Encore: The Stories Behind The Songs You Love

Before Sabrina Carpenter became one of the biggest artists of 2024... She dropped a Christmas Album, naturally.

This is the story of Sabrina Carpenter's 'Fruitcake' from our sister podcast Behind The Christmas Hits with Drew Savage!

A song - any song - when done right - can transport you to a different time, a different place, and take you on an emotional rollercoaster. 

It’s an exhilarating feeling isn’t it? Whether you’re driving down the highway, volume cranked - singing along, or maybe you’re doing chores at home, and the music transforms the mundanity into something worthwhile. Maybe it’s a killer headphone session with a perfectly curated playlist - by you, or any of the playlist geniuses that work at iHeartRadio Canada - wait - who wrote that??

Dog Days are Over by Florence + the Machine, is just intrinsically just one of those great songs… a slow build with almost timid instrumentation, followed by a heartwarming and gentle voice taking you out on the quiet melodic waters - transporting you away to your own little musical island - when all of the sudden it crescendos with the power and soul of a voice so uniquely resonant, I might even argue that there hasn’t been another voice so special since the song was released into the wild over 15 years ago.

This is the story of Florence and the Machine’s “Dog Days are Over”

Contains interview footage from the following outlets:

RTE2 Ireland https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5e_Uvj0iCbc

ALT 98.7 LA (courtesy iHeartRadio) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GJIwK7btO6Y https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xyTYcgC7nLU https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FkjKxxEWy8I

KROQ LA: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TdyYdhG44zk

Contains a clip from 'Glee' S02 E09 'Special Education' (2010) 

What would you say is the worst song ever written?

Like the absolute worst tune of all time that you and everybody you know hates.

There is almost no way to get a general consensus, but a lot of people sure think it is “You’re Beautiful,” the 2005 single by English singer-songwriter James Blunt.

When that song was released almost 20 years ago, it was everywhere. You couldn’t avoid it. The Gap, the grocery store, your dentist’s office? They were all playing it ‘round the clock. And when that happens it’s rather easy to hate on something as simple as a song. Especially a romantic ballad that’s as sappy and sentimental and innocent as “You’re Beautiful.”

But that’s where the problem lies. James Blunt’s much maligned mega-hit, a song that was virtually #1 all over the planet and likely in other galaxies was not a sappy, sentimental and innocent ballad. Heck, it wasn’t even romantic. Now, you might be saying to yourself, “How is that possible? He’s literally serenading a woman he finds beautiful.”

Well, I’m here to tell you that “You’re Beautiful” is a song with layers to it. Layers that will completely change the way you listen to it. 

This is the story of James Blunt's 'You're Beautiful' with newly unearthed audio from James Blunt himself!

It’s really quite the honour to be thought of as the KINGS or QUEENS of a Genre - Think of the likes of The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Madonna, Beyoncé, or Taylor Swift  - Artists that have completely become synonymous with the style of music in which they perform, whether it's through their contributions to innovation of the sound, or - quite frankly - through their track record of being the most popular artist or group to have ever done it.

With that in mind, if I were to present the genre of Pop-Punk to you, and ask who the first band that pops in your head is  - I would be willing to bet you’d immediately think of the undisputed kings of the sound: blink-182

This is the story of blink 182’s CLASSIC “All The Small Things” with newly unearthed audio from the band.

Also contains audio from Zane Lowe's 2023 Chat with Mark, Tom, and Travis. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uE6RpGJJWlQ 

What does it mean to you when I say the word “brat”? What even is brat at this point? Are you brat? Am I brat?

In 2024 we learned what brat was and wasn’t, thanks to Charli XCX - who had a major breakthrough in 2024, but it wasn’t exactly her first rodeo. She has been flirting with stardom since she was a teenager.

As early as 2007, Charli took out a loan from her VERY UNDERSTANDING parents in order to make her first album, called 14. While promotional copies of 14 were shared with friends and members of the press - the album was never commercially available. However, a copy of the CD found its way into the hands of Atlantic Records, which offered Charli a record deal. At first Charli XCX wasn’t sure about signing with Asylum, a subsidiary of Atlantic Records. She was only 18 and enjoying making weird rave music on her own terms.

By 2012, Charli had found her niche as a songwriter and featured artist - penning tracks that became hits for Icona Pop and Iggy Azalea. 

But in 2013/14, while working on her album True Romance, something weird happened. A song called "Boom Clap", which had been sitting on the shelf for a year -originally planned at one point to be given to Hilary Duff, was given a second chance by Charli as her first real single recording. 

This is the story of 'Boom Clap' with newly unearthed audio from Charli XCX.

Content Warning: This episode of Encore discusses struggles with addiction and mental health issues.

Believe it or not, Red Hot Chili Peppers were formed all the way back in 1982 as ‘Tony Flow and The Majestic Masters of Mayhem’ - no idea why that name didn’t ever catch on.

But, with all due respect to original members - the late great guitarist Hilel Slovak, and drummer Jack Irons; the current lineup that we all know and love formed some six years later in the final months of 1988.

Joining original members Tony Flow - aka Anthony Kiedis from here on out, and Flea - aka… well… Flea… were guitar genius John Frusciante, and the world’s most successful Will Ferrell Look Alike - Chad Smith.

Go on and picture the Red Hot Chili Peppers in your head; chances are it is this core four that you’re thinking of… although there were at least another 8 transient members of RHCP throughout the years, with Frusciante especially coming-and-going throughout the band’s history.

With so much turmoil within a band - it’s crazy to think that the Chili Peppers have never actually broken up, despite well documented addictions, tragedy and loss, lack of focus, changes in sound, and the aforementioned lineup changes over their 40+ years in Rock. 

So, for this episode of encore we’re going to zoom in on perhaps their most successful pivot of all, becoming what felt like a brand new band all over again some 15+ years into their career - this is the story of Red Hot Chili Peppers’ 2000 Hit - Californication with newly unearthed audio from the band themselves.

After no less than 5 name changes, and a revolving door of band members, by the year 2000, budding R&B group Destiny's Child were finally in their most recognizable form as a three-piece.

By the time the album cycle for their third record 'The Writing's on The Wall' Destiny’s Child had two #1 singles in “Bills Bills Bills” and “Say My Name,” while “Jumpin’ Jumpin’” would reach #3, and “Bug-A-Boo” would be recognized for its boundary-pushing production. The Writing’s On The Wall would go on to sell more than 13 million copies and become one of the biggest R&B albums of all time. Destiny’s Child were on top of the world. And they weren’t about to stop. In October 2000, they released a song called “Independent Women Part 1,” an empowering anthem recorded for the Charlie’s Angels movie starring Cameron Diaz, Drew Barrymore and Lucy Liu. That song held the #1 for 11 consecutive weeks, becoming the group’s biggest song to date and the Guinness Book of World Records’ longest-running number-one song by a female group.

While all this was happening, Destiny’s Child were wrapping up the recording of their third album - and it was about to take them down a path of even bigger superstardom.

This is the story of Destiny's Child's 'Survivor' with newly unearthed audio from the group!

Consider this your public service announcement - this episode is about the kings of nu-metal, the royalty of rap-rock, and the band responsible for the most red New York Yankee hats sold this side of the millennium - Limp Bizkit.

If you’ve seen any of the footage from either of the Woodstock ‘99 Docs that came out a couple of years ago, or if you are of a certain age to have lived through it - you’ll know that Limp Bizkit - for better or for worse - were a BIG deal… like really big.

You can head back in to the Encore Archives in our Evanescence, Linkin Park, Sum 41 or Finger Eleven episodes to get a sense of how popular aggressive, metal-tinged, hip-hop appropriating music was in the early 2000s, but one could argue that none of it would have been given such a wide blast radius in that era if it wasn’t for the groundwork laid down by Fred Durst and the Boiz.

Of course *purists* will tell you that bands like Beastie Boys, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Rage Against The Machine, and even Faith No More were the true innovators of the genre - and they’d be right!

But where we’re going - we’re not bothering with such high minded concepts as ‘innovation’ or ‘musicality’ - after all, the song we’re talking about today is from a record called ‘Chocolate Starfish and The Hot Dog Flavoured Water’; released in an era where ‘Good’ music was defined as any song that had too many swears on it. 

This is the Story of Limp Bizkit's Rollin' With newly unearthed audio from the band themselves!

Welcome to Season 5 of Encore! We'll have new episodes until the end of the year to keep you going with even MORE stories from the songs you love!

Perhaps more than any artist so far on Encore, Ed Sheeran has been the most difficult one to determine just which song to feature. The guy is just such a consistent and reliable hitmaker.

He’s also a bit of an outlier. Although he established himself as an acoustic troubadour, over the span of his two-decade career, he has evolved and adapted as an artist to suit just about any style: from bubblegum pop to hip-hop to country to rock. And it doesn’t matter what type of music he’s making, it always seems to be at the top of the charts. But I think we found the right song for this episode. Not only one of the biggest songs he’s ever released, but one of the most interesting and dare I say, even a little controversial?

You’ll understand by the end of this, trust me.

This is the story of Ed Sheeran's 'Thinking Out Loud' with newly unearthed audio from Ed Sheeran!

Welcome to the Season Finale Of Encore!

What would you say is the catchiest song of all time? You know that one earworm that you hear once and then for the rest of the day it plays over and over in your head?

Well, according to researchers at St. Andrews University in Scotland a song needs to have five things to make it an earworm: surprise, predictability, rhythmic repetition, melodic potency and, most importantly, the listener must be receptive to the creation on a basic level. In their study they determined the catchiest song of all time is Queen’s “We Will Rock You,” which alone can be identified by its rhythm. I’m sure you’ve attended some sporting event and stomped or clapped that song without even singing a note. It’s catchy, there’s no denying it and these people are actual scientists sure, but have they ever heard a song by the name of “Call Me Maybe” by Carly Rae Jepsen? Because that wins my vote.

And I’m not alone. Justin Bieber agrees with me. He once tweeted:  “Call me maybe by Carly Rae Jepson is possibly the catchiest song I've ever heard lol” How can anyone argue with the Biebs!

This is the true story of the iconic Carly Rae Jepsen song 'Call Me Maybe' - with newly unearthed audio from Carly Rae Jepsen herself!

Encore will return for season 5 in October 2024!