Professor of Rock

Adam Reader calls himself a music historian and superfan, and both labels are accurate. Professor of Rock focuses on the golden era of rock—primarily the 1960s through 1980s—and tells the behind-the-scenes stories of how specific songs came together. The show is prolific, with over 1,600 episodes and daily releases, and it carries a 4.9-star rating from 165 reviewers. That volume means you can find an episode about almost any classic rock topic you can think of: one-hit wonders with fascinating backstories, the Satanic Panic of the 1970s and backmasking accusations, the best songs of 1987 that never became hits, female artists who got overlooked, tributes to recently passed musicians. Reader also lands real interviews—recent guests include members of America, Herman's Hermits, and Jefferson Starship. The episodes tend to run on the shorter side, which makes them easy to stack up during a workday. Reader's presentation is accessible and enthusiastic without being over-the-top. He clearly does his homework, and the show treats even novelty topics with genuine care. The massive episode archive alone makes it worth bookmarking—no matter what corner of classic rock you're curious about, there's probably already an episode waiting for you.