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The Great Song Podcast

The Great Song Podcast

By Rob Alley

Celebrating the greatest songs in modern music history and the creators behind them.
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Currently playing episode

All For You (w Ken Block of Sister Hazel) - Episode 706

The Great Song PodcastMar 17, 2021

00:00
01:16:26
The Catch-Up : January 12, 2024

The Catch-Up : January 12, 2024

Surprise!

Jan 13, 202425:47
Holy Diver (Series Finale)
Dec 20, 202301:52:00
Mark Tremonti (Creed, Alter Bridge, and *duh* Tremonti)
Dec 13, 202301:15:12
Santa Monica (w Art Alexakis of Everclear)

Santa Monica (w Art Alexakis of Everclear)

One of the greatest rock songs of the 1990s, Everclear's "Santa Monica" gives us shivers of joy every time we hear it! And we've got frontman and songwriter Art Alexakis to chat with us about the song, his favorite rock album, his life of recovery, and much more.

Plus:

- Unfortunate last names

- The Art Alexakis "Yeah"

- And our usual shenanigans. Enjoy!


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Dec 06, 202301:13:15
Unwanted (w Trev Lukather and Nic Collins of The Effect)

Unwanted (w Trev Lukather and Nic Collins of The Effect)

Your favorite new rock band is The Effect, and we can prove it! Fresh off a debut single and moments before a follow-up, we chat with Trev Lukather (yep, son of Toto's Steve) and Nic Collins (yep, son of Phil) about getting together on this next-gen collaboration. You'll hear about using live tracks responsibly, loving work that didn't necessarily end well, and what songs of their progenitors you should be more familiar with, including the Steve Lukather+Eddie Van Halen collaboration that got buried by a record label.

Nov 29, 202301:16:53
Gone Gone Gone (w Phillip Phillips)

Gone Gone Gone (w Phillip Phillips)

The most overwhelming American Idol winner in history sits in with the boys as our official kickoff of the home stretch of episodes before we call it a day. Phillip Phillips' "Gone Gone Gone" is an energetic frenzy of emotion, and so are we! Buckle up for a deep dive and our usual shenanigans.

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Nov 22, 202301:17:47
You Are The Woman (w Jock Bartley of Firefall)

You Are The Woman (w Jock Bartley of Firefall)

We're feeling sentimental as we come toward the end of the show, so we wanted to dedicate this week to our incredible wives (mostly in hope that they'll listen to an episode). And what better song to do it than the syrupy-sweet classic, "You Are The Woman" by Firefall? We'll dig deep, you'll learn about a Moose Call, and in a great interview, Jock Bartley of Firefall will tell us (among other things) about a really grim reality of the record industry we've never heard about before.

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Nov 15, 202301:22:24
Highway Song (w Rickey Medlocke of Blackfoot & Lynyrd Skynyrd)

Highway Song (w Rickey Medlocke of Blackfoot & Lynyrd Skynyrd)

One of the all-time "traveling down the dusty old road" songs, a fixture of classic rock radio and biker gangs everywhere, Blackfoot's "Highway Song" has a feel that just won't quit. And we've got Blackfoot founder and long-time Lynyrd Skynyrd lead guitarist Rickey Medlocke to tell us all about it. A great storyteller and affable guy, he'll tell us all about his history with Blackfoot and Skynyrd, his beef with the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the importance of honoring his Indigenous heritage, and much more.

Nov 08, 202301:13:44
Elvira (w William Lee Golden of The Oak Ridge Boys)

Elvira (w William Lee Golden of The Oak Ridge Boys)

Mount Rushmore country group. Mount Rushmore Gospel group. Mount Rushmore beard. What more can we say but Happy Halloween! Enjoy this early drop as you walk random neighborhoods with your kids tonight, and enjoy our coverage of the Oak Ridge Boys classic, "Elvira!"

Oct 31, 202301:11:53
Dave Barnes' Featherbrained Wealth Motel

Dave Barnes' Featherbrained Wealth Motel

Fresh off an album release and listening party experience, Rob and JP sit down with favorite guest artist Dave Barnes, who just dropped his Beatles-infused album, Featherbrained Wealth Motel, for one last romp before we close up shop. We'll get all the insight, have all the laughs, and as a bonus, we're each bringing our Top 5 Pop Choruses to the table for debate.

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Oct 25, 202301:42:19
Awful, Beautiful Life (w Darryl Worley) - Episode 1126

Awful, Beautiful Life (w Darryl Worley) - Episode 1126

This episode has it all. Tragedy, Seinfeld, Playgirl, the Addams Family—dripping with gold 'til the very last second. Country music star Darryl Worley joins us for a trip down memory lane and at least one other side road as we dig into his hit, “Awful, Beautiful Life.” He talks with us about 20 years of “Have You Forgotten,” the impact of the September 11th, 2001 attacks on the Nashville songwriting community, *that* infamous photo shoot, and much more.


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Oct 18, 202301:10:46
Love Will Find a Way (w Cory Lerios of Pablo Cruise)

Love Will Find a Way (w Cory Lerios of Pablo Cruise)

Yacht rock royalty on the show this week, as we dig into one of the sunniest jams of the genre! Pablo Cruise's resident maestro Cory Lerios talks with us about the band's signature hit, scoring a bazillion episodes of Baywatch, and much, much more. Plus we listen through all our favorite things love will do! 

Oct 11, 202301:08:22
California Dreams w Jay Anthony Franke (Jake Sommers)

California Dreams w Jay Anthony Franke (Jake Sommers)

It's our 6th Anniversary episode, and we're diving deep into one of our favorite shows and favorite fictional bands--California Dreams! Not only that, but we're partying with frontman and lead guitarist Jay Anthony Franke, aka the lovely and talented Jake Sommers!

Oct 04, 202301:52:48
Dancing in the Moonlight w Rod Novak of King Harvest

Dancing in the Moonlight w Rod Novak of King Harvest

One of the most singable (and covered) pop songs in history, Dancing in the Moonlight has a story much darker than you might imagine. We'll get into all that and much more with King Harvest's Rod Novak!

Sep 27, 202358:07
I Tell It Like It Used to Be (w T Graham Brown) - Episode 1122

I Tell It Like It Used to Be (w T Graham Brown) - Episode 1122

It's back-to-back TG's with another absolute legend, T Graham Brown, who is an icon not only in country music, but maybe the most prolific jingle artist of all time! We'll talk to him about those earworm Taco Bell ads, get real about his addiction and recovery, and much more in a fantastic interview from a real pro. Plus our usual shenanigans! Thanks for listening!


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Sep 20, 202352:48
I Loved 'Em Every One (w TG Sheppard)

I Loved 'Em Every One (w TG Sheppard)

Country legend TG Sheppard joins us to talk about one of his many signature songs, his amazing #1 streak, changing his name to keep from getting fired, and getting a bus from Elvis. Plus sexy country time, and we guess what TG really stands for.

Sep 13, 202348:45
From the Vault: "Right Place, Wrong Time" (Dr. John)

From the Vault: "Right Place, Wrong Time" (Dr. John)

A Patreon exclusive, now released to the world!


Dr. John is one of the most instantly recognizable voices and most colorful characters in pop music history! (And you won't believe what he got arrested for, but that's another story.)


Video version exclusively on Spotify!

Sep 06, 202352:59
Rivalry Week: Unchained Melody (from Ghost) w Joey Abbott

Rivalry Week: Unchained Melody (from Ghost) w Joey Abbott

The Righteous Brothers classic "Unchained Melody" draws the ire of your humble hosts in this Us vs. the World Rivalry Week episode!

Favorite guest Joey Abbott joins us to roast a classic, and we also learn about:

- Why it's called "Unchained Melody" to begin with

- Whoopi Goldberg's non-eyebrows

- The UK absolutely CANNOT get enough of this song

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Visit greatsongpodcast.com for archives, merch, and more!

Connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram @greatsongpod, and join the Facebook group at Facebook.com/groups/greatsongpod.

Patreon Producers: Andrea Konarzewski, Brad Callahan, Ari Marucci, Michael Conley, Peter Mark Campbell, David Steinberg, Randy Hodge, Chaz Bacus, Juan Lopez, Jason Arrowood, Howard Passey, Micah Murphy, Tim Jahr, Christopher Cudnoski, Pete Kim, and Jason Rak

Aug 30, 202301:07:05
In The City (from The Warriors) - Joe Walsh/Eagles w Joe Vitale

In The City (from The Warriors) - Joe Walsh/Eagles w Joe Vitale

One of Joe Walsh's biggest songs landed on both the Eagles' Hotel California follow-up and the soundtrack to a true cult classic, The Warriors. This week we've got Joe Walsh's drummer and co-writer Joe Vitale to talk all about his time with Joe, with Crosby, Stills and Nash, and of course Eagles.

And a bonus special guest drops in to make some time and try to guess the plot to The Warriors. Enjoy!

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Visit greatsongpodcast.com for archives, merch, and more!

Connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram @greatsongpod, and join the Facebook group at Facebook.com/groups/greatsongpod.

Patreon Producers: Andrea Konarzewski, Brad Callahan, Ari Marucci, Michael Conley, Peter Mark Campbell, David Steinberg, Randy Hodge, Chaz Bacus, Juan Lopez, Jason Arrowood, Howard Passey, Micah Murphy, Tim Jahr, Christopher Cudnoski, Pete Kim, and Jason Rak


Aug 23, 202301:25:03
As I Lay Me Down (w Sophie B. Hawkins)

As I Lay Me Down (w Sophie B. Hawkins)

Movie Month continues with this legendary '90s AC track from the movie Now and Then, Sophie B. Hawkins' "As I Lay Me Down." We'll talk with Sophie about being a commanding leader who knows what she likes, fighting record companies who wanted to over-bake her songs, and of course our usual shenanigans as we cover the track as only we can.

Plus:

“I’m falling and I’m naked and I’m gonna land on my teeth!”

Aug 16, 202301:03:32
Days of Thunder w Tyler Lyle of The Midnight

Days of Thunder w Tyler Lyle of The Midnight

Tom Cruise's teeth, fast cars, tarot cards, Japanese cherry blossoms--this episode has it all. The Midnight's Tyler Lyle talks with us about appreciating art in the light of death, creating modern nostalgia, and more, and we dig into Days of Thunder, both  the song and the movie. Enjoy!

Aug 09, 202301:02:37
Joyful Joyful Medley (Sister Act 2) w Mervyn Warren

Joyful Joyful Medley (Sister Act 2) w Mervyn Warren

Mervyn Warren, multiple award-winning writer, arranger, and producer, founding member of accapella mega-group Take 6, joins us for our latest dive into Movie Month! His arrangement of the iconic closer to Sister Act 2 incorporates maybe the most well-known hymn in history, the breakout single from Naughty By Nature, and a classic track from Janet Jackson--all in one incredible main course! We'll dig into it all, including "O.P.P." and "What Have You Done For Me Lately," plus some Lauryn Hill, War and Treaty--whew! Buckle up and praise the Lord, it's Sister Act 2 kicking off Movie Month!

Aug 02, 202301:42:26
Greatest Hits: Cody Fry's "Thinking About You"

Greatest Hits: Cody Fry's "Thinking About You"

Cody Fry's epic appearance on the show is back for a Greatest Hits refresh, complete with previously unreleased material. Enjoy!

Jul 26, 202301:22:30
Little River Band w/Wayne Nelson

Little River Band w/Wayne Nelson

From "Night Owls" to "Reminiscing" to "Cool Change," there's 8,000 miles and 50 years of Little River Band hits to drool over, and we're talking about them this week with lead singer and bassist Wayne Nelson! We'll chat about the difficulty of maintaining a vocal band, breaking into the US as an Australian band, travel woes and much more, plus:

- The Outback Steakhouse/Mount Rushmore debate

- Real or fake Aussie artist

- So much bleeping!

Jul 19, 202356:01
Greatest Hits: Only Wanna Be With You

Greatest Hits: Only Wanna Be With You

The fateful first meeting of the Great Song Podcast and Jim "Soni" Sonefeld of Hootie & the Blowfish. It's love at first sight, and one of our most popular episodes to date. Enjoy this Greatest Hits episode, with previously unreleased material!

Jul 12, 202301:16:51
Shine (w Will Turpin of Collective Soul)

Shine (w Will Turpin of Collective Soul)

Some Atlanta boys took off with a happy, heavenly rock song in the height of the grunge era, and the rest is rock history! Collective Soul's indelible mark on rock music started with their quintessential hit, "Shine," and Collective Soul's Will Turpin is here to talk with Rob and JP about it. Enjoy!

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Jul 05, 202301:24:04
Greatest Hits: American Pie

Greatest Hits: American Pie

One of the biggest songs in American music history--you know we had to put our spin on the ins and outs of a classic like this. And who better to talk about it with than the man behind the song, Don McLean. Enjoy this Greatest Hits episode from Season Six, and maybe go enjoy a barbecue with fireworks somewhere this week.

Jun 28, 202301:20:48
Episode 250 w/ Kevin Young of Disciple
Jun 21, 202301:32:36
Synchronicity (w Stewart Copeland of The Police)

Synchronicity (w Stewart Copeland of The Police)

Pre-save Stewart's new album "POLICE Deranged for Orchestra" here!

What can we even say? This week is the 40th anniversary of one of the most iconic rock albums of all time, and we've got one of the most iconic drummers from the iconic band, and did we mention STUFF IS ICONIC?? The Police's Stewart Copeland joins us to celebrate Synchronicity and give us an absolute firehose of insight. Hold on tight--let's get sync'd up! Plus:

- What exactly IS synchronicity?

- 12-bar phrygian blues in 7

- “Today, I’m gonna make Sting happy.”

- Winning a Grammy back-to-back years for the same album!

- The habit of remembering love 


Join us for more fun on Instagram or the Facebook group 🤘🏽


Special thanks to our Patreon Producers!

Andrea Konarzewski

Brad Callahan

Ari Marucci

Michael Conley

Peter Mark Campbell

David Steinberg

Randy Hodge

Chaz Bacus

Juan Lopez

Jason Arrowood

Howard Passey

Micah Murphy

Tim Jahr

Christopher Cudnoski

Pete Kim

Jason Rak

Jun 14, 202301:48:25
Blurry (w Wes Scantlin of Puddle of Mudd)
Jun 07, 202301:03:33
Greatest Hits: I'd Do Anything For Love (But I Won't Do That)
May 31, 202355:53
Allman Brothers Band (w Jim Sonefeld)

Allman Brothers Band (w Jim Sonefeld)

Hootie and the Blowfish's Jim "Soni" Sonefeld joins us in-studio for a deep dive into the Allman Brothers Band--their history, their hits, and their heartbreaks.  Duane, Gregg, Butch, Warren, and company have created classic moment after classic moment, and we have a blast digging in. Plus:

Are you LEAD drummer or RHYTHM drummer?

Rob is a Level Nine Idiot

Foot-Shootin’ Blues


Connect on Instagram, and join the Facebook group for lots of fun and laughs.

Special thanks to our Producers: Andrea Konarzewski, Brad Callahan, Ari Marucci, Michael Conley, Peter Mark Campbell, David Steinberg, Randy Hodge, Chaz Bacus, Juan Lopez, Jason Arrowood, Howard Passey, Micah Murphy, Tim Jahr, Christopher Cudnoski, Pete Kim, and Jason Rak

May 24, 202301:18:49
Greatest Hits: Need You Now (w Dave Haywood of Lady A)

Greatest Hits: Need You Now (w Dave Haywood of Lady A)

Our next dive into the Greatest Hits of the show finds us in a Nashville mood, talking with Lady A's Dave Haywood about the band's signature hit, one of the biggest country music hits of the last 20 years, "Need You Now." Enjoy this Greatest Hits edition with previously unreleased audio!

May 17, 202301:32:02
I'd Really Love to See You Tonight (w Dave Barnes)
May 10, 202350:47
Greatest Hits: The Joker (Steve Miller Band)

Greatest Hits: The Joker (Steve Miller Band)

From all the way back in Season Four comes one of our favorite personal episodes, our coverage of the underrated Steve Miller and his signature hit, "The Joker." Stick around 'til the end to hear one of our all-time most beloved bits.

May 03, 202355:42
Family (David Guetta feat. Bebe Rexha) w/ Track 45
Apr 26, 202356:46
Greatest Hits: No Easy Way Out (from Rocky IV)

Greatest Hits: No Easy Way Out (from Rocky IV)

An absolute smash soundtrack from an all-time nostalgic '80s classic, Rocky IV, produced this enduring hit. Plus a really fantastic interview with the man himself, Robert Tepper. These are all ingredients for a solid gold episode, and that's exactly what this is. Tepper time!

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Join us on PATREON for early access, extended interviews, weekly reaction mini-sodes, full bonus shows, and more ways to be part of the show! patreon.com/greatsongpod


Visit greatsongpodcast.com for archives, merch, and more!

Connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram @greatsongpod, and join the Facebook group at Facebook.com/groups/greatsongpod.


Patreon Producers: Andrea Konarzewski, Brad Callahan, Ari Marucci, Michael Conley, Peter Mark Campbell, David Steinberg, Randy Hodge, Chaz Bacus, Juan Lopez, Jason Arrowood, Howard Passey, Micah Murphy, Tim Jahr, Christopher Cudnoski, and Pete Kim


Apr 19, 202301:31:28
He's Alive (Don Francisco/Dolly Parton)
Apr 10, 202301:19:44
Greatest Hits: "Magic" (The Cars) w/Joey Abbott
Apr 05, 202301:04:54
The Weekend (w Steve Wariner)
Mar 29, 202301:14:13
Greatest Hits: Cosmo's Factory w Doug Clifford of Credence Clearwater Revival

Greatest Hits: Cosmo's Factory w Doug Clifford of Credence Clearwater Revival

(Original air date Feb. 10, 2021 - Season Seven Opener)

We kick off Season 7 with one of the biggest American rock bands in history, and one of their most iconic albums! Plus we chat with the album's titular inspiration, CCR drummer Doug "Cosmo" Clifford! In this episode:

- The “Do Not Play on Radio” list CCR landed on

- How CCR’s Woodstock performance almost got derailed by a paper rock

- Fogerty, California Swamp Rock, and random saxophone solos

- Doug “Cosmo” Clifford’s new 30+ year old album!

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Check out Rob's new movie+food podcast, Cinema Snack Bar!

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Join us on PATREON for early access, extended interviews, weekly reaction mini-sodes, full bonus shows, and more ways to be part of the show! patreon.com/greatsongpod

Visit greatsongpodcast.com for archives, merch, and more!

Connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram @greatsongpod, and join the Facebook group at Facebook.com/groups/greatsongpod.

Patreon Producers: Andrea Konarzewski, Brad Callahan, Ari Marucci, Michael Conley, Peter Mark Campbell, David Steinberg, Randy Hodge, Chaz Bacus, Juan Lopez, Jason Arrowood, Howard Passey, Micah Murphy, Tim Jahr, Christopher Cudnoski, and Pete Kim

Mar 22, 202301:46:36
How Will I Know (Whitney Houston) w/ Boy Meets Girl

How Will I Know (Whitney Houston) w/ Boy Meets Girl

Whitney Houston becomes our first official two-time covered artist, and it's only fitting that we enlist the help of our only two-time multi-artist guests! George Merrill and Shannon Rubicam, aka Boy Meets Girl ("Waiting For a Star to Fall," writers of "How Will I Know" and "I Wanna Dance With Somebody") talk with us about their original intentions for one of Whitney Houston’s breakout hits, the *other* artist that almost recorded “Waiting For a Star to Fall,” and the art of making yourself show up in difficult times.

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Check out Rob's new movie+food podcast, Cinema Snack Bar!

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Join us on PATREON for early access, extended interviews, weekly reaction mini-sodes, full bonus shows, and more ways to be part of the show! patreon.com/greatsongpod

Visit greatsongpodcast.com for archives, merch, and more!

Connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram @greatsongpod, and join the Facebook group at Facebook.com/groups/greatsongpod.

Patreon Producers: Andrea Konarzewski, Brad Callahan, Ari Marucci, Michael Conley, Peter Mark Campbell, David Steinberg, Randy Hodge, Chaz Bacus, Juan Lopez, Jason Arrowood, Howard Passey, Micah Murphy, Tim Jahr, Christopher Cudnoski and Pete Kim

Mar 15, 202301:19:12
Greatest Hits: "Escape" by Rupert Holmes

Greatest Hits: "Escape" by Rupert Holmes

This is a Greatest Hits episode, which means it's a re-airing of an episode that was significant for the show, one of our favorites, or one of yours! 

Original air date: Sep. 23, 2020, Episode 606

Our first Greatest Hits episode represents a turning point episode for the show--our interview with the absolutely brilliant Rupert Holmes! This episode started something momentum-wise, became an instant listener favorite, and debuted the now-standard Stump the Genius game! Enjoy reliving this solid gold episode.

Favorite quote from the episode: "JFK had a terrible back, so yoga's out."


Mar 08, 202301:14:49
Neal Morse - Episode 1104

Neal Morse - Episode 1104

One of the most prolific prog progenitors in the world--the incomparable Neal Morse of the Neal Morse Band, Transatlantic, Flying Colors and so many more--joins the program this week to talk about the making of his sprawling epics, working with long-time collaborators like Mike Portnoy and Randy George, and how the heck does he remember how to play all this stuff?

Be sure to check out Cinema Snack Bar, Rob's new movie podcast, which launches next week!

In this episode:

- Elevated choruses for days!

- Writing massive songs for prog audiences

- “It’s a daily selling out.”

Download the Waterfall app to get all-access pass to Neal’s catalogue!

 iOS: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/waterfall-by-radiant-records/id1449301230

Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.radiantstreaming.app&hl=en_US&gl=US&pli=1

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Join us on PATREON for early access, extended interviews, weekly reaction mini-sodes, full bonus shows, and more ways to be part of the show! patreon.com/greatsongpod

Visit greatsongpodcast.com for archives, merch, and more!

Connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram @greatsongpod, and join the Facebook group at Facebook.com/groups/greatsongpod.

Patreon Producers: Andrea Konarzewski, Brad Callahan, Ari Marucci, Michael Conley, Peter Mark Campbell, David Steinberg, Randy Hodge, Chaz Bacus, Juan Lopez, Jason Arrowood, Howard Passey, Micah Murphy, Tim Jahr, Christopher Cudnoski, and Pete Kim

Mar 01, 202301:11:14
Xanadu (w Richie Kotzen of The Winery Dogs)
Feb 22, 202358:40
Peaches (The Presidents of The United States of America)
Feb 15, 202301:05:08
"It's Only Rock 'n Roll (But I Like It)" w Darryl Jones of The Rolling Stones
Feb 08, 202301:23:42
Introducing: Cinema Snack Bar
Jan 19, 202300:43
Wayne Kirkpatrick - Season 10 Finale
Dec 21, 202201:49:39
You Raise Me Up (Rivalry Week) - Episode 1019
Dec 14, 202240:47