Professor of Rock

Top 10 Songs of 1981: The Untold Stories Behind Journey, Devo, Blondie & Pat Benatar

July 27, 2026·32 min
Episode Description from the Publisher

Coming up… It’s nostalgia overload in a trip back to a perfect year in music. Including the provocative hit Whip It by Devo that sparked controversy so intense, actress Lily Tomlin refused to host a major late-night show unless the band was CUT. Plus, legendary guitarist Neal Schon was told his guitar solo for Who's Cryin' Now was too complex… he was told to simplify it. So he played the dumbest lead he could think of... it made the song a classic. Then there’s the famous TV theme song Beleive It or Not from a beloved comedy-drama whose lead character’s name was changed to dodge a link to the infamous man who tried to take out our leader.… Plus the #1 hit Rapture by Blondie that has gotten away with the mother of all profanities for 45 years and the rock icon Pat Benatar who erased her biggest hit from existence over one lyric line. And a Dan Fogelberg's deeply moving tribute to his father written just before he passed away. …See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Podzilla Summary coming soon

Sign up to get notified when the full AI-powered summary is ready.

Get Free Summaries →

Free forever for up to 3 podcasts. No credit card required.

Listen to This Episode

Get summaries like this every morning.

Free AI-powered recaps of Professor of Rock and your other favorite podcasts, delivered to your inbox.

Get Free Summaries →

Free forever for up to 3 podcasts. No credit card required.