Ongoing History of New Music

My Chemical Romance became one of the biggest emo bands on the planet, but their journey to stadium-sized success was anything but smooth. In this episode, we trace the band's story through ten traumatic moments that shaped their career, from Gerard Way witnessing 9/11 and the band's early struggles to lineup upheavals, addiction battles, devastating injuries, heartbreak, breakups, reunions, and the tragic fate of former drummer Bob Bayar.

These experiences shaped the music that made MCR an icon for an entire generation.

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If there was ever a Big Bang moment for alternative rock, 1976 might be it.

In Part 2 of our look at the birth of alternative rock, we follow punk's rise from New York to the UK, where bands like The Ramones, the Sex Pistols, The Clash, and The Damned helped kick off a musical revolution. What started as a small scene became the foundation for just about every form of alt-rock that came after. 

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1976 wasn't just another year in music. It marked the birth of punk rock and launched alternative culture as we know it. From the gritty stages of CBGB to the first records by the Ramones, Blondie, Patti Smith, and Talking Heads, we trace how a handful of outsiders sparked a movement that would eventually become alt-rock. It's the story of rebellion, creativity, and a year that changed the sound of modern music. 

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Ever wonder which pieces of technology changed music forever? From Thomas Edison’s phonograph and the invention of the microphone to the Walkman, the iPod, and today’s streaming platforms, we take a geeky trip through the biggest innovations that transformed how music is created, recorded, distributed, and enjoyed.

Plus the stories behind headphones, magnetic tape, synthesizers, CDs, and digital recording, while looking ahead to what AI and future tech could mean for music.

If you love music, gadgets, and the stories behind how we got here, this one’s for you. 

Learn...

Think we were done with alt-rock one-hit wonders? Not quite.

After our original deep dive into the biggest alternative one-hit wonders since 1976, the emails and DMs kept pouring in.

You pointed out...rightfully so... songs we missed, artists we overlooked, and a few bands that many people think are one-hit wonders but actually aren't.

So we're back for one more sweep through the archives.

Along the way, we uncover some fascinating stories about mysterious bands, unlikely hits, and artists who built entire careers on a single song. We also set the...

Trip-hop was one of the coolest sounds of the 1990s, blending hip-hop beats, dub, soul, and moody atmospheres into something completely new.

And to be honest, I can't believe we haven't done a deep dive on it yet!

So it's time to fix that.

We trace its roots from the streets of Bristol to artists like Massive Attack, Portishead, Tricky, and DJ Shadow, exploring how a dark, experimental underground movement became one of alternative music's most influential sounds.

This is the story of Trip-Hop

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Most of us have at least one band T-shirt stuffed in a drawer or hanging in a closet. Maybe it's a concert souvenir, a vintage find, or a shirt you've worn so often it's barely holding together. But where did band T-shirts come from, and how did some of them become worth thousands of dollars?

I think it's time to dig into the surprisingly fascinating history of band merch, tracing its roots from the early days of Elvis and The Beatles through the explosion of rock, punk, metal, and grunge culture.

Now to get the...

After surviving some of the darkest years of his life, John Frusciante returned to the Red Hot Chili Peppers and helped create some of the biggest albums of their career. But for John, success has never been simple.

On part 2 of "The Long Strange Trip of John Frusciante", we go through his second and third acts: Grammy wins, solo projects, artistic reinvention, another surprising departure from the band, and the comeback nobody expected. It's the story of a brilliant, complicated artist who refuses to stand still.

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John Frusciante might just be rock’s ultimate survivor.

So let's trace the wild, unpredictable journey of the Red Hot Chili Peppers guitarist, from teenage guitar prodigy to the creative force behind Blood Sugar Sex Magik, through addiction, isolation, and a near-fatal collapse that almost ended everything.

Along the way, we explore his rise with the Chili Peppers, his troubled relationship with fame, his dramatic exit from the band at the height of their success, and the dark years that followed. But this is also a story of recovery, redemption, and one of the most re...

What happens when music meets neuroscience? This time, we take a fascinating trip inside the human brain to explore why music can make us dance, cry, smile, remember, and even get chills.

From dopamine rushes and musical memory to live concert highs and the science behind your favourite songs, we uncover some of the weirdest and most amazing connections between music, the brain, and the body.

And, you'll learn why certain songs hit so hard, why we can't resist a good groove, and what researchers are still discovering about the soundtrack of our lives. It's...

Pop-punk is one of those musical contradictions that somehow makes perfect sense. Punk was supposed to be loud, fast, and rebellious. Pop was all about hooks and mass appeal. But somewhere along the way, the two got together and created one of the biggest movements in alternative rock.

In part two, we pick up the story in the early 1990s as grunge begins to fade and bands like Green Day, The Offspring, Rancid, and Bad Religion help bring punk into the mainstream. From the explosion of Dookie and Smash to the rise of the Warped Tour and...

Punk rock comes in a lot of different flavours, but few have had the impact of pop-punk. In Part One of this series, we dig into how a genre that was supposed to be the enemy of pop music ended up borrowing some of its best ideas.

From the Ramones and Buzzcocks to Bad Religion, Descendents, Hüsker Dü, and Social Distortion, we'll follow the bands that started mixing punk's speed, attitude, and DIY spirit with melody, hooks, and songs you couldn't get out of your head.

We'll also look at the underground scene that he...

When someone dies, our first reaction is disbelief...we’re stunned...that’s immediately followed by a need to know what happened...how?...where?...it’s only natural...we need information to help us process the news and the emotion that comes with it...

The next stage is might be “could anything have been done to prevent this?”... “Could someone have helped or intervened?”...In some cases, perhaps...in the case of health issues, maybe not...

And finally, there’s this:... “could what happened to that person happen to me?”...again, totally normal.

When it comes to the...

Ever wonder what really happened in the final hours of some of music's biggest stars?

This time, I want to retrace the final hours and days of some of rock's most legendary figures.

From heartbreaking health battles to shocking accidents and devastating personal struggles, these are the stories behind the headlines as we piece together the events that led to their final moments and explore the questions, mysteries, and tragedies that still surround them today. 

Some stories offer answers. Others leave us with even more questions. 

Learn more about yo...

In part two of our series, we continue to figure out why buying concert tickets has become one of the most frustrating consumer experiences…and why it’s always been that way.

From the evolution of ticketing from physical box offices and early computer systems to the rise of Ticketmaster, we want to understand how service fees, scalping, exclusive venue contracts, and industry power struggles shaped the modern ticket market.

Through artists like Pearl Jam and the Grateful Dead, we find out how economics, technology, and demand transformed concerts into a high‑stakes business, setting the st...

Buying a concert ticket should be simple and easy...but has it ever been?

In this two-part series, we're going to try to unpack the surprisingly long, messy, and often corrupt evolution of ticketing, from ancient Greek theatres to the rise of computerized systems in the late 20th century.

We'll dig into how tickets evolved from physical tokens and box-office lineups to early computer-driven services like Ticketron, Select-A-Seat, BASS, and the early days of Ticketmaster.

We've seen persistent problems that never seem to go away: scalping, service charges, bribery, counterfeit tickets, unequal access...

Movie soundtracks once shaped the direction of popular music...and nowhere was that more true than in alternative rock.

This week, we go back into the Ongoing History vault to trace the evolution of movie soundtracks from their early, days to their cultural impact in the ’80s and ’90s. These are albums that helped define, amplify, and sometimes completely redirect alternative music.

From the electronic shock of A Clockwork Orange to the cult chaos of The Rocky Horror Picture Show...from the John Hughes films that introduced a generation to British alt‑rock, to era‑defining...

There was a time when Canadians didn’t believe in Canadian music...unless someone else told us it was good first.

To celebrate Canada Day, we're exploring how that mindset changed, and how Canada went from cultural insecurity to producing one of the most influential rock movements of the 1990s. From early radio bias and the “Guess Who?” prank, to CanCon rules, FACTOR funding, the rise of FM radio, and the national impact of MuchMusic, this is the long story of how a domestic music industry was built...piece by piece.

We trace the conditions that l...

Rock music is supposed to belong to the young...but history tells us a different story.

This time, we look at artists who refused to quit, even as the years passed and the industry insisted their time was over.

From Deborah Harry breaking through with Blondie in her 30s, to James Murphy reinventing himself with LCD Soundsystem at 35, to Leonard Cohen becoming a global icon in his 50s, these are the musicians who proved that success doesn’t always come on schedule.

They've had to deal with ageism baked into the music business, th...

What happens when a band loses its lead singer?

Usually, it’s the end...but not always.

In this episode, we explore 18 bands that survived... and sometimes thrived... after changing singers.

From Stone Temple Pilots and Sublime to Alice in Chains, Faith No More, and New Order.

Losing your singer doesn’t have to mean the end… but surviving it is one of the hardest things a band can do.

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Distortion was once considered a mistake...now it’s a defining force in modern music. This episode explores how broken gear, happy accidents, and fearless artists turned fuzz, feedback, and overdrive into powerful creative tools, shaping everything from early rock to experimental soundscapes.

This time, we dive into feedback, overdriven amps, drop-D tuning, and distortion beyond the guitar, touching on organs, synthesizers, experimental music, shoegaze, noise, and drone. From the elegance of controlled sustain to the chaos of Metal Machine Music, this is the story of how musicians learned to embrace imperfection and changed music forever.

...

This week, we dive into the Golden Age of Synthesizers, the period from the mid‑’70s to the mid‑’80s when synths became smaller, cheaper, and powerful enough to transform popular music forever. From early experimental machines that filled entire rooms, to the groundbreaking work of innovators like Bob Moog and Don Buchla, we trace how synthesizers moved from academic curiosity to pop‑culture force.

Along the way, we hear key moments from artists who helped define the era: Wendy Carlos, Hot Butter, Kraftwerk, Depeche Mode, MGMT, and more. We explore how techno‑pop emerged alongside punk’s DIY spirit.<...

One of the many great things about music is that we can enjoy it anywhere…I’m talking about the recorded kind…everyone has a smartphone, and every smartphone has the capability of playing music, whether you’re listening to tracks stored in its memory or streaming something from a service like Spotify or apple music…as long as your device has juice, you can enjoy listening to music anywhere you are…

Take this program, for example…in its radio show form, it’s being heard in homes, cars, offices, and workplaces either over the air or through a stream...

Since the dawn of time, humanity has been at war.  Conflict in one form or another has been part of our existence since we first walked the earth.  

In this first episode of a four-part series, join military historian David Borys as we travel back in time to Iran, where we chart how a modern monarchy, which was armed, wealthy, and globally backed, lost control. On our journey, we'll be helped by historian Roham Alvandi from the London School of Economics and Political Science.

While conflict and armed rebellion have evolved to look very differently ove...

One of the many great things about music is that we can enjoy it anywhere…I’m talking about the recorded kind…everyone has a smartphone, and every smartphone has the capability of playing music, whether you’re listening to tracks stored in its memory or streaming something from a service like Spotify or apple music…as long as your device has juice, you can enjoy listening to music anywhere you are…

Take this program, for example…in its radio show form, it’s being heard in homes, cars, offices, and workplaces either over the air or through a stream...

2026 is an important year in Ramones history…

Let’s cover all of that with this triple tribute to one of the greatest and most important bands in the history of rock.

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This is chapter six of a five-part series on the greatest alt-rock one-hit wonders of the last 50 years…yes, chapter six of five…after going through a ton of data—radio charts, Spotify plays, and YouTube views, mostly—I thought I’d compiled a really solid list…and it was—except for a few things that need some attention: the errata…

This means songs that should have been on the original top 50 list but were for whatever reason left out…those omissions need to be addressed—and we will…I’ve identified five such songs, so if you’ve been following al...

Through the first four episodes of this Top 50 Biggest Alt-Rock One-Hit Wonders of All Time series, we’ve gone through songs 50 to 11, so that means we are ready for the top 10 songs.

If you’ve been following along, there may have been a few surprises along the way…and you may have been trying to guess what songs will finish in the upper regions of this list…now we’re going to find out.

These are the final 10 songs in our countdown.

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How does an artist become famous forever with just one song and never come close again?

We continue the countdown of the "50 Biggest Alt‑Rock One‑Hit Wonders of All Time", using five decades of radio charts, Spotify streams, YouTube views, and a specially designed one‑hit‑wonder power ranking.

In part 4, we come across...

This is Part 3 of the 50 Biggest Alt‑Rock One‑Hit Wonders of all time...numbers 30 to 21 featuring Dishwalla, EMF, Spacehog, Harvey Danger, and more. And of course, the stories behind these one-hit wonders.

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Our countdown of the biggest alt‑rock one‑hit wonders of all time continues as we break down numbers 40 to 31.

From K’s Choice and Liam Lynch to Animotion, Fun Lovin’ Criminals, The Vapours, and more, these are the songs that ruled alternative radio, slipped into pop culture, and forever defined the artists behind them.

Using chart history, streaming numbers, and a custom One‑Hit Wonder Power Ranking from our friend Walter the mathematician, we investigate how these songs became massive...and why one moment was all they needed.

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Something occurred to me the other day: did the person who came up with the term “one-hit wonder” ever come up with anything else that good?

I looked it up… the Oxford English Dictionary traces its origin to about 1914, when baseball was starting to become America’s pastime… it was given to pitchers who held the opposing team to just one hit.

We do know that when Ramon Monzant was pitching for the San Francisco Giants in 1956, he was given that nickname…to be called a “one-hit wonder” was very high praise.

But around the same...

There’s just something fun about learning to play one of your favourite songs for yourself…you know, learning the lyrics, figuring out the chords and the rhythm and deconstructing all the constituent parts…

Then you get deeper…you begin to appreciate how everything fits together, the artistic decisions made by songwriter made, what kind of musical skill is required, the sort of production that was employed all that…and by the time you’ve learned the song, you’ve learned a whole lot of other things, too…and you’re probably a better musician as a result…this is why...

This week, we're going deep into the Ongoing History of New Music vault to talk about "Definitions".

Often in the music world, we hear terms discussed...but where did they come from, and what do they mean?

What do "New Rock" and "Alternative" mean?

What's a "Major Label" or "Indie"?

"Boutique" and "Vanity"? Got that covered too.

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Blink‑182’s story has always been chaotic, inspirational, and a little unbelievable...and the last decade has been no exception.

We thought this would be a good time to revisit the band’s evolving saga since our original 2017 trilogy on their rise, fall, and rise again. A lot has happened: lineup changes, personal crises, UFO hunting, bestselling side projects, a Grammy nomination, a global pandemic, and even a life‑threatening illness that ultimately brought them back together.

We pick up the trail with the Matt Skiba era and the unexpected resurgence brought on by the "Californi...

The music video didn’t just shape pop culture…it defined it. 

From the glam‑soaked excess of the ’80s and ’90s to the gritty authenticity of the alt‑rock era, and finally to the algorithm‑driven, globally connected internet age, the music video has lived many lives. In part two of this deep dive, we trace the rise, collapse, and surprising rebirth of the music video that once ruled MTV and MuchMusic.

We look at the groundbreaking work of directors like Spike Jonze, the multimillion‑dollar spectacles of superstars like Madonna and Michael Jackson, and the moment YouT...

For decades, music videos weren’t just promotional add‑ons…they were the beating heart of global pop culture. 

The music video affected the art of movie-making...it affected the way we look at tv, not to mention fashion, language, politics, gender fluidity, LGBTQ issues, and so much more…videos may have altered our attention spans–which kind of concerns me because this program is an hour long and I need you to hang in there with me...

Music videos exported soft power from the West, especially the United States, to the rest of the world. At o...

Music is not only a powerful motivating tool, but it’s also a way to get a message out to a vast number of people…and when things hit the fan, music can be used to let the powers-that-be know that we see what you’re doing, and we are not happy about it…We wish to protest.

Protest songs help coalesce thoughts and feelings about things like social, political, and labour injustice…they help rally people to a cause and sometimes inspire action against oppressors or those who seek to abrogate rights, keep people down, and try to gai...

This can be a weird, difficult world, filled with injustice, inequality, and bad people doing bad things…we’re always up against things like racism, women’s rights, labour rights, the plights of marginalized people, class struggle, the disenfranchised, various social movements—the list of righteous causes and grievances is pretty much endless.

And sometimes, you just gotta fight back…but how?... Not all occasions called for armed insurrections and assassinations.

One way is through music…come up with something topical and specific, put it all to music, and you have a chance of getting your message...

Students of classical music know that Johann Sebastian Bach was one of the most important and influential composers of all time…his use of instruments, four-part harmonies, and use of innovative structures in his material were all brilliant…

When he was alive, he commanded plenty of respect…but after he died in March 1685, he was almost forgotten…the only reason we talk about him today is that there was a Bach revival in the 19th century…he became a retro hero in the world of classical music…

No one knew anything about Robert Johnson when he was alive...