Obscure Music History

Obscure Music History

Tom Hogan

Episodes 22
Avg. Duration 10m
Activity Highly Active
Since Nov 2017
Latest Episode Apr 2026

Publishing Details

Schedule
Monthly
Format
Serial
Hosting
feeds.transistor.fm

Contact & Outreach

About This Podcast

Obscure Music History is an investigative music podcast about B-sides and rarities of unpopular music. The podcast covers the songs and artists that slipped through the cracks: forgotten records, marginal careers, misunderstood releases, one‑hit wonders, and music that didn’t behave as expected. Each episode focuses on a single artist or recording. Using interviews, archival material, liner notes (down to the misspelt words), and careful listening, the show tries to piece together what actually happened, what people remember happening, and how those versions settled into place. The interest isn’t just the music itself, but the stories that grow around it, and how often those stories quietly replace the sound at the centre. The series moves freely across genres, scenes, and decades, covering pop music, experimental work, novelty records, and genre outliers with the same level of attention usually reserved for more “important” subjects. No distinction is made between minor artefacts and major works. Everything is handled using the same methods, whether or not those methods prove useful. Taken together, the episodes form an ongoing archive. New material is added as further recordings and histories are uncovered, become available, or are decided upon. Some music has been lost completely. Some has merely been misplaced, perhaps on purpose. This podcast exists to return what’s missing to the public ear, or at least document the attempt. No record is kept of who listens. Where sources differ, all versions are retained. Descriptions are reproduced as supplied. Errors have not been corrected. Decisions around access, presentation, and omission are guided by availability, condition, and gut instinct. Additional material may exist. || Produced and hosted by Tom Hogan. For all available songs, bios and cover art, visit ObscureMusicHistory.com. For more projects, visit TomHogan.com.au

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Recent Episodes

[Unnamed System Output] - Resolved State

Apr 29, 2026 8m Transcript

Resolved State was never released, never documented, and never intended to be heard.  Created in 2026 by an unknown system for an audience of other systems, the work achieved total convergence across…

Tracy Ore - Therefore I'm Not

Sep 14, 2020 12m Transcript

An examination of experimental composer Tracy Ore’s Selective Playing technique and the performance series Therefore I’m Not, interrogating authorship, provocation, and musical authority. Ever since…

Subtle Sam (Part 47) - Ever After Happily

Aug 20, 2019 11m

After 45 chapters of non-music related information from our extensive biography of Subtle Sam, we return to music, much like Subtle Sam himself. Subtle Sam attempted to build upon his career as a…

Subtle Sam (Part 1) - Hey, How Are You?

Jan 31, 2019 8m

The first instalment in a long‑form profile of country actor‑turned‑singer Subtle Sam, exploring biography, performance, and cinematic self‑fiction. In Part 1, we take a glance at his first release…

HOLIDAY EXTRAVAGANZA: An Obscure Music History Christmas

Dec 22, 2018 17m

Tom has a candid interview with music historian (and regular guest) George Greggenmeyer, looking at several unorthodox holiday songs whose other work we'll be hearing from over the next few episodes.…

Jâgèñflürg - Leben

Dec 04, 2018 15m

Electronic dance troupe Jâgèñflürg were at the forefront of musical innovation; one of the pioneer groups of the electro genre. Their album Leben is considered way ahead of its time, on account of…

SPECIAL BROADCAST: Lenny Ziff - Is It Your Love I'm Buying?

May 29, 2018 10m

In this special episode broadcast, we delve into the International Sound & Radio Archives and uncover a long forgotten radio program which also happens to be named "Obscure Music History". The…

The Actives - It Sucks To Be Peter Best

Apr 29, 2018 9m

This week we invite back Sandy Kloystrüm from The Actives to talk about the song It Sucks To Be Peter Best, because we just really wanted to see them again. The episode explores resentment,…

Monster Bait - The Fart Earthquake

Apr 15, 2018 9m

Looking at music from all angles is our specialty here, and this time we talk to Marc Cook - the producer of Monster Bait's pop punk extravaganza, The Fart Earthquake. What makes a producer tick? An…

Joshua Phoenix - Then You Called My Name

Apr 01, 2018 9m

Enigmatic singer-songwriter Joshua Phoenix doesn't only give insight into his process, but also some advice for all young songwriters everywhere. We investigate his natural power over an audience…

[WARNING: Disclaimer] Val Dormand Quintet - Hug Me & Take My Honey

Mar 18, 2018 9m

This week we bring out the most controversial song we could find, due to it's horrific context which requires the use of excessive explicit language and lurid adult content. [WARNING: This episode…

Rufus Grave - No Alms For No Arms

Mar 04, 2018 11m

We pull famous recluse, Rufus Grave, out of their hovel to discuss the moody balladeer's career, with special attention to the turmoil of success in creativity, and a song about an empathetic…

LIVE!: Tommy Hoggins - Go Go Go (Dance Dance Dance)

Feb 04, 2018 15m Transcript

It's our first ever LIVE SHOW!!! The crowd was amazing in the concert hall, and really brought the house down as we interviewed Tommy Hoggins (no relation)about his angry dance soundtrack, "Go Go Go…

The Swooning - Boneshaker

Jan 14, 2018 11m

We welcome back George Greggenmeyer to help solve the mystery of The Swooning's operatic metal prog masterpiece "Boneshaker". Greggenmeyer attacks the song from all angles, but even an academic…

K.o.K - Pony Time

Jan 07, 2018 11m

A discussion of rap crew K.o.K and their controversial single Pony Time, placing suburban fantasy, revolution imagery, and novelty rap within the mid‑1980s music landscape. The episode provides…

Mickey Hickson - Everything's Gonna Be Alright

Dec 31, 2017 11m

We ask charity stadium rock billionaire jerkface Mickey "King" Hickson if everything is really going to be alright, and he tells us: Yes. An investigation into charity‑era optimism Hickson’s 1984…

HOLIDAY SPECIAL: Ho Ho Ho (It's Your Mum)

Dec 22, 2017 9m

It's a classic non-demoninational holiday special episode, so we go off book and find a music historian to explain their favourite holiday musical moment. George Greggenmeyer shares his bootleg…

The Pink Smudges - Found A Dollar, Found A Dime

Dec 17, 2017 6m

In this tell-all interview, barbershop quartet The Pink Smudges open up, divulging the tragic details of how they came to be. This emotional interview explores notions of national identity, and…

Jesse Brooks - Sexually Ambiguous Person

Dec 10, 2017 8m Transcript

One-hit-wonder Jesse Brooks explores the the socio-political issues that influenced the songwriting process behind "Sexually Ambiguous People", regarding the price of fame, aesthetic confusion in…

Kenny & Richards - I Remember (Marty The Matador)

Dec 03, 2017 11m

An analysis of musical theatre duo Kenny & Richards and their ambitious stage work Marty the Matador, examining how Broadway ambition collided with mainstream music charts in the early 80s.…

Frequently Asked Questions

How many episodes does Obscure Music History have?

Obscure Music History has published 22 episodes since November 2017, covering topics in Comedy, Music.

Is Obscure Music History still active?

Obscure Music History is currently highly active with new episodes monthly. Average episode length is 10m.

How do I contact Obscure Music History for sponsorship or guest appearances?

Sign up on Grep.FM to access contact details for Obscure Music History, including email and social media links.

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