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Rock in Retrospect
Rock in Retrospect
Author: Nick Bambach
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© 2026 Rock in Retrospect
Description
“Rock in Retrospect” focuses on the lives, careers and legacies of artists who made a significant impact on the music industry. Host Nick Bambach invites a guest to discuss their favorite artists and why they matter. We also occasionally create episodes focusing on awards shows and music-related institutions such as the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, the Oscars, and the Grammys. If you enjoy stimulating and often-humorous discussions about music history in a laid-back environment, then this is the podcast for you!
160 Episodes
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Cally and Lolić (co-hosts of Shakipedia: A Shakira Podcast) join Nick to discuss the career and legacy of Latin pop superstar and cultural icon Shakira! We discussed a variety of topics including Shakira's electifying live shows, her Spanish-language works of the 90s, her breakthrough success on the American charts in 2001, the legacy of her smash "Hips Don't Lie," and her current nomination for induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Support the show
Traci, who runs the Get Phil Voted In campaign to get Phil Collins inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame a second time as a solo artist, returns to discuss Brandon Toews' 2024 documentary Phil Collins: Drummer First. The entire movie is streaming for free on YouTube. We finish this episode by discussing Collins' current nomination for induction into the Rock Hall, Traci's campaign, and so much more. Support the show
To celebrate INXS’ 2026 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame nomination, Nick invited several members of the INXS fan base—Jim, Jon, and Shannon—to discuss Richard Lowenstein’s 2019 documentary Mystify: Michael Hutchence. Support the campaign to get INXS inducted into the Rock Hall by visiting Induct INXS. You can also vote for INXS in the Rock Hall’s fan vote to help secure an additional ballot among the 1,200+ votes cast by the official voting body. Support the show
Historian and Rock & Roll Hall of Fame voter Charles Hughes joins Nick to discuss the career and legacy of Oasis. They cover a range of topics, including the band’s status as Britpop legends, the massive success of their tour last year, and their current Rock Hall nomination (the third consecutive year they’ve appeared on the ballot). Check out Charles’s blog series No Fences Review, which he co-authors with former guest and friend of the show, David Cantwell. Support the show
Richard and Jordan return to discuss all things Neil Diamond and the 2025 biopic Song Sung Blue starring Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson. Support the show
Cliff and Helen return to discuss the documentary Diane Warren: Relentless (2024) which focuses on the life and career of legendary songwriter Diane Warren. We give our takes on the movie, the Oscar-nominated song "Dear Me," and conclude with a rundown of our favorite songs from her catalog. Support the show
Darren and Peter return to discuss the nominees in the music categories at this year's Academy Awards. We analyze all ten scores and songs, give our personal rankings, our predictions on who will win and cap it off with great works that were snubbed. We also discuss the Oscars’ decision to omit live performances from this year’s ceremony. Support the show
An all-star panel of Rock Hall experts join Nick to discuss the 2026 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame nominees Ballot! Tom, Mark, Michelle, Traci, Jon, and Andrea return to give their takes on all 17 nominees. Disclaimer: We recorded this episode the day the nominations were announced on Wednesday February 25, 2026. Support the show
Jordan, Kailyn, and Sam return to discuss the 2025 documentary Stans, which explores the career of rap icon Eminem through his superfans. We give our thoughts on the movie, share some personal stories, and cap it off with our favorite songs from his legendary catalog. Support the show
Scott and Andrew join Nick to discuss Alex Ross Perry's film 2024 Pavements, which focuses on the legendary indie rock band Pavement. Support the show
Tim Durling (Author of Sing Me Away: The Night Ranger Album Review and host of Tim's Vinyl Confessions) joins Nick to discuss the career and legacy of classic rock legends Night Ranger! We discuss the band's sound, their influences, their iconic song "Sister Christian," among other topics. We conclude by revealing our favorite songs and albums from their catalog. Support the show
The Douche Caravan returns! Jon Lamoreaux (Host of The Hustle Podcast), Patrick Dupuis (Host of The EETF Podcast) and Michael Bagford join Nick to discuss Amy Berg's 2025 documentary It's Never Over, Jeff Buckley. The movie focuses on the career of the legendary Jeff Buckley, whose album Grace (1994) is considered one of the most acclaimed and influential in modern popular music. We give our thoughts on the movie, and conclude with our favorite song from his catalog. Support the show
Joe Kwaczala (host of Who Cares About the Rock Hall?) returns to discuss Nick's recently updated 'Rock Hall Prospects Project' list, now in its sixth year, which ranks who he feels are the most deserving artists heading into the next Rock Hall season. We discuss the artists who made the top 10, the 12 newly-added artists on this year's list, and concludes with Joe's suggestions for next year. Read Nick's Substack post for his 2026 rankings. Support the show
Cliff and Helen return to discuss the 2025 Hulu documentary Lilith Fair: Building a Mystery, which traces the origins and legacy of the iconic music festival founded by singer-songwriter Sarah McLachlan. They share their thoughts on the movie, and select their favorite songs from those who performed at the festival in its original iteration from the late 1990s. Support the show
Josh Mackenzie (host of Vinyl Spin YVR) joins Nick to discuss the solo career of Burton Cummings. Topics discussed include Cummings' time with the Guess Who, his status as one of Canada's most beloved musicians, his album covers, and share our favorite songs from his legendary career. Support the show
The Rock Hall Squad (David, Greg, Mark, Michelle, and Tom) join Nick for this year's Rock Hall draft! We ponder which artists could be nominated on the performers ballot for induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2026. Support the show
Prolific author Greg Prato joins Nick to talk about his recent book Alternative for the Masses: The '90s Alt-Rock Revolution - An Oral History. We discuss the many rock stars and personalities he interviewed while working on his book, artists of that era that deserve more love and attention, and so much more! You can purchase a copy of Greg's book through major retailers such as Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Quarto. Support the show
Kailyn returns to discuss the 2025 concert documentary Depeche Mode: M. We discuss Kailyn seeing the movie's premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival earlier this year, our thoughts on the movie, and cap it off with a rundown of our favorite songs from their legendary catalog. This is one for the devotees! Support the show
Traci and Jon join the show to discuss the career and legacy of Phil Collins, one of the most legendary musicians of all time. We focus on Collins’ solo career and explore a wide range of topics, including his years with Genesis, his catalog of massively successful songs (“In the Air Tonight,” “You’ll Be in My Heart,” among others), and his legendary performances at Live Aid. We also discuss why he deserves a second induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Traci's campaign Get Phil Vo...
Richard returns to discuss the 2024 documentary One to One: John & Yoko, which focuses on the years John Lennon and Yoko Ono spent together in a Greenwich Village apartment from 1971 to 1973. The film also centers on the benefit concert "One to One," held at Madison Square Garden in August 1972. We conclude with a rundown of our favorite John Lennon and Beatles songs. The film is now streaming on HBO Max. Support the show



