Ongoing History of New Music

45:16

Introducing "Hostile History"

Ongoing History of New Music ·

2026/05/23

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

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38:54

The History of Portable Music - Part 1

Ongoing History of New Music ·

2026/05/20

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

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40:59

A Triple Ramones Anniversary Tribute

Ongoing History of New Music ·

2026/05/13

2026 is an important year in Ramones history…The 25th anniversary of Joey’s death, the first member of the band to leave us. The 30th anniversary of the last Ramones show. The 50th anniversary of their debut album's release. Let’s cover all of that with this triple tribute to one of the greatest and most important bands in the history of rock. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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32:33

The 50 Biggest All-Time Alt-Rock One-Hit Wonders 6...

Ongoing History of New Music ·

2026/05/06

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

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39:11

The 50 Biggest Alt-Rock One-Hit Wonders of All Time:...

Ongoing History of New Music ·

2026/04/29

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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit

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33:42

The 50 Biggest Alt-Rock One-Hit Wonders of All Time:...

Ongoing History of New Music ·

2026/04/22

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... A one‑hit wonder that’s also a cover of another one‑hit wonder Gregorian chants that unexpectedly dominated global charts A "Major Tom" sequel A song built on a 1932

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30:44

The 50 Biggest Alt-Rock One-Hit Wonders of All Time:...

Ongoing History of New Music ·

2026/04/15

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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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29:36

The 50 Biggest Alt-Rock One-Hit Wonders of All Time:...

Ongoing History of New Music ·

2026/04/08

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

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30:47

The 50 Biggest All-Time Alt-Rock One-Hit Wonders: Part 1

Ongoing History of New Music ·

2026/04/01

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

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28:21

9 Great Alt-Rock Cover Songs (From the Vault)

Ongoing History of New Music ·

2026/03/25

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,

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21:48

Definition (from the vault)

Ongoing History of New Music ·

2026/03/18

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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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28:32

Catching Up with Blink 182

Ongoing History of New Music ·

2026/03/11

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

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35:52

The Rise and Fall and Future of the Music Video - Part 2

Ongoing History of New Music ·

2026/03/04

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

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42:07

The Rise and Fall and Future of the Music Video - Part 1

Ongoing History of New Music ·

2026/02/25

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

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29:02

A Brief History of Protest Music: Part 2

Ongoing History of New Music ·

2026/02/18

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,

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28:54

A Brief History of Protest Music: Part 1

Ongoing History of New Music ·

2026/02/11

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

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39:01

What's the Big Deal About Joy Division?

Ongoing History of New Music ·

2026/02/04

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

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25:05

What Exactly is Post Rock? Part 2

Ongoing History of New Music ·

2026/01/28

In Part 2 of our deep dive into Post Rock, we explore the bands and ideas that have shaped this experimental and atmospheric approach to music. From Slint and Mogwai to Sigur Rós and Explosions in the Sky, we look at how these bands create something cinematic...emotional...and entirely unexpected. We also look at how post‑rock influences artists like Radiohead and Broken Social Scene, and why this musical philosophy continues to spread all across the globe. Prepare to discover new bands, new

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28:42

What Exactly is Post-Rock? Part 1

Ongoing History of New Music ·

2026/01/21

What exactly is "Post‑Rock"? In this first installment of a two‑part deep dive, we unpack one of the most misunderstood labels in modern music. From its origins in the 1960s to its evolving relationship with rock, ambient, jazz, and experimental traditions...Post-Rock has come to mean different things to different listeners. In part 1, we focus on where the term came from and what it was originally trying to describe. We explore ideas like: The cultural and musical context that gave rise to

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31:41

2025 In Memoriam

Ongoing History of New Music ·

2026/01/14

I'll be honest and say that this is not a happy show…in fact, it’s probably the saddest episode of the year…then again, it’s an opportunity to pay tribute to the musicians we lost in 2025.They’re gone, but that’s the thing about being a musician…the songs they left behind will remain with us for many, many years. I’m going to go through a list of deaths…this list isn’t comprehensive because we just don’t have the time to cover all the “RIP's” that happened...and because there are so many, I’ll

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