The Rock & Roll History Show: Recent Episodes
Hudson River Radio .com
Join Brian Horowitz and The Crambones as they talk about the true stories behind your favorite hit songs, along with some interesting facts and trivia. And, of course, you'll hear some of the best songs from music history. Broadcasted live on Fridays at 6pm eastern.
Hudson River Radio / Glacier Entertainment, LLC, proudly pays music royalties to ASCAP, BMI, SESAC, and SoundExchange.
Summer is almost here! Unless you're joining us from the southern hemisphere...
Either way, here are the stories behind some great songs to play on the road!
We'll be back next week. Until then, refresh your knowledge on ol' Lugwig von B from January 23, 2026.
Happy Valentine's Day..?! It's our annual Valentine's show, where we see which Crambones are pro-Valentine's Day and which ones, not so much. We also welcome special guest Jahn Xavier Bonfiglio from The Nightcaps!
Musicians who changed careers, originally from June 6, 2025. We will be back next week for Valentines Day 2026!
Happy Holidays from The Crambones!
We're giving you lots to talk about with your relatives this season, along with enough ammo to make an excuse and depart as you deem necessary.
Brian welcomes back Judge Linda from Murder in the Hudson Valley and UFO Headquarters to keep score of the 2025 Crambone Pop Quiz. The Crambones are very angry at Brian because they thought it was going to be the annual hoiday episode.
Will Barbara retain her championship from last year? And can you beat The Crambones yourself? Let us know!
The Crambones check out songs with spoken words. For some reason, most of them are surprisingly sad...
The Crambones who aren't deathly ill this week take a look at the second best TV show of all time, WKRP in Cincinatti, as well as a few food related tracks.
This is the second episode of our sporadic series, "Our Least Favorite Instruments." Mercedes hates the harp, and may need to go to therapy.
Brian is on the road at Farm Aid 40 along with Allison from Getting Dirty. We will be back with new episodes of The Rock & Roll History Show and Getting Dirty soon!
Brian is on the road at Farm Aid 40 along with Allison from Getting Dirty. We will be back with new episodes of The Rock & Roll History Show and Getting Dirty soon!
Brian and Allison are at Farm Aid in Minneapolis this weekend. Head over to FarmAid.org to watch the live stream on September 20!
Welcome to our annual crossover episode with Getting Dirty. Allison and Ivana join the Crambones to talk about the 40th anniversary of Farm Aid, happening on Saturday, September 20 in Minneapolis. Brian and Allison will be there! Head over to FarmAid.org to watch the concert livestream.
Grab your favorite beverage and join us by the pool as summer sadly comes to a close. (To our friends in the Southern Hemisphere, grab your favorite warm beverage as winter comes to a close. We got ya.)
This is the first episode of our sporadic series, "Our Least Favorite Instruments." Barbara leads us off with her feelings on the ukulele.
Some more homicidal tracks along with special guest Linda Zimmermann from "Murder In The Hudson Valley."
Linda Zimmermann from "Murder In The Hudson Valley" joins The Crambones to take a look at some songs about murder. Watch your back!
The Crambones dig up some track that mention chain stores. (Stores are building that contain stuff for you to buy, for those who may not be aware.)
The Crambones will be back next week. Until then, please enjoy this episode from the vault!
Sometimes successful musicians decide to move on to another field. Some of these career changes are pretty surprising!
The Crambones disappeared for Memorial Day weekend. Until they return, please enjoy "Short Songs" from February 7, 2025.
The Crambones are life-long fans of live shows. This week, they take a look at some live concert albums.
There used to be these things called "albums," and sometimes band would use an album to tell a complete story.
Famous rock tunes are sometimes lifted from old classical pieces. Do any of these sound familiar?
It's time for our annual Valentine's Day episode. Will the tally fall toward 'for' or 'against' this year?
The Crambones, for some reason, feel qualified to give some life advice to help you start off 2025 right. Use at you own discretion.
John missed the annual pop quiz and had to make up the assignment. The rest of The Crambones were mad at Brian for giving the pop quiz in the first place. So, 2024 Champion Barbara decided that Brian and John had to watch the horrible 2019 'Cats' movie from beginning to end, without a break, and report on it to the group. You might want to play this on double speed.
Thak you all for a wonderful 2024! Happy New Year from all of The Crambones, and we'll see you next week in 2025!
As 2024 comes to a close, The Crambones pick their favorite tunes to hear as they turn around and walk off into the sunset.
Once again, The Crambones are super mad at Brian about their annual pop quiz! Linda Zimmermann from UFO Headquarters and Murder In The Hudson Valley once again plays the no-nonsense judge. Who will be this year's Crambone Champion?
It's Thanksgiving already? The Crambones pick a few Thansgiving tunes to help ease you through the holiday, plus the annual deep dive on the "Turkeys Away" episode of WKRP in Cincinnati.
Filling up Part 2 with more placeholders!
*We talk about Greg Kihn in this episode and, unfortunately, he passed away on August 13, 2024. We recorded this episode on August 12.
Did you know that songwriters will sometimes drop in made-up words or nonsense lyrics into a song until they come up with something better? Did you know that they sometimes don't come up with anything better? Over the next two shows, The Crambones will check out some of these songs!
Part two of our special crossover edition of The Rock & Roll History Show and Getting Dirty! Farm Aid will be taking place on September 21, 2024, at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center in New York. We hope to see you there!
Join us for this special crossover edition of The Rock & Roll History Show and Getting Dirty! We will be talking about Farm Aid, which will be taking place on September 21, 2024, at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center in New York.
MTv launched in a small section of New Jersey on August 1, 1981. We all know what the first video was, but what came after that?
The Crambones check out the most controversial songs from the years they were born, according to Stacker.com.
High school memories. The good, the bad, the tardy. Dan Lennane from The Rock Nerd Radio Show joins The Crambones for this trip down memory lane.
Belly up to the bar and pour yourself a sarsaparilla, partner. It's time for more songs about cowboys and the old west.
Do you regret quitting piano lesson when you were a kid? This episode might not make you feel any better about that.
The Crambones are not happy that it's time for the annual Crambone Pop Quiz! Let's see who paid attention this year. Linda Zimmermann from 'Murder In The Hudson Valley' and 'UFO Headquarters' serves as our official judge and scorekeeper.
The Generic Winter Holiday Spectacular continues! If you thought last week was bad, wait until you hear these selections. Drop us an email if you feel you deserve an apology.
It's time for our annual Generic Winter Holiday Spectacular! The Crambones have curated some of the worst holiday songs ever performed, perfect to help you clear the house of guests who overstay their welcome. These are so bad, we had to spill some over into a second episode.
It's part 1 of our annual Thanksgiving celebration, including a deep dive into the legendary TV show WKRP In Cincinnati. Happy Thanksgiving, everybody!
Brian stopped by Muscle Shoals Sound Studio in Sheffield, Alabama, and chatted with tour guides Terrell Benton, Toni Brooks, and Chase Brandon, as well as operations manager Katlyn Lott. The building is a former casket showroom that was transformed into one of the most successful hit making studios in music history. Check out their website at MuscleShoalsSoundStudio.org.
The young people kind, not the ones who whine about stuff. Allison Turcan from Getting Dirty also hops on to do a recap of Farm Aid 2023!
The Crambones check out more songs about cops and criminals. Special guest police sergeant and heavy metal expert Mike Chabut is back for this one.
The Crambones check out songs about cops and criminals. Special guest police sergeant and heavy metal expert Mike Chabut hops on for this one.
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The Crambones pick a few tunes where the title doesn't appear in the lyrics.
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The Crambones put the hammer down and tear up the swindle sheets on this week's show about trucking. That's a big 10-4 there, good buddy.
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Songs about various professions on this week's show.
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A few more tunes written by the Bee Gees for other artists.
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The Crambones check out some hits written by the Bee Gees for other artists.
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A few more tracks about body parts!
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A family friendly look at some songs about body parts!
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We'll be back next week with a brand spanking new show. Until then, enjoy "These Lyrics Did Not age Well," from October 15, 2021. Rock on, y'all!
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We'll be back on July 21. Until then, enjoy "Songs For CPR," from July 22, 2022. This was Crambone Jessica's first appearance on the show. She brought her expertise as a paramedic instructor to discuss good songs to help you perform good CPR.
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The Crambones love these songs. How about you?
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More songs The Crambones can't turn off
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The Crambones expertly curate some of the most hideous theme songs from some of the worst movies around.
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Even more mondegreens! Did you get these lyrics correct?
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A mondegreen is an aural malapropism. A homophonically misinterpreted phrase. In plain English, if we can’t understand the lyrics in a song, we substitute something that sounds like it fits. Check out some of these selections!
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Some great songs with only two chords. Feel free to play along!
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Songs based on only one chord. Great for beginners!
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Coffee, java, joe, mud, or whatever you call it!
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Several Crambones are from upstate New York, depending on what your defitnition of "upstate" might be. (Zoom was not cooperating for the first half of the show, so please forgive some audio issues.)
Crambone John spends his days teaching Braille and mobility to blind and special needs children, so today we check out songs about vision and sight!
There have been a ton of Jewish rock stars over the years. The Crambones check out a few of them!
The Crambones check out the influence of trains on rock music. Chugga chugga choo choo!
Yup, this one is all about the posterior. The back of your front. The vertical smile. We're sorry.
The Crambones remind everyone that songs from the 1990s are considered oldies now. They each picked a song from the decade that, in their opinion, is a good one. Next week, they will be picking bad ones. Let the discussion start!
The Crambones take a musical trip to New Orleans just in time for Mardi Gras! Maybe they'll work up the courage to go in person next year...
Crambone Becky loves Groundhog Day, so she is running the show. Who knew there were so many songs about groundhogs?
The Crambones check out songs with a twist ending. Mercedes wins for the most disturbing pick.
The Generic Winter Holiday Spectacular 2022 continues, along with a lively discussion on the harmful effects of Rudolph.
Brian makes the Crambones angry with a surprise pop quiz. Professor Jessica Deluca Dean returns as the official scorekeeper, judge, and human shield.
It's our annual Thanksgiving episode, including a deep dive on the iconic TV show 'WKRP in Cincinnati'.
The Crambones check out some commercials from the past few decades. How many do you remember?
The Crambones check out some rock star cameos on sitcoms from the 1960s through the 1990s.
The Crambones welcome guest host Barbara Viohl from Shaving Cream to talk about Weird Al!
Look at all this culture going on here! The Crambones check out even more popular songs that were inspired and/or stolen from classical music.
The Crambones check out some more popular songs that were inspired and/or stolen from classical music. More coming next week!
Paramedic Instructor Jessica Deluca Dean joins The Crambones to talk about CPR training and songs that you can use to keep the right tempo for chest compressions!
Stealing and other petty crimes... oh, and one murder. Enjoy! Please check out our Etsy Store for customized merchandise! https://www.etsy.com/shop/HudsonRiverRadio
Linda Zimmermann from UFO Headquarters joins The Crambones for this week's episode about UFOs and Outer Space. Join us at the Pine Bush UFO Fair in Pine Bush, NY, on Saturday, June 4, 2022, from 10 to 4.
The other half of The Crambones compare original versions to covers and put it up to a vote.
Half of The Crambones compare original versions to covers and put it up to a vote. Plus, lively discussion about actual raspberry berets! Part 2 coming next week.
There are no rules in music, and anything can be used as an instrument. Check out these picks. Special thanks to Toni Brooks from the Muscle Shoals Sound Studio for helping us with this episode.
Samples are basically recorded sounds used as instruments in a new song. The Crambones check out some interesting examples of song that contain samples. Don't forget to leave us a comment and tell us what you think!
Our console decided to blow up during the holiday break. While we work on repairs, please enjoy some shows from the vault. We'll be back soon!
The Crambones take a deep dive on the story behind WKRP in Cincinnati and the infamous 'Turkey Drop' episode, along with some interesting Thanksgiving songs.
John couldn't make this show, so The Crambones did the only mature, sophisticated thing they could thing of. They talked about him while he wasn't there.
Check out the back stories behind these hits, all of which have numbers in their title.
What is sprechstimme? Spoiler alert: it’s spoken words in songs. The Crambones pick some great rock slanted versions of songs with spoken words.
The Crambones discuss some of the most popular rock stars... before they were rock stars.
Even your favorite bands and singers can lay a goose egg at some point. Check out these Klunkers and let us know what you think!
The Crambones pick more oldies from the 1990s. Yup, songs from the 1990s are considered oldies now! I'm not old. You're old.
The Crambones talk about some songs with good back stories. Chili dogs, cliff diving, shooting up a car, and more.
"The Murder of John Lennon," on this special crossover episode of The Rock & Roll History Show and Murder in the Hudson Valley.
Mondegreens are misheard lyrics, which we usually substitute with words that may or may not make sense. The Crambones share some of their favorite mondegreen picks on this week's episode.
The Crambones pick a few songs with great memories, but didn't quite hold up over time.
The Crambones pick some more of their favorite TV themes. This show ran a bit long, but it's worth it!
The Crambones get back to rock and roll basics with songs about alcohol, tobacco, and firearms!
What was the #1 song the week you were born? The Crambones share their songs, and some of them are sooooo bad.
The Crambones share their personal theme songs. You know, the tune that's playing in your head as you walk into a room full of people. What's yours?
Gail runs the show as The Crambones share some of their guilty pleasure songs and the stories behind them.
The Crambones check out some of the rock hits that were straight-up stolen from classical music. Aired February 21, 2020.
Remember the good ol' days of mouth to mouth resuscitation? How did those CPR practice manikins come around? And what does that have to do with rock music? And what is a "Crambone," by the way? Aired July 19, 2019.
The Crambones take a hard look at Chuck Berry's only #1 hit, My Ding A Ling, from 1972.
The Crambones highlight some of the mistakes you may have missed in popular songs. Originally aired June 5, 2020.
The Crambones celebrate The 4th Annual Generic Winter Holiday Spectacular, which is slightly less spectacular than usual thanks to the dumpster fire of a year. Happy Holidays, everybody!
The Crambones take a look at the harmonica in rock music. It also happens to be one of Gail's least favorite instruments.
The Crambones each tell the back story about a song written about another song. Hey, write what you know!
The Crambones check out a classic Thanksgiving song, and take a deep dive into the historic "Turkeys Away" episode of WKRP in Cincinnati. "As God is my witness, I thought turkeys could fly."- Arthur Carlson
The Crambones discuss ADAT, Alesis Digital Audio Tape, an early digital recording device, along with some tracks that were recorded on ADAT.
The Crambones strongly advise that you do not smoke banana peels. Originally aired May 3, 2019.
The Crambones check out some commercials done by rock stars. It's hard to say no when they wave a bunch of cash in front of you! Originally aired December 6, 2019.
It's back to school time, even if it's all online! The Crambones take a look at some rock stars who started out as teachers before making it big. Originally aired November 15, 2019.
This is our special crossover episode with Ms. Lorenzo from LET'S TALK HISTORY, when we discussed the Hindenburg disaster and the infamous "humanity" recording. The original sounds very different from the clips you've heard! Originally aired May 10, 2019
The Crambones go down a rabbit hole, and check out a bunch of songs that are oddly connected.
The Crambones check out hit songs that were straight-up ripped off from classical music. Originally aired February 21, 2020.
The Crambones talk about the interesting ways some musicians and composers met their demise.
Tour guide and musician Geoff Smith joins The Crambones live from the control room at the legendary Sun Studio in Memphis, the birthplace of rock and roll.
Countless hits from Paul Simon, The Rolling Stones, Etta James, Wilson Pickett, The Staple Singers, the Allman Brother, Lynyrd Skynyrd, and more came from the Muscle Shoals area of Alabama.
The Crambones welcome Debbie Wilson, executive director of The Muscle Shoals Music Foundation, and Terrell Benton, tour guide at the legendary Muscle Shoals Sound Studio to talk about the incomparable Muscle Shoals sound.
Join The Crambones for some exciting old-school education and songs about the atomic bomb! Originally aired March 20, 2020.
Take a trip down under with The Crambones, and check out some rock from Australia! Originally aired November 1, 2019.
Six songs to get us to Kevin Bacon. Play along with The Crambones! Originally aired on August 2, 2019.
We hope you can enjoy some vacation time in the near future. Until then, enjoy these songs about traveling, brought to you by The Crambones.
Can you figure out the answer before the end of the show? Originally aired February 22, 2019.
Why do so many songs sound the same? Because they all use the exact same chord progression! Check out some examples from our technical failure laden, live, semi-professional episode of The Rock & Roll History Show.
Our quarantined Memorial Day show, including a military march by a "Hebrew," a theme song with intentionally stupid lyrics, and a #1 hit written by a US Vice President.
You may not recognize James Ray, Errol Brown, or Hank Ballard by name, but you'll recognize their music.
The Crambones welcome Mary Culum Campbell, former manager of Electric Lady Studios in New York City.
The Crambones talk about music royalties, historic fundraisers, and the longest running business in history. Hint: It's a music company.
The Crambones take a look at a few pioneering women in rock as a belated homage to International Women's Day, and they check out a few tracks from Irish musicians for St Patrick's Day.
Harry Belafonte turned 93 this week. The Crambones take a look at his career starting in the 1950s.
The Crambones and special guest, metallurgist Louie "Spats" Domenici talk about the role of metal in music.
We discuss songs about civil rights, and we listen to President LBJ order a pair of pants! You don't want to miss this one. Originally aired June 8, 2018.
Taking a look at the use of Morse code in rock music. There's a lot more than YYZ by Rush! Originally aired March 15, 2019.
We pay homage to Neil Peart of Rush, and we take a look at the "big four" rock drummers, John Bonham, Ginger Baker, Keith Moon, and Neil Peart.
We review some of the worst, most irritating holiday songs, as chosen by Hudson River Radio hosts. Ho Ho Ho, yo!
Our annual Thanksgiving show, featuring the legendary "Turkeys Away" episode of WKRP in Cincinnati.
Vinyl, 8 tracks, cassettes, CDs... How we get our music has changed quite a bit over the years! Originally aired October 26, 2018