Alan Cross, Author at Alan Cross' A Journal of Musical Things

“Never Gonna Give You Up” passes one billion YouTube views–but that doesn’t tell the real story.

When Rick Astley released “Never Gonna Give You Up” on July 27, 1987, no one outside of a handful of

The human body can be both very strong and very fragile. Given its complexity, it generally works pretty well. But

You can see the appeal of a national day where people across the land don their favourite music-related T-shirts in

Years ago, I published a theory on how rock and pop have been locked in a struggle for cultural dominance.

Vampire Weekend emerged out of New York City just at the tail end of an explosion of indie rock from

Ron Popeil, the guy who pretty much invented the infomercial, has died. Now let’s try some music news for July

I’m a bit whisky/scotch/bourbon fan, so when an artist comes out with a new spirit, I’m interested. And when it’s

Anyone who knows the career of Jack White understands that design is very important to him. Everything he’s ever done

Dusty Hill, the bass player for ZZ Top for more than 50 years has died. He was 72. Billy Gibbons

For as long as I can remember, Chris St. Clair has been the guy who gave me the weekend weather

A couple of facts about Fun (actually “fun.”, but we’ll get to that). (1) Their big break came with the

Being your Authentic Self – Richard Crouse in conversation with TBP Podcast EP 035 July 2, 2021
You would be given a free pass if you forgot that before the rise of the social media influencer there were already pundits and personalities on TV, radio and print. There’s just been that much exponential change in the media business over the last 15 years. Yet today, those who were formerly the audience are […]
Mark Silver
The Business of Radio – Elliott Hurst in conversation with TBP Podcast EP 034 June 21, 2021
The commercialization of streaming audio is not a new phenomenon. Going back 100 years, it was simply known by another name, broadcasting. With the launch, rise and now transition to digital and apps, the business models of audio-preneurs have generally been the same, mostly because of the challenge of measurement, a problem audio’s cousin television […]
Mark Silver
The Custodian of Toronto Sports – Richard Peddie in conversation with TBP Podcast EP 033 May 27, 2021
Over a 20+ year span, as the Toronto pro sports scene evolved from older venues and stands filled with blue and white (Leafs, Blue Jays, Argonauts) to a more intense red (Raptors, TFC), and grand coliseums that define the city’s skyline, there is one sports executive in particular who ownership looked to. We’re of course […]
Mark Silver