Improvisation is the X factor behind some of the greatest tracks of the Rock Era—moments of spontaneous genius nborn from gifted talent and instinct. On this episode, we’ll get ninto the captivating stories of how a teenager walking down the street decided to visit a studio that caught his eye. His name was Barrett Strong and he laid down a scratch vocal on a song he improvised… That scratch vocal became Money (That's What I Want), the first big hit for a label that npretty much became it’s own genre… Then a fiddle player got a random invite to a session and the band, The Who, had no idea who he was but he started playing and it was so powerful it put the finishing touches on 1 of the greatest rock anthems ever... Baba O'Riley. Plus the 16 year old opera singer who was supposed to sing a small part in a lower octave but decided to sing it much higher and it became thedefining vocal of the famous hit The Lion Sleeps Tonight… Plus the unknown singer Clare Torry who was supposed to sing a couple of notes over a musical bed but just belted out a wordless display of sounds that astonished Pink Floyd and became a crucial part of The Dark Side of the Moon, an album that spent 18 and a half years on the charts. Improv Magic…Part 2, is NEXT on Professor of Rock!

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

FROM THE VAULT: David Gilmour’s Most Powerful Vocal Performances with Pink Floyd

In this special vault episode, we shine a spotlight on one of rock’s most iconic yet often underrated voices: David Gilmour of Pink Floyd. While his guitar solos are legendary, it’s his soaring, soulful vocals that gave depth and emotion to some of the band’s most powerful songs.

From the haunting beauty of Comfortably Numb to the raw emotion of Dogsand the melancholy ache of Wish You Were Here, Gilmour’s voice helped define the Pink Floyd sound. Professor of Rock breaks down the vocal highlights that made Gilmour not just a guitar god, but one of the great vocalists of the rock era.

Also, on this day in rock history, Pink Floyd released their groundbreaking debut album The Piper at the Gates of Dawn, which reached number 6 on the UK charts and marked the beginning of one of rock’s most legendary journeys.

Hear the Stories. Relive the Music. Only on Professor of Rock.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

It was the year of golden oldies. In fact, it was the year that was described when people say the oldies but goodies. So many incredible songs, including the rise of the instrumental track Telstar by The Tornados that would spark the British Invasion, and it was recorded in a kitchen, along with a one-hit wonder, Monster Mash, that we play every single year for a month. Plus, The Twist, a song that hit #1 twice by the same artist (Chubby Checker) 2 years apart… It’s an artist I tried to get an interview with, and was told it would cost six figures! And there was Can't Help Falling in Love, the song from 1784 that was written from a woman’s perspective that Elvis Presley took to #1 centuries later. And then there's Loco-motion, the song that was written by Carole King and Gerry Goffin that they had their babysitter Eva Boyd record a scratch vocal to just to show it to the star, they really wanted to sing it. When she rejected it, they released it as is, and it became a #1 hit four different times. Great guests, and a host of other timeless classics & are NEXT on Professor of Rock!

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

He was the madman who redefined heavy metal… an unlikely rock hero who became a legend. With the passing of Ozzy Osbourne on July 22, 2025, the world lost more than the “Prince of Darkness”—we lost one of music’s most passionate, misunderstood, and enduring voices. Today, we’re celebrating Ozzy the only way that feels right—by taking a deep dive through the songs that shaped his legacy. Because behind the bat-biting headlines was a man of depth, kindness, and resilience. Let’s tell Ozzy’s story the way it was meant to be told… through the music that changed everything, including Paranoid, the 3-minute filler Song that made rock and Roll Dangerous and the light behind the Prince of Darkness, NEXT on the Professor of Rock.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

There are only a few dozen songs that came on the radio and rearranged our brains; they smacked us upside the head and changed the way we looked at the world. Today, we have the two principals from Living Colour behind one such song: Cult of Personality. It exploded onto MTV and Radio in the late 80s with an epic riff and a revolutionary message that had us seeing double. Corey Glover and Vernon Reid behind this force of nature song tell the story of Cult of Personality, a song that became a thinking man’s hard rock… At first, MTV wouldn’t play it until the biggest star in the world, who loved their music, threatened MTV, if they didn’t put this classic song in heavy rotation, he would hold back his new #1 Video. They gave in, and the rest is history. Coming up, a song that had so many famous soundbites in it, the band had no clue if they could get it released. Find out how they did it next on Professor of Rock.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

On This Day in Rock History, 1981, music changed forever with the launch of MTV, and the very first video to air was “Video Killed the Radio Star” by The Buggles.

It became an anthem of the new era, but here’s the twist: it wasn’t an '80s song at all. Written, recorded, released, and even charted in the late '70s, the track peaked modestly at #40 in the U.S., yet it became one of the most iconic songs of the MTV generation.

In this vault episode, the Professor of Rock talks with Buggles co-founder Geoff Downes, who, with Trevor Horn, created a track that sparked a music revolution—despite its modest chart success.

Hear the real story behind “Video Killed the Radio Star,” how it came to define a decade it technically didn’t belong to, and what it was like to be the first face of MTV.

Coming up next on Professor of Rock!

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

I love stories like this… I've got one half of the underrated duo England Dan and John Ford Coley, that maybe the kings of the line, "Oh, that’s who sings that song…I’ve always loved it but never knew who sang it." Get This... today’s guests opened for Led Zeppelin as unsigned rookies, and they were so great that the newspaper that reviewed the show said they bettered the golden gods of rock! And not too long after, they put together one of the most successful runs of hits of the late 70s. From 1976 to 1978, they had 6 big hits, including 4 songs that all hit the top 10 and are classics of the time... including their first 2 songs Id’e Really Love to See You Tonight and Nights Are Forever that were in the charts at the same time. In fact, their first hit was so good that a young executive from the next office tore through the wall to beg them to sign with his label. They had 6 hits over a 2.5-year period and then just vanished. Today, I have the surviving member of this duo, John Ford Coley, to tell the story.

Brought to you by American Financing

Call American Financing today to find out how customers are saving an avg of $800/mo. 866-890-4844 or visit http://www.AmericanFinancing.net/ professorofrock. NMLS 182334, nmlsconsumeraccess.org

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this special episode of Behind The Song, Janda Lane is joined by Adam Reader for an emotional conversation about the passing of one of rock’s most iconic and influential figures: Ozzy Osbourne.

Recorded just after his death on July 22, 2025, this bonus installment invites you to look back on Ozzy’s towering impact... from the dark, game-changing riffs of Black Sabbath to his wild, unforgettable solo run. Janda and The Professor dig into what made Ozzy a once-in-a-generation artist: his voice, his persona, his chaos, and his charm.

Whether you grew up blasting Paranoid or discovered Ozzy through The Osbournes, this episode pays tribute to the music, the madness, and the magic that made him a legend.

Long live the Prince of Darkness.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.