🎧 Prefer to listen? Click here to listen to this episode on your favorite podcast player.
After a couple of heavier episodes I wanted to do something a little different this week. So I went to my record collection…
A little while back I did an episode tying one of my favourite business books into podcasting. Today I’m doing something similar but from a completely different angle. I pulled out a few records, put the needle down, and started thinking about how some of these classic songs tie into podcasting in ways you might not expect.
I’m not a music expert by any stretch. I only got into vinyl in the last year or so and maybe have twenty records in my collection, nothing crazy. But if I’m drawing or hanging out in my office, there’s a good chance I have something spinning on the turntable. Just not while I’m editing a podcast. That’s a bit too distracting.
So let’s get into it.
- Go Your Own Way – Fleetwood Mac
One of my all-time favourite songs and the perfect opener for this episode. The whole spirit of it is doing things your way regardless of what others think. Sound familiar? It’s your show and there are no rules.
You’ve heard me talk about the so-called podcast “rules” that you’re apparently supposed to follow. You have to do video. You can’t do solo episodes when you’re just starting out. You need a big following before you launch. You have to be on every platform and share hundreds of clips a week. The list goes on and on.
This song is essentially a permission slip to ignore all of that.
Now I know what the song was really about between Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks, and I’m not giving relationship advice in this one. I’m the last person to be able to do that. But check out the live version on YouTube – the looks they give each other are something else!Â
In the spirit of this song, as it applies to podcasting, even when things are complicated or uncomfortable, the show must go on and you bring your authentic self to it anyway.
- Not Fade Away – Buddy Holly
I’ve always loved Buddy Holly! This was originally recorded by Buddy Holly and the Crickets in 1957. The Rolling Stones covered it in 1964 and it became one of their first hits. Actually I discovered that by covering a Buddy Holly song, it inspired Mick Jagger and Keith Richards to start writing their own original music. Keith Richards himself said it gave them the extra push to start creating something of their own.
What does that have to do with podcasting? A lot!
So many podcasters start out by following someone else’s format or trying to sound like another host they admire. And that’s fine as a starting point. But the goal is to eventually find your own voice and make the show something that only you could make. Just like the Stones did.
Back to the central theme of this song. This one is about staying in the game and not fading away. That’s a big part of why I started this podcast in the first place, to do my small part in helping podcasters keep going and not walk away from their microphone.
- The Long and Winding Road – The Beatles
Full disclosure: this isn’t even close to being my favourite Beatles song. I’m more of a 1962 to 1966 fan myself. But the title is just too perfect to leave off this list.
It was the final single released while all four members were still alive, from the Let It Be album. And as a title it captures something really important about podcasting.
Podcasting rarely goes in a straight line. You launch thinking you know exactly what your show will be, and 6 months in it looks completely different. Maybe you started weekly and went bi-weekly. Maybe you started with guests and switched to solo. Maybe you rebranded. That’s not failure. That’s the road winding.
My brother Marc went from 7 episodes a week all the way down to one, and his show is still going strong approaching 1,000 episodes. He talked about that evolution in the last episode if you missed it.
The road also doesn’t close just because you take a break or slow down. The episodes are still there and people are still finding them!
And you never know where the road leads. Marc had no idea back in 2014 that his podcast would become the engine for joint venture partnerships, something he didn’t even see coming when he started. I had no idea when I launched in January whether I’d even make it past a few episodes, or whether I’d have anything useful to say. I’m still pleasantly surprised by how much I’m enjoying it and by the feedback that it’s actually helping people.
Just keep hitting record and see where it goes.
- We Are the Champions – Queen
Closing it out on a high note. This is the celebration song and every podcaster deserves one.
Freddie Mercury built this song around the idea of having gone through the battles, made mistakes, come back from tough times, and kept fighting. That’s every podcaster who’s still showing up after episode 50, 100, or in Marc’s case nearly 1,000. You don’t get there without paying some dues along the way.
You don’t have to be at 1,000 episodes to feel like a champion either. Episode 8 was a milestone I did a whole episode about, because less than half of podcasters ever get that far. That was my initial goal and I’m at 20 now. Episode 26 means you made it a full year. Your first listener email, your first client who found you through the show, those are all champion moments worth celebrating, even if nobody else is throwing you a parade.
Give yourself a big pat on the back for doing this, because it is pretty cool that we get to call ourselves podcasters. It’s something very few people will ever do!Â
And the win isn’t about external validation or the download charts. It’s an internal declaration. You know what you went through to get here, and that’s what makes you a champion.
Honourable Mentions – The Beach Boys
My favourite band of all time, and I had the honour and pleasure of seeing Brian Wilson live before he passed away. I was seated just a few rows from the stage and it was something I’ll never forget.
I could tie half their catalogue into podcasting so I’ll just leave a few titles here and I think they’re pretty self-explanatory:
Fun Fun Fun (keep podcasting fun or you won’t want to keep doing it)
Don’t Worry Baby (stop stressing about the vanity metrics and just show up)
Wouldn’t It Be Nice (to finally just start that podcast…I added that last part)
Got a song title that you think ties into podcasting? I’d love to hear it! You can find me on Facebook, LinkedIn, or send a note to matt@podassist.com.
Remember, it’s YOUR show and there are NO RULES!
Ready to launch your podcast in as little as TWO weeks, stress-free? Or need help with your current show? Book a no-obligation call with me at https://calendly.com/mattpodassist.
LINKS:
Go Your Own Way (Live) – Fleetwood Mac Â
Not Fade Away – Buddy Holly
The Long and Winding Road – The Beatles
We Are the Champions –Â Queen
19: What I’ve Learned in the Podcast Trenches with Marc Mawhinney
18: More, More, More: The “Expert” Advice I’m Not Following