The Vinyl Curriculum
The Vinyl Curriculum is a music podcast where Logan and Jim explore a different theme or era in music history. Each episode, Jim plays songs from before Logan was born in an effort to introduce him—and listeners—to amazing tracks worth revisiting. Jim shares some background of each song, while Logan listens with fresh ears and gives each track a grade. Originally broadcast live on WRLA, Lewis University’s radio station, the podcast version includes the commentary—but only parts of the music (thanks, licensing rules). Follow the linked playlist in the show notes to hear the music for yourself!
Episodes
It’s the Vinyl Curriculum year wrap-up 🎶 Logan and Jim look back on the highs and lows of the year in music, revisiting some of their favorite songs, cringing at a few of the worst picks, and breaking down their music app wraps to see what they actually listened to all year long. From surprising standouts to questionable skips, this episode puts a bow on the year and sets the tone for what’s next on Vinyl Curriculum.#VinylCurricul...
Vinyl Curriculum celebrates the season with its first-ever Holiday Special. In this episode, Logan and Jim step away from the usual artist-focused format and review some of Jim’s favorite holiday songs, breaking down the music, memories, and meaning behind each track. From timeless Christmas classics to personal favorites, it’s a festive conversation filled with nostalgia, vinyl, and holiday spirit.
Want to listen to the playlis...
Season 1 wraps up with a full tank of soul and a dash of chaos! 🚗💨 Logan gets a second shot at picking the tunes—this time, the Blues Brothers soundtrack—while Jim grabs the clipboard to do the grading. Will Logan redeem himself, or crash and burn in a cloud of rhythm and blues? 🎷
Want to listen to the playlist?
Episode 19 of The Vinyl Curriculum dives into U2’s The Unforgettable Fire. Jim insists it’s a masterpiece; Logan’s just hoping to stay awake till the last track. 🔥 Will he finally appreciate a full album? Tune in and find out!
Want to listen to the playlist?
#U2 #UnforgettableFire #TheVinylCurriculum #80sRock #MusicPodcast #VinylCommunity #StorytellingThrough...
In this week’s episode of The Vinyl Curriculum, Logan and Jim take a deep dive into Billy Joel’s iconic album Piano Man. From the heartfelt storytelling of the title track to the vivid characters scattered throughout the record, Jim passionately breaks down Joel’s genius — while Logan, as usual, keeps his trademark poker face. His lack of emotion drives Jim up the wall as he tries to get Logan to feel the music instead of just anal...
In this episode of The Vinyl Curriculum, Jim and Logan switch things up with a full-album experience. Jim plays Bat Out of Hell by Meat Loaf from start to finish, guiding Logan through one of rock’s most iconic and theatrical records. From epic ballads to explosive anthems, the duo dives into the stories, sound, and legacy of this larger-than-life masterpiece. Tune in as they try something new—listening to and discussing an album i...
This week on The Vinyl Curriculum, Logan and Jim spin back to the early 1990s — a transformative era when alternative rock broke through the mainstream and redefined the sound of a generation. From the gritty Seattle grunge scene to jangly college radio hits and boundary-pushing indie acts, we trace how bands like Nirvana, Pearl Jam, R.E.M., and The Smashing Pumpkins shaped music history and influenced countless artists that follow...
This week on The Vinyl Curriculum, Jim and Logan take center stage as they explore the magic, music, and storytelling of Broadway. From timeless classics to modern hits, the duo dives into what makes show tunes so powerful—how they blend character, emotion, and spectacle into unforgettable performances.
They discuss the evolution of musical theatre, highlight iconic composers, and share how Broadway has influenced pop culture, film,...
This week, Logan and Jim dive into the world of collaboration in music. From legendary duets and powerhouse supergroups to behind-the-scenes partnerships that shaped entire genres, the guys break down how working together has sparked creativity and changed the course of music history.
Expect stories, laughs, and of course, tracks that highlight the magic of two (or more) voices, minds, and sounds coming together. Whether it’s unexpe...
🎙️ In this week’s episode of The Vinyl Curriculum, Jim and Logan are joined by special guest Harold McCay, a true connoisseur of 1960s folk music. Together, the guys dive into a hand-picked Late 60s folk playlist, unpacking the stories behind the songs, the cultural movements that shaped the era, and the lasting influence of folk on today’s music. Harold brings his deep knowledge and passion for the genre, sparking fresh insights ...
This week on the Vinyl Curriculum Podcast, we’re digging into the world of cover songs—the art of taking someone else’s music and making it your own. Logan and Jim break down some of the most iconic covers in music history, from reinventions that became bigger than the originals to bold takes that divided fans. Along the way, they’ll explore why certain covers work, how artists put their own stamp on familiar tracks, and the moment...
The Vinyl Curriculum is turning up the energy with a trip back to the 1990s dance floor. From Eurodance anthems to house beats and radio-ready club tracks, the decade delivered infectious grooves that still make people move today. In this episode, Logan and Jim dig into the biggest dance hits, the artists who defined the sound, and the cultural wave that made 90s dance music unforgettable. Expect memories, fun stories, and plenty o...
This week on The Vinyl Curriculum, we’re flipping the script—Logan takes the reins and picks the music. From hidden gems to tracks that have shaped his own taste, this episode is a personal playlist full of stories, surprises, and the kind of variety you’ve come to expect from the show. Tune in for fresh takes, fun facts, and a deeper dive into the songs that make up Logan’s soundtrack.
🎧 Catch the conversation, the music, and the ...
This week on Vinyl Curriculum, we’re turning up the groove and diving into the funky side of the 1970s. From Parliament-Funkadelic’s spacey jams to Stevie Wonder’s groundbreaking sounds and Earth, Wind & Fire’s unstoppable energy, the decade redefined rhythm and soul. We’ll explore how funk shaped not just the music charts but also culture, fashion, and the dance floor. Tune in as we spin some of the funkiest records of the era...
This week, on episode 8 of The Vinyl Curriculum, we travel back to the early 80s. Before they were icons, these artists were just fresh faces dropping their very first albums—and wow, did they make a splash. From U2 to Madonna, Stevie Nicks to R.E.M., these records didn’t just start careers… they rewrote the rules. Hear the songs that launched legends.
Listen to the Spotify Playlist
Listen to the Apple Music Playlist
...
In this episode of Vinyl Curriculum, Logan and Jim dive into the vibrant world of modern indie music. From basement bands to festival headliners, they explore the genre’s evolution, DIY spirit, and genre-bending sounds that are redefining the music scene today. Expect fresh picks, unexpected gems, and a conversation that unpacks what makes indie feel so personal, and so powerful, in today’s streaming era. Whether you're a longtime ...
Southern Rock is raw, loud, and unapologetically full of attitude, and in this episode of Vinyl Curriculum, Logan and Jim dig into the genre’s roots in the American South. From the Allman Brothers’ jam-band brilliance to Lynyrd Skynyrd’s anthemic swagger, the two explore what made Southern Rock explode in the ’70s and why its influence still lingers today. Expect guitar riffs, storytelling, and maybe even a debate or two about what...
In Episode 5 of The Vinyl Curriculum podcast, we take a humorous and critical look at some of the biggest musical mistakes in history.
From cringe-worthy lyrics to questionable production choices, we dive into songs that should never have been made and definitely should never be repeated.
Join us for a fun and opinionated discussion, as we highlight the tunes that missed the mark and explore what went wrong along the way.
Set sail with The Vinyl Curriculum as Jim takes Logan aboard the smoothest genre of them all—Yacht Rock. It's all about tight harmonies, slick production, and breezy vibes from the late ’70s and early ’80s. Think soft rock with a captain’s hat.
This week, we drift through hits from Toto, Michael McDonald, Steely Dan, and more. Logan tries to figure out what actually qualifies as Yacht Rock, while Jim defends the genre’s unsinkable c...
This week on The Vinyl Curriculum, Jim introduces Logan to the sound that stormed America in the '80s—the Second British Invasion. Fueled by synths, stylish hair, and the rise of MTV, British bands took over U.S. charts with a sound that was sleek, strange, and unforgettable. From New Wave to New Romantic, we explore what made this era so explosive—and whether these hits still hold up today.
Featuring tracks from The Cure, Depeche M...
Popular Podcasts
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
The Burden is a documentary series that takes listeners into the hidden places where justice is done (and undone). It dives deep into the lives of heroes and villains. And it focuses a spotlight on those who triumph even when the odds are against them. Season 5 - The Burden: Death & Deceit in Alliance On April Fools Day 1999, 26-year-old Yvonne Layne was found murdered in her Alliance, Ohio home. David Thorne, her ex-boyfriend and father of one of her children, was instantly a suspect. Another young man admitted to the murder, and David breathed a sigh of relief, until the confessed murderer fingered David; “He paid me to do it.” David was sentenced to life without parole. Two decades later, Pulitzer winner and podcast host, Maggie Freleng (Bone Valley Season 3: Graves County, Wrongful Conviction, Suave) launched a “live” investigation into David's conviction alongside Jason Baldwin (himself wrongfully convicted as a member of the West Memphis Three). Maggie had come to believe that the entire investigation of David was botched by the tiny local police department, or worse, covered up the real killer. Was Maggie correct? Was David’s claim of innocence credible? In Death and Deceit in Alliance, Maggie recounts the case that launched her career, and ultimately, “broke” her.” The results will shock the listener and reduce Maggie to tears and self-doubt. This is not your typical wrongful conviction story. In fact, it turns the genre on its head. It asks the question: What if our champions are foolish? Season 4 - The Burden: Get the Money and Run “Trying to murder my father, this was the thing that put me on the path.” That’s Joe Loya and that path was bank robbery. Bank, bank, bank, bank, bank. In season 4 of The Burden: Get the Money and Run, we hear from Joe who was once the most prolific bank robber in Southern California, and beyond. He used disguises, body doubles, proxies. He leaped over counters, grabbed the money and ran. Even as the FBI was closing in. It was a showdown between a daring bank robber, and a patient FBI agent. Joe was no ordinary bank robber. He was bright, articulate, charismatic, and driven by a dark rage that he summoned up at will. In seven episodes, Joe tells all: the what, the how… and the why. Including why he tried to murder his father. Season 3 - The Burden: Avenger Miriam Lewin is one of Argentina’s leading journalists today. At 19 years old, she was kidnapped off the streets of Buenos Aires for her political activism and thrown into a concentration camp. Thousands of her fellow inmates were executed, tossed alive from a cargo plane into the ocean. Miriam, along with a handful of others, will survive the camp. Then as a journalist, she will wage a decades long campaign to bring her tormentors to justice. Avenger is about one woman’s triumphant battle against unbelievable odds to survive torture, claim justice for the crimes done against her and others like her, and change the future of her country. Season 2 - The Burden: Empire on Blood Empire on Blood is set in the Bronx, NY, in the early 90s, when two young drug dealers ruled an intersection known as “The Corner on Blood.” The boss, Calvin Buari, lived large. He and a protege swore they would build an empire on blood. Then the relationship frayed and the protege accused Calvin of a double homicide which he claimed he didn’t do. But did he? Award-winning journalist Steve Fishman spent seven years to answer that question. This is the story of one man’s last chance to overturn his life sentence. He may prevail, but someone’s gotta pay. The Burden: Empire on Blood is the director’s cut of the true crime classic which reached #1 on the charts when it was first released half a dozen years ago. Season 1 - The Burden In the 1990s, Detective Louis N. Scarcella was legendary. In a city overrun by violent crime, he cracked the toughest cases and put away the worst criminals. “The Hulk” was his nickname. Then the story changed. Scarcella ran into a group of convicted murderers who all say they are innocent. They turned themselves into jailhouse-lawyers and in prison founded a lway firm. When they realized Scarcella helped put many of them away, they set their sights on taking him down. And with the help of a NY Times reporter they have a chance. For years, Scarcella insisted he did nothing wrong. But that’s all he’d say. Until we tracked Scarcella to a sauna in a Russian bathhouse, where he started to talk..and talk and talk. “The guilty have gone free,” he whispered. And then agreed to take us into the belly of the beast. Welcome to The Burden.
"SmartLess" with Jason Bateman, Sean Hayes, & Will Arnett is a podcast that connects and unites people from all walks of life to learn about shared experiences through thoughtful dialogue and organic hilarity. A nice surprise: in each episode of SmartLess, one of the hosts reveals his mystery guest to the other two. What ensues is a genuinely improvised and authentic conversation filled with laughter and newfound knowledge to feed the SmartLess mind. Subscribe to SiriusXM Podcasts+ to listen to new episodes of SmartLess ad-free and a whole week early. Start a free trial now on Apple Podcasts or by visiting siriusxm.com/podcastsplus.
The World's Most Dangerous Morning Show, The Breakfast Club, With DJ Envy, Jess Hilarious, And Charlamagne Tha God!