forward to the 80s, and it got progressively worse and came to a nasty conclusion in 1987 while recording Tango in the Night, a record that had more hits than any of their albums tied with Rumours with Little Lies, Everywhere, Seven Wonders and Big Love..Already known for having more than their fair share of secrets, intrigue, and infighting, one tragic day after recording their new record. The experience took the bandâs brand of musical mayhem to a putrid level, leaving one band member, Stevie Nicks, fearing for her life. And another, Lindsey Buckingham, outright quit the band for good. Several of the band members were struggling with substance abuse, and another, Christine McVie was feeling left out of the creative process even though she may have had the best ideas. But through all this turmoil, the band manager recorded a hit song so magical, so joyful⊠even happy-go-lucky, that it puts you in a Great mood every time you hear it. So could that joy and the record's success overcome the drama?? Well, the story is coming up next.
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OK, everybody! Itâs time to shift into high gear with the ultimate soundtrack to power your next road trip. On this episode, weâre cranking up the volume and celebrating the Top 5 Driving Songs that turn every journey into an epic adventure. Along the way, we have Radar Love, a song that caused the most speeding tickets in history. Another song called Driver's Seat that was held out of #1 because a factory went on strike and couldnât make enough copies. Plus, GNR's Welcome to the Jungle, one of the most iconic hard rock songs ever. But at the time, nobody would play it because the band was too controversial. MTV made them a deal that theyâd play the song 1 time at 4 AM⊠So many fans called in after to request it be played again it tied up the switchboard for days⊠It made Appetite for Destruction a hit, selling 30 million copies. And finally, Born to Be Wild, a song that was written as a slow ballad until Steppenwolf sped it up and made it the greatest driving song ever. The stories are next on Professor of Rock.
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It was the end of a decade and the beginning of a brand-new era in music. It was the year the Beatles said goodbye, and a new wave of singer-songwriters took center stage... and rock, soul, and pop collided in revolutionary ways. So many classics with incredible stories and legendary guests, from No Sugar Tonight, a song inspired by Randy Bachman witnessing a wife cussing out her husband in public with a funny comeback. He turned into a #1 hit. And Bridge Over Troubled Water, a song that famous songwriter Paul Simon forced his less famous singing partner Art Garfunkel to do. But Paul was jealous and LIVID when it became their biggest hit. Another, Free's All Right Now was written on the fly before a gig, and it went over so well that the audience made the band play it again. And Eric Burdon & War's Spill the Wine, a song that most people donât realize is about an O-R-G-Y, but we sing it all the time. The countdown is NEXTâŠ.on Professor of Rock.
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