Episode 316 of History in Five Songs with Martin Popoff takes a cheeky sideways swipe at the groove: Martin lines up Deep Purple, Queen, The Jam, Boomtown Rats, and The Clash, drops the needle on their “too‑funky‑for‑their‑own‑good” moments, and shows how a fatback beat can splinter line‑ups, sideline guitars, and tank whole careers. If you’re curious why Richie Blackmore bolted, how Freddie’s dance‑floor obsession blindsided Brian May, or where Paul Weller’s mojo wandered, cue this episode and hear Martin’s vinyl‑crackling verdict on bands ruined by funk.

1. Deep Purple – “You Can’t Do It Right”
2. Queen – “Back Chat”
3. The Jam – “Precious”
4. The Boomtown Rats – “Mood Mambo”
5. The Clash – “Ivan Meets G.I. Joe”

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In Episode 315 of History in Five Songs with Martin Popoff, Martin dives deep into the fascinating world of heavy metal albums that never achieved gold certification, spotlighting legendary but commercially underperforming releases from Black Sabbath, Angel Witch, Slayer, Venom, Mercyful Fate, and more — proving that critical acclaim and genre-defining influence don't always come with big sales.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In Episode 314 of History in Five Songs with Martin Popoff, Martin explores how songwriting credits can shape — or sometimes have little impact on — our understanding of band dynamics, musical identity, and who really deserves the money and credit behind the hits.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In Episode 313 of History in Five Songs with Martin Popoff, Martin delves into how a wide range of hard rock and metal bands navigated the hair metal era—from those who ignored it entirely, to those who subtly adapted, stayed the course, or went in completely bizarre directions.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In Episode 312 of History in Five Songs with Martin Popoff, Martin explores a curious subset of rock history—unexpected AOR albums—by spotlighting bands like Heart and Yes that made surprising forays into glossy, radio-friendly territory during the early ’80s, blurring the lines between prog, pop, and proto–hair metal.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In Episode 311 of History in Five Songs with Martin Popoff, Martin argues that the real nail in hair metal's coffin wasn’t grunge, but the wave of uninspired cover songs that undermined the genre’s credibility and alienated metal purists from the very start.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In Episode 310 of History in Five Songs with Martin Popoff, Martin wrestles with defining the genre and counts down his five favorite—yet genre-challengingly eclectic—new wave bands, kicking off with the Boomtown Rats and Devo in a tightly-defined 1979-focused episode.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In Episode 309 of History in Five Songs with Martin Popoff, Martin delves into the theory that traditional, conservative pub rock diluted the innovation of New Wave, highlighting how artists like Elvis Costello, Joe Jackson, and Rockpile carried this "pub rock problem" into a genre otherwise defined by its creative and edgy origins.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In Episode 308 of History in Five Songs with Martin Popoff, Martin dives into the murky origins of new wave music, exploring whether bands like Velvet Underground and Roxy Music truly helped invent the genre—or if new wave simply evolved without a clear starting point.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In Episode 307 of History in Five Songs with Martin Popoff, Martin dives into the fascinating and sometimes controversial world of UK rock stars who’ve been knighted, exploring the honors system, the cultural implications of Britishness, and spotlighting five legendary artists—like Mick Jagger, Ray Davies, and Bob Geldof—whose contributions to music (and beyond) earned them royal recognition.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices