Best Creative Geniuses Network Podcasts (2026)

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FROM THE VAULT: The Iconic 80s Album That Almost Didn’t Happen 25:21

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1h ago25:21

25:21

Despite its eventual historic significance, there was a moment when the band’s iconic lead singer contemplated scrapping one of the greatest albums ever recorded, because he had second thoughts about the quality of the record. The story of what led to the creation of U2’s astonishing achievement The Joshua Tree NEXT on Professor of Rock. See Privac…

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How to Set Goals You’ll Actually Keep (The Science-Backed System to Achieve Anything) 23:52

1d ago23:52

23:52

Your goals don’t fail because you’re lazy. They fail because your brain doesn’t know what to do next. In this episode of the Kwik Brain podcast, I break down a brain-friendly goal system that turns motivation into follow-through, even if you’re busy, overwhelmed, or you’ve already fallen off track before. Your brain doesn’t act on vague intentions.…

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She Quit Her Job to Start a TV Network | Here's What Happened 1:11:36

21h ago1:11:36

1:11:36

From Media Icon to Creative CEO: Jaleah's Entrepreneurial Journey In this episode of Minding My Creative Business podcast, hosts Ron and ShySpeaks sit down with Jaleah Davis, a self-proclaimed media icon, to discuss her inspiring journey from eighth grade media enthusiast to a successful entrepreneur. Jaleah opens up about her ventures including he…

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90s Rock Survival Stories: One-Hit Wonders, Scandals & Comebacks 37:36

23h ago37:36

37:36

Coming up, some perfect songs that came out during the great downturn in mainstream music when rock was becoming extinct including Everlong, the greatest rock song of the last 30 years by Dave Grohl, a man who was in the shadow of one of the most revered frontmen in history, but he stepped out of the background and shocked the world with a one man …

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Neil Diamond’s Most Personal Song Faced Brutal Mockery—Here’s the True Story 19:31

2d ago19:31

19:31

Coming up the story of a classic song from one of our most precious singer-songwriters who has a debilitating disease and won’t be with us much longer… the great Neil Diamond. We hope for a miracle, but for the time being, we can celebrate his genius as one of the most beloved icons of the 60s 70s and 80s. Today we honor his classic song "I am... I…

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Taboo Songs: The Most Controversial Tracks in Music History 33:54

3d ago33:54

33:54

Today we're returning to our Taboo Songs countdown, where we cover the most controversial tracks that either sparked outrage back in their day or that some modern audiences have tried to cancel…We’ve done many episodes on this and it’s become one of our most popular series. So today we’re at it again. And this time around, we’re turning up the heat…

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The Dire Straits Album That Tore the Knopfler Brothers Apart 22:06

4d ago22:06

22:06

It’s a fact today’s band Dire Straits was a revelation when they first came out in the 70s…They interrupted disco and took radio hostage with a throwback rock sound that was completely their own, thanks to their versatile singer-guitarist. But after a spectacular debut, their sophomore album was a failure; it faltered on the charts, and they were b…

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Who Are the Last True Musical Geniuses? A Deep Dive with Rick Beato 32:27

5d ago32:27

32:27

Coming up, the final part of my deep dive conversation with Rick Beato. This time we talk about the most underrated band of all-time, as well as the catchiest song of the last 40 years, and the band from yesteryear that is having the most impact on our kids, and discuss the oft-sighted term musical genius, and who are the last musical geniuses on t…

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Justin Hawkins Talks Classic Rock, Stadium Hits, and Bizarre Copyright Claims 39:58

6d ago39:58

39:58

Coming up next, a collaboration with another one of my favorite YouTubers. A famous rockstar and one of the funniest guys in music, it's Justin Hawkins. We connected when he toured through Salt Lake City with The Darkness, and we had a great hang, discussing everything from our personal interactions with Corey Feldman to bonding over getting copyri…

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How Elite Athletes Perform Under Extreme Pressure 31:48

8d ago31:48

31:48

with @LairdLife @GabbyReece @AriannaSimpson Today's episode features two people who’ve spent their careers performing at the highest levels in sport and business: big-wave surfing pioneer Laird Hamilton and former pro volleyball star Gabby Reece. They join a16z crypto General Partner Arianna Simpson for a conversation that explores what it takes to…

51
How to Become Limitless in the New Year 16:02

8d ago16:02

16:02

In this episode of the Kwik Brain Podcast, I break down a simple but powerful framework to help you become truly limitless in the new year. Not by pushing harder. Not by chasing motivation. But by upgrading how you learn, focus, think, and act. I walk you through my LIMITLESS method step by step so you can stop repeating the same patterns and start…

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Test of Time: James Taylor, Led Zeppelin, and the True Top 40 of 1970 32:41

8d ago32:41

32:41

Coming up, we're relaunching and rebranding a series that we used to feature as a regular entry on the channel… The Hit Song Redux. WE USED TO TRAVEL BACK to the golden era of rock to count down the top 10 hits from THIS SAME WEEK, AND THEN AFTER THE SHOW, WE’D TELL YOU what the real top 10 was based on how much the world has listened to them since…

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FROM THE VAULT: Paul McCartney vs. John Lennon: The War of Words After The Beatles’ Breakup 23:40

8d ago23:40

23:40

Coming up, we’re telling the tale of a misunderstood sibling rivalry between Paul McCartney and John Lennon. We’re talking two legendary singer-songwriters who were the driving engines behind one of Music’s most legendary bands The Beatles… until it all fell apart. And yeah, it was one hell of a fallout. And that’s where we’re going with today’s ep…

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How “Last Christmas” Became a Holiday Hit—Decades After Missing #1 22:56

9d ago22:56

22:56

Coming up next a video that we tried to release 2 years ago. It was up for a bit but got claims. Then we tried to put it up again last year, and the same thing happened before we could even release it. So we made some adjustments, but due to its subject and its history of trouble, we will only have it up for a short time. But let’s see if it stays …

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Talk Talk’s “It’s My Life”: A Brilliant Hit from a Reclusive Genius 21:26

9d ago21:26

21:26

Coming up, we are about to discuss one of the catchiest songs of the 80s. It's My Life by Talk Talk. One that makes the hair on your neck stand on end. But it came from a genius reclusive artist, Marc Hollis, who didn’t want the limelight. He played the game as best he could, but was miserable doing it. He should’ve had dozens of hits, but It's My …

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The One Word That Ends Leadership Overwhelm for New Managers 24:33

12d ago24:33

24:33

Overwhelmed as a manager? Leadership doesn't have to feel this heavy. Desiree Petrich shares one mindset shift to release pressure, beat burnout, and lead with clarity + energy into 2026 Last week we unpacked the 15 Commitments of Conscious Leadership. Today? We close the year simpler: one word to lighten your load as a new manager. If leadership f…

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Christmas Special: How “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” Became a Multi-Decade #1 Hit 34:42

12d ago34:42

34:42

MERRY CHRISTMAS! Professor of Rock is celebrating with another stellar classic from the vault. The in-depth story of one of the biggest selling singles of all time. The only 80s song to hit #1 four different times … Do They Know It’s Christmas by Band Aid was put tother by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure to fight starvation in africa. Geldof saw the famin…

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Christmas Eve Special: Johnny Mathis on “Chances Are” and His Timeless Christmas Classics 15:52

13d ago15:52

15:52

Merry Christmas Eve from Professor for Rock! Today, we revisit an absolute POR classic; a special gift for you from our friend the 3rd biggest selling male artist of the 20th century behind only Elvis Presley and Frank Sinatra… He tells the story behind his classic Christmas record as well as the magical story behind his #1 hit Chances Are! The fir…

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What, How & Why We're Reading 1:19:50

14d ago1:19:50

1:19:50

with @smc90 @rhackett @stephbzinn @Tim_Org In a now-annual tradition, the a16z crypto editorial team discuss themes (and picks) from a16z crypto's latest reading lists, as well as books we keep re-reading, childhood favorites, classics, adaptations on adaptations — in book and movie form! — and much more. We cover: What genres are we reading now, h…

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Rick Beato Unplugged: A Deep Dive with Professor of Rock 44:47

14d ago44:47

44:47

A few weeks ago, I told you that I had a special gift for you this Christmas, and it’s a few days early. The most requested video in the history of my channel: a Rick Beat dit down. Over the history of my channel, I've had thousands upon thousands of requests asking for this video. I don’t know what you’d call it… Some have called it a crossover. S…

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The Greatest Forgotten Hits of the ’70s and ’80s 30:21

14d ago30:21

30:21

Coming up, it’s time to resurrect some of the greatest hits of the 70s and 80s that were actually huge hits in their time but have been somewhat forgotten in modern times. I’m going to prove why they deserve the Stranger Things treatment, meaning a renaissance in pop culture... including the rock song Midnight Blue that Lou Gramm brought to his ban…

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The Hidden Force Controlling Money, Power and Your Choices 44:37

15d ago44:37

44:37

What if the real power in your life isn’t what you know, but what you know that everyone else knows you know? Money only works because we all believe everyone else believes in it. Governments stand because we assume everyone else will follow the rules. Even love, status, trust, and cancel culture are driven by invisible social agreements that live …

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The Rise and Fall of Blondie: 7 Hits, Then Silence 19:28

16d ago19:28

19:28

Coming up, one of the most perplexing disappearing acts in rock history. Blondie with Debbie Harry defined the late 70s and early 80s and was the face of the musical movement. They were beloved by critics, and they ruled the charts with 7 huge hits in about 3 years. But they weren’t just hits; they defined the era. True masters of hook-laden classi…

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When Weird Al Said No: Sacred Songs He Refused to Skewer 36:27

17d ago36:27

36:27

So what happens when Weird Al, the world's most famous musical comedian—a guy who's made a career out of roasting rock’s biggest acts—completely snubs you? Or give us a short clip of what a full-blown parody might’ve been like, but never turned it into a full song. Today, we're talking missed opportunities… and hidden gems by the king of musical co…

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From Wallets to Super Apps: The Internet's New Interface (with Phantom CEO) 41:15

18d ago41:15

41:15

with @BChillman @jay_drainjr @rhackett Crypto wallets are no longer just wallets. They’re the front door to a decentralized internet. In this episode, Phantom CEO Brandon Millman joins a16z crypto Investment Partner Jay Drain and host Robert Hackett to unpack how crypto wallets are evolving into full-blown consumer finance platforms — and why they …

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The Story Behind “Stacy’s Mom” by Fountains of Wayne – The One-Hit They Hated 20:48

18d ago20:48

20:48

Coming up a famously cerebral band that many think is one of the greatest ever, but they only had one radio hit, and guess what, they HATE IT. They Loathe It. Refuse to perform it, you’ve heard the cliché many times, but there’s a rub with this one. It's a song that spoke to a generation but was never intended to. The Band wrote it as a joke. The g…

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How Leaders Build Genius Teams using Play, Rest, and Ally Mindsets | Tessa Kampen 51:03

19d ago51:03

51:03

You can have the perfect strategy and still have a team that’s disengaged, drained, or stuck. These seven commitments are what actually change culture. In Part 3 of this series, Desiree and Tessa walk through the seven commitments that shape your mindset, energy, and team culture—often more than any strategy ever will. You’ll learn: Zone of Genius …

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David Crosby Unfiltered: The Byrds, CSN, and the Interview That Went Off the Rails 41:41

19d ago41:41

41:41

I shared a video a few months back about the legendary rockstar who walked out of my interview to go eat a burrito. Well, today I have that uncut rollercoaster interview. And as we were prepping it this week, it was funny because the first thing he told me before we even started talking was that I could ask him anything. Well it’s probably the most…

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Hidden Stories of 10 Underrated ’80s Hits by Women of Rock & Pop 35:50

20d ago35:50

35:50

Coming up… a riveting leap back to the ‘80s to celebrate 10 phenomenal songs that don’t get the credit they deserve from some of the greatest female voices ever, including some insane stories behind them. including a Natalie Merchant who was touring a London museum, was suddenly struck by a tingling, then numbness, and searing pain. She would have …

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Top 10 Underrated Rock Tracks of ’79: The Songs That Deserved More 33:23

21d ago33:23

33:23

Sometimes the biggest songs never got their due on the charts. Today we're counting down the Top 10 tracks from 1979 that should have been massive hits but somehow never cracked the Top 40 even though they defined a generation, shaped rock history, and became undeniable classics—And as per usual, we’ve got some crazy stories… like Police frontman S…

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Your Values Determine Your Learning Capacity (How to Transform Your Focus, Memory, and Motivation) 1:11:54

22d ago1:11:54

1:11:54

What if the real reason you struggle to focus, remember what you read, or follow through on your goals has nothing to do with willpower or intelligence and everything to do with your values? In this episode, I sit down with world renowned human behavior expert Dr. John Demartini to explore how your values quietly control what you pay attention to, …

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The Bizarre True Story Behind “Indian Reservation” by Paul Revere and the Raiders 20:27

23d ago20:27

20:27

Coming up next the most insane story of a hit song in the annals of insane stories of hit songs. A famous songwriter John D Loudermilk was allegedly kidnapped by three men while resting in his car waiting out a late-night blizzard. He said he was beaten for three days, and then it got worse when they found out he was a famous songwriter… That’s whe…

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One and Done: 8 Rock Artists Who Lost It All After One Hit 34:49

24d ago34:49

34:49

They had the talent. They had the songs. They had their shot at superstardom. But for these artists, something went off the rails… Dead wrong at exactly the wrong moment—leaving us to wonder what might have been. Today we're counting down eight bands and solo acts who seemed destined for massive, enduring careers… but for reasons ranging from self-…

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How “Crazy on You” Launched Heart: Full Interview with Ann Wilson 1:01:01

25d ago1:01:01

1:01:01

Coming up next… You’ve seen pieces of this interview over the years but here is the uncut full length version with one of the greatest rock vocalists in history. From her formative years to the her legendary years in the 70s to her fall from grace in the early 80s to the comeback in the 80s. and the stories of all the songs are here including Crazy…

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How Prince Turned a Favor Into a Funk Anthem—and a Feud 20:54

26d ago20:54

20:54

Coming up next, the legendary Prince who wrote a throwaway song that he gave to his bandmate's solo project. He wrote it quickly, without thought, as a favor for his bandmate to give him a little something. He had just picked up an acoustic guitar and created the song in a matter of minutes. The very next day, Prince came into the studio, and as a …

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Speak Candidly, Stop Gossip, Keep Integrity: The Commitments That Build Trust on Your Team | Tessa Kampen 39:25

26d ago39:25

39:25

You can feel it in your team: everyone’s nice… but no one’s honest. Real opinions happen in side chats, gossip is normal, and you’re overcommitting and burning out trying to “keep the peace.” If you’ve ever thought, “Why won’t my team just say what they really think?” or “Why am I the only one holding everything together?” — this episode is for you…

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FROM THE VAULT: How Wham! Created the Holiday Classic "Last Christmas" Amid a Charity Challenge 23:25

27d ago23:25

23:25

Coming up, This group was on a tear to start the decade. Wham! starring legend George Michael and his pal Andrew Ridgely were on top of the world. but George in particular was obsessed with dominating the charts. His goal in 1984 was to score four #1 singles. And you know what, by November he and his partner had three… With time running out, he pul…

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Crypto's Killer App? 37:35

27d ago37:35

37:35

with @zcabrams @psneville @rhackett In this episode, Robert Hackett sits down with Sean Neville, cofounder of Circle and co-creator of the USDC stablecoin, and Zach Abrams, founder of Bridge (now part of Stripe), for a deep dive into the real story behind stablecoins, finding product-market fit, and the future of payments infrastructure. They explo…

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Countdown: 10 Most Surprising One-Year Wonders of 1985 36:00

28d ago36:00

36:00

You know how much I love the stories of the great one-hit wonders of the rock era. Well, today we're starting off a new countdown series on the channel, and this one is going to be a blast… It’s the 10 best Bottled Lightning hits from a single year in the rock era. And to kick off the series, we’re targeting the halfway point of the 80s, including …

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Alanis, Lauryn Hill, Goo Goo Dolls & the Wildest Stories Behind ’90s Rock Anthems 36:56

29d ago36:56

36:56

We have another year-end countdown today, and this one is packed with songs that have stood the test of time, including a broke rockstar Johnny Rzenik who had just been screwed over by his label and was coming off a brutal divorce and ready to quit music. But an epiphany while strumming a guitar with many broken strings gave him one of the biggest …

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How Trauma Shrinks Your Brain (And How Exercise Reverses It) 14:36

29d ago14:36

14:36

Trauma does not just live in your memories. It reshapes your brain. It can shrink your hippocampus, disrupt your prefrontal cortex, heighten your stress response, and leave you feeling stuck in survival mode. But the good news is this. Your brain is not fixed. It can heal. It can rewire. And one of the most powerful tools to rebuild a trauma-affect…

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How Led Zeppelin Outsold Everyone Without Radio Hits – The ‘Fool in the Rain’ Story 21:55

30d ago21:55

21:55

Coming up next… The Final Single from the hardest-hitting, most epic rock band in history, Led Zeppelin. The song? Fool in the Rain. For a decade, Zeppelin ripped a hole in the ozone layer and redefined rock, but for their final magnum opus, they came out of left field with a dynamite single that was so catchy they knew it couldn’t miss. Whereas th…

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Rock’s Most Unbelievable Christmas Songs: From Elvis’s Sabotage to Springsteen’s Bootleg 33:34

1M ago33:34

33:34

Merry Christmas a little early, everyone! Today I’ve got a once-in-a-year countdown for you that I know will put a smile on your face… For this episode, we’re unwrapping a Christmas rock countdown. But to be honest, some of these tracks weren’t exactly born out of holiday cheer. One was actually written by a musical genius, Brian Wilson, to spite a…

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The Wild Story Behind Van Halen’s ‘Finish What Ya Started’ with Sammy Hagar 20:53

1M ago20:53

20:53

Coming up, one of the funniest song stories I’ve come across. Sammy Hagar was in the middle of an intimate moment with his then-wife. Ya, they were in the middle of doing it... when they were interrupted by the singer’s neighbor. His neighbor also happened to be the legendary guitarist in his band, Eddie Van Halen from the band of the same name...V…

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Tom Petty’s Right-Hand Man: Mike Campbell on ‘Free Fallin’, ‘Refugee’ & ‘Boys of Summer 1:01:15

1M ago1:01:15

1:01:15

Coming up a special full-length uncut interview with one of the great unheralded guitar heroes of rock history. One of my favorites, but not only that, he’s a legendary producer, songwriter and the right-hand man of the late great Tom Petty. Mike Campbell. Mike produced and co-wrote many of the Heartbreakers' classics as well as several big hits fo…