In this special presentation of RockPopand Roll, host Rob Nichols remembers the songs and what made Little Richard a legend – and architect – in the making of rock and roll. 

Little Richard passed away at age 87 on May 9, 2020.  Of all the patriarchs of rock and roll music, Little Richard may have been the most outrageous, had the most hits in the shortest period of time, and could arguably be ahead of Elvis in his early takeover of the rock and roll libido of millions rock and roll fans.

He was a screaming, inspired, piano playing black man versed in gospel music.  And church.  And sex.  With reckless stage antics with a mouth that wouldn’t stop, he had the hits.  Little Richard was both the rocking and the rolling ignitor of the explosion of rock and roll music in the 1950s.

Little Richard recorded his first hits for a small label, Specialty Records, for just two years, from September 1955 to October 1957, but those recording sessions may rank as the most influential in the history of rock and roll music. His musicality, charisma, and wild stage show created a rock & roll blueprint followed by everyone from James Brown to the Beatles, From Jimi Hendrix to CCR, to Bruce Springsteen and Prince. 

Hear the music again. Remember why Little Richard really matters – more than you may have thought - in rock and roll history.

While there are many great songs and music from the 1980s, there are lots of tunes that have gotten lost. Music that was a hit, yet still somehow slipped away from classic hits and classic rock radio stations. Some of the songs were big hits, and it is tough to fathom how they are not remembered better or talked about more, and some songs had a flash of notoriety and slipped away.  In this episode, we revisit five of these songs, in our episode 1 podcast of FORGOTTEN GREATNESS- 5 SONGS OF THE 80’S on RockPopandRoll.

Host Rob Nichols finds some pop-rock gems, from a hit song that sat atop the Top 40 and AC charts while also making a big splash in AOR, to a one-hit neo-rockabilly artist that cracked the top 10 – just like his dad did 20 years earlier. 

We also discover some little-known facts about a great, slightly forgotten, Detroit musician who had band hits, solo hits, and also played guitar for Stevie Wonder when Wonder opened for the Rolling Stones during their 1972 tour. 

And we find a rock band’s lead singer who went the solo album route after his longtime band decided synthesizers and ballads were the path to a hit, instead of their longtime rock and roll sound.

Hear the music again. Discover the stories.  Have some fun.  It’s a visit to the great 1980’s world or RockPopandRoll.

A brand new podcast that takes a deep dive into the retro greatness of 1980's music and radio.  The show is the intersection where rock music, pop music, power pop, guitars, drums, memorable tunes, and guilty pleasures come together.  Join host, Rob Nichols, along with artists, writers, and friends as they dig into the music.