Ongoing History of New Music: The Rock Explainer - Episode 6
Host: Alan Cross
Release Date: October 29, 2025

Episode Overview

In this edition of “The Rock Explainer,” Alan Cross dives deep into the mysteries, conventions, and oddities of the music industry—particularly from the alt-rock universe. This episode addresses the origins and meanings behind familiar but often misunderstood terms (“cover version,” “sample,” “interpolation”), explores the rationale behind artists selling their song catalogs, examines why modern songwriting credits are often so crowded, and settles a listener question about right- vs. left-handed guitar playing.

With his trademark blend of music history and industry insight, Alan delivers fascinating explanations, memorable anecdotes, and the nuanced specifics behind the business of making and marketing music.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Unexplained Mysteries and Rock Oddities

Segment starts: 01:08

• Alan frames the episode by referencing enduring real-world and musical mysteries: the fate of Amelia Earhart, the identity of Jack the Ripper, and the source of the WOW! Signal (01:08).
• He then transitions into rock’s own “unexplained things”—musical conventions we rarely question.
• Quote:
  “There are also plenty of unexplained things in the world of rock, things that we often don’t question. Why do we do these things? Why is it called that? Who came up with that idea? … Let’s deal with some of that.” (03:16)

2. Why Is It Called a “Cover Version”?

Segment starts: 03:35

• Uses David Bowie’s cover of The Who’s “Can’t Explain” as a starting point.
• The term “cover version” dates to the 1940s-60s, rooted in racial segregation and industry racism.
• White artists recorded sanitized versions of Black artists’ songs, making them acceptable for white audiences and white radio stations.
  • E.g., Little Richard’s “Tutti Frutti” (1955) was covered (toned down) by Pat Boone in 1956 to reach white mainstream audiences (05:08–06:30).
  • “Cover” here originally referred to the new version “covering over” the original to reach other markets.
• Quote:
  “Ergo, such recordings were known as cover versions. The original definition has long been lost to history … but if we dig deep enough, we see that the term ‘cover version’ is rooted in the racism of the 40s, 50s and 60s.” (06:54)
• Today, covers are simply new interpretations—e.g., Soft Cell’s version of Gloria Jones’s “Tainted Love.” (08:15)

3. Sampling vs. Interpolation: What’s the Difference?

Segment starts: 08:43

Sampling

• Sampling: Surgically excising a segment of audio from a pre-existing composition for use in a new work.
• Origin traced back to mid-20th-century musique concrete (Pierre Schaeffer, 1948).
• Early example: Dickie Goodman’s “Flying Saucer” (1956) used samples for comic effect; court ruled this parody a new creation. (09:45)
• The first modern use: Michel Bernholc’s “Burundi Black” (1968), sampling 25 African drummers.
• Sampling became easier with technological advancements (Fairlight, Akai MPC 60), launching hip-hop and electronic music revolutions.
• Notable example: M/A/R/R/S “Pump Up the Volume” (1987), which used 29 sources. (12:42)
• Legal Point: Sampling requires permission and payment for both master recording rights and publishing rights.
  Quote:
  “It’s an ethically and legally legitimate tool for songwriting and composition—as long as you get permission from the original composer and pay them. Two fees have to be paid.” (13:42)

Interpolation

• Interpolation: Re-recording or re-creating a section of another song in a new piece—copying the writing, not the recording.
• Only the composition rights have to be paid, making it cheaper than sampling.
• Examples cited:
  • Mark Ronson/Bruno Mars’ “Uptown Funk” (interpolates “Oops Upside Your Head”)
  • Mariah Carey’s “Fantasy” (interpolates “Genius of Love”)
  • Post Malone’s “Circles” (interpolates Fleetwood Mac’s “Dreams”)
  • Vanilla Ice’s “Ice Ice Baby” is actually an interpolation, not a sample, of “Under Pressure.” (14:20–15:30)
  • Coldplay’s “Talk” interpolates Kraftwerk’s “Computer Love” (with Kraftwerk properly credited).
• Quote:
  “You’re copying the writing, not copying the recording. This makes an interpolation cheaper than a sample … Both those terms will come up again in a second.” (14:05)

4. Why Are Artists Selling Their Song Catalogs?

Segment starts: 16:56

• Alan unpacks why big-name artists are selling their publishing rights for hundreds of millions.
• Publishing rights (songwriting) earn royalties via uses including airplay, performance, sales, streaming, and covers. Master rights (the actual recording) are usually held by the record label (very rare exceptions: U2, Taylor Swift). (17:23–18:45)
• Since the 2010s, publishing rights purchasing has exploded—Dylan sold his for $300M, Springsteen for $500M+, Queen for over $1B.
• Why sell?
  1. Immediate financial freedom: Upfront payment for future royalties.
  2. Tax advantages: Ongoing royalties are taxed as income (often 35–50%), but lump-sum sales are taxed as capital gains (as low as 15% in the US, 20% UK).
     • “So what would you rather pay: 15% tax or 50% tax? It’s a no-brainer.” (19:44)
  3. Estate planning, investment, new projects.
• Catalogs valued based on annual royalty revenue x a negotiated multiple (could be 5x, 10x, 20x, etc.).
• Once sold, buyers maximize use: covers, licensing, performance, samples, interpolations.
• There are contractual exceptions (e.g. preventing use for political ads or certain products).
• Songs written after the sale are not included in the deal—e.g., Imagine Dragons (sold their back catalog for $100M, but retain new material). (23:34)
• Quote:
  “Artists who have jumped on this bandwagon include the Killers, Blondie, Devo, Silverchair, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Sting, Motley Crüe, Def Leppard, Alice In Chains, Julian Casablancas of The Strokes, the estate of Joey Ramone, Judas Priest, Imagine Dragons, and dozens and dozens and dozens and dozens of others.” (21:41)
• Notable Canadian exception: High capital gains tax in Canada (50%) means fewer Canadian artists make these deals unless they reside elsewhere.

5. Why Are There So Many Songwriter Credits on Modern Hits?

Segment starts: 25:40

• The rise of “writing by committee”: To reduce the risk of flops, record labels bring in teams: producers, writers, beatmakers, topliners for melody/lyrics.
• Songwriting camps are convened to create “hit hooks, memorable verses, and overall commercial appeal.”
• Everyone who contributes gets a share of songwriter credits—sometimes even managers and label execs for legal or goodwill reasons.
• As a consequence, hit songs can have 10, 12, even 21 credited writers (Drake’s “Nice For What” had 21, including 8 Wu-Tang Clan members due to sampling). (27:50)
• Quote:
  “Much of today’s music is extremely industrialized and almost factory-like in its construction. And it works.” (27:18)
• Not every artist follows this approach: Some, like Billy Corgan, still write everything solo.

6. Why Are Right-Handed Guitars Played the Way They Are?

Segment starts: 29:36

• Listener “Ray” asks: If most people are right-handed, why is the left hand (non-dominant) used for the intricate fretwork?
• Alan traces the history:
  • Descended from ancient stringed instruments (lyres, ouds, lutes)—the right hand’s skill was in picking/plucking, left just formed chords.
  • Stigma against lefties is centuries old—so “southpaws” were pressured to play as righties, both in music and in general.
  • Flamenco guitar in the 1890s first showcased left-hand fretwork.
  • The first known recorded guitar solos: Eddie Lang (1920s/30s jazz), blues players like Blind Lemon Jefferson, early rockers Scotty Moore & Chuck Berry in the 1950s.
  • Guitar heroes (Page, Van Halen, Jack White) are right-handed; lefties like McCartney, Hendrix, Cobain play mirror image or flipped guitars.
• The answer: Tradition. The earliest instruments prioritized right-hand skill, and lingering anti-lefty bias entrenched the configuration.
• Quote:
  “Throughout all those iterations, the skill to playing was found in the right hand. As players picked and plucked the strings, the left hand was left to form chords. There was also a long-standing stigma against southpaws — against lefties. They were associated with bad luck and even witchcraft.” (30:00)
• Alan invites listeners to chime in if they have alternative theories.

Notable Quotes

• “When someone records or performs someone else’s song, we call that a cover version. Okay, why? Well, this involves, believe it or not, some music industry racism.” (04:24)
• “Sampling is an ethically and legally legitimate tool for songwriting and composition… as long as you get permission from the original composer and pay them.” (13:42)
• “If the artist takes all that future money all at once, governments consider that to be capital gains. Taxes on such things are generally much lower… So what would you rather pay? 15% tax or 50% tax? It’s a no brainer.” (19:38)
• “Much of today’s music is extremely industrialized and almost factory-like in its construction. And it works.” (27:18)
• “Being left-handed might get you executed. So that’s my explanation.” (33:54)

Timestamps of Important Segments

• Unexplained mysteries intro: 01:08
• Origins of “cover version”: 03:35
• Racial background of covers: 05:08
• Modern covers example: 08:10
• Sampling explained: 08:43
  • Musique concrète & comedy samples: 09:45
  • First modern sample: 11:11
  • Akai MPC, “Pump Up the Volume”: 12:42
• Sample vs. interpolation: 13:58
  • Pop examples: 14:34
  • Coldplay/Kraftwerk: 15:10
• Artist catalog sales explained: 16:56
  • Publishing vs. master rights: 17:23–18:45
  • Catalog valuations/tax angles: 19:31
  • Notable deals and Canadian outliers: 21:13
  • How buyers make back the money: 23:05
  • Post-sale song rights (Imagine Dragons): 23:34
• Songwriting by committee: 25:40
• Right-handed guitar tradition: 29:36
  • Instrument history highlight: 30:00
  • Guitar solos and famous “lefties”: 32:12
  • Alan’s summary of the tradition: 33:45

Memorable Moments

• Alan’s historical stories, like Pat Boone’s sanitized “Tutti Frutti,” highlight just how much cultural baggage musical terminology carries.
• The revelation that some songwriting credits on hits now include over 20 people, with entire hip-hop groups cashing in due to extensive sampling.
• The quirky question about guitar handedness, and Alan’s explanation tracing it to both musical tradition and superstitious medieval bias, brings practical music-making history to life.

Episode Tone & Language

The episode maintains Alan Cross’s signature tone: authoritative yet conversational, peppered with historical anecdotes, gentle humor, and pragmatic clarity. He balances music geekdom with approachable storytelling and never condescends when unpacking even seemingly basic questions.

Conclusion

Episode 6 of The Rock Explainer is an entertaining, in-depth tour of the hidden history and economics behind well-known music industry terminology and practices. Alan Cross demystifies everything from “cover versions” to complex royalty systems, leaving listeners more knowledgeable—and with plenty of trivia to impress their friends.

Listener call to action:
Alan invites listeners to submit their own questions for future episodes, promising that no query is too insignificant or “stupid.”

For further information, visit:
Alan’s site: ajournalofmusicalthings.com
Other podcasts: “Crime and Mayhem in the Music Industry”

Compiled Summary by ChatGPT | Ongoing History of New Music