Rock & Roll High School With Pete Ganbarg

For the second edition of the Rock & Roll High School Book Club, we're joined by legendary writer Nik Cohn, whose new book, Corner Boy: Loiterings New and Old , edited by Ben Ratliff and published by ZE Books, brings together more than six decades of extraordinary writing about music, culture, and the fascinating characters who inhabit those worlds. Nik Cohn is one of the true pioneers of rock...

Welcome to the first-ever edition of the Rock & Roll High School Book Club! For our inaugural selection, we're joined by veteran music writer and record executive Mitchell Cohen, author of  Wake Me, Shake Me: New York City, the '60s, and the Pop-Rock Youthquake , along with a very special guest — founding member and drummer of The Smithereens, Dennis Diken, a lifelong student of rock &amp...

For our 100th episode, we're joined by legendary Hall of Fame songwriter Desmond Child. For nearly 50 years, Desmond has written or co-written some of the most iconic songs of the last half-century: "Livin' On A Prayer," "You Give Love A Bad Name," "I Was Made For Lovin' You," "Dude (Looks Like A Lady)," "I Hate Myself For Lovin' You," "Livin' La Vida Loca," and many, many more. In this interview,...

Richard Gottehrer is one of the most influential figures in the history of popular music—but unless you're a serious student of music history, you may not know his name. Over the course of an extraordinary career spanning more than six decades, Richard has reinvented himself time and again -- as a hit songwriter, recording artist, record executive, producer, and digital pioneer. So much so that we...

Richard Gottehrer is one of the most influential figures in the history of popular music—but unless you're a serious student of music history, there's a good chance you've never heard his name. Over the course of an extraordinary career spanning more than six decades, Richard has reinvented himself time and again -- as a hit songwriter, recording artist, record executive, producer, and digital pio...

Jim Messina has had one of the most remarkable and influential careers in American music. As a member (and producer) of Buffalo Springfield, he helped shape one of the defining bands of the late 1960s before going on to form Poco, where he became one of the architects of the country rock movement. He later teamed with Kenny Loggins to create Loggins & Messina, one of the most successful and be...

Howard Jones helped define the sound of the 1980s by proving that synthesizers could be every bit as expressive and emotionally resonant as guitars or pianos. Classically trained as a pianist before embracing the emerging world of electronic music, Howard exploded onto the international stage with a remarkable string of hit singles, including "New Song," "What Is Love?," "Things Can Only Get Bette...

Colin Hay is one of those rare artists whose career has unfolded in two remarkable acts. As the lead singer, guitarist, and principal songwriter of Men at Work, Hay helped create some of the defining songs of the early MTV era, including "Who Can It Be Now?," "Down Under," "Overkill," "It's a Mistake," and "Be Good Johnny." The band's landmark debut album,  Business As Usual , spent an extrao...

This week on Rock & Roll High School , we're joined by rock & roll pioneer Gary U.S. Bonds. Long before the British Invasion, Gary U.S. Bonds was one of the defining voices of early rock & roll. Bursting onto the charts with classics like "New Orleans," "Quarter to Three," "School Is Out," and "Dear Lady Twist," he became one of the biggest hitmakers of the early 1960s, helping bridge...

Legendary guitarist, producer, author, music historian, and cultural curator Lenny Kaye joins us this week on Rock & Roll High School. For more than five decades, Lenny has occupied a singular place in popular music. As the longtime guitarist and closest musical collaborator of Patti Smith, he helped shape the sound of one of rock's most influential artists and has remained by her side since t...

All of us at Rock & Roll High School are very saddened to learn of the passing of our friend and former guest Clive Davis. This is a new edit of our conversation with the legend himself, originally recorded shortly after Clive’s 90th birthday in 2022. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

Vernon Reid has spent more than four decades pushing the boundaries of what rock music can be. Best known as the founder, guitarist, and primary songwriter of the groundbreaking band Living Colour, Reid helped redefine hard rock in the late 1980s by fusing rock, metal, funk, jazz, punk, and hip-hop into a sound that was entirely their own. Living Colour's debut album Vivid became a cultural phenom...

Few artists have lived as many lives in music as Judy Collins. Emerging from the folk revival of the early 1960s, Judy became one of the era's defining voices, recording timeless interpretations of songs by artists such as Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, Randy Newman, and Leonard Cohen, while helping introduce many of them to a wider audience. Her recording of Joni Mitchell's "Both Sides Now" became a s...

Bobby Colomby has had an absolutely fascinating career in music. Growing up in Manhattan, Bobby's older brothers were deeply entrenched in the city's thriving jazz scene: one was best friends with Miles Davis, while the other managed Thelonious Monk. That love of jazz rubbed off on Bobby, who, as drummer and co-founder, alongside his friends Al Kooper and Steve Katz, helped create one of the first...

When Jonathan Cain joined Journey in 1980, the band was already successful. But with Cain’s arrival, Journey evolved into something even bigger: one of the defining melodic rock bands of all time. As keyboardist and co-songwriter, Cain helped create some of the most enduring songs in popular music history — including “Don’t Stop Believin’,” “Open Arms,” “Separate Ways,” and “Who’s Crying Now” — wh...

When people talk about the great American bands of the 1970s, The Doobie Brothers are always part of the conversation. Across more than five decades, the band has navigated multiple eras, lineups, and styles—moving seamlessly between biker bar rock, California harmony pop, blue-eyed soul, and FM radio classics while remaining one of the most enduring touring and recording acts in rock history. At...

For more than four decades, "Weird Al" Yankovic has done something almost nobody else in popular music has ever pulled off: he built a lasting career out of parody, satire, and sheer musical precision — while becoming one of the most beloved entertainers in pop culture history. From early homemade recordings and cult radio exposure on  The Dr. Demento Show  to Grammy wins, platinum...

Everlast has had one of the most unconventional career arcs in modern music—from his early days as a teenager with Ice-T’s Rhyme Syndicate to mainstream success with House of Pain and their iconic hit Jump Around . After a near-fatal heart episode, he reinvented himself with the deeply personal Whitey Ford Sings the Blues , which went 2X Platinum and features the breakout single What It's Like . H...

Few figures in the history of Southern music operated as both insider and architect the way Alan Walden did. Best known as the co-founder (with his brother Phil) of Capricorn Records and manager (and music publisher) of both Lynyrd Skynyrd and Otis Redding, Alan helped build the infrastructure behind what became known as Southern rock—long before it had a name. Alongside his brother, he was at the...

This week, we continue our Southern Rock trilogy with Don Barnes of .38 Special. As the co-founder, lead singer, and chief songwriter behind .38 Special, Don helped define a sound that brought Southern rock squarely into the mainstream—melding muscle, melody, and undeniable hooks. With a string of hits like “Hold On Loosely,” “Caught Up in You,” and “Rockin’ Into the Night,” the band car...

Few artists embody the spirit, resilience, and evolution of Southern rock quite like Henry Paul. A founding member of Outlaws and later the driving force behind Blackhawk, Henry’s career bridges two distinct eras of American music—each rooted in storytelling, musicianship, and a deep sense of place. From the triple-guitar attack of the "Florida Guitar Army" that helped define the Ou...

Few producers in the history of modern music have shaped records—and artists—the way Don Was has. From his early days as a hitmaking artist with Was (Not Was) to becoming one of the most trusted producers in the business, Don’s fingerprints are on an extraordinary range of iconic recordings. But beyond the credits, what defines him is his philosophy: serve the song, honor the artist, and know when...

John Oates is one half of the most successful duo in music history — Hall & Oates — and one of the architects of the sound of American pop radio in the late 20th century. In this episode of Rock & Roll High School , John takes us inside the making of a catalog that includes era-defining hits like “She’s Gone,” “Sara Smile,” “Rich Girl,” and “Maneater,” and breaks down the unique musical ch...

Imagine you’re a second-string high school running back. You strike up a conversation with the backup quarterback, bonding over a shared love of vocal harmony. You decide to start a group together. That group becomes The Beach Boys — a band that will reshape the sound of modern music. And that quarterback? Brian Wilson — one of the most visionary musical minds of the 20th century. The running back...

Harry Wayne “KC” Casey is a hit machine. As the founder, songwriter, producer, and frontman of KC and the Sunshine Band, KC helped define the sound of the 1970s and 80s with a run of joyous, groove-driven records that still light up dance floors around the world. Blending Miami soul, funk, R&B, and pop into an irresistible new hybrid, he turned the studio into a celebration — creating a string...