1704 episodes
- Today we’re going back to the strange year that separated two decades… where music really had no identity… Hair Metal was waning, and Grunge was still undiscovered, but today we entering an alternate universe where music history has been changed. As we count down the 10 songs that made the top ten but missed #1 but today they get their due… including Depeche Mode's Enjoy the Silence that a band member stole from its writer and snuck behind his back to CREATE a whole new musical backbone BEHIND IT. SPEEDING IT UP adding a new beat to it AND MAKING IT SOAR. The writer was LIVID, but itmade the song perfect and gave the band their biggest hit. Plus, Phil Collins, the biggest hitmaker of the 80s, was hired to write a song for a movie, but then the producers rejected it... so he kept it for himself, and he had sweet revenge when it was a bigger hit than the movie. Plus, Free Fallin', a song by the iconic singer Tom Petty making up funny lyrics to make his legendary producer laugh. The lyrics got dumber and dumber, but his joke song became his biggest hit and an all-time classic. And then there’s the only album in music history with 7 top 5 hits. And Skid Row, the hard rock band who fought like hell to keep a corny power ballad off their blistering debut... but their singer hit one of the most insane high notes in history and they were forced to put it out, and that story is where our countdown starts.
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. - Coming up, we haven't done one of these in a long time, but it's a special edition of our popular show Taboo Songs. But this time we're gonna give you the 15 songs from the 80s that shook the world with their sheer explicitness. In 1985, Tipper Gore, wife of Al Gore, and several other politicians' wives had a little too much time not here hands and decided to create a committee to save us from offensive and disgusting music that would certainly warp the minds of all the children. More than 40 years later, all of us, Gen Xers that they were trying to protect, have mostly turned into law-abiding citizens, and we now laugh at the shock and the horror that these songs caused. There's a reason why they were called the filthy 15 and today we're gonna count them all down and tell you why they were banned down to the specific nasty lyric and where the artists are now including Prince who had three entries in this countdown, that includes the song Darling Nikki that actually corrupted Al and Tipper Gore’s own child plus what the lead singer of AC/DC said to these elites when he found out one of his songs made the list… I’ll give you a hint it has to do with the middle finger, but far worse let's count down the filthy 15
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. 5 Biggest Double-Crosses in Rock History: The Beach Boys, Fleetwood Mac, Queensrÿche & More
07/09/2026 | 28 mins.Visit https://prizepicks.onelink.me/LME0/POR and use code POR and get $150 if you win your first $5 lineup!
You’ve heard the Doublecross stories of rock and roll in the past, like the evil manager who stole everything from the band Badfinger, leaving them penniless, and led to two of the members taking their own lives, and how David Bowie fired his whole band mid-concert. Well, I’ve got 5 more backstabbing, relentless double-cross stories, including the Murry Wilson worst father in music history. He went behind his son Brian and his band’s back and sold their 200-song catalog that included 30 of the biggest hits in rock history for pennies on the dollar... compared to their half-a-billion-dollar value. Plus, Queensryche, who fired their lead singer’s wife as manager, which caused an in-concert meltdown where the singer spit on his bandmates and then beat ‘em up after that… the grudge match led to 2 different iterations of the band touring under the same name. But that’s nothing because one of the biggest bands ever, Fleetwood Mac, had a greedy manager who put a fake version of the band out on tour hoping that fans wouldn’t notice. That’ where our countdown starts.
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 Metallica’s Enter Sandman Took Over Radio and Redefined Heavy Metal
06/09/2026 | 15 mins.In 1991, Metallica changed the world forever as they went global with the Black Album including their menacing song: Enter Sandman, the song should’ve been a #1 hit, it’s certainly outlasted the songs form the week it peaked on the charts. up next We celebrate the genius of Enter Sandman and the Black album. The song was written by Metallica’s big three. James Hetfield, Kirk Hammet and Lars Ulrich. A metal masterwork if there ever was one.
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.- It’s time to jump in the Time Machine and change Music History with the songs that deserved to be #1 in an amazing year from the 80s. Today we have some great songs, including the shy, unknown singer-songwriter Tracy Chapman, who was asked to sub in for a legend who was having technical difficulties… The only problem was it was at a sold-out Wembley Stadium with tens of millions watching via satellite. She only had a guitar and a mic, but one song from her called Fast Car blew the audience away and took her record to #1 overnight. Plus the classic GNR track Welcome to the Jungle that was a failure because neither MTV nor radio would touch it. Not until a desperate plea to play it 1 time at 4 in the morning turned it into the biggest rock album of the 80s. Plus the fast song that was hell to record until the band kept slowing it down. And then it became a revelation. Plus the band Information Society that ruled the charts with 3 straight hits but then vanished without a trace. But today we track them down 38 years after they disappeared. Let’s rewrite history.
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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About Professor of Rock
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.
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