Advertise on podcast: Behind The Song: Classic Rock Chronicles

In 1970, Neil Young was handed a screenplay by a neighbor about an apocalyptic flood wiping out the Topanga Canyon community they lived in. The film was never made and the script is now lost, but it unlocked one of the most potent songs of his career. In this episode of the Behind The Song podcast, Janda dives into the elusive meaning of "After The Gold Rush” and why the song is more relevant than ever over 56 years later. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Introducing The American Way of Killing: The Invention of an Epidemic from Revisionist History. Follow the show: Revisionist History The United States has far more homicides than any of its peers around the world. Why? In his new audiobook book, The American Way of Killing: The Invention of an Epidemic, bestselling author Malcolm Gladwell explores the American “peculiarity” — how the world’s wealthiest country came to suffer from a problem typically only seen in the world’s poorest countries. Drawing on original interviews, archival and social science research, and his trademark insight, Gladwell approaches the American paradox through a series of stories. What can we learn from the miracle of a young gunshot victim in Washington, D.C.? How have the legal troubles of a seventeenth-century English knight influenced American attempts at gun control? Why would a European police chief be baffled by the graduation ceremony at any American police academy? In a sweeping narrative, Gladwell travels from a shooting range in North Carolina, to the South Side of Chicago, to an old plantation house in Alabama, painting a picture of a country that does not understand its most pressing social problem, and as result, does not understand how to fix it. Here's a preview. Get the full audiobook at pushkin.fm/audiobooks or wherever you get audiobooks.DISCLAIMER: Please note, this is an independent podcast episode not affiliated with, endorsed by, or produced in conjunction with the host podcast feed or any of its media entities. The views and opinions expressed in this episode are solely those of the creators and guests. For any concerns, please reach out to [email protected].

As the Illinois Rock & Roll Museum On Route 66 prepares for its 5th annual Hall Of Fame awards ceremony in Chicago on September 27th, Janda had a chat with founder and CEO Ron Romero to talk about this year’s inductees and what a privilege it is to preserve the rich musical history of Illinois. The Drive will be the radio station honored with an induction in this year’s event, and the show will include performances by Kevin Cronin of REO Speedwagon, Jim Peterik of Styx, The Boyzz, The Flock, members of American Breed, Plain White T’s, Hot Mix 5, and the family of the late Koko Taylor. Listen in on this lively chat in the new episode of the Behind The Song podcast! See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this bonus episode of the Behind The Song podcast, Janda pays tribute to the late, great Tim Curry. Beyond his iconic role in the Rocky Horror Picture show and his other roles as an actor, he had an almost-forgotten career as a rock musician. Janda digs into how his overlooked solo albums had a big impact on none other than Joe Bonamossa, who launched his own musical career with an obscure deep cut from Curry.   See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode of the Behind The Song podcast, Janda digs in to “London Calling” by The Clash, a song that called an alarm about what was going on in London and the world in the late 70’s, with “S.O.S.” in Morse code buried right in the track. Follow the story of how The Clash became more than just a broke punk band with the London Calling album, now considered one of the greatest albums ever made.  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this bonus episode of Behind The Song, Janda pays tribute to the late Dolly Parton. More than just a country singer, entertainer, or her late-in-life role as a surprise rock star, Dolly spent her life helping others, even when the cameras weren’t rolling. That philanthropy is her true legacy. Janda traces her story from a one-room cabin in Tennessee to becoming one of the most inspirational people in the world, high heels, wigs, rhinestones and all.  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Fifty years ago this week, Boston released one of the best-selling debut albums in rock history. In the new bonus episode of the Behind The Song podcast, Janda flips through the class of ‘76 yearbook in classic rock, a year stacked with albums that still shape what we listen to today: Boston’s debut, Led Zeppelin's Presence, Rush's 2112, Aerosmith's Rocks, Steve Miller Band's Fly Like an Eagle, Blue Öyster Cult's Agents of Fortune, Bob Seger's Night Moves, and Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers' debut. It was more than just a good year, it set the stage for what classic rock would become. Listen in and pick your own valedictorian from the Class of 1976!  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In 1976, an exhausted AC/DC wrote "Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap" between tour stops, built around a line Angus Young lifted from a cartoon villain's business card. What followed was stranger than the song itself: an Illinois couple harassed for years because their real phone number matched the lyrics, a U.S. label that shelved the album for nearly five years and almost dropped the band, and a chart-topping American release that landed over a year after Bon Scott's death — competing directly with AC/DC's own new record at the time. In this episode of the Behind The Song podcast, Janda traces Bon Scott's wild backstory, the humor and heartbreak in his lyrics, and how this scrappy, nearly-buried album became a platinum classic on two different timelines. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

It started with literal spit! Roger Waters, spitting on a fan mid-concert in 1977. That moment was the inspiration behind one of rock's most ambitious concept albums, Pink Floyd’s The Wall. In this episode of the Behind The Song podcast, Janda dives into the chaotic making of the album, the four-city stage show too expensive to take anywhere else, and the courtroom battle over who actually got to be Pink Floyd — including the pettiest lawsuit workaround in rock history, involving an inflatable pig! See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Every year from August 1st to August 9th, Deadheads mark the “Days Between" — the span between Jerry Garcia's birth and death. In this bonus episode of the Behind The Song podcast, Janda digs into how a deep-cut song title that was only played 41 times by the band became the name of what has evolved into a high holy week for an entire community of Grateful Dead fans. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Don Henley's “The Boys Of Summer” is a song with lyrical roots that trace back to the poet Dylan Thomas, but it got its musical start from a demo Mike Campbell played for Tom Petty -- who passed on it!  In an updated episode of the Behind The Song podcast, Janda takes a look at how “The Boys OF Summer” fits into the Eagles' story as the band winds down its farewell tour.  With Henley hinting this could be the Eagles' final year, this song about looking back has never felt more timely. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Janda recaps night one of Rush's Fifty Something tour in Chicago on July 16, 2026— a show few fans thought they'd ever see after Neil Peart's passing in 2020. The episode covers drummer Anika Nilles winning over skeptics with a show-stopping "Tom Sawyer," the emotional Peart tributes, a full 2112 suite, a surprise nod to founding drummer John Rutsey, and the joy of watching Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson carry the band's legacy forward. Part concert review, part love letter to five decades of Rush fandom — a reminder of why live music still hits like magic. Spoiler alert: full setlist and show details discussed. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Sixty-plus years in, the Rolling Stones return with Foreign Tongues — fourteen tracks featuring Paul McCartney, Steve Winwood, and a surprise turn from The Cure's Robert Smith, plus previously unheard drumming from the late Charlie Watts. Janda goes track by track through the record, digging into its riffs, ballads, and covers, and makes the case for why it's the Stones' best album in years.  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In 1972, Led Zeppelin traded the studio for Mick Jagger’s driveway and the Rolling Stones' recording truck, after a detoured trip to Bombay reshaped their sound. Join Janda on the new episode of Behind The Song as she dives into the making of "Dancing Days," from its Eastern-tinged riff to the lyric that's baffled fans for 50 years: the lion standing alone with a tadpole in a jar. Plus: the critics who hated the Houses Of The Holy album, the tour that broke box office records anyway, and the unlikely afterlife this song had in 90’s.  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode of the Behind The Song podcast, Janda remembers the legendary Clive Davis, the music icon who almost single-handedly dragged the music industry into the rock revolution. He was a lawyer with no musical training whatsoever but with truly magic ears when it came to signing the cream of rock’s crop: from Janis Joplin to Aerosmith, The Grateful Dead to Springsteen, Santana to Billy Joel. Hear the story of how his legacy unfolded in this episode!  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.