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 hi...
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Oct 1, 2026 · 20:50
Let's take it back! Two of most cerebral rockers and known perfectionists Donald Fagen and Walter Becker AKA Steely Dan, just knew they had a song for their debut album with Hit…
Sep 30, 2026 · 35:16
Coming up… In 1986, these songs didn’t crack the Top 10; some may have thought they were also rans, but over time, they became bigger than songs that did, and some even bigger…
Sep 28, 2026 · 36:16
I KNOW YOU’RE GOING TO LOVE THIS EPISODE. If you don’t, I’ll eat my Hat live on camera. So everyone has that “one” playlist. You know the one with all the cheesy songs you’re…
Sep 26, 2026 · 32:23
The 1950s gave us the birth of rock and roll — and with it a collection of song stories so bizarre and completely unhinged that they sound made up. Behind the poodle skirts and…
Sep 25, 2026 · 17:57
Sadly, we lost a great artist recently. Duncan Sheik, the singer-songwriter who wrote one of the best songs of the late 90s and, statistically, the biggest one-hit wonder ever.…
Sep 22, 2026 · 31:07
Coming up, a grand year in music where once again a bunch of legendary Top 10 hits that missed the #1 spot on the charts were actually better than the songs that did. Today we’re…
Sep 21, 2026 · 30:57
Some of the best songs ever recorded were never released as singles. But today, they have become bigger than a lot of these legendary bands’ biggest hits. Today we're counting…
Sep 19, 2026 · 26:06
You won’t believe this epsidoes. A Rock concert that was so loud and unruly it caused an earthquake from the Foo Fighters? An unfinished 80s instrumental song that sold half a…
Sep 18, 2026 · 22:46
Let's take it back with this classic! The Grateful Dead may have the most passionate & loyal following of the Rock Era. The Dead were jamming their way to the highest echelons of…
Sep 16, 2026 · 30:46
You’re gonna love today's episode. Today We’re taking a trip back to the 80s for more of the best that television has to offer. It’s our latest edition of 80s TV Theme Songs. On…
Sep 14, 2026 · 35:06
Coming up, we’ve got a brand new show, and I’m pumped for it. We’re telling the tale of songs that, in their time, were considered also-rans... they didn’t crack the Top 10 on…
Sep 12, 2026 · 29:41
I’ve got a great one today. We’re counting down the Catchiest songs of a legendary decade. These songs were all hits, but they are the kinds of hits that you’re pumped when they…
Sep 10, 2026 · 25:18
Let's run it back to 2022! How Led Zeppelin created their biggest hit song, their only top 10, the provocative 70s smash Whole Lotta Love through rough waters including…
Sep 9, 2026 · 34:35
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…
Sep 8, 2026 · 34:16
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…
Sep 7, 2026 · 28:18
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,…
Sep 6, 2026 · 15:04
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…
Sep 3, 2026 · 31:45
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…
Sep 1, 2026 · 32:40
Let’s travel back to 1975 and rewrite history. In 75, 36 Songs hit #1, but as we look at the songs that missed #1 but hit the top 10, I would bet my life on the fact that most of…
Aug 31, 2026 · 10:57
Coming up, a new show where I give you 3 unbelievable rock and roll stories straight from the legends themselves in 10 minutes or less that will make you laugh, cry, or both.…
Aug 30, 2026 · 33:57
A few weeks ago, I introduced a new show where I did a pop culture crossover of Rock and Roll Meets Star Wars, including a story of how Terri Nunn, the Lead singer of New Wave…
Aug 29, 2026 · 18:21
Coming up, the story behind Ac/DC’s classic rock hit Big Balls, a song with a dual meaning that made parents angry and the goody-two-shoes blush, but it made every Gen-X kid fall…
Aug 27, 2026 · 1:25:44
This is the full uncut interview with Rick Beato… a Classic Rock Masterclass. Actually, it’s more of a 90-minute geek-out on music. We just kick back and discuss all our…
Aug 26, 2026 · 33:01
Coming up, we continue our treasure hunt, tracking down the greatest #3 hits in music history, and this time we got to arguably the best era in music history 1965-1969. Including…
Aug 25, 2026 · 20:31
Let's take it back! As a father of 3 daughters this was the most difficult song that Steven Tyler of Aerosmith, one of America’s great rock bands ever had to write… It actually…
Aug 24, 2026 · 35:25
The catchiest song of the 80s...Some songs are earworms that crawl into your brain and are so annoying you beg for mercy. Some are great, but they get so overplayed you tire of…
Aug 22, 2026 · 28:46
Coming up...The story of the greatest TV THEMES of the 60s. Last year we covered some of the greatest TV themes of the 70s, 80s and 90s. But today we're counting down the best TV…
Aug 21, 2026 · 30:19
Coming up next, an interview with a band that, no joke, had 16 hits in the 80s but, for some strange reason, they are always passed over, and many under the age of 50 don’t…
Aug 19, 2026 · 29:43
About a month ago, I started a new show where I talked about the catchiest songs of all time. But they are the good catchy, where you love it when they get stuck in your head.…
Aug 17, 2026 · 31:31
Coming up, it’s time for a POR throwback. Back in the early days of the channel, we had our regular series #1 in Our Hearts where we honored songs that were so unbelievably…
Aug 16, 2026 · 16:19
Let's run it back! Up next two principals from the classic Reggae group UB40, original singer Ali Campbell and toaster the late Astro tell us the compelling story of a song that…
Aug 15, 2026 · 27:50
A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, the worlds of rock and roll and history’s most beloved sci-fi franchise collided in ways nobody ever expected. That’s right, on this…
Aug 13, 2026 · 19:48
Coming up next, Kenny Loggins, the Co-Captain of Yacht Rock and the King of the Movie Soundtrack, tells the story of his first big movie hit from Caddyshack, I’m Alright! First,…
Aug 13, 2026 · 9:47
Let's take it back with this POR Classic! Celebrating the power of Summer, Donna Summer, one of the most influential artists of any era and my Top 5 Donna Summer Songs. Many know…
Aug 12, 2026 · 30:56
If you’re a rockstar. There’s nothing quite as brutal as watching the song you despise become the one the world won't let you forget. Today we're counting down the musicians who…
Aug 11, 2026 · 30:34
Rock history is full of legendary songs that almost never existed. Today we're counting down the most jaw-dropping near-miss disasters in rock history… songs that were almost…
Aug 10, 2026 · 29:17
To me the definition of great hit song is one that is so catchy and undeniable that whenever it comes on you feel like your 50 Feet tall and invincible. Some decades just hit…
Aug 7, 2026 · 21:35
The story of the #1 hit Eye of the Tiger from Rocky 3. In the early 80s this Survivor co-founder Jim Peterik came home for Lunch and checked his answering machine. He couldn’t…
Aug 6, 2026 · 26:09
Coming up… Van Halen, Ratt, and more as we skip the one hit wonders to talk about the topic of top 2-Hit Wonders. ...But today I wanted to shake it up. What about those artists…
Aug 5, 2026 · 35:52
Coming up, We’re going back in time to a perfect year in music and setting it right. Taking some top 10 hits and giving them their due at #1. Including some great stories,…
Aug 4, 2026 · 24:59
Let's run it back with this classic! Pink Floyd The Dark Side of the Moon...Imagine if you will an album so legendary.. So in Demand that there were factories working around the…
Aug 3, 2026 · 35:39
Coming up…we take the time machine back to a year that changed everything with songs that were all over the map. We’ll tell the tale of Time of the Season that became a massive…
Aug 2, 2026 · 23:22
I'm counting down the top 5 most cringe-worthy 80s novelty tracks that are “so bad, they’re good.” We’re talking songs like Pac-Man Fever, Party All the Time, and the Super Bowl…
Aug 1, 2026 · 27:57
Coming up on today’s episode, we're back at it again. We’re counting down the most dangerously alluring song about females in rock history … These songs were written about real…
Jul 30, 2026 · 19:53
What is it about Mondays that gets us all down? It’s as if that day casts a shadow over us all, shifting the mood of the universe for a full 24 hours. With that in mind, one of…
Jul 29, 2026 · 33:26
In the music business, there’s a thin line between iconic and ironic. Some artists spend decades building a legacy, only to watch the internet reduce it to a dumpster fire. While…
Jul 28, 2026 · 23:10
All eyes were on this legendary band after they released their megalithic fourth album Led Zeppelin IV. Championed by many as the greatest rock record ever written… Everyone was…
Jul 27, 2026 · 32:06
Coming up… It’s nostalgia overload in a trip back to a perfect year in music. Including the provocative hit Whip It by Devo that sparked controversy so intense, actress Lily…
Jul 25, 2026 · 37:56
Today we’ve got 10 tracks that were going for the gold but came up just short… bringing home the bronze instead. That’s right, it’s another edition of our #3 Hits Countdown, but…
Jul 24, 2026 · 22:26
Coming up next… a song that was so offensive, the Doors were fired on the spot for performing it. Here’s what happened: Jim Morrison, was playing one of The Doors's new songs…
Jul 22, 2026 · 34:58
The 80s gave us some of the most irresistible, inescapable songs ever put to tape. And today we're going all in on the neon decade, counting down my picks for the Top 8 catchiest…
Jul 21, 2026 · 17:42
Let's run it back! Coming up, an interview with one of the 80s great hitmakers. The most successful duo of the rock era, Daryl Hall and John Oates Everything they touched turned…
Jul 20, 2026 · 34:49
Coming up… We took a little break from this show but due to popular demand, we’re back. We take the time machine back to the 70s in a year full of classics, where Neil Young, one…
Jul 18, 2026 · 33:23
To me the definition of great hit song is one that is so catchy and undeniable that whenever it comes on you feel like your 20 feet tall and invincible. It’s a song that you are…
Jul 16, 2026 · 26:58
The music industry has never had a shortage of shady handshake deals. What many have learned is to have a lawyer look over it and get it in writing. So many musicians were pushed…
Jul 15, 2026 · 22:55
How Led Zeppelin threw this song away is beyond me. Next we break down a classic rock hidden gem Hey Hey What Can I Do which was the B side to the 45 of Immigrant song Written by…
Jul 14, 2026 · 21:40
I am heartbroken to hear the news about Bonnie Tyler’s passing. Bonnie died in a hospital in Portugal, where she was being treated for an illness, according to a statement, which…
Jul 14, 2026 · 35:53
I was thinking the other day, it’s hard to believe that the year 1986 was 40 Years ago. Talk about a Phenomenal year for music. There were so many classic Hits that a lot of them…
Jul 11, 2026 · 37:24
Today we cover a decade that produced some of the catchiest, most enduring songs ever recorded — tracks so deeply embedded in our psyches that you can hum them just by hearing…
Jul 9, 2026 · 24:40
Coming up, the story of the epic 70s rock track with so many dramatic subplots, it should’ve been made into a full feature bio-pic- like Bohemian Rhapsody or Walk the Line. Derek…
Jul 8, 2026 · 32:53
Today, we’re going back to the 70s for another helping of great TV theme songs. This time we’ve got some perfect themes that will take you back, including a gritty, action-packed…
Jul 7, 2026 · 34:01
Everyone talks about the Runner ups… The #2 hits the one that almost got to #1, but what about the #3s? Today we are doing something nobody does… Counting down the greatest #3…
Jul 5, 2026 · 30:28
We All Love This Legend But He Wrote THE MOST IRRITATING Song of the 70s & Even He Admits It! For many artists and bands the song that makes you famous is the one that you wish…
Jul 4, 2026 · 25:09
I’ve got a special treat for you today. It’s an interview I released years ago but got taken down within a few hours over copyright claims… Well I worked it out and Now I can put…
Jul 3, 2026 · 31:09
Alright, it’s been a long while since we covered one of these. Today, we’re coming back to a channel favorite: Female Hidden Gems! For this countdown, we’re highlighting some…
Jul 2, 2026 · 30:56
Coming up… It’s our final TIME IN BOTTLE COUNTDOWN for now. I’ve really enjoyed doing this series of songs that take us right back to the moment these song were on radio Today we…
Jun 30, 2026 · 19:02
Let's run it back! The 80s classic hit In the Air Tonight by Phil Collins has arguably the most famous urban legend behind it in rock history. Told and retold thousands of times.…
Jun 29, 2026 · 17:17
I love the Mamas and the Papas. They had such a unique style with hits like California Dreamin' and Monday Monday, but today I have a really strange tale. It’s one that most…
Jun 28, 2026 · 34:46
Alright guys, you better watch your step… We are about to count down the greatest “femme fatale” songs of the rock era. And every one of these songs is based on a real woman… and…
Jun 27, 2026 · 20:36
Peter Beckett, lead singer of the band Player, tells the story of the group's huge number one hit, Baby Come Back, the smooth 70s classic that has now become a yacht rock…
Jun 26, 2026 · 21:18
Behind the platinum records and the sold-out arenas, the music world hides a shadowy world of surveillance, syndicate deals, and criminal acts that most fans don’t know about.…
Jun 25, 2026 · 34:41
Coming up next on of the most important interviews I’ve ever done with one of the greatest legends in rock history. He was the leader of a band that was competing with the…
Jun 24, 2026 · 30:56
Behind the platinum records and the sold-out arenas, the music world hides a shadowy world of surveillance, syndicate deals, and criminal acts that most fans don’t know about.…
Jun 22, 2026 · 33:10
For a limited time, our listeners get 50% off FOR LIFE, Free Shipping, AND 3 Free Gifts at Mars Men at Mengotomars.com. Coming up next, it’s time to go back and time to a special…
Jun 20, 2026 · 32:06
Fame is a fickle beast. One minute you're on top of the world, and the next you're the butt of the joke. It’s a fine line between icon and punchline. That said, it’s time for…
Jun 19, 2026 · 18:28
Coming up, the story of Can't Take My Eyes Off You, a song that has had a huge impact on pop culture since its release over 50 years ago. Before it dominated the global pop…
Jun 18, 2026 · 31:56
Man, we’ve really got the good, the bad, and the ugly on today’s episode. Today we're queuing up another rock sibling rivalry countdown…last time we had Donnie Vs Marie and Eddie…
Jun 17, 2026 · 31:22
Today we have a special interview with the President of Parody, music’s greatest jester... legend Weird Al Yankovic in an uncut interview that covers his greatest spoofs. From…
Jun 16, 2026 · 22:32
We're bringing back this absolute CLASSIC! Up next an exclusive interview with 70s Legend Peter Frampton the singer write guitarist who had failed as a solo artists for years. He…
Jun 15, 2026 · 35:00
Coming up, we’re popping the lid off another Time Bottle to let the music do the talking, with songs that transport us back to the end of a decade of great music. There's the…
Jun 14, 2026 · 20:31
Coming up… an interview with hard rock singer Mark Slaughter on his band, Slaughter's biggest hit: Fly to the Angels. It’s one of the most gut-wrenching songs of its time that…
Jun 13, 2026 · 35:33
Some of rock’s greatest songs never make the album. Instead, they get buried in a vault and forgotten for decades. Today I’m going to unearth some of the greatest songs that…
Jun 11, 2026 · 32:21
Today I have a new show for ya all. Ya know, sometimes the music industry can seem more like a blood sport than an art form. For every legendary band forged in brotherhood,…
Jun 10, 2026 · 18:28
Tommy James was the leader of one of the most successful acts of the 60s, Tommy James and the Shondells. Together they had 14 Top 40 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 from 1965 to…
Jun 9, 2026 · 21:53
Let's run it back! It was Pearl Jam against the world when they were working on their follow up album to Ten that sold more copies that even Nirvana Nevermind in the early 90s.…
Jun 8, 2026 · 28:44
Coming up, a year of classics and all-time songs. The songs that will take you back because they sound exactly like the year they were ruling the charts in the 70s... including…
Jun 7, 2026 · 30:00
You gotta see this! Back by popular demand, it’s time for another sabotage countdown. In the past, we’ve told stories of bands that undercut rivals on stage, acts that have tried…
Jun 6, 2026 · 34:16
I’ve never done this before. Coming up I show a fellow YouTuber and rapper my favorite Journey song "it's a classic" and get his immediate take as we discuss the song in depth…
Jun 5, 2026 · 33:15
You know, a great TV theme song is more than just an earworm. The best of the best rewire your brain so that, decades later, hearing it, you’re teleported straight back to the…
Jun 3, 2026 · 19:22
Let's take it back with this POR Classic! We lost one of the most influential and innovative guitarist of the Rock Era, when Eddie Van Halen succumbed to his long battle with…
Jun 2, 2026 · 31:46
Coming up, the stories of 11 songs that defined the sound of another great year in music. Maybe the greatest year in music history. 1983. So many classics that will take you back…
Jun 1, 2026 · 46:03
Coming up, the stories of 11 songs that defined the sound of another great year in music. Maybe the greatest year in music history. 1983. So many classics that will take you back…
May 31, 2026 · 35:39
Today we’re firing up the hot take machine and taking on the worst opinions from those who I’ve never really seen eye to eye with … “ the so-called music Critic.” On this…
May 28, 2026 · 29:05
A few weeks ago, we had our first episode of Unsolved Mysteries of Rock and Roll, and I got hundreds of requests for another episode. So today, we're pulling back the curtain on…
May 27, 2026 · 23:20
Let's run it back! It’s a song with a storied history and a bittersweet legacy. But you’d never know just listening to it. That’s because this is one of those happy-go-lucky pop…
May 25, 2026 · 34:59
Coming up, we’re going back to a year that was all over the place with some wonderful variety and unconventional songs that became beloved, hits that defined the year they came…
May 24, 2026 · 29:49
Coming up, we're taking an in-depth look at one of rock's most entertaining topics… The “crazy ex” song… as in crazy ex-girlfriends, boyfriends, husbands, wives, whatever….we’ve…
May 22, 2026 · 19:37
Coming up, it’s a duo from Lincoln, Nebraska - Zager & Evans - who transfixed listeners everywhere with a prophecy that there will come a time when machines will completely take…
May 21, 2026 · 35:52
In rock, the voice is just as important as any other instrument in the band. But what happens when those vocals begin to fade or even fail? It’s a singer’s worst nightmare. Well,…
May 20, 2026 · 32:35
Coming up, we’re telling the stories of songs that shaped one of the best years in popular music, songs that define today's year more than any other... including Icehouse's…
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