The level of detail Andrew puts into getting the story as “right as possible” shines through in every episode. His handling of sensitive and controversial topics is extremely professional. I appreciate the level of work he puts into this. I know so much more about music and its history because of his diligent research and effective presentations.

I checked this podcast out on a recommendation through a different podcast that referenced it. I decided to start from the very beginning and listen to them all, endeding up eagerly awaiting the next week’s episode. So with hundreds of hours in, I can say this podcast is definitely worth your time. the recent episodes have been full on masterpieces. Keep going! This is great work!

Well-researched, thoughtful and highly entertaining, this podcast explores the social and cultural contexts of the songs it covers, offering great insight and perspective. A great listen for rock fans.

His earlier shows were interesting, but in the past few years he’s gone insane. His left wing woke presentation has become tiresome. He recently called the majority of Americans fascists. I’m done with him. With his bad health and very infrequent episodes I believe that J.R.R. Martin has a better chance of finishing The Song of Ice and Fire series before this guy ever hits 500 songs.

I really love this. It's crazy to me that there are a few boneheads complaining in this comments section. This work is so thoughtfully researched and assembled. People haven't a clue. It's truly amazing to listen to-enlightening and fun. Many many thanks to Andrew Hickey and whomever else is involved in putting this together.

I loved this podcast at first, but then the episodes kept getting longer and longer and longer and longer and more convoluted and boring. Not to mention that Mr. Hickey began injecting his totally leftist politics into nearly every story…I canceled my Patreon. I’m OVER IT!

Andrew Hickey is a treasure, and this podcast is a masterpiece. The pacing reflects the care going into it, and I eagerly anticipate the ongoing education I am gratefully receiving. Quality wins over speed any day :)

Elmer Fudd is actually Republican, As is Yosemite Sam.

The cockney’d Elmer Fudd accented host recently claimed “the modern Republican Party in the United States is explicitly fascist”. If the host thinks the majority of the American population is fascist, why should we believe anything he claims about music history?

Does a great job researching and making the podcast happen for his ‘Passion’ project but could totally do without his lame, partisan views on politics. Which are close to 90% of the time false. Enough with the ‘wokeness’ and ‘race hustling’.

The final beach boy episodes were so amazingly researched and constructed. What a sad but epicly told story. Thank you for taking the time to make these as carefully and thought out as you do!! <33 wonderful podcast!!

He posts about 5 episodes per year and at this rate will finish all 500 songs in 89 years!

Such a great podcast! Tons of history and information in every episode but Andrew retells the history as an intriguing story. I hope these keep going and get all the way to 500! Thank you for sharing these with us!

The rate music podcast that feels not only informative, interesting, but actually important. I've never heard a better researched nor as far-reaching swath of pop culture history documented anywhere else.

Only 2 songs since July 2024. The podcast is kaput. Go to the earliest weeks and enjoy the first 150 songs very well done.

Great essays that keep you engaged by showing you the wonders of early music history through bits of song. Bravo!

I can’t believe in this day and age a podcast host can find it acceptable to use explicit slurs like h*nky and cr*cker

This is so well researched and interesting. I would highly recommend for anyone wanting to hear about music, the business, and then cultural side of music all together in one. It’s approachable and I am reminded of or learn new music and artists in every episode.

If you listen to many podcasts, you find that many are just people telling you what they like—not a lot of research and not a lot to learn. This podcast is so amazingly researched and incredibly written as to be amazing. Such depth, intricacy and history behind the songs and the people and times that created the songs. Thank you. Also, thanks for introducing me to Johnny Otis! He was everywhere!

I hear music I have loved for years, with a new depth and perspective. Academically deep but never dull, Andrew Hickey has opened my eyes and ears.

I count myself as a pretty knowledgeable amateur, B+ to A-, but this is so far beyond my depth I would be drowning and lost at sea within just a few minutes of each episode. Hickey is a true scholar whose niche is the monkey nerve of rock ‘n’ roll. How he weaves the tapestry of every episode is uncanny and I rarely lose my place. I would call it stream of consciousness, but it all works together. Three thumbs up !

Read about this pod via Tim Heidecker a few months back and I’ve been obsessed ever since. Hickey is all about being as thorough and truthful as possible. In this day and age when the concept of “truth” is consistently under attack by nefarious forces in our culture and planet at-large, Hickey’s voice and work is a reminder of how much potential our humanity has. Thank you, Andrew.

I’ve enjoyed so many of your podcasts, but it’s hard to hear sometimes, when certain Performers come under constant criticism by anyone with a platform. Pat Boone, the McGuire Sisters are not bad people nor without talent. If an artist is still alive, this must hurt.

Dude is a genius and this show is FASCINATING. A Work of Art, actually… and miles above other podcasts.

I am seriously gobsmacked that something like this exists in the world. Andrew Hickey is giving us an amazing gift of knowledge. Knowledge that he has spent his life acquiring. I have joined the Patreon and am enjoying the short bonus episodes as well.

I’m leaning so much. Love everything about this podcast. You can tell Andrew Hickey has really done his research.

Andrew is a treasure. This is an absolutely Herculean amount of research to tackle. Mind blowing. We’re all fortunate to have this. Can’t thank you enough.

Hickey pulls from several sources and connects a lot of dots regarding disparate events that collided to build the phenomenon called “rock music.” Well worth a listen.

This thoughtful, expert work of history and music has changed from a source of information to a lifeline for this American listener. I’m learning, vibing, crying, and rejoicing all the way. The Fat Man episode is brilliant. I’m deeply grateful to Andrew Hickey for his work.

In which my man pots and pans loses what shred of credibility he had left and fully embraces speculative fiction. Rebrand suggestion: A People’s History of Rock Music. As Andy’s worldview collapses all around him he’s going to start sperging out in all directions. Tune in as the public meltdown continues.

Thank you Andrew Hickey for your care and respect for your subject. I thought I knew rock and roll but I have learned so much about the roots and the rip-offs. (I’m about 65 episodes in.) Sometimes it gets kinda poignant and I get kinda teary-eyed. The innovators, the originals, and even the one-hit wonders deserve to be honored and Andrew Hickey honors them well.

Wow! Andrew Hickey dives deep into the musical and cultural forces that converge to create the shape-shifting music called rock. From its antecedents like Charlie Christian, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, and Bob Wills to its mid-50’s explosion and beyond, Hickey puts his spotlight on the sadly overlooked musicians as well as the supernovas of rock. Bravo!

What a beautiful podcast run by a beautiful man!

Very well researched, and is able to pull together many threads of history into a narrative around a single song. I get goosebumps sometimes hearing the stories turn into the recognizable names we know today.

A surprisingly engaging and informed history. Hickey knows his stuff and draws all sorts of interesting connections. Anyone interested in twentieth-century music and popular culture will learn a lot from it.

I never thought I was interested in the Grateful Dead/dark star but I couldn’t stop listening to that four hour episode! Well done! Every episode has been eye opening and delightful. Thank you!

Judging from all the reviews, I am in a distinct minority. However, even though there has always been a distinct leftist slant to this podcast, the slant has gotten significantly worse since the 1st episode, much to the detriment of the podcast. To that point, the warnings at the beginning of each episode are arrogant and condescending, treating the audience in an infantile manner. Perhaps if the podcast may disturb you, maybe podcasts are the least of your problems. Otherwise, the music information, although getting progressively tautological, is very interesting. For me, the podcasts are getting to be almost unlistenable. But again, I am probably in a very small minority.

This podcast is my refuge from the chaos of the current news cycle. I find myself relistening to certain episodes over and over again. To anyone new to the podcast, I recommend starting with #169.

Well then! A story often told in many parts, but it’s never been told like this. A very humane and thoughtful approach that sweeps nothing under the rug, but that’s how one would want it. That’s what makes it so human. Unbelievable storytelling ability. As someone who has loved this music my whole, this has changed my perspective on it and, to be honest, changed my perspective a little on everything.

At 15 I found Carl Sagan and fell in love with cosmology. At 55 I found Andrew Hickey and fell in love with music. He brings that same sense of excitement, wonder, compassion and humility to his chosen subject. These episodes are so rich with information that I just bought the first two volumes of his book so I can follow along on my Kindle. Pick a song you like and give this a try. You just may find yourself as happily lost in the subject as I have . . .

If your a music lover this is the podcast for you .Andrew Hickey does a great job of gathering information about various groups and musicians.I appreciate his knowledge in music.I have learned so much about many of the bands and artists he discusses.Its really cool how he will play parts of different songs that helped inspire a band or solo artists.it truly is a historical music show !love going on my hikes and listening.Dive In !

I cannot believe how informative and interesting this podcast is! It’s not just the selected song that gets discussed, all of the history and connections get brought up too and it is riveting. I love the clips that are used to emphasis all of the points made, it’s like going to the most fascinating class on rock and roll. Andrew is incredible - respectful, amusing, intelligent, polite, and possessing the perfect voice to impart so much factual information in a way that is easy to digest and retain. I cannot praise this podcast enough. It’s quite simply a marvel and I love everything about it! Thank you, Andrew :)

A friend referred this podcast to me. I’m 36 episodes in. Amazing. I hope Andrew explores the post-punk Athens, Georgia music scene in the early 1980s! McP

The four episodes on Sympathy were amazing. Thank you Andrew.

I’ve listened to every episode. Many of them multiple times. It’s a fascinating story and told in perfect context. Researched extremely well and expertly constructed. Ignore the trolls, it’s not at all political but it does display a sensitivity to the opinions and experiences of all, not just the right leaning trolls. Start at episode 1 and work your way up to the present it’s an education.

This podcast is amazing. It brings together awesome music and incredible accounts of history. A truly captivating and epic podcast.

Ah, finally. It’s all here. Three episodes on the Stones. I’ve been a huge fan since 1964 when I heard Not Fade Away. I love this show.

This is the finest podcast concerning rock music I’ve heard. Kudos and thank you to Andrew Hickey!!

Pulling together the development of Rock, Soul, and the interplay of various genres, this podcast is an amazing and constantly rewarding journey through several decades of pop culture. But make no mistake: this is one of the gold standards of podcasts, up there with Dan Carlin and a few others. Hickey meshes a terrific approach to structure and detail with his enthusiasm for the material and his knowledge of music. He may play a few chords to demonstrate a musical innovation, or read a passage from a primary source to describe the Watts riot; he might close an episode with a touching coda on how a rockabilly singer in her later years got to sing with her R&B hero, or start an episode about The Velvet Underground not with Lou Reed but with the life & work of composer John Cage. The point is to convey the main point of the material yet in a way that also illuminates aspects of the narrative that might get overlooked. Along the way, Hickey doesn’t shy away from recurring themes such as racism, misogyny, the mendacity of record labels, and the sidelining of black artists as “rock” became whiter in the 60s. If you dip into this podcast to sample a few episodes on favorite songs/artists, you’ll learn a bunch but you may end up deciding that you need to start with Episode 1 and listen to everything Hickey has done. It would be an enjoyable obsession.

Hickey leaves no stone unturned in his masterful work here. This is a document for eternity.