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The Great Song Podcast

Celebrating the greatest songs in modern music history and the creators behind them.
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Episodes

Rivalry Week: Unchained Melody (from Ghost) w Joey Abbott

The Righteous Brothers classic "Unchained Melody" draws the ire of your humble hosts in this Us vs. the World Rivalry Week episode! Favorite guest Joey Abbott joins us to roast a classic, and we also learn about: - Why it's called "Unchained Melody" to begin with - Whoopi Goldberg's non-eyebrows - The UK absolutely CANNOT get enough of this song ------- Visit greatsongpodcast.com for archives, merch, and more! Connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram @greatsongpod, and join the Facebo...

Aug 30, 20231 hr 7 min

In The City (from The Warriors) - Joe Walsh/Eagles w Joe Vitale

One of Joe Walsh's biggest songs landed on both the Eagles' Hotel California follow-up and the soundtrack to a true cult classic, The Warriors. This week we've got Joe Walsh's drummer and co-writer Joe Vitale to talk all about his time with Joe, with Crosby, Stills and Nash, and of course Eagles. And a bonus special guest drops in to make some time and try to guess the plot to The Warriors. Enjoy! --- Visit greatsongpodcast.com for archives, merch, and more! Connect with us on Facebook, Twitter,...

Aug 23, 20231 hr 25 min

As I Lay Me Down (w Sophie B. Hawkins)

Movie Month continues with this legendary '90s AC track from the movie Now and Then, Sophie B. Hawkins' "As I Lay Me Down." We'll talk with Sophie about being a commanding leader who knows what she likes, fighting record companies who wanted to over-bake her songs, and of course our usual shenanigans as we cover the track as only we can. Plus: “I’m falling and I’m naked and I’m gonna land on my teeth!”

Aug 16, 20231 hr 4 min

Days of Thunder w Tyler Lyle of The Midnight

Tom Cruise's teeth, fast cars, tarot cards, Japanese cherry blossoms--this episode has it all. The Midnight's Tyler Lyle talks with us about appreciating art in the light of death, creating modern nostalgia, and more, and we dig into Days of Thunder, both the song and the movie. Enjoy!

Aug 09, 20231 hr 3 min

Joyful Joyful Medley (Sister Act 2) w Mervyn Warren

Mervyn Warren, multiple award-winning writer, arranger, and producer, founding member of accapella mega-group Take 6, joins us for our latest dive into Movie Month! His arrangement of the iconic closer to Sister Act 2 incorporates maybe the most well-known hymn in history, the breakout single from Naughty By Nature, and a classic track from Janet Jackson--all in one incredible main course! We'll dig into it all, including "O.P.P." and "What Have You Done For Me Lately," plus some Lauryn Hill, Wa...

Aug 02, 20231 hr 42 min

Little River Band w/Wayne Nelson

From "Night Owls" to "Reminiscing" to "Cool Change," there's 8,000 miles and 50 years of Little River Band hits to drool over, and we're talking about them this week with lead singer and bassist Wayne Nelson! We'll chat about the difficulty of maintaining a vocal band, breaking into the US as an Australian band, travel woes and much more, plus: - The Outback Steakhouse/Mount Rushmore debate - Real or fake Aussie artist - So much bleeping!

Jul 19, 202356 min

Greatest Hits: Only Wanna Be With You

The fateful first meeting of the Great Song Podcast and Jim "Soni" Sonefeld of Hootie & the Blowfish. It's love at first sight, and one of our most popular episodes to date. Enjoy this Greatest Hits episode, with previously unreleased material!

Jul 12, 20231 hr 17 min

Shine (w Will Turpin of Collective Soul)

Some Atlanta boys took off with a happy, heavenly rock song in the height of the grunge era, and the rest is rock history! Collective Soul's indelible mark on rock music started with their quintessential hit, "Shine," and Collective Soul's Will Turpin is here to talk with Rob and JP about it. Enjoy! instagram.com/greatsongpod patreon.com/greatsongpod

Jul 05, 20231 hr 24 min

Greatest Hits: American Pie

One of the biggest songs in American music history--you know we had to put our spin on the ins and outs of a classic like this. And who better to talk about it with than the man behind the song, Don McLean. Enjoy this Greatest Hits episode from Season Six, and maybe go enjoy a barbecue with fireworks somewhere this week.

Jun 28, 20231 hr 21 min

Episode 250 w/ Kevin Young of Disciple

It's a celebration episode, and we're diving deep into one of our personal favorite bands, the kings of CCM hard rock in our books, the legendary Disciple! We have a great conversation with frontman Kevin Young about being on the front end of modern rock in the Christian music space, keeping it real when it means turning down upward mobility, never growing up, and more, including:- The Art of the Scream- Massive Stump the Genius collapse- “Rock and roll is a sport.” Join us for more fun on Insta...

Jun 21, 20231 hr 33 min

Synchronicity (w Stewart Copeland of The Police)

Pre-save Stewart's new album "POLICE Deranged for Orchestra" here ! What can we even say? This week is the 40th anniversary of one of the most iconic rock albums of all time, and we've got one of the most iconic drummers from the iconic band, and did we mention STUFF IS ICONIC?? The Police's Stewart Copeland joins us to celebrate Synchronicity and give us an absolute firehose of insight. Hold on tight--let's get sync'd up! Plus: - What exactly IS synchronicity? - 12-bar phrygian blues in 7 - “To...

Jun 14, 20231 hr 48 min

Blurry (w Wes Scantlin of Puddle of Mudd)

It's our first foray into a certain style of early 2000's rock scene, and we've got one of the shining gems of that era to dig into--Puddle of Mudd's "Blurry" with lead singer and writer Wes Scantlin! Plus: - Some real music theory nerdiness - Bach and Flack, and you can keep that Hall and Oates nonsense - Random WWE results and JP’s most random sports stat ever. Special thanks to our Patreon Producers! Andrea Konarzewski Brad Callahan Ari Marucci Michael Conley Peter Mark Campbell David Steinbe...

Jun 07, 20231 hr 4 min

Greatest Hits: I'd Do Anything For Love (But I Won't Do That)

We're reaching all the way back to our Season 4 finale for this Greatest Hits episode--it's big, it's long, and it's epic, just like any great Meat Loaf song. Relive the great stories behind the song, the man, and that oh-so-spicy guest vocal on "I'd Do Anything for Love (But I Won't Do That). Special thanks to our Patreon Producers! Andrea Konarzewski Brad Callahan Ari Marucci Michael Conley Peter Mark Campbell David Steinberg Randy Hodge Chaz Bacus Juan Lopez Jason Arrowood Howard Passey Micah...

May 31, 202356 min

Allman Brothers Band (w Jim Sonefeld)

Hootie and the Blowfish's Jim "Soni" Sonefeld joins us in-studio for a deep dive into the Allman Brothers Band--their history, their hits, and their heartbreaks. Duane, Gregg, Butch, Warren, and company have created classic moment after classic moment, and we have a blast digging in. Plus: Are you LEAD drummer or RHYTHM drummer? Rob is a Level Nine Idiot Foot-Shootin’ Blues Connect on Instagram, and join the Facebook group for lots of fun and laughs. Special thanks to our Producers: Andrea Konar...

May 24, 20231 hr 19 min

Greatest Hits: Need You Now (w Dave Haywood of Lady A)

Our next dive into the Greatest Hits of the show finds us in a Nashville mood, talking with Lady A's Dave Haywood about the band's signature hit, one of the biggest country music hits of the last 20 years, "Need You Now." Enjoy this Greatest Hits edition with previously unreleased audio!

May 17, 20231 hr 32 min

I'd Really Love to See You Tonight (w Dave Barnes)

Singer-songwriter-legend-best guy Dave Barnes returns to the show to break down a feel-good classic, ripe with utmost possibility, England Dan & John Ford Coley's signature hit, "I'd Really Love to See You Tonight." There's a warm wind blowing, and it's making us wistful. You'll laugh, you'll live, you'll love. Plus: Our traditional 10 minutes of hot takes and shenanigans with Dave Rob’s worst hot take! Twinkies, roaches, and Sting Mustache snare Seals, Seals, and seals (feat. Seal) --- Join...

May 10, 202351 min

Greatest Hits: The Joker (Steve Miller Band)

From all the way back in Season Four comes one of our favorite personal episodes, our coverage of the underrated Steve Miller and his signature hit, "The Joker." Stick around 'til the end to hear one of our all-time most beloved bits.

May 03, 202356 min

Family (David Guetta feat. Bebe Rexha) w/ Track 45

Fact 1: It's a mouthful to say "Family by David Guetta feat. Bebe Rexha, Ty Dolla $ign and A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie." Fact 2: It's a perfect song for The Great Song Podcast, and a more than perfect song for the Fast and the Furious (which we're pushing for). Fact 3: It's written by a country group! Track 45 aka Ben, Jenna, and KK Johnson, and you're gonna meet them and love their family vibe and harmony. Plus: The fairy tale-level story of Ben Johnson’s first song cut Mixed-modal melody! --- Join ...

Apr 26, 202357 min

Greatest Hits: No Easy Way Out (from Rocky IV)

An absolute smash soundtrack from an all-time nostalgic '80s classic, Rocky IV, produced this enduring hit. Plus a really fantastic interview with the man himself, Robert Tepper. These are all ingredients for a solid gold episode, and that's exactly what this is. Tepper time! --- Join us on PATREON for early access, extended interviews, weekly reaction mini-sodes, full bonus shows, and more ways to be part of the show! patreon.com/greatsongpod Visit greatsongpodcast.com for archives, merch, and ...

Apr 19, 20231 hr 31 min

He's Alive (Don Francisco/Dolly Parton)

It's THE iconic Easter jam of the 20th Century, and we're gonna talk ALL over it. We're getting in the weeds with CCM legend Don Francisco about his signature hit, the royalties and fame it didn't bring, and the famed Dolly Parton cover thereof. It's a special Easter early release--enjoy "He's Alive!" Plus: - Eat your heart out, Hotel California! - “If you don’t give a crap about Easter, this song is still an absolute masterclass in production.” - Skipping Sunday School for a blackjack game, and...

Apr 10, 20231 hr 20 min

Greatest Hits: "Magic" (The Cars) w/Joey Abbott

This Greatest Hits episode originally aired in October 2021. A fan-favorite guest, a fan-favorite band; what could be better? Oh, maybe the funniest bit ever to grace the show. Enjoy our re-release of "Magic" from Season 8's Magic Month. -- Longtime friend and guest co-host Joey Abbott joins the boys to continue Magic Month with one of the greatest hits from one of the greatest American bands, The Cars! Ric Ocasek and company deliver all kinds of goodness in this week's show, and we deliver all ...

Apr 05, 20231 hr 5 min

The Weekend (w Steve Wariner)

What can you say about this song? It could have been a hit in multiple genres, but it found a loving home in the vocal folds of country icon Steve Wariner , who rode it atop the charts for much longer than a weekend. Musically untouchable with a great story, and several great stories from the artist himself--Steve joins us to talk about The Weekend, getting fired by Chet Atkins , singing the theme song for Who's the Boss , and writing a song for a certain Amazonian superhero . Be sure to check o...

Mar 29, 20231 hr 14 min

Greatest Hits: Cosmo's Factory w Doug Clifford of Credence Clearwater Revival

(Original air date Feb. 10, 2021 - Season Seven Opener) We kick off Season 7 with one of the biggest American rock bands in history, and one of their most iconic albums! Plus we chat with the album's titular inspiration, CCR drummer Doug "Cosmo" Clifford! In this episode: - The “Do Not Play on Radio” list CCR landed on - How CCR’s Woodstock performance almost got derailed by a paper rock - Fogerty, California Swamp Rock, and random saxophone solos - Doug “Cosmo” Clifford’s new 30+ year old album...

Mar 22, 20231 hr 47 min

How Will I Know (Whitney Houston) w/ Boy Meets Girl

Whitney Houston becomes our first official two-time covered artist, and it's only fitting that we enlist the help of our only two-time multi-artist guests! George Merrill and Shannon Rubicam , aka Boy Meets Girl (" Waiting For a Star to Fall ," writers of " How Will I Know " and " I Wanna Dance With Somebody ") talk with us about their original intentions for one of Whitney Houston’s breakout hits, the *other* artist that almost recorded “Waiting For a Star to Fall,” and the art of making yourse...

Mar 15, 20231 hr 19 min

Greatest Hits: "Escape" by Rupert Holmes

This is a Greatest Hits episode, which means it's a re-airing of an episode that was significant for the show, one of our favorites, or one of yours! Original air date: Sep. 23, 2020, Episode 606 Our first Greatest Hits episode represents a turning point episode for the show--our interview with the absolutely brilliant Rupert Holmes! This episode started something momentum-wise, became an instant listener favorite, and debuted the now-standard Stump the Genius game! Enjoy reliving this solid gol...

Mar 08, 20231 hr 15 min

Neal Morse - Episode 1104

One of the most prolific prog progenitors in the world--the incomparable Neal Morse of the Neal Morse Band, Transatlantic, Flying Colors and so many more--joins the program this week to talk about the making of his sprawling epics, working with long-time collaborators like Mike Portnoy and Randy George, and how the heck does he remember how to play all this stuff? Be sure to check out Cinema Snack Bar , Rob's new movie podcast, which launches next week ! In this episode: - Elevated choruses for ...

Mar 01, 20231 hr 11 min

Xanadu (w Richie Kotzen of The Winery Dogs)

The premier hard-rock power trio The Winery Dogs have just released their highly-anticipated third record, and we've got frontman and guitarist Richie Kotzen (who you may remember as the incredible guitarist featured in our Patreon-exclusive Poison episode) to tell us about the process of writing, jamming, and making musical magic with bandmates Mike Portnoy and Billy Sheehan. Let the wizardry commence! Plus: Telecasters and Stratocasters Something “nobody knows” about Richie’s solo on Poison’s ...

Feb 22, 202359 min

Peaches (The Presidents of The United States of America)

Name the most successful Seattle acts of the 1990's and there's one name that you may initially forget to include--but right up there among the Nirvanas and the Soundgardens sits a quirky power-pop trio whose 1995 debut took over MTV and the pop-rock landscape. As they gear up for a new high-quality re-release of that iconic debut album, Presidents of the United States of America's Chris Ballew and Dave Dederer join us to recollect playing Mount Rushmore, pranking Beck, and possibly inspiring Ch...

Feb 15, 20231 hr 5 min

"It's Only Rock 'n Roll (But I Like It)" w Darryl Jones of The Rolling Stones

Season 11 kicks off with a bang and a big ol' tongue! Rolling Stones bassist Darryl Jones joins Rob and JP for some conversations about auditioning for the Stones some 30 years ago, playing for Sting, and flexing on Miles Davis. Plus: Apostrophes and parentheses galore! “Oops, we recorded this in the wrong key.” Pick up the phone! “At least we had the music:” The impact of losing Charlie Watts and the future of the Rolling Stones with Steve Jordan Subscribe now to Rob's new show, Cinema Snack Ba...

Feb 08, 20231 hr 24 min
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