Uploaded April 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
We started this series a month ago, and I was overwhelmed with feedback for another episode. So, for this one, I’ve got 7 more stories of rock and roll sabotage and treachery. You know, sometimes the music industry is a band’s worst enemy, but then again, sometimes a band can be their own worst enemy, too. And today’s episode is the proof. We’ll tell you about a Saturday Night Live performance where Red Hot Chili Pepper guitarist John Frusciante was pissed at the band’s frontman, Anthony Keidis, so he made up his own version of their hit song Under the Bridge on the spot. And Anthony had no clue how to sing along… It was a train wreck, and he was embarrassed on live TV. Then there was the band Information Society, who was excited to release their new CD with high-tech tracks that were supposed to be interactive in the coming computer age. But instead, the CD caused many systems to crash, which led to massive album returns and radio stations blacklisting the band for having a virus on their album. And then there’s Pixies frontman, Black Francis, who systematically tried to erase his female bandmate Kim Deal on their albums and onstage because she was more popular with their fans. Talk about an ego. Let’s do it.
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Executive Producer
Brandon Fugal
Honorary Producers
Jaimee Hammack, Dan Tierney, Sarge, Byrdman, Duff Gordon
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Subscribe to the Professor of Rock Podcast
Apple: apple.co/445fVov
Spotify: spoti.fi/42JpfvU
Amazon: amzn.to/44b5D6m
iHeartRadio: bit.ly/444h8MO
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Patreon: bit.ly/ProfessorofRockVIPFan
Merch Store: professor-of-rock-lsn-shop.fourthwall.com
Instagram: bit.ly/Instagram_Professor_of_Rock
#classicrock #80smusic #80srock
Hey music junkies Professor of rock Always here to celebrate the greatest songs and the greatest artists of all time… If you remember standing in line around the block to get tickets to the big blockbuster movies of the 80s you’ll dig this channel of deep musical nostalgia. Make sure to subscribe below right now and like share and comments on these videos if you want to see the channel keep going. It’s the only way. Well today we’re gonna give you what you’ve been asking for! Part 2 of our show SABOTAGE where rockstars are their own worst enemies. Let’s get into this one.
starting off at #7 it’s The Police, a band well-known for its infighting. Across 5 albums in the 70s and 80s, there is no shortage of stories about their volatile nature. From fist-fights in the studio to wars of words in the press, these guys were alway at each other’s throats. And it’s no surprise, the trio was comprised of 3 competing super-egos… drummer Stewart Copeland, guitarist Andy Summers, and the ringleader Sting. But you know, that was the secret sauce. Their competitive streak made their music great. But a dynamic like that can only last so long. And The Police went away in the mid-80s after Synchronicity and some remixes for their Greatest Hits album “Every Breath You Take: The Singles.” In the band’s absence, Sting was the spotlight, releasing 8 studio albums between 1985 and 2006. putting together a monumental solo career, selling 35 million albums in that span. Add to that 12 top 40 US singles and another 20 in the UK, and the man has been nothing short of brilliant.
But that was near enough mojo to intimidate the likes of Stewart Copeland and Andy Summers. And so when The Police reassembled in 2007 for their massive world tour, they weren’t about to get down on one knee pay deference to their former frontman. No, this reunion was going to be just like old times. The tour itself was a guaranteed commercial juggernaut. Sting called the timing impeccable. The demand was there. It couldn’t of happened any sooner or any later. It was the first time all three shared a stage since their acrimonious split. Commemorating the 30th anniversary of their debut single "Roxanne," the tour was one of the highest-grossing concert series of all time with over $360 million in ticket sales. But while the on stage performances showcased the trio's undeniable skill, Stewart Copeland kept the punchlines popping… dishing out the dirt on his humorous blog posts about the band's backstage friction. Yeah, the behind the scenes expose undercut the image of a unified front. But fans ate it up… and I don’t think anyone expected this reunion to be all hugs and rainbows. After all, old habits die hard.
We started this series a month ago, and I was overwhelmed with feedback for another episode. So, for this one, I’ve got 7 more stories of rock and roll sabotage and treachery. You know, sometimes the music industry is a band’s worst enemy, but then again, sometimes a band can be their own worst enemy, too. And today’s episode is the proof. We’ll tell you about a Saturday Night Live performance where Red Hot Chili Pepper guitarist John Frusciante was pissed at the band’s frontman, Anthony Keidis, so he made up his own version of their hit song Under the Bridge on the spot. And Anthony had no clue how to sing along… It was a train wreck, and he was embarrassed on live TV. Then there was the band Information Society, who was excited to release their new CD with high-tech tracks that were supposed to be interactive in the coming computer age. But instead, the CD caused many systems to crash, which led to massive album returns and radio stations blacklisting the band for having a virus on their album. And then there’s Pixies frontman, Black Francis, who systematically tried to erase his female bandmate Kim Deal on their albums and onstage because she was more popular with their fans. Talk about an ego. Let’s do it.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Executive Producer
Brandon Fugal
Honorary Producers
Jaimee Hammack, Dan Tierney, Sarge, Byrdman, Duff Gordon
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Subscribe to the Professor of Rock Podcast
Apple: apple.co/445fVov
Spotify: spoti.fi/42JpfvU
Amazon: amzn.to/44b5D6m
iHeartRadio: bit.ly/444h8MO
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Patreon: bit.ly/ProfessorofRockVIPFan
Merch Store: professor-of-rock-lsn-shop.fourthwall.com
Instagram: bit.ly/Instagram_Professor_of_Rock
#classicrock #80smusic #80srock
Hey music junkies Professor of rock Always here to celebrate the greatest songs and the greatest artists of all time… If you remember standing in line around the block to get tickets to the big blockbuster movies of the 80s you’ll dig this channel of deep musical nostalgia. Make sure to subscribe below right now and like share and comments on these videos if you want to see the channel keep going. It’s the only way. Well today we’re gonna give you what you’ve been asking for! Part 2 of our show SABOTAGE where rockstars are their own worst enemies. Let’s get into this one.
starting off at #7 it’s The Police, a band well-known for its infighting. Across 5 albums in the 70s and 80s, there is no shortage of stories about their volatile nature. From fist-fights in the studio to wars of words in the press, these guys were alway at each other’s throats. And it’s no surprise, the trio was comprised of 3 competing super-egos… drummer Stewart Copeland, guitarist Andy Summers, and the ringleader Sting. But you know, that was the secret sauce. Their competitive streak made their music great. But a dynamic like that can only last so long. And The Police went away in the mid-80s after Synchronicity and some remixes for their Greatest Hits album “Every Breath You Take: The Singles.” In the band’s absence, Sting was the spotlight, releasing 8 studio albums between 1985 and 2006. putting together a monumental solo career, selling 35 million albums in that span. Add to that 12 top 40 US singles and another 20 in the UK, and the man has been nothing short of brilliant.
But that was near enough mojo to intimidate the likes of Stewart Copeland and Andy Summers. And so when The Police reassembled in 2007 for their massive world tour, they weren’t about to get down on one knee pay deference to their former frontman. No, this reunion was going to be just like old times. The tour itself was a guaranteed commercial juggernaut. Sting called the timing impeccable. The demand was there. It couldn’t of happened any sooner or any later. It was the first time all three shared a stage since their acrimonious split. Commemorating the 30th anniversary of their debut single "Roxanne," the tour was one of the highest-grossing concert series of all time with over $360 million in ticket sales. But while the on stage performances showcased the trio's undeniable skill, Stewart Copeland kept the punchlines popping… dishing out the dirt on his humorous blog posts about the band's backstage friction. Yeah, the behind the scenes expose undercut the image of a unified front. But fans ate it up… and I don’t think anyone expected this reunion to be all hugs and rainbows. After all, old habits die hard.
