Who Ordered the Pie? | Classic Rock Music History & Cocktails

Send us Fan Mail Have you ever heard a song and wondered, "How was that band not huge?" In this brand new recurring series, Christopher reopens five musical case files to investigate artists who had the right song, the right sound, and every reason to become major stars, but somehow never reached the level of success they seemed destined for. This episode features The Smithereens' &...

Send us Fan Mail Every Fourth of July has a soundtrack. In Episode 37 of Who Ordered the Pie, Christopher explores the stories behind the songs that have become part of America's Independence Day celebrations. Discover the surprising history behind Chicago's "Saturday in the Park," Kim Wilde's "Kids in America," Robert Earl Keen's "The Fourth of July,&q...

Send us Fan Mail This is Part 2 of our two-part series on the Parental Advisory label and the controversy that changed music forever. In Episode 35, we explored Prince's "Darling Nikki," the PMRC, and the infamous Filthy Fifteen. Now the story moves from record stores to Washington, D.C. In 1985, three unlikely allies found themselves defending artistic freedom before the United Sta...

Send us Fan Mail A simple black-and-white sticker changed music history. The Parental Advisory label became one of the most recognizable symbols in rock and pop culture, appearing on albums by Metallica, Guns N' Roses, Ozzy Osbourne, Mötley Crüe, and countless others. But where did it come from? In Part One of this special two-part series, we go back to 1985 and the song that started it all:...

Send us Fan Mail Some songs say it outright. Others make you work for it. In this episode of Who Ordered the Pie?, Christopher explores the lost art of innuendo in rock and pop music. Back when radio stations, television networks, and censors had the power to decide what audiences could hear, songwriters became masters of suggestion, double entendre, and metaphor. From The Rolling Stones battling...

Send us Fan Mail Welcome back to Who Ordered the Pie? In Episode 33, Stutter Rock | When the Hook Trips Over Itself, we're exploring some of the most memorable vocal hooks in rock history. From Bachman-Turner Overdrive's accidental chart-topper "You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet" to Elton John's "Bennie and the Jets," David Bowie's "Changes," The Who...

Send us Fan Mail We’ve all heard them. Songs from the 80s that feel simple.  Catchy.  Easy to sing along with. But what if we didn’t really hear them the first time? In this first episode of the Second Listen series, we go back and revisit four iconic songs that carry more weight than they let on. Songs that sound light on the surface, but reveal something deeper when you sit with them a little lo...

Send us Fan Mail Episode 31 of Who Ordered the Pie? dives into the dreamy 90s sound that millions of listeners knew by ear, even if they never knew the genre name. Was it dream pop? Shoegaze? Atmospheric alternative? However it was labeled, these songs blended lush guitars, emotional vocals, moody soundscapes, and unforgettable melodies that defined a generation. This episode explores the hidden c...

Send us Fan Mail What happens when a band gets tired of being told to repeat their biggest hit… and decides to prove a point? In 1968, Elenore by The Turtles climbed to No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100.  But it wasn’t written as a serious follow-up. It was a parody. Frustrated with constant pressure from their label to recreate Happy Together, a No. 1 hit they didn’t even write, lead singer Howard K...

Send us Fan Mail What happened after disco died? Not faded. Rejected. In the early 1980s, the backlash against disco forced some of the biggest artists in the world to reinvent themselves in real time. Some evolved. Some adapted. And some lost everything that made them work. In this episode, we follow what came next. From ABBA shifting into a colder, more introspective sound on The Visitors , to D...

Send us Fan Mail What happens when rock meets disco? In the late 1970s, it wasn’t just a trend. It was a moment where even the biggest rock bands had to decide. Ignore it, or follow the beat. In this episode of Who Ordered the Pie?, we dive into the songs that defined that shift. From bands that resisted it, to artists who embraced it, to a few who found themselves caught right in the middle. You’...

Send us Fan Mail What does it really mean to be in a band? Not the image. Not the mythology... The reality. In this episode of Who Ordered the Pie? , we step inside the full arc of band life. From the first spark of picking up a guitar to the moment you realize what it actually costs. Through iconic songs and the stories behind them, we follow the path almost every band takes:  The dream of starti...

Send us Fan Mail John Sebastian didn’t chase trends. He followed moments. From the street-level heat of “Summer in the City” to the easy drift of “Daydream,” and the quiet honesty of “Did You Ever Have to Make Up Your Mind?”, his songs were built from observation, feel, and instinct. In this episode, we break down the stories and meanings behind these songs and how Sebastian’s songwriting shaped t...

Send us Fan Mail What is the greatest driving song ever recorded? Not the obvious picks. Not just loud guitars and open highways. In this episode of Who Ordered the Pie? , Christopher Machado breaks down the songs that actually feel like driving. The ones where the road is part of the story. Cars. Speed. Distance. And the moments in between. This is a countdown of true driving songs. Not just song...

Send us Fan Mail Some songs are about love. Some songs are about heartbreak. And some songs are about something just as powerful; showing up for someone when they need it most. In this episode of Who Ordered the Pie? , we explore songs about protection, loyalty, and the simple act of standing beside someone when the world gets difficult. From the quiet promise of The Everly Brothers’ “Let It Be Me...

Send us Fan Mail Listen to the full conversation with Dennis Atlas. Dennis is a keyboardist, vocalist, and songwriter currently performing with the legendary band Toto. In this episode, Dennis shares how he first discovered the band’s deeper catalog, what it feels like stepping onto the stage with one of the most respected groups in rock history, and the story behind his new album. We talk about m...

Send us Fan Mail What does reinvention really cost in popular music? In Episode 23 of Who Ordered the Pie?, we explore how artists reinvent themselves and what happens when they change their sound, image, or identity. This music history episode examines five iconic songs that marked major turning points in rock and pop: Bob Dylan goes electric with “Like a Rolling Stone.”  Queen crosses into funk...

Send us Fan Mail Did you know Frank Sinatra didn’t write “My Way”? Barry Manilow didn’t write “I Write the Songs.” Cyndi Lauper didn’t write “Girls Just Want to Have Fun.” Gloria Gaynor didn’t write “I Will Survive.” Ringo Starr did not shape “It Don’t Come Easy” alone. In this episode, we explore the space between authorship and identity, and what happens when a performer turns someone else’s wor...

Send us Fan Mail Stevie Nicks has been the muse behind some of rock’s most enduring songs. But what happens when the muse writes back? In this episode, we trace the emotional arc between two songs from 1985 that capture a relationship in transition. First, “Has Anyone Ever Written Anything for You?” — a deeply personal track from Rock a Little , where Stevie pleads not for romance, but for respons...

Send us Fan Mail With Valentine’s Day around the corner, this episode explores the real women who lived inside some of the most enduring songs ever written. Not metaphors. Not mythology. Real relationships that shaped melody, lyric, and legacy. From Pattie Boyd, the quiet center of George Harrison’s “Something” and the storm behind Eric Clapton’s “Bell Bottom Blues” and “Layla,” to Edie Sedgwick’s...

Send us Fan Mail In Part Two of Borrowed Voices, we explore what happens after the song is written, when the right voice steps in and changes everything. From Patti Smith reshaping Bruce Springsteen’s “Because the Night,” to Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton completing “Islands in the Stream,” to Barry Gibb deliberately restoring Frankie Valli’s falsetto on “Grease,” this episode looks at the moments...

Send us Fan Mail Some songs are not given away because they fail. They are given away because the writer knows exactly what they are. In this episode of Who Ordered the Pie? , we explore a different kind of authorship. These are the moments when writers recognize that a song belongs somewhere else and make that decision deliberately. This is Borrowed Voices, Part One: When the Writer Let Go . We b...

Send us Fan Mail Most pop hits are written in major keys because they feel resolved, comfortable, and familiar. But some of the most influential songs in music history break that rule. This episode explores major hits written in minor keys that refuse to slow down. These songs move forward with confidence, groove, and momentum, even while the harmony underneath never fully settles. We start with “...

Send us Fan Mail Not all rain feels the same. Last time, we stayed with the kind of rain that falls at night. The kind that slows you down and changes how you listen. This episode moves into what comes after. These are songs about rain that does not trap you inside.  Rain that carries momentum.  Rain that clears the air and makes the world look different than it did before. We begin with Stevie Ni...

Send us Fan Mail Some songs don’t just mention rain... they seem to belong to it. In this episode of Who Ordered the Pie? , Christopher explores recordings that sound especially right when the weather turns gray. These aren’t novelty rain songs or metaphor-heavy ballads. They’re records shaped by timing, careers, studios, and circumstance - songs that seem to change depending on when and how you h...