Episode 39: Right Song, Wrong Timing | FM Rock That Almost Conquered the World

Episode 39: Right Song, Wrong Timing | FM Rock That Almost Conquered the World

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2537773/fan_mail/new] Turn up the radio and roll the windows down. This week on Who Ordered the Pie?, we're reopening five more musical case files featuring FM rock bands that had everything it took to become arena legends. Big guitars. Huge choruses. Arena-ready production. Songs people still crank in the car. So why didn't they become the next Journey, Foreigner, or REO Speedwagon? Join me as we investigate the stories behind Shooting Star, Saga, Red Rider, The Outfield, and Donnie Iris. We'll uncover the twists of timing, record label setbacks, changing musical tastes, and unexpected turns that kept these incredible bands from reaching even greater heights. Along the way, I'll mix this episode's featured cocktail, Josie's Vacation, inspired by one of the most unforgettable songs of the decade. Here's to loud riffs, quiet sips, and the stories in between. Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2537773/support] Who Ordered the Pie? a music history podcast with custom cocktail pairings. Show notes, recipes, and extras: WhoOrderedThePie.com Follow: Apple Podcasts • Spotify • YouTube • Instagram

Episode 38: Right Song, Wrong Timing | Power Pop's Greatest "What Ifs"

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2537773/fan_mail/new] Have you ever heard a song and wondered, "How was that band not huge?" In this brand new recurring series, Christopher reopens five musical case files to investigate artists who had the right song, the right sound, and every reason to become major stars, but somehow never reached the level of success they seemed destined for. This episode features The Smithereens' "Blood and Roses," Marshall Crenshaw's "Someday, Someway," Michael Penn's "No Myth," The Plimsouls' "A Million Miles Away," and The Producers' "What's He Got." Along the way, you'll hear the stories behind the songs, the chart success, MTV exposure, record label decisions, and missed opportunities that shaped these careers. You'll also hear Christopher's personal memories of discovering Marshall Crenshaw through Beatlemania and why the missing Valley Girl soundtrack frustrated music fans for years. Then it's time to close the case files, open the bar, and mix this episode's featured cocktail, "The Power Pop." If you love classic rock, power pop, new wave, MTV, and the stories behind the songs, this episode is for you. Here's to loud riffs, quiet sips, and the stories in between. Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2537773/support] Who Ordered the Pie? a music history podcast with custom cocktail pairings. Show notes, recipes, and extras: WhoOrderedThePie.com Follow: Apple Podcasts • Spotify • YouTube • Instagram

Episode 37 - My Fourth of July Soundtrack | The Stories Behind the Songs

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2537773/fan_mail/new] Every Fourth of July has a soundtrack. In Episode 37 of Who Ordered the Pie, Christopher explores the stories behind the songs that have become part of America's Independence Day celebrations. Discover the surprising history behind Chicago's "Saturday in the Park," Kim Wilde's "Kids in America," Robert Earl Keen's "The Fourth of July," Robert Vaughn & The Dead River Angels' "4th of July," Bruce Springsteen's "4th of July, Asbury Park (Sandy)," Pete Droge's "4th of July," Shooter Jennings' "4th of July," and the unexpected story of Tchaikovsky's "1812 Overture." You'll learn why one of the most American-sounding songs of the 1980s was written by a British family, how Bruce Springsteen turned Asbury Park into one of rock's most memorable settings, why Steve Poltz's songwriting gave Robert Earl Keen one of his most beloved songs, how Shooter Jennings accidentally wrote the biggest hit of his career, and why the "1812 Overture" became the unofficial soundtrack of American Fourth of July fireworks despite having nothing to do with the holiday. Plus, Christopher mixes the episode's featured cocktail, the Porch Swing—a bright bourbon lemonade that's crisp, refreshing, and perfect for a warm summer evening. If you love classic rock, country, Americana, alternative country, music history, and the stories behind the songs, this episode belongs on your Fourth of July playlist. Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2537773/support] Who Ordered the Pie? a music history podcast with custom cocktail pairings. Show notes, recipes, and extras: WhoOrderedThePie.com Follow: Apple Podcasts • Spotify • YouTube • Instagram

Episode 36: Warning Label | How a Sticker Became a Badge of Honor

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2537773/fan_mail/new] This is Part 2 of our two-part series on the Parental Advisory label and the controversy that changed music forever. In Episode 35, we explored Prince's "Darling Nikki," the PMRC, and the infamous Filthy Fifteen. Now the story moves from record stores to Washington, D.C. In 1985, three unlikely allies found themselves defending artistic freedom before the United States Senate: Dee Snider of Twisted Sister, Frank Zappa, and John Denver. What followed became one of the most fascinating moments in music history. Why was John Denver one of the strongest voices against warning labels? How did Dee Snider completely shatter expectations? What was Frank Zappa's argument against government involvement in music? And how did a simple black-and-white sticker intended to warn listeners become a badge of honor that helped sell millions of albums? Join Christopher as he explores the Senate hearings, the creation of the Parental Advisory label, and the unintended consequences that still shape music, media, and free expression today. Cocktail of the Week: The Warning Label Here's to loud riffs, quiet sips, and the stories in between. #ParentalAdvisory #PMRC #DeeSnider #FrankZappa #JohnDenver #TwistedSister #MusicHistory #RockHistory #80sMusic #WhoOrderedThePie #MusicPodcast #RockPodcast Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2537773/support] Who Ordered the Pie? a music history podcast with custom cocktail pairings. Show notes, recipes, and extras: WhoOrderedThePie.com Follow: Apple Podcasts • Spotify • YouTube • Instagram

Episode 35: Parental Discretion Advised | From Darling Nikki to the Filthy Fifteen

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2537773/fan_mail/new] A simple black-and-white sticker changed music history. The Parental Advisory label became one of the most recognizable symbols in rock and pop culture, appearing on albums by Metallica, Guns N' Roses, Ozzy Osbourne, Mötley Crüe, and countless others. But where did it come from? In Part One of this special two-part series, we go back to 1985 and the song that started it all: Prince's "Darling Nikki." How did one track from Purple Rain inspire the creation of the PMRC? What was the Filthy Fifteen? And why did artists as different as Madonna, Cyndi Lauper, Def Leppard, Judas Priest, Twisted Sister, and Sheena Easton suddenly find themselves at the center of a national debate over explicit lyrics, censorship, and music's influence on young listeners? We'll explore: * Prince and the controversy surrounding "Darling Nikki" * The formation of the PMRC (Parents Music Resource Center) * The complete story behind the Filthy Fifteen * Why "Sugar Walls," "Dress You Up," "She Bop," "High 'n' Dry," and "We're Not Gonna Take It" made the list * How fear, interpretation, and misunderstanding fueled one of music's biggest controversies This is the untold story of the songs that started a war over lyrics. Pour yourself a Darling Nikki cocktail and join us. Here's to loud riffs, quiet sips, and the stories in between. #WhoOrderedThePie #MusicPodcast #MusicHistory #Prince #DarlingNikki #PurpleRain #PMRC #ParentsMusicResourceCenter #FilthyFifteen #ParentalAdvisory #ExplicitLyrics #Censorship #RockHistory #PopMusic #Madonna #CyndiLauper #DefLeppard #JudasPriest #TwistedSister #SheenaEaston #Metallica #GunsNRoses #OzzyOsbourne #MotleyCrue #1980sMusic #ClassicRock #MusicDocumentary #Podcast Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2537773/support] Who Ordered the Pie? a music history podcast with custom cocktail pairings. Show notes, recipes, and extras: WhoOrderedThePie.com Follow: Apple Podcasts • Spotify • YouTube • Instagram