FROM THE VAULT: How a Schoolteacher Wrote Elvis Presley’s “Heartbreak Hotel” and Made Music History with Her Son
On July 8, 1954, Elvis Presley's debut single, “That’s All Right,” was played for the first time on Memphis radio, marking a pivotal moment in his career and the beginning of a musical revolution. Just three years later, in 1957, his hit “(Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear” reached No. 1 on the Billboard charts, further cementing his status as the King of Rock 'n' Roll.Enjoy this POR classic from 2022 celebrating the one and only King of Rock 'n' Roll—Elvis Presley.FROM THE VAULT: In the mid-50s, a school-teacher, and a former dishwasher repairman collaborated on writing a song allegedly inspired by the suicide note of a despondent man that was included in an article published by the Miami Herald. It would turn out to be for the King of Rock and Roll Elvis Presley… The song? Heartbreak Hotel. In fact the schoolteacher named Mae Axton vowed to Elvis that she would write his first #1 million seller and she did. Although Presley’s label RCA thought the song was a disaster. They hated it and predicated it would fail. It went to #1 for 7 weeks and was the biggest song of the years. Years later the school teacher who wrote it, would have a song Hoyt Axton who would write a #1 hit for Three Dog Night called Joy to the World making them the only mother and son to do so in history. Over the years the writing of Heartbreak Hotel from a newspaper article has become a mystery. Curiously, there is no evidence of such an incident in the public records of the State of Florida, nor is there any proof of a news article that was published on the alleged suicide by the Miami Herald. It’s the conflicting and mystifying story of the first #1 pop song by the King of Rock ’N Roll…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.
--------
27:13
--------
27:13
The Beatles' Chart Takeover and 10 More Iconic Songs of 1964
Coming up, we're telling the story of 11 songs that truly defined one of the most pivotal years in the Rock Era, starting with The Beatles, a band so big they controlled the top 5 spots on the charts, a record that no one has ever come close to. Plus, there was the songwriter Wayne Cochran who told an epic and sad story behind what inspired his massive hit Last Kiss that moved everyone who heard it. Then, decades later, everyone found it was a total lie. Then there was the Do Wah Diddy Diddy that the lead singer of Manfred Mann thought was downright silly... with made-up words, he refused to sing it until his manager forced him to, and even then he sang it as a total joke… It became one of the biggest songs ever, and the silly words became part of the pop vernacular. There was The Animals' House of the Rising Sun that has made tens of millions in royalties but remains unpaid because no one knows who the hell wrote the song. Plus, there’s Marvin Gaye who wrote Dancing in the Street, a song he knew was a smash, but he gave it to his secretary Martha Reeves, who made it an all-time smash. Our countdown of the Top 11 Songs of a special year 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.
--------
39:38
--------
39:38
The Bee Gees Comeback: From Disco Backlash to "You Win Again"
COMING UP next, the Bee Gees were the biggest band of the 70s with 8 #1 hits in under 4 years… they were everywhere until they weren’t. What a difference a few months make. One month they were on top of the world, a few months later, they couldn’t get radio to play their music. They had to hide out… in fact, in the early 80s, the Bee Gees wrote for other people because their brand was extinct. They disappeared from the charts for 10 years. Then, at the end of the 80s, the Bee Gees made one of the biggest comebacks ever. They had a #1 in the UK a year earlier and then blew up the American charts again with a smash that put them back in the game, You Win Again... and they’ve never looked back. The band that beat astronomical odds to go from hero to zero to hero again. It's the greatest perseverance story in music 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.
--------
18:29
--------
18:29
The Greatest Music Records of All Time—And Why No One Will Ever Top Them
In music, trends come and go, chart-toppers rise and fall—but every once in a while, an artist or a band does something that is completely untouchable. I’m talking about milestones that will never be shattered. For today’s episode, we’re tipping our hat to the Guinness Book of World Records and counting down the Top 10 greatest music records That Will Never Be Broken. From the Elton John that sold a record 33 million copies and was only performed one time… when it was recorded, and Elton it didn’t make a dime off it... to The Dark Side of the Moon that spent almost 20 years on the charts, to The Beatles who had 20 #1 hits in just 6 years, to Frank Sinatra, the only artist to have a hit song in 7 different decades. These are the most awesome feats ever. Get ready to have your mind blown… 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.
--------
33:13
--------
33:13
A Tribute to Dan Fogelberg – The Unsung Hero of ’70s and ’80s Songwriting
There’s No Teaser Today…We have a very special episode of Professor of Rock today covering a legendary singer-songwriter who we lost. To me, it was one of the most devastating losses ever. And it got very little fanfare. There weren’t a bunch of tributes, it wasn’t front page news, it wasn’t covered in the media almost at all. But it should have been. To me, he not only wrote some of the most beloved songs of the 70s and 80s, but he wrote modern standards with the purest tenor voice of his time. Songs like Part of the Plan, Longer, Leader of the Band, Same Old Lang Syne, Run for the Roses, and great album tracks like There’s a Place in the World for a Gambler, and he influenced so many artists that came after. His songs have been like checkpoints of our personal histories; his songs have become our songs and have connected multiple generations, fathers, sons, mothers, and daughters. If you haven’t figured it out today, we are honoring Dan Fogelberg...See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
The ultimate rock music history podcast for fans of the greatest era of music. If you’ve ever wondered about the true stories behind your favorite songs, or wanted to hear directly from the legends who made them, Professor of Rock is your new go-to podcast. Hosted by music historian and superfan Adam Reader, this show brings the golden era of music back to life with exclusive interviews, behind-the-scenes stories, and deep dives into the songs that shaped our lives. This podcast uncovers how timeless tracks were made, the creative breakthroughs, the near-breakups, and the powerful moments that defined music history. Each episode is a masterclass in rock culture and nostalgia—whether it's a chart-topping ‘80s anthem, a one-hit wonder with a wild backstory, or a candid conversation with the legends themselves. Hear the Stories. Relive the Music. Only on Professor of Rock.
México