Rock School

"Many music outlets noticed there was no traditional Summer Song this year. No poppy dance tune that rose to the top of the charts. The Billboard Summer Song chart claimed a number one but it was a down tempo ballad. We will explore what happened and why."

"Many countries around the world take time each year to poll their citizens about their favorite songs. It usually happens around Christmas and a major media outlet plays the songs. We will tell you about some of the biggest ones and try to figure out why we don't do that here in America."

"An Idiom is a group of words that suggest a meaning different than their specific words. Many of them come from the world of music and we have created a solid list. You will recognize a lot of them."

"This past 4th of July someone posted the Preamble and I wondered who the singer was. I watched a few more and wondered who they were. We will answer that today. We will play some of their Schoolhouse Rock song and then one of their singles. Plus we have some trivia about the show."

"Long before American Idol and Americas Got Talent, there was Star Search. It was pretty schmaltzy but looking back, some of the biggest singers, actors and comedians got their big break on Star Search. We have grabbed as many examples as we could."

"Here is a game to play. Name as many two minute songs as you can following these rules. Only one song per group and you cannot name just punk songs. We then go one step farther and change the game to as many one minute songs as you can."

"A band named The Velvet Sundown had a hit a short while ago. The concern was that the band and the music were all fake. They were both fully AI generated. It is easier than you think. We have the story and some examples of when I did the same thing for an audience just to prove how easy it is to do."

"This is a fun parlor game. Name a band, a song by that band and then an album from that band that are all named exactly the same. Here is an example. Bad Company by Bad Company on the album Bad Company. There are many that are close but a true Trilogy is all three exactly the same."

"The Rock School show is now a part of the Library of Congress through their American Archive of Public Broadcasting. I know. I can barely believe it myself. Here is the story of the Library of Congress and how this all came to be. Check the calendar. It is not April and I am not fooling."

"Naming a band can be quite difficult. The list of bands we will discuss today went back into history to grab a name or an event to come up with a moniker. You know a good many of them. "

"The K Pop band EXO claimed that one of their concerts in South Korea sold out in less than two seconds. It sounds impossible because you are not being told the entire story. It is a badge of honor for bands to sell out quickly. Other than EXO, who did legitimately sell out the fastest. We will tell you our pick."

"Often an actor will start a band once her or she is famous. However many actors start as musicians. Some saw great success. We have some surprising names this week."

"Rock and Roll really came into its own in the 1950s and once it did someone was always proclaiming it bad for the youth in one way or another. These were generally called Moral Panics. Here is the history and some examples of a few of the most popular Moral Panics."

"Here is the second show where we play songs you might not know were covers. Often the cover version of a song becomes a bigger hit. And even if you did know the hit was a cover you may not know the original. We will play you a few."

"This is the first of a two show set. Often people are shocked to hear that a hit song is a cover. We have put together a long list of hit songs that are covers and we will play the original to you can hear where the hit you know came from."

"In July of 1962, the Rolling Stones play their first gig in the Marquee Club. The Marquee Club was one of the main venues for 1960s British rock. This week we will discuss the rather interesting history of the Marquee Club."

"Punk music has produced some of the greatest performers and some of the greatest musician nicknames. Here is a list of the best names and where they came form."

"Back in 1973 Muhammad Ali knocks out George Foreman in what was called The Rumble in the Jungle. This victory inspires Johnny Wakelin to write the song Black Superman. He gets a hit with it. So what other songs are written for or about athletes. We have a list."

"Last week we spoke of Dockery Farms which the birthplace of The Blues. As all music does it was expanded and taken to different places by the musicians who played it. Here is a run down and description of the most popular forms of The Blues."

"Dockery Farms is said to be the place where the Delta Blues began. That is a bold statement but once you hear the research I have gathered it will be hard to argue. Robert Johnson did not sell his soul for great musical talent. He went to Dockery Farms which is still open today and welcoming visitors."