Professor of Rock

We have another year-end countdown today, and this one is packed with songs that have stood the test of time, including a broke rockstar Johnny Rzenik who had just been screwed over by his label and was coming off a brutal divorce and ready to quit music. But an epiphany while strumming a guitar with many broken strings gave him one of the biggest hits ever, Goo Goo Dolls' Iris. Plus the female powerhouse Alanis Morissette, who sold 33 million copies of her debut, only to lose 30 million of those fans on her follow-up song Thank U, which had a provocative video where she appeared naked & blurred. Plus Lauryn Hill, who said she wasn’t dissing her contemporary in her hit song but ripped her with a one-liner that felt like an uppercut about her booty. Plus the greatest song of the last 30 years, Bittersweet Symphony, that has been one of the most streamed and synced songs ever and the artist behind it made nothing and how a song about getting a BLEEEEP while dancing close became the #1 hit of the year… Let’s do it. To get $35 off Aura’s best-selling Carver Mat frames go to: AuraFrames.com and use promo code ROCK at checkout. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Coming up next… The Final Single from the hardest-hitting, most epic rock band in history, Led Zeppelin. The song? Fool in the Rain. For a decade, Zeppelin ripped a hole in the ozone layer and redefined rock, but for their final magnum opus, they came out of left field with a dynamite single that was so catchy they knew it couldn’t miss. Whereas they’d had few hits because they were an albums band first and only released a handful of singles, they knew they had a sure-fire hit on their hands, and it came from their final proper studio album. Would the band that only had a few of the top 40 singles because mainstream radio refused to play them finally get a #1 hit? Fool in the Rain had the best chance yet, but it was a big gamble; it sounded nothing like their heavy sound. Let’s find out next. Regardless, Zeppelin would defy radio and sell 300 million records. Robert Plant, Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones and John Bonham wrote some of the greatest songs in rock history from Stairway to Heaven, Kashmir, Whole Lotta Love and Black Dog but Fool in the Rain maybe the catchiest song they ever wrote...Here's the story! See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merry Christmas a little early, everyone! Today I’ve got a once-in-a-year countdown for you that I know will put a smile on your face… For this episode, we’re unwrapping a Christmas rock countdown. But to be honest, some of these tracks weren’t exactly born out of holiday cheer. One was actually written by a musical genius, Brian Wilson, to spite a hero and rival producer. Another was a duet by the Pogues that they tried several different females for years. They tried to nail this song down, finally, the producer’s wife got so fed up she walked into the vocal booth and did a perfect Take. Plus, we’ve got the story of the classic track that The King tried to sabotage in the studio. He treated it like a joke, but it ended up anchoring one of the highest-selling Christmas albums ever. There’s also Bruce Springsteen, who was tangled up in legal disputes, so he couldn't release any music. But his manager bootlegged a live Christmas recording and distributed it to radio stations—creating a major hit, but it couldn't be purchased for six years… But putting all the drama aside, I hope this episode will help you keep the good vibes going through the holiday season. 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.

Coming up, one of the funniest song stories I’ve come across. Sammy Hagar was in the middle of an intimate moment with his then-wife. Ya, they were in the middle of doing it... when they were interrupted by the singer’s neighbor. His neighbor also happened to be the legendary guitarist in his band, Eddie Van Halen from the band of the same name...Van Halen... Eddie was up late, a bit tipsy, and his wife had kicked him out, but he had a no-brainer song idea that he wanted to write then and there. So Eddie interrupted the couple's session. They got a massive hit out of it, Finish What Ya Started, but the singer was in trouble with his wife. The story is 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.

Coming up a special full-length uncut interview with one of the great unheralded guitar heroes of rock history. One of my favorites, but not only that, he’s a legendary producer, songwriter and the right-hand man of the late great Tom Petty. Mike Campbell. Mike produced and co-wrote many of the Heartbreakers' classics as well as several big hits for Don Henley, including Boys of Summer. A song that has one of the most incredible stories of the rock era. Mike thought he had written one of his best songs, but when he brought it to Tom Petty, Tom rejected it as it didn’t fit the album they were creating, so producer Jimmy Iovine told Mike to take it to Don Henley for his second Solo Album. So Don came to Mike’s house.So when he played it for Don, Henley’s reaction made Mike feel like he thought it was a dud too. Henley left without a word, but then he called back about an hour later and told Mike he’d just written the best song of his career. Putting lyrics to Mike’s Music. There’s even more to it with the Track almost getting erased forever and thenTom Petty’s reaction after it became a hit. But that’s just the tip of the iceberg; there’s the story of all of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers hits on here, and Mike does it while smoking a bowl. It was such an amazing interview, I felt like Tom was there in spirit. Discussing the greatest hits from Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers including Free Fallin' , Mary Jane's Last Dance, Refugee, American Girl, I Won't Back Down, Running Down a Dream and many more. Ya know, the more time that goes by in my life, the more Tom Petty moves up in my top artists list. He’s probably top 5 for me!  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.