After yesterday's news of the passing of Gord Downie, lead singer of one of the most iconic Canadian bands of all time, I thought we could look at some Canadian musicians that, much like The Tragically Hip, had big success in Canada but never really made waves in America. While the world might know about Drake, Céline Dion, Neil Young, Rush, Joni Mitchell, and Leonard Cohen - Canadians were largely bopping to the following artists all on our own:
1) The Tragically HipThe biggest example of this phenomenon is The Tragically Hip, fronted by the late Gord Downie. Their last concert was televised on Canada's national broadcaster (The CBC) after people freaked out about not being able to get tickets to their last tour because they sold out so quickly. It became the second most watched live television event in Canadian history (second only to a hockey game, of course).
11.7 million Canadians tuned in for the show. Not bad for a country of only 36 million.
The Hip did, however, make an appearance on American television back in 1995 when they appeared as the musical guest on
Saturday Night Live. John Goodman was the host that episode, but Dan Aykroyd introduced them (they're both from Kingston, Ontario).
You can watch the performance here.(It's awesome - definitely watch it!)2. k-osDrake who? Canada has a long list of amazing hip hop artists that were around long before Drake traded in his Degrassi role for a microphone. While Drake may be Canada's most successful rapper by American standards, true Canadians know that k-os has been producing bops for over a decade.
3. The Matthew Good BandThe Matthew Good Band emerged as one of the defining Canadian bands of the 1990s and early 2000s. Their hit songs include "Hello Time Bomb" and "Load Me Up", both of which had insanely heavy rotation on Much Music.
Good has pursued a successful solo career since the band's breakup in 2002 and has been open with the Canadian media about his struggles with mental illness. OP highly suggests listening to his beautiful, haunting, and truly incredible solo album,
Lights of Endangered Species.
Good's latest album,
Something Like a Storm, comes out on October 20, 2017.
4. Amanda MarshallMarshall has had major success in Canada with all of her albums going at least platinum in the country. Her only song to break onto the American charts was her single,
Birmingham, off of her debut album.
If you grew up in Canada during the 1990s then you probably remember hearing her stuff on the radio constantly. Her first album sold a million copies in Canada alone.
5. SloanSloan are an iconic Canadian rock band from Halifax, Nova Scotia. They've been around since 1991 and have seen continued success in Canada despite some failed attempts to break into the American music scene. OP loves Sloan and has always had a crush on Chris Murphy. Just thought I would share that with you.
6. Fefe DobsonBefore the current Canadian Queen of Pop, Carly Slay, graced the world - Canada had a different Queen of Pop during the mid to late 2000s named Fefe Dobson. Nothing more needs to be said, just listen:
Did Fefe invent "ghosting"? Yes. The answer is yes. What a queen!
7. Great Big SeaPopular Newfie folk-rockers, Great Big Sea, are well known in Canada but much less so south of the border.
8. Sam RobertsSam Roberts is a Canadian musician who had a huge debut single with his track "Brother Down" and followed it up with another huge single in Canada, "Don't Walk Away, Eileen". He's gotten consistent radio play in Canada and has debuted at
#1 on the Canadian charts. He's a staple of the Canadian music scene and continues to produce great music.
Check him out on iTunes and Spotify now - his latest album,
TerraForm, is a great listen!
9. Billy TalentBilly Talent have 3 platinum albums in Canada and have achieved some success in Europe as well, but they remain largely unknown in The USA. They've been together since 1993 and are still making music.
Germany likes them though:
10. Stompin' Tom ConnorsStompin' Tom was a folk-country icon. If you aren't Canadian you may not know that he has a massive discography and has sold over 4 million records. Although he passed in 2013, his musical legacy lives on,
"Oh, the good ol' hockey game is the best game you can name. And the best game you can name, is the good ol' hockey game!"Old people loved him.
Honourable mentions: Kardinal Offishall, Jann Arden, The Weakerthans, The Tea Party, and I Mother Earth.
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