Professor of Rock

Alright, we’ve done the 60s, the 70s, and the 80s… But we’ve still got another decade to cover. On this latest episode of Professor of Rock, we’re counting down the most iconic cartoon theme songs from the 90s. And you’re not going to believe some of these stories. In the 90s, it seemed like the biggest rock stars were lining up to get in on the cartoon action… From Aerosmith to Devo to Michael Jackson to Danny Elfman, and maybe even Nirvana… so many of your favorite cartoon tracks featured top-of-the-chart hit-makers, and you may not even be aware of it! There’s the story of how Kurt Cobain pitched a demo for The Ren and Stimpy Show, one of the most unhinged cartoons of all time. But the show’s creator kicked him out and tossed it in the trash. Weeks later, he would regret it when the band became the biggest in the world. Also, another famous musician, Joe Perry, shredded a radioactive guitar track to replace one of the most iconic cartoon themes ever… And it may be even better than the original. And what about X-Men: The Animated Series, that ripped off Whitney Houston and a Hungarian kung-fu cop show? Or how Danny Elfman made tens of millions for singing three syllables on The Simpsons. Let’s do it.
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In this exclusive, full-length interview, Adam sits down with Gavin Rossdale, the voice and driving force behind the legendary band Bush.
Gavin opens up like never before, taking us on a candid journey through the highs, the struggles, and the defining moments that led to the formation of one of the most iconic rock bands of the ’90s. From the uncertainty of his early days to the breakthrough success that changed everything, this is the story behind the music… told by the man who lived it.
It’s raw, reflective, and packed with insights you won’t hear anywhere else; an inside look at the mindset, resilience, and passion that fueled Bush’s rise to global fame.
If you’re a fan of Bush, ’90s rock, or the real stories behind legendary artists, this is an interview you don’t want to miss.
Only on Professor of Rock.
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Coming up, we tell the story of songs that had deep meaning to the writer, and to us, the listeners, who locked into their emotional power. And they are songs that are some of the most celebrated ever, but were surprisingly never HITS! We’ll tell the tale about Oingo Boingo's Dead Man's Party, a song that was inspired while staying at a haunted hotel where multiple deaths took place. And what came from that overnight stay is one of the catchiest and creepiest songs ever. There’s also the story of Dire Straits' Brothers in Arms, which was intended to unite soldiers fighting on different sides of a war. And it means as much today as it did then. Plus a deeply personal song that the singer wanted to emote perfectly. He felt the best way to get in a vulnerable state of mind was to record the song without any clothes! Plus Depeche Mode's Blasphemous Rumours that sent small communities into a tailspin and the greatest B SIDE in history. It's our countdown of the Top 10 Non-Hits of ’85. NEXT on Professor of Rock! The stories of The Smiths How Soon is Now, Inxs Listen Like Thieves, Tear for Fears the Working Hour, The Cult and many more.

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We're serving up another Vault classic in honor of POR's Sammy Hagar giveaway.

In this classic episode, the Red Rocker himself, Sammy Hagar tells us how he joined Van Halen and the resulting Music. He also tells the story behind creating the game changing song Dreams, the second single from their 1986 album 5150 which was the first Van Halen album to go to #1. The album 5150 is named after Eddie Van Halen’s studio. 5150, sold a million copies in its first week. Think about that for a second. The last few years, there have only been a couple of artists or albums that have sold 1 million copies over an entire year! Enjoy our Exclusive Interview with Sammy Hagar.
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Coming up, we just hit 1.5 million subscribers! And to celebrate I’m giving some love to a “lost art” in the music biz, the Greatest Hits Record… but with a twist! Back in the day, these compilations were a vital part of our collections: Beatles Red and Blue, Eagles (1971-1975), Fleetwood Mac, Queen, Journey,… we all loved having all the hits in one place. Today I’ve got my picks for the 9 greatest song stories in rock history. I went with 9 cuz it’s my favorite number. You could call it a Professor of Rock Greatest Hits episode. Some of these stories have been told but today I’ve dug up some completely new details. And I gotta tell ya, it was so hard to narrow down thousands of stories to just 9. So maybe we’ll have to do a POR Greatest Hits volume 2. But for this one, I’ve got the story of the most cursed song in the history of music Gloomy Sunday, written by Rezso Seress, a former trapeze artist who survived a death-defying fall. Plus, there’s the story of Strawberry Alarm Clock trying to record their hit song, but Nobody in the band could nail down the tough vocal…Finally, a random kid watching the session jumped in and tried it and blew everyone away! It became a #1 hit and he wasn’t even in the band. Then there’s the story of a teenager who was told by his dad to write the stupidest song ever… and it led to one of the most iconic themes of all time, M*A*S*H! Let’s get into it.
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