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PODCAST

Ongoing History of New Music

Ongoing History of New Music looks at things from the alt-rock universe to hip hop, from artist profiles to various thematic explorations. It is Canada’s most well known music documentary hosted by the legendary Alan Cross. Whatever the episode, you’re definitely going to learn something that you might not find anywhere else. Trust us on this.

music music history

All Episodes

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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41:10

Introducing "Uncharted": Sid Vicious and Questions...

Ongoing History of New Music ·

2026/01/07

On October 12, 1978, punk’s most infamous couple...Sid Vicious of the Sex Pistols and Nancy Spungen...hit rock bottom at New York’s Chelsea Hotel. Nancy was found dead from a single stab wound in Room 100. Sid was charged with murder, but was he really the killer? Or was it someone else in their chaotic circle? This is “Uncharted: Crime and Mayhem in the Music Industry”…and this time, it’s the wild story of the death of Nancy Spungen and the questions that still remain decades later…Was it a

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31:50

History of the Modern Drum Kit

Ongoing History of New Music ·

2025/12/31

We are going to talk about drummers on this show…i just want you to know right from the start just in case you wanna roll your eyes and go “really? Do we have to?”Yes, we have to…there have been countless stories told about great guitarists and singers and keyboardists…drummers?... Not so much, unless your name is Dave Grohl. And we will get to him. So this was going to a profile of my favourite drummers in alt-rock…but then I got to thinking: how much do we know what about drummers

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41:11

Introducing "Uncharted": Depeche Mode and the...

Ongoing History of New Music ·

2025/12/24

I once had a conversation with someone about the craziest tours in the history of music…the usual names came up.The who trashing hotel rooms…led zeppelin’s tours with their private jet, groupies, and tons of drugs…that time in Atlanta when Ozzy drank himself into oblivion, passed out in the wrong hotel room for 24 hours, and missed a show as a result. In 1976, ZZ Top tried to take the entire Texas experience on the road, which involved transporting real live animals to every gig…a buffalo

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41:26

60 Mind-Blowing Facts About Music in 40 or so Minutes...

Ongoing History of New Music ·

2025/12/17

This is my annual data dump featuring music information you didn’t know you needed…over the last 12 months, I’ve collected this material on scraps of paper, post-it notes, on my iPhone’s “notes” app, and in various files on my computer…and these are the best 60 mind-blowing facts about music I can offer for 2025.This is the 11th year that I’ve been doing this…maybe there’s a book in here somewhere…i don’t know…maybe…one day… Whatever…a lot of random information is about to come your way…do your

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38:52

Why Bowie Still Matters - Part 3

Ongoing History of New Music ·

2025/12/10

In this third and final chapter of our look at Why Bowie Still Matters, we explore the last two decades of his life and the innovations that cemented his legacy. From pioneering digital music distribution and launching BowieNet, to creating “Bowie Bonds”...something that changed the music business...Bowie was always ahead of the curve. We revisit his late-career albums, his secret comeback with "The Next Day", and the farewell gift of "Blackstar". Plus, the stories behind his art, his

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28:17

Why Bowie Still Matters - Part 2

Ongoing History of New Music ·

2025/12/03

David Bowie wasn’t just a rock star...he was a cultural architect who reinvented music, fashion, and identity. In part 2 of "Why Bowie Still Matters", we explore Bowie’s groundbreaking mid-70s to early-80s era: from the cocaine-fueled chaos of Station to Station and the birth of the Thin White Duke, his "Berlin Trilogy" with Brian Eno that shaped post-punk and electronic music. And we’ll explore how albums like Low, Heroes, and Lodger influenced everyone from Joy Division to Duran Duran, Depeche

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33:15

Why Bowie Still Matters - Part 1

Ongoing History of New Music ·

2025/11/26

It’s been nearly a decade since David Bowie left us, and the world hasn’t really been the same since.In the first of a three part series, we explore why Bowie’s influence goes far beyond music...shaping fashion, art, technology, and even social movements. From his early days writing songs he would really rather forger about...to the birth of Ziggy Stardust...his role in shaping glam rock, gender expression, and even the evolution of punk. Bowie changed everything. David Bowie redefined what it

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