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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

00:37:16

Top 10 One-Hit Wonder Solo Acts from Famous Bands

Professor of Rock ·

2025/09/10

Coming up, we’re cracking open a special edition of Bottled Lightning — and we’ve never done anything quite like this before. We’re counting down the Top 10 one-hit Wonders who left powerhouse bands to go it alone. These were musicians who already had it made in the shade, already had a ton of hits with their band, but when they went solo… it turns out lightning only struck once. And the stories are wild. Like Limahl who was FIRED from his band Kajagoogoo over the phone, right after he took them to

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00:37:34

10 Rock Classics from 1976 That Never Hit the Top 40

Professor of Rock ·

2025/09/09

Coming up, we’re diving into ten unforgettable rock classics from 1976 that never cracked the Hot 100’s Top 40 — songs you know by heart, but were never “hit singles.” And most of these are better than some of the biggest smash hits of their day. You’ll hear the story of a Robert Plant who was confined to a wheelchair after a serious car crash. And his band named the title Achilles Last Stand after his injury. Then there’s the tale of Boston's sonic genius Tom Scholz, who preferred working in his

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00:20:22

How Loss and Heartbreak Shaped The Pretenders’ ’80s...

Professor of Rock ·

2025/09/08

Coming up next today's Chrissie Hynde went through the most trying time of her life. One day, she had to fire bassist Pete Farndon, one of the co-founders of her band, and then 2 days later, she faced the death of her right-hand man, James Honeyman-Scott, one of the greatest guitarists of his time. To top it all off, Chrissie was pregnant and going through a breakup with her iconic husband Ray Davies. Up next, the story of a true rock and roll warrior who rose from the ashes of losing her bandmates

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00:29:06

Tiny Tim’s Onstage Death and Other Shocking Stories...

Professor of Rock ·

2025/09/07

Coming up, we tell the incredible, outrageous stories of 5 acts that were LEGENDARY for being downright awful, and yet they managed to become cult heroes. Some people actually worshipped them, including some true legends of music. There’s the story of The Shaggs, 3 sisters who were forced to be a trio by their domineering father... because his mother had a dream that his daughters were going to be singing stars. They HATED every second of it and were so bad they got stuff thrown at them when they

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00:19:29

How “Bad to the Bone” Became a Pop Culture Anthem...

Professor of Rock ·

2025/09/06

Coming up… Bad to the Bone, it may be the most recognizable guitar riff ever. George Thorogood, the famous guitarist who wrote it, is with us today. He actually wrote it for his hero, but it was rejected. So he did it himself. And he added a snarling stutter to its chorus that made it a classic. But it wasn’t a hit when it was released in 1982; instead, it ramped up every year after that, becoming more and more prolific. In fact, it became so memorable. It became the signature song for every rebel

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00:22:33

Chicago’s “Hard Habit to Break”: Bill Champlin on the...

Professor of Rock ·

2025/09/05

Coming up next, the story of a perfect pop song, Chicago's Hard Habit to Break... In fact, it may be the 80s' greatest pocket symphony that hearkens back to heavenly vocal harmonies of the Beach Boys and the Beatles at their peak. Hard Habit has one of the most powerful and enduring vocal duets of all time, with Peter Cetera and Bill Champlin, who somehow blended perfectly even though they were so different. And we have Bill with us today to recount the hilarious session that birthed this barn

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00:22:32

Bon Jovi’s Anthem That Almost Got Away: The True...

Professor of Rock ·

2025/09/04

Coming up next, the story of one of the three most played rock songs in history: Bon Jovi's Livin' On A Prayer. It was a #1 smash in the 80s, and Jon Bon Jovi wanted to give the song away. He didn’t think it was strong enough for the album until he was convinced it was Great. I have the song's co-writer, Desmond Child, with me today, who happens to be one of the most successful writers ever. Today, Desmond tells the story of several #1 hits he wrote with Bon Jovi, including the song You Give Love a

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00:32:53

Countdown: The 10 Most Iconic Rock Albums from Rock’s...

Professor of Rock ·

2025/09/03

Coming up… we’re taking a trip back to the year rock hit overdrive, and counting down 10 albums that made it a gold standard year in music history. Man, there were so many CLASSICS to choose from, I gotta warn you now — a few fan favorite albums are gonna be left on the cutting room floor. Will your favorites make it? There are some incredible stories here. On one album, iconic singer-songwriter Joni Mitchell wrote in “poetic code” about giving her daughter up for adoption. But it would be decades

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00:22:23

FROM THE VAULT: How Creedence Clearwater Revival...

Professor of Rock ·

2025/09/02

Sibling rivalry, band-member infighting, and an ongoing wrestle for creative control all led to the break up of today’s featured band. Creedence Clearwater Revival... Theirs was a bottled lightning career, but they were no one hit-wonder. In fact, they kicked out 9 Top 10 hits in the space of two years… John Fogerty and his band never landed a #1, but they did have a record 5 #2 hits. Today’s song was certainly worthy of a #1. It is a true standard of the rock canon. It was also prophetic…

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00:32:17

Songs You Know, Stories You Don’t: The Wild Truth...

Professor of Rock ·

2025/09/01

Coming up…Some massive hits with unbelievable stories, including the story of Elvis, who had to record a cheesy middle section in “Are You Lonesome Tonight?” that was so bad he had to do two dozen takes because he would burst out in laughter. The song went on to become a #1 smash. As well as the song I'm Sorry that was delivered by Brenda Lee, a remarkably mature 15-year-old who many scorned because they didn’t think a teenager should tackle such mature subject matter. Then there’s the #1 hit “Itsy

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00:21:21

Hold Me Now: How a Breakup Sparked the Thompson...

Professor of Rock ·

2025/08/31

The Thompson Twins, an up-and-coming band, were trying to finish their second album and needed one more song to fill it out. They had a tight deadline and were running out of time. So that night, frontman Tom Bailey wrote one in a jiffy called Hold Me Now. He knew it was filler, but he could tack it on the end of the album and their record would finally be finished. Hold Me Now ended up being a #1 smash, and it turned the band inside out. It actually ended up changing their musical direction as they

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00:33:52

How an ’80s Candy Jingle Accidentally Became a...

Professor of Rock ·

2025/08/30

Get ready for a good one. Today, we’re telling the wildest stories behind the television tunes that ruled the 80s. The ones that played in between your favorite shows. They’re those quick bite-sized hits that were permanently burned into your brain, and you’ll know them when you hear them. It’s nostalgia overload. You may know them even more than the biggest hit songs of the time. So one was a throwaway song, intentionally written to fail… but it sold so much candy, the company had to build an extra

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00:22:09

How the Grateful Dead Became Rock's Biggest Live Act...

Professor of Rock ·

2025/08/29

Coming up they may have the most passionate and famous following in rock and roll history along with one of the greatest frontmen whose guitar playing is legendary. They band name is as recognizabe as Zeppelin or the Beatles and their merch consistelnl sales in the top of the echelon of rock and yet they only had one hit. That’s right they are a So called One hit Wonder In fact for decades during their peak they had exactly ZERO hits next to their band name. but in the mid 80s that finally changed

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00:28:14

Revisiting the Top 10 of 1983: Def Leppard, The...

Professor of Rock ·

2025/08/29

Coming up, it’s the latest edition of our Series, The Hit Song Redux. We haven’t done one of these in a while! It’s the show where we go behind the Top 10 songs from a great week in the rock era, which, for this week, we choose 42 years ago in 1983. But counting them down isn’t enough. After we reach #1, we re-rank them according to all-time streams and views… to see what the real #1 hit is. Today we’ve got a massive lineup in store, with some of the most iconic tracks the 80s have to offer. But who

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00:26:19

From Wedding Singer to Metal Icon: The Rise of...

Professor of Rock ·

2025/08/28

Coming up, an interview with a legendary 5 octave range singer who blew up radio in the 80s with his band, with songs that have become rock classics, including today’s dark and haunting classic that gave me nightmares as a kid. The singer admits it’s given many nightmares… We get the story of how he made the song a classic and how he was discovered by a famous rock legend’s parents, who were attending a wedding where he was the wedding singer. They talked to him and recommended him for a band that

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00:38:47

Top Albums of 1984 – The Smiths, Prince, The Cars,...

Professor of Rock ·

2025/08/27

Coming up, we're counting down the greatest albums of music’s greatest year, 1984... fueled by a barrage of powder kegs, including a full-on brawl between two rock icons after James Hetfield kicked Dave Mustaine's pet dog. Then there was Mutt Lange, the perfectionist producer whose drive and ambition took The Cars to the top of the charts, but drove them so hard it broke them up for good. Plus, the most haunting song of the decade by The Smiths that I guarantee will give you nightmares. Plus, the

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00:34:11

1994 Countdown: Iconic Songs from Beck, Lisa Loeb,...

Professor of Rock ·

2025/08/26

Coming up, it really is our Final Yearly Songs Countdown…and we end with a bang. One of the best years ever. A year where Beck, the worst rapper in history, created the best rock song of the year: Loser. Plus the gorgeous pixie with the voice of an angel, Dolores O'Riordan, who went scorched earth on Zombie, a song with a vocal that blew up the radio but was never released as a single, even though it’s one of the most-streamed songs ever! Plus Collective Soul and Shine's classic rock chorus that

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00:20:36

How Kiss Saved Their Career with “Forever” After 12...

Professor of Rock ·

2025/08/25

Coming up, Kiss, the hard rock band whose career was saved by a cheesy ballad written by a man who became a punchline due to a joke in the comedy film Office Space. After hitting it big in the 70s as one of the most iconic rock bands of the time, Kiss hit a wall and couldn’t buy a hit. So they made a bold move. They unveiled the mystery behind what had made them household names... their faces. The problem is it didn’t work and sent them into a tailspin. Some say it became a curse... Could they break

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00:26:37

Rock’s Greatest Rivalries: Band Feuds That Made History

Professor of Rock ·

2025/08/24

Coming up… Rock rivalries are the stuff of legend. Behind the spotlight, egos clash, tempers flare, and sometimes the stage just isn’t big enough to hold all the drama. On this episode, we’re turning up the intrigue with some of the most contentious battles of the rock era… both between bands and within bands. These weren’t trivial disputes; I’m talking about feuds that made headlines, split fanbases, and left a lasting mark on the music we love. Today, you’ll hear four unbelievable stories of

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00:29:00

FROM THE VAULT: Queen’s 'Bohemian Rhapsody': How...

Professor of Rock ·

2025/08/23

On this day in 1969, Freddie Bulsara—later Freddie Mercury—made his live debut with Ibex in the UK. To celebrate his legacy, we revisit the story of Queen’s greatest song, “Bohemian Rhapsody.” Part rock, part ballad, part opera, it was first rejected by the label until Freddie leaked it to radio, where fans made it a sensation. It topped charts in the ’70s, returned in the ’90s with Wayne’s World, and remains one of the greatest rock songs ever written. The story is coming up next… on

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1,070 results

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