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PODCAST

Professor of Rock

Gamut Podcast Network

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

music

All Episodes

00:24:05

How Living Colour’s “Cult of Personality” Broke...

Professor of Rock ·

2025/08/02

There are only a few dozen songs that came on the radio and rearranged our brains; they smacked us upside the head and changed the way we looked at the world. Today, we have the two principals from Living Colour behind one such song: Cult of Personality. It exploded onto MTV and Radio in the late 80s with an epic riff and a revolutionary message that had us seeing double. Corey Glover and Vernon Reid behind this force of nature song tell the story of Cult of Personality, a song that became a

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00:27:24

FROM THE VAULT: Interview with Geoff Downes: How...

Professor of Rock ·

2025/08/01

On This Day in Rock History, 1981, music changed forever with the launch of MTV, and the very first video to air was “Video Killed the Radio Star” by The Buggles. It became an anthem of the new era, but here’s the twist: it wasn’t an '80s song at all. Written, recorded, released, and even charted in the late '70s, the track peaked modestly at #40 in the U.S., yet it became one of the most iconic songs of the MTV generation. In this vault episode, the Professor of Rock talks with Buggles

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00:20:38

England Dan & John Ford Coley: The Soft Rock Duo Who...

Professor of Rock ·

2025/07/31

I love stories like this… I've got one half of the underrated duo England Dan and John Ford Coley, that maybe the kings of the line, "Oh, that’s who sings that song…I’ve always loved it but never knew who sang it." Get This... today’s guests opened for Led Zeppelin as unsigned rookies, and they were so great that the newspaper that reviewed the show said they bettered the golden gods of rock! And not too long after, they put together one of the most successful runs of hits of the late 70s. From 1976

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00:09:04

BONUS: Adam and Janda Lane remember Ozzy Osbourne on...

Professor of Rock ·

2025/07/30

In this special episode of Behind The Song, Janda Lane is joined by Adam Reader for an emotional conversation about the passing of one of rock’s most iconic and influential figures: Ozzy Osbourne.Recorded just after his death on July 22, 2025, this bonus installment invites you to look back on Ozzy’s towering impact... from the dark, game-changing riffs of Black Sabbath to his wild, unforgettable solo run. Janda and The Professor dig into what made Ozzy a once-in-a-generation artist: his voice,

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00:36:22

Top 10 Albums of 1979: Fleetwood Mac, The Clash,...

Professor of Rock ·

2025/07/30

Coming up, we’re breaking down a year that might be the best ever for the lost art of the ALBUM: 1979. It was truly a year of classics. Including a record by The Clash, a band that was so damn broke, they ate nothing but food from a can. And then a great song, Train in Vain, came to them at the last second when the album was already being printed... so it didn’t even appear on the track list. It was a hidden track at the end of the album, and most fans didn’t even know it was there-It became their

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00:19:22

FROM THE VAULT: How Cream Turned a Poem About Real...

Professor of Rock ·

2025/07/29

On this day in 1966, Cream (Eric Clapton, Jack Bruce, and Ginger Baker) made their explosive live debut at The Twisted Wheel in Manchester. Just three years later, they'd help invent heavy metal and influence generations of rock bands.In this Vault episode of Professor of Rock, Adam dives into the haunting 1968 classic “White Room.” More than just a psychedelic anthem, it was born from poet Pete Brown’s battle with addiction and a desperate moment of clarity inside a flophouse that became his

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00:34:22

Top 10 Songs of 1992: From Nirvana’s Revolution to...

Professor of Rock ·

2025/07/28

Coming up, it’s the story of 10 classic songs from a tsunami year in music. Tsunami as in a year where 1 song wiped out the status quo on radio and MTV… With Nirvana's Smells Like Teen Spirit, but there were plenty of other great songs from that monumental year, including one that came from a story the songwriter read in a newspaper about a drunk guy who shot up his girlfriend’s car. The #1 song came from the simple response this man gave to a judge at his sentencing, and it was so heart-wrenching

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00:17:21

How Cake’s “The Distance” Became the Coolest Song of...

Professor of Rock ·

2025/07/27

Coming up next, I have to admit, I was pretty intimidated to interview today’s guest, John McCrea of Cake. This witty singer is wicked smart. Cake's song The Distance was an instant favorite with an opening line that grabs you by the ears and never lets go, and also contains a word that has never been used like this in a rock song. I think it’s got to be the best opening line of the last 30 years easy… It’s a song that was extremely peculiar, and I mean that as a compliment, because it’s truly the

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00:33:32

Weird Al Yankovic’s Greatest Parodies: From “White &...

Professor of Rock ·

2025/07/26

What does a comedy legend do after he’s conquered the 80s with some of the funniest take downs of classic songs with food and hospitals, and then skewered the 90s by slamming its biggest icon with a song so hilarious it made the serious artist laugh at himself? Well, he only got better. Today, we have more from the prince of parody, the sultan of satire, and the master of mockery, Weird Al Yankovic... including the time his parody White and Nerdy actually passed up the song he made fun of in the

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00:21:19

Jimi Hendrix’s Final Days, Wild Legends, and the...

Professor of Rock ·

2025/07/25

Today, we have one of those rare classic songs, Purple Haze, that has a multitude of stories and legends behind it. First of all, it’s the mother of all misheard lyrics… One that Jimi Hendrix himself started doing in his live shows as a joke. Then there was the first draft of this thing, which was an epic 1000 words that Jimi pared down for radio… then Hendrix risked being electrocuted to create it, and then there was the origin of the song… Some say Purple Haze came from a lucid dream. Others say

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00:24:37

How Walter Egan Turned a Crush on Stevie Nicks Into a...

Professor of Rock ·

2025/07/24

Coming up, I had a blast with my guest today, Walter Egan… a man who many call a one-hit wonder, but that’s too easy... Sure, he created a huge hit in the late 70s, Magnet and Steel, that became a pop culture fixture with 2 legends who sang background vocals on this classic hit from a band that was rock’s big soap opera of the time. One of these backing vocalists, Lindsey Buckingham, is one of the great guitarists of his time and helped produce the song. And the other one, Stevie Nicks, was so

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00:22:23

Remembering Ozzy Osbourne – Ozzy’s Post–Sabbath...

Professor of Rock ·

2025/07/23

As we continue our tribute to the late, great Ozzy Osbourne, we revisit one of the most electrifying chapters of his legendary career with the creation of “Crazy Train.”After being kicked out of from Black Sabbath, the very band he helped make iconic, many believed Ozzy’s time in the spotlight was over. Battling addiction, depression, and self-doubt, even Ozzy himself thought it might be the end. But then came a spark: a young, virtuosic guitarist named Randy Rhoads. Together, they would forge a

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00:20:09

Remembering Ozzy Osbourne – The Redemption Behind...

Professor of Rock ·

2025/07/22

Today, we honor the Prince of Darkness: Ozzy Osbourne, who has passed away, leaving behind one of the most legendary and unfiltered legacies in the history of rock ‘n’ roll. From his groundbreaking days with Black Sabbath to a solo career that defied all odds, Ozzy wasn’t just a rock star—he was a survivor, a showman, and above all, a voice for the outcasts. His life was chaos and brilliance in equal measure, and somehow, through every fall, he got back up louder than ever. In this special "From

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00:27:02

The Lost Rebel Anthem: How Rock’s Boldest Hit...

Professor of Rock ·

2025/07/22

So this was probably the most difficult episode I’ve ever made. But it’s one that I hope will provoke a real discussion… So one of the main reasons rock ’n’ roll hit so hard when it exploded in the ’50s was because… it wasn’t just music—it was rebellion. It shook off the stiff, clean-cut norm of the time and brought in something wild, loud, and full of swagger. The artists who lit the spark weren’t just entertainers—they were symbols of freedom, independence, and boldness. And that was magnetic,

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00:12:55

The Power of the Rock Community: Why We Won’t Back...

Professor of Rock ·

2025/07/22

It’s been such a crazy week as I’ve been fighting this music rights scam. At one point, I was about ready to give up hope. But I can’t believe how much good has come out of all of this. Right up front, I've got to say THANK YOU to this amazing community. You have flooded the comment section with love and support. And I’ve felt it. THANK YOU! I also want to thank Rick Beato, Justin Hawkins, and Rhett Schull for the videos they posted in response to what has been going on. I’m grateful not only for

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00:22:36

FROM THE VAULT: Motley Crue’s 'Home Sweet Home': The...

Professor of Rock ·

2025/07/21

Don’t go anywhere. Next up: the most-watched episode in Professor of Rock history! FROM THE VAULT: Today, it’s an epic track from a throwaway album… Or at least that’s what the band called it. This song though, it set a new standard for how rock bands wrote and released singles in the 80s, and in the process became one of their signature hits. Home Sweet Home by Motley Crue… Unfortunately, it never got its due on the charts. In fact, because their label hated it and refused to promote it, Home

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00:25:07

FROM THE VAULT: The Story Behind The Beatles’ Perfect...

Professor of Rock ·

2025/07/20

Today's vault episode serves up one of Adam's favorite episodes. The collaborative genius of Lennon & McCartney created many of the most celebrated compositions ever recorded- including two heartfelt & evocative pieces of musical theater that demonstrated why The Beatles were the most impactful group of the Rock Era. The story of the powerful double-A side masterpiece- “Penny Lane” and “Strawberry Fields Forever” NEXT on Professor of Rock. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy

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00:31:24

Top 10 B-Sides That Became Iconic Hits: Queen,...

Professor of Rock ·

2025/07/19

Alright, for this episode, we’re flipping the record over to uncover some of the greatest surprise hits of the rock era… That’s right, it’s the revenge of the B-sides. You know, the red-headed stepchildren of rock… songs that were’t good enough to make it onto an album…only good enough to back a hit single. Well, as you’ll see, today’s entries can more than hold their own. In fact, we’ve got a story about Queen's drummer Roger Taylor, who believed in his song so much he locked himself in a cupboard

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00:26:14

Michael Anthony Reveals How Van Halen Conquered Rock...

Professor of Rock ·

2025/07/18

Ya know, every now and again I do an interview and I have a pinch-me moment. All of a sudden, I have the realization that I’m talking to True Rock Royalty… somebody who laid the foundation and kicked open the door everyone is walking through right now. And today I’m excited to share one of those types of interviews. Michael Anthony is arguably the greatest backing vocalist and bassist in hard rock history. He was the standard in the 70s and 80s in a band that lit the world on fire: Van Halen. This

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00:20:05

FROM THE VAULT: How Def Leppard Defied the Odds to...

Professor of Rock ·

2025/07/18

🎸 On This Day in Rock History:In 1978, Def Leppard played their first-ever gig at Westfield School in Sheffield, setting the stage for their legendary career. In today’s VAULT episode, we dive into the unbelievable story behind their 1987 blockbuster album Hysteria — a masterpiece shaped by Joe Elliott, Steve Clark, Rick Savage, Rick Allen, and Phil Collen, with producer Mutt Lange. From tragedy to triumph, it’s a journey of persistence, sound innovation, and rock perfection. With exclusive

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