DISGRACELAND – Details, episodes & analysis

A special look at the new artists we’re covering in 2026, along with a peek back at how we got started, where we’re going, and some listener favorites through the years.

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Bobby Brown thrusted and gyrated his way to the top of the charts with Don’t Be Cruel, one of the biggest records of the late 1980s and an album that brought hip-hop’s hard-knock sensibilities to R&B. But fame did not change the Boston bad boy. At the height of his superstardom, Bobby Brown was arrested onstage for violating a lewd act law. He claimed to have a sexual encounter with a ghost at his lavish Atlanta mansion. And his party-hard ways may have been the reason why Mike Tyson shockingly lost a fight and thus lost his undefeated heavyweight title.

This episode contains themes that may be disturbing to some listeners, including domestic violence and police brutality.

This episode was originally published on June 25, 2024.

To see the full list of contributors, see the show notes at www.disgracelandpod.com.

To listen to Disgraceland ad free and get access to a monthly exclusive episode, weekly bonus content and more, become a Disgraceland All Access member at disgracelandpod.com/membership.

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Public Enemy were revolutionaries – both in their message and their music. In the 1980s and 1990s, they elevated hip-hop to an art form. They did this with Chuck D's booming voice, Flavor Flav's comic levity, and the auditory assault of the Bomb Squad's production. But with that revolution came scandal. Their hype man allegedly tried to shoot his neighbor while high on crack cocaine. Their so-called "Minister of Information" was so controversial that his words alone nearly derailed the group's success. They performed at a prison – after just releasing a song about a prison break. And in the summer of 1989, Public Enemy released a song that was so powerful, it put them in the middle of the cultural zeitgeist at the very moment that it seemed they were splintering apart.

To see the full list of contributors, see the show notes at ⁠www.disgracelandpod.com⁠.

This episode was originally published on April 23, 2024.

To listen to Disgraceland ad free and get access to exclusive weekly bonus content and more, become a Disgraceland All Access member at ⁠disgracelandpod.com/membership⁠.

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This week in the After Party, Jake takes your calls on the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame and wonders why some celebrity autobiographies are so hard to find. Plus, Jake looks at which major music stars have not yet written their autobiographies and wonders if they ever will.

Next week, we're bringing you a story on Chris Cornell, lead vocalist of Soundgarden and Audioslave. We want to know: Which artists followup bands were bigger or as impactful as their breakthrough bands? Tell Jake at 617-906-6638, disgracelandpod@gmail.com, or on socials @disgracelandpod.

For more great Disgraceland episodes, dive into our extensive archive, including such episodes as:

Episode 12 - James Brown

Episode 42 - Madonna

Episode 15 - Motley Crue

Episode 23 - Rick James

To hear an extended version of the After Party and unlock access to a monthly exclusive episode and ad free listening, become a Disgraceland All Access member at disgracelandpod.com/membership. This month's episode (coming next week!) will be on the Allman Brothers Band.

Visit www.disgracelandpod.com/merch to see the latest Disgraceland merch!

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Oasis, Bad Company, Black Crowes, OutKast, White Stripes, Joe Cocker, Joy Division / New Order, Chubby Checker, Cyndi Lauper, Mana, Phish, Soundgarden, Billy Idol, and Mariah Carey.

Which 7 artists would you choose to induct into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame? Will Billy Idol, the consummate rock 'n' roll animal, make the cut?

Next week, we're bringing you a story on Mama Cass Elliot and her connection to Charles Manson and the Tate LaBianca murders. We want to know: Do you believe that the accepted narrative on Helter Skelter is true? Did Manson kill for the reasons they said he did? Tell Jake at 617-906-6638, disgracelandpod@gmail.com, or on socials @disgracelandpod.

For more great Disgraceland episodes, dive into our extensive archive, including such episodes as:

Episodes 77 and 78 - Oasis

Episode 137 - New Order

Episode 202 - The Cramps

Episode 156 - Mariah Carey

To hear an extended version of the After Party and unlock access to a monthly exclusive episode and ad free listening, become a Disgraceland All Access member at disgracelandpod.com/membership. This month's episode (coming soon) will be on the Allman Brothers Band.

Visit www.disgracelandpod.com/merch to see the latest Disgraceland merch!

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With his spiked blond hair, perpetual sneer, and gloved hands clenched in defiance, Billy Idol seemed like an avatar of punk rock dreamed up by central casting. But Idol's look, his attitude, and especially his music were completely authentic. He was a pure rock 'n' roll animal. Few rock stars lived a life as hedonistic and debaucherous as Billy Idol, and even fewer lived to tell the tale.

Who is the most debaucherous star you've heard about in Disgraceland? Let Jake know at 617-906-6638, disgracelandpod@gmail.com, or on socials @disgracelandpod.

To listen to Disgraceland ad free and get access to a monthly exclusive episode, weekly bonus content and more, become a Disgraceland All Access member at disgracelandpod.com/membership.

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This week in the After Party, Jake shares his thoughts on the recent release of formerly classified JFK files and how they relate to Watergate and this week's episode on Bob Dylan.

Next week, we're bringing you a story on Billy Idol, and we want to know: who is the most debaucherous rock star ever? Tell Jake at 617-906-6638, disgracelandpod@gmail.com, or on socials @disgracelandpod.

For more great Disgraceland episodes, dive into our extensive archive, including such episodes as:

Episode 64 - Pigpen

Episode 85 - Pantera

Episode 86 - Tommy James

Episode 108 & 109 - Sex Pistols

To hear an extended version of the After Party and unlock access to a monthly exclusive episode and ad free listening, become a Disgraceland All Access member at disgracelandpod.com/membership.

Visit www.disgracelandpod.com/merch to see the latest Disgraceland merch!

Sign up for our newsletter and get the inside dirt on events, merch and other awesomeness - GET THE NEWSLETTER

Follow Jake and DISGRACELAND:

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Within the recently released "JFK Files” there is a reference to a “Bobby Dyllon” and informant number “T-3390-S." This recent discovery has led to a quick consensus among many JFK assassination scholars that “Dyllon” is the lynchpin between an unknown FBI informant at the heart of a conspiracy theory that scholars are now just beginning to accept as truth: that the “Watergate” scandal was not at all what it seemed; the downfall of a corrupt politician, but was instead, the overthrow of a president––Richard Nixon––who was about to reveal the truth about the Kennedy assassination. Bob Dylan’s––or “Bobby Dyllon’s”––surveilled actions, now unredacted and detailed in the JFK Files, come very close to proving this so-called “conspiracy” theory as historical fact.

Bob Dylan was famously called the "voice of his generation." Which artist best spoke for your generation? Let Jake know at 617-906-6638, disgracelandpod@gmail.com, or on socials @disgracelandpod.

To listen to Disgraceland ad free and get access to a monthly exclusive episode, weekly bonus content and more, become a Disgraceland All Access member at disgracelandpod.com/membership.

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This week in the After Party, Jake hears from you about the greatest Seattle artists of the grunge era and makes his own list of the top 10 grunge albums.

Next week, we're bringing you a special story on "Voice of His Generation" Bob Dylan. We want to know: who is the voice of your generation? Tell Jake at 617-906-6638, disgracelandpod@gmail.com, or on socials @disgracelandpod.

For more great Disgraceland episodes, dive into our extensive archive, including such episodes as:

Episode 63 - Chet Baker

Episodes 101 and 102 - Miles Davis

Episode 189 - Metallica

Episode 6 - Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes

To hear an extended version of the After Party and unlock access to a monthly exclusive episode and ad free listening, become a Disgraceland All Access member at disgracelandpod.com/membership.

Visit www.disgracelandpod.com/merch to see the latest Disgraceland merch!

Sign up for our newsletter and get the inside dirt on events, merch and other awesomeness - GET THE NEWSLETTER

Follow Jake and DISGRACELAND:

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This week in the After Party, Jake looks at video directors from the 80s and 90s who went on to have careers in films. Plus, we hear from you about your favorite early MTV artists, and Jake has big news for fans of Disgraceland, Hollywood, and true crime.

Next week, we're bringing you a story about Seattle rockers Alice in Chains, and we want to know: Which Seattle band or artist is your favorite? Thirty five years after the peak of grunge, which bands are you still listening to today? Tell Jake at 617-906-6638, disgracelandpod@gmail.com, or on socials @disgracelandpod.

For more great Disgraceland episodes, dive into our extensive archive, including such episodes as:

Episode 42 - Madonna

Episode 118 - AC/DC

Episode 135 - Aerosmith

To hear an extended version of the After Party and unlock access to a monthly exclusive episode and ad free listening, become a Disgraceland All Access member at disgracelandpod.com/membership.

Visit www.disgracelandpod.com/merch to see the latest Disgraceland merch!

Sign up for our newsletter and get the inside dirt on events, merch and other awesomeness - GET THE NEWSLETTER

Follow Jake and DISGRACELAND:

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X (formerly Twitter) 

To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.