Forget talking about "women who rock", Sass Jordan is one of the best rock vocalists out there, male OR female. This Canadian singer & songwriter is not well known in the USA, which is a shame because she's got a voice that's unique, powerful and compelling. This song is from her 1994 album, "Rats", which is her hardest-rocking album (and, in my opinion, her best). Check out this song, then go find more music by Sass Jordan.

One of the most underappreciated bands in rock. Undaunted by the ups & downs of the fickle music business, Cheap Trick have played over 5000 shows and released 20 albums, including "Rockford" in 2006, one of their best albums ever. I could've picked any song from this album-- it's that good-- but I settled on "If It Takes A Lifetime". If you don't have this album in your collection, don't wait-- Go get it now.

A great hard rock & power pop band that somehow fell through the cracks in the late '70's, Starz had all the ingredients to make it big-- a band of seasoned professionals with a charismatic frontman, a big-name manager, and a record deal with Capitol Records... but while bands like Foreigner, Styx & Boston sold millions of records, Starz just couldn't break thru to a larger audience. Too bad, because these guys had some great rock tunes. Here's one of their power-pop tracks that serves as a great example of how to write a catchy, memorable song.

Aretha Franklin recorded over 40 albums during her career; this episode, we revisit a song from her breakthrough album, "I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You" from 1967. This was actually her 11th album (!), but it was the first one recorded for Atlantic Records and it's the one that made her a legend. Aretha Franklin was probably the single most influential singer of our time-- just listen to any episode of American Idol for proof. Aretha was not only a great vocalist, she was one of the greatest interpreters of songs in history. She didn't just cover a song, she made it her own. "A Change Is Gonna Come" was Sam Cooke's finest moment, but Aretha strips it down to its purest form and imbues it with pain, world-weariness, and hope - one of the greatest emotionally cathartic moments on record.

Who's the greatest singer in rock history? You could make an argument that it's Glenn Hughes. He's played & recorded with Trapeze, Deep Purple, Black Sabbath, Gary Moore, KLF... and released a collection of great solo albums. He's an amazing hard rock vocalist & bass player, but my favorite stuff is when he's getting funky-- real funky. This track combines the funk with the hard rock - the best combo since Reese's put peanut butter in their chocolate. Crank It Up!

Every artist wants to pay tribute to the people who inspired them. No one's ever done it better than The Replacements' tribute to Alex Chilton. This song has a great hook and a chorus that stays with you... It's stayed with me so long that I named this podcast after it.

Living under The Beatles' shadow was a blessing and a curse for Badfinger. One of the greatest Power Pop bands of all time, they crafted a catalog of great songs that defined the genre. "Day After Day" is one of the greatest singles of all time, featuring a beautiful melody, great performances, and a guest appearance by a Beatle. What more could you want? This song deserves a place in history.

Adrian Belew is best known as a brilliant sideman & guitar foil (Frank Zappa, David Bowie, Talking Heads) and a member of King Crimson, but most people are unaware of his "band on the side", The Bears. The other 3 members are no slouches either-- this was really a band of 4 equal members that could all write great songs. The Bears blend Art-Rock and Power Pop in their own distinctive way. This song features lead vocals by 3 members, and packs plenty of substance & meaning into a 4:53 pop song. If you're unfamiliar with The Bears, this song provides a great entry point.

When a great soul singer meets a song by one of the great pop songwriting teams, magic ensues. Al Green takes a song by the Bee Gees and turns it into one of the classic singles of all time. Let's nurse our broken hearts together as we dig into this amazing song.

Writing a hit song about writing a hit song? Genius! This song has everything a great pop-rock song needs-- a memorable melody, great chorus, smart lyrics and killer vocals. This song always makes me smile.

Kiss was the band that turned a generation of kids -- including me -- into rock & roll obsessives. Love 'em or hate 'em, Kiss became huge stars after the release of the "Destroyer" album in 1976. This is one of my favorite songs on the album, and features some off-the-wall moments like circus instruments, odd time signatures and a mysterious guitar solo.

Utopia is back together for a reunion tour this Spring (2018), so there's no better time to revisit one of their great songs. I think this era of Utopia pretty much invented "Progressive Pop" and this song is a great example of their songcraft and musical skills. See you on the road to Utopia!

With this song, David Bowie practically invents the Goth-Punk-Cabaret genre. It's an epic song with brilliant piano by Mike Garson. Let's explore the track and see what makes this masterpiece tick.

Tom Petty always knew how to write an anthem, and this is one of his best. A rallying cry for anyone who's been rejected or on the losing side of love.

Let's start things off with one of my favorite McCartney songs - a tune most people haven't heard but should've been a big hit. This song has everything I love about McCartney-- a terrific lead vocal, great bass part, an arrangement that keeps evolving and cool production. Enjoy!

A brief introduction to this podcast