Rock in Retrospect

Today marks the 5-year anniversary of Rock in Retrospect! To celebrate this milestone, I turned it over to listeners to ask Nick anything they wanted him to answer or share stories about. From behind-the-scenes stories to questions he's never answered before, nothing was off limits. Let's celebrate five years together! Support the show

Albert and Diya return to discuss Antoine Fuqua's Michael (2026), the long-awaited music biopic chronicling the early life and career of the King of Pop, Michael Jackson.  They share their thoughts on the film—both its strengths and shortcomings—highlight the standout performances (including Jaafar Jackson's portrayal of his famous uncle), and dive into several of the film's most me...

Comedian and writer Murray Valeriano returns to discuss the 2023 documentary Have You Got It Yet? The Story of Syd Barrett and Pink Floyd . We analyze the film, sharing plenty of funny stories and anecdotes along the way. We wrap up the episode with a mixtape of our favorite Pink Floyd songs spanning every era of the iconic band. Support the show

Scott Kummer (co-host of I've Got That On Vinyl ) returns to join Nick to discuss his podcast and his ongoing Project My Top 10 series . The first half of the episode covers IGTOV's origins, format, and a rundown of the current rankings. The second half features Nick and Scott each revealing their top 10 favorite albums of all time. Support Scott's show and register for a free accou...

Mike ( Retro Rock Roundup ) and Tony return to discuss their thoughts on the 2025 biopic Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere, which explores Bruce Springsteen’s personal and professional struggles during the making of his 1982 album Nebraska .  We also discuss the newly released Electric Nebraska to cap off the conversation! Support the show

Prolific country music writer Barry Mazor joins Nick to talk about his recent book Blood Harmony: The Everly Brothers Story . The book has been widely praised as the definitive biopgraphy about the iconic musical duo and it's definitely one of the best music history books written in the last few years. Definitely check this one out! You can purchase a copy of Blood Harmony at any major retail...

Greg returns to the show to discuss the career and legacy of the iconic rock band Smashing Pumpkins. We discuss their history, success, their catalog, and why they deserve to be in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Support the show

The Douche Caravan returns! Jon (Host of The Hustle Podcast ),  Patrick (Host of The EETF Podcast ) and Michael join Nick to discuss Stanley Nelson and Nicole London's 2025 documentary We Want the Funk! , which covers the history of the genre.  Support the show

Prolific rock writer Martin Popoff joins Nick to talk about his latest book Kiss '76: Twelve Months That Defined the Hottest Band in the Land.  You can purchase a copy of Popoff's book at any major retailer, including Amazon ,  Barnes & Noble , and Quatro .  Support the show

Albert and Dya join Nick to talk about the 2025 Netflix documentary Selena y Los Dinos . Support the show

The Rock Hall squad is back! David, Mark, Michelle, and Tom return to share their thoughts on the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame’s Class of 2026 inductees. We did things a little differently this time, asking our Patreon supporters for topics they wanted us to cover and questions they wanted us to answer. Support the show

Scott and Jon join Nick to discuss the career and legacy of Jonathan Richman. We talk about both his time with the proto-punk pioneers The Modern Lovers and his ever-eclectic solo career. We talk about a variety of topics, but have a lengthy conversation weighing the merits for a potential induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.  Support the show

Historian and writer Daniel Bukszpan returns to discuss his latest book Rush and 2112: Fifty Years .  You can purchase a copy of Daniel's book at retailers including Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Quarto Books.  Support the show

DJ Sir Daniel and Jay Ray ( Queue Points Podcast ) return to discuss the career and legacy of the iconic R&B and pop group New Edition. Topics include the group’s rise to fame, their legendary lineup of members, our favorite albums and songs from their catalog, and their current nomination for induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Support the show

Cally and Loïc (co-hosts of Shakipedia: A Shakira Podcast ) join Nick to discuss the career and legacy of Latin pop superstar and cultural icon Shakira! We discussed a variety of topics including Shakira's electifying live shows, her Spanish-language works of the 90s, her breakthrough success on the American charts in 2001, the legacy of her smash "Hips Don't Lie," and her curr...

Traci, who runs the Get Phil Voted In campaign to get Phil Collins inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame a second time as a solo artist, returns to discuss Brandon Toews' 2024 documentary Phil Collins: Drummer First . The entire movie is streaming for free on YouTube . We finish this episode by discussing Collins' current nomination for induction into the Rock Hall, Traci's...

To celebrate INXS’ 2026 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame nomination, Nick invited several members of the INXS fan base—Jim, Jon, and Shannon—to discuss Richard Lowenstein’s 2019 documentary Mystify: Michael Hutchence . Support the campaign to get INXS inducted into the Rock Hall by visiting Induct INXS . You can also vote for INXS in the Rock Hall’s fan vote to help secure an additional ballot among t...

Historian and Rock & Roll Hall of Fame voter Charles Hughes joins Nick to discuss the career and legacy of Oasis. They cover a range of topics, including the band’s status as Britpop legends, the massive success of their tour last year, and their current Rock Hall nomination (the third consecutive year they’ve appeared on the ballot). Check out Charles’s blog series No Fences Review , which he...

Richard and Jordan return to discuss all things Neil Diamond and the 2025 biopic Song Sung Blue starring Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson. Support the show

Cliff and Helen return to discuss the documentary Diane Warren: Relentless (2024) which focuses on the life and career of legendary songwriter Diane Warren. We give our takes on the movie, the Oscar-nominated song "Dear Me," and conclude with a rundown of our favorite songs from her catalog. Support the show

Darren and Peter return to discuss the nominees in the music categories at this year's Academy Awards. We analyze all ten scores and songs, give our personal rankings, our predictions on who will win and cap it off with great works that were snubbed. We also discuss the Oscars’ decision to omit live performances from this year’s ceremony.  Support the show

An all-star panel of Rock Hall experts join Nick to discuss the 2026 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame nominees Ballot! Tom, Mark, Michelle, Traci, Jon, and Andrea return to give their takes on all 17 nominees. Disclaimer : We recorded this episode the day the nominations were announced on Wednesday February 25, 2026. Support the show

Jordan, Kailyn, and Sam return to discuss the 2025 documentary Stans , which explores the career of rap icon Eminem through his superfans. We give our thoughts on the movie, share some personal stories, and cap it off with our favorite songs from his legendary catalog. Support the show

Scott and Andrew join Nick to discuss Alex Ross Perry's film 2024 Pavements , which focuses on the legendary indie rock band Pavement.  Support the show

Tim Durling (Author of Sing Me Away: The Night Ranger Album Review and host of Tim's Vinyl Confessions ) joins Nick to discuss the career and legacy of classic rock legends Night Ranger! We discuss the band's sound, their influences, their iconic song "Sister Christian," among other topics. We conclude by revealing our favorite songs and albums from their catalog.  Support the...