Behind The Song: Classic Rock Chronicles

In this episode of Behind The Song, Janda goes deeper into Pearl Jam’s “Black,” the heartbreak anthem that became a hit without ever being a single. Hear why Pearl Jam didn’t want anyone but the fans to visualize what or who the song was about, a choice that set the tone for their entire career. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/priv...

He once sang for eighty thousand fans as the voice of Led Zeppelin. Now in his late 70s, Robert Plant is playing centuries-old songs and loving every minute of it. In this episode of Behind The Song, Janda skips the hits to trace Plant’s musical path. From a planned career in accounting to what happened after Led Zeppelin disbanded, everything led to his latest chapter, the collective project Savi...

In the new episode of the Behind The Song podcast, Janda chats with Steve Vai about gearing up to tour once again with BEAT, performing the music of King Crimson with Adrian Belew, Tony Levin, and Terry Bozzio. He spoke about what it takes to play this level of “high information music,” his time as a teenager working for Frank Zappa, and what’s next musically for him and this supergroup!  See...

In this bonus Behind The Song episode, Janda is joined by her husband, Behind The Song music producer Christian Lane, to talk about the incredible comeback of Oasis. From their '25 tour to the Don't Look Back In Anger documentary to how hard it was to score tickets to the 2027 tour, the world is finally ready for the Gallagher Brothers. Janda shares what it was about Oasis' music that she gravitat...

In 1970, Neil Young was handed a screenplay by a neighbor about an apocalyptic flood wiping out the Topanga Canyon community they lived in. The film was never made and the script is now lost, but it unlocked one of the most potent songs of his career. In this episode of the Behind The Song podcast, Janda dives into the elusive meaning of "After The Gold Rush” and why the song is more relevant than...

As the Illinois Rock & Roll Museum On Route 66 prepares for its 5th annual Hall Of Fame awards ceremony in Chicago on September 27th, Janda had a chat with founder and CEO Ron Romero to talk about this year’s inductees and what a privilege it is to preserve the rich musical history of Illinois. The Drive will be the radio station honored with an induction in this year’s event, and the show wil...

In this bonus episode of the Behind The Song podcast, Janda pays tribute to the late, great Tim Curry. Beyond his iconic role in the Rocky Horror Picture show and his other roles as an actor, he had an almost-forgotten career as a rock musician. Janda digs into how his overlooked solo albums had a big impact on none other than Joe Bonamossa, who launched his own musical career with an obscure deep...

In this episode of the Behind The Song podcast, Janda digs in to “London Calling” by The Clash, a song that called an alarm about what was going on in London and the world in the late 70’s, with “S.O.S.” in Morse code buried right in the track. Follow the story of how The Clash became more than just a broke punk band with the London Calling album, now considered one of the greatest albums ever mad...

In this bonus episode of Behind The Song, Janda pays tribute to the late Dolly Parton. More than just a country singer, entertainer, or her late-in-life role as a surprise rock star, Dolly spent her life helping others, even when the cameras weren’t rolling. That philanthropy is her true legacy. Janda traces her story from a one-room cabin in Tennessee to becoming one of the most inspirational peo...

Fifty years ago this week, Boston released one of the best-selling debut albums in rock history. In the new bonus episode of the Behind The Song podcast, Janda flips through the class of ‘76 yearbook in classic rock, a year stacked with albums that still shape what we listen to today: Boston’s debut, Led Zeppelin's Presence , Rush's 2112 , Aerosmith's Rocks , Steve Miller Band's Fly Like an Eagle...

In 1976, an exhausted AC/DC wrote "Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap" between tour stops, built around a line Angus Young lifted from a cartoon villain's business card. What followed was stranger than the song itself: an Illinois couple harassed for years because their real phone number matched the lyrics, a U.S. label that shelved the album for nearly five years and almost dropped the band, and a chart...

It started with literal spit! Roger Waters, spitting on a fan mid-concert in 1977. That moment was the inspiration behind one of rock's most ambitious concept albums, Pink Floyd’s The Wall. In this episode of the Behind The Song podcast, Janda dives into the chaotic making of the album, the four-city stage show too expensive to take anywhere else, and the courtroom battle over who actually got to...

Every year from August 1st to August 9th, Deadheads mark the “Days Between" — the span between Jerry Garcia's birth and death. In this bonus episode of the Behind The Song podcast, Janda digs into how a deep-cut song title that was only played 41 times by the band became the name of what has evolved into a high holy week for an entire community of Grateful Dead fans. See Privacy Policy at https://...

Don Henley's “The Boys Of Summer” is a song with lyrical roots that trace back to the poet Dylan Thomas, but it got its musical start from a demo Mike Campbell played for Tom Petty -- who passed on it!  In an updated episode of the Behind The Song podcast, Janda takes a look at how “The Boys OF Summer” fits into the Eagles' story as the band winds down its farewell tour.  With Henley hin...

Janda recaps night one of Rush's Fifty Something tour in Chicago on July 16, 2026— a show few fans thought they'd ever see after Neil Peart's passing in 2020. The episode covers drummer Anika Nilles winning over skeptics with a show-stopping "Tom Sawyer," the emotional Peart tributes, a full 2112 suite, a surprise nod to founding drummer John Rutsey, and the joy of watching Geddy Lee and Alex Life...

Sixty-plus years in, the Rolling Stones return with Foreign Tongues — fourteen tracks featuring Paul McCartney, Steve Winwood, and a surprise turn from The Cure's Robert Smith, plus previously unheard drumming from the late Charlie Watts. Janda goes track by track through the record, digging into its riffs, ballads, and covers, and makes the case for why it's the Stones' best album in years. ...

In 1972, Led Zeppelin traded the studio for Mick Jagger’s driveway and the Rolling Stones' recording truck, after a detoured trip to Bombay reshaped their sound. Join Janda on the new episode of Behind The Song as she dives into the making of "Dancing Days," from its Eastern-tinged riff to the lyric that's baffled fans for 50 years: the lion standing alone with a tadpole in a jar. Plus: the critic...

In this episode of the Behind The Song podcast, Janda remembers the legendary Clive Davis, the music icon who almost single-handedly dragged the music industry into the rock revolution. He was a lawyer with no musical training whatsoever but with truly magic ears when it came to signing the cream of rock’s crop: from Janis Joplin to Aerosmith, The Grateful Dead to Springsteen, Santana to Billy Joe...

Roll the windows down and crank the volume up! In the new bonus episode of Behind The Song Janda tracks the arc of a summer day through three classic albums that vibe with the season in very different ways. From Van Halen to the Eagles to Chicago, these albums rock your glorious summer days and nights. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.c...

How did Peter Frampton go from an industry underdog to an absolute stadium-packing global phenomenon? In the new episode of Behind The Song , Janda tracks the incredible "grind-it-out" story behind the 1976 double-album smash, Frampton Comes Alive! Did you know there was a real-life muse behind “Baby I Love Your Way,” one of the hit songs he wrote in a single day while sitting on a beach in the Ba...

In this episode of the Behind The Song podcast with Janda Lane, step inside Freddie Mercury’s London mansion to meet the pampered clowder of ten felines who truly ruled his world. From mandatory long-distance phone calls to check in while Queen was on the road to the song inspired by his favorite calico, Delilah, Mercury truly went above and beyond typical pet care. In fact, he was so loyal to his...

In this bonus episode of the Behind The Song podcast, Janda shares the incredible story behind how the late, great “saxophone colossus” Sonny Rollins came to record the sax solo on the Rolling Stones hit, “Waiting On A Friend.”  Following the passing of the jazz legend at age 95, this awesome recording remains as proof that when talented musicians respect each other, the lines between genres...

In this episode of the Behind The Song podcast, Janda takes a closer look into Pete Townshend’s “Let My Love Open The Door,” just one of many songs that he consistently wrote with his spiritual guru in mind. It’s a deep dive into the how Townshend’s decades-long devotion to Meher Baba completely colored his creative output and shifted his focus to search for the divine. From “Baba O’Riley” to “The...

Janda is joined by Behind The Song podcast producer Christian Lane (her husband!) for a conversation about what makes the Grateful Dead continue to compel fans to “get on the bus,” more than 60 years after they played their first concert. The conversation explores the various entry points into the band's world and the philosophy of fun outlined by Jerry Garcia that still resonates with DeadHeads b...

Triumph returns to the road and to Chicago’s Allstate Arena on May 13th in a Drive 25th Anniversary concert event! In this bonus episode, revisit the conversation as Janda sits down with Mike Levine and Gil Moore to discuss what made them decide to tour again and what fans can expect now.  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/priva...