The Greatest Women’s Power Ballads: Total Eclipse, Roxette & More
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.
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Huey Lewis on the Stories Behind ‘Hip to Be Square,’ ‘Stuck With You,’ and More (Full Interview)
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.
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How Jason Mraz’s Forgotten Song “I’m Yours” Took Over the World
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.
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The Best Songs That Never Hit the Top 40: Led Zeppelin, James Taylor, Eagles & More
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.
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FROM THE VAULT: The Lesson In This 1971 Rock Anthem
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.
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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