Professor of Rock

Dennis DeYoung formerly of STYX tells the story of his only solo hit. Deseret Moon. Styx pretty much broke up after Kilroy Was Here and their massive but polarizing hit Mr. Roboto. And actually Desert Moon was as good as anything he did with STYX! It's captivating lyrics and beautiful melody make it one of the 80s greatest hidden gems. Tommy Shaw was the first one to put out a solo hit with Girls with Guns... It did moderately well but Desert Moon was a top 10 hit and even though it was supposed to be used for the soundtrack of the movie DUNE. it was much better as a solo song and showed Deyoung's gift for a perfect 80s ballad. Dennis tells the story of this wonderful song up next on Professor of Rock... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today, we’re going behind the Top 10 rock songs from this very same week in the year 1982… Can you imagine, a top 10 billboard chart filled with all rock songs? In the past we’ve done redux episodes, covering the most popular songs on the Billboard Hot 100, but today we’re putting a new twist on an old favorite. Going 100% rock. Then after counting them down, we rerank each song according to how many times they’ve been streamed and find out which one deserves to be #1. But which classic rock titan will be the winner? Will it be Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, The Mighty Rush with Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson, and Neil Peart, or maybe one of the Eagles flying solo Don Henley or Glenn Frey? Start making your guesses in the comments and tell us who you think will take home the crown. I guarantee this is going to be a good one. And it’s all coming up… NEXT on the Professor of Rock. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Compelling story of the Pet Shop Boys masterful 1986 #1 hit, West End Girls. A synth-pop miracle that put this duo on the map and started a career that so far has produced 44 top 40 hits in the UK. West End Girl was released in 1984 but it failed visually everywhere except in Belgium, where it hit #1. Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe knew they had a hit but couldn’t get the sound right. This was after Neil had quit his job as an editor and music critic for Smash Hits. His co-workers ridiculed him for leaving, but he had the last laugh when they got New Order producer Stephen Hague to redo the song and it became a global smash. The story of West End Girls is next. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee 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 38 Special singer Don Barnes who’s band started out as with a southern rock sound but by the early 80s they were a straight ahead arena rock band with several huge songs including today’s 1982 #1 rock hit: Caught up in You... It was a co write between Don Barnes, Guitarist Jeff Carlisi and a rival band’s main songwriter. Jim Peterik of Survivor. In fact when Survivor’s guitar player heard Jim was writing for another band he was livid. In the end, the this angry guitar player was given a songwriting credit to avoid a lawsuit… by the end of the 38 Special snagged their biggest hit…only it was with a completely different singer, a one album replacement…Max Carl… the song was second chance… Up next, the story of Caught Up in You and Hold on Loosely... find out what happened next on Professor of Rock. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Coming up a saga of two musicians that fell in love, and put a band together, but the band broke up, and so did their romantic relationship. Annie Lennox and Dave Stewart formed then formed Eurythmics… They were Thousands of miles from home and broken up but the couple decided to stay united, professionally, and continue to make music together. The future looked bleak, the darkest point was a day when the couple had a huge fight and Annie Lennox was convinced her career as an artist had come to an end. Suddenly, Dave Stewart began playing a riff so riveting, so powerful, it shook Annie Lennox right out of her state of depression, and she began blurting out her deepest, darkest feelings, like a patient opening up to a psychiatrist. Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This) was born...They knew they had something great..but when they showed it to Music execs they said there’s no chorus no hook…This musical response to the suits would prove to be prophetic…The whole song is a hook… he was right when Sweet Dreams became a 1983 #1 smash. The story of a song that made them international superstars is NEXT on Professor of Rock.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

It's known as one of the 80s most Iconic one hit wonders. It leads the pack of most infamous one hit wonders of all time! Only problem is "I Want Candy" by Bow Wow Wow wasn't actually a hit. It barely made the top 50. But it's such a huge part of our culture it will go down as one of the biggest non hits ever. In my interview with former Bow Wow Wow singer Annabelle Lwin tells the story of recording this classic and how the band had overcome censorship to get their music out. Malcolm McLaren was the who put the band together. and when they released an early singer with a scantily clad Annabelle on the front. it caused outrage. Also most people don't realize that I Want Candy was a remake of one old 60s tune. Annabelle tells the entertaining story next on Professor of Rock. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

How I learned to love a song I once hated… Journey and their #1 power ballad Open Arms…But I’m not the only one. Neal Schon the guitarist of Journey also loathed it and refused to play it live for some time. Written by Steve Perry and Jonathan Cain… Well first of all, et me ask you...Have you ever disliked a song so much, that for most of your life, you just couldn’t stand to listen to it? I’m talking about one of those tracks you always skipped on the album or that had you reaching for the dial when it came on the radio. Sure you have. We’ve all got songs like that. But let me ask you this. Have you ever had a song that you hated, that you later learned to love after hearing it in a different context? Well, today, we’re covering Open Arms by Journey… From their 1981 classic album Escape… I hated it for decades until I was caught off guard and heard it with new ears. And now I love it…Find out what changed my mind and how it became Journey’s biggest song ever even though it was rejected by Jonathan Cain’s 1st band… with interviews with the band members NEXT on the Professor of Rock. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Coming up Next. A song that came from a rock frontman’s desire to spit in the face of the "put a flower in your hair hippie persona" of the 60s. I’m talking about Ozzy Osbourne from Black Sabbath...He called the movement crap and he and his band with Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, and Bill Ward only wanted to muck up the mainstream… So they wrote a haunting metal classic called Iron Man… At first, it was called Iron Bloke... This song did a perfect job of ripping up the mainstream. The goal with rock masterpiece…at least for Black Sabbath was to create a song that would scare the hell out of people. and they pulled it off in spades… With a classic vocal that was sung through a Household item… A metal fan…we get the straight scoop behind the scariest song of 1971… one that still haunts us on Professor of Rock. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The fact is Dire Straits interrupted disco in the late 70s with the classic song Sultans of Swing that would take radio hostage! with their unique sound and singer Mark Knopfler’s gruff iconic vocals. but they were victims of the sophomore slump when their 2nd record faltered and flailed on the charts. Determined to bounce back with a statement album, Knopfler heard a song on the radio that flipped him out, Because the Night by Patti Smith and it triggered a series of events that led to arguably his best work. Making Movies An album that was so meticulous and exact that the title track of the record was cut from the album at the last second. It was a rough process to touch greatness, it even caused a bitter falling out with his brother and band mate… The 2 haven’t spoken in over 40 years. The story of two of the greatest songs from the album Tunnel of Love and Skateaway are next on Professor of Rock. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The story of Louie Louie by The Kingsmen Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.