Today is Brian May’s 75th Birthday. Most people know him as the lead guitarist and co-founder of the band Queen. However, some may refer to him as Dr. Brian May the astrophysicist. May pursued his PhD degree from 1970-1974, studying reflected light from interplanetary dust and the velocity of dust in the plane of the Solar System. When Queen began to have international success in 1974, he abandoned his doctoral studies, but after 33 years and a revised thesis, he ultimately received his degree in 2007.

Music and education go hand in hand. Some colleges and universities even offer courses in specific bands of popular culture. For example, just today Texas University announced its new honors course titled, ‘Harry Styles And The Cult Of Celebrity: Identity, The Internet And European Pop Culture’, launching Spring of 2023. It may come as a surprise to some how many artists have delved into the world of academia. For today’s 9:30 Coffee Break, what songs from artists with advanced degrees do you want to hear?

Respond with your song ideas in the comments below.

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Songs Played:
Queen – Fat Bottomed Girls
Descendents – Good Good Things
The Offspring – Come Out and Play
The Runaways – Take it or Leave it
Caribou – Home
The Del Fuegos – Don’t Run Wild
Rage Against The Machine – Testify
Bad Religion – American Jesus
CHVRCHES – Clearest Blue (Bonus Track!)