Rock School: Recent Episodes
KSLU-FM Publc Radio
Dr Joe Burns hosts an insightful and energetic showcase of the music, history and culture of rock-n-roll
"This is the second to last Rock School show and I'm using it to pitch my 4th album, Widow Maker, which went live last week on Spotify and Apple Music. I hope you enjoy it and I hope to see you all next week for the final Rock School Show."
"Every list of the best bands contains the same bands in the top 20 so I made a new list. I looked at several best band lists and eliminated those top 20 bands. My list gets rid of the obvious choices and gives many lesser known bands a chance. See what you think."
"Tammy and I have decided to retire from our jobs and also from creating the Rock School Radio show. I know this is the 744th show on PRX but it's actually our 997th show overall. We will do this show and three more, ending on our 1000th show. To that end, in this show we will announce some musicians who might be retiring soon themselves. We will list the oldest people touring this summer."
"For an experiment, I denoted the last ten generations and attempted to define the song of their generation. Some were easy and some quite difficult. I offer five possibilities first and then pick. See if I made the correct choice."
"I was talking about the Paul is Dead conspiracy theory in class one day and the students began asking me if I knew about THIS theory. And then THIS theory. We went on for 30 minutes and then I did some research. There were so many theories I had never heard of. Hopefully they are new to you as well. We have a long list."
"When you listen to Van Halen or Extreme or Steely Dan you expect a great guitar solo. The point of this show is to offer some examples of totally unexpected solos. These are solos in a song or a genre or by an artists that it seems to be coming out of nowhere. "
"Back on May 31st Black Crowes frontman Chris Robinson chided an audience for chanting USA. Much of the audience then walked out. I wondered if this had happened before and it certainly did. We have multiple examples of an audience turning on the performer and vice versa. For many we have the audio from the stage."
"The new owners of Fender since 2020 are attempting to own the copyright on the Stratocaster body. A German court has taken them part of the way but most experts don't believe it will hold up to scrutiny. Nonetheless, Fender has sent Cease and Desist letters to multiple guitar makers telling them to stop production, call back orders and destroy stock. Fender may have just committed brand suicide because history is not on their side."
"It is no secret that music contracts can be rather brutal on artists. Often the stories focus on not getting paid but there is also the interesting idea of a lawsuit ordering a musician to fill his or her contract and record what we are calling a court ordered album. We have multiple examples plus one where the band was paid NOT to record an album."
"Sony Music Publishing confirmed an agreement to acquire Blackstone’s Recognition Music Group catalog for $3.5 billion. The Red Hot Chili Peppers just sold their catalog for $300 million. Other Funds are raising billions to start buying. These buyers are called Music Rights Funds. I became interested in how these Funds actually made money. How does one invest and can I sell my own music. I have the answers for you."
"The New York Times released their 30 Greatest Living American Songwriters list a short while ago. I know online lists usually have some click bait to start conversation but this list was overtly egregious. Not for who was on it. It was who was left off. We will go over the list and play some artists that should have been on there."
"Many summer tours are having to scale back or cancel altogether. The nickname given to this practice is Blue Dot Fever. It is named after the blue dots that appear on unsold seats when a ticket buyer uses Ticketmaster. It has become indicative of a larger societal and financial concern that is leading to people not being able to attend live music. We will explain."
"This is a requested topic from a friend. He wondered if we had ever discussed steel drums. We had not so we did a show. We have some history and some discussion of tuning and prices. There are also a lot of songs that use the steel drum you may not have noticed before."
"On April 16 2026 A federal jury in Manhattan found that Ticketmaster and its parent company Live Nation have been acting as a monopoly. The case is wide ranging involving 33 states and the District of Columbia. Live Nation will not appeal any of the verdicts. We will discuss what is a monopoly and what these decisions could mean for the future."
"Just a bit of fun this week. Nobody is perfect so it is pretty easy to hear mistakes in recorded music. Here are some of the big ones in rock and hopefully some you did not know. Once you hear them, you cannot unhear them."
"The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry has released its 2026 State of the Industry Report. There are some pretty big take aways including stances on AI and the fact that the music industry is now more profitable than ever before. We will explore the findings."
"The former head of Interscope and Geffen records Jimmie Ivine said that streaming has had its time. Spotify will see its demise soon. Whether you believe that or not, the question is what comes next. After Spotify. Many have suggest this next step in music evolution. We will tell you what Ivine said and offer up some possibilities for after Spotify."
"I found a cheeky online piece where the author was using funny put downs to describe some popular bands. Tourist Rock. Ring Tone Rap. Yallternative. So I put it to the Facebook and received a much longer list. I call then Genre Insults and we have a bunch for you."
"I ran across an article that listed three songs that people listen to only to wait for just that one section. It mentioned the drum break in the Phil Collins song In the Air Tonight. I knew exactly what it was talking about and immediately had five examples from my own collection. I put it to Facebook and now I have a slew of examples."
"Major record companies are suing SUNO and Udio over song usage to create AI tunes. The one big thing the companies are looking for is a Walled Garden, the idea that what is created on SUNO will stay on SUNO. It cannot be taken and spread around. One company has already settled but it goes much deeper than that."
"I ran across an article listing musicians who are in both the Rock and the Country Halls of Fame. There aren't many. When I started looking into it further I found that the people on the list were in multiple other Halls of Fame as well. I wanted to find out what musician is in the most Halls. There is a clear winner."
"Luminate is a company that tracks the Entertainment Industry pointing out data analytics and trends. Their 2025 report has come out and it points to overall listenership being up. Listening to new music is way down. There are also some interesting data points regarding AI."
"The internet loves lists. The click bait ones often choose to list the worst of something and choose the best of it just to upset the audience for engagement. I can usually ignore these but this one really bugged me for some reason. I'll tell you the list and debunk it and offer some of mine."
"The Rockin 1000 is a project that started in Italy as gag to create a video of 1000 musicians playing Learn to Fly in order to get the Foo Fighters to come and put on a concert. It has since grown into full scale concerts across Europe. On January 31 the Rockin 1000 played their first concert in America, in New Orleans, and I was part of the band. Let me tell you the story."
"We are coming into tax season so Tammy and will talk about paying the government. The HITS Act is now in full swing. Foreign governments are changing their tax codes for musicians and we also have a list of what you might not have known was tax deductible."
"Every year I hear people complaining that the NFL makes lousy picks for the Super Bowl halftime show. If the picks are lousy then ratings must tank. But they do not. In fact the halftime show has never been better watched. We have a long list of ratings and demographics to show that the NFL seems to know what they are doing."
"In our New Year show we related an article that suggested that 3D spatial audio was going to be popular in 2026. Tammy asked for an explanation of 3D audio so here it is. We have examples of both new songs and classic music that has been remixed into a spatial audio format."
"A report from Spikerz, as Israeli company that tracks hacking, suggests that in 2025, music hacks were a sizeable number of methods bad actors were using to extract money from unsuspecting persons and companies. We have the numbers and multiple examples."
"This is our second of two year opening shows. We will cover new Public Domain availability, anniversaries for this new year and some predictions for 2026."
"This is our first of two year opening shows. We will cover new Public Domain availability, anniversaries for this new year and some predictions for 2026."
"This is our second Christmas show of 2025. We are giving more trivia and history for many of your favorite songs. It is quite a list."
"NOTE. This show is being posted a week early due to our Holiday travel. Enjoy two shows this week. This is our traditional end-of-year show were we give one last tip of the hat to the musicians who passed in 2025. "
"This is the first show of our annual Christmas double header. We did a show years back that looked at the history and trivia of classic Christmas Carols. For these shows we chose a whole bunch of songs we did not cover in that previous show. Get ready for a lot of information about your favorite songs of the season."
"We have broken down the meaning of American Pie and Creeque Alley and now it its time for We Didnt Start the Fire from Billy Joel. Listen closely. We go pretty quick."
"The The Office of the US Trade Representative has released their 2024 Piracy Report listing the notorious markets for counterfeiting and piracy. The practice is alive and well. This report dedicated an entire section just to music. We will tell you what it said."
"This is our annual Thanksgiving show. Thanksgiving is celebrated in many counties other than the United States. We will tell you the list and and how the people celebrate. Plus play songs about Thanksgiving food."
"Video may have killed the radio star but streaming and individual choices in music killed the video. Paramount Global has begun shutting down Mtv channels in Europe and reports are that soon it will come to the United States. Mtv is 44 and it looks like it may not make it to 45. "
"At least three record companies have extended million dollar contracts to people who create AI music. The US Copyright office has said it will begin extending protection those who use AI as a tool. The PROs will extend licensing. We will tell you what is going on."
"The number changes, but as of the writing of this description, only 1883 songs have topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart including all its earlier versions. This week back in 1990, the first rap song topped the chart. That got me wondering how many other firsts and other interesting facts surround the top spot. Here is a list."
"The NOW CDs, as they are often called, started in the UK in 1998 with Richard Branson. They were a hit out of the gate, each crafted to a specific formula. They are a professionally made mix tape. We have the full history and a good bit of trivia about the series."
"Cryptozoology is the study of a creature that probably doesn ot exist. Think Bigfoot. What is great about it is that every state seems to have its own monster. Maybe people really do think it exists or maybe it was invented to scare children at Halloween. We built up a list along with songs about candy. It is Halloween 2025."
"Many music outlets noticed there was no traditional Summer Song this year. No poppy dance tune that rose to the top of the charts. The Billboard Summer Song chart claimed a number one but it was a down tempo ballad. We will explore what happened and why."
"Many countries around the world take time each year to poll their citizens about their favorite songs. It usually happens around Christmas and a major media outlet plays the songs. We will tell you about some of the biggest ones and try to figure out why we don't do that here in America."
"An Idiom is a group of words that suggest a meaning different than their specific words. Many of them come from the world of music and we have created a solid list. You will recognize a lot of them."
"This past 4th of July someone posted the Preamble and I wondered who the singer was. I watched a few more and wondered who they were. We will answer that today. We will play some of their Schoolhouse Rock song and then one of their singles. Plus we have some trivia about the show."
"Long before American Idol and Americas Got Talent, there was Star Search. It was pretty schmaltzy but looking back, some of the biggest singers, actors and comedians got their big break on Star Search. We have grabbed as many examples as we could."
"Here is a game to play. Name as many two minute songs as you can following these rules. Only one song per group and you cannot name just punk songs. We then go one step farther and change the game to as many one minute songs as you can."
"A band named The Velvet Sundown had a hit a short while ago. The concern was that the band and the music were all fake. They were both fully AI generated. It is easier than you think. We have the story and some examples of when I did the same thing for an audience just to prove how easy it is to do."
"This is a fun parlor game. Name a band, a song by that band and then an album from that band that are all named exactly the same. Here is an example. Bad Company by Bad Company on the album Bad Company. There are many that are close but a true Trilogy is all three exactly the same."
"The Rock School show is now a part of the Library of Congress through their American Archive of Public Broadcasting. I know. I can barely believe it myself. Here is the story of the Library of Congress and how this all came to be. Check the calendar. It is not April and I am not fooling."
"Naming a band can be quite difficult. The list of bands we will discuss today went back into history to grab a name or an event to come up with a moniker. You know a good many of them. "
"The K Pop band EXO claimed that one of their concerts in South Korea sold out in less than two seconds. It sounds impossible because you are not being told the entire story. It is a badge of honor for bands to sell out quickly. Other than EXO, who did legitimately sell out the fastest. We will tell you our pick."
"Often an actor will start a band once her or she is famous. However many actors start as musicians. Some saw great success. We have some surprising names this week."
"Rock and Roll really came into its own in the 1950s and once it did someone was always proclaiming it bad for the youth in one way or another. These were generally called Moral Panics. Here is the history and some examples of a few of the most popular Moral Panics."
"Here is the second show where we play songs you might not know were covers. Often the cover version of a song becomes a bigger hit. And even if you did know the hit was a cover you may not know the original. We will play you a few."
"This is the first of a two show set. Often people are shocked to hear that a hit song is a cover. We have put together a long list of hit songs that are covers and we will play the original to you can hear where the hit you know came from."
"In July of 1962, the Rolling Stones play their first gig in the Marquee Club. The Marquee Club was one of the main venues for 1960s British rock. This week we will discuss the rather interesting history of the Marquee Club."
"Punk music has produced some of the greatest performers and some of the greatest musician nicknames. Here is a list of the best names and where they came form."
"Back in 1973 Muhammad Ali knocks out George Foreman in what was called The Rumble in the Jungle. This victory inspires Johnny Wakelin to write the song Black Superman. He gets a hit with it. So what other songs are written for or about athletes. We have a list."
"Last week we spoke of Dockery Farms which the birthplace of The Blues. As all music does it was expanded and taken to different places by the musicians who played it. Here is a run down and description of the most popular forms of The Blues."
"Dockery Farms is said to be the place where the Delta Blues began. That is a bold statement but once you hear the research I have gathered it will be hard to argue. Robert Johnson did not sell his soul for great musical talent. He went to Dockery Farms which is still open today and welcoming visitors."
"If you have an extra 12495 dollars lying around then you can be a roadie for Gene Simmons on his solo tour. We will discuss what you must do and if the money is worth it. We will also talk about the average monies paid to real roadies."
"First you need to know there are no swear words in this show. It was this week back in the 60s when the FBI released a letter stating that there were no curse words in the song Louie Louie. But people keep looking. This is a list of songs that were banned or otherwise maligned because someone was sure the singer was cursing. But there was no curse word. It is a long list."
"This week back in 2007 Sammy Hagar sold an 80 percent stake in his Cabo Wabo tequila for $80 million. Since then it seems every musician or band has their own line of booze. Here is a good long list and where you can buy it."
"We all know the stories of the Beatles, Doors, Dylan and Stones on Ed Sullivan. However, there are a few more good stories you might find interesting. They are not as big at the main stories, but interesting nonetheless."
"A story about the Payola Hearings came up in a music history feed and it occurred to me that we have never done a show on Payola. It is a rather interesting story of companies acting in their own interest with the backing of the government. You may think Payola is bad but I believe I can change your mind."
"At the time of this recording, President Trump has paused the Tariffs but for China. Even so, the tariffs will have a marked effect on the cost of almost everything dealing with music including instruments to records to touring to streaming."
"Tool was just roundly booed off the stage at their own festival. Seems they promised two separate sets over two night and did not deliver. But it is not just them. You will not believe some other bands who were booed off stage as well."
"There are a lot of songs that have famous people in their titles. We wanted to know who some of the lesser known people named in titles are. The internet did not disappoint. We have a good long list."
"We hit a thread that listed some songs that were written for revenge. A single Google Search later and we had a good long list. And it is not just Taylor Swift."
"It seems that lately that are more plane crashes and close calls than we have had in a while. There are many stories of musicians dying in plane crashes but what we have here are stories of survival over multiple crashes and air mishaps."
"This is something we should keep a good eye on. In an effort to become a leading force in AI the government in the UK is strongly considering rewriting their copyright laws to allow all copyrighted material including music to be offered fully to all AI companies. I know it sounds fake but it is not."
"Brian Setzer of the Stray Cats announced he is dealing with an unnamed autoimmune disease that has taken his ability to play guitar. This is certainly not the first time something like this has happened. We have a list of musicians who are in a battle that has taken away their ability to play."
"Fred Durst and the members of Limp Bizkit have brought a rather substantial lawsuit against their record company for unpaid royalties. I know it is Limp Bizkit but the suit goes back to before streaming to when artists had lousy deals and if it is upheld in court, could lay bare much of what was going on in the 90s."
"It seems impossible that a judge in Brazil could stop streaming services worldwide from playing a song due to a copyright concern. That is what is happening now to Adele. If other countries stand by the injunction then it could have a rather wide ranging concerns."
"I wrote a book. It is titled We Will Try and Get That On For You. My Life in Personality Radio. It is a memoir of radio in the 80s and 90s when I did it for real. In this show we will tell you where you can get it and play some excerpts from the Audible audio version."
"The LA Wildfires have devastated multiple communities. The number of not only musicians but producers and orchestras and studios and engineers affected is vast. There are some big names but mainly those who simply made their living in music. We will talk about it and how you can help if you wish."
"If you use Spotify then you know it gives you a year end rundown of the songs you most listened to. It is called Spotify Wrapped and it is more than just a nice way of saying you are being tracked. It is a successful marketing ploy."
"January 1 was the 2025 Public Domain Day but it goes a bit further. It is not only those works of art that are from 1929. This year the Digital Millennium Act went into effect so other years came into the Public Domain. We will explain."
"The US will inaugurate a new president come January 20. We went back as far as we could to get audio and found who performed at each of the Inaugurations. Plus we play a game. Who did the president defeat in the vote and who was his Vice President. See how you do."
"This is our second show celebrating the anniversaries you'll hear about during 2025. Throughout the show we will have some predictions about music from websites and a few from the Rock School hosts."
"Welcome to 2025! Here is the first of two shows where we look at many of the big music anniversaries of the year ahead."
"Every year we take the last full week of the year and offer a tip of the hat and a raise of the glass to those in the music world who left us. Here are the names from 2024."
"This is our second Christmas show of 2024. We asked AI to tell us the No 1 Christmas song and Christmas movie each year right up until this current year. Mariah Carey might show up."
"Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays. We have a two part Christmas offering this year. We are counting down both the No 1 Christmas song and the No 1 Christmas movie for every year starting in 1950 through 2024."
"It had to happen. The Grammys have changed their ruling that music can only be made by humans. The Beatles changed their minds but this is no where near the first time The Grammys have had to accept machine and computer generated music. We have a timeline."
"This is one of the oddest topics we have done in a while. There are Guinness World Records in music. They are easy to find. However many of them are disputed as someone now believes he or she owns the record. It is fascinating."
"Here is a sampling of some important music events that happened on Thanksgiving Day. I think it would be the best day to have a concert. Everyone is off work."
"An album can go Gold, then Platinum, then multiplatinum and then Diamond for ten million in sales. However, there have been 13 albums that have gone Diamond twice, the Double Diamonds. Here they are."
"Usually when you hear about a musician being sued it comes from their label or a venue but seldom the fans. However it does happen. Here is a list of some of the more interesting suits over the years."
"I read an opinion that asked if this was the last year for Classic Rock. The Stones are still out there. Paul McCartney as well. But it seems this year has a lot of the genre retiring. We have a list for you."
"This is our 2024 Halloween show. I read an article explaining John Carpenters theme to Halloween and it got me interested in other famous horror movie themes. Here are all the facts I found."
"On September 13, Janes Addiction was performing in Boston when singer Perry Farrell showed and punched guitarist Dave Navarro. The band is now on a hiatus. However this is no where near the first time band members have fought on stage. We have a list for you."
"Two members of Journey have settled a lawsuit over money and are back out on tour. It seems one of them was spending too much. This is often a problem for a band. The money. We have some examples of poor management and some tips about how bands have handled their income."
"We are once again in a presidential election season and musicians are once again angry when Donald Trump uses their songs. I was asked to lecture on the laws of a candidate using a song at a rally so I thought I would do them for you here as well."
"In honor of Tammy and my 36th wedding anniversary this week, we are offering up a list of the shortest musician marriages on record. Those crazy kids."
"Taylor Swift canceled three shows in Vienna due to a terrorist threat. However she lost no money as she had purchased terrorism insurance. What other policies does or should a musician have. We have a list"
"Choose the song you would like played at your funeral. I asked Tammy and she had an answer right away. You would think I did too but no. I had to really think about it. I came up with one to end the show."
"A large copyright lawsuit is being brought by the RIAA against a couple AI song generators. In order to do this show, I signed up for one of the generators and made songs. It was so easy it shocked me. I'll play what I created."
"In the music business, the cost people spend to go to concerts is tracked. That cost is trending up sharply. It has been termed Tourflation. We will discuss why and what can be done about it."
"We all know Americas Got Talent and The Voice but there have been so many more music competition shows. Most ran a season or two but looking back I would love to see some of these return."
"Here is another interesting party question. What band missed putting out a live album at the height of their popularity. Many are releasing live material in their later years but which would have been great to hear at the height of their fame."
"In the 1990s Jock Jams were everywhere. I owned a couple CDs myself. Here is the interesting and wildly profitable history of Jock Jams."
"Bands that have a main singer or two main singers will now and again let another person in the band step up and sing. This is a fun party question to ask people for examples. We have a long list for you."
"I was taught from early in my career to not bring sorrows in my personal life to the show. Do not bring the audience down. I have always followed rule that until now. My father died in December and my mother died in May. This show is about and for them."
"Alex Van Halen has sold his entire music collection in a single auction. He has become a recluse since the death of his brother Eddie. There are other musicians who have done much the same. We have a list and a discussion of why."
"I went down a rabbit hole reading about neckties and rock. Not only neckties but clothing itself has broken people into groups of fans. We will talk about it."
"While researching another topic the AI of the search engine was offering answers so I started asking it questions. I asked three different AI engines what was the first song in every genre. They did not come up with the same songs."
"Busking is putting on a street performance. One who does a street performance is a Busker. It is more involved, profitable and dangerous than you might think."
"The American Music Fairness Act sound great but it is a money grab to pay musicians more money because the streaming services will not. The problem is that the money will come from taxing radio. We will tell the story."
"When a cover is done there is a question if the words should change. If the singer is a different gender than the original singer, should the pronouns change? We have a list of examples."
"When a cover is done there is a question if the words should change. If the singer is a different gender than the original singer maybe the pronouns change. We have a list of examples."
"The DOJ is suing Ticketmaster for being a monopoly. It is mainly thanks to Taylor Swift but the suit has been a long time coming. We have the story."
"Around graduation time universities love to give away Honorary Doctorates to people who have achieved a great deal in life. Many are musicians and we have a list."
"There have only been 44 songs that have sat atop the Billboard Hot 100 for ten weeks or more. We have the list. What is most fun is coming across a song you have never heard but it was number one for ten weeks."
"The streaming services are not under the 1st Amendment thus they can silence and artist by taking down their music. Should they? We have examples and some discussion this week."
"You have probably heard musicians say they hear or were given their song in a dream. It has happened so often that we have a long list for you this week."
"Back on March 8 a college student named Riley Strain left the Lukes 32 Bridge bar in Nashville. His body was found approximately two weeks later. However, this is not the only concern at Nashville country bars. We have some stories to tell."
"Michael Jackson's son Blanket is suing his grandmother over her spending the family inheritance on legal fees. It is only one of many families who have sued each other over the money a musician in the family made."
"Now that Beyonce has put out a country album, many are praising her for changing music genres. However artists have been doing it all long. Here is a good long list of musicians and bands who changed genres and succeeded as well."
"Usually we do not get the opportunity to offer updates to stories we cover on the show. Until now. Here are updates to ten of the bigger music stories we have covered in the past."
"Arianna Grande is upset with her fans for deciphering her latest album and then punishing those they feel have harmed the singer. She said she might quite social media. Here is a list of artists that already have quit social media. "
"This week back in 1992 Bruce Springsteen released two albums on the same day March 31. Has this happened before or since? We have a list for you."
"This week back in 1958 Elvis went to the Memphis Draft Board and signs up for the Army turning down the chance to work for Special Services. From that we decided to talk about musicians you know that have served as well."
"As AI progresses there have been calls for protections largely unheeded. So now come the lawsuits. There is a long list and some seem to have teeth."
"It used to be that artists wanted to go platinum. Now they are racing to a Billion. It is the new platinum."
"It only comes around every four years so we need to do something with Leap Year day February 29. Here is our take."
"There are a lot of bands that have not had a number one hit. What is interesting is how close some bands came without ever hitting the top. We have a list."
"There is a portion of Copyright law that is starting to come due. It states that if 35 years pass that you can petition for your copyright to be returned. Many are doing that. Here are the facts."
"This week back in 1981 Rush released Tom Sawyer and all anyone could talk about was the Neil Peart drum work. For fun I asked the internet for other songs where the drum takes the lead. Here is a good long list."
"Yes we are a little late with the topic but here are some of the big predictions found around the internet discussing 2024 and the future of music."
"This week we speak with author Darren Paltrowitz about his new work, DLR Book, How David Lee Roth Changed the World."
"2024 is a year of many anniversaries and one big birthday. The Fender Stratocaster is 70 years old. We will look at the history and why it continues to be such an iconic guitar."
"Here is the second show listing the anniversaries in the music world that will be coming up during this new year, 2024."
"This is our yearly start to the new year. We go back 10 years again and again as far back as we can go and tell you the music anniversaries that will be celebrated this year."
"Every year, we take the final show and say a thank you and raise a glass to the musicians who passed. This is that show."
"Not even Christmas gets away from the law. We begin with Mariah Carey being sued again for All I Want For Christmas is You and go from there."
"With Beyonce and Taylor Swift setting records with their two new concert films, we decided to offer up some other concert films for you to enjoy this holiday season."
"The Beatles released a song with John Lennon which is mainly AI. People love it but is it a good thing? AI is being used more than you might think already. We will talk about it."
"This week in 1938 Swiss chemist Albert Hofmann invented LSD. It became a force in the 60s and gave us a new genre of music. Psychedelic."
"Can you give yourself a nickname. Michael Jackson wrote a letter to Mtv this week in 1991 that asked them to call him The King of Pop. Some did many laughed. That said this week is a long list of musician nicknames and where they came from. "
"This week is an interview with authors Mark Davidson and Parker Fishel about their new book, Bob Dylan Mixing up the Medicine. I ask them about the highlights in Dylans career. "
"Here is our second Halloween show. Many musicians and celebrities have been buried with some rather interesting items. We have a rather long list for you this week."
"Music celebrities that have passed often have fans that come to the grave sites and leave gifts. Here is a list of some of the more famous ones. "
"Streaming service Deezer is trying a new format of paying artists and the world is watching. We have the story."
"The Rolling Stones are putting out new hits. Mick Jagger is 80. Is he the oldest person to have a hit? Not by 21 years. The oldest person to go to number one is 101 years old. We will play him and many other seasoned citizens."
"Taylor Swift is re recording all the albums she recorded with Big Machine Records. She is not the first. Not even close. We have a long list of songs and reasons bands and artists re recorded their music."
"The phrase Big in Japan has become a bit of a joke thanks to Spinal Tap. However, it is a real thing and the Japanese press began noticing and reporting on bands that went to Japan to make it or to stay popular. We will tell you all about it."
"Banning a song is often done for a strong reason. Then there is the show today. Here is a list of songs that were banned for silly or dumb reasons. Just for fun."
"You all know the Windmill from Pete Townshend. You know the Duck Walk from Chuck Berry but there are so many more stage moves named after musicians. We have a whole list for you this week."
"Of course rock stars do commercials. Some believe it is selling out but you have pay the bills. This week is a long list of rock stars you might not believe did commercials but did. We have the audio to prove it."
"The Midnight Special was one of a slew of late night music shows that proved people would stay up late to watch something they liked. This was before DVRs and not many had VCRs. Plus it was one of my favorites."
"Now and again, you will see a rock musician show up in a movie either as a performer or an extra. This week we have a long list of appearences."
"In my music feeds, it often comes up that a musician received his or her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame that day. I decided to investigate. We will discuss how one gets a star, the cost and a few other rather interesting facts."
"Believe it or do not but there are scientists out there who have taken their life work and named their findings after a rock star. I would probably do it as well. Here is a list of some bands and songs that mention bugs."
"Rolling Stone came out with their list of best songs by bands found in movies and television. That means they are songs by bands that do not exist. We don't have time for all 50 but we will do the top 25."
"If the predictions are correct, Swift's Eras tour is set to become the first tour, ever, to break a billion dollars in gross sales. But how? How is it being done and why Swift? We have multiple answers."
"This week we speak with author Scott Shea about his new book, All the Leaves are Brown: How the Mamas and the Papas Came Together and Broke Apart."
"This week we speak with music author Hank Davis about his new book, Ducktails, Drive-ins and Broken Hearts. An Unsweetened Look at 50s Music."
"This week in 1992 Bill Clinton played saxophone on the Arsinio Hall show. With that and the presidential race heating up, here's a rundown of presidents who were also musicians."
"Many famous music fathers have children who are following them into the family business. Here's a long list of them along with clips and full songs."
"Dolly Parton just had her 57th wedding anniversary to Carl Dean. That may make her the longest married musician alive today. For this hour, we have a list of other musicians married for a good long time."
"Back in 1992 this week, the principal of a school in New Jersey banned We Are the Champions because Freddy Mercury had died of AIDS. Of course people protested and the ban was overturned. This week we have a bunch of stories of schools banning music and what happened."
"Depending on what you read, AI is either the destroyer, the helper or a big nothing burger to the future of music. We will discuss all three."
"It is summer and swimsuit season. Here is a list of musicians who have lost a ton of weight and how they did it."
"Heres some fun for the week. Often musicians will create a false story and the press will run with it. About a month ago, Diddy suggested he was paying Sting thousands of dollars per day for the use of a song. Everyone reported it. It was not true. Fake News. We have a whole list of other fake music news."
"It is said there is Taylor Swift Effect. Her entering the business made a ton of girls buy guitars and play. The Baker Street Effect made the sax cool again. We have many more to list over the hour. "
"This week, back in 1968, the Broadway musical Hair opens up. It will spawn multiple top 40 hits including a number one, Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In. That got us thinking. Have any other Broadway plays spawned Top 40 hits. You bet. Here are some of the bigger ones."
"Motley Crue are locked in a nasty divorce. Guitarist Mick Mars says he was kicked out and robbed of royalties. The rest of the band says he cant cut it anymore. We will tell you the story and offer up a good many more times when a member sued the band."
"How does a musician or band get to own a record label. Today, its as easy as some paperwork and starting a business. In fact, today, it makes more sense because of royalties and distribution being in your own hands. Here's how you do it. "
"There is once again talk of banning TikTok here in the United States. What if it happens. How large a hole would that leave in the music industry. And what would take its place."
"To Rick Roll someone is to offer one thing and then when he person clicks on it, he or she receives the video for Rick Astley's Never Gonna Give You Up. It's an April Fools tradition. Here is the history of it."
"Who owns a band name. It depends on what legal document the band has created. If there is no legal document, then things get sticky."
"This week in 1819, a serial killer nicknamed, The Axeman, terrorized New Orleans by writing a letter to the newspaper that he loved Jazz music. If a house or business was playing Jazz on Saturday, he would spare them. We will tell the story and tell some more musical favorites of other killers."
"Back in 1981, The Go Gos album Beauty and the Beat hit number one making it the first time an all woman rock band topped the charts. To that end, we have compiled a list of women firsts in the music industry."
"During this week, a few years back, a cattle call was made to choose the five Spice Girls. To that end, we will tell stories of some other band auditions, both successful and failure and talk a bit about the new audition TV shows."
"This week, we speak with author Dewar MacLeod about his new book, Tommy, Trauma, and Postwar Youth Culture."
"A friend of the show, author James Campion is back to discuss his latest book, Take a Sad Song. It is an in depth discussion and view of The Beatles Hey Jude. We will talk about the song and his findings."
"The King Biscuit Flower Hours was a one hour live music, syndicated radio show. It started in the 70s at the same time as other TV based shows. I grew up listening on WMMS Cleveland. This is the story of the show."
"At the end of 2022, Jeopardy had a category titled Classic Flute Rock. The problem is that the category did not include the one band viewers felt was THE classic flute rock band. So they revolted on Twitter. We will tell you the questions, the missing band, and offer up a few more flute rock questions."
"To start each year, Rock School goes back every ten years to find out what this new year will be the anniversary for. This is part two."
"To start each year, Rock School goes back every ten years to find out what this new year will be the anniversary for. We have a nice long list going back almost 200 years. This is part one."
"This is our yearly end of the year show tipping the hat to musicians who passed. Here is our list of players who died in 2022."
"Why do people choose to perform certain songs during Christmas. I would argue that often it's because the song is not under copyright. Many of your favorites are free for the playing."
"Here is our first of two Christmas shows this year. Songs from Christmas movies. It's all opinion so please offer yours. Here are a few we like. Plus we will list out some of the best Christmas horror movies. Plus plus we will discuss why Die Hard is not a Christmas movie."
"This week marks the anniversary of Aerosmith appearing on The Simpsons. While they weren't the first band to guest on the Simpsons, they were the first that people can name. So for fun we will play some musician appearances and the clips to go with it."
"This is our annual Thanksgiving show. This year we'll play artists who contributed recipes to the book Eat Like a Rock Star. We will also talk turkey."
"It came up on our bottom of the hour calendar that three world records were set this week so we began looking for other Musicians world records. There are so many this this week is a list of those who have at least two."
"With this week being the midterm elections, Let's talk about musicians who became politicians."
"It seems to be a badge of honor especially in the rock and blues and country genres to proclaim your are self taught in music. It suggests you are a better musician than a formally taught player. Are you? This is well debated online and we will give you the facts."
"This is our Halloween show. For an hour, we will offer up songs that were written for someone who died. Not much more to it than that."
"Audius is maybe the future of music and streaming. All posts and plays are counted through a crypto blockchain so the artists are paid directly. But artists are not paid in money. They are paid in a new crypto coin named audio. Big people are putting big money into it. We will tell you all about it."
"This week is an interview with Bobby McDaniel, one of the first people to arrive and assist in the crash of the Lynyrd Skynyrd airplane, October 20, 1977. The plane crashed near his family farm. His is a harrowing story and tells it all to us."
"Can a song make a person do something awful. Many believe it can. In fact, there have been multiple court cases where a song was brought into evidence on a crime. We have a long list of court cases that used music as a defense."
"Elvis was not always buried on the Graceland property. After an attempted grave robbing he was moved there. In fact many musicians graves have been invaded or vandalized. We will tell you the list."
"This week back in 1988 Chers Believe was released and the effect introduced everyone to AutoTune. We will talk about the effects history, how its been used and why so many people hate it."
"This week in history, Jimi Hendrix played a concert and RF traffic came through his amplifier. It was his single coil pickups and being too close to a radio source. It became the inspiration for the Air Force base scene in Spinal Tap. We have collected a good number of other inspirations and where the idea for the movie came from."
"Pollstar has released their yearly mid year report on live music and the results are good. People are going out and spending money. The one downside is ticket pricing and ticket gouging on secondary markets."
"Soft 70s and 80s rock has been given the nickname Yacht Rock. Where did it come from and how does Van Halen figure into it. We will tell you all about it."
"Once again another site has come up with another top guitar riffs list. Instead of just reading that one, we compiled ten lists from ten places. Will they agree. Plus we will tell you what we believe is the top guitar riff of all time."
"Do you remember the 21st of September? You know that date means nothing, right? It fit in the beat of the song. However, there are many songs with dates where the date does mean something. We have a good long list."
"A month, or so, back, the Chicks walked off stage because the lead singer wasn't able to continue due to allergies. This happens more than you might think. We have a full list of times a musician called a concert early for one reason or another and then walked off stage."
"Now and again, two music artists from seemingly opposite ends of the musical spectrum get together and create a hit. But how did they get together? How did the song come to be? We'll tell you the story of as many as we could find."
"Inflation is high, not only here but around the world. While we may not know exactly how to solve inflation, but what we do know is that it's having an effect on musicians and the music industry. We will tell you what we found."
"This week, back in 1979, Fleetwood Mac recorded the Trojan Marching Band for their song Tusk. That started us wondering. Are there other pop and rock songs that feature a marching band? Yes. We will also play some actual marching bands playing rock and pop.
"Pink Floyd released a song to raise money for Ukraine. It is their first in decades. Other artists have done so as well. We will discuss the songs, play a few Ukrainian rock bands and speak with a local preacher who just returned from The Ukrainian border. He and his wife were there to help people out of the country to safety in Romania."
"The Golden Raspberry Award. It used to have a Worst Song catagory. Not anymore. But we will revist those that once made the cut in this award season. No one will be slapped during the show."
"What was the first song taken off of Mtv because of content? The first one censored. It wasn't the first one I thought of, or the second. I know Mtv was cable but back in the early 1980s, things were a bit different and the FCC still had a hand in the process."
"There is a small group of songs that have charted twice. Not a remake or a remix but the exact same song. It charted twice often years apart. Today we will play a game. I'll tell you the song and the years that it charted. You then tell me why the song charted the second time. What happened that it got another spot on the charts?"
"This week will contain April 20. That's 4.20. It means smoking pot. But why? We will take an hour and discuss all the nicknames for pot and play songs dedicated to the herb. Enjoy. Dude."
"There has much interest in the use of frequencies for health, healing and general feeling better. The most famous are the Solfeggio Frequencies. However there is now the idea of playing frequencies against each other, in headphones in order to create a third beat, known as a Binaural Beat. We will do our best to explain it and play examples."
"Gene Simmons of KISS has doubled down on his statement that rock music is dead. Some agree. Some do not and some have written songs about it. Is rock dead or is the rock YOU like dead? We will look at this from a lot of angles."
"Here is an interesting trivia question. Name a song that does not have a chorus. We have a few. We will also discuss the idea of a refrain, which is not a chorus. That will certainly come up."
"The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame nominated Dolly Parton. She said no. They said sorry, the ballots have already gone out. Dolly is not the first artist to turn down the Hall. We have both those who turned down their nominations and those that took the award but failed to show up and play."
"Here's the game. Name a TV theme song that then became a hit on the pop chart. You cannot choose a song that was first a hit and then used for a TV show. This must be a song written for a TV show that then became a hit. We have a bunch for you."
"This is a music podcast and radio show. The biggest music story right now is Joe Rogan and Neil Young. We have to talk about it. "
"The Oscars are this month. How about a show discussing musicians who have been nominated for an Oscar? Some have even won."
"This week we have an interview with author Marc Wasserman about his new book Skaboom. An American Ska and Reggae Oral History. It is a history of the music and its influence on culture, artists and other musicians. "
"Remember, pronounce it Mohg rather than Mooog. Robert Moog did not invent the synthesizer. He just made it so that it was in the reach of the regular musician. This week is the anniversary of his releasing the MiniMoog so here is an hour on how his invention worked and how it came to be part of modern music."
"It happens now and again that a song will have its title changed after it is released and starts to become popular. The reasons why vary but collectors have started to gather up these title change songs. We have a long list and will tell you what they were and what they became."
"My wife and cohost has joked many times that she listens to so much radio and audio book during her job that they should be paying her. Well, now there are multiple websites that claim they will do just that. I don't endorse any of them but I did research them a little bit this week. We will tell you the pros and the cons."
"It is quite common for a commercial to use a hit song but now and again a commercial will become so popular that the music in the commercial will be reworked and itself become a hit. We have 17 examples this week. Often the song completely overtakes the commercial and you forget it was once used to sell a product."
"Early Upload Due to Vacation. This is the second Anniversary show for 2022. We always take the first two weeks of a new year and give anniversries 10, 20, 30, 40 years and on back so you'll sound super smart when they come up during the year"
"This is our last show of the year. We always take this show and give one last tip of the hat to those who gave us great music but sadly passed away in 2021."
"Early Upload Due to Vacation. We always take the first two weeks of the year and talk about the anniversaries that will come up in 2022. What famous events were 10, 20, 30, 40 and more years ago? By listening, you'll sound informed when someone brings it up."
"Late Last Year, Taylor Swifts song All Too Well topped the chart and became the longest song to reach number one at just over ten minutes. She took the record from Don McLean and American Pie. So, what are other long songs to chart? What are the shortest songs to chart? For an hour, we will tell you and play a few."
"It is one thing to change your name before you become famous. It is quite another to change your name after you become famous. We have a list that did. Plus, we will look into how to legally change your name and the laws of a stage name."
"Every year we put together a Christmas Show and here is the one for 2021. It is early in the month so we are talking about the best gifts to buy the music lover in your world. Happy holidays and may your days be merry and bright."
"This week we speak with photographer Curt Angeledes about his new book, Go For Broke, Volume One. Curt has been following and taking pictures of the Rolling Stones for decades and this book is a collection of his best."
"Once a musician has a massive hit album, they are expected to follow it up. But the rules change. What would easily be considered a hit for other artists is seen as a failure for the artist with the big album. If you sell 20 million albums but the follow up only sells two million, is that a failure?"
"This is our annual Thanksgiving show. We will talk turkey and Black Friday and play the entire song Alices Restaurant"
"I have said many times on the show that titles are not copyrighted. You could write a song titled Stairway to Heaven. Well it looks like someone did. But what eles does Copyright NOT cover?"
"I want to play a game. No. Really. I want to play a game. I have ten monsters. I will say the monster and you tell me what song comes to your head. We will play the best pick and then tell you all the titles you could have said for partial credit."
"The tour bus is the main form of transportation for bands. To that end accidents can happen. On the show Tammy and I will relate a list of tour bus accidents and what came of them"
"Spotify is the top streaming service so it is where musicians go to be discovered. The only way to succeed is to be streamed. What people are finding is that you can pay for streams. You can pay for computers to listen to your song so hopefully you end up of the new charts. But is it a good idea Is it worth the money We will talk through it all."
"It seems that music companies are going out of their way to not pay their performers. The Black Box is a nickname given to a fund of royalties that cannot be determined who it should be paid to. It is created by overseas royalties and other untraceable payments. However, now companies and technologies are being created to fight the Black Box and make sure artists get paid."
"This week we speak with author Jim Curtis about his new book, Decoding Dylan Making Sense of the Songs That Changed Modern Culture. Curtis is an academic who has studied Dylan from his history through his lyrics and down to his chord progressions. It is quite thorough and quite interesting."
"All too often, when a concert is poorly attended, it is made fun of. However, used correctly, it can be a learning experience to work on your performance. To connect better with the audience and to ponder why the show was not well attended. It is also a test of a bands mettle. Do you punish the audience or do you put on a great show for those that did indeed attend?"
"The baby on the cover of the Nirvana Nevermind album is now 30 years old and he is suing everyone involved in the album for pornography even though he has posed and profited off the album for decades. It reads like a money grab but has anyone else sued bands and artists for their album covers? Yes. We have a long list this week."
"Last month two major concert promotors stated their venues and concerts by their artists will be for those who are vaccinated only. This command is running up against laws in many conservative states and cities that forbid such a rule. The rule seems good intentioned but the reality is much different and may do far more harm than good."
"Elvis. Michael Jackson. Tupac. Many believe these people are still alive but faked their death. What is better is that of all the musicians we will feature on the show, there is proof they are alive in the form of photos and video. Some of it is pretty good and others are not so much."
"Earlier this year, we did a show on the topics of folk songs and while researching that show, we found a lot of songs outside the folk genre that were based on news events, mostly murders. This is a show put together discussing those songs."
"The FreeBritney movement has been active lately calling for the singer to be free of her father. But should she be? Why was she put under a conservatorship in the first place and has she done things that suggest she should stay under it? Moreover, what other musicians are under a conservatorship of his or her own."
"You have heard of the KISS Army, right? That is what KISS fans call themselves. But did you know that other bands and musicians also have nicknames for their fan base? It is not just a few. We have pages and pages of them. Like Slipknot? You are a Maggot. Like Green Day? You are an Idiot. Like Gary Numan? You are a Numanoid. Like 21 Pilots? You are part of the Skeleton Click. It goes on. Hopefully we mention your favorite band."
"If you have ever posted content to YouTube that contains music, there is a good chance you've had a ContentID interaction. You could have received a strike or a Takedown Notice or even had your entire site taken down. What started out as a method of copyright protection has become something people do not like because too often it is being abused by publishing companies. We will try to explain it all."
"In the 90s, Biz Markie was a popular rapper with a top 10 hit. Then he used the song Alone Again by Gilbert OSullivan. He was sued not only for copyright but for theft. The lawsuit sent shockwaves through the Rap community. It is said that 1000s of songs are sitting on shelves because the samples made them too expensive to release. And it is all because of this one lawsuit. We will tell you then entire story."
"What is the future of music? Could it be music made only for you, by a computer that knows and monitors you? THat way it plays you the exact music you want at that time. New songs by bands that broke up or members are dead. A computer made a new Nirvana song. A new Queen song. Does it sound impossible? It is happening right now."
"This week, we will tell you the story behind some of the best known band logos. From Dancing Bears to the Van Halen wings belonging to someone else to the specific fonts you have come to know and love. We have a lot of them."
"This week, we are not talking about songs that were featured in movies, rather, songs that were written because a movie the artist saw, prompted it, either title, lyrics or feel. There are a lot, far more than what we will list here. Action!"
"This week we are going to to talk about some of the golden days in music video. Many well known stars got their start in a big music video. We have a list and a half for you. So, have a computer handy and look up some of these videos to see some big stars at the beginning of it all."
"This is the second part of our facinating interview with the flutist for Motown, Dayna Hartwick. Think of a classic hit for Motown and she played either the flute or the piccolo for it. This week we talk about the end of her time at Motown and her going on tour with massive traveling Broadway productions. That little girl from Motown. Dayna Hartwick."
"Welcome to week two of Bad Managers. There are simply so many stories of managers messing over their clients that we had to make two shows out of it. This is number two. Enjoy."
"Think of your favorite Motown song. If there is a flute or piccolo on that song, it was played by Dayna Hartwick. For close to a decade, she was on Berry Gordys speed dial. Rockin Robin. Whats Going on. Kung Fu Fighting. It is all her and in a two part interview, she discusses going from being a child prodigy to sitting in Motown Studio A and playing on some of the biggest songs to ever come out of Hitsville USA."
"This week we will discuss stories about bands that will not play their hit in concert. Often the band or artist has a decent reason but sometimes it is just rock star excess."
"Musicians, especially stringed instrument musicians, have a better than 80 percent chance of developing Trigger Finger. I know. I had it and at the time of the recording of this show, I am only three days out of surgery for it. This week, we will discuss what it is, how you can diagnose it and what your choices are if you indeed do have it. We will tell the story of musicians who have had it as well. It is a cautionary take this week."
"There is a trivia questions goes around asking, what is the first posthumous number one hit? The answer that is probably expected is Sittin on the Dock of the Bay by Otis Redding. But, it is? A bit of research suggests it is third and taking some other factors into account, it may be even farther down the list. This week we will look at posthumous hits, both number ones and some others that are more well remembered than the hits an artist made while alive."
"We were in a conversation about musicians reusing their own lyrics. We found so many examples that I though there had to be a name for this. There is. Contrafactum. There's a related word that means to use the music of another song for your own composition, dramatically changing the sound of the tune. Contrafact. We have multiple examples of each and I am sure you will start thinking some we missed."
"It is a well known music trope that managers often do NOT do well by their clients. In fact, it happens so often, we are going to do two shows out of it. And we are not taking our time. I am reading and talking as fast as I can and over two shows, we still left some out. They are heartbreaking stories that actually happened."
"WBIJ-DB is the first digital radio station to pick up the Rock School Radio Show. Since I knew nothing about digital radio, I thought an interview with the owners was required. Alan and Sharon explain everything I want to know and I believe you will find it as interesting as I did"
"Phoebe Bridgers smashed her guitar on Saturday Night Live back in February. It was a stunt for sure but then it sold for over 100,000 at a GLAAD auction. She is only the last in a long line of guitar smashers. It became popular in the 60s and survives to this day. So, let us take a smashing look at the practice."
"Just for fun, we collected a bunch of musician appearances on Sesame Street. The sonigs are nice and short so we were able to play many more songs than we usually play and there are a lot. So, I cannot tell you how to get to Sesame Street but I can sure play the music for you."
"NFT stands for Non Fungible Token. It is a method of proving that a digital thing is the first copy. It works somewhat like a Cryptocurrency. And it is the hottest thing with Indy music people right now. Is it the next big thing? Will it die off like Pet Rocks? No one knows but right, it is hot. We will do out best to explain it all."
"So, what was the first Music Video? I don't mean the first video on Mtv but the real first video? No one knows for sure but we will take our best shot at it. See if you agree."
"This week was inspired by the Spinal Tap debut back in 1984. Once I started doing the research, there was simply a large group of bands that are basically parodies of other bands and genres. So, for no better reason than for fun, here are a bunch of them."
"Hendrix opening for The Monkees is the benchmark of odd opening bands, but there is a reason they were paired. And there is a reason why a lot of odd pairs were put together. Plus, there is an entire list of odd opening bands that we would have loved to see. We will list them all this week."
"Have you ever watched the Grammys and wondered who are the people who get to vote for this? I have the answer this week. Michael Brothers is a professional musician and educator and is a Grammy voter, mainly in the Jazz, classical and Broadway categories. He will tell us how he became one and what process he uses through the year to make his best vote."
"The Greatest Hits album is either loved or hated. You either get all the hits in one place or your not a real fan of the band. The funny thing is, now with streaming, every band page starts with the top songs. That's a greatest hits. We will talk about the first Greatest Hits album, who has the most and a lot of other trivia to make you remember your Columbia House 12 free albums. "
"About once a year, or so, someone creates a song specifically to make a dance. The lyrics say what to do and we do it. But, what was the first? What was the best? We will look into it this week."
"This week in 1969, Rolling Stone made their cover story, Groupies and Other Girls. It is generally believed this is where the word came into common usage. We will take and hour and name some famous women and play some tunes about groupies."
"A listener to the show suggested there are a rather large group of songs that deal with Mythology, and not just the Greek stuff. This week we will talk about the iliad and the Odyssey, Icarus and the Soul Cages along with a lot more myths and names I probably will not say correctly."
"A music trademark? Can you even do that? Should it not be a copyright? Well, yes and no. Taylor Swift and Beyonce are trademarking their lyrics and sounds and we will tell you how they are doing it. Can YOU do it? Yes and there are some good reasons why you should. Trademarks and music. They do indeed go together."
"How about some fun this week? What is the best use of a musician in an SNL skit? Not their music performance, but rather when they appeared in a comedy skit. We have lots of suggestions and the audio to prove it."
"Johnny Cash is known for having recorded albums in prison, four to be exact. That got us thinking. How many other artists recorded albums during a prison concert? We found some great stuff. We will also touch on some bands that played in prison but didn't record it as an album. However, much of it is available thanks to YouTube."
"Here is the second part of our look at the anniversaries of 2021. We do every 10 years going back from the new year. This week, we will discuss events that occurred in 2011. 2001, 1991 and 1981. Join us for the look back."
"There are so many stories in the world of radio about a rogue DJ barricading himself in the studio and playing the same song again and again. But, did it ever really happen? Yes. Multiple times. We have got some of the best stories, just for fun, this week."
"Bob Dylan, Stevie Nicks, Lindsey Buckingham, Devo and a long list of other musicians have sold their music catalog to a music investment company. There are a few out there but Hipgnosis is the biggest of the bunch. What is this all about? Why would people sell their entire music career? Let us talk about it."
"The final Rock School show of every year is dedicated to those who left us that year. The year 2020 is a bit different as we dealt with a virus. We'll start with the musicians we lost to Covid and then list the others who passed throughout 2020."
"To start every year, we look back every ten years to find out what will be the anniversaries for this new year. In this show we'll start all the way back in 1871, 150 years ago. Then move up ten years at a time until 1970. That will wrap up show number one. Number two is next week. Happy New Year."
"For this show, we stopped by a lot of the This Day In History websites and looked for events in music that, say it with me, happened on Christmas day."
"This week is our first of two Christmas shows this year. Everybody has a Christmas list so we are doing a Christmas list show. Top songs. Biggest sellers. Movies. Toys. Books. It is just a big Christmas list."
"Author Tim English joins us this week to discuss his latest book. Lennon. 1980 Playlist. It is a deep dive into the music, the concerts, the videos and the places Lennon went the year he wrote and recorded his last album, Double Fantasy. This is a good week for the uplifting interview as Lennon was killed this week back in 1980."
"The this years feat, we will talk rock stars and pop stars who have invested their hard earned money into the food biz. We have got all their menus and many of the prices. Some had no prices. Because, if you have to ask."
"It was this week back in 1989 that he Mtv show Unplugged debuted with Squeeze as the first guest. Since then it has gone through two runs on TV, spawed shows on other networks and was revived as a streaming version during Covid. We will do some history and play some of the more memorable unplugged tunes of Unplugged."
"It was this week back in 1990 that Milli Vanilli were outed as a fake band, dancing while backup singers performed the music. How did we get there? Where are they now? Has this kind of fraud happened since? Yes. Yes it has. This week, we will tell you the story of Rob and Fab and what exactly happened. We will also tell you when it happened since."
"The first single to debut at number one was in September of 1995. Since then it is happening more and more, quicker and quicker. Why is that? What happened before 1995 that allowed the first one and what is happening now that is allowing it much quicker? We will discuss it all."
"It is easy to pick out the bands that lean left. It is easy to pick out the bands that lean right. However, in this time of politics, what happens when a single band has members with different political views? Can they get along? And how do they do it? We have 12 examples this week."
"This is our Halloween show for 2020. We are going to list the last song rock stars played before passing away. It is a macabre topic but it is Halloween"
"Back in 1981, when the Stones toured on Tattoo You, they had what many believe to be the first sponsored tour. Jovan Musk paid 1 million to put their logo on tickets and posters. Now it has become common place but the real story is that many companies are sponsoring smaller start-up tours. We've got the scoop and a bunch of email and web address for your band to apply. "
"So many television series have ended and those endings have been connected to a song. In fact, of the top 10 most watched series finales, seven of them have songs attached to them. We'll go over those ten plus a lot more. We'll talk about if Tony Soprano dies or not. "
"This month is my 32nd wedding anniversaries so, just for fun, we will play songs that are popular for anniversaries, tell you some odd trivia and just have some fun for an hour."
"It is my birthday this week. We went out to a chain restaurant and they sang their odd birthday song to me. I wondered why because Happy Birthday is now in the public domain. Anyone can sing it, anywhere, for free. But how did it get there? We will take this week and look at the history of the song and how it even came to be copyrighted at all."
"This week, we'll talk to Jon Scott, author of the book, Tom Petty and Me. Jon was the driving force behind Tom Pettys career from the moment he found Pettys record in a closet to taking him straight to rock and roll royalty. What a long strange trip it was. Hear all the details straight from Jon."
"This week we'll speak to best-selling author Joel Miller about his book, Memoir of a Roadie. Axl said I made a great cup of tea. Scott Weiland liked The Carpenters and Ozzy drinks rose. Joel was a roadie with Stone Temple Pilots, Poison, Guns and Roses and The Cranberries and has stories from it all. Hear all the fun and hard work that goes on before and after the show."
"Author Alan Vanderburg talks with us this week about his book, EQ Killed the Radio Star. He believes he has found the reason why some bands break up and some bands stay together. It is the bands EQ and not their IQ or talent. We define it and talk about it this week. "
"This week we will speak with A and R man and now author Michael Alago to talk about his book, I Am Michael Alago. Breathing Music. Signing Metallica. Beating Death. "
"The words libel and slander are thrown around a good bit without any knowledge of what they actually mean and what it takes for someone to be found guilty. This week we'll talk about the idea of defamation and how rock stars have sued and won and sometimes lost. "
"TikTok has signed a couple of major deals with music publishers and it looks like it will become the new favorite of those trying to get their tunes to a social audience. But how do you do it? How do you get your music on TikTok? Can you actually make money? And will Trump really banish the Chinese social media? We'll tell you all the important information."
"What do you know about Elvis Graceland? Did he name it? Are you sure? What is the history of the house? Did you know Graceland was NOT his first house in Memphis? We have got all the history and all the scoops this week."
"Remember Napster? Well in July of 2001, it was finally shut down, at least the P2P version. But! Where did it come from? What does the name mean and how did they manage to break copyright laws for almost two years? We'll tell you this week."
"In July of 1969, Apollo 11 landed on the moon. Did you know they had a cassette player on board? Most of you probably think David Bowie when you think of Apollo 11 and music. But what ever happened to Major Tom? Did he die? Are you sure. We'll talk about it this week."
"Back on July 13 1985 Live Aid happened. How did it come to be? Was it a success? We'll tell you all about it."
"A good many Blues and Jazz performers from the early 1900s died without a penny in the bank. They were indeed buried but without a headstone. Future musicians and fans who were influenced by them have placed headstones for their idol. It happened so often that we are able to tell enough stories to fill an hour."
"Casey Kasems Top 40 debuted on a July the 4th. Since that is this week, here is a quick history of the show, the host changes and all the good stuff that went into this wildly popular program."
"One of the concerns about being a big rock star is that crazy fan. The stories of musicians having to take out a restraining order goes on forever. Well tell you a bunch of them today and explain the legal side of the order."
"You may know the lead singer or the band but who's singing backup? Today we will tell you some famous people who started as backup singers and then some famous singers who lent their voices to some pretty big songs."
"Norman Pilcher was the head of a special drug task force in London in the later 60s. He's know for his big public drug busts of the biggest names in rock and roll at the time. We've got the list and how it went bad for Officer Pilcher in the end."
"This week on the show we talk about what concerts will be like after the major pandemic which has affected the world"
"The Mamas and the Papas Creqque Alley works a lot like American Pie. Every line is a reference to some piece of history. This week, Tammy and I will break down the song and tell you what it all means."
"Covid19 as been a disaster for the country. However, it has led to a lot of songs. Some good, some bad. From the beginning of recorded music, disasters have had songs written about them so we'll talk about a few and play a few."
"In 1976 SNL offered 3000 dollars to the Beatles to reform and play on the show. Its not the only money offered for the Beatles to reform but it is the offer they came closest to taking. We have all the audio from the show and the story."
"During lock down many musicians and bands are taking to the web and streaming themselves. Non professionals are also singing to their iPhone and posting the songs. What are the legal concerns of this? We'll delve into it."
"Its May and that usually means Proms. But not this year. So, to celebrate a little Tammy and I are going to talk about the Prom and all the great and sometimes awful Prom tunes we all slow danced to."
"This week, Tammy is back. We discuss the Coronavirus effect on media consumption. People are using the internet and traditional media more than you would think and it is making some people nervous."
"This week we speak to author Greg Renoff about his new book about the life of Ted Templeman, producer of The Doobie Brothers van Morrison Montrose and Van Halen."
"This week we speak to two Professional roadies and talk to them about how Coronavirus has affected their lives and income."
"This week we speak to five professional musicians and talk to them about how Coronavirus has affected their lives and income."
"Warner music is offering stock and will be traded on the NASDAQ. Learn everything you need to know about the move on this episode of Rock School."
"This week on the show we stretch the bounds of the imagination as we talk about concerts in weird venues."
"This week on the show we talk about vinyl and how the medium can be troublesome at times."
"This week we learn how artificial intelligence is influencing and changing the landscape of the music industry."
"This week on the show we define all those interesting audio terms you've been wondering about."
"This week on the show we talk about the reaching aftermath of a fire that happened 11 years ago."
"This week on the show we tell you about places bands recorded their albums other than a studio."
"This week on the show we give you fun facts about songs which were recorded in one take."
"This week we talk about some of your favorite bands that have songs of the same name."
"Celebrate National Teacher's Day by finding out who imparted their wisdom on the world before making it big."
"The history behind why a lot of popular songs in the 1950s are played by both black and white artists."
"Dr. Joe Burns scoffs at the news that Ariana Grande is at the same level as The Beatles."
"The Burns' talk about amplifiers and how the three types stack up against each other."
"Host Dr. Joe Burns talks about an amplifier he built and gets into the nitty gritty of how they work."
"Host Dr. Joe Burns talks about an amplifier he built and gets into the nitty gritty of how they work."
"Listen to a bleeping great show this week as we talk about the broadcast laws to do with cursing."
"We cant spend a new year without looking at music from 120 years past in 1899 all the way to ten years ago in 2009 part 2."
"We cant spend a new year without looking at music from 120 years past in 1899 all the way to ten years ago in 2009."
"This week we proved, using science, the music being put out today does not have the same quality as generations previous."
"This week, we listen to music we're thankful for and share little known Thanksgiving facts."
"Do you think you know who has had the longest career in music or has played the longest concert?"
"This week we talk to Megan Volpert the author of "Straight Into Darkness: One Tom Petty Redemption Song."
"Cherkows book tells us all about every different way to make money with music successfully."
"James Campion talks about his book and why more people should listen to Warren Zevon. "
"Hear the truth to some common misconceptions about Altamont when we talk with Saul Austerlitz about his book on the subject."
"Ever wondered what it would be like to be a musician on a cruise? We'll tell you all about it this week on Rock School."
"Last week we talked about the worst songs of all time and this week is for the worst albums."
"Get ready for a show full of the worst music of all time and our explanations of why."
"This week we speak with Dr. Stephanie Jenkins about her "Philosophy of Phish" class at Oregon State University."
"If you've ever wondered why you break into song and dance when music comes on we have the science and the reasearch to answer that very question!"
"This week we talk about musicians who are also doing business in endeavors other than music."
"This week we explore the new technology of old records and find out if HD vinyl will be a success."
"This week we find out why some famous rock songs were intentionally recorded out of tune."
"This week we dive deep into the phenomenon of tone deafness and hear from a few musicians who seem to have it."
"This week we explore the implications of the largest radio corporation filing for bankruptcy."
"This week we explore some of the wonderful degree programs that celebrate the more esoteric side of music."
"Its a celebration of April Fools Day with a list of songs that include the word Fool in their title."
"This week we spotlight those rock musicians who changed their ways to pursue Christed lives."
"This week we find out what key signatures are, why we need them, and how they help us rock."
"This week we find out whether or not its true that the guitar is the worlds most popular instrument."
"This week we hear from a pro classical guitarist and how the instrument is used throughout rock."
"Today we tell the story of the kid's parody of Jingle Bells and we hear music from this year's Radio Informer compilation disc."
"Lots of people are gaming Spotify for money. Heres how they're doing it and what its doing to the very popular streaming site [continued]."
"Lots of people are gaming Spotify for money. Heres how they're doing it and what its doing to the very popular streaming site."
"Following the discovery that music can cure hangovers, we feature some of the best tracks to calm your post-party illnesses."
"The popularity and appeal of the electric guitar has been on the decline for a while. This week we find out why."
"There's a strong argument that 1969 was the best year for albums. Here's more evidence."
"There's a strong argument that 1969 was the best year for albums. Here's our evidence."
"Here are several celebrities that put out albums, and nearly all are pretty darn good."
"This week we tackle the topic of making a buck versus selling out in the rock industry."
"This week we find out what why so many musicians and performers set up residency in Las Vegas. Hint - Big buckets of bucks."
"This week we celebrate 10 years of Rock School and give or predictions for what the next 10 years hold."
"Its mighty important to take care of your hands if youre a guitarist. Here are a few stories of those who didnt."
"This show tackles the notion that music has no intrinsic financial value and the majority of listeners are not paying for it."
"There's a new performance rights organization named Global Music Rights. This week we learn everything we need to know about the new group and its impact on the music industry."
"This week we delve into Plan B of the Grammys. What is Plan B? Learn what it is and much more in this episode."
"Hear what happened this week in rock-n-roll history to lay the groundwork for today's musical landscape."
"Hear what happened this week in rock-n-roll history to lay the groundwork for today's musical landscape."
"It was a pretty tough year for rock n roll. This week we salute the rock legends we lost in 2016...part 2"
"It was a pretty tough year for rock n roll. This week we salute the rock legends we lost in 2016."
"This week we sit down and talk about composing music for movies, television, and documentaries with one of the best in the industry - William Fritch."
"This week we celebrate the 500th episode of Rock School with lists of the top 500 songs in rock and roll."
"Everything you need to know about the Department of Justice's ruling in August on how songwriters and performers are paid."
"This week we discover how K-Tel managed to sell albums stacked with hits for so little."
"Meet the man behind one of the largest Ponzi schemes in the United States who happened to be one of the most successful music producers of all time."
"In honor of Suicide Prevention Day, Rock School discusses suicide throughout the music industry."
"This week we feature flaws in biopics of rock legends. Yeah, it's petty, but it's still a bunch of fun!"
"This week Greg Rich talks shop, advancements, and what makes a guitar sound the way it does."
"This week we feature one of the legends who worked in one of the top markets in the 80's as he discusses the hey days of radio and the changes in the music industry."
"Joey Sykes, guitarist for The Babys, tells what it's like to be a professional musician and some secrets about the music industry."
"This week spotlights bands which brought in outside musicians for a stint then sent them back from whence they came."
"Listen to these tunes to have a better time at work...based off a recent article in The Telegraph UK."
"This week we delve into the legalities, logistics, and levity of posting music on Youtube."
"This week's show is about musicians who sound like others...so much so that they're often confused."
"Find out why these songs were banned on the airwaves in Russia back in the midst of the cold war."
"The EuroVision Song Contest is the biggest performance contest in the world, and is barely known in the US."
"Led Zeppelin is off to court to defend their hit Stairway to Heaven. This show is a pre-trial brief for rock-n-roll fans."
"This week the spotlight is on Michael Jackson's purchase of the Beatles' catalogue and the controversy it caused."
"It's a bigger problem than you may think, which is why we're dedicating an entire episode to the problems of bringing instruments on airplanes."
"This week we discuss St. Paddy's Day. No, it is not St.Patrick's Day. We are gonna tell you all about the holiday and play some Irish music along the way."
"What do you know about the 5th Beatle? The fifth Beatle was George Martin, the producer for the band. We are gonna tell you about his life, his background, and someone of the people he worked with."
"You know how guys write songs about women, but do you know that a lot of women have wrote music about men? We are gonna talk about a few of them and play their songs."
"This week we discover why it's nearly impossible to get tickets to your favorite band's concert."
"This week we learn that some of our favorite songs title are actually named something else."
"This week we talk with James Campion about his book “Shout It Out Loud: The Story of Kiss's Destroyer and the Making of an American Icon."
"What happened in the music world in 1966? 1976? 1986? Well, you're gonna find out in this episode of Rock School."
"What happened in the music world in 1966? 1976? 1986? Well, you're gonna find out in this episode of Rock School."
"This week we spotlight musicians we lost in 2015 and play some of their best songs to honor their careers."
"This week it's a tour of the top tunes of the year, as reflected in the UK's number 1 spot at Christmas."
"Everything you always wanted to know about Elvis' Christmas Album, but never knew to ask."
"It's a showcase of the most often heard but least recognized musicians in rock history."
"This week we spotlight the stories and music of musicians whose birthdays land on Thanksgiving this year."
"As we celebrate the life of Allen , we’ll feature music by the great jazz musician and share personal stories about him."
"This week we walk you through everything you may or may not know about the movie and play songs from the cult classic film."
"This week we play music from female musicians who have posed in Playboy and feature male musicians who posed in Playgirl magazine."
"Rock stars have a variety of phobias. This week we explore the various fears that plague performers."
"This week we explore several of the routines and ceremonies that our favorite artists obsessively perform before taking the stage."
"This week we explore the big data of Spotify and showcase music from President Obama's playlist."
"This week it's an hour long episode showcasing Dr. Burns' album, Rock and Roll Loser."
"Is now the worst time in American history to be a musician? We find out in this week's episode."
"Some guitars are lucky enough to be traded back and forth among legendary rock musicians. These are their stories."
"This week we hear what Ben Stein has to say about the impact music has had on the world."
"This week we explore how hearing a certain song brings back memories of a particular time and place."
"According to Rolling Stone magazine, this is the list of the top selling double albums in rock history."
"These are the richest people currently in the music industry according to Forbes magazine."
" When does a concept turn into a concept album? Find out during this week's Rock School."
"This week we explore why roadies are possibly the most valuable members of a rock career."
"This week's farewell tribute to David Letterman features some of the best live musical performances from Late Night."
"We bring in the area intelligentsia to shed light on references too good to stay in books."
"It's a battle for bragging rights as we search for the greatest rock song of all time."
"This week we go over the officially approved albums by the Vatican official newspaper."
"This week we discuss what happened to successful bands and how they fell off the map."
"This week's episode of Rock School analyzes some of the most awkward moments in the history of the Mtv Music Awards."
"This week's episode of Rock School explores a collection of songs written while an artist was passing away. You'll probably cry."
"This week's episode lists several artists who suffer from stage fright. Face your fears just in time for Halloween, right here on Rock School."
"This week's episode explores Muzak, a service employed by businesses for background music. It is often used to influence customer buying habits. Now on Rock School, its a full hour of Muzak!"
"This week's Rock School features a plethora of unfitting song choices used in commercials. From Royal Carribbean to Wendy's, tune in for a full hour of poor decisions!"
"This week's episode of Rock School analyzes the sharp inflation of concert ticket prices and attempts to explain the cause of the problem. Have a listen, there's no charge."
"This episode of Rock School takes a look at Cosimo Matassa, the man who is credited with creating "the New Orleans sound" and believed by many to be the first person to create a Rock and Roll song. Tune in for an hour of his legacy!"
"This week's episode continues the exploration of punk rock, this time going back to take a look at the British punk scene. Here on Rock School, its another full hour of punk!"
"This week's Rock School covers the early Punk Rock scenes of New York and Los Angeles. Strap in for a full hour of attitude in America!"
"Tune in for a look at the origins of punk rock. From Eddie Cochran to the Velvet Underground, its a full hour of Proto-Punk."
"This week's episode of Rock School explores the sociological implications of the term classic rock."
It's a full hour devoted to the legacy of Manny Roth and the legendary venue that he created.
Find out MORE about the true writers and secret meanings behind the classic hits of rock.
What would it cost to book your favorite band? From a case of beer to a million dollars, every band has its price.
How were the greatest singers of their time chosen? From Queen to Guns 'N Roses, this episode of Rock School will tell you just that.
This week it's a trip down list lane following the UK and US Karaoke Alliances' list of the top 1000 karaoke songs ever sung.
Hearing loss doesn't have to happen to rockers. But, it's mighty common, especially for those attending and performing at concerts.
This week we explore the music that wouldn't have been had musicians' near death experiences been a little closer.
From the New York Dolls stay in New Orleans to numerous rocker visits to The Phoenix in San Francisco, this episode explores the stories surrounding the hotels of rock n roll.
We explore what vocal nodules and polyps are, which musician's have them and the impact it's had on their music.
It's a showcase of some savvy musicians who created and/or own patents for items used in the music industry.
We explore what it takes and who was able to write music that pays big royalties over a lifetime.
From broken equipment to rioting teens, this week we cover the low points of live performances.
This week we look at Pandora Internet Radio, covering the Music Genome Project, how Pandora works, its history, and the money it pays out.
This week we look at the farewell tour and those who tried multiple times to say goodbye.
From the start of split opinions to The Monkees, this week we explore the pinnacle of the British Invasion of American music.
From the Beatles on the Ed Sullivan Show through Herman's Hermits chart toppers, this week we explore the beginning of the British Invasion of American music.
This episode explores the costs of getting onto a singing program and other aspects of popular music reality shows.
Bringing listeners back to historic rock moments with clips of breaking media coverage...again!
This week we track the history, showcase the talent and chronicle the rise of Todd Rundgren.
An exploration of Charles Manson's musical delusions and how they drove his cult to kill.
We run down the list of the most prominent femail bassits and drummers in the rock industry.
All about the the Detroit-born, rock-based magazine that captured the music industry in print.
All about the whammy bar including who invented it, different incarnations, how it works and who uses it.
The evolution and success of Mutt Lange, one of the music industry's most successful producers.
Bringing listeners back to historic rock moments with clips of breaking media coverage.
This week we explore some of the more gruesome accidents that rock stars have had off the stage.
All about the record company that shipped gold records and had them come back platinum.
Features music centered around the history of items commonly found on stage at a concert.
Dr. Burns talks about the life of a New Orleans based band with Crescent City legends, Bag of Donuts.
A discussion about the different kinds of and the legal aspects of music licensing, plus music featured in various ads.
Hear all about the weirdest things that once belonged to music stars auctioned off by collectors and profiteers.
This show features music that was initially rejected by other artists before being recorded and turning into hits.
This show centers around Miranda Grosvernor's phone calls with famous film and music stars.
This show is about rock songs that were influenced by or featured science-related content.
This show is about Tupac's appearance at Coachella and future ramifications of holograms on rock music
This show is about rock songs featuring superheroes such as The Incredible Hulk, Superman, Spiderman, etc.
This show is about Dick Clark and his contribution to music and his time on American Bandstand
This show is all about the all time best soundtracks according to ROck School Facebook friends
Ever wondered what is a Podcast? Well, this show covers pretty much everything about Podcasts
The 2nd of a two-part show that takes a look back at some of rock-n-roll's most significant anniversaries
A two-part show that takes a look back at some of rock-n-roll's most significant anniversaries
Sometimes the "Best New Artist" Grammy winner deserves the award...sometimes not. We will right the wrongs.
Be careful who you allow to sound check your instrument, they may end up with your spot!
Apparently you can't tour under the name of the band unless you've got at least one original member
Some guitarists are not satisfied with just calling it a Les Paul, a Gibson, a Fender...
Have you ever heard anyone say "wooly bully", "sharona" or "do wa diddy" other than in song?