Podcasts · Music · Society & Culture

A History of Rock Music in 500 Songs

Andrew Hickey

261 episodes

Andrew Hickey presents a history of rock music from 1938 to 1999, looking at five hundred songs that shaped the genre.

Episodes page 1 of 6

  1. Song 186: “Frownland” by Captain Beefheart and His Magic Band

    · 2 h 41 min

    This episode is on “Frownland” by Captain Beefheart and His Magic Band, and is the third part of a trilogy following the episodes on the GTOs and Frank Zappa. Click the full post to read liner notes, links to more…

  2. Song 185: “Peaches En Regalia” by Frank Zappa

    · 2 h 39 min

    This episode follows on from the episode on the GTOs. These two make up two parts of a three-part story, and I’m hoping to have part three, on Captain Beefheart, up before the end of the month. This episode is on…

  3. Teaser Trailer: It’s a Superpower??

    · 2:19 · Trailer

    Some of you will have seen me talk in the past about a site called The Daily Tism, a satirical news site by and for autistic people which is run by some friends of mine, and which I’ve written the odd piece for.…

  4. Song 184: “The Captain’s Fat Theresa Shoes” by the GTOs

    · 1 h 30 min

    This episode took longer than normal to come up because, as you’ll see from the episode itself, I’m releasing it simultaneously with the next episode, on Frank Zappa. These two make up two parts of a three-part story,…

  5. Song 183: “Pinball Wizard” by the Who, Part 2: “His Disciples Lead Him In”

    · 2 h 04 min

    Apologies for the delay in posting this episode — health issues have continued to affect me. They *seem* to be improving, but I should also mention here that some of the guitar demonstrations in this episode are not…

  6. Song 183: “Pinball Wizard” by the Who, part 1: Always Playing Clean

    · 1 h 45 min

    Apologies for the delay in posting this episode — I had a chronic illness flare-up and a frankly awful January. With luck, part two of this story will be up before the end of February. For those who haven’t heard the…

  7. Song 182: “Many Rivers to Cross” by Jimmy Cliff

    · 1 h 50 min

    This episode, we look at the song “Many Rivers to Cross”, the birth of reggae, and the career of the late Jimmy Cliff. Click the full post to read liner notes, links to more information, and a transcript of the…

  8. Song 181: “Proud Mary” by Creedence Clearwater Revival

    This episode, we look at the song “Proud Mary” and the brief but productive career of Creedence Clearwater Revival. Click the full post to read liner notes, links to more information, and a transcript of the episode.…

  9. Song 180: “Dazed and Confused” by Led Zeppelin, Part Two — “Inspiration is What You Are to Me”

    For those who haven’t heard the announcement I posted, songs from this point on will sometimes be split among multiple episodes, so this is the second part of a two-episode look at the song “Dazed and Confused” by Led…

  10. Song 180: “Dazed and Confused” by Led Zeppelin, Part One, The Song Remains the Same

    For those who haven’t heard the announcement I posted, songs from this point on will sometimes be split among multiple episodes, so this is the first part of a two-episode look at the song “Dazed and Confused” by Led…

  11. PLEDGE WEEK: “Light Flight” by Pentangle

    Erratum: At one point here I say “Cannonball Adderley” when I mean “Nat Adderley”. This episode is part of Pledge Week 2025. For five days this week, I will be posting old Patreon bonus episodes to the main feed to…

  12. PLEDGE WEEK: “Fruit Tree” by Nick Drake

    This episode is part of Pledge Week 2025. For five days this week, I will be posting old Patreon bonus episodes to the main feed to encourage people to subscribe to my Patreon. If you want more of these, and only if…

  13. PLEDGE WEEK: “Living in the Past” by Jethro Tull

    This episode is part of Pledge Week 2025. For five days this week, I will be posting old Patreon bonus episodes to the main feed to encourage people to subscribe to my Patreon. If you want more of these, and only if…

  14. PLEDGE WEEK: “Pictures of Matchstick Men” by The Status Quo

    This episode is part of Pledge Week 2025. For five days this week, I will be posting old Patreon bonus episodes to the main feed to encourage people to subscribe to my Patreon. If you want more of these, and only if…

  15. PLEDGE WEEK: “La conferencia secreta del Toto’s Bar” by Los Shakers

    This episode is part of Pledge Week 2025. For five days this week, I will be posting old Patreon bonus episodes to the main feed to encourage people to subscribe to my Patreon. If you want more of these, and only if…

  16. Announcing Pledge Week 2025

    · Bonus

    Transcript It’s that time of year again, the time that regular listeners have come to know as Pledge Week, where for five days (this time from Tuesday through Saturday, because I had a migraine yesterday when I should…

  17. Song 179: “Kick Out the Jams” by the MC5 (Public Clean Version)

    This episode, we look at the song “Kick Out the Jams” by the MC5, and the brief career of the most revolutionary guitar band of the sixties. Click the full post to read liner notes, links to more information, and a…

  18. Song 178: “Who Knows Where the Time Goes?” by Fairport Convention, Part Two: “I Have no Thought of Time”

    For those who haven’t heard the announcement I posted, songs from this point on will sometimes be split among multiple episodes, so this is the second part of a two-episode look at the song “Who Knows Where The Time…

  19. Song 178: “Who Knows Where The Time Goes?” by Fairport Convention, Part One, Going Electric

    For those who haven’t heard the announcement I posted, songs from this point on will sometimes be split among multiple episodes, so this is the first part of a two-episode look at the song “Who Knows Where The Time…

  20. Song 177: “Never Learn Not to Love” by the Beach Boys, Part 4: “Sometimes I Have A Great Notion”

    For those who haven’t heard the announcement I posted, songs from this point on will sometimes be split among multiple episodes, so this is the third and final (and very, very long) part of a multi-episode look at the…

  21. Song 177: “Never Learn Not to Love” by the Beach Boys, Part 3: “Mister, Can You Give Me Some Direction?”

    For those who haven’t heard the announcement I posted, songs from this point on will sometimes be split among multiple episodes, so this is the third part of a multi-episode look at the song “Never Learn Not to Love”…

  22. Song 177: “Never Learn Not to Love” by the Beach Boys, Part Two — “Is it True What They Say About Dixie?”

    For those who haven’t heard the announcement I posted, songs from this point on will sometimes be split among multiple episodes, so this is the second part of a multi-episode look at the song “Never Learn Not to Love”…

  23. Next Episode Coming Soon

    · Trailer

    This is just to let people know that there is a better than usual reason for the longer than normal delay in the next episode. I was about to record it early last week, when checking a minor detail I discovered a book…

  24. Song 177: “Never Learn Not to Love” by the Beach Boys, Part One, Old Folks at Home

    For those who haven’t heard the announcement I posted , songs from this point on will sometimes be split among multiple episodes, so this is the first part of a multi-episode look at the song “Never Learn Not to Love”…

  25. Song 176, “Sympathy for the Devil” by the Rolling Stones, part 4: “Who Breaks a Butterfly?””

    For those who haven’t heard the announcement I posted , songs from this point on will sometimes be split among multiple episodes, so this is the fourth and final part of a multi-episode look at the song “Sympathy for…

  26. Song 176, “Sympathy for the Devil” by the Rolling Stones, part 3: “Every Cop is a Criminal and All the Sinners Saints”

    For those who haven’t heard the announcement I posted , songs from this point on will sometimes be split among multiple episodes, so this is the third part of a multi-episode look at the song “Sympathy for the Devil”…

  27. Song 176: “Sympathy for the Devil” by the Rolling Stones, part 2: Traps for Troubadours

    For those who haven’t heard the announcement I posted , songs from this point on will sometimes be split among multiple episodes, so this is the second part of a multi-episode look at the song “Sympathy for the Devil”…

  28. Song 176: “Sympathy for the Devil” by the Rolling Stones, Part One: A Man of Wealth and Taste

    For those who haven’t heard the announcement I posted , songs from this point on will sometimes be split among multiple episodes, so this is the first part of a multi-episode look at the song “Sympathy for the Devil”…

  29. PLEDGE WEEK: “Dark End of the Street” by James Carr

    This episode is part of Pledge Week 2024. From Tuesday through Saturday this week I’m posting some of my old Patreon bonuses to the main feed, as a taste of what Patreon backers get. If you enjoy them, why not…

  30. PLEDGE WEEK: “I Love You” by People

    This episode is part of Pledge Week 2024. From Tuesday through Saturday this week I’m posting some of my old Patreon bonuses to the main feed, as a taste of what Patreon backers get. If you enjoy them, why not…

  31. PLEDGE WEEK: “Son of a Preacher Man” by Dusty Springfield

    This episode is part of Pledge Week 2024. From Tuesday through Saturday this week I’m posting some of my old Patreon bonuses to the main feed, as a taste of what Patreon backers get. If you enjoy them, why not…

  32. PLEDGE WEEK: “My World Fell Down” by Sagittarius

    This episode is part of Pledge Week 2024. From Tuesday through Saturday this week I’m posting some of my old Patreon bonuses to the main feed, as a taste of what Patreon backers get. If you enjoy them, why not…

  33. PLEDGE WEEK: “A Whiter Shade of Pale” by Procol Harum

    This episode is part of Pledge Week 2024. From Tuesday through Saturday this week I’m posting some of my old Patreon bonuses to the main feed, as a taste of what Patreon backers get. If you enjoy them, why not…

  34. ANNOUNCEMENT: Pledge Week 2024

    · Trailer

    An announcement of this year’s pledge week. To sign up to the Patreon, visit http://patreon.com/andrewhickey Transcript Welcome to Pledge Week 2024. For those who don’t know — perhaps you’ve only recently started…

  35. Song 175: “Everyday People” by Sly and the Family Stone Part 2, “My Own Beliefs Are In My Song”

    For those who haven’t heard the announcement I posted , songs from this point on will sometimes be split among multiple episodes, so this is the first part of a two-episode look at the song “Everyday People”. This…

  36. Song 175: “Everyday People” by Sly and the Family Stone Part 1 Different Strokes For Different Folks

    For those who haven’t heard the announcement I posted , songs from this point on will sometimes be split among multiple episodes, so this is the first part of a two-episode look at the song “Everyday People”. This week…

  37. Song 174B: “I Heard it Through the Grapevine” Part Two, “It Takes Two”

    For those who haven’t heard the announcement I posted , songs from this point on will sometimes be split among multiple episodes, so this is the second part of a two-episode look at the song “I Heard it Through the…

  38. Song 174A: “I Heard it Through the Grapevine” Part One, “If At First You Don’t Succeed…”

    For those who haven’t heard the announcement I posted , songs from this point on will sometimes be split among multiple episodes, so this is the first part of a two-episode look at the song “I Heard it Through the…

  39. An Alert: Someone Plagiarising Me

    · Bonus

    Transcript The next proper episode will be up in a couple of days – I’m recording it tonight – but I just wanted to make a brief announcement. It has recently been brought to my attention that the French language…

  40. Song 173: “All Along the Watchtower” Part Two, The Hour is Getting Late

    For those who haven’t heard the announcement I posted , songs from this point on will sometimes be split among multiple episodes, so this is the second part of a two-episode look at the song “All Along the Watchtower”.…

  41. Song 173: “All Along the Watchtower”, Part One: “He’s Not the Messiah”

    For those who haven’t heard the announcement I posted , songs from this point on will sometimes be split among multiple episodes, so this is the first of a two-episode look at the song “All Along the Watchtower”. This…

  42. Song 172, Hickory Wind by the Byrds: Part 4, Hour of Darkness

    For those who haven’t heard the announcement I just posted , songs from this point on will sometimes be split among multiple episodes, so this is the fourth and final part of a four-episode look at the Byrds in 1966-69…

  43. Song 172, Hickory Wind by the Byrds: Part 3, The Parsons Tale

    For those who haven’t heard the announcement I just posted , songs from this point on will sometimes be split among multiple episodes, so this is the third part of a four-episode look at the Byrds in 1966-69 and the…

  44. Song 172, “Hickory Wind” by the Byrds: Part Two, Of Submarines and Second Generations

    For those who haven’t heard the announcement I just posted , songs from this point on will sometimes be split among multiple episodes, so this is the second part of a multi-episode look at the Byrds in 1966-69 and the…

  45. Song 172, “Hickory Wind” by the Byrds: Part One, Ushering in a New Dimension

    For those who haven’t heard the announcement I just posted , songs from this point on will sometimes be split among multiple episodes, so this is the first part of a multi-episode look at the Byrds in 1966-69 and the…

  46. Announcement Regarding Schedule

    · Bonus

    This is just a brief announcement. The fact that I’ve released stuff so inconsistently over the last year, along with the last episode being so long that it actually caused problems for Tilt’s editing softwaere has…

  47. Episode 171: “Hey Jude” by the Beatles

    · Episode 172

    Episode 171 looks at “Hey Jude”, the White Album, and the career of the Beatles from August 1967 through November 1968. Click the full post to read liner notes, links to more information, and a transcript of the…

  48. Episode 170: “Astral Weeks” by Van Morrison

    · Episode 170

    Episode 170 of A History of Rock Music in Five Hundred Songs looks at “Astral Weeks”, the early solo career of Van Morrison, and the death of Bert Berns. Click the full post to read liner notes, links to more…

  49. Episode 169: “Piece of My Heart” by Big Brother and the Holding Company

    · Episode 169

    Episode 169 of A History of Rock Music in Five Hundred Songs looks at “Piece of My Heart” and the short, tragic life of Janis Joplin. Click the full post to read liner notes, links to more information, and a transcript…

  50. Episode 168: “I Say a Little Prayer” by Aretha Franklin

    · Episode 168

    Episode 168 of A History of Rock Music in Five Hundred Songs looks at “I Say a Little Prayer”, and the interaction of the sacred, political, and secular in Aretha Franklin's life and work. Click the full post to read…

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