Behind The Song: Classic Rock Chronicles

In the new episode of the Behind The Song podcast, Janda chats with Steve Vai about gearing up to tour once again with BEAT, performing the music of King Crimson with Adrian Belew, Tony Levin, and Terry Bozzio. He spoke about what it takes to play this level of “high information music,” his time as a teenager working for Frank Zappa, and what’s next musically for him and this supergroup! 

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this bonus Behind The Song episode, Janda is joined by her husband, Behind The Song music producer Christian Lane, to talk about the incredible comeback of Oasis. From their '25 tour to the Don't Look Back In Anger documentary to how hard it was to score tickets to the 2027 tour, the world is finally ready for the Gallagher Brothers. Janda shares what it was about Oasis' music that she gravitated toward in the 90's, and Christian shares his viewpoints on the music from a musician's standpoint - plus he shares a crazy story about Liam Gallagher and the fire brigade at a hotel bar in London!

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In 1970, Neil Young was handed a screenplay by a neighbor about an apocalyptic flood wiping out the Topanga Canyon community they lived in. The film was never made and the script is now lost, but it unlocked one of the most potent songs of his career. In this episode of the Behind The Song podcast, Janda dives into the elusive meaning of "After The Gold Rush” and why the song is more relevant than ever over 56 years later.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

As the Illinois Rock & Roll Museum On Route 66 prepares for its 5th annual Hall Of Fame awards ceremony in Chicago on September 27th, Janda had a chat with founder and CEO Ron Romero to talk about this year’s inductees and what a privilege it is to preserve the rich musical history of Illinois. The Drive will be the radio station honored with an induction in this year’s event, and the show will include performances by Kevin Cronin of REO Speedwagon, Jim Peterik of Styx, The Boyzz, The Flock, members of American Breed, Plain White T’s, Hot Mix 5, and the family of the late Koko Taylor. Listen in on this lively chat in the new episode of the Behind The Song podcast!

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this bonus episode of the Behind The Song podcast, Janda pays tribute to the late, great Tim Curry. Beyond his iconic role in the Rocky Horror Picture show and his other roles as an actor, he had an almost-forgotten career as a rock musician. Janda digs into how his overlooked solo albums had a big impact on none other than Joe Bonamossa, who launched his own musical career with an obscure deep cut from Curry.  

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode of the Behind The Song podcast, Janda digs in to “London Calling” by The Clash, a song that called an alarm about what was going on in London and the world in the late 70’s, with “S.O.S.” in Morse code buried right in the track. Follow the story of how The Clash became more than just a broke punk band with the London Calling album, now considered one of the greatest albums ever made. 

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this bonus episode of Behind The Song, Janda pays tribute to the late Dolly Parton. More than just a country singer, entertainer, or her late-in-life role as a surprise rock star, Dolly spent her life helping others, even when the cameras weren’t rolling. That philanthropy is her true legacy. Janda traces her story from a one-room cabin in Tennessee to becoming one of the most inspirational people in the world, high heels, wigs, rhinestones and all. 

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Fifty years ago this week, Boston released one of the best-selling debut albums in rock history. In the new bonus episode of the Behind The Song podcast, Janda flips through the class of ‘76 yearbook in classic rock, a year stacked with albums that still shape what we listen to today: Boston’s debut, Led Zeppelin's Presence, Rush's 2112, Aerosmith's Rocks, Steve Miller Band's Fly Like an Eagle, Blue Öyster Cult's Agents of Fortune, Bob Seger's Night Moves, and Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers' debut. It was more than just a good year, it set the stage for what classic rock would become. Listen in and pick your own valedictorian from the Class of 1976! 

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In 1976, an exhausted AC/DC wrote "Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap" between tour stops, built around a line Angus Young lifted from a cartoon villain's business card. What followed was stranger than the song itself: an Illinois couple harassed for years because their real phone number matched the lyrics, a U.S. label that shelved the album for nearly five years and almost dropped the band, and a chart-topping American release that landed over a year after Bon Scott's death — competing directly with AC/DC's own new record at the time. In this episode of the Behind The Song podcast, Janda traces Bon Scott's wild backstory, the humor and heartbreak in his lyrics, and how this scrappy, nearly-buried album became a platinum classic on two different timelines.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

It started with literal spit! Roger Waters, spitting on a fan mid-concert in 1977. That moment was the inspiration behind one of rock's most ambitious concept albums, Pink Floyd’s The Wall. In this episode of the Behind The Song podcast, Janda dives into the chaotic making of the album, the four-city stage show too expensive to take anywhere else, and the courtroom battle over who actually got to be Pink Floyd — including the pettiest lawsuit workaround in rock history, involving an inflatable pig!

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.