How Cheap Trick Became Rock Legends Completely By Accident

About this episode

Cheap Trick have been one of rock's most distinctive and enduring bands for more than five decades, creating timeless classics including I Want You To Want Me, Surrender, Dream Police and Ain't That a Shame. But behind the arena anthems lies a story filled with determination, disappointment, innovation and more than a few extraordinary twists of fate. In this fascinating episode, founding bassist Tom Petersson takes Sandy back to where it all began in Rockford, Illinois, explaining how the arrival of The Beatles and the British Invasion inspired a generation of teenagers to pick up instruments and dream of something bigger. What started as a hobby quickly evolved into a lifelong career, although success proved far more elusive than anyone expected. Tom reveals how Cheap Trick emerged from a succession of earlier bands including Fuse and Sick Man of Europe, sharing the excitement of landing an early record deal before watching it disappear almost as quickly. Rather than giving up, the band returned to the clubs, determined to create music on their own terms instead of chasing radio trends or record company expectations. One of the highlights of this conversation is the remarkab