1805000392
Professor of Rock

Advertise on podcast: Professor of Rock

Rating
★★★★★
4.9
from
226 reviews
Categories
Country
United States
This podcast has
1738 episodes
Language
English
Explicit
No
Date created
2025/03/27
Latest episode
2026/11/08
Average duration
31 min.
Release period
2 days

Description

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 history. Each episode is a masterclass in rock culture and nostalgia—whether it's a chart-topping ‘80s anthem, a one-hit wonder with a wild backstory, or a candid conversation with the legends themselves. Hear the Stories. Relive the Music. Only on Professor of Rock.

Unlock Professor of Rock podcast Email contact info,
Listeners & Audience details

Email contact information

Direct podcast contact details

Listeners

Audience numbers & engagement insights

Audience details

Podcast Insights

Podcast episodes

Check latest episodes from Professor of Rock podcast


Def Leppard, The Byrds & Metallica: The Surprising Bible Stories Behind Classic Rock Hits
2026/11/08
Treat yourself to Ka'chava. Go to https://www.kachava.com/ and use code POR for 15% off your first order. Def Leppard, the Byrds, Sting... They all took song from the Bible! Inspiration for a hit song can come from anywhere. Here on the channel, we’ve discussed a lot of unexpected song origins. And today we’re continuing that trend with an episode about songs whose lyrics were lifted from The Good Book... the Bible. And you’re gonna be shocked. It’s a counter-intuitive episode where we explore the spiritual side of rock. But these aren’t tracks that you’ll find in a hymn book at church… well, actually, one of them you will. But not in the way that you think. You’ll see. We’ve also got a #1 protest song by The Byrds that traces its origins back thousands of years. As well as the story of Metallica's heavy metal drummer who was obsessed with the movie The Ten Commandments. We’ve got some surprise revelations coming up in this one, as well as exclusive commentary straight from the artists. It’s all happening NEXT on the Professor of Rock. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Time in a Bottle Countdown: 10 Forgotten ’90s Hits from Sophie B. Hawkins, Sir Mix-a-Lot & More
2026/11/07
Coming up, it’s the closest thing we have to a time machine. It’s our latest Time in a Bottle countdown where we feature 10 tracks that take you back to the exact moment they came out on radio. Along the way, we’ll tell the story of how Sophie B Hawkins accidentally wrote her signature song when her hand slipped on a piano. That same song went on to make history as the first song title with profanity to become a massive hit on the charts. We’ll also cover Sir Mix A Lot, whose music video was banned from MTV for celebrating full-figured women. So he stalked an MTV network executive at a restaurant, and railed on him until he convinced him to air the video. And then there’s Shakespears Sister that should have been a sisterhood after they scored a big time hit, but their creative partnership came to an embarrassing end when one of the member had her publicist fire the other on national television. And finally, we have Jon Secada, who sang backup for a legend for years until he stepped into the spotlight and amazingly outsold his iconic mentor. Let’s do it. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Huey Lewis on His Greatest Hits, Hearing Loss, and Being Snubbed by the Rock Hall of Fame
2026/11/06
Coming up next… So about a month ago, I did an interview LIVE at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame museum in Cleveland at the RAB Fall meetings in front of owners of Radio stations and some voting members of the Rock Hall and employees RAB stands for Radio Advertising Bureau, and I was there representing my syndicated radio show Classic Rock U when is growing steadily. It think were somewhere between 35 and 40 station including WNCX FM in Cleveland. I was given the opportunity to interview someone of my choice, and I chose my good buddy Huey Lewis From 1984 to 1988 nobody was bigger. he had so many classic hits like The Heart of Rock and Roll, Heart and Soul, Jacobs Ladder, I Want a New Drug, Stuck With You, The power of Love, Hip to Be Square and a dozen more. Huey Tells the story of all of them here in some of the best stories you’ll hear on this channel. Now, anyone who has watched this show knows that I’ve had some pretty big disagreements with the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame about some glaring omissions over the years, including Boston, INXS, Styx, and Huey Lewis, among others. Well, I got a chance to share my opinion on stage at this event in front of the Rock Hall. I was polite, but I pointed out that Huey is part of a short list of artists who’ve had back-to-back multi-platinum albums with at least 4 top-ten hits, and every one of these artists is in the Rock Hall with the exception of Mr Lewis. It’s time to change that. So hopefully this put a bug in their ear. Anyway, this interview was filmed by the Rock Hall, and it’s a fun walkthrough of Huey’s amazing career, including where he is now, having to walk away from music because of his diagnosis of Ménière's disease, which has taken his hearing, and sadly he can’t even hear music anymore. But Huey is a fighter, and it was so great to not only interview him, but I had a chance to walk through the Rock Hall with him… He had never been there. We took some pics and even got a chance to walk on a replica Saturday Night Live Stage because the Hall of Fame was celebrating 50 years of SNL Music. And I got to introduce him as the musical guest…. We also checked out a bunch of other rock memorabilia. It was a great time. So here’s the interview… Hopefully the Rock Hall listens to reason and inducts Huey... It’s about time. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
1974’s Greatest Hits Countdown: Ray Stevens, John Denver, and the Wildest Stories Behind the Songs
2026/11/04
Today we are visiting one of the most gloriously weird and wondrous years in music history — the charts were packed with streakers, gangsters, and some passive-aggressive jealousy. We celebrate this crazy year with 10 songs that sound exactly like the moment they came out in the 70s and when you hear them you’ll be transported to the exact moment they ruled radio and the stories are even better. We’ll tell the story of how a folk icon sat alone at his desk one evening, unable to shake the thought of his girlfriend cheating on him with another man. He wrote what sounded like a mellow tune but if you listen closer, it is the most dangerous song of his career and in the end he got a #1 hit and she went to prison. Then there’s the comedian songwriter who read a magazine blurb about the national craze of streaking during his flight. He rushed home and wrote the most iconic streaking song in history. And then there’s the songwriter who took his song to the Beach Boys for help, but watched the sessions dissolve into chaos after Brian Wilson kept sneaking in at night trying remix his master tape. He gave up and recorded it himself, then disappeared to the South Pacific for two months while it climbed to #1. Let’s get into it. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
The Best Songs of 1964: Counting Down the Hits That Deserved #1 Over The Beatles
2026/11/03
We’re rewriting history again today as we revisit a year when one band completely took over and overshadowed many classic songs that deserved better. Today we put those songs where they belong at #1. Including The Drifters Under the Boardwalk, a song that was recorded just a day after an iconic band’s lead singer passed away. Their singer was gone, but they still had a session planned, so an outsider walked in and sang a perfect vocal that gave them their most famous hit. Plus the Innocent Classic by the Zombies, She's Not There, that got banned nationwide 37 years after it peaked on the charts for offensive lyrics, but everyone’s still trying to figure out what was offensive about it, including the band who’s here to comment. Plus the creepy song Last Kiss that was inspired by a fatal car crash, but it got even creepier after the song became a hit, and life imitated art when the band got into a fan carwreck that would destroy their group. Plus, I tracked down the mysterious girl behind the classic Beach Boys car song Fun Fun Fun, who got in trouble for driving her dad’s T-Bird. And lastly the biggest band in the world The Beatles took over the charts for one fateful week they made up 7 of the top 10 spots on the countdown but their best song, that was ruled by their singer’s sick as a dog vocal missed #1…Let's do it. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
10 Forgotten Hits of the ’80s: A Countdown Featuring Van Halen, Billy Joel, Saga, and John Mellencamp
2026/11/01
I know you are gonna love this episode! Because i’m gonna give you some familiar songs that were hits that I guarantee you haven’t heard in ages. Radio and streaming playlists are filled with the same songs we hear over and over again. So I just spent about 6 hours going through every chart from the 80s to find songs that were hits in their day and songs you know and love but have fallen through the cracks. They’re never played today, but once you hear them, you will be like Oh man, I remember that song! I love it. I’m choosing one from each year in the 80s. Along the way, I’ll tell you the stories behind them. Including how Saga's producer decided the only way to get the right vocal performance for an epic song was to rig a microphone to a crossbeam 60 feet in the air… and then convinced his singer Michael Sadler to climb to the top and record it. He did it without rope or a harness… If he fell, he would have been toast. That’s why his vocals sound so ALIVE. Plus there’s the solo rocker John Mellencamp, whose record labels made him change his name 4 times… So he had hits under different names. Plus Van Halen's Most Badass guitar riff of the 80s that has been forgotten cuz the song has been the victim of cancel culture! And finally, I’ll cover Billy Joel who shocked radio when he put out the first major hit about phone S-E-X. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Jeopardy!, Family Feud & More: Countdown of the Top 10 Greatest Game Show Theme Songs
2026/10/31
Every now and again I have an idea for a show, and as I put it together I’m blown away by the stories behind the songs and the fact that they’ve never been shared before. That’s this episode in a nutshell. Today, we’re counting down the Top 10 songs that soundtracked your favorite TV game shows. And itspacked with more scandals, schemes, and behind-the-scenes absurdity than about any episode I’ve done. Game show music just might be the most underestimated music in television… engineered down to the beat to make your pulse race and keep your eyes glued to the screen. We’ve got the story of an unemployed Ice Cream Truck driver who spent weeks freeze-framing episodes on his VCR to figure out how beat the system and he actually cracked the code… He accrued more than $100k and there was nothing the show could do about it. Then there’s the Family Feud theme song that has been pumping up viewers for decades on one of TV’s longest-running game shows. Only that song was stolen from a musical cue from the #1 game show of the time… Plus the Jeopardy theme was actually a lullaby that the game show mogul made up to get his baby son to sleep. Years later when he sold the rights to the game show he smartly held on to the song rights, and it ended up making him over 100 million in royalties. Let’s go back in time… See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Top 10 ’80s Rock Songs That Deserved to Hit #1: Guns N’ Roses, Bon Jovi, The B-52s & More
2026/10/30
Thank you Zocdoc, for sponsoring today's video. Your health matters and taking care of yourself shouldn't be complicated. Go to https://zocdoc.com/professorofrock to get started. Coming up next, we rewrite history and put it right. 10 songs that deserved to be #1 and were better than the songs that did hit the top spot, including the story of a song that saved the B-52s from breaking up after they lost one of their founding members. The rock smash Dr Feelgood that the Mötley Crüe’s ex-manager claimed was ripped off from Guns N’ Roses. Plus the Bon Jovi song that Dolly Parton heard and assumed was a cover of a gospel hymn about the laying on of hands, but Bon Jovi meant a different type of laying on of hands, and it was spiritual! Plus the Guns N Roses classic Patience that Axl made up on the spot and then had to have Don Henley play the drums on since their drummer was in rehab. Plus the song a famous Goth frontman wrote as a wedding present for his wife. But he secretly hated the song and hated it even more when it became a massive hit. Plus, what happened when one of the most distinctive voices of the rock era had a huge comeback, but sadly died before he had a chance to enjoy the success. It’s time to take the Time machine back to the 80s… let’s do it. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
FROM THE VAULT: How Paul McCartney Turned a Robbery in Nigeria into Band on the Run, His Greatest Solo Album
2026/10/28
Ah, man - this is one of my favorites! Former Beatle Paul McCartney was trying to establish his band Wings when he flew to Nigeria to record Band on the Run. 2 key members quite right before and then when they arrived equipment in the studio was dismal and one day when Paul and Linda were walking the streets they were threatened at knifepoint by a gang of terrorists… Paul had to keep calm if he was going to save he and wife’s life. So along with his wallet, he handed over a bag containing two of his most prized possessions... a notebook of lyrics and a demo tape of songs for his new album. Neither of which he had copies of. These thieves, having no idea who was standing in front of them, stole one of the 70s greatest #1 hits. Band on the Run alone with 70s classics Jet and Helen Wheels. After surviving the ordeal this musical genius knew he either had to track down the stolen lyrics and tape or try to remember it and recreate it… Find out what happened next on professor of rock. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Rock’s Biggest Meltdowns Countdown: Ozzy Osbourne, Samantha Fox, Keith Moon, and More
2026/10/26
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 far from time to time… leaving a trail of wreckage in their wake. Today we’re counting down the most spectacularly unhinged, catastrophic meltdowns in rock history. Including Ozzy Osbourne, one of heavy metal’s most notorious hellraisers, who stumbled out of a hotel in his wife’s evening dress, and got him banned from an entire city for relieving himself on one of America’s most iconic monuments. There’s also Samantha Fox who was handed the biggest opportunity of her career… hosting a major televised awards show. But the whole production collapsed in real time all around her. Was it her fault? The press seemed to think so. And don’t forget about The Who's Keith Moon who woke up surrounded by a demolished hotel suite after blacking out. It took the concept of trashed hotel rooms new levels and he had to cut a hefty check to set things right… but did he actually do it? Or was he framed? Find out next. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
The Stories Behind Iconic Hits: Guns N’ Roses, Boyz II Men, The KLF, and Metallica
2026/10/25
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 Bottle show… the songs that take you right back to the moment you first heard them. They sound exactly like the moment they were released, and these songs have compelling stories too… including how one of rock’s most dangerous frontmen, Axl Rose, sat down on a curb outside a Hollywood club, crying over a girl he couldn’t have. Afterwards, he went and threw rocks at his bandmate’s window that same night, and the two sat down and wrote the most emotional ballads in hard rock history. There’s also the story of Boyz II Men who snuck backstage at their idol’s concert, cornered him in his dressing room, and started singing. After hearing them, this popular musician signed them on the spot, and they would go on to break records set by the Beatles and Elvis. And finally… The KLF, a duo spent two years building one of the most bizarre and brilliant careers in music and, at the height of their popularity, crashed one of the UK’s biggest award shows by firing blanks from an automatic weapon over the crowd before disappearing from the music industry forever and deleting their entire catalog of songs. Plus why the Metallica controversy is ridiculous... See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
The Greatest Animated Movie Songs: Phil Collins, Michael Bolton, and More
2026/10/22
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 and diving into the world of animated movie songs… tracks that were sung by popular artists and rockstars from the mid-80s to the present. And get ready for some nostalgia… Along the way, you’ll hear the story of Phil Collins, who has been accused of being too vanilla… and when his music beat out the South Park creators for an Oscar, they were so furious that they lampooned him and the song on South Park for a little payback. Plus, we’ve got a song from one of Pixar’s biggest movies Toy Story 2… and the movie almost went direct to home video, but the studio changed their mind when the completed film and it’s backup copy were accidentally erased from Pixar’s servers. Plus the cheeseball balladeer Michael Bolton that was tapped to sing a song for a Disney movie. He was so excited to have the opportunity he went into the studio and blew everyone away. And even I have to admit, though I can’t stand this guy’s music, I have to give him props. He slayed it. Let’s do it. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
FROM THE VAULT: How The B-52s’ Rock Lobster Inspired John Lennon’s Return to Music
2026/10/20
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 after it was released. Cindy Wilson tells the story of how it helped John Lennon come out of retirement and how she and Kate Pierson mimicked sea creatures to get its interesting sound and Fred Schneider’s deadpan delivery. The song was punctuated their homage to Yoko Ono. The story of a classic New Avant Guard classic is coming up next. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
1977’s Greatest Rock Hits: The Stories Behind “Go Your Own Way,” “Walk This Way” & More
2026/10/19
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 the greatest opening 20 seconds of a song in the history of our planet. And I know I won’t get a single argument from you once you hear the song. Plus, one of the most feel-good singalong classics, Easy, a song that ever came from a singer’s notes that he wrote down at a stressful business meeting… He turned those meeting notes into an all-timer. Plus Aerosmith's Walk This Way, the most miraculous rock song ever, that FAILED the first time it was released, then it hit The top 10 when it was put out again a few years later and then 10 years after that it came out a 3rd time and saved this band’s failed career. Plus, Paul McCartney's Maybe I'm Amazed that wasn’t a hit until 7 years after it was recorded, but a live version was what made all the difference. Plus the nasty lyric from Go Your Own Way that a guitarist wrote to shame his former girlfriend that caused her serious PTSD for decades because she had to sing it every night with him and take his abuse night after night….Let’s do it. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
6 Bands That Should Have Been Bigger: The Stories Behind EMF, Tonic & Derek and the Dominos
2026/10/17
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 so much bigger, but for them, lightning only struck once. And after one big album or a short time in the spotlight, they faded back into the shadows forever. For this edition, we’re counting down 6 bands that made their mark and disappeared, including Eric Clapton's supergroup Derek and The Dominoes who created one of the most legendary classic rock albums Layla, that was actually a secret love letter from Clapton to his close friend George Harrison’s wife.Then there’s the band EMF that embedded an F-bomb into the hook of their biggest hit, Unbelievable uttering the profanity 17 times, which would add up to FCC fines of over 36 trillion dollars, enough to pay off our national debt… And finally… the frontman form the band Tonic, wrote the song that would define his entire career on the night his own mother disowned him for getting married. And the line he shot back at her in that final phone call became one of the most recognizable hooks of the decade. Let’s get into it. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Podcast reviews

Read Professor of Rock podcast reviews


4.9 out of 5
226 reviews
★★★★★
Tray1223 2026/09/30
Awesome music history
I can’t stop listening to this show!
★★★★★
Jess Ledesma - Kansas 2026/09/26
Full of Knowledge on Rock History
I’ve been a fans of Adam Reader for years when I found him on YouTube. Now I’ll listen to his Podcast while I’m getting ready for calling it a day. Ad...
★★★★★
Jersey Girl in Vermont 2026/09/04
Fabulous!
Wow! This is the most amazing podcast. I’am usually into True Crime but sometimes I need a break . I just fell in love with the first episode I listen...
★★★★★
Shshort 2026/08/28
So interesting!
Adam Reader truly is a repository of fascinating information about the music we love.
★★★★★
BM ‘60 2026/07/23
Love the Professor of Rock!
Love your podcasts! How about doing an episode on the “The Producers” (“She Sheila”) Had a lot of great early 80’s pop rock songs
★★★★★
Paulus787 2026/06/25
Rocks!
Adam’s eloquent presentation combined with never-ending interesting subjects makes for one of my favorite podcasts.
★★★★★
Lindyc5 2026/06/01
New favorite
I really like this no nonsense looks at these topics. I’m currently listening to the one about critics and agree 100%
★★★★★
CarolynC1975 2026/05/13
Love it!
Thank you for all the info about my favorite songs & favorite musicians… and the random ones too. Keep it up - I’ll keep listening!
★★★★★
Um all hype 2026/04/27
Prof gets A+
How do you get all your information? It’s amazing I’ve enjoyed the prof of rock for a while on YouTube now I get to enjoy him loud and proud in the ca...
★★★★★
Ranger!!! 2026/04/02
Movie Soundtrack
My favorite movie soundtrack is from Valley Girl. If you do a second edition, include that one
check all reviews on apple podcasts

Podcast sponsorship advertising

Start advertising on Professor of Rock relevant audience podcasts


What do you want to promote?