The Ben Maynard Program

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One week. Forty songs. A whole time machine. We’re building a Billboard Top 40 playlist from May 7, 1983, and the deeper we go, the more you can hear the early 80s music world colliding: rock guitars next to synth hooks, country crossover next to new wave, and the MTV era starting to decide what “big” really means.

We start with a quick life update on why I’ve been out of the studio and how much work goes into researching and writing a chart-heavy show. Then I tell the story of catching Olivia Harms live, from the simple trick of sitting near the sound booth to the small, personal moments that remind you why live music still matters. It’s a great reset before we dive into the numbers.

From there, it’s a guided countdown packed with context and nostalgia: Journey showing up twice, Culture Club gaining momentum, Duran Duran breaking through, and classic pop craftsmanship from Lionel Richie, Toto, Kenny Loggins, and more. We also talk about “staying power” and why songs used to live on the charts long enough to become part of your life, not just a quick spike. And when we hit the top, the Michael Jackson run is unreal: Billie Jean on the chart, Beat It at No. 1, plus the wild behind-the-scenes connections like Eddie Van Halen’s solo and Toto’s fingerprints all over the Thriller era.

If you love Billboard chart history, 1980s pop and rock, and making playlists that actually feel like a story, hit play. Subscribe, share with a friend who lived it (or needs to hear it), and leave a review with the one song that took you back the fastest.

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The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame just dropped its latest class and I’m equal parts pumped and irritated. Some picks feel overdue and undeniable, and others make me wonder what the Hall thinks “rock and roll” even is anymore. So I grabbed my notes, went live on the patio, and did what I always do on Friday Night Live: talk music, tell stories, and say the quiet part out loud.

We run through the Rock Hall inductees and I explain why names like Phil Collins, Billy Idol, and Iron Maiden belong in the conversation, plus the strange behind-the-scenes detail most people miss: the Hall doesn’t just honor bands, it decides which members “count.” That leads into Iron Maiden’s lineup history, Blaze Bayley getting added, and why the ceremony can feel disconnected from the artists themselves. Then we hit the other side of the list: who didn’t get in, why the fan vote is way less powerful than people assume, and the snubs that still feel criminal, including INXS.

Along the way, I share a recent concert recap with Steve Augeri’s band and a rare soundcheck experience, plus a little nostalgia detour through National Ford Mustang Day and my first car story. If you care about classic rock, music history, rock hall voting, and the artists that shaped everything we listen to now, this one’s for you.

Subscribe on YouTube or wherever you get podcasts, share the episode with a music fan, and leave a review with your pick for the biggest Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame snub. Who should get in next?

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April 1976 is one of those weeks where the radio dial feels like an entire universe. We pull up the Billboard Hot 100 Top 40 from the first week of April 1976 and react in real time, from songs we wore out as kids to deep cuts we barely recognize until the title jogs the memory. Along the way we talk about what Top 40 radio edits left out, why certain hooks became permanent, and how a track can rise, fall, or hang on for dear life depending on what the culture wanted that week.

The chart run turns into a time capsule: disco energy rubbing shoulders with classic rock, soft rock, country crossover, and the kind of pop that only the 1970s could make feel normal on the same list. We hit big landmarks like “Bohemian Rhapsody,” “Dream On,” and “Dreamweaver,” plus the #1 that still gets everyone singing. If you love building playlists, you’ll have plenty of prompts to make your own “April 1976” set and test which songs still sound alive today.

Then we zoom out from singles to albums and dig into a handful of 1976 releases that shaped careers and changed trajectories: Rush taking a massive risk with “2112,” Kansas landing their defining moment with “Leftoverture,” Paul McCartney and Wings firing back with “Silly Love Songs,” Bob Seger breaking through with “Night Moves,” and Journey in the fascinating pre-Steve Perry years on “Look Into The Future.” We close with some current show plans that tie the old music to the live stage right now.

If this kind of music history and real-listener commentary is your thing, subscribe on your podcast app, watch on YouTube, share it with a friend, and leave a quick review so more people can find the show.

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Thanks for listening! Follow me on Instagram: benmaynardprogram 
and subscribe to my YouTube channel: THE BEN MAYNARD PROGRAM
I also welcome your comments. email: [email protected]

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Most Americans only meet Iran through a headline, a chant, or a talking head. Then Sormeh walks into our studio and calmly says what almost never makes the news: the Iranian people are not the Iranian regime, and many Iranians don’t hate Americans at all. She grew up in Tehran, lived the fear and the censorship, and still has family there, so this isn’t theory or politics for sport. It’s personal.

We talk about what it feels like to be a kid forced to chant “Death to America,” what you can’t say at school, and why families learn to split life into “inside the house” and “outside the house.” Sormeh explains the pressure of internet shutdowns in Iran, why VPNs become normal, and how even a simple phone call to check on relatives can be risky when you assume someone is listening. We also get into the parts that are hard for Americans to picture: bans around music and dancing, fear of hospitals after protests, and the way the IRGC’s control shows up in everyday choices.

From there, we zoom out to the bigger questions: why the world ignores certain human rights abuses, what hope looks like for people living under the Islamic Republic, and why many Iranians fear a “ceasefire” if it leaves the same regime in place. We also discuss the Iranian diaspora’s rallies, why you often see American flags there, and what kind of leadership and free elections people are calling for, including mention of Reza Pahlavi.

If you care about media literacy, human rights, Iranian protests, or the real story behind US-Iran tension, this conversation adds the missing human element. Subscribe to the Ben Maynard Program, share this with someone who only knows Iran from TV, and leave a review or a comment with what challenged you most.#tellyourstory #familymatters #realstories #humanrights #iran #womenofiran #standwithiran #freeiran #middleeast

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Van Halen didn’t just get popular, they changed what rock music sounded like when the needle hit the record. Craig Dodge joins me after a year of planning to talk through the David Lee Roth era and why those early records still feel loud, hungry, and unreal decades later. We start with the personal stuff, how we go back to Cub Scouts, how Craig first heard “Jamie’s Cryin’,” and why Van Halen's debut still lands like a musical event rather than just another classic rock album. 

From there, we get into the craft: Eddie Van Halen as a once-in-a-generation composer on guitar, the misconception of calling the band “heavy metal,” and the magic trick Van Halen pulls off by being both heavy and melodic at the same time. We also talk about cover songs, deep cuts, and what it was like seeing the band live on the Women and Children First and Fair Warning tours, plus the real difference between a lead singer and a true frontman. Roth’s voice is only part of the story; his presence, lyrics, and showmanship help explain why the band’s identity hit so hard. 

Then we do the thing every fan loves to argue about: we rank the Roth-era Van Halen albums, from A Different Kind of Truth to 1984, Diver Down, Fair Warning, Women and Children First, Van Halen II, and the debut that started it all. If you care about classic rock, hard rock history, Eddie Van Halen’s influence, or the peak years of Van Halen, this one is for you. Subscribe to the Ben Maynard Program, share it with a friend, and leave a review, then tell us your Roth-era album ranking.

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1976 is having a moment again, and not as a dusty nostalgia trip. We rewind to the albums turning 50 and lay out a practical listening roadmap for anyone who wants to remember what made the 70s album era so powerful or finally understand why these records still dominate classic rock radio, streaming playlists, and vinyl shelves.

We hit the giants and the curveballs: the Doobie Brothers stepping into a new identity with Michael McDonald, Queen expanding their theatrical rock universe on A Day At The Races, and the hard rock spine of the year through AC/DC, Led Zeppelin, and Aerosmith. Along the way, we call out the songs that became lifelong staples, plus the deep cuts that deserve a fresh spin when you’re not relying on the same old greatest-hits loop.

Then we close with a run of debut albums that prove 1976 wasn’t just about established legends. Punk sparks with the Ramones, heartland rock arrives with Tom Petty, The Runaways kick the door open, Johnny Cougar gets his first chapter, and Boston drops one of the biggest debut albums of all time.

If you love classic rock history, 1970s music, and album-by-album recommendations, queue this up, take notes, and tell us what you’re adding to your playlist. Subscribe, rate the show, share it with a friend, and leave a comment with your favorite 1976 album.

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Destroyer turns 50, and I’m not letting that milestone pass quietly. KISS released this album on March 15, 1976, right after KISS Alive! lit the fuse, and you can hear a band going from hungry club monsters to full-on arena legends. I break out the record, the memories, and the little details that made this LP feel larger than life the first time you dropped the needle.

A lot of that “larger” comes from producer Bob Ezrin. I talk about his reputation, his hands-on style, and why his choices changed the sound of KISS forever: the cinematic intro to Detroit Rock City, the ominous stomp of God Of Thunder, and the orchestration that turns Beth into a moment. I also get into the deep-fan stuff, like Destroyer Resurrected, the “doing 95” lyric tweak, and the Sweet Pain guitar solo story that still makes people argue.

Then we go full vinyl-nerd. The Ken Kelly cover art, the inner sleeve, the KISS Army insert, and even that weird hidden “Rock And Roll Party” tag after Do You Love Me. Finally, I rank every track from nine to one and explain why my opinions have shifted over the years, even if the album still feels dynamite when it’s hitting just right.

Subscribe to the Ben Maynard Program, share it with a fellow KISS fan, leave a five-star rating, and drop your own Destroyer ranking in the comments.

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The last 20 minutes are the part I can’t fully remember and that’s exactly why we’re talking about it. After our “drunk show” ended abruptly, I went back and watched the footage, and what I saw was a clean, uncomfortable lesson in how fast alcohol can flip the switch on judgment, memory, and basic safety. If you’ve ever said “I’m fine,” or if you’ve ever tried to squeeze a long night of drinking into a short window, this story lands differently. 

We break down what happened, why it happened, and what it felt like afterward including waking up outside, feeling off the next day, and realizing that recovery changes with age. We also get real about binge drinking: eleven shots over two hours and twenty minutes is not a joke timeline, and alcohol metabolism varies wildly depending on body size, hydration, food, and individual tolerance. That variability is why “I can handle it” is never a reliable plan. 

I also share the behind-the-scenes frustration of trying to bring in outside voices like law enforcement and MADD to support the drunk driving prevention message, and why we decided the public service announcement still needs to be said out loud. We close with clear, practical harm reduction: designate a sober driver, use a ride share, plan your transportation, or choose not to drink at all. If this hit home, subscribe, share it with a friend who needs it, and leave a review so more people hear the message.

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How many drinks does it take before you swear you’re fine, even when your body is clearly not? We put that question on a timer and a breathalyzer, turning a Friday night live hang into a public service experiment with real numbers, real impairment, and a hard line about never driving after drinking.

Ben runs “Drunk Show Part Deux” the only way that makes sense: shots on a strict 10 minute schedule, frequent BAC checks, and constant reminders that confidence is not competence. You’ll hear the breathalyzer readings climb from 0.00 into the danger zone, including crossing the 0.08 legal limit and pushing beyond 0.10, while the conversation stays focused on responsible drinking, DUI risk, and the simple choices that save lives.

Along the way, friend and guest Larry Reedy drops in to talk podcasts, whiskey, and the kind of community projects that keep you out of trouble. Back in studio, we get practical about drunk driving prevention: designated drivers, Uber and Lyft, why BAC can keep rising after you stop, and how tools like ignition interlock devices fit into enforcement.

Then we take it outside for a field sobriety test, including eye tracking and balance tests, and the results are exactly why “just a couple” can turn into a terrible decision. If you care about safe nights out, hit play, share this with a friend who “drives better buzzed,” and leave a review letting us know your personal rule for getting home safely.

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Three things collided this week: desert heat, a driverless ride that actually worked, and a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame ballot that begged for a verdict. After a two-day run at Phoenix’s Extra Innings Music Festival, we came home with sunburned shoulders, a camera roll of Waymo selfies, and a sharper filter for what makes a set soar and a Hall candidate stick. Bret Michaels fired the opener like a pro, Dierks Bentley won over a skeptic with tight musicianship, and Luke Bryan closed with polish. Day two veered into debate territory: Shaboozey’s mash-up energy sparked mixed reactions, Hardy’s metal-leaning blast and gratuitous profanity lost the plot for me, and Kane Brown’s showmanship rallied the crowd. Somewhere between the stages, the real innovation was the commute—Waymo saved the night when rideshares choked, cheaper and calmer than the cab crush.

Then we get to the main event: a full, no-spin look at the Rock Hall nominees and the blurry edges of “rock.” We run the entire list—Mariah Carey, Phil Collins, the Black Crowes, INXS, Iron Maiden, Oasis, Wu-Tang Clan, Shakira, Sade, Lauryn Hill, Billy Idol, Jeff Buckley, Pink, New Edition, Joy Division/New Order, Luther Vandross, and more—and use a simple test: did rock radio ever truly claim them? It’s not perfect, but it grounds a larger story about how the genre evolved from Elvis and Little Richard to the Beatles, Zeppelin, and the arena era without losing its core. With Spaz home sick, he still sends his five: Phil Collins, INXS, Iron Maiden, the Black Crowes, Oasis. I lock in four of those and sub in Billy Idol, making the case for Collins’ towering solo career, INXS’s MTV-era dominance, Maiden’s global influence, the Crowes’ long, soulful run, and Idol’s enduring catalog with Steve Stevens in tow.

We don’t stop there. The snubs are loud: Boston’s studio revolution, Thin Lizzy’s twin-guitar blueprint, Styx and REO’s arena proof, J. Geils’ live fire, Meat Loaf and Jim Steinman’s operatic stamp, and the early rock legacy of Neil Sedaka. Agree? Furious? Tell us. Drop your five inductees and your most criminal omissions in the comments, then set a reminder: The Drunk Show goes live at 6 p.m. on March 13. Subscribe, hit the bell, share with a friend, and leave a five-star review if you dig the show. Your ballot starts now—who’s in and why?

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I also welcome your comments. email: [email protected]