Waves of Success: The Story of Jack Johnson's 'Better Together'

A great pop song can evoke a universal feeling that just about every listener out there feels. You can make a case for just about any song and any feeling, but has a song ever encapsulated the feeling of being a teenager as accurately as the Smashing Pumpkins’ “1979”? When he wrote it, at the age of 28 mind you, frontman Billy Corgan was looking to express what he felt in his adolescence - all of the angst, pain, fear, excitement, happiness and endless possibilities you face when you’re a teenager. And he nailed it. What’s funny is that when it was released in 1995, it sounded unlike anything else the band had recorded. This alternative rock band often associated with the grunge scene and loud guitars, put out a soft, melancholy tune featuring synthesizers and drum loops. Even funnier is the fact that “1979” became the biggest song of their career, finding new audiences as the generations turn. Yes, it’s as popular with Gen-Z and even Gen Alpha as it is the Gen X that made it a hit in the first place. This is the story of The Smashing Pumpkins' 1979 with newly unearthed footage from the band themselves! Written by Cam Lindsay for iHeartRadio.

Nostalgia is one hell of a drug - and music is the best carrier of that magic elixir directly into our brains.  While pretty much any song can be propped up as a totem of days past - sometimes songs feel specifically engineered to bring us back to a place and time. While many songs that we’ve covered over the course of this podcast distill the feelings high school awkwardness and teenage angst; (I’m looking at you, Simple Plan and Jimmy Eat World) there’s no song that declares itself as loudly and proudly as a nostalgic teenage anthem like the certified grandaddy of them all - Wheatus’ anthemic ode to lovable Losers everywhere - 2000’s Teenage Dirtbag. Written by Clayton Taylor for iHeartRadio.

There is no mistaking Alanis Morisette for anyone else. She is the one and only Alanis - Can you even think of anyone else out there named Alanis? Ms. Morissette also has one of the most recognizable singing voices of her generation, one that helped her sell more than 33 million copies of her album, Jagged Little Pill. Only Shania Twain’s Come On Over has sold more copies than Jagged Little Pill, making it the second best selling album by any Canadian ever. That list includes Celine Dion, Drake, The Weeknd, Justin Bieber, Rush and Nickelback. In fact, no Canadian male or Canadian band has sold more copies of an album than Alanis. She is that awesome. Jagged Little Pill reinvented the female singer-songwriter in pop music, and gave women the confidence and strength to express themselves authentically. Rolling Stone called it “a landmark moment for the music industry and the soundtrack of a generation.” And it didn’t take long for that new generation of self-assured female singer-songwriters to emerge in the wake of Alanis’s success.  This is the story of its massive single Ironic, with newly unearthed audio from Alanis Morissette herself.  Written by Cam Lindsay for iHeartRadio.

This week on Encore, we're going to talk about a bonafide sleeper hit of an album, with bonafide sleeper hit singles; a charmingly upbeat and wholesome record by a guy who surfed his way into our hearts some 20 years ago; with songs that equally resonate as much with a trip to the grocery store as a trip to the beach. But like - in a good way. I am of course talking about Jack Johnson’s 2005 effort In Between Dreams - and its heartwarming first track - Better Together. Son of surfer Jeff Johnson, Jack’s first love was of course: surfing. He was an avid surfer by the age of 5 - and by 17, he was the youngest invitee to make the finals of the lauded Pipeline Masters event in Hawaii. Things went sideways for young Jack though, as he was involved in a serious surfing accident at the very same event; with Johnson needing over 100 stitches in his forehead and the removal of some teeth. Soon after the accident, Jack would trade the surfboard for the director’s chair, and enrolled himself in film school, as well as joining a local band called Soil and playing the University of California, Santa Barbara campus’ party scene. Ever the polymath; Jack Johnson also successfully put his film studies degree he earned at USCB to good use by combining his love of Surfing, Film, and music to direct the surfer-documentary Thicker Than Water with his pals Chris and Emmett Malloy in the year 2000. It was around this time Johnson met stoner-soul-rock-funk musician G. Love of the band G. Love and Special Sauce. The fun-loving G. Love met Johnson through his surf-documentary circles, and invited Jack to collaborate on a song called Rodeo Clowns. With his foot now in the door in a variety of artistic circles - Johnson then caught the attention of travelling bluesman Ben Harper and his producer JP Plunier. Plunier was a fan of Johnson’s Demo Tape, and offered to produce his debut album, eventually titled Brushfire Fairytales and released in February 2001. Jack Johnson would open for Ben Harper and the Innocent Criminals throughout 2001 - and by late 2002, Brushfire Fairytales officially became his first platinum-selling album. After a less successful second album - Jack Johnson would hit it big with his classic third album In Between Dreams. This is the story of its biggest single, Better Together. Written by Clayton Taylor for iHeartRadio.

For 15 years, (and up until recently) Oasis were officially not a band. In 2009, Noel quit just hours before they were set to play a festival in France. But back then, everyone just assumed Oasis would return the next week, hatchet buried, ready to pick up where they left off; If there’s one thing Oasis were known for it was regularly being on the brink of imploding. From the very start, Liam and Noel were always squabbling over something. Very public spats were just something they did.  Fast forward to 2025, Oasis are back playing live shows again, heading across the world on a reunion tour that includes two shows in Toronto. Of course, Oasis were known for writing big rock anthems in the ‘90s and 2000s - but there is one song of theirs that was bigger than the rest: A ballad that has become customary to learn for everyone that owns an acoustic guitar. I’m talking about “Wonderwall,” a song Noel Gallagher wrote about his imaginary friend. This is the true story of Oasis's Wonderwall with newly unearthed audio from Noel and Liam Gallagher themselves. Written by Cam Lindsay for iHeartRadio.

This week on Encore, Ruby Carr has chosen some of her favourite episodes from seasons 1-6 ft. Myles Galloway! Hear the stories behind 'Call Me Maybe' 'Hey Ya!' 'Steal My Sunshine' and 'Dancing on My Own'! New Episodes of Encore return August 7!

Check out our FULL Unedited interview with the wonderful Chuck Comeau of Simple Plan! Chuck and Ruby look back at the incredible period of time that was Simple Plan's 2003-2005 and the creation and success of 'Still Not Getting Any'. Chuck tells ruby stories about the album, it's hit single 'Welcome to My Life', working with Bob Rock, shooting the video for 'Welcome to My Life' and why Tom Delonge is an absolute sweetheart!

This episode of Encore is brought to you by All Your Friends Fest - June 28 and 29 in Burl's Creek, ON - Get Your Tickets Formed when they were just thirteen years old by lead vocalist and guitarist Pierre Bouvier and Drummer Chuck Comeau in 1993 - it’s hard to believe that just 8 short years later Simple Plan would be signed by Major Label Atlantic Records in late 2001 - and by early 2002, their first single - the aptly named ‘I’m Just A Kid’ would make huge waves on both Canadian and American radio - fitting in perfectly with the sound of the Holy Trinity of Pop Punk: Blink 182, Sum 41, and Good Charlotte. After the success and exposure of I’m Just A Kid, Simple Plan was in pole position to become Canada’s new pop-punk sweethearts. Pop Punk was evolving, you see; the band’s stock was high, and it was a case of staying relevant, or being left behind.  This is the story of Simple Plan's Welcome to My Life - as told to Ruby Carr by Simple Plan's own Chuck Comeau! Written by Clayton Taylor for iHeartRadio

TLC are one of the most commercially successful GROUPS of all time.  TLC came from out of nowhere in the early ‘90s to dominate R&B, hip-hop and pop simultaneously. They won a bunch of Grammys, had multiple #1 hits, and completely changed music in the 1990s. But unfortunately, with all of that came A LOT of drama and heartbreaking tragedy.  This is the true story of TLC's No Scrubs, with newly unearthed audio from the band themselves! Written by Cam Lindsay for iHeartRadio Canada