How Jimmy Buffett Turned “Margaritaville” Into a Billion-Dollar Empire
Today we're telling the story of Jimmy Buffett, a singer-songwriter who spent years bouncing around the Southern US struggling to find his voice… before he invented an entire lifestyle brand built on relaxation and escapism. This Alabama-raised dreamer crafted a sound he called "Gulf & Western," mixing down home storytelling with Caribbean rhythms and beach-town philosophy that turned him into something more than a musician. This Jimmy’s laid-back melodies and tales of coastal living created a fantasy world that millions wanted to live in. Buffett went from a struggling songwriter to the leader of an army of "Parrotheads" who turned his concerts into parties and his brand into an empire. It's a journey from dive bars to billion-dollar businesses from a song that all the big wigs said was a terrible idea to launching a whole new way of life on our latest edition of Short and Sweet. Let's get into it.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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The Untold Stories Behind Rock’s Most Iconic Band Logos
Remember back in the day when we used to draw band names and logos on our trapper keepers, and binders or school tablets? Well these logos, these symbols were more than just doodles. They were declarations of our rock identity. And man, we've uncovered some wild tales today as we count down the best ever. And these stories will blow your mind, like the Nirvana logo that's shrouded in mystery—no one can figure out who sketched it. whether it was swiped from the sign of a seedy gentleman’s club? Or a jab at frontman Axl Rose? Plus the same band’s logo was so low on the priority list they paid a measly fifteen bucks to a typesetter to create it, instructing him to just use whatever font was already loaded in his machine and it became legendary. Then there's the emblem known as "The Lick" that was faxed over to the Rolling Stones' label, but The fax was so distorted they had to redraw it which changed it... but the change was kept a secret for decades. Plus the most famous rock band ever The Beatles with the most iconic logo didn’t actually put it on any of their album cover until over a decade after they broke up. And then they didn’t even copyright it until 30 years after they formed their band... and they’ve made more from licensing their logo than their music. Let’s do it!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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This Song TOPS Greatest 1-Hit Wonder Lists ALL THE TIME... But It Was NEVER a Hit!
Today’s song Forever Young by Alphaville is a classic that every 80s kid knows by heart… But here’s the kicker… some know it as a slow methodical ballad and some know it as an up-tempo anthem. That’s because the song was released in 2 iterations, and depending on how and when you heard it, one of those versions is your memory of it. And the other crazy thing is that, even though it’s one of the most well-known songs of the 80s and it’s been used dozens of times in film and television, it was not actually a hit. Not in America. In fact, it was released 7 different times, and not one of those times did it become a hit, though we all swear it was. But when it hit #1 across the sea, the band didn’t even know how to play their instruments. Up next the story of a classic that was a disaster until the band’s engineer accidentally slowed the tempo down. Let’s do it...See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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How Alice Cooper Inspired Punk, Shock Rock, and a Rock Renaissance
I’m excited to share today’s interview.He’s had 11 Top 40 hits, sold over 55 million albums, and is one of only a few artists in history with a Top 50 album in six consecutive decades.But even more important — today’s guest is a rock pioneer who helped build and shape some of the most important musical genres and movements of our lifetime and beyond.Like shock rock, of which he’s the king. But also punk rock — Johnny Rotten’s tryout that got him the job as singer of the Sex Pistols was Alice’s song I’m Eighteen, and the first song Joey Ramone wrote for the Ramones was based on the chords of that same song. The seeds of punk rock came from Alice!And of course, hard rock and metal owe a debt of gratitude to Mr. Cooper. KISS begged, borrowed, and stole from Alice — even they admit it — among many others.And what other living rock star was beloved by Groucho Marx, Mae West, and Salvador Dalí? Or was called a great songwriter by Bob Dylan? Or had a comic book series created about him by Neil Gaiman?He also waged one of the greatest comebacks in rock history in 1989 with Poison after critics said he was done — and then won the hearts of a whole new generation in Wayne’s World.We cover all of that, plus the real story behind the chicken and many other urban legends. You’ll get some surprises along the way — and some of the best stories I’ve ever heard in an interview.I’m recording this intro just hours before going in for serious surgery… hoping this isn’t my final interview. But if it was — I’d take it! Ha ha.Here’s Alice.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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FROM THE VAULT: The Shocking Story of 'I Touch Myself': Written by Men, Sung by a Rock Icon, and Still Debated
FROM THE VAULT: The controversial song about female self-love… was written by a dude? Ha ha. It's I Touch Myself by the Divinyls. This story is almost too good to be true, and yet it is. I have an interview with a Hall of Fame songwriter Billy Steinberg who wrote 5 #1 hits with his songwriting partner Tom Kelly. And all five #1s were for female artists. All 5 songs were huge in the 80s, but at the end of the decade, Billy met with a prolific Australian band and sheepishly gave them his private notebook of lyrics and asked what song they wanted to work on. And today’s iconic female rocker Chrissy Amphlett chose a song that was about self-love. I Touch Myself wasn’t quite finished so the band and the songwriting team tackled it. It’s pretty straightforward forward, and though it was controversial it became a global smash. Let's run it back, 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.
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.
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