Rock School

"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."

"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."

"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."

"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."