This is going to be a very visual program, which may be a bit of a challenge because you’re either listening to this as a radio show or a podcast, so I need you to work with me on this.
Vinyl is back in a way that no one could have ever predicted. In countries like Canada, the US, the UK, Australia, and beyond, vinyl is once again outselling CDs. And a surprising number of people are buying vinyl even if they don’t have a turntable.
What’s the point of that? Simple. Vinyl is a tangible, physical manifestation and representation of the music. It’s something you own, something that resides with you—and no matter what happens, it’s yours.
Many fans stream the music while holding the vinyl in their hands. That’s the best of both worlds: the vinyl never gets damaged, but you still get to hear the music.
And the attraction is the same as it ever was: liner notes, lyric sheets—and the artwork.
For a while, we were in real danger of seeing the glories of album artwork disappear. First, it was shrunk down to CD size. Then, with something like iTunes, you got a little postage-stamp image. And with streaming, you get almost nothing that visually embodies all the blood, sweat, tears, talent, and inspiration that went into making that album.
So here on the radio (or the podcast), I’m going to ask you to conjure up images of these album covers in your mind. Then you can go back to your vinyl library and take a look.
We’re revisiting album artwork on this episode of The Ongoing History of New Music with a look at the stories behind some iconic covers. And after this, you may never look at some of your albums the same way again.
Songs heard on this show:
- Ramones, Blitzkrieg Bop
- Sex Pistols, God Save the Queen
- Depeche Mode, Strangelove
- Red Hot Chili Peppers, Higher Ground
- Beastie Boys, Hey Ladies
- Alice in Chains, Down in a Hole
- Nirvana, Heart-Shaped Box
- Pearl Jam, Elderly Woman Behind the Counter in a Small Town
- Smashing Pumpkins, Cherub Rock
Here’s the playlist courtesy Eric Wilhite.
The Ongoing History of New Music can be heard on these stations. Don’t forget that there’s a podcast version, too, in case you miss any episodes. Get them for free wherever you get your podcasts.
- 102.1 The Edge/Toronto – Sunday night at 7pm
- Q107/Toronto – Sunday night at 9pm
- Live 88-5/Ottawa – Saturdays at 9am and Sundays at 6pm.
- 107.5 Dave-FM/Kitchener – Sunday nights at 11pm
- FM96/London – Sunday nights at 8pm
- Power 97/Winnipeg – Sunday nights at 10am and 10pm
- 107-3 The Edge/Calgary – Sundays at 10am and 10pm
- Sonic 102.9/Edmonton – Sunday at 8am and 8pm
- The Zone/Victoria – Sunday at 8am and 9pm
- The Fox/Vancouver – Sundays at 10anm and 10pm
- The Goat Network/Interior BC
- Surge 105/Halifax – Sunday at 7pm
- WAPS/WKTL The Summit/Akron, Canton, Cleveland, Youngstown – Mon-Fri at 9pm
© 2025 Corus Radio, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
Ad Choices