Meet Eric Hersey
Eric Hersey is a lifelong music fan and self-proclaimed data nerd. For as long as he can remember, Eric has been collecting albums and organizing vinyl records, cassette taps, CDs, and finally digital audio. Although he loves music and all things that go along with it, he does not fancy himself a musician.
Eric is the creator of Music Ranked!, a website that organizes and charts songs, albums, and all media related to musical artists. Over the past few years, Eric has listened and ranked over 20,000 unique songs. He has researched and documented the history of his favorite artists, ranking books, videos, albums, and podcasts. What was once his hobby website is now a true platform to find more information about bands and musical acts.
Table of Contents
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Eric Hersey & Music
Eric has some musical talent but lacked the ambition to continue. He played trumpet for less than a year in middle school and years later performed in several high school plays (“The Music Man” & “Annie”). Eric Hersey grew up surrounded by music. His father, William E. Hersey, was a drummer and often band practices were held at Eric’s home on the weekends.
Influencers
Eric’s musical tastes are eclectic and very diverse. It’s easy to trace his influences that designed his current preferred playlist.
Bill Hersey
William E. Hersey, going by Bill Hersey, started playing drums in the heyday of Rock and Roll. Early photos show him with a drum kit when he was in high school (mid-60s). He would tell stories of his early bands, one with the clever name of Herse and the Undertakers. Bill would secure a psychedelic red Ludwig drum set that would continually be upgraded throughout the years.
Eric was exposed to band practices of Selah, a Christian band Bill was part of in the mid-90s. During breaks, Eric would try his hand at drums with not much luck.
Bill had an extensive vinyl record collection that he started when he was a teen. The records cases lined the entire living room, supporting a collection of over 300+ classic rock albums. Eric was able to view, carefully, originally pressed ELO, The Beatles, and Led Zeppelin albums.
As Bill aged, he toned down a bit when it came to classic rock. With the invention of the CD player, Bill tended to lean towards classic rock bands that shifted to a softer rock sound. Journey, The Moody Blues, and Chicago were in constant rotation. Richard Marx was a favorite that was played nearly every weekend.
Bill would control the dial in the car, which landed on EAGLE 107.5 – the Ohio Valley’s Classic Rock station. The last music memory Eric has with his father was Bill making mention that Lenny Kravitz “Fly Away” had Beatle vibes with the mixed vocals.
Bill would pass away in 2000. Eric would inherit his beloved drums and was able to capture some of his original vinyl records.
Todd Hersey
Todd Hersey, Eric’s older brother by ten years, was a teenager in the late-80s and early-90s. Todd was in middle school when “Weird” Al Yankovic came on the scene and this approved* music was acceptable by Paula.
*Music was a hot topic due to the Pentecostal beliefs at the time. Several bands and genres were not allowed in the Hersey house during this time.
When Todd was no longer in to “Weird” Al, his cassettes were given to Eric. This was Eric’s first ownership of any album. Eric would become a huge “Weird” Al fan and later purchase his first CD (“Bad Hair Day”).
Todd would attend high school during the grunge/industrial rock era, becoming fans of Alice In Chains, Soundgarden, and Nine Inch Nails. Eric recalls listening to REM’s “Losing My Religion” while the toy shared rooms.
MTV & VH1
MTV was forbidden in the Hersey house for most of Eric’s early childhood. Once the ban was lifted (1995), Eric would regularly watch music video countdown shows. During this time, Oasis, Tupac, and a string of 90s one-hit pop stars would own the airwaves. Eric would often watch the Top 100 Countdowns of the best music videos, giving him a good taste of 80s hits like A-ha, Peter Gabriel, and Michael Jackson.
VH1 would take the countdown shows a bit further and started to produce talking-head style shows, focusing on even more one-hit-wonders from the 70s, 80s, and 90s. Special episodes would also focus on specific genres or decades. This would allow Eric to sample a great deal of music, looking for a way to listen to these songs.
Napster & Limewire
Napster came on the scene just as the Herseys got their first dial-up internet connection. This new technology allowed Eric (and family) to download 20 or so songs to their computer before filling up the hard drive. Eric recalls deleting a Todd Rundgren version of the “Star Trek Theme” (downloaded by his dad) so he could fit the new DMX song on his computer.
Eric had several friends that had CD-Burners. Eric put in requests and would have his friends make brand new mixes with all of the newfound songs he was discovering from television and searching online. Eric would connect with fellow classmate, also named Erik, and trade music suggestions back and forth.
When Napster was turned into a paid option, Eric (and many others) turned to Limewire. The technology allowed users like Eric to download “free” music for the next few years – giving Eric plenty of time to create his own musical tastes from sampling any and everything.
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Eric's Favorite Bands
The whole goal of Music Ranked! is to find out who Eric’s favorite bands are – but it’s been the same for many, many years.
The Beatles
Anyway you shake it, The Beatles have come out #1 on most of Eric’s lists.
Journey
Discovered in High School, Eric would go on to get all of Journey’s albums and rank them in the top 2 from then on.
"Weird" Al Yankovic
Regardless of your thoughts on this controversial ranking, Eric “likes what he likes”. If you threw out every last parody, Al’s originals would be good enough for him to rank #3 for Eric.
Eric Hersey Web Designer
Eric Hersey is the owner of Eric Hersey Web Design & Development – a local web design agency that specializes in digital marketing and search engine optimization. Eric started building websites in 1999 while attending Martins Ferry High School. He took it upon himself to learn early HTML and developed several hobby websites while a Freshman. During his Sophomore, Junior, and Senior years, he would get formal training in HTML and Photoshop.
College
Eric graduated from Belmont College (Belmont Technical College) in 2008 with three associate degrees. Eric was able to earn a degree in Web Design, Graphic Design, and eCommerce while attending school using the Pell Grant (a free program that allows Ohio Students to attend technical school for free for two years). Eric managed graduating without paying for his secondary education.
Freelance
Eric has an extensive background working as a freelance web designer, supporting many local Ohio Valley businesses with websites and development. Eric’s earliest projects date back to working in Flash, a technology that is now defunct, creating websites for local car dealers, pizza shops, and mechanics.
Eric developed over 50+ websites during his time as a freelance web designer. With a focus on creating affordable websites for Wheeling – Steubenville businesses, he was able to successfully launch his own agency in 2019.
Web Design Agency
Eric Hersey Web Design and Development, LLC was formed in February 2019 – originally based out of Rayland, Ohio. Eric was an independent contractor working for several local advertising agencies: Em-Media (Steubenville, Ohio), BRACS Media (Wheeling, WV), and Tina Morris Agency (Wheeling, WV) – for several years before branching out. He continued his working relationship, white labeling his service for many independent advertising agencies in the Wheeling – Moundsville – Steubenville – St. Clairsville area.
Eric Hersey Web Design has branched out to create a social media company, SMART Social Media Marketing and also a full-service advertising agency – Strong Minded Agency. Strong Minded Agency works with businesses from the start of their organization and helps them grow with advertising and marketing.
Eric has firsthand knowledge of what it takes to build a hobby into a six-figure business. From creating the LLC, hiring employees, and creating a franchise model, Eric is a premier Wheeling, West Virginia entrepreneur.
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Eric Hersey Disney Enthusiast
Eric Hersey took his first trip to Walt Disney World in 2010 and didn’t think much of it. It wasn’t until he took his 8-year-old son and 4-year-old daughter that he caught the “Disney Bug”.
Historian
Eric is a future Disney Theme Park Historian. After he came back from his May 2014 trip to Walt Disney World, Eric started to consume all things Disney Theme Parks. Eric has listened to thousands of hours of Disney podcasts, read over 100 Disney-related history books, and tends to watch 10+ hours of Disney videos per week.
Eric was inspired by Disney historians like Jim Hill and Todd James Pierce. Books like “Realityland” by David Koenig fueled Eric’s love for all things Walt Disney World. Eric is fascinated by old attractions and Imagineering. Eric stumbled upon Adam the Woo urban exploring videos and documentaries made by Bright Sun Films – only enhancing Eric’s love for Disney history.
Eric wrote six original episodes of a documentary series that he planned on filming in 2015. When his external hard drive failed and he lost the scripts, he tabled this project but hopes to create a Micheal Eisner documentary in the future.
Blogging
Inspired by the content creators in the Disney Theme Park community, Eric and his wife Lauren launched Dis & Hers, a website devoted to talking about the magic of Disney Theme parks from the male and female perspectives.
Eric and Lauren’s frequent trips to Walt Disney World has helped them develop an opinion (and knowledge) about nearly everything in the “Disney Bubble”. Lauren’s opinions and love for the spas have helped her educate others on the relaxing part of Disney vacations. Eric’s “go, go, go attitude” helps vacationers plan and optimize the best possible vacations.
Although Eric is not a travel agency, he is often asked by friends and family to help plan their upcoming trips.
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Eric Hersey's Favorite Disney Books
Eric Hersey Podcaster
If there is anyone that loves podcasting, it’s Eric Hersey. Eric was an early adopter to podcasting, creating his first podcast before easy tools allowed you to instantly upload to Spotify and Apple.
Clip em' Neil
Eric Hersey was the co-creator of Clip em’ Neil, a comedy podcast featuring a local Wheeling native that enjoyed extreme couponing. Dustin Kawa and Neil Bennett would join Eric as they talked about the best coupons for the week. The show was well received by locals, but short-lived based on availability of all three hosts.
TodCast PodCast
The TodCast PodCast, created by brother Todd Hersey, was a solo project that had Eric come in as an occasional guest. Todd would record his thoughts and ideas on his commute to work. When COVID hit in 2020, the format changed and Eric came on as co-host.
Eric and Todd talk about anything and everything – but mostly topics that lean heavy on nerd-culture. Todd and Eric have discussed Star Wars, Dungeons and Dragons, Fantasy Football, and Video Games.
The TodCast PodCast is a weekly podcast with over 200+ episodes.
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Favorite Eric Hersey Podcasts
Eric Hersey Pro Wrestler
Eric loves music, design, and podcasting – but his history with professional wrestling trumps them all. Eric has been a fan and a professional over his lifespan.
Backyard Wrestling & DTWF
Eric Hersey formed the DTWF (Down Town Wrestling Federation) with several high school friends in 1999. This backyard wrestling organization was based in Martins Ferry, Ohio and ran from 1999 to 2002. The backyard federation had upwards of 40 personalities/wrestlers, with several traveling from nearby cities (Wheeling, Rayland, St. Clairsville).
Backyard wrestling was highly popular for high school students during the early 2000s. Exaggerated by media and news, backyard wrestling was linked to smashing lightbulbs and jumping off of houses. Although the DTWF did have its fair share of violence, most of the show would be friends in masks (playing characters) jumping around on mattresses. The DTWF was better known for the theatrics and backstage segments. Characters like “The Prince of Dance” Nigel and Mr. Flex were better known for their charisma than their athletic ability.
Eric would play several characters, with his most popular being Hostile. His character would go on to win several of their championships.
Eric was best known for being the director of the organization. Eric would write, produce, edit, and schedule the events.
Eric and his friends would be featured on WTOV9 and asked to visit Rikki Lake for their Backyard Wrestling Special.
The DTWF had over 500 matches, almost all being documented on their 16 Master VHS tapes.
There has been ongoing efforts to digitalize these matches throughout the years.
Independent Wrestling - IYFW & BDW
Eric, along with a few other high school friends, would be asked to join a Weirton based independent wrestling federation in 2002. Eric would join his friend Chad in a tag team, known as Karnage. With very little training, Eric and Chad were asked to participate in over 20 local shows. They would win the IYFW Tag Team Championships and hold these titles for several weeks.
Their biggest match would be against the Glorified Backyards (Justin Idol and BJ) in a Ladder Match. Eric would share a locker room with future WWE announcer Corey Graves, then known as Sterling James Keenan.
Many years later, Eric reached out to a local promoter and offered a website pro bono. Eric would develop a website for Black Diamond Wrestling – one of his first modern, responsive websites. During that time, Eric would develop a relationship with Trevor Osz, the current commentator and voice of BDW.
Trevor and Eric would soon collaborate and create a weekly YouTube show called “The Edge”. Eric would deem the persona of Bobby Casserole, a character he made up in High School doing a student film. Bobby Casserole is an oblivious broadcast journalist.
Eric would help with the website and do occasional commentary with Trevor for the next year.
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Eric Hersey's Matches & Segments
News 9 Special - Backyard Wrestling (DTWF) Martins Ferry, OH - 2001
Hostile (Debut) vs. Rikk Victory
(IYFW) Weirton, WV - 2002
The Edge (BDW) Wheeling, WV - 2015
Eric Hersey Content Creator
Eric Hersey has been making films since he was able to use his fathers handheld camera in 1993. Eric has a degree in Multimedia and has countless hours of training for video and audio production.
Student Films
Eric was leader of the Audio Video club in 2001 and 2002 at Martins Ferry High School. Called Tech Prep, Eric was often the director and producer of their bi-monthly newscast and in charge of many of the special one-off films.
“Halloween 10-0” was a fan favorite released in October 2002. This parody film had Michael Myers killing off Martins Ferry High School Football players before the big rivalry game with Bellaire. Star Quarterback Lance Mirich defeated the killer and the team was able to go undefeated (Eric’s senior year).
Eric’s favorite (but lost) project was “The Fellowship of the Omni”. This parody had ten of Eric’s friends reenact the “Lord of the Rings” movie, having a group of teenagers push a “dead” Omni through the streets of Martins Ferry. This clever ploy by Eric was edited with the famous Howard Shore soundtrack.
Eric would go on to help produce several weekly segments for the MFHS news and also some major clips for the Senior Day showcase.
DubPoints
John Wyatt Edgar, friend of Eric Hersey, developed several contests during the late 2000s that rewarded creative endeavors. Often in the form of a 64-person tournament, individuals would promote themselves to JW Edgar in hopes to score “points”. The winner would receive a monetary prize and a trophy.
Eric Hersey created several dozen videos during the course of these competitions. Eric was winner of DubPoints IX and DubPoints X. Eric would also win the last DubPoints tournament, making him a 3-Time Champion. Later, John Wyatt Edgar would introduce a championship belt that would be defended by contests and chance. Eric won and defended the championship on several occasions.
Eric created several characters and used Bobby Casserole for many of his John Wyatt Edgar projects. He would call on his cast of friends to participate, giving us a chance to see Friday Bastulo and Justin Benline.
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Eric Hersey's Creations & Projects
Halloween 10-0 - 2002
DubTV - 2013
DubPoints Live - Catfishing - 2016
Eric Hersey Fantasy Football Expert
For many years, Eric was considered one of the best fantasy football players and strategists in the Wheeling area. Along with Justin Benline, he would create and run the most successful fantasy league in the Ohio Valley.
Real Fantasy Football League
Eric Hersey started playing fantasy football with a group of high school friends in 2004. Justin Benline was the commissioner of the league and they would soon start a partnership. Justin would run the backend and handle the setup while Eric would promote and handle the marketing.
The RFFL started as one league with ten owners and soon branched out to as high as four leagues with 30 different participants. The league would run from 2004 to 2020 and would go on hiatus based on the COVID situation. The league restarted in 2022.
Eric would be a decorated owner, winning over 10 championships and having the second most wins in the league (Justin Benline holds the most). He is known for his out of the box drafting techniques and his ability to work up alliances for trades.
Fantasy Projects
Although most of Eric Hersey’s fantasy football experience comes with his home league, RFFL, he has dabbled with other fantasy sports and projects.
As Bobby Casserole, Eric joined with Friday Bastulo to create an episode of “The Reel” – a YouTube clip show for their fantasy league.
During that time, Eric would also record several podcasts of “Imaginary Pigskin” where Bobby, Friday, and Curtis Christmas III would parody modern fantasy football podcasts. Bobby Casserole’s Backup Boutique, listing the top backup quarterbacks of the week, was a favorite online. As part of the show, they would also simulate a modern Tecmo Super Bowl game and do commentary.
In recent years, Eric participated in a WTRF Love OV creation called “FANTexation” – a 17-week episodic show made for online. Eric would play Ben Line, a shady fantasy football owner that would try and swindle his way to a championship.
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