When we think of music, many of us think of the American contributions first. It is the birthplace of jazz, after all. It's also the birthplace of the New Christy Minstrels, so that kind of balances out. But our neighbors to the north haven't been slacking. Canada gave us more than Neil Young and Nickelback. Read on for five Canadian bands beyond the legends you know.
There are Canadian exports, and then there are truly, uniquely Canadian exports. Maple syrup is fantastic north of the border, but you can get it in Vermont, too. Toques are pretty cool, but down south, they call them toboggans. Not the sleds, the winter hats.
Hockey was invented in Canada, but only seven of the 32 NHL teams are in Canada. But the uniquely Canadian exports - poutine, ketchup chips, nanaimo bars - that's Canada, baby.
Five Canadian bands every true music lover should know
The same is true of music. I know you've heard Rush, The Band, and Barenaked Ladies, right? Right? C'mon, don't make me sweat here. To clarify, I'm not placing that last group at the level of those first two iconic bands. But I'm quite certain that most Americans know them from the theme to Big Bang Theory, if nothing else. But there's much more to Canadian music than the bands you already know.
First, I want to assure you that if you have any thoughts of emigrating to the True North, it is not a condition of residency to be able to sing any Canadian rock song at a moment's notice. Heck, you don't even have to know the names of these bands. Well, except for the last one. You'll be lucky to cross the border for a day trip if you can't name at least three of their songs.
No worries, as we say in Maple Leaf Country. Once you hear their music, you'll want to know them better. The same is true of all five of these groups.
Blue Rodeo, 1985 - current
When popular music zigged, Blue Rodeo zagged. They launched their careers in the era of hair metal with a country-rock sound. When the 1990s ushered in grunge, they went acoustic with the album Five Days in July.
To date, they've sold over 4 million albums. Considering that's 10 percent of Canada's population, that's not too shabby. Remarkably, original members Jim Cuddy, Greg Keelor, and Bazil Donovan are still telling deeply resonant stories 40 years later. "Hasn't Hit Me Yet" still hits.
Sloan, 1991 - current
Unlike most rock bands, Sloan is still comprised of the original four members. Also, unlike most groups, they managed not to unalive themselves through all the inevitable creative dramatics. Bassist Chris Murphy, guitarists Jay Ferguson and Patrick Pentland, and drummer Andrew Scott all share songwriting and sing on their own songs.
Maybe that's the secret to staying together for 34 years: every hard-driving song is its own side project. Their first hit, "Underwhelmed," left me anything but.
Our Lady Peace, 1992 - current
You notice a theme yet? What is it about Canadian bands that keeps them together forever? Is it the sticky maple syrup? Are they trapped in the poutine curds? Or maybe they're just too polite to break up.
Nah, Our Lady Peace has just one original band member, Raine Maida. The album Clumsy may be regarded as their signature work, but I'll go for Happiness... Is not a Fish That You Can Catch, especially the slamming single, "One Man Army."
Broken Social Scene, 1999 - current
Now this is where things get complicated. Is it a five-piece band, or a 19-member collective? That all depends. Founding members Kevin Drew and Brendan Canning's debut album, Feel Good Lost, was almost entirely instrumental. While I happen to love that format, they wanted to sell more than one record.
Hence, they reached out to practically everyone on the Toronto music scene. Their most notable collaborators include the ethereal Emily Haines and the soulful Feist. Kevin Drew sings lead on the plaintive "Lover's Spit", but do yourself a favor and listen to the version with Feist, too.
The Tragically Hip, 1984 - 2018
That ending date is complicated; don't worry, we'll get to that. Rest assured, this is the Canadian music you need in your life. Like I wrote earlier, if you can't name some Hip songs, you aint' getting in. And frankly, you wouldn't deserve to. I'm not so sure you should even be allowed to look across the border.
So, the Hip. Guitarist Bobby Baker, bassist Gord Sinclair, drummer Johnny Fay, and lead singer Gord Downie got the band together in 1984. Guitarist Paul Langlois joined two years later, and the group released their first EP, The Tragically Hip, in 1987.
They followed with 1989's Up to Here, which featured their most notable single to that point, "New Orleans is Sinking." The Hip continued to explore deeply personal themes and uniquely Canadian sensibilities through Downie's lyrics and the music, written by all the members.
As to the end date of the band, the soul of the bad, Gord Downie, was diagnosed with terminal brain cancer in 2015. He continued to work, as the band released their 13th album, Man Machine Poem, in 1986.
Always fanatical about touring, they hit the road in support of the album with the final date in their hometown of Kingston. Broadcast over nearly a dozen outlets, A National Celebration was viewed by a third of the nation's populace. Yes, you can still watch it on YouTube.
Downie passed away in October 2017. He suggested several vocalists to take his role, but his bandmates refused, saying the Tragically Hip wouldn't be the same band without him. There is enough material left for three or four more albums - hence the complicated end date. But without Downie, there will be no new music.
As Simon Vozick-Levinson of The New York Times wrote, "The place of honor that Mr. Downie occupies in Canada's national imagination has no parallel in the United States. Imagine Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan, and Michael Stipe combined into one sensitive, oblique poet-philosopher, and you’re getting close."