Music History Archives - Alan Cross' A Journal of Musical Things

45 years ago today, some kids gathered in a kitchen. They would eventually become U2.

The story is that Larry Mullen Jr. posted a note at school looking for people to form a band. Those

Thirty years ago today, September 24, 1991, Nirvana’s Nevermind hit the stores although “Smells Like Teen Spirit” had been out

Today it’s not a big deal when a musician comes out of the closet. “He or she is gay? Okay.”

If Alan McGee were a character in a novel about the record industry, publishers would reject the manuscript on the

[This was my column for GlobalNews.ca this week. – AC] When it comes to music, not all years are created

[Just like area codes and cool domains, we’re running out of names for bands. This was my weekly column for

Believe it or not, there has never, ever been an authorized Led Zeppelin documentary. That’s about to change with the

Let’s say that you’re a Coldplay fan and you want to collect everything they’ve ever released. What is the rarest

Back in early 1974, Johnny Ramone got high on weed and decided that he wanted to learn how to play

[A bit of music history from contributor Gilles LeBlanc. He took these photos in 2011. – AC] For a group

Not too far from where I live now, there’s an Esso gas station in front of a field that will

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