Rock & Roll High School With Pete Ganbarg

Jim Peterik wrote the book on songwriting. Literally. He's the co-author of Songwriting For Dummies, now in its 2nd edition.  

More famously — he’s also the author of some of the best known songs of the last 50 years, including “Eye Of The Tiger,” which Jim co-wrote with Frankie Sullivan, for their band Survivor. Jim and Frankie co-wrote 6 more Top 20 hits for Survivor before Jim left the band in 1996.

Pr...

On this episode of Rock & Roll High School, John Hall—founding member of Orleans, No Nukes pioneer, and former U.S. Congressman—shares the stories behind hits like “Dance with Me” and “Still the One,” his journey from rock stardom to Washington, and his fight for clean energy. Hall reflects on working alongside legends like Janis Joplin, Bonnie Raitt, Jackson Browne, Bruce Springsteen, and Graham Nash, offering a uniqu...

In this special episode of Rock & Roll High School, we sit down with the incomparable William Bell, a true icon of soul music and one of the original architects of the legendary Stax Records sound. From writing timeless classics like "You Don’t Miss Your Water" and"Born Under a Bad Sign", to mentoring generations of musicians and winning a Grammy decades into his career, William Bell’s journey is no...

For over 50 years, Danny "Kootch" Kortchmar has been rock music's secret weapon. As a guitarist and songwriter, he's collaborated with everyone from James Taylor, Carole King, and Jackson Browne to Jon Bon Jovi and Don Henley. Songs he's written include "All She Wants To Do Is Dance," "Somebody's Baby," "Dirty Laundry," and "Sunset Grill." His work as part of the sideman-supergroup The Immediate Family (with fellow superst...

As the founder and frontman of The Lovin’ Spoonful, John Sebastian helped define the sound of the 1960s with classics like “Do You Believe in Magic,” “Daydream,” and “Summer in the City.”

As a solo artist, he delivered a surprise acoustic set at Woodstock, wrote the #1 hit “Welcome Back” for Welcome Back, Kotter, and continued to craft songs that resonated across decades.

A member of both the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame an...

Celebrating the 40th anniversary of her self-titled debut album (which was released on May 1st, 1985), Suzanne Vega's latest album is "Flying With Angels," her first collection of all-new songs in over a decade. Emerging from New York City's folk-music scene of the early 1980's, Suzanne has become known worldwide for her detailed songwriting, incredible live performances and for creating memorable characters in her songs ...

An all-new interview with iconic blues rocker George Thorogood. Known for his high energy boogie-blues sound, George is celebrating 50 years of making music in 2025. Putting his own unqiue spin on classic songs - like Move It On Over - Who Do You Love and One Bourbon One Scotch One Beer as well as crafting classic originals like I Drink Alone and Bad To The Bone, George’s music has introduced the sound of his her...

If you made a venn diagram and one circle included only musicians skilled and talented enough to jam and record with some of the greatest players of all time: Jaco Pastorius, Herbie Hancock, Jeff Beck, Allen Holdsworth, Pat Metheny, Billy Cobham. And the other circle included only hit record producers who have produced at least 9 Billboard Hot 100 #1 singles, there would only be one name overlapping both circles and t...

Roger McGuinn is best known as the frontman and leader of the influential 1960s folk-rock band, The Byrds, and for his signature Rickenbacker 12-string electric guitar playing. The Byrds achieved many firsts: they were the first rock band ever to be signed to Columbia Records; they were the first major label band to fuse folk and rock; and they were the first band to record what's now known as alt-country with their s...

Curt Smith is co-founder, co-lead vocalist and bassist of the legendary duo Tears For Fears. With over 30 million albums sold worldwide and performances to countless sold-out audiences, the band represent an inimitable intersection of pop palatability, clever and cognizant lyricism, guitar bombast, and new wave innovation. The duo’s hit making DNA - as heard on songs like "Everybody Wants To Rule The World," "Shout," "Hea...

Scottish-born singer/songwriter Al Stewart pretty much invented the genre of historical folk rock, weaving real world events into cinematic tapestries of song. As he mentions in this episode, Al will sometimes open a world atlas, point to a random spot in the world and write a song about it. His passion for history and the accuracy of which he writes has led to such aural history lessons as "Road To Moscow" and "Nostradamu...

In 1965, when Peter Noone was only 17 years old, his band Herman's Hermits had 7 Top Ten singles in America in one calendar year alone! With songs like "I'm Into Something Good," "Mrs. Brown You've Got A Lovely Daughter," "There's A Kind Of Hush," "I'm Henry VIII, I Am," "Can't You Hear My Hearbeat," and many more, Herman's Hermits became one of the most successful acts of the post-Beatles British Invasion.

See Privacy Pol...

Along with his two teenage classmates from London’s Central High School, Dewey Bunnell and Dan Peek, Gerry Beckley formed the band America in 1970 - with the name being a nod to the three Americans living in London.

Incorporating three part vocal harmony and with all of the band members contributing to the songwriting - America signed with Warner Brothers Records in 1971. Their self titled album debut would ult...

Gary Kemp wears many hats. As a founding member and principal songwriter of the band Spandau Ballet, Gary’s songs including “Gold,” “Only When You Leave,” “Through The Barricades,” and the all-time classic “True” have become part of the soundtrack of the last 40+ years. His work as an actor includes lead roles in 1990’s The Krays (alongside his brother Martin) and 1992’s The Bodyguard, alongside Kevin Costner and...

Randy Bachman is the co-founder of two of classic rock’s greatest bands The Guess Who and Bachman-Turner Overdrive. With over 120 platinum gold and silver album and single awards from all over the world, Randy’s songs are known everywhere by listeners old and young - songs that have sold over a combined 40 million singles and albums.

Between 1969 and 1970, The Guess Who sold more records than the entire Canadia...

Tony Orlando has spent an incredible six decades in entertainment. From signing his first record deal at the age of 15 years old to segueing to the other side of the desk as a successful music publisher working for the legendary Clive Davis to accidentally becoming an even bigger pop star with the accidental pop group Dawn, Tony's career reads like something out of fiction but it all happened. Still going strong today, Ton...

Chris Difford is a founding member and primary lyricist for the UK rock band Squeeze. Celebrating their 50th anniversary as a band in 2024, Squeeze has spent the past half-century recording some of the most notable albums of the New Wave era and beyond with songs, including "Tempted," "Pulling Mussels From Shell," "Cool For Cats," and "Annie Get Your Gun," that have all become worldwide favorites. Working alongside his S...

Since 1969, Billy Gibbons has been the lead singer, guitar slinger and principal songwriter of the legendary Texas blues-rock band ZZ Top. With his signature smoky growl, 1959 Gibson Les Paul and instantly recognizable chest-length beard, Billy's music has become one of the soundtracks to the history of rock and roll for over six decades. Inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2004, ZZ Top have sold over 50 mi...

Chaka Khan is a true musical icon. Inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2023, Chaka is now celebrating over 50 years of musical excellence. Honored with 10 Grammy Awards, her hits have transcended music genres, embodying the essence of pop, soul, jazz, gospel, classical, and funk. Her career took off in Chicago with the group Rufus and skyrocketed via the Stevie Wonder-penned hit "Tell Me Something Good." Thi...