The Rock-N-Roll Show Podcast

Send us Fan Mail This week, I’m continuing my Signature Songs series with Pat Benatar, one of the defining rock voices of the late ’70s and early ’80s. Benatar and Neil Giraldo built a catalog full of big guitars, big hooks, and unmistakable vocals, with songs like “Heartbreaker,” “Hit Me With Your Best Shot,” “Fire and Ice,” “Shadows of the Night,” “Love Is a Battlefield,” “We Belong,” “Invincibl...

Send us Fan Mail This week, I’m continuing my Signature Songs series with the Grateful Dead ! The Dead had an incredible career without any real commercial album or single sales. They were never really a traditional hit-single band. They were a live band, a touring band, a tape-trading band, and a band whose fans were heavily invested in their music. But their signature song isn’t necessarily thei...

Send us Fan Mail This week, I’m continuing my Signature Songs series with Earth, Wind & Fire ! Earth, Wind & Fire had an incredible hitmaking run from 1974 through 1983, including 16 Top 40 hits, 7 Top 10 singles, and one No. 1 song. But their signature song isn’t necessarily their best song, or even their biggest hit — it’s the song most tied to their public image. So I’m looking at the m...

Send us Fan Mail This week, I sit down with writer Adam Sobsey , author of Chrissie Hynde: A Musical Biography and A Jewish Appendix , for a conversation about music, writing, creativity, and the ways songs connect us to memory, identity, and each other. Adam shares how music first entered his life, before leading him into bands, playwriting, criticism, and eventually a full-length biography of Ch...

Send us Fan Mail Summer is almost here, and I’m counting down my Top 10 favorite rock-n-roll songs about summertime. This episode is about the many different sides of summer: childhood freedom, teenage romance, city heat, beach days, backyard cookouts, summer storms, golden-hour sunsets, nostalgia, and those memories that get polished over time until they feel bigger than they probably were. So pu...

Send us Fan Mail This week, I’m continuing my Signature Songs series with Def Leppard ! Def Leppard had an incredible hitmaking run from 1981 through 1992, including 15 Top 40 hits, four Top 10 singles, and one No. 1 song. But their signature song isn’t necessarily their best song, or even their biggest hit — it’s the song most tied to their public image. So I’m looking at the major contenders, an...

Send us Fan Mail This week on The Rock-N-Roll Show Podcast , I’m reviewing Brandi Carlile’s Valentine’s Day concert at Madison Square Garden . I went into the show a fan from seeing her on TV over the past 5 years especially, and was excited to finally see her live. I came away even more impressed. Brandi Carlile is a warm, generous, powerful performer, and her band can move from folk to country t...

Send us Fan Mail This week, I’m continuing my Signature Songs series with John Mellencamp — from the Johnny Cougar years to the heartland rock classics that made him one of America’s great rock-n-roll songwriters. I’ll look at the major contenders, including “Hurts So Good,” “Jack & Diane,” “Pink Houses,” “Small Town,” “R.O.C.K. in the U.S.A.,” “Cherry Bomb,” and “Check It Out,” then make the...

Send us Fan Mail Just in time for Mother's Day, I'm celebrating my favorite rock and roll songs about Mothers!  I’ll be honest — this list was harder to build than I expected. Rock has plenty of songs that use the word “mama,” but not nearly as many that are actually about mothers. Some are loving tributes. Some are complicated memories. Some are dark psychological portraits. And a few a...

Send us Fan Mail This week's episode is Volume 4 of the Signature Songs series, and this week's subject is the Queen of Rock-N-Roll, Tina Turner. Looking at both the Ike & Tina Turner years and Tina’s massive solo career, I break down the leading contenders before making the case for the one song I believe is Tina's signature song. It’s a discussion about hit records, comeback s...

Send us Fan Mail This week on the Rock-N-Roll Show Podcast, I'm tackling a real challenge in my Signature Song series: what is The Rolling Stones’ signature song ? With a catalog this deep, this is not a simple call. The Stones have produced swaggering riffs, generation-defining singles, stadium anthems, and songs that have become part of the culture itself. So which one stands above the rest...

Send us Fan Mail This week on the Rock-N-Roll Show Podcast, I’m joined by Steven Gonza—singer, guitarist, and primary songwriter for Connecticut hard rock band Ink—to discuss Broken Wings , a 22-song solo album made up of material that never fit his band’s sound. These songs come from a very different place—more intimate, more melodic, and often written with a woman’s voice and piano in mind. We t...

Send us Fan Mail I’ve been going to concerts for decades, and every now and then a show sneaks up on me and completely knocks me out — and that’s exactly what happened when I took my daughter to see Tyler Childers at Forest Hills Stadium. This week on the Rock-N-Roll Show Podcast, I review that show. Going in knowing almost nothing about his music, I came away completely won over by a 21-song set...

Send us Fan Mail In Episode 2 of my Signature Song series, I’m tackling the easiest calls in rock history—the No-Brainers. These are the bands where the “signature song” debate basically ends before it starts… because the general public hears the band name and instantly thinks of one track. Along the way, I revisit what a signature song really is (hint: it’s not always the most streamed song, and...

Send us Fan Mail This week on the Rock-N-Roll Show Podcast, I'm launching a new series, “Signature Songs,” exploring the single track most associated with the greatest artists in rock-n-roll. To kick off the series, I'm starting with Queen , reviewing their major hits as well as the criteria for what defines a signature song beyond simple chart success. Queen is a special problem—because...

Send us Fan Mail This week, I've got another concert review for you. I went down to North Carolina to see one of my favorite bands, Blackberry Smoke, at the Red Hat Amphitheater in downtown Raleigh, NC. Hear all about the 21-song set, including a memorable five-song Tom Petty encore featuring the Dirty Knobs. Discover why Blackberry Smoke is considered one of the best live bands today, and do...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of The Rock-N-Roll Show podcast, I count down the Top 10 rock-n-roll songs that are a good fit for a celebration of life soundtrack—music that honors loss while leaving room for gratitude, memory, and hope. Through lyrical analysis and personal reflection, I explore why these songs resonate in moments of remembrance and how rock-n-roll can help us navigate grief wi...

Send us Fan Mail Welcome to the fourth season of the Rock-N-Roll Show Podcast! In this episode, I'm reviewing an unforgettable night at Madison Square Garden where Eric Clapton performed a 16-song set. This concert featured a mix of classic blues covers and Clapton's iconic hits. Of course I get into a little context first,  reflecting on Clapton's musical evolution and significant...

Send us Fan Mail This week, I invite multi-talented musician and producer Nick deMatteo back for a second in-depth conversation. This time, Nick discusses his recent album 'Kite to Camden' and his career pivot to becoming a songwriting coach. Tune in to learn about Nick's approach to sync licensing, his passion for songwriting, and the unique service he offers to help aspiring songw...

Send us Fan Mail This week, I deliver a special double review of Bruce Springsteen's new biopic 'Deliver Me from Nowhere' and the long-anticipated album release 'Electric Nebraska.' I dive deep into the background of the Nebraska sessions, the movie’s portrayal of Bruce's fragile creative period, and evaluate both the film and album for longtime fans and for newcomers...

Send us Fan Mail This week, I run through the 10 most impactful guitar riffs in rock history. From the legendary opening riff of Chuck Berry's Johnny B. Goode to the power-packed melody of Nirvana's Smells Like Teen Spirit, I explore how these riffs not only sound great but also evolved the genre. Join me as I dive into the primal, memorable, and era-defining guitar riffs that shook spea...

Send us Fan Mail In this week's episode, I'm excited to welcome Grammy-nominated producer, musician, composer, and songwriter Fred Mollin. Fred has written a new memoir, 'Unplugged: Stories and Secrets from a Life Making Records, Scoring Films, and Working with the Legends of Music' and he'll share some of his favorite stories with you,  from his experiences producing icon...

Send us Fan Mail This week, I am reviewing the Ringo Starr & his All-Starr Band show that I saw at the Hartford Healthcare Amphitheater in Bridgeport, CT on June 12, 2025. Ringo put together a solid if not spectacular band for this year's tour, and the show was solid but not spectacular. Still, seeing a living Beatle perform his greatest hits with some of his musical pals (and disciples)...

Send us Fan Mail Join me this week for an in-depth review of Lake Street Dive's recent concert at the Capitol Theater in Port Chester, New York. This episode covers the band's performance, setlist, and overall show experience - I'll provide personal insights into the band's musicianship, songcraft, and stage dynamics, while sharing video clips from the concert. Tune in for an e...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, I share a high-energy playlist perfect for summer road trips. From classic hits like The Doobie Brothers' 'Rocking Down the Highway', to modern tracks like Bleecker's 'Highway', I share my top 10 rock songs that will keep you moving on the open road. With lively descriptions and personal anecdotes, this episode is the ultimate guide t...