Best The Jeff Rubin Show Podcasts (2024)

1
10 Questions with Nora Hayward Olsen 29:56

2h ago29:56

29:56

Today’s episode is part two of my wonderful conversation I had with Nora Hayward Olsen; her answers to my ten questions. Nora hit me with a new artist I'd never heard of and was most apologetic about her decision in the choice between Mudcrutch and The Traveling Wilburys! Don't forget to follow me on social media, like, subscribe, and please, leave…

1
BONUS: Rick Rubin 1:18:53

21h ago1:18:53

1:18:53

Woody Harrelson is going solo for our first bonus episode as he’s joined by famed music producer and friend Rick Rubin! They recently connected in Italy, where Woody asked Rick about his journey of becoming an artist and the major chapters of his career, including his work with LL Cool J, Beastie Boys, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Johnny Cash. For ex…

1
Nora Hayward Olsen 46:13

2d ago46:13

46:13

Today’s episode is an excellent conversation I had with Tom Petty superfan Nora Hayward Olsen. Nora comments frequently on the podcast socials and was every bit is personable, warm, and funny in person as she is online. Nora was at one of the Fillmore show where the band played Heartbreakers Beach Party which ended up on live album release. That so…

1
Tom Selleck 1:22:05

1h ago1:22:05

1:22:05

Acting great and gentleman Tom Selleck joins Ted Danson for his first-ever podcast appearance! Tom talks to Ted about his Magnum, P.I. days, that time he auditioned for Mae West, and how Leonard Nimoy saved “Three Men and a Baby.” Bonus: they address those persistent ghost rumors. Like watching your podcasts? Visit http://youtube.com/teamcoco to se…

1
Dan Durkin Returns 1:04:39

25m ago1:04:39

1:04:39

Today’s episode is a non-Petty episode with Dan Durkin, of among other bands, Petty Theft, the sensational Tom Petty tribute band from San Francisco. Dan has a new single out, which I love, and I asked him if he’d want to come back on the show to talk about it. There’s a definite Petty influence in his first release as a solo artist and we dive int…

1
Rob Lowe 54:32

1h ago54:32

54:32

Ted Danson and Rob Lowe finally sit down after years of missing each other! Ted asks the “Unstable” star about a contradiction he’s spied in his work. Rob tells Ted about his childhood epiphany that took him from Dayton, Ohio to Hollywood, his secret to staying married, his feelings about the Brat Pack phenomenon, and helping others through recover…

1
House in the Woods 1:12:54

1h ago1:12:54

1:12:54

In the liner notes for Wildflowers and all the Rest, Producer Rick Rubin says “So many of these songs have a sloppy soulful groove that really defined this album. The goal was not to make a perfect album but to capture the sound of a band on a really good night recorded quickly with all of the quirks and imperfections that come with it. It took us …

1
Jeff Goldblum 53:41

1d ago53:41

53:41

There really is no other Jeff Goldblum on Earth, and his conversation with Ted Danson is out of this world! Jeff seizes his chance to talk to Ted about some things weighing on his mind including where they first met, their acting methods and influences, and their longtime mutual admiration. Bonus: Jeff’s catchy ditty about Ted. Like watching your p…

1
Ivan Anderson Returns 1:21:38

1h ago1:21:38

1:21:38

Today’s bonus episode is a truly awesome conversation I had with Ivan Anderson, the genius mind behind @CyberattackWorld . We talked about his new collaboration EP with @teddigoldmusic that is out now and chatted about his next Cyberattack album too. Then we got into a really free-wheeling conversation about music and creativity that ventured into …

1
A Higher Place 1:01:13

7d ago1:01:13

1:01:13

I always consider this one of Tom’s great ambiguous lyrics. Jaan Uhelzski writes that “Petty seems to be nervously taking stock, weighing options, reminiscing, trying to keep his incipient anxiety at bay and trying to hold on to a few last remnants of his former life.” and Benmont Tench says “It's another song that sounds like it's all about whoeve…

1
George Wendt 1:01:15

22d ago1:01:15

1:01:15

It’s Cheers’ most loyal patron, NORM! Ted Danson and Woody Harrelson are stoked to be joined by Cheers colleague George Wendt as they reminisce about their on-set misadventures, how George got cast as Norm Peterson, their chaotic televised send-off—even the infamous time they got caught in a storm while playing hooky (mushrooms were involved). Bonu…

1
10 Questions with Tim Bulman 26:13

23d ago26:13

26:13

Today's episode is my ten questions with Tim Bulman. We talk about sick parts, Tim is playing and singing a song from Wildflowers as his pick, and yet another guest finds a way to describe Tom Petty in three words that is unique, personal, and wonderfully eloquent. There's plenty of Beatles chat in this one too, which never upsets me as I'm a huge …

1
Tim Bulman 57:48

6d ago57:48

57:48

Today’s episode is part of a fantastic conversation I had with Tom Petty fan Tim Bulman, who also publishes the marvelous Judge Timbers YouTube channel where he covers the Beatles and solo Beatle catalogues as well as, of course, Tom Petty. Tim breaks down the chords with easy tips on how to learn and perform them. We talk lots about being enthusia…

1
Flea 48:11

21d ago48:11

48:11

Flea of Red Hot Chili Peppers drops in on his good friend Woody Harrelson and new friend Ted Danson! They’re going deep: creativity and spirituality, overcoming substance abuse, the words from Flea’s daughter that changed his life, his relationship with Los Angeles, and much more. Bonus: Flea hints at some compromising footage of Woody. Like watchi…

1
To Find a Friend 1:03:24

1M ago1:03:24

1:03:24

One of my very favourite virtuoso pianists is a Canadian/German guy named Michael Kaeshammer. The guy absolutely tears the roof off every time I’ve seen him live and what Benmont does here really reminds me of his playing. It’s technically superb, rhythmically perfect, and so, so, so melodic! As much as I love hearing a perfectly-crafted Mike Campb…

1
Lisa Kudrow 1:10:04

13d ago1:10:04

1:10:04

Like many of us, Ted Danson had never seen anyone like Lisa Kudrow when she first burst onto the scene. He asks her about her memorable appearance on Cheers, navigating Friends fame, being a trailblazer for quirky people, and how evolutionary biology was actually her first love before acting and comedy. Bonus: Ted reveals his early struggles playin…

1
Cabin Down Below 45:14

1M ago45:14

45:14

OK, so is this the most complex and musically challenging song that Tom ever wrote? OF course not. Is it have emotional weight or narrative clarity? No and not really? Does it rock, make you want to move your feet, and make you smile? Yes, yes, and yes. The economy and simplicity of the song is what defines its almost sleazy vibe. And I don’t mean …

1
Laura Dern 51:50

28d ago51:50

51:50

Ted Danson and Woody Harrelson are feeling the Dern! Their good friend Laura Dern is here, and the guys are talking to her about how she fell in love with acting as a child, writing a book with her mom, the time a panicked Woody wanted to dial her for acting advice, and how she and her mom made history with their respective Oscar nominations (and l…

1
Eric Andre 1:06:50

27d ago1:06:50

1:06:50

Ted Danson is a little nervous about being pranked as he sits down with the uniquely talented actor and comedian Eric Andre. Eric is the mastermind behind riotous and absurd projects such as Bad Trip and The Eric Andre Show, and Ted is curious to know what goes on in that head of his. They discuss the humanity that runs throughout Eric’s work as we…

1
Introducing WikiHole — hosted by D’Arcy Carden! 4:28

2M ago4:28

4:28

D’Arcy Carden invites her best pals and collaborators Ted Danson, Rashida Jones and Mike Schur to fall down a WikiHole that starts with trivia about Bruce Springsteen. But how does one of D’Arcy’s favorite musicians connect to the US Olympic Equestrian team, and why do they end up answering every question wrong on purpose? Listen to find out!…

1
Hard On Me 1:18:08

1M ago1:18:08

1:18:08

With his ex-wife Jane in a really bad emotional and psychological state, Tom knew that a lot of emphasis was falling on him to keep things together at home for the sake of his youngest daughter, Annakim, and it’s all betrayed in that opening line. “It's all I can do to keep that little girl smiling and keep my faith alive”. Today’s guest conversati…

501
Martin Short 1:06:58

1M ago1:06:58

1:06:58

Ted Danson goes solo today as he’s joined by the formidable Martin Short! They talk about Martin’s experience of loss at a young age, his Canadian upbringing, his SNL tenure, and what it was like working with some of the funniest people in the world, including Larry David. Bonus: Ted and Martin compare notes about aging in comedy. Like watching you…

1
10 Questions with Mary Beth Donnelly 20:09

1M ago20:09

20:09

Today's episode is my ten questions with the wonderful Mary Beth Donnelly, who very kindly joined me on the kick off episode of season ten to talk about the title track from Wildflowers. We chatted about Paul Simon, Jeff Lynne, and everything in between as we went through my ten questions to find out which of Tom's songs she'd like to hear one of C…

1
Jane Fonda 1:04:25

2M ago1:04:25

1:04:25

Ted Danson and Woody Harrelson are joined by a hero of theirs, Jane Fonda! Jane is a master of third acts, and the guys are curious about how she manages to keep going full speed in her life and activism (though she insists she’s just getting started). They also get into the time Ted and Jane got arrested, her experience in Vietnam, and how she bec…

1
Tommy Edwin Returns 57:28

2M ago57:28

57:28

Today's episode is another conversation I had with the wonderful Tommy Edwin. We discussed Travis picking and talked about putting set lists together and whether choose the songs you think the crowd should hear, not the songs you think they want to hear. Tommy was wonderfully warm, engaging, and just generally a wonderful hang and I hope you enjoy …

651
Conan O'Brien 58:26

2M ago58:26

58:26

Ted Danson and Woody Harrelson are turning the mic on their podcast boss, Conan O'Brien! The guys ask Conan about where his self-deprecating humor comes from and what his kids think of his work. Conan offers some wisdom he's learned from his many years as both a TV and podcast host. Bonus: Conan and Woody share a genuine moment while Ted's out of e…

1
Don't Fade On Me 1:02:12

2M ago1:02:12

1:02:12

When I think about the solo in this song, it has a gravity to it that makes it feel centuries old. You could almost imagine that it has been living underground in some secret grotto since time began, just waiting for the right song to come along and feed it. It feels like a primal life force all its own, as if Mike is possessed by it rather than be…

1
Kristen Bell 1:06:17

2M ago1:06:17

1:06:17

Ted Danson is thrilled to introduce Woody Harrelson to his dear friend Kristen Bell! Woody is curious about her anti-aging methods plus her fateful meet cute with hubby Dax Shepard. Kristen shares how she juggles a schedule filled with family, an acting career, and jiu-jitsu badassery. Bonus: Ted and Kristen trade tips on how to deal with difficult…

1
Honey Bee 1:10:20

3M ago1:10:20

1:10:20

In the liner notes for Wildflowers and all the Rest, engineer Jim Scott remarks that “Tom would write a song like ‘Honey Bee’ on the spot and the band would just follow him. There are dozens of recordings just starting a song and making it up from top to bottom, coming up with funny lyrics.” Of course, there are plenty of deep cut or inside example…

1
Will Arnett 56:26

3M ago56:26

56:26

Ted Danson and Woody Harrelson are reunited, and it feels so... nerve-wracking? For their first episode, the guys are joined by one of the funniest people they know, Will Arnett. Will gives them some podcasting tips from his gilded perch as co-host of the mega-hit podcast Smartless. They also get into Will's extreme Cheers fandom and his winding jo…

1
Only a Broken Heart 52:32

2M ago52:32

52:32

As journalist Jaan Uhelski writes in the Wildflowers and All the Rest liner notes, “If Wildflowers is an album about taking stock of one’s life, “Only a Broken Heart” is a watershed moment on that excavation of self.” Everything about the way the final album version of this song is arranged and produced caters toward that excavation. The busyness o…

1
It's Good to Be King 50:01

3M ago50:01

50:01

“It's good to be king and have your own way. Get a feeling of peace at the end of the day” There’s security in success, but there’s an ominous cautionary tone that creeps into the next line, “And when your bulldog barks and your canary sings, You're out there with winners, it's good to be king”. When your bulldog barks and your canary sings. Dogs u…

1
Ted Danson leaks a bit of the first episode 2:51

3M ago2:51

2:51

Ted Danson couldn’t wait to introduce you to their first podcast guest. Follow and subscribe to “Where Everybody Knows Your Name” to hear the whole episode with his co-host Woody when it releases on June 12th!By Team Coco

1
You Wreck Me 46:03

4M ago46:03

46:03

Legendary Nashville songwriter, Harlan Howard is purported to have coined the expression “three chords and the truth” and friend and colleague Bob Dylan is also remembered for the great line “All I need is my red guitar, three chords and the truth”. Well that’s all this riff is. Three chords. No passing chords, no fancy inversions or suspended note…

1
Time to Move On 51:07

3M ago51:07

51:07

On certain days, I think “Time to Move On” is the best song on Wildflowers, on other days, other songs take that honour. It’s a song that resonates with so many people because it gives us that glimpse into someone finding freedom, if not exactly peace. Despite being the fourth most streamed song from Wildflowers on Spotify, "Time to Move On" was no…

1
You Don't Know How It Feels 55:26

4M ago55:26

55:26

We’re all quick to judge people, whether they cut us off in the fast lane, or don’t hold a door open for us as we’re heading out of the grocery store. But we don’t know what that person is going through, emotionally, psychologically, physically. That disconnect is amplified a hundredfold when it’s in the context of a famous person. Wealth and stard…

1
Ted Danson and Woody Harrelson Are Back Together! 2:13

4M ago2:13

2:13

Ted Danson couldn’t be more excited to tell you about his brand new podcast with his old pal and co-host Woody Harrelson. Follow and subscribe to this show wherever you get your podcasts to hear the first episode when it releases on June 12th!By Team Coco

1
Wildflowers 39:14

4M ago39:14

39:14

Everything about the way this song is crafted sneaks up on you. It’s a masterclass in how you take an idea and flesh it out into a fully-fledged tour de force piece of art. And that’s not to say that this song isn’t wonderful when played just on an acoustic guitar, or on piano with just the vocal accompaniment. It’s a great song in its bones, but i…

1
Approaching Wildflowers 14:39

5M ago14:39

14:39

When climbers finally decide to take on the holy grail of all ascents, Everest, they first face a nine day journey to base camp, which includes two full rest days. This journey alone weeds out about thirty of explorers. Those who are lucky enough to make the arduous trek to the first staging post are then faced with Mount Everest growing ever upwar…

1
Russell Mark Returns (Swing and a Miss) 33:24

5M ago33:24

33:24

One last non-Petty episode before we being digging into Wildflowers! This time, Russell Mark, from The Nextdoors is back to talk about their new single "Swing and a Miss". We talk about perfection in art and whether it's worth striving for, we nerd out over specific production choices and songwriting form, and of course, we talk about Gary Carter, …

1
Jake Thistle Returns (The Half Left Out) 1:32:35

5M ago1:32:35

1:32:35

This is another special non-Petty episode of the podcast with the fantastic Jake Thistle, who found time in his insanely busy schedule to sit down with me to discuss his label debut, The Half Left Out. We chatted a little about Gainesville and Tom of course, but mainly we dug into the weeds around his full debut release, with topics ranging from al…

1
Greatest Hits (with John Paulsen) 1:10:04

5M ago1:10:04

1:10:04

A really fun one today folks. John and Kevin dig deep into inclusions and ommissions from 1993's Greatest Hits. We have a conversation about formats (CD vs vinyl), chronological ordering vs sequencing, and whether ballads belong on Greatest Hits compilations. Both John and Kevin have one song that the other feels simply doesn't belong on the Greate…

1
The Petty 8ight with Sean and Todd McGinity 1:46:16

5M ago1:46:16

1:46:16

Today’s episode is the third installment in my Petty 8ight series, where I bring in musicians who aren’t Pettyheads, give them eight deeper cuts that they likely haven’t heard before, and get their thoughts on them. In this episode, my willing newbies are Sean and Todd McGinity. The brothers are based in Winnipeg and have a long history of writing,…

1
Something in the Air 21:27

5M ago21:27

21:27

A major change in this cover version is the format of the lyrics. Something in the Air is a fairly ominous call to arms. The original was released in May of 1969 when the Vietnam War was still raging at its most furious. Speedy Keen said that told ZigZag magazine in 1975 of the song "It was a reflection of what I was seeing at the time". But rather…

1
Mary Jane's Last Dance 27:34

6M ago27:34

27:34

When author Paul Zollo asks Tom about the song in his book Conversations With Tom Petty, and mentions that the song had been partially written some years previously, Tom confirms this, saying, “That was one I wrote during the Full Moon Fever sessions. I wrote all but the chorus. I just had the loop going around and around and really had most of the…

1
Peace in L.A. 24:59

6M ago24:59

24:59

In March and April of 1992, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers were wrapping up the European final leg of their Into The Great Wide Open tour. This leg saw them play dates in Germany, the UK, Ireland, Belgium, Switzerland, France, Norway, and on April 3rd, they closed out the tour in Malmo, Sweden, playing an extended set of 28 songs to 6000 Swedish f…

1
10 Questions with Peter Nester 46:39

6M ago46:39

46:39

Today's episode is my ten questions with the brilliant Peter Nester. I usually put these out as bonus episodes in the same week as my chat with that guest, but Pete's answers to these questions were so thorough, considered, and beautifully expounded, that I felt this needed to be a regular release. I guarantee you'll hear which artist he wants to c…

1
Jeff Slate Returns 1:19:19

6M ago1:19:19

1:19:19

This is a special non-Petty episode of the podcast. I haven’t recorded one in ages, but when former guest Jeff Slate reached out to me to ask if I’d be interested in talking to him about his new single which is out now and the album it’s from which will drop in May, it wasn’t a hard sell for me as I'm a fan of both his music and his writing. We had…

1
Peter Nester 1:31:33

7M ago1:31:33

1:31:33

I have two words for you: Yogi Berra. But what does the Yankees catcher have to do with my conversation with Pete Nester? Tune in to find out! Today's episode is a sprawling, hugely enjoyable conversation I had with a fellow music podcaster who I've been listening to for a couple and a half years now. Pete was very supportive of this show right fro…

1
Into the Great Wide Open (with John Paulsen) 1:36:43

7M ago1:36:43

1:36:43

Another long one this season folks! But again there's so much to talk about with this album and we felt we needed to talk about each individual track. John and I had a good discussion about the background to the recording of this album and where this sits in the evolution of Tom's songwriting. We also didn't have a "producer for the day" discussion…

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