This Week in Music History for the week of 11-17

Summary

takin' a walk – This Week in Music History for the week of 11-17

Host: Buzz Knight
Guest: Harry Jacobs (“Master of Music Mayhem”)
Release Date: November 17, 2025
Podcast Network: iHeartPodcasts

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Episode Overview

In this lively weekly roundup, Buzz Knight and Harry Jacobs revisit musical milestones, legendary albums, odd pop culture moments, and personal memories from the week of November 17 in music history. The episode’s tone is both reverential and relaxed, as the duo bounces between deep dives into iconic records—like Pink Floyd’s The Wall—and good-natured tangents about time zones, sticky notes, and how classic rock icons have aged. Whether discussing the impact of MTV’s Thriller premiere or sharing behind-the-scenes stories of Queen and David Bowie, Buzz and Harry invite listeners to join them for a reflective, sometimes humorous look at the music that shaped generations.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Pink Floyd – The Wall (Released November 17, 1979)

[02:11-04:56]

• Harry calls The Wall “epic on many levels,” discussing its primary authorship by Roger Waters and inspiration from feelings of alienation during the Animals tour.
• The album was recorded in seven studios across France, England, and LA: “As you can probably imagine, given how technical their music is, the sessions were really intense.” – Harry [02:52]
• Pink Floyd fired their keyboardist Richard Wright but then hired him back as a session player: “You’re out of the band, but we’re going to pay you a thousand bucks a week to come play your keyboard parts.” – Harry [03:46]
• The live shows, featuring the physical construction of “the wall” on stage, are described as “pretty epic”:

  “As angry as I was at Roger Waters, I couldn’t stay away from that show.” – Harry [04:23]

2. The Infamous Star Wars Holiday Special (Aired November 17, 1978)

[05:32-06:35]

• Neither host claims to be a “Star Wars or sci-fi person.”
• The 1978 holiday special is described as a “nightmare to the loyalists and something that's kind of a stain on the franchise.” – Harry [05:48]
• Hilarity at the oddity of a “Christmas special with R2D2 and Chewbacca... and Darth Vader.”

3. Neil Young, Danny Whitten & “The Needle and the Damage Done”

[06:35-07:07]

• Marking Whitten’s death (Nov 18), Harry notes it “inspired the song Needle and the Damage Done.”
• Buzz calls it “not a toe tapper, but a great song.” [07:01]
• Harry points out Jewel’s cover, while Buzz declares “I’m a Neil guy. I wasn’t always. I love Neil.” [07:08]

4. Tangent: Time Zones and the Age of the Railroads

[07:14-08:21]

• Harry riffs on time zones, revealing US and Canadian railroads standardized them in the late 1800s:

  “Imagine how confusing was that. And it was industry really coming to save the government from itself.” – Harry [07:51]

• Side note: The hosts marvel at the complexity of Australian time zones and joke about sticky notes vs. yellow legal pads.

5. U2’s Achtung Baby (Released November 19, 1991)

[08:52-09:08]

• Harry calls it “more of an experimental era for them,” and both hosts express their enjoyment.

6. Led Zeppelin – Houses of the Holy Goes 11× Platinum (November 19, 1973)

[09:08-09:37]

• Harry highlights tracks: “The Rain Song, obviously a great song. Song Remains the Same, Over the Hills and Far Away, The Crunge—another odd, quick song. Like Hot Dog or whatever...” [09:23]
• The Rain Song is called “a beautiful, epic guitar piece.”

7. The Who – Quadrophenia (US Release: November 20, 1973)

[09:46-10:54]

• Noted for its conceptual scope: Each album side represents a different personality aspect of the main character (and, humorously, each band member).
• Harry: “This is a long way from Meaty, Beaty, Big and Bouncy.” [10:43]
• Buzz and Harry acknowledge The Who’s creative ambition and complexity.

8. Roger Daltrey & Pete Townshend Today

[10:55-11:16]

• Harry mentions seeing Daltrey and Townshend recently, marveling at their continued performance abilities in their eighties.

  “They still look good. They still sound good. I don’t know how many tours they have left in them.” – Harry [11:07]
  “Roger made some comments recently just how he felt he was going to die at a young age… It was really the vision he was focused on, but sad to see him talk that way.” – Buzz [11:16]

9. MTV Premieres Michael Jackson’s Thriller Video (November 20, 1983)

[12:10-12:24]

• Acknowledgement of MJ’s groundbreaking visual, calling it “a creepy, fun music video” and utterly game-changing.

10. Elton John’s “Your Song” & Queen + David Bowie’s “Under Pressure”

[12:24-13:40]

• Elton John’s “Your Song” entered US charts Nov 21, 1970.

• “Under Pressure” debuted; Harry relays a story about Jon Bon Jovi being an intern in the studio the day Freddie Mercury and David Bowie recorded the song:

  “He says he looked into the recording studio and saw David Bowie and Freddie Mercury singing Under Pressure. Over the years, he had to ask people if he was doing some revisionist history in his head. But Bon Jovi was there for Under Pressure.” – Harry [13:15-13:40]

11. The Beatles’ White Album (Nov 22, 1968, UK) & Pearl Jam’s Vitalogy (Nov 22, 1994)

[13:44-14:25]

• The White Album’s anniversary is marked.
• Vitalogy release sequence: “album came out first and... two weeks before the CD came out.”

12. Remembering John F. Kennedy (Assassinated Nov 22, 1963)

[14:22-14:31]

• The significance of the date is solemnly acknowledged:

  “And that was a dark day for sure, that November 22nd day for sure.” – Buzz [14:25]

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “I use the word epic a lot, but it was pretty epic.”
  – Harry, on seeing Roger Waters perform The Wall live [04:23]

• “Star Wars Holiday Special aired on CBS. It aired once and only once, and it sent the Star Wars fans and critics out into this tailspin because it was awful.”
  – Harry [05:43]

• “Not a toe tapper, but it’s a great song.”
  – Buzz, on “Needle and the Damage Done” [07:01]

• “Sticky notes is indicative of a problem. My yellow pad is still reasonable. Sticky pads, they go everywhere.”
  – Harry [08:30]

• “They still look good. They still sound good. I don’t know how many tours they have left in them.”
  – Harry, on The Who [11:07]

• “He looked into the studio and saw David Bowie and Freddie Mercury singing Under Pressure. Bon Jovi was there for Under Pressure.”
  – Harry [13:15-13:40]

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Key Timestamps

• [02:11] – Pink Floyd’s The Wall release & band drama
• [05:32] – Star Wars Holiday Special
• [06:35] – Danny Whitten’s passing, Neil Young’s tribute
• [07:14] – Sidebar: Time zones and railroads
• [08:52] – U2’s Achtung Baby
• [09:08] – Houses of the Holy 11× platinum
• [09:46] – The Who’s Quadrophenia and its deep concept
• [10:55] – Roger Daltrey & Pete Townshend’s longevity
• [12:10] – Michael Jackson’s Thriller video premiere
• [12:24] – Elton John’s “Your Song”; Queen & Bowie’s “Under Pressure” and Bon Jovi’s story
• [13:44] – Beatles’ White Album, Pearl Jam’s Vitalogy
• [14:22] – JFK assassination mention; episode wrap-up

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Tone and Language

The conversation is knowledgeable, informal, and warm, featuring friendly jibes, asides about day-to-day life, and genuine admiration for the artistry and endurance of musical legends. Both hosts expertly weave trivia, personal anecdotes, and broader cultural observations together for a relaxed yet informative roundup.

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Summary Usefulness:
Ideal for music buffs, classic rock fans, or anyone seeking a weekly refresher on iconic music history moments—complete with context, behind-the-scenes stories, and good humor.

Transcript

[A]

This is an iHeart podcast. This episode of Taking a Walk is brought to you by Chase Sapphire Reserve. Whether I'm booking my next vacation or going to a concert, Chase Sapphire Reserve is my gateway to the world's most captivating destinations. When I use my Chase Sapphire Reserve card, I get eight times points on all the purchases I make through Chase Travel and even access to one of a kind experiences like music festivals and sports events. And that's not even mentioning how the card gets me into the Sapphire Lounge by the club at select airports nationwide. No matter where I'm walking, travel is more rewarding with Chase Sapphire Reserve. Discover [e-mail] Sapphire Reserve cards issued by JP Morgan Chase Bank NA member FDIC subject to credit approval terms apply.

[B]

I turned off news altogether.

[A]

I hate to say it, but I don't trust much of anything.

[B]

It's the rage bait.

[A]

It feels like it's trying to divide people.

[B]

We got clear Facts. Maybe we could calm down a little. NBC News brings you clear reporting. Let's meet at the Facts. Let's move forward from there. NBC News Reporting for America.

[A]

I'm Buzz Knight. And welcome back to the Taking a Walk podcast. Another episode of this week in music history and we are going to conquer the week of November 17th. Master of Music Mayhem. Checking in, Harry Jacobs. Hello, Harry. Welcome back. Welcome back.

[B]

Master of Music Mayhem. I knew it only took us a year to find something that we would settle into and go Master of Music Mayhem. I think I'm going to open up an Instagram account.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

Master of. At Master of Music Mayhem.

[A]

Okay, I like it.

[B]

Doesn't Tommy Lee have a tattoo of mate like the word Mayhem across his belly?

[A]

He probably does. And I don't want to see it.

[B]

I have a rather large canvas to do that. On November 17, 1979, the Wall by Pink Floyd was released in the United Kingdom. Last week we discussed David Gilmore with Wish youh Were Here. We talked a little bit about their relationship with Waters and Gilmore and. And some feelings on. On Roger Waters and. And here we are talking about the Wall. This was an album that was primarily written by Roger Waters, and it was inspired by alienation that he felt during the Animals tour, which was a tour that happened in 77. I think the album was epic on many levels, but it was recorded in seven different studios. One of those things where they bounced around, they were in France, they were in England, they were in la. They were in all kinds of different locations. And as you can probably imagine, given how technical their music is, the sessions were really intense I think the older they got, the more prickly they all became, especially Waters. And they fired Richard Wright, who was their keyboard player. And what happened with that situation is that they fired him and then they went out on tour, as you recall, and they hired him as a session player for the tour. They're like, you're out of the band, but we're going to pay you a thousand bucks a week to come play the. Your keyboard parts.

[A]

Wow.

[B]

I think he was replaced on some of it on the album. I've got to do a deeper dive on that. But Those shows in 1980 were epic shows, you know, where they built the Wall across the stage. And I saw a version of it, you know, in. In 2012 here in Vegas, where they built a wall. And, you know, through the course of the show, the wall comes down. And as angry as I was at Roger Waters, I couldn't stay away from that show. And it was just. I use the word epic a lot, but it was. It was pretty epic.

[A]

No doubt.

[B]

And one of the highest grossing tours, by the way. That one was in the history of any solo artist as well. And it was a big deal. Right, people, there's a. There's an appetite for. For Pink Floyd.

[A]

There's an appetite for Pink Floyd and, you know, just the whole progressive rock, you know, genre on its own as well. Ravenous.

[B]

Do you remember who starred in the. In the movie version of the Wall?

[A]

No, I. You probably. You probably thought I was dozing off at that point. No, I. I was trying to think of it.

[B]

No, I saw you looking up. I didn't know if you were thinking about lunch or. Who starred in the Wall. It was Bob Geldoff.

[A]

No, right. I was thinking. I was thinking Bob Geldoff. See, I should have trusted my. My first gut instinct.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Emphasis gut.

[B]

Yep. Emphasis gut. In 1978. This is an odd one. I don't think either of us were ever real Star wars or sci Fi people.

[A]

No.

[B]

The Star wars holiday special aired on cbs. It aired once and only once, and it sent the Star wars fans and critics out into this tailspin because it was awful. It was a nightmare to. To the loyalists and something that's kind of a stain on the. On the franchise to a lot of people. This was just. By the way, this was two years after Star wars came out. So it's a big step for them to do something like this. And. And it sent the. The sci fi people through the roof. They're like, you're doing a Christmas special with R2D2 and Chewbacca, like. And. And Darth Vader. What are you. What in the hell are you doing?

[A]

Well, we know they probably wound a little tight, right?

[B]

Indeed they are. November 18th, Danny Whitten, who was a guitarist for Neil Young's Crazy Horse Band, he passed away of an overdose and it was heroin overdose, and it inspired the song Needle and the Damage Done.

[A]

Oh, there you go. Yep.

[B]

Great song. Really a lovely song.

[A]

It's a. Not a toe tapper, but it's a great song.

[B]

No, And Jewel does a great version of it, by the way.

[A]

No, it's a. It's a great song. And I'm. I'm a Neil guy. You know that. I wasn't always. I love Neil.

[B]

Yeah. This is interesting. This has nothing to do with music history, but this is something I always wonder about. You wonder about. Especially in the U.S. i wonder about time zones. I got some information because I saw the thing pop up in Claude as I was thinking about the week. And the US And Canadian railroads actually introduced the standard time zone prior to the late 1800s, which really is not that long ago, if you think about it. Each city and each town kept their own local time. Imagine how confusing was that. And it was industry really coming to save the government from itself.

[A]

Ever try to have a conversation with somebody in Australia and understand their time zones?

[B]

No. No.

[A]

Oh, I can't even explain it. Maybe someone can explain it to me at some point. Maybe one of our Australian listeners can explain. Is the craziest. I can't follow it. I can't explain it. But anyway, I digress.

[B]

I'm literally. I just made a note on the yellow pad. I'm still a yellow pad guy with all this digital stuff and phones and everything. I still. A yellow pad.

[A]

I got a yellow pad. I got sticky notes.

[B]

Well, that sticky notes is indicative of a problem. My yellow pad is still reasonable. Sticky pads, they go everywhere.

[A]

I know. All right.

[B]

I'm gonna make a note about Australian times.

[A]

Well, yeah, I'm probably completely wrong, so.

[B]

Yeah, well, I'll find. I'll be the judge of that.

[A]

Okay, you will.

[B]

And I'll. I'll report back.

[A]

Thank you. Master of music Mayhem and time zone mayhem.

[B]

That's right. November 19, 1991, U2 released Octun Baby. This was a, you know, more of an experimental era for them. I enjoyed that album.

[A]

Me too.

[B]

Yeah. 73. November 19th, Houses of the Holy went 11 times platinum in the US a great. Of course, the. You know, the Rain song, obviously a great song. Song remains the same over the Hills and Far Away. The crunch. Another odd, quick song.

[A]

Oh, yeah.

[B]

Like Hot Dog or whatever, you know, I mean, there were just all these weird little. Almost like they had to put something on there, and they did it. But over the Hills and Far Away, the Rain Song, to me is a beautiful, epic.

[A]

Oh, yeah.

[B]

Guitar piece and song remains the same.

[A]

Of, you know, and over the Hills and far. Over the.

[B]

November 20, 1973, the WHO released Quadrophenia in the US and. And this was, you know, another big one for. For them, it was dark. Tommy was about the young boy. This is another one about a boy named Jimmy struggling with his identity. And I didn't realize that, you know, because this was a double album that each of the four sides dealt with and represented a different aspect of the protagonist's personality, which corresponded. This is really funny to. To each of the different band members, really. Another, like, complex, you know, kind of thing. You never would have thought of it, you know, on your own. But this was the follow up. This is very interesting to me. They make Tommy in 69, and then this thing comes out in 73. They were just. This is a long way from meaty, beaty, big and bouncy.

[A]

Oh, yeah, right. They.

[B]

They did a couple of things conceptually that were very different. You got to applaud him for it.

[A]

Yep.

[B]

I just saw Roger Daltrey and Pete Townsend, like, performing Won't Get Fooled Again in Eminence front. You know, they're in. Roger's maybe 81 at this point.

[A]

He is.

[B]

And they still look good. They still sound good. I don't know how many tours they have left in them. I don't know at what point you just say stop.

[A]

Well, Roger made some comments recently just how he felt he was going to die at a young age, meaning, you know, he didn't have that much. Much left. He. He. Between his hearing and vision. The vision and just, you know, stuff. Yeah, it was really the vision he was focused on, but sad to see him, you know, talk that way and. But you write, the complexity that those albums represented, you know, needs to be noted. We're.

[B]

We're in a place in this country and in the world where men just don't live much past 80 years old. So, you know, it's scary. I mean, these. Think about all the people that we love musically that we're inspired by, not just in general, not just the humanity part of it, but, you know, all of these guys are, you know, Final Chapter.

[A]

Yep.

[B]

Kind of guys. 1983, November 20th, Thriller. The video premiered on MTV. This changed the game in terms of music videos. And pretty amazing. I remember seeing it and watching it over and over again. That red leather jacket and kind of a creepy, Fun music video. November 21, 1970, your song entered the Billboard Hot 100 for Elton John and Queen and David Bowie released Under Pressure. I've got a funny Under Pressure story and I didn't even realize, I didn't go back this morning and look at this, but yesterday I'm watching something on Instagram and I see Jon Bon Jovi talking about his connection to Under Pressure. Do you have any idea about this story? You have any idea?

[A]

No clue whatsoever.

[B]

Story is in 1981, Bon Jovi was still, you know, basically a kid. He was working at, I don't know, the Record Plant or wherever he was working. He was a. Basically a gopher. He was an intern.

[A]

I knew that.

[B]

Yeah, right. He was there that day. He was there at that session. He looked, he says he looked into the recording studio and saw David Bowie and Freddie Mercury singing Under Pressure. He said that over the years he had to ask people if he was doing some revisionist history in his head. But Bon Jovi was there for Under Pressure.

[A]

Pretty incredible. Yeah. A moment in music history.

[B]

Yeah. November 22nd, the the Beatles White Album Justin released in the UK, 1968 and in six in. In 1994. Sorry about that. Pearl Jam released Vitalogy on, on an album. And then I guess two weeks before the CD came out in, in 1994, we were all well into the the CDs at that point pretty much. But the album came out first and November 22nd obviously is the day that John Kennedy was assassinated in, in Dallas. And with that, that brings this week in music history to a close.

[A]

And that was a dark day for sure. That, that November 22nd day for sure.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Harry, thank you for taking us through it and for a look at not only music history, but the life we have led. And thanks for doing that. And thank you all for checking out the Taking a Walk podcast and listening to this week in music history. This episode of Taking a Walk is brought to you by Chase Sapphire Reserve. Whether I'm booking my next vacation or going to a concert and Chase Sapphire Reserve is my gateway to the world's most captivating destinations. When I use my Chase Sapphire reserve card, I get eight times points on all the purchases I make through Chase Travel and even access to one of a kind experiences like music festivals and sports events. And that's not even mentioning how the card gets me into the Sapphire lounge by the club at select airports nationwide. No matter where I'm walking, travel is more rewarding. With Chase Sapphire Reserve. Discover [e-mail] Sapphire Reserve cards issued by JP Morgan Chase Bank, NA member FDIC subject to credit approval terms apply. Okay, only 10 more presents to wrap. You're almost at the finish line. But first, there the last one. Enjoy a Coca Cola for a pause that refreshes. This is an I Heart podcast.