Professor of Rock

Legend Carole King wrote or co-wrote over 2 dozen hits for other people before she got a chance to record her own record... With husband Gerry Goffin.... Goffin King was the songwriting team of the 60s. In the 70s when she wanted to go solo the only problem is SHE HATED the sound of her own voice. She was criticized by some in the industry about it saying it was hoarse and too thin. One night legendary singer-songwriter James Taylor put her on the spot and pushed her to record a song she’d written for a famous group… She Killed it. This opened the door for a solo Record that would rival any artist or band in the 70s… Carole King's Tapestry with major hits like I Feel the Earth Move, So Far Away, It’s Too Late and You Make Me Feel Like A Natural Woman all were hits and made it a 70s vinyl classic. Carole King became a singer songwriter for the ages and the first woman to spend so many weeks at #1 on the billboard charts. She also had 24 hit before she was 20. The story 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.

Coming up the hard rock and glam metal bands that ruled MTV and the concert circuit in the 80s are well documented from Motley Crue to Def Leppard to Bon Jovi and Whitesnake but one band that was just as big in that moment but don't get the credit they deserve is Ratt. Today we have an interview with the lead singer Stephen Pearcy. Many forget Ratt and their 80s hard rock album Out of the Cellar sold 5 million copies and contained a true classic from the era the glam metal masterpiece: Round and Round. The 1984 rocker still rules today from Cobra Kai to Stranger Things!. Next, the singer tells us how the song came about and how he and the guitarist threw live rodents at 80s model Tawney Kitaen for an album cover shoot during that time, and how they got legendary comedian Milton Berle to dress up like a woman for free in their iconic music video for Round and round and how a Geico commercial just sent the band back into the charts again in 2022!. 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, it’s the story of two musicians who achieved global success both as songwriters and band members. They also happened to be romantically involved. You can credit them with two #1 Hot 100 hits for one of the biggest stars in the industry, How Will I Know and I Wanna Dance With Somebody, and another massive hit for themselves Waiting for a Star to Fall, a feel-good 80s staple, has become a sleeper classic. It’s catchy, it’s upbeat, and guaranteed to elevate your mood… Only, behind the scenes, this track has a much different story. While working on the song and their album, this couple couldn’t even look each other in the eyes. Their relationship was completely falling apart. Making for a bitter contrast to one of the most energetic 80s hit you’ll ever hear. So… would their crumbling relationship ruin everything they had worked for? Or would the stars once again align for them as the decade faded? the answer 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.

Up next legendary rock singer Dennis DeYoung formerly of the band STYX tells the story of 70s classic Lady, the first quote-unquote power ballad The song was the breakout single for this future stadium band and it’s all because of a trusty DJ. The song had failed and stiffed on the charts because it’s tempo started slow and then revved up and so it really didn’t fit any format. But then a Chicago DJ heard it randomly on a jukebox in a pizza place and started playing it religiously and LADY caught fire and became the most requested song on this huge station it took a little while but within a year the song hit the top 10 and birthed an oft-copied style in rock the power ballad. The story is coming up 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.

Neil Diamond was a shy kid who got mixed up with a rough crowd, and came dangerously close to being shot in the left eye during a street fight. He quit the gang after that and had to choose between a guitar and a sword… You see he was a master at fencing, winning nationals and earning a scholarship to NYU… Then he dropped out of college to pursue his real dream of being a singer/ songwriter- living below the poverty level for years. making it on 35 cents a day. But he persevered… one day he saw a picture of a girl. It was on the cover of a magazine and a song title came into his head.He tucked it away… One night he was writing a song he knew would be big but he needed a 3 syllable girl’s name and he remembered the magazine. the 60s and 70s classic Sweet Caroline was born! and he wrote it in minutes… it became a singalong classic. the 3 syllable girl’s name would become one of the most popular baby names of the next few decades and fans would add their own lyrics to the song including good times never seemed so Good… so good…so good. so good and bum bum bum making it one of the greatest participation songs ever. The story is coming up 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.

So what happens when you give rock’s greatest frontmen ever, a relationship ultimatum? As in “It’s either me or your music. What’s it going to be?” Well, this actually happened with a girl that Rock God Robert Plant of Led Zeppelin was deeply in love with. Okay, to be fair, this happened before Plant joined Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones and John Bonham of rock’s heaviest band Led Zeppelin In fact, Plant was still scraping by reaching for his big break. but he picked music. Still, it was a heartbreaking standoff that he would never forget. a decade later with five Legendary albums to his name, he wrote a song about this girl and what might have been called Ten Years Gone and it became a classic landing on one of the most triumphant double albums in rock history: Physical Graffiti The epic story is 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.

Face punches, stolen demo tapes, a controversial sound, and well, a Drummer arrested for stealing a car on his way to the video shoot? All of this happened to the Cult when recoding their 80s hard rock classic She Sells Sanctuary… It’s the preeminent song from Singer Ian Asturbry and Guitarist Billy Duffy...an all-out rocker that launched the band into the international spotlight. Only the thing is, most of us in the US weren’t paying much attention at the time. This song was also so out of step with this band’s musical roots, that it enraged former fans and inspired some serious fist-to-face violence… Get the story of how today’s band fought back and established themselves as an iconic act for the ages so Iconic that both New Wave kids and Metal heads loved them… 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.. an interview with Yacht Rocker Robbie Dupree what wrote one of the all time 80s classics… Steal Away is as popular today as it was when it peaked near the top of the charts in 1980 and amazingly it almost didn’t get recorded. Robbie moved out to LA and paid his dues for years but nothing came of it. He submitted demos including "Steal Away" to every label he could and they rejected him outright. So he moved back and took a job loading carpet into trucks to make ends meet figuring it was over. Then the craziest thing happened… Find out from Robbie and how the song has had a major resurgence from Jimmy Fallon to Better Call Saul. 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.

Up next guitarist Dave “the Snake” Sabo from late 80s premier hard rock groups Skid Row tells the story of the anthem that started it all. “Youth Gone Wild” Snake Sabo was actually good friends with the biggest selling rock frontman of the late 80s, John Bon Jovi and was actually in Bon Jovi early on but it didn’t work out so John Bon Jovi helped his friend to get a record deal and then had the rookie and his band Skid Row open for him on his stadium tour. Within a few weeks of playing this song the student surpassed the teacher as the opening band Skid Row was getting a bigger ovation than the head liner! The interview and story is coming up 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 it’s a fiver countdown starring one of rock’s mightiest bands ever Van Halen with a fun Sammy Hagar interview to go along with it. Van Halen was so great they had 2 distinct eras the David Lee Roth era and the Sammy Hagar one.. and though fans fight about which was better they were both powerful in their own way because both included the greatest ever… Eddie Van Halen. and both are covered here as we look at their best-hidden gems including a song that Eddie Van Halen was so excited about writing he called and woke Sammy Hagar up at 4 in the morning and coaxed him to write it half asleep over the phone… Some funny stories coming up next on Professor of Rock including great tracks like Mean Streets, 5150, and Little Guitars. 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.