Inside Bruce Hornsby’s Greatest Songs

Inside Bruce Hornsby’s Greatest Songs

From Professor of Rock by Gamut Podcast Network

April 17, 2026 · 33 min

About this episode

The episode features an in-depth interview with Bruce Hornsby discussing his music and impact during the 1980s.

So when I started doing this, I made a list of 15 artists I wanted to do an in-depth interview with before I leave this planet, and so far I’ve checked off about half my list with Sting, Brian Wilson, and a few others. Well, I just checked off another one... Coming up it’s the evolution of one of my favorite artists ever… Ya know, as a Gen-Xer coming of age in the 80s, there were only a dozen artists or bands that I got genuinely excited for when news of a new song or record would come out. Back in the day, before social media, when such news came from MTV, the radio, or a rock magazine... back when a new album was truly an event. Many of you watching remember that indescribable feeling of waking up on Christmas morning. It felt like you were on top of the world. Well, today’s guest was one of those magical artists for me. When he first hit the mainstream in 1986 with his unique piano playing, especially on his song the Way It Is… The song became the most unlikely #1 hit of the 80s. It didn’t sound like anything on 80s radio, I mean, it had no distinct chorus and was truly serious social commentary alongside the typical pop fare of 1986 and 1987, where Everybody was Wang Chunging…

People in this episode

Guest: Bruce Hornsby

Topics covered

  • Bruce Hornsby
  • music evolution
  • 1980s music
  • interview
  • piano music

Keywords

  • Bruce Hornsby
  • The Way It Is
  • 1980s
  • music interview
  • piano

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: The Way It Is

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