Professor of Rock

Today we are telling the story of the other Canadian power trio that originated in the 70s. And their name isn't Rush. It's Triumph and they maybe the most underrated band of their time. Coming up, We've got the wild tale of how a single radio DJ in San Antonio, Texas turned these three unknown guys from Toronto into arena rock legends, back when that sort of thing could happen. Plus we’ll cover the anthem Never Surrender that ironically planted the seeds for the band's eventual breakup. It’s our latest episode of Short and Sweet, 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.

I’m pretty sure this episode is going to blow your mind. Today, we’re counting down the biggest female power ballads of all time. And some of these are serious scorchers. But there’s a catch. There may just be no such thing as a 100% female power ballad. Let’s just say someone else might have been pulling the strings. There are some truly twisted stories here. There’s the “tough as nails” lead singer, Chrissie Hynde, who was desperate for a hit; she openly admitted she was selling out to get it. Then, when the song was finished, she called it CRAP. Talk about a love-hate relationship. There’s also the turn it to 11 track about Monsters getting it on... Total Eclipse of the Heart. It was originally written for a Nosferatu musical and coveted by one of the most theatrical rock stars of all time. But he didn’t get to sing it. Then there’s the unlikely story of how an American exchange student armed with a cassette tape turned the European power pop duo Roxette into global superstars. Plus, the school teaching duo Quarterflash, who were teaching in the day and playing clubs at night, till their power ballad rocked the 80s, and they could quit their day job.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Coming up next Ya know I’ve interviewed over 800 Famous musicians over my career and I have to say today’s guest is my favorite He’s my favorite person in the music business. A humble guy, a great person. next is A full uncut interview with 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. i’ve only shared some tidbits from this interview over the years.. Never the whole thing. 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.

Coming up, an interview with Jason Mraz, one of the nicest guys in music... about one of the catchiest singalong hits of the last 30 years: I'm Yours. The song started as a rough demo that this artist put on their website. It was just a throwaway B-side. He thought it was good, but it was just a simple song; it was easy to sing, almost like a nursery rhyme, but he soon forgot about it... until a few years later when he was playing a concert in a foreign country and ran out of songs. Ao he played the old B-side and was floored when 10K people knew every word and were singing it in unison. He couldn’t believe it. So when he got back home, he did a proper recording of it. And put it out and it blew up. It set a record at the time of being on the charts for almost 2 years. He tells the story 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.

It’s our latest “Fell Short the Top 40” countdown. And this might be one of the strongest years we’ve done so far. These are tracks that should’ve dominated the charts, but were simply too ambitious, too dark, or too outside the box for mainstream radio. We've got the story of Led Zeppelin, who spent weeks in the desert creating Kashmir, a track so massive and mystical that it redrew the boundaries of rock. And the band members have all said it’s the best song in their catalog, but it always takes a back seat to a much more popular pick. But then their famous guitar mortified fans when he let a predator use it in his terrible rap song. In fact, the guitarist was even in on the recording. We’ll also reveal how James Taylor's escape fantasy was actually a shocking confession of addiction and delusion… a cry for help disguised as an upbeat travel song. Plus, we’ll cover the devastating moment when the Eagles closed one of their most successful albums with a bleak farewell—a ticking time-bomb track that was a public admission that the band was about to implode. Let’s do it. Plus the story of Pink Floyd I Wish you were Here and Heart with Dreamboat Annie. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Coming up... this song was written to be part of a rock opera that legendary guitarist Pete Townshend of the Who wanted to make into a film but he couldn’t get it off the ground so he threw it on his band’s next album which happened to be the all time classic Who’s Next! It became one of the most powerful rock anthems ever. So powerful that the legend’s iconic scream was so piercing when the band first heard it they thought their singer Roger Daltrey had gotten into a fistfight with the engineer. It’s a song that is about a revolution but unfortunately, life has now imitated art because the lesson in this song has still not been learned 50 years later… We need to figure this out now! The story of the 70s classic Won’t Get Fooled Again by the Who is next!<p> </p><p>Learn more about your ad choices. Visit <a href="https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices">podcastchoices.com/adchoices</a></p>See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Coming up, the infamous side of fame, where sketchy artistic moves, bad behavior, deceit, and out-of-control egos create career killers. We’ll tell the story of Creed, a band that was on top of the world until their lead singer, Scott Stapp, proclaimed himself a prophet of God and wound up homeless... The story of The Replacements, a band that delivered the most notorious performance on Saturday Night Live ever. Plus, an offensive t-shirt that made rookie lead singer Sebastian Bach a villain, which derailed his band Skid Row as they were on top of the world after massive hits like 18 and Life and I Remember You. And also Peter Frampton, who was riding high after releasing the best selling live album "Frampton Comes Alive" that became the biggest-selling album ever with the Hits "Baby I Love Your Way" And "Show Me The Way" at the time, but a bad movie role in Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band cratered his career. It’s 8 stories of Career Killers, NEXT on Professor of Rock! Plus the story of the Bay City Rollers and Color Me Badd who both imploded after some bad decisions. And Dead Or Alive who became a one hit wonder in America. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today, we have the story of what I believe is the greatest protest song of the last 50 years, Pink Floyd's Another Brick in the Wall Part 2. And the back story is like a classic big-screen drama or the front page of the National Enquirer. It was the only #1 hit this legendary rock band ever had, and they made it count. It came from the landmark record The Wall, which is arguably the greatest concept album ever created. So today’s song might be the most unlikely #1 hit ever. First off, it was only a minute long, and initially it was pretty boring… What made it a classic was a strange recipe… a choir full of children that the band secretly bussed from a nearby school that they never had permission to use on the recording, and the guitarist was convinced to add some disco to it, even though he loathed that particular genre. It may be the most controversial song of its time due to its history. The detailed story is 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.

Coming up, it's the story of Richard Marx, a Chicago kid who grew up in recording studios watching his jingle-writing father work. For years, he stayed in the shadows, singing backup for superstars and writing powerhouse hits for other artists. Marx spent his twenties as a session singer, quietly honing his craft and paying his dues, trying to make it as a singer. In fact, super-producer David Foster told him he’d never make it. But he proved him wrong… Dead wrong. When he finally stepped into the spotlight in the late 80s, he exploded. Seven Top 5 hits on the Billboard charts. Then seven more Top 20 hits in the early 90s. He was a repeat chart offender who became one of the most successful pop songwriters of his era. So how did this kid go from singing backup to dominating the airwaves? Get the behind-the-scenes story of his rise from the studio shadows to pop royalty, including an interview with the man himself… on our latest edition of short and sweet. He had so many hits from Endless Summer Nights to Right Here Waiting to Satisfied to Angelia...from Should've Known Better to Hold on the Nights, from Hazard to Now and Forever, from Keep Coming Back. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today, we're returning for round three of the Strangest Feats in Rock. And this time we're going bigger than ever before with a seriously supersized episode. Last time our big one was the only artist to sell 90 million records without ever playing a live concert It Enya!. This time, we've got even more insane records, including the band Jackyl that played 21 full concerts in just 24 hours—requiring military precision as they tore down, traveled, and set up again and again with zero room for error. Then there's the shocking story of the loudest concert ever and how Deep Purple cranked up their amps so loud that three fans hit the floor unconscious from the overwhelming sound. It was a stunt so dangerous that Guinness World Records had to retire the category forever. And then there was the largest band to ever play together. Over a thousand musicians playing simultaneously as one massive group. It’s a dream that started with a viral video plea from one man to his favorite band… And it ended up breaking world records in front of packed stadiums. And there’s plenty more where that came from. These rock records pushed music to its absolute limits. 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.

Coming up next, an interview with an artist who had a bunch of hits in the 70s, with several that will take you back to a simpler time! and are as 70s as it gets. He was known to all as just One Name: LOBO. Well, today we solve the mystery of the real man behind that pseudonym and get the stories of his biggest hits, including a song co-written by his dog. "Me and You and a Dog Named BOO", it’s a really funny story and the song that came from his crush on his high school teacher, "I’d Love You To Want Me" that became a smash hit and topped the charts in 7 countries, including hitting #2 here in America… It’s the story of a mellow 70s AM Gold Artist that’s song were smooth and still are classic of 70s classic rock and pop radio. 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.

Coming up, I’m finally doing it. My personal top 10 song of all time. 10 songs that were pivotal in shaping and changing the life of a small-town boy from Idaho. These are my personal favorite classic rock songs of all time. There's a story about the genius Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys collaborating with an unknown jingle writer that surprised rock fans and even his own band with the greatest harmony ever…with the song God Only Knows. The story of the 70s classic Baker Street, a song that features one of the greatest instrumental performances of the Rock Era and the sax player was only paid 27 bucks while the singer made millions … Plus Pink Floyd's Comfortably Numb, the song that pulled me out of deep despair following a devastating divorce that ultimately put me on a path to a life I didn't know existed, and Born to Run by Bruce Springsteen the song that made me who I am and busted me out of prison It's the countdown of MY Top 10 Personal greatest songs EVER, 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.

Bob Seger had been a regional sensation for over a decade but when it was all said and done he had only had one hit in 15 years and by 1976 it had been 8 years since that hit. He couldn’t seem to break through. Well, one night after seeing a popular film of the time he started to have a vision for a song. the 70s rock classic NIGHT MOVES was a very emotional and private experience from his adolescence and sometime later he wrote it at an A&W Drive-in after ordering a burger.. rumor is he wrote it on his tab… He wrote it about a teenage tryst. She ended up marrying somebody else and broke his heart but he turned it into a breakthrough smash single, transforming him into one of American Rock’s greatest rock storytellers. and to think due to a mix-up at his label it almost ended up being a b side… The story is next on Professor of rockSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today we're counting down 10 killer classics from a special year in the 80s that were snubbed by mainstream radio. I’m talking about massive songs from some of the biggest musicians and bands of the era… that somehow never made the top 40. These are real musical mysteries —We’ve got the story of a remixed Don't Stand So Close to Me, that’s tied to what may be the most disastrous band reunion ever… including a broken collarbone and a 12-inch switchblade. As well as Boston's Cool the Engines, that was almost lost forever when its writer accidentally melted its master… Find out how he saved it. There’s also the AC/DC that pulled out of a 6-year slump with a massive record that a famous author fanboyed the band into doing for a B Movie. But it sold 5 million and outsold the movie! Then there was one of the biggest records of the year that landed Paul Simon on a hit list, and then years later, some would try to cancel it for Cultural Appropriation. Find out why. And finally, there was the song that iconic guitarist Johnny Marr of the Smiths wrote, and then declared it to be the best song he had ever heard in his life. But then he refused to release it as a single! Let’s get into it.The story of AC/DC Highway to Hell and Who Made, Bon Jovi Never Say Goodbye from Slippery When Wet, Boston third stage including the Hot Amanda, Van Halen with Sammy Hagar and Eddie Van Halen on the album 5150 including Dreams and the Best of Both worlds, Paul Simon Graceland , Peter Gabriel So and Sledgehammer and Red Rain, The Smiths there is a light that never goes out, The police Don’t Stand so close to me. Try ZipRecruiter for free:https://www.ziprecruiter.com/rockSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today we’re telling the story of folk singer Jim Croce, who spent years playing dive bars and college cafeterias for pocket change… before he finally broke through in his thirties. This Philadelphia everyman wrote songs in the back of pickup trucks between construction jobs, pouring his heart into tales about working stiffs, lost love, and fleeting moments. Jim's warm baritone and fingerpicking guitar-work created intimate three-minute short stories that felt like conversations with an old friend. Tragically, just as Jim reached the summit, his life was cut short in the cruelest way imaginable. But the songs he left behind became timeless classics that still move us decades later. It's a bittersweet journey on our latest edition of Short and Sweet. 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.

Alright, you asked for it. So you got it. It’s a Halloween Special Edition of Professor of Rock. Today, we're counting down my Top 8 most haunting, spine-chilling tracks from the rock era. And yeah, we’re gonna get a little creepy here. So brace yourselves. On this episode, we’re telling stories of sonic spookers, dark confessions, back-masking messages, and deathly warnings… including one track that was born from a father's twisted bedtime stories about a man-eating monster that haunted his son Robert Smith of the Cure for decades. He couldn’t escape his nightmares; the only way he solved it was through writing a song about it called Lullaby. Then there’s the song that was so traumatizing for Korn lead singer, Jonathan Davis, that he broke down into hysterics after he finished singing his vocals. And it was all caught on tape. The producer just kept it rolling. I’ve also got the most controversial musician I have ever interviewed on this channel. When I released our interview a few years back, I lost 5000k subscribers overnight…I’m hoping it doesn’t happen again. IlAnd lastly, the most chilling song ever released: DOA by Bloodrock. It was not only banned…for a time, it was against the law to play it. It was so disturbing that the band’s promising career never recovered and they were cursed to be a one hit wonder See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Legendary rock band Kansas was coming off of a huge single with Carry On Wayward Son and album with Leftoverture that established them as the one of the premier bands of the 70s as they were woking on their follow up their main songwriter Kerry Livgren was playing a fingerpicking exercise when his wife noticed and told him he should put lyrics to it. He did and wrote Dust in the Wind with lyrics that go back to Genesis in the Bible making it 6000 years old. The next day he was reticent to show the band this song since it was a ballad and totally opposite to what they were about. but as soon as he showed them they knew it had to be their next single. It became their only top 10 hit and in the interview next original guitarist and founding member Rich Willams tells how the song was such an ordeal it made his fingers bleed and how Steve Walsh made it flow… with special guests on how the 70s rock classic has changed everything.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

COMING UP I’ve never done this before but if it goes well I’ll do it again. A full length interview with one of my favorite rock singers ever. A true legend who will walk us through his legendary career song by song including fronting one of the greatest rock bands ever. It’s our first ever episode of RETROSPECTIVE We start with Sammy Hagar and cover his entire career from Montrose to his solo years including I Can't Drive 55 and then joining Eddie Van Halen and helping take Van Halen to #1 on the album charts many times with 5150, 0U812 and For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge and the stories of his biggest hits including the guitarist he hates working with because he never tries the same thing twice. It's all coming up in our 1 hour interview with Sammy Hagar the red rocker...See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

There must have been something in the water back in the mid to late 60s because legendary bands and artists wrote some of the most life-changing songs ever. Today, we celebrate a true lost art... songs that stick it to the man. From an accidental protest song from rock’s greatest poet Bob Dylan, who put lyrics to a melody from the 1800s but wrote the lyrics down so fast and messy that night when he played it live for the first time, he couldn’t read his own handwriting, so he had to make up the lyrics on the spot, and it became an all-time standard. Then there was the legendary song that Barry Maguire didn’t like. In fact, he recorded a bunch of songs, and his voice was so shot that he trudged through the song without any care; it was raspy, rough, and haggard. He knew it was a scratch vocal and he’s re-do it later, but then the label put it out as is, luckily it was just a B-side, but then a DJ mistakenly played the wrong side and it became a #1 hit overnight. And helped push the 26th Amendment across the finish line. And then there was the Byrds' song Turn Turn Turn, which was taken straight from the bible, and its writer added his own 2 cents to the scriptures that made it a protest song. 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.

Riding high on satire…Weird Al Yankovic seemed unstoppable in the mid 80s after Eat It! and Like A Surgeon. but when his fourth record, Polka Party essentially flopped, he almost called it quits. But instead, he started writing for his life. And out of this trepidation, he created a supersized song patterned after the King of Pop Michael Jackson’s latest hit Bad called Fat. It not only won over listeners, but captivated MTV audiences across the world with a hilarious video in 1988. If you lived through the 80s, I don’t think there’s any way you could have missed this one. It was huge! How Weird Al went platinum with Even Worse and rocked 88.Check out this classic, 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.