15. The Tragically Hip: Courage
Gordon Downie (vocals), Bobby Baker (guitar), Paul Langlois (guitar), Gord Sinclair (bass), and Johnny Fay (drums) were all childhood friends from Kingston, Ontario; they formed The Tragically Hip in 1983, taking their name from a Michael Nesmith video. Their debut EP arrived in 1987, and their first album in 1989. By the mid-1990's Americans had discovered their blend of roots rock, arena rock, and pop, making them cult figures and college radio staples. Fully Completely, from 1993, stands as their best album, where all of their disparate elements come together musically and lyrically. "Courage" is a finely acute song, given resonance with gently muted guitar and poetic wordplay.
16. The Band: The Weight
Canada and America can both lay claim to The Band, their history criss-crosses the border. Originally formed by Ronnie Hawkins and Levon Helm, both from Arkansas, in 1958, they toured American and Canada as the Hawks. The Hawks spent a lot of time in Toronto, where they could make more money than in the South. In 1959 they were joined by Toronto-born guitarist Robbie Robertson in 1959, Simcoe, ON-born bassist Rick Danko in 1961, and classically-trained organist Garth Hudson, from London, ON, in 1962. The group were local heroes in Toronto, playing gritty rock 'n' roll when rock 'n' roll was presumed dead. The Canadians eventually came to dominate the band, however, and Hawkins dropped out in 1963. The group started their off-and-on backing of Bob Dylan in 1965; the re-named Band's debut, Music From Big Pink was released in 1968. Robertson's "The Weight", from the debut, remains one of their most beloved songs.
17. Paul Anka: Put Your Head On My Shoulder
Paul Anka, from Ottawa, was Canada's very first teen idol, releasing his first record in 1957 at the age of 16. In 1958 he had four top-20 hits, and was a star; he continued to chart regularly right through 1978; he had a few charting singles in the 80's and 90's as well. He's probably best remembered now for writing "My Way", popularized by Frank Sinatra, and his own biggest hits, which included "Diana" (1957), "Lonely Boy" (1959), and "(You're) Havin' My Baby" (1974), all #1 singles; "Put Your Head On My Shoulder", a romantic crooner, went to #2 in 1959.
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?