Professor of Rock

The Wild Stories Behind 1975’s Biggest Songs: Styx, Average White Band, Carl Douglas & More

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 out. It’s our latest time in a bottle countdown! There’s a party classic KC and the Sunshine Band's Get Down Tonight that made a writing collaboration a ton of money, but they blew it all on blow, an instrumental by the Average White Band whose founding member died from a weird accident after ingesting a lethal cocktail at a party in Hollywood, yet, his bandmate, who had the same concoction, was miraculously saved, because of the quick action by Cher, yes, that Cher! One of the best-selling singles came out in ’75, and the track was “a little bit frightening.” The song Angie Baby about a mentally unstable girl who was mysteriously disposed of by a predator that’s one of the creepiest songs to hit the top of the charts, and the song Lady that saved one of the most enduring classic rock bands, Styx that became, what many call, the first power ballad, plus the biggest-selling one-hit wonder ever, Carl Douglas's Kung Fu Fighting… It was a throwaway B-side, and now it has sold 11 million, even though many claim it’s racist. Let’s do it. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy [https://art19.com/privacy] and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info [https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info].

Countdown: The Most Unhinged Crazy Ex Songs in Music History

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 all been there… or at least know someone who has. If you’ve ever had someone take a baseball bat to a windshield or go completely scorched earth on you for reasons you’re still trying to understand, this countdown is for you. We’ve got the story of Axl Rose, who showed up at his girlfriend’s door at 4 AM, threatening to take his own life right there if she didn’t marry him. What a proposal! Then there’s Justin Timberlake, who made a music video about him breaking into his ex-girlfriend’s home and doing some pretty messed-up stuff. An MTV host called him an "American Psycho,” you know, like the movie. And he pretty much fessed up to it. Also, there’s the popstar Lisa Lopes, who burned down her boyfriend’s million-dollar mansion because he didn’t shoes… For real? You can’t even make this stuff up. Let’s get started. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy [https://art19.com/privacy] and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info [https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info].

The Sci-Fi Hit That Shocked the World in 1969 - The Untold Story of “In the Year 2525"

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 over…. humans won’t need teeth…legs…or eyes….that’s if man can even survive… The story of “In the Year 2525” is a truly strange song that foretold the future of mankind, more than 500 years from now. The band recorded in the middle of a cow pasture and sold it out of the trunk of their cars… It ended up going to #1 for 6 weeks, and it sold 5 million copies. The craziest part is that after the massive success, it’s as if aliens abducted them, because the band just vanished… after foretelling the future they were never heard from again. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy [https://art19.com/privacy] and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info [https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info].

The Saddest Decline in Rock? Why Some Legendary Frontmen Can’t Sing Anymore

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, on today’s episode, we’re calling attention to three singers who have had an incredible run, but it may be time to ride off into the sunset. In the words of The Clash… It’s time to ask Should I Stay or Should I Go? On the flip side, we’ve also got three singers who we wish would come back out of retirement… because they called it quits too soon. On this countdown, we’ve got a legendary frontman, David Lee Roth, who fronted Van Halen, who actually retired a few years ago, but then came back… and it hasn’t gone so well. Then there’s Motley Crue, who signed a formal agreement back in 2014 to never tour again… So why are they back on the road? And can anyone even understand what their lead singer, Vince Neil, is singing? You need a translator because the lyrics we all know so well sound like…well, you’ll see! Plus, there’s the iconic frontwoman Kate Bush, who refused to come out of retirement even after her 37-year-old song topped the charts a few years ago. Is there anything we can do to get her back on stage? See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy [https://art19.com/privacy] and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info [https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info].

1988’s Greatest Hits Countdown: Icehouse, Gloria Estefan, Richard Marx, Foreigner & Terence Trent D’Arby

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 Electric Blue that was inspired while an artist was nervously walking along a topless beach. Plus, the breakout song Wishing Well by Terrance Trent D'Arby, who thought the industry was conspiring against him so that he wouldn’t become bigger than Michael Jackson… Then one bad interview was the last straw and killed his career virtually overnight. Also, a wishful smash by Richard Marx, an artist who broke the record for consecutive top 5 hits, even though every record label had initially passed on him… Plus, Gloria Estefan, the legendary artist everyone forgets about, even though this icon had sold 100 million records and had 2 dozen hits. And finally, the Foreigner song that Lou Gramm despised so much, he tried to sabotage it by delivering a lukewarm, uninspired performance. But everyone praised it, and it was a major hit… Let's do it. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy [https://art19.com/privacy] and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info [https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info].