The Imbalanced History of Rock and Roll

Ray and Markus bring a combined 50-plus years of rock and roll radio experience from Philadelphia's WMMR, and that background shows in every episode. The Imbalanced History of Rock and Roll treats the genre as the sprawling, tangled family tree it actually is—following connections from Delta blues through the British Invasion, through prog and punk, all the way to 21st-century guitar riffs. With 443 episodes since the show launched, there is a serious back catalog to work through. Episodes run 36 to 57 minutes and come out biweekly. The format mixes deep band histories (The Kinks, Deep Purple, Pearl Jam, ELO) with their "Game Changers" series breaking down pivotal albums, Top 5 ranking episodes, and occasional interviews with music writers like Steve Rosen. The hosts' chemistry is the real draw here. They argue, they agree, they go off on tangents about regional music scenes they grew up around, and it all feels natural rather than performed. The show holds a 4.5-star rating from 87 reviewers, and listeners note that the northeast radio perspective gives the show a specific flavor that sets it apart from more generic rock history podcasts. If you want two guys who clearly live and breathe this music talking about it the way your most obsessive friend would, this delivers.