The Tragic Story of 'Bittersweet Symphony': How Richard Ashcroft Lost Everything

Coming up… The Verve's Bittersweet Symphony was so mesmerizing, so ear-catching that it hypnotized an entire generation… It was on its way to becoming one of the greatest songs of its time, and yet the song's singer and writer Richard Ashcroft didn’t make a single solitary cent from it. In fact, Bittersweet Symphony basically ruined his young career and stunted The Verve's surge to the top of the charts. And it was all thanks to an obscure sample from a 1965 rock song by the Rolling Stones. Ashcroft had to give away 100% of his royalties and credit two songwriters who had nothing to do with the song’s composition… It was a brutal coup contrived by a true musical mob boss... And one of the most outrageous injustices in music history. Filled with cutthroat contracts and shady characters, today’s episode will have you rooting for the underdog to win back what was rightfully his. Find out if he does… NEXT on the Professor of Rock. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .