Episode 10: Juan Munoz, Ph.D.

Stairway To Heaven is one of the most famous rock song of all time. The group started working on the track in the early 1970s, because they wanted to expand on their already epic song "Dazed and Confused." They wanted to try something new with the organ and acoustic sections building into the electric parts. The song was released on November 8, 1971, but didn't chart because it was never a single available to the general public. For this track, the group found inspiration out of the studio and lead singer, Robert Plant, has claimed he spontaneously improvised the lyrics while Jimmy Page was strumming chords one evening in front of a log fire at Headley Grange.

Rock You Like A Hurricane became a huge 1984 hit. The track was the lead song off of their ninth studio album, Love at First Sting. The lyrics were thoughtfully crafted by Klaus Meine, and Herman Rarebell. Composer Rudolf Schenker created the powerful arrangement that was the platform that launched the group to stardom. Since the song's release, it has played a huge part in pop culture and has appeared in dozens of movies. You can still hear this unforgettable track frequently on your local classic rock radio station. It appears that it’s not going away any time soon.

Appeared as the title track to their second studio album. The track was released in 1978 when flying saucer motifs dominated American visual media. Perhaps their album cover lacked creativity, but it was still well received by their fans; as was the guitar’s distortion sound, which was created by group leader Tom Schnoz, who was finally able to put his engineering degree from M.I.T. to work. The track later reached number four on the Billboard Hot 100 just one month after its release.

Titled That’s the Way of the World, and released in 1975. Although the track never charted, it has shown resiliency throughout the years and has been described as a gorgeous ballad. Writers, Philip Bailey Charles Stepney and Maurice White, had those exact intentions when they put their heads together during its production. It features Bailey singing falsetto, and a beautiful arrangement that wraps around his lyrics in a smooth manor. That’s The Way Of The World was not only the title of the album, but a Harvey Keitel film that used the group's music as a soundtrack to score the film.

Written by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, who also wrote, "Hound Dog." The catchy pop tune uses elements of blues accompanied by funny and clever lyrics, and the flare that comes with Elvis made this one a huge hit. It was released in 1957 and quickly became number one on the US pop charts for seven weeks, and also reached number one on the country and R&B charts as well. The song is also featured in the movie, Jailhouse Rock, where Elvis is a wrongly accused convict who gets out and becomes a star.

Written by Johnny Richards and Carolyn Leigh. It used the instrumentals of Richard's "Moonbeam," but when the lyrics were written, Sinatra made it his own and put the song on the map. After being absent from the charts for a few years, this song became a huge success, and became the first record to sell over a million in 1957. The track has been featured in several movies, and is a pleasant addition to many heart-felt scenes.

Written by Dean Dillon and Carson Chamberlain, and released on the album, Latest and Greatest in 2000. This song recalls life events of a son told through the eyes of his father. It touches on cherished memories they experienced together as the father watches his son grow into a man. The song has been praised as being a well-written tale that listeners will find easily relatable, and one of the best feel-good tunes out there. The song entered the Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart at number 48 in the first month of the new millennium.

Written and recorded by singer-songwriter, Johnny Cash, and as we all know, the man always wore black. He actually wrote this song to explain why he wore black, but more importantly, it was a protest song. Released in 1971, the entire song was a statement against racism, and the treatment of poor people by wealthy politicians, condemnation of drug users, prisoners and the war in Vietnam. Cash had always identified himself with the subjects of this song, and it was his first public address of his attire. Throughout his career he had been known to use his talent to convey his personal feelings about many things. Perhaps this was his most direct attempt at addressing issues within the metaphor of why he chose to wear black.

It has been said that he did not learn to play an instrument, never knew the Spanish word for "waltz" or what "keys" his songs were in. However, that did not stop him from composing over 1,000 songs. El Hilo Del Pueblo was among them and perhaps one of his most notable. The native Mexican continued his craft until the day he died and had a massive influence on Mexico’s musical history of the mid 1900’s. He is regarded as one of the most prolific composers and singers Mexico has ever produced.

The track was released in 1984, as the second single on their album of the same name. The group found inspiration from a headline in National Geographic, and felt the "wolf" is a metaphor for a man who is striving to survive in a world that has cast him out. Interestingly enough, the song was produced by a young T-Bone Burnett, who served as a backing guitarist for Bob Dylan, prior to venturing into music production. The song reached number 26 on the Billboard Top Rock Tracks chart, and two years later was covered by American country music artist, Waylon Jennings.