In this episode of Prisoners of Rock and Roll, we’re sailing into the open waters of yacht rock and asking the burning question that needs to be asked: does yacht rock suck? Is it a rock rebel’s nightmare or sunlight escapism? The musical equivalent of enjoying a cocktail on a sunset cruise or more like being on that Titan submarine that imploded a few years ago. Grab your life vest, drop anchor, and whatever other bad sailing pun you can think of and listen to us debate: does yacht rock suck? E...
Jul 21, 2025•1 hr 20 min•Season 5Ep. 104
Today, we’re diving into the unrelenting collapse of hair metal empire. A music scene that crashed harder than Vince Neil's drunk driving accident killed Razzle Dingley. Sure, bands like Def Leppard, Motley Crue, and Poison are still out on the road, playing for nostalgic crowds of people who yearn to hear those power chords. But for every one of those groups that are still selling merch and playing gigs, there are several who were wiped off the board in the early 90s by Seattle’s flannel fury. ...
Jul 07, 2025•1 hr 38 min•Season 5Ep. 101
Ladies and gentlemen, gather ‘round the mic because in this episode of Prisoners of Rock and Roll, we’re exploring some of music’s greatest duets – where two voices come together like Jack and Coke, peanut butter and jelly, or Snoop dog and weed. We’ve got a pretty solid list of crossovers and collaborations that will have you saying, “oh yeah, I remember that song” as you turn up the radio to hear all of the brilliant and insightful stuff we have to say about it. This is Prisoners of Rock and R...
Jun 23, 2025•1 hr 19 min•Season 5Ep. 102
In this episode of Prisoners of Rock and Roll, we’re looking at the clash between music and The Man diving into times when the FBI investigated musicians. In 1956, J. Edgar Hoover’s FBI created a covert and legally questionable program called COINTELPRO with the goal of disrupting groups that the Feds considered to be subversive – communists, black nationalists, feminists, anti Vietnam protestors, civil rights activists. Considering the role that music played in the 60s and 70s, it was only a ma...
Jun 02, 2025•1 hr 31 min•Season 5Ep. 101
Van Halen was one of the greatest American rock and roll bands of all time, captivating audiences with their energetic performances, innovative guitar riffs, and catchy lyrics. Led by guitar virtuoso Eddie Van Halen, Van Halen created the perfect blend of hard rock with some pop sensibilities.. Even as their sound evolved over the years as they switched back and forth between the showmanship of Diamond David Lee Roth. the more straightforward powerful voice of Sammy Hagar, and that other guy tha...
May 12, 2025•1 hr 49 min•Season 5Ep. 98
In this episode of Prisoners of Rock and Roll, we’re diving into the shadows of the stage—the bass players, the four-string rebels who hold down the low end.. These aren’t just rhythm keepers; they’re the heartbeat of rock, the growl in the groove. We’ve put together a list of some of the most iconic bass players in music history. James Jamerson, the legendary Motown musician who played the slinky groove for What’s Going On while laying drunk on the studio floor. Bootsy Collins and his cosmic fu...
Apr 28, 2025•1 hr 54 min•Season 5Ep. 99
Prisoners of Rock and Roll is a show where we talk about music, the people who make it, and the everlasting effect it has on us. Today’s episode is personal. Last week, we lost Ryan’s dad John McCusker – he was a South Philadelphia icon who always put his family first, the owner of McCusker’s Tavern, a friend to thousands, a diehard baseball fan, and a music lover. So in this episode of Prisoners of Rock and Roll, we’re doing a tribute to John McCusker by talking about some of the music that he ...
Apr 07, 2025•1 hr 41 min•Season 5Ep. 98
In this episode of Prisoners of Rock and Roll , we’re stage-diving into the sweaty, dusty madness of Lollapalooza—a festival that started as a punk-rock farewell tour and turned into a genre-crushing, culture-shaping juggernaut with more lives than Keith Richards. Lollapalooza launched in 1991 as a sendoff for Jane’s Addiction—but it hit the road just as grunge was blowing up and quickly turned into something way bigger. It wasn’t just a tour—it was a movement . A 20-city, 20,000-screaming-fans-...
Mar 24, 2025•1 hr 32 min•Season 5Ep. 97
On this episode of Prisoners of Rock and Roll , we’re stepping into the grimy, graffiti-smeared chaos of CBGB—the legendary Bowery dive that became punk’s ground zero. A Cathedral of Misfits. Picture this: December 1973, Hilly Kristal, a former Marine, opens a bar at 315 Bowery, dreaming of country, bluegrass, and blues. Instead, the junkies and misfits of New York’s underbelly gave him something else—a revolution. CBGB wasn’t just a club; it was a musical laboratory for rebels. With a simple ru...
Mar 10, 2025•1 hr 34 min•Season 5Ep. 96
On this episode of Prisoners of Rock and Roll, we’re jumping in our musical memory machine and going back 30 years to 1995. Rock and roll still ruled the charts and alternative music was still a thing. We got great albums from Alice in Chains, No Doubt, Mad Season, Oasis, Ozzy, and White Zombie. SIlverchair, the Foo Fighters, the Deftones, Jewel, Radiohead, Alanis Morissette, and Garbage all released their debut albums. TLC warned us against chasing Waterfalls. Coolio was living in a gangsta’s p...
Feb 24, 2025•1 hr 33 min•Season 5Ep. 95
Michael Jackson is one of the most influential artists in music history. His talent was undeniable, his impact was massive, and his life… well, it was complicated. On this episode of Prisoners of Rock and Roll, we’re talking about the King of Pop and how he impacted music, music videos, fashion, dance, and culture. But there are also controversies, his personal eccentricities, and the allegations. We’re going to talk about it all in this episode of Prisoners of Rock and Roll, so let’s hit it. Ep...
Feb 10, 2025•1 hr 21 min•Season 5Ep. 94
We’re back! On this episode of Prisoners of Rock and Roll , we’re flipping on the tube and talking about television theme songs! These are the tracks that play during the opening credits and get stuck in your head for the rest of the week. From classics like Cheers and The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air to rock-driven intros like The Sopranos or Friends , TV theme songs are often as iconic as the shows themselves. They set the tone, build the vibe, and sometimes, they even tell a story better than the ...
Jan 20, 2025•1 hr 14 min•Season 5Ep. 92
Our fourth annual Christmas episode! The holidays are supposed to be the happiest time of the year, but let’s face it – some of us are feeling less holly jolly. In our 4th annual Prisoners of Rock and Roll Christmas episode, we’re celebrating having a blue Christmas by talking about the blues. You don’t hear a lot of blues Christmas music on the radio or in the mall these days, but there are some killer versions of Christmas classics as well as some original tunes. So whether you’re on Santa’s n...
Dec 16, 2024•1 hr 15 min•Season 4Ep. 91
In this episode of Prisoners of Rock and Roll , we’re taking a walk on the dark side and diving deep into one of the most provocative and iconic songs in rock history: Sympathy for the Devil by The Rolling Stones. This isn’t just a song; it’s a masterclass in storytelling, where Mick Jagger steps into the shoes of the devil himself to walk us through some of humanity’s darkest moments. It's got congas, swagger, and just the right amount of evil to make you want to turn it up and maybe check over...
Dec 02, 2024•1 hr 6 min•Season 4Ep. 91
Live was one of the most popular bands of the post grunge era. After entering the alternative music scene in 1991 with a spiritual album called Mental Jewelry, they became one of the biggest bands of the mid 90s on the backs of Throwing Copper and Secret Samahdi. They had made it! Four friends from high school who became wealthy rock stars who sold millions of albums and landed on the cover of Rolling Stone. And then they crashed and burned in one of the biggest dumpster fires I have ever read a...
Nov 18, 2024•1 hr 16 min•Season 4Ep. 88
We’re shining a spotlight on one of the last bands standing from the grunge era: Pearl Jam. While so many of their Seattle peers have either burned out or faded away, Pearl Jam’s still out there, rocking stadiums, dropping albums, and staying true to their roots in a world where rock and roll isn’t exactly topping the charts anymore. We’re going to dig into how Pearl Jam has managed to outlast so many others, their influence on rock and roll, and how they evolved from flannel-wearing grunge pion...
Oct 21, 2024•1 hr 30 min•Season 4Ep. 89
On this episode of Prisoners of Rock and Roll, we're heading into the dark, twisted world of Ozzy Osbourne and diving deep into two of the most legendary heavy metal albums of all time: Blizzard of Ozz and Diary of a Madman . Make no mistake: these albums kick ass. But, like anything involving the Prince of Darkness, there's more to the story than meets the eye. Sure, these records gave us unforgettable tracks like “Crazy Train” and “Over the Mountain,” but behind the scenes, things were a total...
Sep 23, 2024•1 hr 34 min•Season 4Ep. 88
In this episode of Prisoners of Rock and Roll, we’re cranking up the volume on some of the greatest fictional bands from movies and television shows. Groups that were born on the screen and sometimes even crossed over on the real music charts. From the pop sound of Monkees and the Partridge Family, the wild and funky vibes of Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem, and the turned up to 11 metal of Spinal Tap, some of these bands may have started out as make believe but they rocked out so much that th...
Sep 09, 2024•1 hr 20 min•Season 4Ep. 78
In 1985, a group of musicians came together to raise awareness about the oppressive, racist government in South Africa. Organized by Steven Van Zandt, the group calling themselves Artists United Against Apartheid was, according to music critic Dave Marsh, “the most diverse line up of popular musicians ever assembled for a single session” and the list is pretty amazing.” Just some of the names include Bono, George Clinton, Peter Gabriel, Lou Reed, Kurtis Blow, Miles Davis, Ringo Star, David Ruffi...
Aug 12, 2024•1 hr 25 min•Season 4Ep. 86
Bob Marley is one of the most famous figures in reggae music. On December 3, 1976, seven gunmen stormed into Bob Marley’s home in Kingstown, Jamaica and opened fire, wounding the singer, his wife, and members of his inner circle. The assassination attempt came just days before Marley was scheduled to perform at a concert in Jamaica that was supposed to calm political violence in the country. Shot but not seriously wounded, a defiant Bob Marley performed at the Smile Jamaica concert anyway, and t...
Jul 29, 2024•1 hr 20 min•Season 4Ep. 85
Rock and roll got really big in the 1970s. We don’t mean in terms of popularity, although it had that going for it too. We mean the sounds got big. The audiences got big. The performances got big. Arena rock was loose definition for commercial, radio-friendly music designed to be played in big stadiums to tens of thousands of people with singalong choruses and huge stage productions. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame calls this era the golden age of hard rock in terms of its commercial airplay, but...
Jul 08, 2024•1 hr 23 min•Season 4Ep. 84
There are few rock and rollers in the last 40 years more synonymous with the piano than Elton John and Billy Joel. These iconic singer songwriters have sold over 450 million albums, had 90 top 40 hits between the two of them, and played tons of shows together during their Face to Face tours from 1994 to 2010. While they are both known for their piano playing, each of them have their own signature styles. Billy Joel is known for writing biographical songs and incorporating pop and doo wop in his ...
Jun 03, 2024•1 hr 30 min•Season 4Ep. 83
The Moscow Music Peace Festival was a two-day rock concert held in August 1989. Held during Mikhail Gorbachev’s period of Glastnost, Russia allowed a handful of western rock and roll acts to perform for the first time in Moscow, and over 100,000 people living in Cold War Soviet Union packed into Central Lenin Station to witness the forbidden fruit of late 80s rock and roll in all of its excess. Motley Crue, Ozzy Osbourne, Skid Row, Bon Jovi, and the Scorpions shared the stage with some Russian r...
Apr 15, 2024•1 hr 12 min•Season 4Ep. 82
Get ready to step into the ring as we explore the electrifying tag team of professional wrestling and rock and roll in this episode of Prisoners of Rock and Roll. We’re going to take a look at the iconic rock and wrestling era of the late 80s, when the WWF superstars climbed out of the ring and picked up the mic to record TWO albums of them singing: 1985’s The Wrestling Album and 1987s Piledriver: The Wrestling Album II. And we’re going to talk about how Cyndi Lauper helped bring wrestling into ...
Apr 01, 2024•1 hr 32 min•Season 4Ep. 81
Chess Records was an independent record label created on the South Side of Chicago in 1950 by two Polish immigrants named Leonard and Phil Chess. As one of the most important blues labels of all time, Chess Records captured the electric sound of the American South and had a huge influence on the early days of rock and roll. Chess Records helped introduce America to Muddy Waters, Chuck Berry, Bo Diddley, Howlin’ Wolf, and Etta James. And when these albums made their way across the Atlantic, they ...
Mar 18, 2024•1 hr 28 min•Season 4Ep. 80
Lights, camera…rock and roll! Music plays a huge role in film, and in this episode of Prisoners of Rock and Roll, we’re taking another look at movie soundtracks. Soundtracks have given us some incredibly iconic songs over the last 80 years. Purple Rain, The Bodyguard, Titanic, Saturday Night Fever, Purple Rain, 8 Mile, Ghostbusters, Footloose, Robin Hood, Judgment Night, Guardians of the Galaxy, Pulp Fiction, Singles, Grosse Point Blank, the Lion King. I could keep going but we have a show to do...
Feb 26, 2024•1 hr 26 min•Season 4Ep. 79
Get ready to climb into the musical memory machine and take a trip back to 1994 as we revisit the music that came out 30 years ago. It was a year that defined our generation when Kurt Cobain took his own life. We got important albums like Purple from Stone Temple Pilots, Superunknown by Soundgarden, Sixteen Stone from Bush, Jar of Flies from Alice in Chains, Throwing Copper from Live, and Vitology from Pearl Jam. REM tried to plug in with Monster while Nirvana went unplugged on MTV. Mariah Carey...
Feb 12, 2024•1 hr 43 min•Season 4Ep. 78
The Doors were one of the most influential and iconic bands of the 1960s – they built a dark counterculture sound on a foundation of Ray Manzarek’s organ playing that combined elements of poetry, blues, rock and roll, jazz, and psychedelic music. At the front of it all was their charismatic, volatile, and enigmatic lead singer Jim Morrison. There’s no doubt that he was the embodiment of the whole sex, drugs, and rock and roll thing. The good looking frontman who helped forge his legacy by dying ...
Jan 29, 2024•1 hr 26 min•Season 4Ep. 77
Rock and roll and cars are a classic combination. In fact, the very first rock and roll song, Rocket 88, was about a car. So get ready to rev your engines and hit the open road because on our next episode of Prisoners of Rock and Roll, we're shifting into high gear and exploring of music about cars. From the rhythmic hum of the engine to the wind in your hair, these tunes capture the essence of the open highway and the freedom that comes with it. We'll be diving into the classics and exploring t...
Jan 15, 2024•1 hr 17 min•Season 4Ep. 75
We’re rock and rollers at heart here at the Prisoners of Rock and Roll, but we both have a soft spot for Christmas music. In our annual Christmas episode, we decided to hope in a one horse open sleigh and take a trip down memory lane to the classic Christmas songs of the 40s, 50s, and 60s. These are the songs we opened our presents to as kids – and many of them are from artists who were enormously popular at the time but we really only hear around the holidays this year. So grab some punch and s...
Dec 15, 2023•1 hr 17 min•Season 3Ep. 74
