Rob Nichols

email: rockpoprollpodcast@gmail.com website: www.rockpopandroll.com (Some of) My Favorite Covers: From the earliest days of rock and roll, cover songs have been a vital part of the music’s forward movement, drawing on its past. Long before we knew about digital discovery, one of the fastest ways for new artists to connect with audiences was to reimagine an existing hit and put it on an album or 45—infusing it with their own style, energy, and attitude. A Chuck Berry riff might get filtered through the Beatles’ harmonies, or an old blues song could get a new spin in the hands of the … Read more

INXS recorded their biggest album, Kick, in Sydney and Paris, produced by Chris Thomas. Atlantic Records didn’t like the record offered them $1 million to go back to Australia and record another album. The band said no. Good call. Kick was released in October 1987 and peaked at No. 1 in Australia, No. 3 on the US Billboard 20, and had four top 10 singles But they had more than Kick. INXS’ music filled a niche, on the radio and in your head  They were a band that was electrifying live, had a charismatic frontman, and a mix of rock, … Read more

Billy Squier spent the ’70s in New York City, playing with the rock band Piper. They toured with Kiss. Squier released his first solo album in 1980, The Tale of the Tape.  “The Big Beat” got some radio airplay. All of that changed with 1981’s Don’t Say No. I count eight songs that were played, either on pop radio or, to a greater frequency and depth, on rock radio of the 80s. Huge album.  Billy Squier had made it.   One ill-conceived video stopped  – mostly – his career.   But Squier hung around.  Made more music before eventually essentially retiring from … Read more

The Doobie Brothers have been a band for more than 50 years. Their first album was released in 1972. It’s now 2025, and they have a new record, called Walk This Road.  And we’re going to take our first listen to the album here on RockPopandRoll.  How did they do?  Would I listen again?  Does it rock?  Does it roll?  Do we hear the echoes of “China Grove” or “BlackWater”?  Dovwe want to? Lots of questions that we answer together.  Let’s go.  www.rockpopandroll.com email: rockpoprollpodcast@gmail.com        

Steve Miller music has a depth greater than his career-defiining Greatest Hits 1974-1978 album.  That’s what I think.  In 1966, he formed the Steve Miller Blues Band. They backed Chuck Berry on his Live at Fillmore Auditorium album, released that year. In 1968, Miller released the psychedelic blues album, Children of the Future. The Joker, from 1973, found him getting radio airplay, and the title song reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Miller followed up with Fly Like an Eagle in 1976 and Book of Dreams in 1977 (The songs were recorded at the same time) with … Read more

As the frontman of John Cafferty & the Beaver Brown Band, Cafferty rose to prominence with the soundtrack to the 1983 failed studio movie turned HBO cult classic “Eddie and the Cruisers”.  “On the Dark Side” became a hit, topping the rock charts.  It went top ten on the Hot 100. His music, eerily close to the sound of Bruce Springsteen, helped define a genre – heartland rock with an East Coast rock and roll, let’s-cruise-the-beach-roads, sweaty, smoky rock bar vibe.   While not a massive star, Cafferty maintained a long touring career, especially in the Northeastern U.S., where he … Read more

I’ve had a bit of a Neil Young obsession lately, intrigued by his long career and how he continues to release new music, regardless of who might hear it. The beauty and genius of Neil Young. I also love to dig into his catalog and find songs I’ve missed, for whatever reason.  He has a lot of music.  There are some gems in the NY library. Indiana musician Rusty Bladen put together a band and found some of those gems as he debuts a “Tribute to Neil Young” the same weekend (May 17) this podcast drops. Rusty has nine albums … Read more

Marty Stuart rocked the country radio in the early 90s and albums that blended Steve Earle-esque country rock with badass guitar playing and a nod to traditional country. In this episode, we take a listen to the trajectory of Marty’s music. Traditional country to modern country to where his music lives now: as rock music.   Did that really happen? Stuart has more than 20 studio albums, has charted more than 30 times on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts, won five Grammy Awards, and is an engaged member of the Grand Ole Opry and Country Music Hall of Fame.  It … Read more

Our episode features Jonathan Rundman, singer/songwriter from Minneapolis, who has a new Americana rock and roll album called “Waves”. It is a fascinating and fun talk about 80’s rock music, The Silos and the circle of friends that includes Cracker, The Vulgar Boatmen, and all they that have influenced.  If you dig 80s rock, his tales are what you might want. We talk about Bob Seger, the Rainmakers, The Hooters, and lots more. Born and raised in the isolated Finnish-American communities of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, and now based in Minneapolis, Rundman twists smart, cinematic, rock and roll lyrics, pop hooks, … Read more

In this episode, we take a first listen to the new album from Mitch Ryder, called With Love the latest chapter in the career of the rock and soul icon. With the release of his 21st studio album, Ryder calls it one of the most honest works of his career—raw, autobiographical, and packed with his grit and soul. Produced by Don Was, the album marks a 2025 moment in Ryder’s decades-long career. We’ll also hear Ryder’s roots—from fronting The Detroit Wheels in the mid-60s with hits like “Devil with a Blue Dress On” and “Jenny Take a Ride!” to his … Read more