9. Teenage Head: Picture My Face
Sometimes referred to as the Canadian Ramones, Teenage Head actually was more new wave than punk in their sound, but there were similarities; Teenage Head shared the Ramones' love of pre-Beatles rock 'n' roll, and applied it to their music. Formed in Hamilton in 1976, they took their name from an album by the Flamin' Groovies, and released a self-titled debut in 1979. Their debut remains their shining moment, featuring a classic mix of punk energy, trash culture lyrics, a power-pop aesthetic, and silly, but likable vocals. The band is famous also for a 1980 riot at a gig at the Ontario Place Forum, resulting in dozens of injuries and arrests; at the time, it was the worst rock-related riot in Canadian history. The band remained successful in Canada until breaking up in 1988.
10. Crash Test Dummies: Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm
The Crash Test Dummies first edged into the U.S. charts with their 1991 single, "Superman's Song", which peaked at #56, but their real breakthrough was the fluke smash "Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm" a Jerry Harrison (Talking Heads) produced effort, which reached #4 in 1993. Instantly recognizable for Brad Roberts' rich baritone, and the band's absurdist lyrics, they became cult favorites among the college set in the early 90's. They never hit the American singles charts again, but remained popular in Canada and kept a small cult in the States; they've continued releasing albums, most recently in 2004.
11. Skinny Puppy: Who's Laughing Now?
Frightening, dark, and aggressive, the avant-industrial band Skinny Puppy was formed in Vancouver, BC in 1982 by drummer cEvin Key (Kevin Crompton; ex-Images in Vogue) and Nivek Ogre (Kevin Ogilvie). Keyboardist Wilhelm Schroeder joined up in 1985, and was subsequently replaced later that year by Dwayne Goettel, which added dimension to their sound, and changed the course of their evolution. VIVISectVI is their most realized effort, from 1988. It is far from easy listening; the snippets of radio broadcasts, distorted vocals, radical politics, and sheer walls of noise can be off-putting and unsettling, as can Ogre's shrieks and moans. However, underneath it all is one of the best industrial albums ever, and "Who's Laughing Now?" a textbook classic industrial tune.
Article comments
— go to most recent comments1 - Mary K. Williams
Thanks for sharing the history (and geography!) behind some of the most popular songs and musicians of the last 50 years or so.
2 - Chas
These two came to mind:
Doug and the Slugs - Real Enough
Jane Siberry - Mimi on the Beach
3 - Chas
one more:
Martha and the Muffins - Echo Beach
4 - Paul Roy
Glad to see Rush at the top of this pretty comprehensive list of Cunucks, but you completely forgot Triumph.
5 - Cdn Cowboy
The Rheostatics are sorely missing from this list. They have produced the most "Canadian" music of every band you have listed.
6 - Aaman
What - no Celine Dion? May your iceberg melt!
7 - Victor Plenty
Yeah, no Celine Dion and no William Shatner either.
8 - El Bicho
How can you have no Neil Young on this list??
9 - uao
I left Neil Young off the list because he's been California based since the Buffalo Springfield days; I also left off Joni Mitchell for the same reason.
I also didn't include Alanis Morissette, although I probably should have.
Triumph would have been a good inclusion; I forgot Martha and the Muffins, and never heard any of Jane Siberry and Doug and the Slugs' stuff.
Sorry to the Celine Dion fans. Glad I'm not on an iceberg...
10 - EZ
And Sloan! Where's the Sloan??
11 - yyzyy
Rush is the best pick to be #1. But no Triumph? Or Saga?
But Rush...definetely a #1 in my books!
12 - Mark Saleski
Trooper - Raise A Little Hell
13 - Mark Saleski
Loverboy - Working For The Weekend
(sorry, it needed to be said)
14 - Mark Saleski
Saga - On The Loose
15 - uao
Thanks for the suggestions Mark, and everyone else.
Fact is, this list could be double its length, and I'm sure some deserving artists would be left out. I always cut my lists at twenty; otherwise, I'd never get any sleep at all...
;-)
However, for those who were hoping to find an exhaustively conclusive list of Canadian artists, here it is!
16 - Phil
Wow. Good picks...Rush is perfect at #1 even though i am biased b.c rush is my fav band....but ya arcade fire....i heard of em through my gf and they arent to shabby.. glad to see them up there!
17 - BADfan
how is it possible Bryan Adams is so low on the list? He's one of the (read THE) greatest Canadian musicians!
And where is Shania Twain?
this aint a good list!
18 - eEL
SKINNY PUPPY info is incorrrect ::
"Keyboardist Wilhelm Schroeder joined up in 1985"
it was Dwayne R. Goettel who joined up after the 1985 tour and "added dimension"... Bill Leeb didn't even know how to play a keyboard when he joined PUPPY, let alone "added dimension"...
19 - uao
Sorry, eEl, I morphed Schroeder and Goettel into the same guy--
Schroeder DID join in 85 and appeared on the Bites disc, but then Goettel replaced him.
Goettel is the one who had the impact.
Thanks for the correction.
20 - RockGeezer
Thanks for being one of the few to mention Max Webster.
They remain one of my all-time favorite groups (I'm also a big Rush fan) to this day. Don't think I'll ever get sick of listening to them!
21 - yvonne
Bryan Adams middle name is Guy..not Fawkes.
22 - uao
Thanks yvonne, that was just retarded typing on my part, I fixed it.
RockGeezer: I had never heard of Max Webster until a few years ago when a Canadian turned me on to them. They deserved a bigger audience
23 - Rob
Thanks for including Blue Rodeo on your list. They're one of Canada's gems. It was also nice to see Max Webster on there. I always thought they never got the respect they were due and were always forced to take a back seat to Rush by their record label. Kim Mitchell did go on to have a successful solo career in Canada and is now hosting the afternoon show on Q107 in Toronto.
24 - Gareth edwards
What an eclectic list. Some great sounds.
I also liked the Headpins, Toronto and Boys Brigade.
Gareth
25 - Tube
Uao, great post. No Sarah McLachlan?