Best Cbgb Podcasts (2025)

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Ep. 57 - Punk and New Wave at New York's CBGB 41:17

Play Pause

27d ago41:17

41:17

Television. The Ramones. Patti Smith. The Talking Heads. Blondie. These bands and more used the iconic club, CBGB, as their proving ground, giving rise to punk and new wave rock. The environment might have been dicey, but hey, what's a few weird smells and maybe a rat or two when you have the chance to listen to some of the most unique live music t…

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Ep. 56 - Talk Shows of the 1970s 53:35

3M ago53:35

53:35

Americans watched a lot of television in the 70s and talk shows were among the most popular shows to watch. Talk shows were the true intersection of music, politics, and culture. This episode will examine some of the most popular talk shows of the 70s including "Dinah!" "The Mike Douglas Show," and, of course, "The Tonight Show" with Johnny Carson.…

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Ep. 55: Heartland Rock is about More than the Heartland 46:37

5M ago46:37

46:37

The heartland is an American region, but heartland rock is not regional. In fact, it can be argued that it is more of a culture than a sub-genre of rock. This episode discusses the origins of heartland rock and the themes that attracted fans to it, which are far more universal than record companies and music executives of the 70s and 80s would have…

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FTR70 Sound Bite: Remembering Sly Stone 7:38

6M ago7:38

7:38

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Ep. 54: Into the 80s! What Came Next for 70s Heavy Metal? 46:23

7M ago46:23

46:23

How did heavy metal change from the 70s to the 80s? This episode examines the birth of "hair metal" and how, for a short but LOUD period of time, heavy metal was one of the most popular genres in American music. Bands such as Quiet Riot, Def Leppard, and even Van Halen benefitted from widespread exposure on MTV as the visual aspect of a band's imag…

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Ep. 53 - More than Charley Pride: African Americans in 70s Country 42:30

8M ago42:30

42:30

The roots of country music are black and white. So, why do most people think of country as a white person's genre? This episode considers answers to that question and examines the contributions that African American artists made to country music in the 1970s.By Amy Lively

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Ep. 52 - 70s Christmas Music 37:45

12M ago37:45

37:45

It isn't easy to write an original Christmas song that stands the test of the time, but artists of the 70s gave us several, such as "Feliz Navidad" by Jose Feliciano and "Step into Christmas" by Elton John. These songs, combined with some iconic covers, added a wide variety of Christmas music created in the 70s to the holiday song canon.…

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Ep. 51 - The Softer Side of 70s Rock 45:29

1y ago45:29

45:29

Rock critics may have hated it but millions of music fans loved so-called "soft rock." This episode examines possible theories for this genre's popularity and makes the case that this "safer" version of rock music may have actually been an expansion of it that is still part of popular music. *Fans of this podcast should also check out "For the Reco…

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Ep. 3 - Nostalgia, Race, and Rebels in 70s Southern Rock (Encore) 38:26

1+ y ago38:26

38:26

Southern rock from bands such as the Allman Brothers and Lynyrd Skynyrd was not just loved by Americans from the South. Southern rock has broad appeal. For many white southerners, though, this form of rock tapped into a desire for nostalgia, rebellion, and a reclaiming of the South as a distinct region. This episode discusses the question of how we…

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Ep. 2: Countryish Music of the 1970s (Encore) 32:47

1+ y ago32:47

32:47

How and why did artists such as John Denver and Olivia Newton-John upset the country music establishment in the 1970s? Country radio has created the country music sound it has wanted since Elvis and rock and roll began to lure away its customers. This was not pleasing to country music purists in the 1970s. This episode discusses why more people beg…

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Ep. 1: Disco Doesn't Suck (Encore) 46:36

1+ y ago46:36

46:36

Disco and the 70s had a love-hate relationship. This episode examines who hated disco and why, as well as why it thrived in the underground until radio and the movie, "Saturday Night Fever," helped bring disco into the mainstream.By Amy Lively

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Ep. 50 - The Travolta Trilogy 48:45

1+ y ago48:45

48:45

In just over a two-year span as the 1970s marched on toward the 1980s, John Travolta starred in three cultural touchstone movies: "Saturday Night Fever" (released on December 12, 1977), "Grease" (released on June 16, 1978), and "Urban Cowboy" (released on June 6, 1980). This episode examines the cultural significance of those films, the music in th…

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Ep. 49 - Austin City Limits and the 70s Country Music Revolution 43:41

1+ y ago43:41

43:41

In 1974, a local Austin PBS station aired the first episode of "Austin City Limits" and, with that, took the first step to showing the entire country how Austin, Texas celebrated and encouraged experimentation with country music. One of the founders of the show carried a business card that described the show's music as "free form country folk rock …

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Ep. 48 - The "Worst" of the 70s? The Music of 1974 43:53

1+ y ago43:53

43:53

The year 1974 shoulder much of the blame for the so-called worst music of not only the 1970s, but the worst of all time. Is this true? While we know that 1974 had much good to offer, is it true that it also had the worst of the worst? If so, does it matter. This episode takes a closer look at some songs considered the all-time worst, including "Sea…

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Ep. 47 - Dick Clark's Entertainment Empire 52:47

2y ago52:47

52:47

Did you watch television in the 70s? If so, it was highly likely that you watched something that was created or produced by Dick Clark. The centerpiece of his entertainment empire was "American Bandstand," but there was more than that, including "New Year's Rockin' Eve" and "The 25,000 Pyramid." Clark was concerned about his legacy and this episode…

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Ep. 46 - The Chaos and Music of the Ozark Music Festival of 1974 48:44

2y ago48:44

48:44

What could possibly happen to make a music festival be tagged as "3 Days of Sodom and Gomorrah?" How about toilets on fire? Drugs being sold as openly as sex? Young rock fans strolling naked through the streets of Sedalia, Missouri as they ditched their clothing to cope with the summer heat? Yes, all this and more descended on this small Missouri t…

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Ep. 45 - Oh, Canada! Canada's Rock Music Industry in the 70s 51:51

2+ y ago51:51

51:51

In the 1970s, it was not easy for Canadians to produce and distribute music that would be widely received by American or Canadian audiences. Their was the issue of cost and, maybe even more importantly, the issue of credibility. Canada's content laws made radio listeners skeptical about the bands they heard and whether they were "good," which tende…

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Ep. 44 - Streaking, Werewolves, Sharks, & Drinking: 70s Novelty Songs 50:20

2+ y ago50:20

50:20

There is no single type of novelty song, although they all have something that distinguishes them. Sometimes it is the topic and sometimes it is the format, but a novelty song that endures should also be a good piece of music. Novelty songs were popular in the 1970s and this episode examines some of the most popular ones, including "Spiders and Sna…

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Ep. 43 - Music and The Kent State Massacre of May 4, 1970 50:52

2+ y ago50:52

50:52

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Ep. 42 - Rock Operas of the 70s 47:15

3y ago47:15

47:15

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Ep. 41 - The Impact of The Troubadour on 1970s Popular Culture 50:16

3y ago50:16

50:16

Is it possible that the combination of the live music and the community that was created at The Troubadour in Los Angeles can ever be replicated? There are few clubs that have the cultural impact that The Troub had on 70s popular culture. This episode examines a wide spectrum of artists, of both the music and comedic variety, that saw The Troubadou…

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Ep. 40 - Honestly Loving Olivia Newton-John 46:54

3y ago46:54

46:54

After Olivia Newton-John died, her broad reach was evident. Tributes poured in from all corners of the entertainment world. Even at the music festival for the late Taylor Hawkins in September, organized by his friend and Foo Fighters bandmate, Dave Grohl, there Livvy was, her smiling face on the drum kit. is impossible to imagine pop culture of the…

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Ep. 39 - American Top 40: Keeping Our Feet on the Ground and Reaching for the Stars (Part 1) 43:09

3+ y ago43:09

43:09

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Ep. 3 - Nostalgia, Race, and Rebels in 70s Southern Rock 44:24

3+ y ago44:24

44:24

Southern rock from bands such as the Allman Brothers and Lynyrd Skynyrd was not just loved by Americans from the South. Southern rock had broad appeal. For many white southerners, though, this form of rock tapped into a desire for nostalgia, rebellion, and reclaiming the South as a distinct region. The 1970s was a time when regional distinctions in…