Explore every episode of the podcast Rock in Retrospect
| Title | Pub. Date | Duration | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Artist Spotlight: Aaliyah | 23 Aug 2024 | 01:42:29 | |
Albert Tsibu, who runs the @InductAaliyah campaign on various social media platforms, joins Nick to discuss his all-time favorite artist: the one and only Aaliyah. We have an in-depth conversation about the late singer's career and legacy. We discuss various topics such as Aaliyah's music videos, her status as a fashion icon, and our favorite songs from her catalog. We also talk about Aaliyah's recent induction into the National Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame last year and her potential induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame (filled with dream inductors and set lists). To paraphrase Albert's favorite social media hashtag, he gave all the things and much more with his beautiful tribute to Aaliyah. | |||
| Movie Talk: Thriller 40 | 02 Aug 2024 | 01:17:24 | |
Music writer and critic Tom Lane (check out his Music Blog) returns to talk about Nelson George's documentary Thriller 40 (2023). The film focuses on the creation and legacy of Michael Jackson's iconic 1982 album. We have an informal discussion of the best and most memorable moments in the film, provide insight into the album's production history, celebrate the many talented individuals who contributed to Thriller's success and we conclude with a ranking of every song on the album. It's a great tribute to one of the most acclaimed and best-selling albums of all time. | |||
| Reacting to the 2024 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Inductees | 03 May 2024 | 01:37:49 | |
Tom Lane, Michelle Bourg and Mark Lempke give their initial thoughts on the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame's Class of 2024 inductees. | |||
| Artist Spotlight: Peter Frampton | 20 Apr 2024 | 01:20:21 | |
Wes Gabrielsen returns to discuss the career and legacy of iconic singer-guitarist Peter Frampton. Topics discussed include Frampton's collaborations with legendary artists, his magnum opus Frampton Comes Alive! and our experiences seeing him perform live in recent years. We conclude with a discussion of Frampton's current nomination for induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame | |||
| Movie Talk: Squaring the Circle: The Story of Hipgnosis | 08 Mar 2024 | 01:04:18 | |
The Douche Caravan returns with Jon Lamoreaux (The Hustle), Patrick Dupuis (The EETF Podcast) and Michael Bagford coming on to discuss Anton Corbijn's documentary Squaring the Circle: The Story of Hipgnosis (2022). The film tells the story of Hipgnosis who designed some of the most iconic album covers in rock and roll history. They worked legendary artists including Paul McCartney, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Peter Gabriel, AC/DC and so many others. | |||
| 2024 Oscar Nominees in the Music Categories | 03 Mar 2024 | 01:12:29 | |
Darren Hines and Peter Waters return to discuss the nominees in the music categories at this year's Academy Awards. We analyze all ten scores and songs, give our personal rankings, our predictions on who will win and cap it off with great works that were snubbed. | |||
| Artist Spotlight: Lenny Kravitz | 01 Mar 2024 | 00:50:49 | |
Music journalist David Schnelwar returns to discuss the career and legacy of Lenny Kravitz. Topics discussed include Kravitz's musical influences, notable collaborations, his ability to stay relevant for 35+ years and our favorite songs from his iconic career. We also discuss Kravitz's recent Rock & Roll Hall of Fame nomination and why he deserves induction this year. | |||
| Artist Spotlight: Sinead O'Connor | 23 Feb 2024 | 01:00:18 | |
Liza Lentini of SPIN returns to talk about the life and career of the late great Sinead O'Connor. We talk about Sinead's talents as a singer and songwriter, her activism, our favorite songs from her catalog and her recent nomination for induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Nothing Compares talking 2 Liza about Sinead! | |||
| Reacting to the 2024 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Nominees Announcement | 16 Feb 2024 | 01:16:47 | |
Tom Lane, David Schnelwar, Michelle Bourg and Greg Peurach return to discuss the nominees on this year's Rock & Roll Hall of Fame ballot. Also...who won the previous episode's draft? Listen to find out! | |||
| 2024 Rock Hall Nominees Draft | 11 Jan 2024 | 01:48:47 | |
For our first episode of 2024, let's start with a draft....more precisely a Rock Hall Nominees Draft! Tom Lane, Mark Lempke, David Schnelwar, Michelle Bourg and Greg Peurach return to discuss who they believe will be nominated for induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame's Performers category in 2024. To spice things up, we're gonna predict the ballot in a draft-style format! Over the course of 5 rounds, we each select 5 artists and make the case on why they should appear on the ballot. There's a lot of strategic decisions involved but this is a fun, engaging conversation on the direction we think the Rock Hall is heading next year. | |||
| 2023 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony Recap | 20 Nov 2023 | 01:28:52 | |
Returning guests Darren Hines and Greg Peurach discuss their experience attending the 2023 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. We share some funny stories about the venue as well as our favorite musical performances, speeches and moments. It was a memorable night that we won't forget anytime soon. | |||
| Movie Talk: Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour | 29 Oct 2023 | 01:39:14 | |
On this very special Movie Talk episode, I invited Swifties Jordan Raycine, Kailyn Champlin and Sam Ratner to discuss all things Taylor Swift and her smash hit movie The Eras Tour. We talk about how they became fans of Swift's music, their experiences seeing the movie with rowdy crowds, their thoughts on the best moments during the movie, and their favorite songs from her prolific catalog. | |||
| Movie Talk: Gaga Chromatica Ball | 27 Jul 2024 | 01:10:35 | |
Returning guests Kailyn Champlin, Peter Waters and Sam Ratner join Nick to discuss the recent concert film Gaga Chromatica Ball (2024) starring the one and only Lady Gaga. We share how we became fans of her music, our thoughts on the film, and choose our favorite songs from her catalog. A really fun episode that was just born this way! | |||
| The Ultimate Halloween Playlist | 27 Oct 2023 | 01:13:31 | |
Horror movie fanatic Peter Waters returns to help us pick the 31 greatest horror-themed songs to celebrate Halloween and we're calling this episode The Ultimate Halloween Playlist! Listen to which songs made the cut and we'll also hear some great stories along the way! | |||
| Movie Talk: Reinventing Elvis: The '68 Comeback | 14 Oct 2023 | 01:17:30 | |
Tom Lane returns to discuss the new documentary Reinventing Elvis: The '68 Comeback (2023) about the making of Elvis' triumphant NBC special. It marked the King of Rock & Roll's return to mainstream relevance and why he earned the honorific title. John Scheinfeld's film is currently streaming on Paramount+. | |||
| Artist Spotlight: Jimmy Buffett | 06 Oct 2023 | 01:26:44 | |
This week we pay tribute to the late, great Jimmy Buffett. One of the most successful and prolific singer-songwriters of the last half-century, Buffett captured the hearts and imaginations of millions of fans across the world. One of those fans is Dr. Mark Lempke (Host of The Also--Rans) who talks about Buffett's life, career and impact on both the music industry and popular culture. Other topics discussed include Buffett's extremely loyal fanbase (affectionately known as "Parrot Heads"), his distinctive style as both a musician and a songwriter, some of our favorite songs from his extensive catalogue, and why he needs to be inducted into both the Rock & Roll and Country Music Halls of Fame. | |||
| Movie Talk: Wham! | 23 Sep 2023 | 01:16:15 | |
The Douche Caravan Returns! Jon Lamoreaux (The Hustle), Patrick Dupuis (The EETF Podcast) and Michael Bagford return to talk about Chris Smith's Netflix documentary Wham! centering on the iconic 80s duo. George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley took the world by storm during that decade and ended at the top of their game. We talk about all things Wham! for this week's hilarious yet insightful episode! | |||
| Artist Spotlight: Blink-182 | 16 Sep 2023 | 01:44:42 | |
Paul Kagebein, a friend and fellow music fan who also works at a library, joins Nick to discuss the career and legacy of pop-punk icons Blink-182. Topics discussed include their brash music videos, our favorite hits and albums tracks, their recent reunion at Coachella and their continuing influence on contemporary artists of all genres. A really fun, insightful episode spotlight one of the biggest rock bands of the 25 years! | |||
| Movie Talk: Love to Love You, Donna Summer | 30 Jun 2023 | 01:15:34 | |
Josh Fitzgerald (Movies That Rock: The Podcast) returns to share his thoughts on the recent documentary Love to Love You, Donna Summer (2023). Lots of topics discussed including Summer's artistry, her catalog of iconic hit songs and albums, her controversial star persona and her status as the "Queen of Disco." | |||
| Reacting to the Rock Hall's Class of 2023 Inductees | 04 May 2023 | 01:53:55 | |
On this very special episode, we have 4(!) returning guests - Tom Lane, Michelle Bourg, Greg Peurach and David Schnelwar- joining us to give their thoughts and reactions to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame's Class of 2023 inductees. We discuss each of the 13 inductees for this year's class and find out who won our first-ever predictions draft! | |||
| Movie Talk: Jason Isbell: Running with Our Eyes Closed | 21 Apr 2023 | 00:55:44 | |
Drive-By Truckers super fan and friend Tony Greathouse joins us to talk about the recent documentary Jason Isbell: Running with Our Eyes Closed (2023). We discuss Tony's Drive-By Truckers fandom, Isbell's creative process, how the film documents his relationship with his spouse and frequent collaborator Amanda Shires and much more! | |||
| Artist Spotlight: Missy Elliott | 30 Mar 2023 | 01:03:58 | |
To celebrate our podcast's milestone 50th episode, I invited the wonderful Allison Rapp (Ultimate Classic Rock) to talk about Missy Elliott. Allison recently wrote a piece about why Elliott deserves to be inducted into this year's class of inductees for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. If selected for induction, Elliott would honored in her first year of eligibility but also make history as the first female hip-hop honored by the Rock Hall. Topics discussed include Elliott's landmark debut album Supa Dupa Fly (1997), her collaborations with various artists over the artists, her groundbreaking music videos, the many accolades she's received and her widespread influence on popular music. | |||
| Movie Talk: Elvis | 10 Mar 2023 | 00:57:35 | |
Rock Docs co-host David Lizerbram joins us to talk about Baz Luhrmann's recent biopic Elvis (2022). We talk about Austin Butler and Tom Hanks' performances, the narrative structure and aesthetic choices used by Luhrmann and Elvis' impact on contemporary culture. Lots of other topics discussed including our mutual love of all things Bob Dylan, the current state of rock star biopics and there's even a story David shares that's personal connection to the King himself! | |||
| Artist Spotlight: Huey Lewis and the News | 19 Jul 2024 | 01:26:14 | |
We just celebrated our 3-year anniversary this past week and this is our 75th episode! To celebrate this achievement, I invited the great David Festini back on the show to talk about one of our favorite artists of the 1980s: Huey Lewis and the News. We discuss this hugely popular band's rise to fame, their unique sound, their status as icons of the 1980s and why they deserve to be considered for induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. | |||
| 2023 Oscar Nominees in the Music Categories | 09 Mar 2023 | 01:15:03 | |
Darren Hines and Peter Waters return to discuss the nominees in the music categories at this year's Academy Awards. We analyze all ten scores and songs, give our personal rankings, our predictions on who will win and cap it off with great works that were snubbed. | |||
| Artist Spotlight: Tori Amos | 25 Feb 2023 | 00:58:51 | |
Liza Lentini (Managing Editor at SPIN) joins us to talk about the life and career of singer-songwriter Tori Amos. Topics discussed include Amos' musical influences, her breakthrough debut album Little Earthquakes (1992), her work with the organization RAINN and her impact on alternative rock and pop music stars in the last three decades. We also talk about Liza interviewing Amos for SPIN and seeing her perform last year! Check out Liza's piece arguing for Amos' induction in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame last month. | |||
| Movie Talk: Moonage Daydream | 17 Feb 2023 | 01:04:55 | |
This episode is the first installment of our new monthly spotlight on recent music documentaries and movies. We're kicking it off with Jon Lamoreaux (Host of the Hustle Podcast), Patrick Dupuis (Host of the EETF Podcast) and Michael Bagford joining Nick to talk about Brett Morgan's documentary Moonage Daydream (2022). This one-of-a-kind film focuses on the life and career of iconic musician David Bowie. It's a lively discussion with plenty of hot takes and humorous puns from our panel. | |||
| Reacting to the 2023 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Nominees Announcement | 02 Feb 2023 | 02:01:34 | |
Nick assembled an all-star line-up of Rock Hall experts to converse and analyze the 2023 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame nominees. Recorded the night of the big announcement and released completely unedited, we discussed each of the 14 nominees on this year's ballot and their chances for induction. We also find out who won our podcast's inaugural Rock Hall nominees draft! | |||
| Artist Spotlight: Teddy Pendergrass | 20 Jan 2023 | 02:01:06 | |
Music critic Tom Lane (Tom Lane's Music Blog) returns to discuss the life and career of R&B superstar Teddy Pendergrass. Topics discussed include Pendergrass' time as a member of Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes, his transition to a solo career, his infamous "Ladies Only' concerts, the life-altering car accident that occurred in 1982 and his emotional performance at Live Aid in 1985. If you don't know Teddy by now, you definitely will after listening to this episode! | |||
| 2023 Rock Hall Nominees Draft | 16 Dec 2022 | 01:40:54 | |
Tom Lane, Mark Lempke, David Schnelwar and Greg Peurach return to the show to discuss who they believe will be nominated for induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2023. To spice things up, we're gonna predict the ballot in a draft-style format! Over the course of 5 rounds, we each select 5 artists and make the case on why they should appear on the ballot. There's a lot of strategic decisions involved but this is a fun, engaging conversation on the direction we think the Rock Hall is heading next year. | |||
| Artist Spotlight: Howlin' Wolf | 07 Dec 2022 | 01:09:28 | |
Writer and Blues music expert Marty Weil joins us to talk about the legacy of Howlin' Wolf, one of the titans of that genre in the 20th century. Topics discussed include Wolf's time at Chess Records, his classic albums Moanin' in the Moonlight (1959) and Howlin' Wolf (aka The Rockin' Chair Album) (1962), his partnership with legendary guitarist Hubert Sumlin, his tremendous influence on blues-rock artists and his induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1991. This is a must-listen for any blues fan! | |||
| Artist Spotlight: America | 20 Nov 2022 | 01:44:59 | |
Professor and blogger Rob LeBlanc (The Exhaustively Detailed Music Analysis Blog) joins us to discuss the career and impact of the band America. Topics discussed include the band's formation, their collaborations with legendary producer George Martin, Dan Peek's departure from the band, their legendary top-40 hits and the dozen or so times Rob has seen the band live. Rob even met the band on a few occasions! This episode sheds some light on a truly underrated band that deserves more of our attention. | |||
| 2022 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony Recap | 08 Nov 2022 | 02:09:18 | |
Darren Hines returns to the show to share our thoughts on the 2022 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony, an event we both attended. There's a lot to unpack, so sit back and enjoy this episode!!!!! | |||
| Artist Spotlight: John Carpenter | 30 Oct 2022 | 01:15:45 | |
There's no better way to celebrate Halloween than to devote an entire episode to the filmmaker who helmed the iconic 1978 movie of the same name! Horror movie expert and Tik Tok influencer Peter Waters joins us to talk about John Carpenter's maverick career and the musical pieces he composed. We talk about Carpenter's musical background, the movies that inspired him, our favorite films from his canon, the Lost Themes trilogy and other musical projects in the last decade. We conclude with our thoughts on the recent film Halloween Ends (2022) which Carpenter co-composed! | |||
| Movie Talk: The Beach Boys | 05 Jul 2024 | 01:09:58 | |
Jordan Raycine (Needle Drops) and Sam Ratner join Nick to discuss the new Disney+ documentary The Beach Boys (2024). The film covers the career of the iconic American band and we have plenty of thoughts on this one. With July 4th happening this week, there isn't a more perfect time to discuss this film! | |||
| Artist Spotlight: Styx | 14 Oct 2022 | 01:59:08 | |
Mile Wiles (co-host of Retro Rock Roundup) joins us to discuss the career and legacy of arena rock legends Styx. Topics discussed include the band's great run of albums in the 1970s and 1980s, their status as a great live band, Dennis DeYoung's departure from the band and their omission from the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. And just like any Blue Collar Man, Mike has lots of wonderful stories to share with our listeners! | |||
| Artist Spotlight: Savage Garden / Darren Hayes | 07 Oct 2022 | 01:20:36 | |
Writer and editor Kailyn Champlin joins us to discuss all things Savage Garden, one of the most notable musical duos of the 1990s. Topics discussed include the literary inspiration for their group name, a deep analysis of their two studio albums, their breakup in 2001 and Darren Hayes' solo career. You will truly, madly, deeply love this episode! | |||
| Artist Spotlight: Warrant | 30 Sep 2022 | 01:28:16 | |
Educator and former music writer Mike Drew joins us to discuss the career and legacy of the hair metal band Warrant. Topics discussed include the band's time on the L.A. rock scene in the 80s, a deep analysis of their first 3 albums, our shared disdain for their hit song "Cherry Pie" and the time Mike met and interviewed the band in the early 90s! This episode will make any Warrant fan feel like they're in heaven! | |||
| Artist Spotlight: Weezer | 24 Aug 2022 | 01:39:38 | |
Music journalist and educator Scott Heisel (Colors of Insomnia) joins us to discuss the career and legacy of modern rock legends Weezer. We talked about Scott interviewing members of the band, their inventive music videos, the complicated story behind Matt Sharp leaving the band and his favorite Weezer songs. We also discussed Weezer's prospects to receive induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and why they need to get in soon. | |||
| Reacting to the 2022 Kennedy Center Honorees Announcement | 19 Aug 2022 | 01:34:17 | |
Eric and Mary Layton (Hall Watchers), Michelle Bourg (Iconic Rock Talk Show) and Greg Peurach return to discuss their reactions to the announcement of the 2022 Kennedy Centers Honorees: Gladys Knight, George Clooney, Amy Grant, Tania León and U2. We conclude listing each of our "dream classes" for the 2023 ceremony next year. | |||
| Artist Spotlight: Kool & The Gang | 10 Aug 2022 | 01:14:19 | |
Steve Knopper, Editor at Large at Billboard, joins us to discuss the legendary band Kool & The Gang. Topics discussed include Steve's recent New York Times piece covering the band's legacy, the influence of jazz and R&B on their sound, the origin of their band name, their contributions to the development of hip-hop and and their chances for induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. | |||
| Artist Spotlight: INXS | 27 Jul 2022 | 02:45:28 | |
Jon Lamoreaux (host of The Hustle) and Haydn Murdoch (co-host of INXS Access All Areas) join us to take a deep-dive on the career and legacy of the legendary Australian rock band INXS. Topics discussed include the band's formation, analyses of their major albums, Haydn's interactions with members of the band, the recent documentary Mystify and their omission from the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. If you're an INXS fan, this episode is what you need! | |||
| Interview with Christy Alexander Hallberg (Searching for Jimmy Page) | 15 Jun 2022 | 00:59:59 | |
Christy Alexander Hallberg recently published her novel Searching for Jimmy Page and we asked her to come on to discuss her book. She talked to us about her literary influences, favorite music memories and her writing process. We also have an in-depth discussion of some of the major characters and themes in Searching for Jimmy Page. If you haven't read it yet, it's a spectacular debut novel and we can't wait to read more of Christy's work in the near future. | |||
| Artist Spotlight: Lloyd Price | 09 Jun 2022 | 01:36:43 | |
Courtney E. Smith (host of the Songs in the Key of Death podcast) joins us to discuss the life and career of the legendary R&B singer Lloyd Price. Topics discussed include Lloyd's earliest success as a musician, starting an independent music label in the 1950s, his many business ventures outside the music industry, his induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1998 and the recent stage musical based on his life and music. After listening to this episode, you'll gain a new appreciation for this trailblazing icon of early rock and roll. | |||
| Artist Spotlight: Dave Matthews Band | 19 May 2022 | 01:41:02 | |
Michael Bagford and Carrie Scott join us to discuss the career and legacy of the Dave Matthews Band, one of the most popular rock bands of the last three decades. Topics discussed include the band's formation in Charlottesville, Virginia, their status as an iconic live act, Matthews' role at Farm Aid and their 2020 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame nomination. There's so much to say about this band! | |||
| Movie Talk: Bob Marley: One Love | 21 Jun 2024 | 00:59:30 | |
Andy Heller (Fat Dude Digs Flicks Movie Podcasts) joins Nick to discuss the recent music biopic Bob Marley: One Love. | |||
| Reacting to the Rock Hall's Class of 2022 Inductees | 06 May 2022 | 02:14:02 | |
On this very special episode, we have 5(!) returning guests - Mark Lempke, Tom Lane, Michelle Bourg, Greg Peurach and David Schnelwar- joining us to give their reactions to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame's Class of 2022 inductees. We discuss each of the 14 inductees for this year's class and also which artists will likely be considered for next year's ballot. | |||
| Artist Spotlight: Kate Bush | 29 Apr 2022 | 01:41:13 | |
Josh Fitzgerald (Movies That Rock: The Podcast), Lisa Solak and John Mutford all return to the show to discuss the life and career of Kate Bush, one of the most important and influential artists of the last half-century. Topics discussed include Pink Floyd's David Gilmour "discovering" her while she was still a teenager, her unique approach to songwriting, her groundbreaking music videos and her current Rock & Roll Hall of Fame nomination. You will be "wowed" after listening to this insightful and often hilarious episode. | |||
| Artist Spotlight: Eurythmics | 20 Apr 2022 | 01:22:24 | |
Pat Francis (Rock Solid) comes on the show to discuss the legendary new wave duo Eurythmics. Topics discussed include the duo's formation, their iconic music videos, their side projects and solo careers and their recent Rock Hall nomination. We wouldn't lie to you....so you gotta listen to this episode! | |||
| Artist Spotlight: Carly Simon | 13 Apr 2022 | 01:57:46 | |
Blogger Michelle Bourg and researcher Jonathan Raymond come on the show to discuss the life, career and legacy of Carly Simon. Topics discussed include Simon's troubled early life, her iconic song "You're So Vain," her many contributions to various film and television productions over the years, our favorite songs from her legendary catalogue and Simon's recent nomination for induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Just like the title of one of Simon's greatest songs, the right thing to do is....to listen to this episode! | |||