EPISODE · Apr 19, 2026 · 11 MIN
The Broken Amp That Built Heavy Metal
from The Second Track · host Podcaster
When Link Wray's amplifier started dying during a 1958 recording session, he did something unthinkable: he stabbed holes in the speaker with a pencil. That act of desperate vandalism created the first power chord recording and accidentally invented the DNA of heavy metal, punk, and garage rock—two decades before those genres even had names. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
What this episode covers
When Link Wray's amplifier started dying during a 1958 recording session, he did something unthinkable: he stabbed holes in the speaker with a pencil. That act of desperate vandalism created the first power chord recording and accidentally invented the DNA of heavy metal, punk, and garage rock—two decades before those genres even had names.
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The Broken Amp That Built Heavy Metal
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