Ep. 306: Dee Snider discusses Twisted Sister’s “I Wanna Rock”

Chris DeMakes A Podcast

Chris DeMakes

Music, Music History, Music Commentary, Music Interviews

4.9 • 957 Ratings

🗓️ 1 June 2026

⏱️ 113 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Despite his recent retirement from the touring circuit, Dee Snider most definitely still rocks! This week, he makes his return appearance to the show to discuss the writing, recording, and legacy of Twisted Sister’s classic 1984 single “I Wanna Rock.” The spirit of the music still burns in Dee now, just as it did when he was recording song ideas into a cassette recorder as a young frontman. Tune in to both laugh and be inspired as Chris and Dee turn back the clock to the creation of this iconic rock standard. Chris DeMakes A Podcast is brought to you by DistroKid, the ultimate partner for taking your music to the next level. Get 30% off your first YEAR with DistroKid by signing up at ⁠http://distrokid.com/vip/demakes For bonus episode of The After Party podcast, an extensive back catalog of past After Party episodes, early ad-free releases of new episodes of Chris DeMakes A Podcast, full video versions of episodes, and MUCH more, head to the Patreon at ⁠http://www.ChrisDeMakes.com Follow Chris DeMakes A Podcast on Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/chrisdemakesapodcast/⁠ Join the Chris DeMakes A Podcast community on Facebook: ⁠https://www.facebook.com/groups/2643961642526928/⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	Hey, everybody. You can help us make Krista Makes a podcast even better by telling us a little bit about
0:06.3	yourself. Go to surveymonkey.com slash R slash JDZ 3HL7 for a quick listener survey. It only takes a
0:19.1	couple minutes and it helps support our team.
0:22.0	To show our appreciation, we're giving away two $50 gift cards to lucky participants every
0:27.1	single month. Head to go ahead and grab a pen, surveymonkey.com slash R slash JDZ 3HL7 now for your chance to win.
0:44.2	Attention all passengers.
0:46.6	The Uber ride for Mark and Jamal's romantic weekend will depart in four minutes from
0:51.6	Platform 6.
0:53.0	Your ride comes with a rolling countryside sunset
0:55.7	view and a table seat ideal for playing footsie beneath. Thank you for booking your tickets on Uber.
1:04.2	Trains on Uber.
1:05.5	I want a rock!
1:07.2	I want to rock! Well, hello there, loyal listeners of the show.
1:16.0	This is the six-year anniversary here at Krista Makes a podcast, and we got a doozy lined up for you.
1:21.6	Today's guest is Dee Snyder, lead vocalists for the Long Island New York heavy metal band, Twisted Sister.
1:28.1	Together, we break down the writing, recording, and inspiration behind the hit single.
1:33.1	I want to rock, taken from their 1984 full-length album, Stay Hungry.
1:38.6	Dee has been in the hot seat here once before in December of 2021, and he was just as animated and awesome this time as he was the last.
1:47.4	Dee went into full detail about his songwriting process, going into the writing for Stay Hungry,
1:52.2	how he would hum endless ideas into a cassette player, mumbling guitar parts, words, melodies,
1:58.3	and hooks, then would later sit down and try to decipher it all.
2:01.6	I Wanna Rock was one of those mumbling ideas on one of those cassettes that became one of the band's biggest songs.
	...

Transcript will be available on the free plan in 23 days. Upgrade to see the full transcript now.

Previous episode | Next episode

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Chris DeMakes, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of Chris DeMakes and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.