Okay, okay, okay! I hear you! Lemme make some amends here.

In spring 2026, I set out to explore alt-rock one-hit wonders. It was a five-episode series in six parts (very Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, that) on the biggest songs of that sort since 1976, which is year zero for the whole alternative thing… more or less. Let’s not get bogged down here.

The first five episodes covered ten songs each, all ranked using a complicated logarithmic formula designed by my friend, Walter the mathematician. A lot of effort went into that top 50 list—but it wasn’t enough.

That’s where the sixth episode came in. It was an addendum, an erratum, really, of songs that maybe should have made it into the original top 50 list. Fine. I’m big enough to admit when I’ve made an error or left something out.

I did the sixth episode, and I thought, “Well, that’s over. We’re done here.” But apparently not. In the weeks and months that followed, I got hundreds of emails and DMs from people pointing out even more alt-rock one-hit wonders that should have made the cut.

This left me uneasy. The job wasn’t done, and I hate loose ends. So let’s do the one-hit-wonder thing one more time, incorporating some of those missed tracks. And I’ll explain why several acts who are thought to be one-hit wonders really aren’t.

So, clean-up on aisle three, I guess. Here we go…

Songs heard on this show:

• Voice of America, The Story of Love
• When in Rome, The Promise
• 4 Non-Blondes, What’s Up?
• Tripping Daisy, I Got a Girl
• Jars of Clay, Flood
• Primitive Radio Gods, Standing Outside a Broken Phone Booth with Money in My Hand
• Dog’s Eye View, Everything Falls Apart
• Len, Steal My Sunshine

Here’s Eric Wilhite’s playlist.

The Ongoing History of New Music can be heard on these stations:

• 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 9am and 9pm
• The Fox/Vancouver – Sundays at 10am and 10pm
• The Goat Network/Interior BC
• WAPS/WKTL The Summit/Arkon, Canton, Cleveland, Youngstown – Mon-Fri at 9pm

© 2026 Corus Radio, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

New Music Friday is singles-heavy this week, but there are some albums that need your attention.

Singles

1. Art d’Ecco, Disappear Here (Paper Bag)

I’ve been a fan of  BC-based Art for the last few years, so I was pleased to see this new single. But I wasn’t expecting this. He’s swapped electronics for something distorted, guitar-driven, and filled with desperation. This is really good. The new album will be called Scheele’s Green. Watch for it October 23.

2. Nickelback, Make Me Love You (Virgin Music Group/Universal)

Earlier this week, we heard that Nickelback had its first number one song at radio in than a decade with the song Rattle the Cage from the upcoming album, Everything Under the Sun, which will be here on October 30. American Nickelback fans ain’t boycotting a thing. This is the album’s four advance single.

3. NOBRO, Girls Like Us (Independent)

Montreal’s NOBRO is one of my favourite new bands from the last few years. They’re a five-piece, all women (except for one bro on drums) and have been responsible for some extremely fierce Canadian garage rock, winning a JUNO along the way. This song arose out of an argument in a bar with some patronizing dude who probably slunk away after having a new one torn for him.

4. Queens of the Stone Age, Where the Goth Girls At? (Matador)

Here’s another single from the upcoming album Perfecth. Josh Homme recalls growing up in Palm Desert, California, pining over the goth girls who worked the makeup counters at JCPenney as they gave makeovers to older ladies. In a press release, Josh said “That’s when I knew the only place I want to be is where the goth girls at. Teenage love, ain’t it grand?”

5. U2, Silencio (Island/Universal)

It was 50 years ago, on September 25, 1976, that a bunch of kids from Mount Temple High School on the north side of Dublin met in the kitchen at Larry Mullen Jr.’s place. Four of those kids were Larry, Bono, The Edge, and Adam Clayton. Carnaval de Luz (an album that features a guest appearance by–wait for it–Dolly Parton) will be here November 13. At 155 seconds, Silencio is their shortest-ever single and is tied for third as the shortest U2 song ever.

6. Wendy’s, The Songs to Listen to in a Wendy’s Lot EP (Independent)

Wait. You mean like Wendy’s the place with the square burger patties? Yep. Whoever is running the marketing department sounds like an elder millennial who grew up on My Chemical Romance, Dashboard Confessional, and Fugazi. The six-song EP features singers from Memphis May Fire, Anberlin, Burlington, Ontario’s Silverstein, blessthefall, State Champs, and Holy Wars. Titles include She Said She Didn’t Want Fries, I Miss the Sunroom (me, too, dude), and The Best Combo Meal on the Worst Night of My Life.

Listen and share here.

Albums

1. Blondshell, Violins (Partisan)

After a months-long lead-up with some very good advance singles, L.A.’s Sabrina “Blondshell” Teitelbaum has released her third album. Fun fact: Her maternal grandfatheris Randall Smith, known as the billionaire pioneer of vulture capitalism, which kinda figures into the theme of this single about the complexities of growing up.

2. Godflesh, Decay (Relapse) 

If you’re looking for something aggressive, then may I recommend the new album from this English industrial metal group? Godflesh has been a thing since that genre was still in its infancy back in the 1980s and are now up to ten albums. If you want to annoy the Taylor Swift fan in your life, put this one on. Oh, and the band has said this will be there final album.

3. M83, I Wrote You a Letter (Other Suns)

Now that Godflesh has cleansed our palate, let’s travel to Antibes in the south of France for the new one from M83. Their tenth album features their trademark smooth electronics. Dream pop for all–but just wait for the screams.

4. Soft Cell, Danceteria (Republic of Music)

Yes, the Tainted Love people, although with the death of keyboardist Dave Ball, we’re down to just Marc Almond now, although his contributions can be heard through this record. Although the band has been around since 1978, this is just the sixth album. And there will be no more. After this tribute to the dance scene of NYC in the 1980s, Soft Cell will dissolve forever

 

© 2026 Corus Radio, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

An album can be both tremendously influential and a commercial failure—at least at first. Here are a tw0 examples.

The Clash’s London Calling came out in December 1979. It didn’t officially sell 500,000 copies until 1991, a gap of 12 years, despite hit singles like the title track and “Should I Stay or Should I Go.” It would finally go platinum five years later.

And The Ramones released their self-titled debut album on April 23, 1976. It launched a million punk bands, yet it didn’t sell its 500,000^th copy until May 2014, thirty-eight years after its release. By that time, three of the original Ramones had died, and within three months, the final one would pass away. The thing that sustained The Ramones for most of that time was relentless touring and t-shirt sales.

© 2026 Corus Radio, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

After another severe wildfire season in the Okanagan, the Kelowna Fire Department is planning prescribed burns in several areas of the city, including Knox Mountain.

The planned burn at Knox Mountain would be the park’s second prescribed burn carried out by the department in the past year.

For residents living nearby, the prospect of proactively reducing wildfire risk is welcome news.

“It’s good if we are proactive, ” said Roy Shatz, who lives nearby. “We need to be proactive. We’ve seen what the wildfires did in Summerland.”

The fire department hopes to conduct three prescribed burns across the city over the next month, although weather conditions will determine when the burns can safely proceed.

“We’re very much Mother Nature dependent. Mother Nature picks the burn day. We don’t choose the burn day,” said Dennis Craig, assistant chief of mitigation, risk and wellness with the Kelowna Fire Department.  “It’s going to be temperature, humidity dependent and a big portion of that is venting.”

Craig said prescribed fire is intended to reduce the amount of fuel available to a wildfire.

“Prescribed fire doesn’t eliminate fire; it just reduces the severity and the intensity of the fire should a fire come through,” Craig said.

While prescribed fire has been used for centuries, bringing the practice back is relatively new for the city. It requires public acceptance and extensive planning.

“It’s making sure we’re doing it responsibly,” he said.

The planned burns will also provide an opportunity for fire officials from across B.C. to participate through the B.C. Wildfire Service’s Training Exchange, known as TREX.

“We’ve invited them out to participate and assist us with the burns,” Craig said.

He said the program allows firefighters to gain experience while helping build capacity for prescribed fire across the province.

“It’s our way of giving back to the industry as a whole by providing this area for them to learn and develop, so that we can try and help the province out with getting more fire back on the landscape,” Craig said.

Prescribed burns are becoming more common in B.C. The B.C. Wildfire Service completed 76 prescribed burns in 2025, up from 48 the previous year.

Training programs such as TREX are also helping develop the skills and capacity needed to conduct more prescribed burns.

Similar burns are being planned in Lake Country and the North Okanagan.

For residents like Schatz, taking more steps to reduce wildfire risk is increasingly important in a region that has experienced repeated wildfire devastation.

“We have to do more, I think, every year from now on,” he said.

© 2026 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

A new Elections Quebec directive telling poll workers to greet voters in French and switch to English only under certain circumstances is drawing criticism from English-language advocacy groups and raising fresh questions about language rights ahead of Quebec’s Oct. 5 election.

The controversy comes as Elections Quebec prepares to open advance polling stations this weekend and days after a court ordered the agency to send voter reminder cards in both French and English.

Elections Quebec confirmed it has sent out the bilingual voter cards, but Quebecers are not expected to receive them until next week.

Geoffrey Chambers, the lead plaintiff in the court challenge that resulted in the ruling, said he was pleased with the judgment but disappointed the issue was not addressed earlier.

“I am very happy we got the judgement and the judgement is very clear,” Chambers said. “I’m sad that we didn’t know this early enough to get to the judge early enough to actually get documents out.”

Chambers said he remains concerned about a directive sent to election workers regarding interactions with English-speaking voters.

Under the directive, poll workers must greet voters in French. They may continue in English if a voter states they are a historic anglophone or Indigenous.

Chambers argued the rules create unnecessary barriers for English-speaking voters.

“The set of instructions create an unquestionably additional hurdle and barrier that will not play out exactly the same way in every interaction across thousands of people in hundreds of ridings,” he said.

The directive provides sample questions poll workers can ask voters, including whether they have been declared eligible for English-language education or whether they are a member of an Indigenous community.

If a voter answers yes, the worker may continue communicating in English.

Elections Quebec told Global News it will not require proof from voters and will rely solely on a person’s statement.

Sylvia Martin-Laforge, director general of the Quebec Community Groups Network, known as QCGN, questioned what the directive could mean for the future accessibility of elections for English-speaking Quebecers.

“That is not OK,” she said. “Just the threat of it.”

Martin-Laforge said she fears English-speaking Quebecers may be forced to repeatedly challenge measures affecting their rights.

“Will the English-speaking community have to litigate every single aspect of the electoral process for the director general of elections to respect our rights?” she said.

Elections Quebec says it is applying the provisions for the first time because, before Bill 96 was adopted, the agency was not subject to the same requirements.

The agency had sought an exemption from the legislation, but the Coalition Avenir Québec government denied the request.

Reaction among voters interviewed by Global News was mixed.

One English-speaking voter called the directive “ridiculous” and “petty,” while another described it as “an immense disrespect for anglophones in Quebec.”

A French-speaking voter said she was tired of hearing concerns that the French language is under threat in Quebec.

The issue has emerged less than two weeks before Quebecers head to the polls in the provincial election.

© 2026 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

Watch the full broadcast of Global National with Dawna Friesen for Thursday, September 24, 2026.

View more Global National videos here

© 2026 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

This story contains discussion of violence against women. Support is available for anyone experiencing intimate partner violence through local shelters, crisis lines and community organizations.

A 45-year-old woman found dead in her downtown Montreal condominium this week has been identified as Leila Ben Salem, a Canada Revenue Agency employee whose death has sparked renewed calls for action against violence targeting women.

Montreal police say officers were called Tuesday afternoon to an apartment building on René-Lévesque Boulevard East near St-Christophe Street after receiving a request to check on a resident. When they entered the apartment, they found Ben Salem seriously injured. She was then pronounced dead at the scene.

The death was initially considered suspicious but has since been transferred to the force’s homicide unit. Police said the killing marks Montreal’s 19th homicide of 2026.

Investigators remained at the scene Wednesday, examining the apartment building, processing evidence and reviewing surveillance footage as they worked to determine what happened. No arrests had been announced as of Thursday, and police have not released details about how Ben Salem died or a possible motive.

Police sources told Global News that Ben Salem was participating in a work-related Zoom call when she was attacked inside her Ville-Marie apartment.

More than 48 hours after her death, investigators were still searching for a suspect.

In a statement, the Union of Taxation Employees, which represents Canada Revenue Agency workers, offered condolences to Ben Salem’s family, friends and colleagues. Union president Marc Brière condemned the violence that claimed her life.

Women’s advocates say the case highlights the need for greater support for organizations working to prevent violence against women.

Mylène Bigaouette, director of the Fédération des maisons d’hébergement pour femmes, described the killing as the latest femicide in Quebec this year. “This is the tip of the iceberg,” Bigaouette said.

She called on the provincial government to provide more stable funding for women’s shelters and specialized organizations, saying additional resources would allow them to expand services beyond emergency accommodation and intervene earlier.

The issue also surfaced on the provincial election campaign trail.

Québec solidaire candidate Ruba Ghazal said governments have a responsibility to do more to prevent violence against women. “I want this to be the last one and I don’t want another woman to be killed because she’s a woman,” Ghazal said.

A vigil in Ben Salem’s memory is planned for Oct. 1 outside the Confédération des syndicats nationaux’s Montreal offices.

© 2026 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

Stanley Bryant doesn’t expect any drop-off when backup quarterback Dru Brown takes hold of the controls on Friday.

Brown is replacing injured Winnipeg Blue Bombers starter Zach Collaros in the home game against the Toronto Argonauts.

It’s the fifth start for Brown since he was acquired in a trade with the Ottawa Redblacks in late June.

“I don’t think it’ll be a big difference,” Bryant, the team’s veteran left tackle, said after Thursday’s walk-through practice.

“Mentally those guys are, I don’t want to say the word killers, but they have the same mentality. They want to go out there and win and have the big plays. It’ll be good to have him out there.”

Collaros suffered a head injury in a Sept. 12 win over Saskatchewan. The 38-year-old threw an interception and then fell while trying to force the Roughriders’ defender out of bounds along the sidelines.

He also missed four consecutive games this season with a neck injury. Brown went 2-2 in relief, throwing for 1,148 yards with five touchdowns and five interceptions.

Brown said he thought there was a chance heading into the team’s bye last week that he’d be returning as the starter against the Argonauts, but he still used the downtime to recharge.

“I always try to be prepared if the team needs me,” he said. “I think a bye is where you can kind of handle things body-wise and mentally kind of get away a little bit.”

Brown will be backed up by Bryce Perkins. Canadian Taylor Elgersma is listed third on the depth chart.

Blue Bombers running back Brady Oliveira is looking forward to having Brown in the huddle.

“He’s had an amazing week of prep and usually that translates to game day,” Oliveira said. “So I’m really excited for him, and for him to command the offence, and hopefully we can go out there and score a lot of points.”

Toronto (8-6) has won three straight and its defence leads the CFL with 33 sacks, including nine consecutive games with two or more. Winnipeg is tied with the Calgary Stampeders for last after giving up 32 sacks.

The Argonauts are coming off a 24-19 victory over West Division-leading Edmonton Elks last weekend, thanks to defensive back Tarvarus McFadden’s interception with 19 seconds left in the game that snuffed out an Elks comeback attempt. McFadden is out this week with a hand injury.

Toronto clinched a home playoff berth with the win, which featured some dubious numbers.

The Argos won despite possessing the ball for only 21:15, running 37 fewer offensive plays, only converting six second downs and rushing for a paltry minus-one yard.

The only other team in the past 60 years that’s rushed for negative yards and still won the game was the Birmingham Barracudas in 1995 (minus-two yards).

Toronto’s defence was a bright light in the Edmonton game. Linebacker Adarius Pickett registered a season-high 13 defensive tackles (tying his career high) and added one sack and one pass knockdown. It earned him a spot among the league’s top three players of the week.

Argos quarterback Chad Kelly is not afraid to sling the ball, putting up a league-best 4,777 passing yards. He also has the most touchdowns (31) and interceptions (22).

Winnipeg rookie cornerback Major Williams has one pick this year and is eager to see what Kelly dishes out.

“Chad tends to break the pocket and extend plays with his legs and throws up balls to give his guys a great opportunity for the ball,” Williams said. “I think a lot of those are 50-50, so they can go both ways.”

Winnipeg needs to get on a roll to secure a playoff spot in the tight West Division.

The Bombers (7-6) are in fourth place behind the Elks (10-4) and Saskatchewan (8-5). They’re tied with the B.C. Lions (7-6) and barely ahead of Calgary (6-8). The Lions host the Riders in the late Friday game.

While the players are focused on Toronto, Oliveira said the Bombers control their own destiny and could finish anywhere from first to last.

“We’ve got to really focus on your daily work and then put that into work on game day and then let the chips fall where they may,” he said. “The West is crazy right now, that’s for sure.”

© 2026 The Canadian Press

Dale Hawerchuk is once again the leading scorer for the Winnipeg Jets.

The Jets and the NHL announced Thursday that the franchise’s official statistical history will now include both eras of the team.

The first iteration of the Jets played from 1979 to 1996 before relocating to Phoenix. When the Atlanta Thrashers relocated to Manitoba in 2011, the statistical records of the original Jets remained with the Arizona Coyotes franchise.

That meant the achievements of Hawerchuk, Thomas Steen, Teemu Selanne and other icons of the original Jets era were lost in the desert among a fan base with no connections to those players.

Hawerchuk, who died in 2020 at 57, put up a franchise-leading 379 goals and 929 points in Winnipeg from 1981-1990. He had his No. 10 retired in 2007 in Coyotes’ colours despite playing for the franchise before the move.

Steen retakes the team lead in assists with 553.

Current Jets forward Mark Scheifele, whose career totals stand at 372 goals, 535 assists and 907 points, will have the opportunity to take the lead in all three categories in 2026-27.

In addition, the Jets also own the historical records of the Atlanta Thrashers (1999-2011).

The statistical history of the inactive Coyotes franchise will encompass only its years in Arizona from 1996 to 2024 and will not be counted as part of the Jets’ record book.

The Coyotes suspended operations in 2024 before the team’s assets were acquired by the expansion Utah Mammoth.

The original Jets retired four numbers: Bobby Hull (No. 9) and Steen (No. 25) before relocation, and Hawerchuk and Teppo Numminen (No. 27).

The current Jets have not retired any jersey numbers.

© 2026 The Canadian Press

A new Meals on Wheels program is helping feed students at an inner city school in Edmonton.

“We really wanted an opportunity to kind of expand who we’re helping and who we are serving in the community,” said executive director, Adam Zawadiuk.

“We know that there’s a lot of schools out there, and a lot of kids who don’t have access to a healthy and nutritious lunch.”

The program is partnered with St. Teresa of Calcutta Elementary School, located east of the downtown core in the Boyle Street neighbourhood.

Lunch is served to every student four days a week.

“We want to make sure that the kids have full tummies,” Zawadiuk said.

For the last five decades, Meals on Wheels has been delivering prepared meals to anyone facing barriers to healthy eating.

Seniors are a core part of their business, but over the years the organization’s programs have evolved.

“We know it’s a huge need in the community, and we’re so excited and proud that we’re able to step up and do our part to help meet that need,” Zawadiuk said.

The impact of this program has been very positive.

“Food insecurity does exist, with rising costs of food that all of our families are experiencing across the city,” said Cheryl Shinkaruk, manager of programs and projects with Edmonton Catholic Schools.

“The students are really excited because it’s an opportunity for them to be able to access nutritious, hot and cold lunches.”

Which sets them up for success in the classroom.

“It allows them to be able to focus better in class, participate and engage in their learning,” Shinkaruk explained.

For Meals on Wheels, the goal is to serve even more students.

“We are really open to some possibilities here. We have the capacity to expand now,” Zawadiuk said.

© 2026 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.