A History of Rock Music in 500 Songs cover art

A History of Rock Music in 500 Songs

A History of Rock Music in 500 Songs

By: Andrew Hickey
Listen for free

Summary

Andrew Hickey presents a history of rock music from 1938 to 1999, looking at five hundred songs that shaped the genre.© 2021 A History of Rock Music in 500 Songs Music Social Sciences World
Episodes
  • Song 183: “Pinball Wizard” by the Who, Part 2: “His Disciples Lead Him In”
    Mar 22 2026

    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 quite the same part as Pete Townshend is playing on the records, because my arthritis is affecting my hands.

    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 “Pinball Wizard” by The Who. Click the full post to read liner notes, links to more information, and a transcript of the episode.

    Patreon backers also have an forty-eight-minute bonus episode available, on “Time of the Season” by the Zombies.

    Tilt Araiza has assisted invaluably by editing, and will hopefully be doing so from now on. Check out Tilt’s irregular podcasts at http://www.podnose.com/jaffa-cakes-for-proust and http://sitcomclub.com/

    (more…)

    Show More Show Less
    2 hrs and 4 mins
  • Song 183: “Pinball Wizard” by the Who, part 1: Always Playing Clean
    Feb 12 2026

    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 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 “Pinball Wizard” by The Who. Click the full post to read liner notes, links to more information, and a transcript of the episode.

    Patreon backers also have an eighty-two-minute bonus episode available, on “Father and Son” by Cat Stevens.

    Tilt Araiza has assisted invaluably by editing, and will hopefully be doing so from now on. Check out Tilt’s irregular podcasts at http://www.podnose.com/jaffa-cakes-for-proust and http://sitcomclub.com/

    (more…)

    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 45 mins
  • Song 182: “Many Rivers to Cross” by Jimmy Cliff
    Dec 18 2025

    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 episode.

    Patreon backers also have a sixty-seven-minute bonus episode available, on “Return of Django” by the Upsetters.

    Tilt Araiza has assisted invaluably by editing, and will hopefully be doing so from now on. Check out Tilt’s irregular podcasts at http://www.podnose.com/jaffa-cakes-for-proust and http://sitcomclub.com/.

    (more…)

    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 50 mins
adbl_web_anon_alc_button_suppression_c
All stars
Most relevant
Delivery style and impartial information sharing. The story telling is always concise and to the point.

Cannot put into words how much I'm enjoying this podcast. Absolute pleasure to listen to and I'm learning so much.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

this is a definitive account of how all these great songs came about and the influences that led to them - fantastic to listen to

A DEFINITIVE History....

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

An absolutely fascinating, detailed and revealing look into the music that shaped our lives and culture. Just brilliant. One of the best podcasts out there.

An encyclopedia of rock music

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

Andrew writes in detail, thoughtfulness, and with a real passion for the song and artist he focuses on. I love this podcast. Thank you. Christopher Santini

A must listen for music fans

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

Listened to the Led Zeppelin, MC5 and Velvet Underground episodes. I considered myself well informed previously but there is much more and Andrew Hickey has researched his subject matter superbly. Particularly liked some of the demo version extracts he provides across the board but particularly the Velvets tracks. Well worth listening to - 5 stars every time.

Outstanding!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.