Canadian rock

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National anthem
"O Canada"

Canada has been a source of rock and roll music for decades, beginning with Istanbul (Not Constantinople) originally recorded by The Four Lads on August 12, 1953. It first reached the Billboard magazine charts on October 24, 1953, and it peaked at No. 10.^[1] It was the group's first of five gold records.^[2] The first Canadian with a No. 1 American Billboard hit was 16 year old Paul Anka.^[3] In 1957 he went to New York City where he recorded his own composition, "Diana".^[4] The song brought him instant stardom and went to No. 1 on the U.S.^[5] and Canadian charts.^[6] Since then, Canada has produced many internationally-popular rock and roll artists.

Contents 1 History of rock and roll in Canada 1.1 The Four Lads 1.2 The Diamonds 1.3 Paul Anka 1.4 Ronnie Hawkins / The Band 2 1960s 2.1 Bobby Curtola 2.2 The Guess Who / Chad Allan & the Expressions 2.3 David Clayton Thomas 2.4 Andy Kim 2.5 Stompin' Tom Connors 2.6 Steppenwolf 2.7 Neil Young 3 1970s 3.1 BTO 3.2 Rush 3.3 The Stampeders 3.4 April Wine 3.5 Trooper 3.6 Gordon Lightfoot 3.7 Triumph 3.8 Burton Cummings 4 1980s 4.1 Bryan Adams 4.2 Chilliwack 4.3 Tom Cochrane 4.4 Loverboy 4.5 Kim Mitchell 4.6 Platinum Blonde 4.7 Helix 4.8 Blue Rodeo 4.9 Cowboy Junkies 4.10 Colin James 4.11 Jeff Healey 5 1990s 5.1 Barenaked Ladies 5.2 The Tragically Hip 5.3 Alanis Morissette 5.4 Great Big Sea 5.5 The Tea Party 5.6 Sloan 5.7 I Mother Earth 5.8 Matthew Good Band 5.9 Our Lady Peace 6 2000s 6.1 Nickelback 6.2 Avril Lavigne 6.3 Theory of a Deadman 6.4 Three Days Grace 6.5 Sum 41 6.6 Billy Talent 6.7 Arcade Fire 7 French-Canadian Rock 8 Music awards 9 See also 10 External links 11 References

[edit] History of rock and roll in Canada

Rock and roll itself arose in the United States in the late 1940s^[7][8] after World War II, from a combination of the rhythms of the blues, from the African American culture, and from America's country^[9] and gospel music^[10] scene. Though elements of rock and roll can be heard in country records of the 1930s, and in blues records from the 1920s,^[11] rock and roll did not acquire its name until the 1950s.^{[12] [13]} An early form of rock and roll was rockabilly,^[14] which combined country and jazz, with influences from traditional Appalachian folk, and Gospel music.^[15] Going back even further, rock and roll can trace one lineage to the Five Points, Manhattan district of mid-19th century in New York City, the scene of the first fusion of heavily rhythmic African shuffles and sand dances,^[16] with melody-driven European genres, particularly the Irish^[17] and Italian jig.^[18] (see Rock music)

Canada prior to the explosion of modern popular music in the mid 1950s called Rock and roll, produced a number of notable international recording artist appearing on Billboards record sales chart first published in 1936.^[19] Among them Nova Scotia's born and raised Hank Snow who signed with RCA Victor in 1936 and went on to become one of Americas country music’s first superstars, and certainly one of the genre’s most innovative.^[20] The World War II era, bandleader Guy Lombardo (born in London, ON). Guy Lombardo and his brother are believed to have sold an estimated 200 million phonograph records during their lifetime.^[21] Over the course of his career, which started in 1944, Montreal's jazz virtuoso Oscar Peterson released over 200 recordings,^[22] won seven Grammy Awards, and received many other numerous awards and honors.^[23] Oscar Peterson is considered to have been one of the greatest pianists of all time,^[24]

"Rock" or its forerunners electric blues^[25] and rhythm and blues^[26] was first heard by Canadians in the late 1940s, on US radio stations with broadcasts reaching into Canada from stations close to the border.^[27] 1953 saw the music switching course, rhythm and blues was mostly changing over to the Doo-wop vocal groups and rockabilly. The Four Lads, from Toronto, were one of the first to capitalized on this sound and became a prominent act in the Canadian rhythm and blues scene. "The Four Lads" had their first Canadian hit in 1952 with "Mocking Bird".^[28] Emerging in the 1950s, on near equal-footing to American popular music, Canadian popular music enjoyed considerable success at-home and abroad.^[29] The Crew-Cuts ,The Diamonds and The Four Lads would leave an indelible mark during the Doo-wop days of the mid 1950s.^[30] Often, however, Canadian records were simply covers of pop hits and rhythm and blues oldies.

1955, the name "rock and roll" had become the common name of the popular music of the day.^[31] Rhythm and blues (R&B coined in 1949^[32]) was too broad a term, because R&B was a category which included most forms of (race music) that generally had adult based lyrics.^[33] The new "rock and roll" with it's pop lyrics was to be marketed to a young white audience,^[34] led by Canada's first teen idol Paul Anka.^[22] Most Canadians with successful recording careers in the 1950s usually had moved to the US, were the population level and media exposure would eclipse that of Canada.^[35] However Ronnie Hawkins, an Arkansas born rockabilly singer, moved to Canada in 1958 becoming a prominent figure in Canadian rock, devoting his life to popularize Canadian musicians and promoting some of the earliest Canadian rock stars like The Band.^[36]

[edit] The Four Lads

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In 1950, The Four Lads began to sing in local clubs in Toronto and soon were noticed by scouts. Recruited to go to New York, they attracted Mitch Miller, who asked them to do backup for some of the artists he recorded. In 1953, they made their first of five gold records,^[37] "Istanbul (Not Constantinople)", which launched them to stardom and kept them busy throughout the 1950s and 1960s in the USA and Canada. Their most famous hit was "Moments to Remember", it first reached the Billboard magazine charts on September 3, 1955. On the Disk Jockey chart, it peaked at #2; on the Best Seller chart, at #3; on the Juke Box chart, at #4; on the composite chart of the top 100 songs, it reached #3.^[5] Their next best known was "Standin' on the Corner" , it first reached the Billboard charts on April 28, 1956. The song peaked at #3 on each of the various charts at the time: the Disk Jockey chart, the Best Seller chart, the Juke Box chart, as well as the composite chart of the top 100 songs.^[5] In 1975 The Four Lads were listed by Billboard magazine as 167th of the top 200 recording acts of the previous 30 years. ^[38] They were inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame in 1984 and into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2003.^[39]

[edit] The Diamonds

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Formed in 1953, The Diamonds were a clean-cut white vocal group that had sixteen hits between 1956 and 1961, ten which were covers of songs sung by black R&B artists.^[40] Their first recording for Mercury was "Why Do Fools Fall in Love" , a cover of The Teenagers' version. They also covered songs by such artists as The Clovers, The Willows, and The Heartbeats. Their hit "Little Darlin'" (originally by The Gladiolas) that ranked #2 in sales for eight weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1957.^[5] 1958 hit "The Stroll", was an original song written for the group by Clyde Otis, that came from an idea by Dick Clark and was later recorded by Elvis Presley for his last album Moody Blue. In 1984, they were inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame;^[41] in October 2004, into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame^[42] in Sharon, Pennsylvania, and in 2006 into The Doo-Wop Hall of Fame.^[43]

[edit] Paul Anka

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A singer, songwriter and actor from Ottawa, Ontario, he recorded his first single, "I Confess" in 1955 at age 14 and went on to have well over 900 songs to his credit.^[44] In 1957, he went to New York City where he auditioned for ABC with the song, "Diana". This song brought Anka instant stardom by rocketing to number one on the U.S. Billboard charts. "Diana" is one of the best selling 45s in music history.^[44] He followed up with four songs that made it into the Top 20 in 1958, making him one of the biggest teen idols of the time. He was elected to the Canadian Music Hall of Fame in 1980. In 1991, the Government of France honoured him with the title '"Chevalier (knight) Order of Arts and Letters".^[44] He has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6840 Hollywood Blvd.^[45] In 2005, he received a star on Canada's Walk of Fame,^[46] and was also appointed an officer of the Order of Canada.^[47]

[edit] Ronnie Hawkins / The Band

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Born January 10, 1935 in Huntsville, Arkansas, Ronnie Hawkins was a pioneering rock and roll musician and cousin to fellow rockabilly pioneer Dale Hawkins. Known as Rompin' Ronnie Hawkins or The Hawk, moved to Canada in 1958 becoming a key player in the 1960s rock scene in Toronto^[48] and for the next 40 years, performing all over North America, and recording more than twenty-five albums. In 1958 his hit, “Hey, Bo Diddley” was released. This was followed by "Marylou", which turned Hawkins into a teenage idol. In 1959, Morris Levy signed him to Roulette Records for five years and tried to lure him back to the United States, but Hawkins had fallen in love with Canada and didn't want to leave his new home. In 1958, he formed a backing band called The Hawks, which produced some of the earliest Canadian rock stars. Among them were the members of The Band, who began touring with Bob Dylan in 1966, and then struck out on their own in 1968, releasing well-remembered albums like Music from Big Pink and The Band. The Band has been inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.^{[49] [50]} Ronnie Hawkins with The Band, helped tear down the Berlin Wall in 1989 and performed at President Bill Clinton's 1992 inaugural party.^[51] In 2004, Rolling Stone ranked The Band #50 on their list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time,^[52] and in 2008, received Grammy's Lifetime Achievement Award.^[53]

[edit] 1960s

The first Canadian-made rock recording to achieve international popularity was "Clap Your Hands" in 1960 by a Montreal quartet, The Beaumarks.^[54] They then appeared on American Bandstand and a charity concert at Carnegie Hall soon afterwards.^[55] Bobby Curtola's first hit single released in 1960, was "Hand In Hand With You", he would go on to crack Billboard's Top 100 several more times in the 1960s with gold hits such as "Hitch Hiker", "Aladdin", "3 Rows Over" and his biggest chart-topper "Fortune Teller". ^[5]

As the late fifties gave way to the mid sixties, stars of the previous decade were still having hits, but the older pop-music stars were fading away as they struggled to find material that would click with this new and energetic generation of kids. The popularity of US rock in Canada led to many existing groups, especially those devoted to country music, to change styles or to incorporate some rock style hits in their repertoires. Country rock and folk rock singers like Gordon Lightfoot, Joni Mitchell, Leonard Cohen, Denny Doherty (of The Mamas & the Papas), David Clayton-Thomas, Andy Kim, Zal Yanovsky (of The Lovin' Spoonful), John Kay (of Steppenwolf), and Ian & Sylvia found international audiences. One important example was a Winnipeg band called Chad Allan & the Expressions which had a 1965 hit with a version of Johnny Kidd and the Pirates' "Shakin' All Over" , who's members went on to form The Guess Who. Their success paved the way for a new wave of Canadian singer-songwriters, including Stan Rogers, Murray McLauchlan, Bruce Cockburn and Willie P. Bennett.

The late sixties American and British counterculture and hippie^[56] movement had diverted rock towards psychedelic rock, heavy metal, progressive rock and other styles, dominated by socially and politically incisive lyrics. The music was an attempt to reflect upon the events of the time --- civil rights, the growing unrest in America over the war in Vietnam, and the rise of feminism. In many instances, the "message" within the song was simplistic or even banal. One of the most prominent players of the late 60s and early 70s rock seen was Neil Young a member of the folk rock band Buffalo Springfield, before joining Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young and recorded with Crazy horse throughout his solo career.^[57] Ohio a song written by Neil Young recorded with CSNY was in response to political events of the time , it as since become an America social icon of the period.^[58] "Ohio" was written about the deaths of four students at Kent State University. The students were shot by Ohio National Guardsmen during an anti-war protest on the campus in May of 1970. ^[59]

[edit] Bobby Curtola

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A rock and roll singer and teen idol from Port Arthur, Ontario, Bobby Curtola had several songs on the Canadian music charts beginning with "Hand In Hand With You" in 1960. His biggest chart-topper came in 1962 with the song, "Fortune Teller" which was also successful internationally. In 1966, he won an RPM Gold Leaf Award (The Gold Leaf Awards, which were in effect the first Juno Awards) for becoming the first Canadian to have a gold album.^[60] In 1998, in recognition of his long service to the Canadian music industry as well as his humanitarian work around the world, he was made a member of the Order of Canada. His pioneering contribution to the genre has been recognized by the Rockabilly Hall of Fame.^[61]

[edit] The Guess Who / Chad Allan & the Expressions

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The Guess Who started out as a local band touring Winnipeg, Manitoba in 1963 as Allan and the Silvertones, and later called themselves the Reflections, then the Expressions, then Chad Allan and the Expressions. ^[62] In 1965 they released a cover version of "Shakin' All Over" that reached #1 in Canada, #22 in the U.S, and #27 in Australia.^[63] The band wanted radio stations and record buyers to believe they were a British Merseybeat band in disguise. So when they released their debut album, it didn't bear their own name—instead, it was labeled Guess Who?. The ruse worked, and within a few years The Guess Who (the question mark would finally be dropped in 1968) were one of Canada's biggest musical names. To this day they still have many hits on AM and FM daily rotations, like ("American Woman", "No Sugar Tonigh", "These Eyes", etc.) that remain among Canada's most enduring classic rock anthems. They were one of the first Canadian rock band to establish a major successful following outside their own country while still residing there.^[64] Produced by the legendary Jack Richardson, they were the first Canadian rock group to have a No.1 hit that reached the top on the Canadian Singles Chart and the Billboard Hot 100 at the same time, "American Woman"^[65] (see 1970 in music). This achievement was not matched again by a Canadian band until Nickelback's 2002 hit single "How You Remind Me".^[66] In 2001, the band received honorary doctorates at Brandon University in Brandon, Manitoba and was inducted into Canada's Walk of Fame.

[edit] David Clayton Thomas

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Born in Kingston upon Thames, Surrey, England, UK, David Clayton-Thomas moved to Willowdale, Ontario when he was not yet school-aged. He idolized the music of John Lee Hooker and began playing guitar and singing. By 1964, aged 21, he had his own band, The Shays. In 1967, he joined forces with former members of the Toronto R&B outfit, Jon and Lee & The Checkmates and renamed them his new backing band, The Phoenix. David Clayton Thomas is best known as a vocalist with the band Blood, Sweat & Tears. This band's first album with Clayton-Thomas as lead singer in 1969 produced three gold singles and three Grammy Awards including the Grammy Award for Album of the Year.^[6] The album included his own composition "Spinning Wheel" that peaked at #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in July of 1969, remaining in the runner-up position for three weeks.^[67] In August of that year, the song rose to #1 on the Billboard adult contemporary chart, where it would spend two weeks at the summit.^[68] In addition, the song reached #45 on the US R&B chart. In 2002, the album was honored with a Grammy Hall of Fame Award^[69] and David Clayton Thomas was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame in 1996.

[edit] Andy Kim

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Andrew Youakim, a pop singer and songwriter from Montreal, Quebec, under the stage name of Andy Kim, released the single "How'd We Ever Get This Way?" in 1968, on the Steed label. That record made the US Top Twenty. In 1969, Kim had two hit singles, "Rainbow Ride", which again made it into the US Top Twenty, and "Baby, I Love You", which got to #5 and was popular enough in Canada to earn him a Juno Award as "Top Male Vocalist".^[70] The same year, with Jeff Barry, Kim co-wrote "Sugar, Sugar" which was a hit single for The Archies, reaching No. 1 on the US pop music charts and ultimately becoming the RIAA Record of the Year.^[71] Kim, along with Barry, would find great success as bubblegum pop^[72] songwriters by writing songs for many late sixty's and early seventy's pop groups like The Archies (The Archie Show) and The Monkees. In 1974, he released "Rock Me Gently", which went to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, and rose to #2 on the UK Singles Chart.^[5]

[edit] Stompin' Tom Connors

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A folk rock musician from Saint John, New Brunswick, born in 1936 as Charles Thomas Connors (known as Tommy Messer). Connors' habit of stomping the heel of his left boot to keep rhythm earned him the nickname that stompin' guy, or Stomper. Since the mid 1960's he has released over 30 albums, on no fewer than seven different labels. He is famous for typically singing about Canadian lore and history, with songs like "The Black Donnellys", "Reesor Crossing Tragedy", "Sudbury Saturday Night" and "The Hockey Song" (aka "The Good Old Hockey Game") that is frequently played over sound systems at National Hockey League (NHL) games. Connors is also infamous for returning all six of his Juno Awards in 1978, as a statement of protest against the Americanization of the Canadian music industry.^[73] He has since received an Doctor of Laws degree honoris causa from St. Thomas University and was awarded an honorary Doctor of Laws Legum Doctor, LL.D. by the University of Toronto both in the mid 1990's.^[74] He was a made an Officer of the Order of Canada in 1997 ^[75] and in 2004 he was ranked thirteenth Greatest Canadian in history, the highest placing for any artist on the list.^[76].

[edit] Steppenwolf

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Although only 2 of the original 5 members were born in Canada (Jerry Edmonton and Goldy McJohn), Steppenwolf and German born frontman John Kay were among the biggest names in Canadian music in the 1960s and 1970s. Kay would later become a Canadian citizen and has been recognized (by himself) with induction into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame and Canada's Walk of Fame. Steppenwolf is most famous for the songs Born to Be Wild, Magic Carpet Ride and The Pusher. Born to be Wild is the group's biggest hit, making it to #2 on the Billboard Hot 100^[5] in 1968 and receiving recognition by being named one of the 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll,^[77] by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and as one of Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.^[78]

[edit] Neil Young

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Neil Young first came to prominence as a member of the folk-rock band Buffalo Springfield in the mid-1960s and then as a solo performer backed by the band Crazy Horse. He reached his commercial peak during the singer-songwriter boom of the early 1970s with the albums After the Gold Rush and Harvest that was the best-selling album of 1972 (United Sates).^[79] as well as with Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young.^[80] He has five Juno Awards from twenty-four nominations. In 2000, the cable music channel VH1 ranked Young thirtieth on a list of the Top 100 Artists of Rock and Roll. He was also thirty-ninth on VH1's list of Top 100 Hard rock Artists. In 2004, Rolling Stone Magazine ranked Neil Young^[81] #34 on their list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time.^[82] Young was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame in 1982. He has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice: first in 1995 for his solo work, with an induction speech given by Eddie Vedder, and again in 1997 as a member of Buffalo Springfield. Young has twice received honorary doctorates. First in 1992, an Honorary Doctorate of Music from Lakehead University in Thunder Bay, Ontario and secondly in 2006, an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from San Francisco State University.

[edit] 1970s

With the introduction of the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission's (CRTC) broadcast regulations in 1970, the Canadian recording industry made rock a major focus of its activity.^[83] In 1971, the Canadian content law was passed ensuring Canadian culture and artists weren't overrun by the American media outlets. This led to increased production and with the ground-breaking international popularity of The Guess Who and Neil Young at the end of the 1960s, opened markets outside Canada to the country's musicians. Moreover, success abroad usually ensured success in Canada. Led by The Guess Who, Anne Murray and The Poppy Family, the early 1970s were a golden age for Canadian music. Many performers from the late 1960s came to the forefront in the following years, among them The Bells from Montreal, Chilliwack from Vancouver, Five Man Electrical Band from Ottawa, Lighthouse from Toronto, and The Stampeders from Calgary.

With the introduction in the mid 70s period of rock music on FM radio stations, where it was common practice to program extended performances, musicians were no longer limited to songs of three minutes' duration as dictated by AM stations.^[84] The Canadian music industry was still nascent, however, with little independent music media and a limited distribution infrastructure. The two most internationally renowned bands to arise from this industry were Bachman-Turner Overdrive and Rush, both dominated by powerful managers. Bachman-Turner Overdrive's manager, Bruce Allen, went on to produce Loverboy and eventually manage such major pop stars as Bryan Adams, Martina McBride, and Anne Murray. Following the 70s scene of hard rock^[85] a small wave of acts emerged from all across Canada, including Moxy, A Foot in Coldwater and Triumph from Toronto, Trooper from Vancouver, and April Wine from Halifax.

Canadian cultural critics have noted, in general, that the late 1970s were a lesser era for Canadian music. Many of the acts who had defined the earlier half of the decade were no longer recording, and the new artists emerging in this era simply didn't seem to be able to capture the Canadian pop zeitgeist in the same way. However, a number of established Canadian acts, including Rush, Bachman-Turner Overdrive, Bruce Cockburn, April Wine, Pat Travers and Neil Young, remained influential and recorded some of their most popular material of all during this period, and former "The Guess Who" lead singer Burton Cummings emerged as a popular solo artist in soft rock. Also notable is folk rocker Gordon Lightfoot's "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald" a song written in commemoration of the sinking of the bulk carrier SS Edmund Fitzgerald on Lake Superior on November 10, 1975.^[86] The incident is the most famous disaster in the history of Great Lakes shipping,^[87] The single reached #2 on the Billboard pop charts in November 1976, making it Lightfoot's second most successful (in terms of chart position) single, with "Sundown" reaching number one in 1974.^[5] Another of this period's most influential and popular rock bands, Heart, resulted from the collaboration of two sisters from Seattle with a supporting band from Vancouver. Some popular francophone bands of the time included the rock group Beau Dommage from Montreal led by Michel Rivard and the progressive rock group Harmonium also of Montreal. Artists like The Kings, Prism, Crowbar, Saga, Nick Gilder, Ian Thomas, Goddo, Harlequin, Mahogany Rush, Streetheart, Max Webster and Ironhorse saw their greatest success during the late 70s period.

Many acts have had equally vital, if less remunerative careers outside the mainstream in punk rock and its derivations, generally distinguished by a tendency to extremes of one sort or another. Whether in instrumental intensity, lyric content, or performance style Canadian pop music evolved with the times, reflecting worldwide trends. In the late 1970s, as punk rock and disco ruled the landscape, Canadian punk groups such as D.O.A., The Viletones, The Forgotten Rebels, Rough Trade, Diodes, Teenage Head, The Demics, The Young Canadians and Subhumans emerged and continued in the 1980s with popular bands like SNFU, Dayglo Abortions, and Nomeansno.

[edit] BTO

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A hard rock band formed in 1970 by Randy Bachman and Chad Allan (both of The Guess Who), they released their first album under the name Bachman-Turner Overdrive in spring 1973, which won two Juno Awards despite being largely ignored in the US. Their second album Bachman-Turner Overdrive II hit #4 in the U.S., and won Juno Awards for Best Group, Album, and Producer. BTO II was certified gold in eight countries. It also yielded their best-remembered # 1 single, "Takin' Care of Business" written by Randy Bachman. 1974's album Not Fragile went straight to the top of the charts, and the single "You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet" hit #1 in the U.S. and #2 in the UK. From today's point of view, BTO were one of the early hard rock bands which opted for songs backed by catchy melodies and powerful riffing.^[88] The band has a total of seven Juno Awards from twelve nominations. The band has sold an estimated 20 million albums worldwide,^[89] and has fans affectionately known as "gearheads."^[90]

[edit] Rush

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A progressive rock band from Willowdale, Ontario formed in 1968, Rush are one of the longest-lived and most popular of Canadian musical exports. Rush boasts 25 gold records and 14 platinum (3 multi-platinum) records,^[91] making them one of the best-selling rock bands in history by 2005.^[92] Rush currently place fifth behind The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, KISS and Aerosmith for the most consecutive gold and platinum albums by a rock band.^[93] They have been awarded several Juno Awards^[94] and were inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame in 1994.^[95] Additionally, Lee, Lifeson, and Peart are all Officers of the Order of Canada, the first rock musicians so honored.^[96] In 2009 the band received a star on the Hollywood walk of fame.^[97] and the song "Tom Sawyer" was ranked number 19 on VH1's "100 Greatest Hard Rock Songs".^[98]

[edit] The Stampeders

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A rock trio formed in Calgary, Alberta in 1964 as The Rebounds with Rich Dodson, Kim Berly, Ronnie King, Brendan Lyttle, Race Holiday, and Van Louis ^[99]. In 1968 Brendan, Race and Van left the group, but the three remaining continued on to have great success all across Canada and the US. ^[100] In 1971, they won three Juno for their #1 Canadian hit that reached #8 in the U.S. "Sweet City Woman",^[101] The album won them "Best Group", "Best Producer" Mel Shaw and "Best Composer of the year" Rich Dodson. In 1976 they had another U.S. hit with "Hit The Road Jack", featuring Wolfman Jack.^[102]. In Canada they went on to score twelve Top 5 hits like "Wild Eyes", "Devil You" and "Minstrel Gypsy".^[6] They are known for their musical versatility and throughout the 70's they appeared on a variety of television shows such as NBC's The Dating Game, Kenny Rogers show and Don Kirshner's Rock Concert. Dodson was recently inducted into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame along with Leonard Cohen ^[103].

[edit] April Wine

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A rock band formed in 1969 from Waverley, Nova Scotia (a suburb of Halifax). April Wine went on to release more than twenty albums forging a huge fans base all across Canada. ^[104][105] 1975's Stand Back went double platinum with "Oowatanite" becoming the most popular songs the band has ever recorded.^[106] The follow up The Whole World's Goin' Crazy would be the first April Wine release to hit platinum status based on advanced sales orders alone.^[107] Forever for Now released in 1977 would be another platinum seller. 1978s First Glance also found an audience in the U.S., staying on the Billboard album chart for many weeks, making it April Wine's first gold record outside of Canada. Myles Goodwyn, was awarded the ECMA (East Coast Music Awards) Lifetime Achievement Award in 2003.^[108] April Wine was also inducted into the Canadian Music Industry Hall of Fame and awarded with the CMW Lifetime Achievement Award on March 13, 2009.^[109]

[edit] Trooper

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A hard rock band from Vancouver, British Columbia, Trooper saw great success in Canada during the late 1970s and early 1980s. After hearing Trooper perform, Randy Bachman of Bachman-Turner Overdrive and The Guess Who signed the band to his "Legend" label and produced the band's first album, Trooper , containing the Canadian hit "Baby Woncha Please Come Home". In 1980, Trooper was honoured with a Juno Award for "Best Group", and two of their albums (Hot Shots and Flying Colors) were also nominated that year for "Best Album".^[110] Hot Shots broke all Canadian sales records at the time for Canadian sales of a Canadian album, reaching Quadruple-Platinum.^[111] Although the band has had only one big American hit with "The Boys in the Bright White Sportscar" ^[112] and the small hit "Raise A Little Hell", the band has released ten albums with mainstream success all over Canada.

[edit] Gordon Lightfoot

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A folk singer, composer, lyricist and poet from Orillia, Ontario, Lightfoot was gaining recognition by his early twenties as a songwriter for two of his songs ("For Lovin' Me" and "Early Mornin' Rain") covered by Ian and Sylvia in 1964. During this time, many of Lightfoot's songs were racking up hits for artists like Peter, Paul and Mary, Chad and Jeremy, Marty Robbins, Leroy Van Dyke, Judy Collins, Richie Havens, The Kingston Trio and Harry Belafonte. In 1966, his debut album Lightfoot! was released and it brought him recognition as a singer as well as a songwriter. "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald" is a song written and performed by Gordon Lightfoot in commemoration of the sinking of the bulk carrier SS Edmund Fitzgerald on Lake Superior on November 10, 1975.^[113] The single reached #2 on the Billboard pop charts in November 1976, making it Lightfoot's second most successful (in terms of chart position) single, with "Sundown" reaching number one in 1974. Lightfoot has received 15 Juno Awards^[114] and been nominated for 5 Grammy Awards.^[115] He was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame in 1986 and the Canadian Country Music Hall Of Fame in 2001. Lightfoot was inducted into Canada's Walk of Famein 1998. In May 2003, he was made a Companion of the Order of Canada, the country's highest civilian honour. Lightfoot is also a member of the Order of Ontario, the highest honour in the Province of Ontario.

[edit] Triumph

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Being a Canadian power trio, Triumph were often compared to Rush,^[116] but at the start, their own brand of heavy rock remained structured and traditional, eschewing concept albums and instrumental improvisation. The band is considered heavy metal by most standards,^[117] though the band themselves were reluctant to embrace this label. Gil Moore once described Triumph as a cross between Emerson, Lake & Palmer and The Who.^[118] However, Rik Emmett's eclectic songwriting styles soon revealed his personal tastes ran closer to the heart of progressive rock. The band has eight separate albums that have gone gold and one certified Platinum album called "Allied Forces".^[22] Triumph has been nominated for five Juno Awards, including Group of the Year Award in '79, '85, '86, and '87. Gil Moore has since founded his own Recording School and Studio known as Metalworks Institute situated in the city of Mississauga just west of Toronto. On April 6, 2008, Triumph was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame in 2008.^[119]

[edit] Burton Cummings

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A soft rock musician, pianist and showman, Cummings was the lead singer for The Guess Who from 1965 to 1975. Starting in 1976, his solo hits in Canada ruled the charts for the next five years.^[6] The album "Dream of A Child", released in 1978, was one of the best-selling Canadian albums in history at that time. Cummings charted outside Canada with "Stand Tall" and "You Saved My Soul" and inside Canada with "Stand Tall", "I'm Scared", "Break it to Them Gently", and "Fine State of Affairs." He has been awarded with four Juno Awards from his nineteen nominations. Cummings plays occasional shows with Randy Bachman as The Bachman-Cummings Band, featuring The Carpet Frogs, a band from Toronto and makes occasional appearances at various Canadian casinos as a solo performer. The Bachman-Cummings Band have released a compilation album titled the Bachman-Cummings Song Book featuring hits from The Guess Who, Bachman-Turner Overdrive and Cummings' solo career. They have also released an album titled The Thunderbird Trax, which is an album that Cummings and Bachman recorded in Bachman's toolshed in British Columbia in 1987.^[120]

[edit] 1980s

Things changed course in the 1980s, the changing of the political culture was accompanied by an explosion in youth culture. Until the mid-1960s, little attention was paid to rock by daily newspapers except as news or novelty. With the introduction during the 1970s of the "rock critic", coverage began to rival that of any other music. Canadian acts were getting international press coverage by the late 1970s.^[121] The 1980s saw Canada support and promote many of its own talent in pursuit of true originality.^[122] Canadian rock generally had been discouraged by market forces before the 1980s, in particular the need to conform to the taste of a Canadian audience that has had its standards and expectations formed by constant exposure to US and British acts for the prior three decades. The popularity of Chilliwack, for example, rose dramatically after the band turned from the experimental nature of its first few LPs to a mainstream pop style consistent with the US style.

Music videos assumed a major role in the promotion of pop rock recordings in 1980s for US exposure. Videos produced many mainstream pop-rockers that saw huge success in and outside of Canada. Success in the larger US market remained the major goal of most, if not all, post-1970 Canadian rock acts; a goal in fact reached with some greater or lesser degree of consistency by several, among them Bryan Adams, Corey Hart, Alannah Myles, Brighton Rock, Lee Aaron, Tom Cochrane, Aldo Nova, Loverboy, Honeymoon Suite and Glass Tiger. As well, the era produced the country cowpunk of k.d. lang.

As in the United States on MTV, music videos became more and more important as a marketing tool for bands by the mid 1980s. With the debut of MuchMusic in 1984 and MusiquePlus in 1986, both English and French Canadian musicians had outlets to promote their music through video in Canada.^[123] The networks, however, were not just an opportunity for artists to get their videos played—the networks created VideoFACT, a fund to help emerging artists produce their videos. New Wave, Glam Rock and heavy metal had become the most popular style of rock in the mid 1980s.^[124] Acts such as Platinum Blonde, Helix, Toronto, Parachute Club, Spoons, Trans-X, Rational Youth, Men Without Hats, Norman Iceberg, Images in Vogue, Headpins, Sheriff, Teenage Head and Martha and the Muffins were along for the ride. Although many of them, in fact, were only "one-hit wonders".(see One-hit wonders in Canada) Rough Trade were particularly notable for "High School Confidential", one of the first explicitly lesbian-themed pop songs to crack the Top 40 anywhere in the world.

In the late 1980s, the Canadian recording industry continued to produce popular acts such as Blue Rodeo. However, alternative rock also emerged as an influential genre, with independent artists such as 54-40, The Tragically Hip, Sarah McLachlan, Spirit of the West, The Waltons, Cowboy Junkies, The Pursuit of Happiness, and The Grapes of Wrath all gaining their first widespread attention during this time. Also a new wave of Canadian thrash metal bands began to rise up and earned a dedicated following like Anvil, Razor, Voivod, Sword, Exciter and Annihilator with industrial bands Skinny Puppy and Front Line Assembly in the mix.

Canada's most successful rock artists by the late 1980s have worked in a relatively generic, mainstream pop rock, New Wave or alternative rock style. Some, however, may be ascribed to more specific substyles like Colin James, David Wilcox and Jeff Healey to blues-rock. With Stompin' Tom Connors and Great Big Sea to folk rock, that saw the start for both styles, a very large following all across Canada. (see Canadian blues)

[edit] Bryan Adams

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A rock singer, guitarist, songwriter and photographer, Bryan Adams has been awarded the Order of Canada^[125] and the Order of British Columbia^[126] for his contribution to popular music and his philanthropic work. He was also inducted into Canada's Walk of Fame in 1998,^[127] and more recently inducted into the Music Hall of Fame at Canada's Juno Awards in April 2006.^[128] He has been nominated for three Academy Awards for songwriting,^[129] and was nominated for his fifth Golden Globe in 2007 for his songwriting in the film Bobby.^[130]. His 16 consecutive weeks spent on top of the UK Singles Charts (for (Everything I Do) I Do It for You) remains a record.^[131] Adams's music has been used on the soundtrack of 42 movies. ^[132] He has won eighteen Juno Awards from fifty-five nominations. The 1984 album Reckless went to #1 on the Billboard charts and was certified platinum five times in the United States and diamond in Canada.^[5] Waking Up the Neighbours which was released in 1991 became Adams' best-selling album worldwide selling over ten million copies.^[133] Adams has been announced to be one of the 2010 honorees listed in the Hollywood Walk of Fame.^[134]

[edit] Chilliwack

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From Vancouver, British Columbia - Bill Henderson initially formed the rock band as the Classics in 1964, but later changed the name to the Collectors in 1966 and then to Chilliwack in 1970.^[135] The band first hit the Top 10 charts in Canada with 1973s "Lonesome Mary" then 1974s "Crazy Talk" and in 1977 with "Fly at Night".^[6] They are perhaps best remembered for three America hit songs from the 1980s "My Girl (Gone Gone Gone)", "I Believe" and "Whatcha Gonna Do".^[5] Even though those three hits were their only popular singles in the US, the band has achieved legendary status in Canada, releasing over a dozen albums with 23 hit singles.^[136] Bill Henderson, the founder of the band, won the Best Producer Juno Award in 1982 for the album Opus X. Henderson has also won a Genie Award for best original song in a movie ("When I Sing", from Bye Bye Blues), and was musical director for the Canadian edition of Sesame Street from 1989 to 1995. Henderson has also acted as director of the Canadian Association of Recording Arts and Sciences (CARAS) and as president of the Songwriters Association of Canada (SOCAN).

[edit] Tom Cochrane

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In 1980, Tom Cochran became a part of a popular Toronto rock band called Red Rider that released four albums before changing their name to "Tom Cochrane & Red Rider", and releasing three more albums. Tom then decided to go solo and best known for his hit songs "Life Is a Highway", "Lunatic Fringe", "White Hot", "Boy Inside the Man", "Big League" and "I Wish You Well".^[6] His story-telling songs have earned him the nickname "The thinking man's rocker" by his peers. He is a member of the Canadian Music Hall of Fame, an Officer of the Order of Canada, an Honorary Colonel in the Canadian Air Force, has an Honorary Doctorate from Brandon University and has received six SOCAN awards.^[137] On June 16, 2009, it was announced that Cochrane would receive a star on Canada's Walk of Fame in Toronto. The induction ceremony will be held on September 12, 2009.^[138] Cochrane is also famous for been a longtime supporter of World Vision and has traveled to Africa several times. He has also served as the Honorary Chairman of the SuperWalk for Parkinsons and has been a proud supporter of WSPA, War Child, Amnesty International, and the Make Poverty History campaign.

[edit] Loverboy

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A hard rock band formed in 1980 from Calgary, Alberta, Loverboy accumulated numerous hit songs in Canada and the United States, making four multi-platinum albums. The band's hit singles, particularly "Lovin' Every Minute of It" and "Working for the Weekend" have become hard rock staples, and are still heard on classic rock radio stations across the US and Canada. The band's second album, released in late 1980, Get Lucky became their best selling album in the US, reaching #7 on the Billboard album charts and selling over four million copies.^[5] In the same year, Loverboy received five Juno Awards, Canada's highest award for music, in one year, a record that still stands today.^[139] The band would later receive an additional three Juno Awards, bringing their total to eight, which is the most received by a single group or individual except Bryan Adams. 1983 saw the single "Hot Girls in Love" from their third album, Keep It Up becoming their most successful US chart hit to date, reaching #11. Lovin' Every Minute of It, the band's fourth album released in 1985 with the title single and follow-up "This Could Be The Night" becoming their first US Billboard top 10 hits. In 1986, the band recorded "Heaven in Your Eyes", a song that would be featured in the movie Top Gun, and reached #12 on the Billboard charts.^[5] They were inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame in 2009 ^[140]

[edit] Kim Mitchell

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A singer and guitarist from Sarnia, Ontario, Mitchell formed the band Max Webster in the 1970s with fellow Sarnia native, Pye Dubois. Max Webster toured extensively and built a string of hits in Canada. Mitchell's solo career began in 1983, with session work and a succession of solo albums. In 1985, the song "Go For Soda" from the Akimbo Alogo album became an international hit and remains his best known song outside of his native Canada. Mitchell has been awarded several Juno Awards for his work including "Most Promising Male Vocalist of the Year" in 1983, "Album of the Year" for the triple Platinum Shakin' Like A Human Being, and "Male Vocalist of the Year" in 1990.

[edit] Platinum Blonde

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A Canadian New Wave group, with the release of the album Standing in the Dark, Platinum Blonde invaded the airwaves in Canada with four hit singles, a double platinum album, and two Juno Award nominated songs: "Standing in the Dark" and "It Doesn't Really Matter". Their music videos were placed into high rotation on the newly created Much Music. In 1985, the band released a second album called Alien Shores, while the album was certified platinum five times over in Canada, signifying 500,000 copies sold,^[22] it did not take off as expected in the U.S. In 1987. They have been nominated for six Juno Awards from 1984-1986.

[edit] Helix

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A heavy metal band that formed in 1974, Helix released two independent albums, entitled Breaking Loose and White Lace & Black Leather in 1979 and 1981 respectively. They then signed to Capitol Records and released several Canadian hit albums in the '80s – No Rest for the Wicked, Walkin' the Razor's Edge, Long Way to Heaven , Walkin' the Razor's Edge sold more than 100,000 copies in Canada^[22] and 400,000 internationally. In 1985, Helix released their fifth album Long Way to Heaven, featuring the singles "Deep Cuts The Knife" and "The Kids Are All Shakin'". The album allowed the band to tour Sweden, becoming the first Canadian rock band to do an extensive Swedish tour. Their reward was a #1 album in that country.^[141] This was followed in 1987 by the release of Wild in the Streets the album went gold in Canada, but only managed a disappointing #179 on the Billboard 200 in the United States ^[142] Helix has been nominated for two Juno Awards.

[edit] Blue Rodeo

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A country rock band formed in 1984, Blue Rodeo is one of the most successful and well known contemporary Canadian bands, having released 11 studio albums. They have won many Canadian music awards, including 7 Juno Awards and 7 SOCAN awards.^[143] They have also collaborated extensively with other notable Canadian artists, including Sarah McLachlan, The Tragically Hip, Burton Cummings, Great Big Sea, Jann Arden, The Sadies, Skydiggers, and the Cowboy Junkies. On June 16, 2009, it was announced that the band would receive a star on Canada's Walk of Fame in Toronto. The induction ceremony will be held on September 12, 2009. They are the fifth band to receive the honour.^[144]

[edit] Cowboy Junkies

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A country rock and alternative rock band formed by three siblings ( Margo Timmins, Michael Timmins, Peter Timmins ) from the Timmins entertainment family. Another sibling, Cali Timmins, rose to fame as an actress on Ryan's Hope. (The Timmins siblings are descendants of Noah Timmins, a mining prospector who founded the city of Timmins, Ontario.) The Trinity Session is perhaps their best known record, recorded live in a single day on a single microphone in a church in Toronto. ^[145] None of the band's subsequent albums have been hits outside of Canada, although the band has maintained a dedicated following and have continued to have chart hits in Canada releasing albums on their own independent label, Latent Recordings, with distribution through other labels such as Rounder in the USA and Cooking Vinyl in the UK.^[146]

[edit] Colin James

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A blues-rocker from Regina, Saskatchewan, James has released nine studio albums that blend the blues, rock, and swing genres starting in 1988. As well, he has won six Juno Awards ^[147] in 1989 for Most Promising Male Vocalist of the Year, 1991 for Single of the Year ("Just Came Back"). 1991 and 1996 for Male Vocalist of the Year, 1998 for "Best Blues Album" for National Steel, and 1999 for Best Producer. In 2007, James' album Limelight received a Gold record for sales in Canada.^[22] In January 2008, James received three Toronto Blues Society Maple Blues Awards: "Entertainer of the Year", "Electric Act of the Year" and "Recording of the Year" for Colin James & The Little Big Band 3.^[148]

[edit] Jeff Healey

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A blues-rocker from Toronto, Ontario, his 1989 debut album achieved platinum sales in the US, in part due to the hit single Angel Eyes.^[149] His band The Jeff Healey Band won the Juno Award for Canadian Entertainer of the Year and two Grammy nominations 1990. The song "Hideaway" was nominated for the "best instrumental" Grammy Award.^[150] Healey and his band were also featured in the 1988 film Road House. Other hits have included "How Long Can a Man Be Strong" and a cover of The Beatles' "While My Guitar Gently Weeps". On March 2, 2008 Healey died of cancer at St. Joseph's Health Centre in his home town of Toronto at the age of 41.^[151] His death came a month before the release of his new album, Mess of Blues, which would have been his first rock album in eight years.

[edit] 1990s

Starting in the 1990s, many new Canadian publications devoted to Canadian rock and pop music, either exclusively or in tandem with more general editorial content directed to young readers, was expanding. Giving to the rise of alternative rock and grunge music revolutions of the 1990s in Canada by the Barenaked Ladies. After The Yellow Tape became the hottest item in Canadian record stores in the fall of 1991, an explosion of Canadian bands started to rule the airwaves unlike any era before. Although many of them have not been overly successful in the United States, they remain extremely popular in Canada. The 1971 CRTC rules (25% Canadian content on Canadian radio) finally come into full effect and by the end of the decade, radio stations would be playing almost 35% Canadian content. In 1996, VideoFACT launched PromoFACT, a funding program to help new artists produce electronic press kits and websites. The end of the 90s saw bands that had thrived during grunge’s heyday, didn’t easily fit into the new alternative sub genre Post-grunge that was emulating hard-rock traditions of the past, while providing a contemporary spin.^[152]

The roster of notable artists emerging from this decade is larger, this includes The Headstones, The Tea Party, Matthew Good Band, Moist, Sloan, The Gandharvas, Change of Heart, Skydiggers, Eric's Trip, the Doughboys, Crash Test Dummies, The Lowest of the Low, 13 Engines, Odds, I Mother Earth, Glueleg, Age of Electric, Rymes With Orange, Strapping Young Lad, Bif Naked, Alanis Morissette, Rheostatics, The Watchmen, Moxy Früvous, Rusty, Our Lady Peace, The Philosopher Kings, Junkhouse, Wide Mouth Mason, Pure, Thrush Hermit, cub, The Killjoys, Sandbox, Treble Charger, Propagandhi, The Planet Smashers, Voivod, and Cryptopsy

Canadian women by the end of the decade enjoyed greater international commercial success than ever before in the popular music field. Four women led the way: Sarah McLachlan,^[153] Céline Dion,^[154] Alanis Morissette^[155] and Shania Twain^[156]. Many other Canadian women musicians have achieved international success in the highly competitive world of popular music, including Joni Mitchell, Ginette Reno, Diane Dufresne, Diana Krall, Avril Lavigne, Loreena McKennitt, Amanda Marshall, Holly Cole, Chantal Kreviazuk, Diane Tell, Jann Arden, Deborah Cox, Sarah Harmer, Susan Aglukark, Melissa Auf der Maur, Nelly Furtado, and Feist.

[edit] Barenaked Ladies

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Sales for the band began to steamroll based simply on word of mouth and their live shows. Their first release, Yellow Tape in 1991, became the first indie release by any band to achieve platinum status (100,000 copies) in Canada.^[22] The album Stunt became their greatest success, buoyed by "One Week", which coincidentally spent one week at the number one spot on the storied Billboard Hot 100.^[5] Their trademark at live shows is humorous banter between songs, and improvised raps/songs. They have won seven Juno Awards from seventeen nominations.^{[157][158][159]} The song, and its album Stunt, brought the band three more Juno Awards that year, for Best Single, Best Pop Album, and Best Group. Robertson lost to Bryan Adams in the newly revived Best Songwriter Category.^[160] The video for "One Week" was nominated for an MTV Video Music Award for Best Art Direction, but lost to "Doo Wop (That Thing)" by Lauryn Hill.^[161]

[edit] The Tragically Hip

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Often referred to simply as The Hip — the band formed in Kingston, Ontario in 1983. In 1987, the band signed a long-term record deal with MCA. Later that year, they released the EP The Tragically Hip. They were largely unrecognized until 1989s Up to Here, which established them as one of the most influential bands in Canada. ^[162] They have never found mainstream success in the United States, but this didn't matter because their Canadian fan base alone was enough to sustain a long and healthy career, with them still playing large stadiums twenty-five years after they started. The band is one of Canada's homegrown heroes — they hold the record for most number one debuts on the Canadian Albums Chart with a total of eight albums.^[22] - they have been inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame, Canada's Walk of Fame,^[163] Royal Conservatory of Music, have won over a dozen Juno Awards from more than thirty nominations,^[164] and appeared on Canadian TV shows like Corner Gas and the films Men with Brooms and Trailer Park Boys.

[edit] Alanis Morissette

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A singer-songwriter, record producer, and occasional actress from Ottawa, Ontario, Alanis Morissette kicked off another revolution in Canadian music, just as Alannah Myles, Lisa Dalbello and Lee Aaron had a decade earlier. However, Morissette's transformation launched an era in which Canadian women like Avril Lavigne would rule the pop charts worldwide.^[165] According to the RIAA, Jagged Little Pill is the best-selling debut album of all time by a female artist, with over fourteen million copies sold in the US. In 2005, it had sold thirty million worldwide^[166] and by 2008 ^[167] she had sold more than 55 million albums worldwide.^[168] She has was won seven Grammy and twelve Juno Awards out of twenty-one nominations. The best-selling album of 1996 in the United States was Jagged Little Pill.^[169] Alanis Morissette along with Shania Twain are the only artist male or female to have sold 2 million units in Canada, receiving the Double diamond award[1]

[edit] Great Big Sea

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A folk-rock band from Newfoundland and Labrador formed in 1992, are best known for performing energetic rock interpretations of traditional Newfoundland folk songs including sea shanties, which draw from the island's 500-year-old Irish, English, and French heritage. The band also performs original material that won them Entertainer of the Year award at the East Coast Music Awards for every year between 1996 and 2000.^[170] They have also been nominated for nine Juno Awards,^[171] including Group of the Year in 1998 and 2005.^[172]

[edit] The Tea Party

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A power trio formed in Windsor, Ontario in 1990. Initially playing indie rock and blues-based music, they developed a dedicated following while experimenting with musical style, incorporating diverse instruments. They have toured with a symphony orchestra, and it was estimated that they used more than 30 different instruments to record their album The Edges of Twilight. The band experienced great success in their homeland, being nominated for an unprecedented 22 MuchMusic Video Awards, with six in 1998 alone. They were awarded three People's Choice Awards for Favourite Music Video and were nominated for thirteen Juno Awards.^[173]

[edit] Sloan

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A power pop quartet formed in 1991 in Halifax, Nova Scotia, by 1994, Sloan's second album "Twice Removed" was named by Spin Magazine as one of the "Best Albums You Didn't Hear". A 1996 reader poll by Canadian music magazine Chart ranked it as the best Canadian album of all time, only two years after its release.^[174] The same poll in 2000 ranked the album third, behind Joni Mitchell's Blue and Neil Young's Harvest.^[175] However, in the 2005 poll once again ranked the album first, dispelling doubts that the 1996 vote was premature and overzealous.^[174] The band has been nominated for eight Juno Awards and has won "Best Alternative Album" for One Chord to Another in 1997.

[edit] I Mother Earth

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An alternative rock band formed in Toronto, Ontario, I Mother Earth, represented by a professionally-recorded five-song demo, played a mere thirteen shows in a year, and suddenly they were in the middle of a bidding war between labels in 1992. They ended up being signed to EMI in Canada, and Capitol for the US and internationally. They are one of Canada's best known acts of the 1990s. They won a Juno Award in 1994 for Best Hard Rock album, and were also nominated for the Best Rock Album and Group of the Year in 1997. The album Scenery and Fish is certified double Platinum in Canada.

[edit] Matthew Good Band

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An alternative rock band from Burnaby, British Columbia, the Matthew Good Band formed in 1995. One of Canada's most successful bands,^[176] their 1997 album Underdogs spawned the hit singles "Everything is Automatic" and "Apparitions", the latter of which remains the band's most successful single. The album Beautiful Midnight earned Good and his band two Juno Awards in 2000, for Best Group and Best Rock Album. Good's political outspokenness and brash confidence were unusual in the Canadian rock scene of the 1990s, and after dissolving the band in 2002, he pursued a successful solo career.^[177]

[edit] Our Lady Peace

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Often abbreviated OLP, Our Lady Peace is an alternative rock band from Toronto, Ontario. During their career, OLP sold over 5 million albums worldwide,^[178] won four Juno Awards out of twenty nominations, and won ten MuchMusic Video Awards, including the People's Choice Award in 1997, 1998 and 2000. They have the most awards won by any artist or group at the MMVA's.^[179] They also are the founders of the Summersault festival that toured across Canada in 1998 – 2000 with lineups that included Foo Fighters, A Perfect Circle and The Smashing Pumpkins.

[edit] 2000s

The start of the 2000s was dominated by post-grunge and continued to see the expansion of alternative rock, hard rock, and indie rock both artistically and commercially. The main musical phenomenon was the emergence of a new generation of singer songwriters that were the direct consequence of the previous generation's intellectual ambitions. The biggest factor that has contributed to the resurgence of rock music in the 2000s is the rise of paid digital downloads.^[180] The vast majority of songs bought on paid download sites are singles bought from full albums; songs that are bought on a song-by-song basis off artist's albums are considered sales of singles, even though they have no official single for purchase. The boom of independent music at the turn of the millennium changed the dynamics of the music industry. At about the same time, the CD (cheap to manufacture) replaced the vinyl album and tape (expensive to manufacture). Shortly thereafter, the Internet allowed musicians to directly distribute their music, thus bypassing the selection of the old-fashioned "record label".^[181]

The wide and diverse sound in 2000s rock has resulted in such acts as Thornley, Sam Roberts, Joel Plaskett, Nickelback, Finger Eleven, Simple Plan, Marianas Trench, Gob, Hot Hot Heat, Sum 41, Thousand Foot Krutch, Three Days Grace, The Trews, Matt Mays & El Torpedo, Billy Talent, Alexisonfire, Theory of a Deadman, Default, Bedouin Soundclash and Priestess emerging during this era.

The end of the decade was notable for a surprising number of ambitious indie rock albums. The Canadian indie rock scene has been the focus of national and international attention in many publications, such as Spin, The New York Times Magazine, Rolling Stone, Under the Radar, as well the Canadian edition of Time Magazine. It can be difficult for an indie group to break through in Canada as there is no nationwide rock station. On the other hand, although rock bands may get some exposure from outlets such as MuchMusic and CBC Radio 3, bands must largely rely on building an audience city by city, as each commercial radio station makes its play-list decisions independently. Similarly, it is more difficult to travel nationwide as well due to the vast size, creating regional communities that revolve around major music scenes in cities like Calgary, Vancouver, Toronto, Montreal or Halifax, each with a handful of offshoot suburban town scenes that produce the next wave of fresh bands.

[edit] Nickelback

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A post-grunge/hard rock band from Hanna, Alberta formed in 1995, Nickelback is arguably the most successful Canadian group in decades, having sold around 31 million records worldwide,^[182] being nominated for several Grammy Awards (Including Record of the Year for How You Remind Me and Best Rock Album for The Long Road). The Silver Side Up album sold over six million copies (6x Platinum) in the United States and 800,000 copies (8x Platinum) in Canada. The band has won multiple Juno Awards, an American Music Award,^[183] an MTV Video Music Award^[184] for Best Video from a Film (Hero), and a World Music Award^[185] for World's Best-Selling Rock Artist. On December 4, 2006, Nickelback won three Billboard Music Awards out of five nominations. The hit single "How You Remind Me" reached the top on the Canadian Singles Chart and the Billboard Hot 100 at the same time,(see 2002 in music) making them the second Canadian band to accomplish this, the first being The Guess Who with "American Woman" in 1970^[186]. In 2007, they were inducted into Canada's Walk of Fame.

[edit] Avril Lavigne

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A pop punk, alternative rock, singer-songwriter, fashion designer, and actress from Napanee, Ontario has sold more than 30 million copies of her albums worldwide.^[165] She is currently one of the top-selling artists releasing albums in the United States, with over 10.25 million copies certified by the Recording Industry Association of America.^[187] She has been dubbed as the 'pop-punk princess' by various sources. ^[188] Her 2002 debut album, Let Go has sold over 16 million copies were sold worldwide by 2008, and certified six times platinum in the United States.^[189]. Her second and third album, Under My Skin and The Best Damn Thing, both reached number one on the U.S. Billboard 200 and reached number one on the Global charts having both been certified platinum in over 15 country.^[190][191] She has been awarded with two World Music Awards in 2004 for "World's Best Pop/Rock Artist" and "World's Best-Selling Canadian Artist". She has received five Juno Award nominations in 2005, picking up three, including "Fan Choice Award", "Artist of the Year", and "Pop Album of the Year". She won the award for "Favorite Female Singer" at the eighteenth Annual Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards.^[192]

[edit] Theory of a Deadman

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A post-grunge/rock band from Vancouver, British Columbia, Theory of a Deadman was signed by Nickelback's Chad Kroeger to his 604 Record Label. They have released three albums to date, Theory of a Deadman in 2002, Gasoline in 2005, and Scars & Souvenirs in 2008. Their first album has been certified platinum in Canada, and Gasoline has been certified 2x platinum in Canada.^[22] They have also had three top 20 singles on the US Modern Rock charts.^[193] "Nothing Could Come Between Us" and "No Surprise" from Theory of a Deadman and Gasoline, respectively, both reached number eight. "Make Up Your Mind" from Theory of a Deadman reached number twelve. They have also won a Juno award in 2003 for "New Group of the Year".

[edit] Three Days Grace

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A post-grunge band, Three Days Grace's self-titled debut album reached the top ten of the Canadian Singles Chart, the top 100 of the US Billboard 200 albums chart and number-one on Billboard's Top Heatseekers chart, gaining Platinum certification. "I Hate Everything About You" was #1 in Canada and "Just Like You" hit #1 on the US Modern Rock Charts. One-X, the band's second album, was released in 2006 and landed at #5 on the US Billboard 200 in its debut week and is certified Gold in the United States. "Animal I Have Become" and "Pain" hit #1 on the US Modern Rock Charts.^[194] The band by 2009 had sold over 6 million records in the United States according to the RIAA and both studio albums have been certified platinum by the RIAA ^[195]and CRIA.

[edit] Sum 41

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A punk rock and alternative band from Ajax, Ontario, Sum 41 is one of the more popular mainstream punk acts worldwide, and their song "Fat Lip" hit #1 on the US Modern Rock charts. Every Sum 41 album has reached #1 in Canada and three of them reached top 10 in the US. Sum 41 has also known success on UK and Europe, Asia, Mexico, Chile and Brazil. The band won the 2003 Juno Award as "Group Of The Year", they have been three-time nominees for "Best Rock Album", winning twice with All Killer No Filler and Chuck in 2001^[196] and 2005 ^[197]respectively. In 2000, they won the Canadian Radio Award for "Best New Group".^[198] They also have been nominated for three different Canadian Independent Music Awards. In 2004, they won a Woodie Award for "The Good Woodie (Greatest Social Impact)".^[199]

[edit] Billy Talent

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A punk rock band from Streetsville, Ontario, Billy Talent debuted mainstream with their self-titled album Billy Talent. They spawned the very successful first single Try Honesty. Other singles The Ex, River Below, and Nothing to lose followed. Billy Talent reached #1 in album ^[200]sales for 4 weeks, and was certified 3x platinum in January 2007.^[22] In June 2006, the band released Billy Talent II with the first single being Devil in a Midnight Mass followed by Red Flag, Fallen Leaves, Surrender, and This Suffering. Billy Talent II was certified 2x platinum in Canada, and 3x platinum in Germany.^[201][202] This merger would bring on the name "The Other One" for a short time, and eventually "Pezz". Billy Talent has a large European following, and won the 2004 and 2005 Juno Awards for Best New Group.^[203] Billy Talent II won Best Rock Album in 2006.^[204]

[edit] Arcade Fire

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An indie rock band from Montreal, Quebec, Arcade Fire's first album, Funeral, debuted in September 2004 in the US and February 2005 in the UK, to high acclaim by critics.^[205] Without major label backing, the success of the band and the album Funeral has been noted as an Internet phenomenon. After a 9.7 rating from Pitchfork, Merge Records sold out their inventory of Funeral, and it became the label's first album in the Billboard 200 chart.^[206] On December 27, 2005, Funeral was ranked #1 on MTV2's "50 Greatest Albums of the Year" in the United Kingdom. On October 22, 2007, Funeral was ranked #8 in Bob Mersereau's book The Top 100 Canadian Albums.^[207]. They have won numerous awards, including the 2006 Juno Award for Songwriters Of The Year for three songs from Funeral: Wake Up, Rebellion (Lies), and Neighborhood 3 (Power Out).^[208] , a PLUG Independent Music Award, both the Meteors 2008 award for Best International Album and the Juno Awards 2008 Alternative Album of the Year award for Neon Bible.

[edit] French-Canadian Rock

In Quebec, meanwhile, Robert Charlebois introduced elements of rock into the music of the chansonnier in the late 1960s. Consolidated by Ville Émard Blues Band, rock was thereafter a major influence on many French-language pop rock acts from 1970s until today, among them Beau Dommage, Aut'Chose (with Lucien Francoeur), Harmonium, Maneige, Morse Code, Octobre, Offenbach (with Gerry Boulet), Corbeau, Michel Pagliaro, Nanette Workman, Gilles Valiquette and Plume Latraverse. Rock was influential in Quebec pop from the 80's and until now with artists like by Les B.B., Laurence Jalbert, Jean Leloup, Daniel Bélanger, Parfaits salauds, Vilain Pingouin, Banlieue Rouge, Chapeaumelon, Dany Bédar, Dan Bigras, Boom Desjardins, Marie-Mai Bouchard, Daniel Boucher, Bran Van 3000, Les Breastfeeders, La Chicane, Martin Deschamps, Sloche, Madame, the Taches, Dumas, France D'Amour, Les Frères à Ch'val, Gorguts, Éric Lapointe, Daniel Lavoie, Jean Leloup, Malajube, Marjo, Noir Silence, Okoumé, Kevin Parent, Paul Piché, Bruno Pelletier, Projet Orange, Sam Roberts, Richard Séguin, Stefie Shock, Marie-Chantal Toupin, Les Trois Accords, Andrée Watters, Cryptopsy, Neuraxis, Quo Vadis, Miranie Morissette, Jorane, Les Colocs.

[edit] Music awards

Canada has many different music awards, both for different genres of music and for geographic regions. Some of these that feature rock artists include:

• Juno Awards – Canada's main annual music industry awards
• CASBY Awards – Canada’s annual independent and alternative music awards
• Canadian Country Music Awards – Canada’s annual country music industry awards
• GMA Canada Covenant Awards – Canada’s national awards for the Gospel music industry
• East Coast Music Awards – annual music appreciation for the East Coast of Canada
• Felix Awards – annual prize for members of the Quebec music industry
• MuchMusic Video Awards – Canada’s annual music video awards
• Polaris Music Prize – award annually given to the best full-length Canadian album based on artistic merit
• Canadian Urban Music Awards – Canada’s annual urban music awards
• Canadian Aboriginal Music Awards – Canada’s annual appreciation for the promoters, creators and performers of Aboriginal music
• Western Canadian Music Awards – annual music appreciation for the western part of Canada

[edit] See also

• Juno Award
• Polaris Music Prize
• Canadian Music Hall of Fame
• Music of Canada
• Canada's Walk of Fame
• One-hit wonders in Canada
• List of diamond-certified albums in Canada
• List of Canadian musicians
• List of bands from Canada
• First rock and roll record
• List of rock genres
• List of rock and roll albums
• List of deaths in rock and roll
• Rockabilly Hall of Fame
• The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
• Timeline of hard rock/heavy metal
• Category:Canadian rock music groups
• Category:Canadian rock musicians
• Category:Canadian music media

[edit] External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Music of Canada

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Rock music

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Rock music

• canuckistanmusic- reviews of lesser-known records
• CanadianBands.com
• The Canadian Encyclopedia.com —The Canadian Encyclopedia
• Canoe.ca /Jam!—Jam!
• New Music Canada—By CBC Radio 3
• Shakin' All Over: A History of Canadian Rock and Roll
• Canada's Walk of Fame
• The Junos/Canadian Music Hall of Fame official website
• Torontomusicscene.caToronto Area Rock

[edit] References

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