Blue by Joni Mitchell
Harvest by Neil Young
Music from Big Pink/The Band by The Band (4/5 Canadian)
Funeral/The Suburbs by Arcade Fire
Jagged Little Pill by Alanis Morissette
You Forgot It In People by Broken Social Scene
Live it Out by Metric
Set Yourself on Fire by Stars
Fully Completely/Road Apples by The Tragically Hip
Gordon by the Barenaked Ladies
EDIT: Adding more fantastic suggestions below:
Come on Over by Shania Twain
Loose by Nelly Furtado
Songs of Love and Hate by Leonard Cohen
Reckless by Bryan Adams
Moving Pictures by Rush
Clumsy by Our Lady Peace
Five Days in July by Blue Rodeo
Loved it when the Hip toured this album under Another Road Side Attraction Festival across Canada. What an amazing lineup to see in Markham, Ont in 95'
It was my second time seeing [The Hip. March 28, 1995.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sjRZMgmDa3I) The Ranch Bowl. Omaha, Nebraska. [This was the set list.](https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/the-tragically-hip/1995/ranch-bowl-omaha-ne-7bcf82a8.html)
After the show we hung out and talked with the band. My friend Corey was a local low level weed guy at the time and the band (minus Gord) then piled into my tiny Renault and we drove all the way downtown to our apartment. They bought weed from our downstairs neighbor and we played UNO while they waited for their bag. Fun, very chill guys. Only later would I look back and realize what a huge thing this was that I was lucky to have happen to me.
I love every Hip record and think ["Escape is at Hand for the Travelin Man"](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z9d4_PG8I_Q) is one of the greatest songs ever written by anyone ever (and listening to it hits some specific deep emotions in me that ***only*** this song seems to reach) but ya gotta cap it somewhere.
Saw them in the summer (they opened for boygenius and played most of YFIIP?!) and again in December and they persist as one of the most well-rounded Canadian acts out there.
The only debate is if it qualifies based on the fact that it technically wasn't made in Canada, but by a group of musicians, 4/5 of whom were Canadian.
If you accept it, it's easily as influential as Blue or Harvest. Maybe even bigger than both.
Came here and was pleased to see Broken Social Scene and Hip included in the top comment. A large part of my team at work is based in Canada and I swear we can’t get through a zoom call without one of them having either of those bands playing quietly in the background!
Need some Rush in here. They might not be YOUR favourite band… but they are probably your favourite band’s favourite band. 40 million units sold over a 4 decade career, 14 platinum and 3 multiplatinum albums in the US. They have the 3rd most consecutive Gold/Platinum releases of all time, behind only the Beatles and The Rolling Stones.
I’d go 2112 myself, but the correct answer is probably Moving Pictures. Absolutely changed what rock bands thought was possible on a record.
“Beautiful Midnight” by Matthew Good Band. Maybe this doesn’t fit all the criteria, but this is a great fucking album start to finish, with an actual theme (the existential crisis of being a human) and great lyrics. Also one of the most beautiful voices full stop. Maybe it didn’t get the critical acclaim it deserved, but critics are dumb. He is prickly and doesn’t placate the media which may have played into the diminishment of his legacy…
I love City and Colour too….
He may be but I have a fond teenage memory of him. Our neighbors moved into the same condo as him in Vancouver and when I found out, I sent them my copy of his Black Market Surgery book and he signed it for me and seemed to be touched that someone had treasured it so much. I still have it to this day :)
Pretty much everything MG has released is absolute gold, the guy is criminally underrated as a musician.
Too bad he's such a twat, but hot damn is he talented.
Yes! I’m Aussie and lived in Vancouver in 2001/2001. Loved this album and all their other stuff too. Saw them live and all! Brings back so many great memories and vibes of that time (as you mention, the theme and angst of the album).
I must also add that I really liked Sarah Harmer and her “you were here” album too. But that’s another story.
There's a video of Joni and Bob Dylan playing "Coyote" at Lightfoot's house. Gord is bumping around in the background looking lost. Actually, Dylan looks kinda outclassed too....
He was actually on the way out with that one. Never had a top 40 hit again. For me it’s Sundown. That defined ‘70s folk rock. I love that album cover too.
Blue by Joni Mitchell is lauded as one of the greatest albums *of all-time*.
Has to be the best Canadian album of all time.
I would say Harvest by Neil Young at number 2
In a more just world, Whale Music by The Rheostatics would have sold millions. It's a masterpiece, and 10's across the last three criteria you list, at least, but just not known widely enough even though it has made numerous critics' top album lists.
🤝
one of - if not THE - most perfect true albums ever. It takes time before it takes hold and it really does work as an entire document (i.e. don't put a few cuts on a mixed tape...er...disc...er, playlist for someone).
Likely a top 3 album of all-time for me.
Waking up the Neighbors Bryan Adams
Harvest Neil Young
Jagged Little Pill Alanis Morrissette
Moving Pictures Rush
Allied Forces Triumph
5 Days In May Blue Rodeo
Surfacing Sarah MacLaughlin
Albums that had pretty big impacts in the punk/hardcore punk scene in Canada
Billy Talent - Billy Talent II
Sum 41 - Chuck
Propagandhi - Todays Empires, Tomorrows Ashes
Counterparts - The Difference Between Hell and Home
Alexisonfire - Crisis
I was also going to post Alexisonfire but I think Watch Out! Is the album that fits this better. It's easily in the conversation for top 5 post-hardcore album of all time
Canada in the 2000s was at the top of the indie world, churning out classics left and right.
That being said, Funeral by Arcade fire stands tall among even the best of the rest
For pop icon status we need some Carly Rae Jepsen. I would have to pick Kiss because Call Me Maybe was the song and everywhere. But I would pick Emotion or The Loneliest Time as a personal favorite and following the other criteria you listed..
I’m American but Canada adjacent. In my opinion there’s no band as Canadian as The Tragically Hip. They’re the local bar where drinks were always cheap and you met your wife there and had your fathers wake there.
The Band - The Band
Joni - Blue, (although I prefer Hejira)
Gordon Lightfoot - Sit Down Young Stranger
Stan Rogers- Between the Breaks
Leonard Cohen - You Want it Darker
Bruce Cockburn - Humans
Oscar Peterson - Night Train
Glenn Gould - Goldberg Variations either one, both are great.
Moving Pictures by Rush. Maybe the Suburbs by Arcade Fire. Harvest by Neil Young. Watch Out! By Alexisonfire. Jagged Little Pill by Alanis Morisette. Pick any Tragically Hip album from the 90s.
Sam Roberts - we were born in a flame
Blue rodeo - five days in may
The rankin family - north country
It depends on what part of the country you are, but my personal favourite is Matt Mays - Matt mays and el torpedo
Day for Night by the Tragically Hip is the greatest rock album in Canadian music history, AFAIC.
But there are more culturally important albums from Canadians. This list is going to be 90's heavy, which I consider the best decade of Canadian pop music.
American Woman - The Guess Who
Harvest - Neil Young
2112 - Rush
Reckless - Bryan Adams
Up to Here - The Tragically Hip
Jagged Little Pill - Alanis Morrisette
Ingénue - k.d. Lang
Silver Side Up - Nickelback
The Dusty Foot Philosopher - K'Naan
Funeral - Arcade Fire
Road Apples - The Tragically Hip.
5 Days in July - Blue Rodeo
Failer - Kathleen Edwards.
Hi - Andrew Cash.
Dear, Dear - 54-40
Melville - Rheostatics
Fully Completely - Tragically Hip.
You’ve gotta have Obscura by Gorguts on this list. Not mainstream but very influential death metal album
Also Glenn Gould’s Goldberg Variations
And Night Train by the Oscar Peterson Trio
No one mentioned “Ingenue” by k.d.lang, Grass and Wild Strawberries, Collectors,
Niels and Joni’s later albums aren’t so Canadian seeing as they pretty much made California their home for the last 40 plus years.
I Mother Earth's "Scenery and Fish" checks a lot of those boxes, but it kind of got lost in the (admittedly fantastic) SLEW of Canadian Alt rock in the mid 90's.
I personally don't even think it's their best album, but I'm pretty sure it's their highest selling.
I think the band prefers more experimental drawn-out "jam session" type stuff, but *damn* can they write a catchy rock song.
Here are some of my favorites.
Matthew Good Band - Beautiful Midnight
The Weakerthans - Reconstruction Site
The New Pornographers - Twin Cinema
Constantines - Shine a Light
Greg Macpherson Band - Good Times Coming Back Again
Phantom Power is a masterpiece. I always associate it with Pearl Jam "Yield", which came out the same year. The production sounds similar to me. Escape is at Hand for the Traveling Man might be my favorite song by them.
Walkin' the Razor's Edge by Helix
Helix was a wicked concert, fuck, I sold a lot of dope at that concert, I mean, they had good lyrics, like give me an R,O,C,K, and then the crowd yells "rock" really loud, now that's a fuckin' concert!
Rush just don't do stuff like that, i mean, they got songs about how trees are talking to each other, about how different sides of your brain work, outer space and other bullshit.
I don’t care about commercial success, what critics say or radio play etc…
In my personal opinion it is
Moneen: Are We Really Happy With Who We Are Right Now
This album was different, original and takes me back to where I was the first time I heard it and saw it live…
Or anything by Propagandhi
Probably not filling many of the requirements, but for me, I have a 30-way tie.
Considering Vancouver had one of the best punk scenes in the world from 79-81:
-The Modernettes, Teen City (or any of the compilation re-releases)
-The Pointed Sticks, Perfect Youth
-DOA, Something Better Change
-Young Canadians/K-Tels, or basically anything by Art Bergmann
-or just go with Vancouver Complication for the whole gamut
Considering I worked at college radio in the 2000s:
-The Unicorns, Who Will Cut Our Hair When We're Gone?
-Death From Above 1979, You're a Woman, I'm a Machine
-The New Pornographers, Twin Cinema/Mass Romantic
-Wolf Parade, Apologies to Queen Mary
-Hot Hot Heat, Make Up The Breakdown
-Broken Social Scene, You Forgot It In People
-Destroyer, Kaputt
-Metric, Live It Out
-Arcade Fire, Funeral
-K-OS, Joyful Rebellion
-Fucked Up, David Comes To Life
-Joel Plaskett Emergency, Ashtray Rock
-K'naan, The Dusty Foot Philosopher
-Stars, Set Yourself on Fire
-Tokyo Police Club, Elephant Shell/A Lesson In Crime
-Malajube, Trompe-L'oeil
-Born Ruffians, Red Yellow and Blue
-Bend Sinister, Stories of Brothers, Tales of Lovers
-Frog Eyes, Tears of the Valedictorian
-Japandroids, Post-Nothing/Celebration Rock
-Sunset Rubdown, Shut Up Am I Dreaming
-Tegan and Sara, So Jealous
*Clayton Park* - Thrush Hermit/*Ashtray Rock* - Joel Plaskett
Sloan's been well discussed here, so I'm going with their noted Halifax Pop Explosion contemporary, Joel Plaskett. I'm not sure exactly to what extent the overarching story is non-fiction, but there's definitely a beauitful continuation between *Clayton Park* and *Ashtray Rock*; with the first (released under his original band, Thrush Hermit) is this wonderfully loud and unrelenting burst of energy that seemingly tells a story of a first-time touring band, and the second explicitly telling a story of the desolation of a young band. Both are fantastic and worth listening to for anyone looking for something fresh and interesting.
And those two just scratch the surface of what Plaskett is capable of as a singer-songwriter. He firmly chose to stay in Halifax when everyone else relocated to the big cities; and his music reflects the love he has for classic rock, the traditional musical heritage of Nova Scotia, and his hometown. (And that'd all before you consider that he's basically the Rick Ruben of the East Coast for all the producer credits he's amassed over the years.) He's simply one of the best of them all.
Thank you!
Their own work is incredible, and then there’s everything they’ve done in collaboration with others. Darker Circles would be my pick as well. RIP Dallas.
Absolutely. I sadly never got to see them perform with Dallas, but I saw them in a tiny Brooklyn venue last year and was blown away. Darker Circles is my pick too.
Are you talking about impact on Canadian society, or the world? I think it would change the list. Cultural impact takes us to culturally important, less well-known internationally . E.g. Ian & Sylvia
All three of the Alvvays albums are pretty great, I probably like Blue Rev the best today.
Similarly, the New Pornographers have a great catalog, I think today I like Whiteout Conditions best but other days it would be one of the first four.
This feels niche but Cowboyography by Ian Tyson deserves a mention. Canadian cowboy folk was a relatively popular sub genre and his songs were covered by the likes of Neil Young and Joni Mitchell among others.
Wrong - No Means No
Something Better Change - D.O.A
Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas to Heaven - Godspeed You! Black Emperor
Kombinator - The Inbreds
Teenage Head - Teenage Head
Whale Music - The Rheostatics
Twice Removed - Sloan
Smile - Change of Heart
Talks Cheap - Demics
Look what the Rookie Did - Zumpano
In Love with the System - Forgotten Rebels
Soft Airplane - Chad Vangaalen
Blue - Joni Mitchell
2112 -Rush
Just a Game - Triumph
Music from Big Pink - The Band
Zuma - Neil Young
(I don’t know I could probably keep going)
I've seen everything here except I Mother Earth. Blue Green Orange is my favorite.
And similar 90s rock:
Mathew Good Band
Our Lady Peace
Big Wreck
Special shoutout to Broken Social Scene and the family:
Everyone says Metric and Stars, but definitely check out Apostle of Hustle and Jason Collet. The first few albums of each have as many plays as You Forgot It In People for me.
Do Make Say Think is another worth exploring
Misery Signals - Of Malice and the magnum heart.
A metalcore blueprint for years to come
Comeback Kid - Wake the dead.
An all time classic hardcore record
No Warning - Ill Blood.
Still considered one of the top hardcore albums of all time
Cursed - I-II-III
IYKYK
Moving pictures by Rush. Checks all your boxes and is a perfect album.
I prefer 2112, but that's me personally.
I love them all, but moving pictures checks all the boxes from OP
Well ‘Forget about your silly whim, it doesn’t fit the plan.’
This is the answer.
A Farewell to Kings does it for me
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Correction. The entire Rush catalogue
Sharon, Lois, and Bram - One Elephant, Deux Éléphants
This album currently gets the most play in my car of anything listed here
Blue by Joni Mitchell Harvest by Neil Young Music from Big Pink/The Band by The Band (4/5 Canadian) Funeral/The Suburbs by Arcade Fire Jagged Little Pill by Alanis Morissette You Forgot It In People by Broken Social Scene Live it Out by Metric Set Yourself on Fire by Stars Fully Completely/Road Apples by The Tragically Hip Gordon by the Barenaked Ladies EDIT: Adding more fantastic suggestions below: Come on Over by Shania Twain Loose by Nelly Furtado Songs of Love and Hate by Leonard Cohen Reckless by Bryan Adams Moving Pictures by Rush Clumsy by Our Lady Peace Five Days in July by Blue Rodeo
*Day for Night* deserves inclusion as well.
Loved it when the Hip toured this album under Another Road Side Attraction Festival across Canada. What an amazing lineup to see in Markham, Ont in 95'
It was my second time seeing [The Hip. March 28, 1995.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sjRZMgmDa3I) The Ranch Bowl. Omaha, Nebraska. [This was the set list.](https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/the-tragically-hip/1995/ranch-bowl-omaha-ne-7bcf82a8.html) After the show we hung out and talked with the band. My friend Corey was a local low level weed guy at the time and the band (minus Gord) then piled into my tiny Renault and we drove all the way downtown to our apartment. They bought weed from our downstairs neighbor and we played UNO while they waited for their bag. Fun, very chill guys. Only later would I look back and realize what a huge thing this was that I was lucky to have happen to me.
No phantom powers love?
I love every Hip record and think ["Escape is at Hand for the Travelin Man"](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z9d4_PG8I_Q) is one of the greatest songs ever written by anyone ever (and listening to it hits some specific deep emotions in me that ***only*** this song seems to reach) but ya gotta cap it somewhere.
Did I write this comment? I feel exactly the same way. Thats my Saturday morning, coffee in my backyard song...
Came here to say Metric and Stars, will also add Let it Die by Feist
Let it Die, Metals, and The Reminder are all fantastic.
You Forgot It In People is probably the best canadian musical achievement ever
Saw them in the summer (they opened for boygenius and played most of YFIIP?!) and again in December and they persist as one of the most well-rounded Canadian acts out there.
Timeless. 30 years from now it will still be listed as one of the most influential albums of the 2000’s.
I’d add Songs of Love and Hate by Leonard Cohen. Reckless by Bryan Adams was pretty massive.
Music from Big Pink is so underrated. It's definitely my pick for best Canadian album.
The only debate is if it qualifies based on the fact that it technically wasn't made in Canada, but by a group of musicians, 4/5 of whom were Canadian. If you accept it, it's easily as influential as Blue or Harvest. Maybe even bigger than both.
Good list but think you need to add Come On Over by Shania Twain
And also probably Loose by Nelly Furtado
Say it Right
Funeral is one of the best out there to this day, in terms of indie music it’s a staple. Huge achievement
I'm partial to Day for Night by The Hip...but those are great albums too. Bare is always fun and Gordon is a great one
Came here and was pleased to see Broken Social Scene and Hip included in the top comment. A large part of my team at work is based in Canada and I swear we can’t get through a zoom call without one of them having either of those bands playing quietly in the background!
Need some Rush in here. They might not be YOUR favourite band… but they are probably your favourite band’s favourite band. 40 million units sold over a 4 decade career, 14 platinum and 3 multiplatinum albums in the US. They have the 3rd most consecutive Gold/Platinum releases of all time, behind only the Beatles and The Rolling Stones. I’d go 2112 myself, but the correct answer is probably Moving Pictures. Absolutely changed what rock bands thought was possible on a record.
For me, it’s Court and Spark by Joni Mitchell it’s an album that I’ve been listening to for 30 something years and it never gets old
Same, I love 'Blue', but 'Court and Spark' is a perfect album
Doesn't fit all your boxes, but You're a Woman, I'm A Machine by Death From Above 1979 made an impact on me.
10/10 album.
Music from Big Pink Blue Tonight's the Night Hemispheres Funeral
Hemispheres.
Smeared by Sloan.
Agreed, but One Chord to Another is my personal favourite.
But Twice Removed is their best
Tie between OCTA and navy blue for me
Navy Blues is fantastic too
Came here for Sloan. Not gunna say underrated but perhaps slightly under appreciated how fantastic their whole discography is.
Oh, my heart sings with joy to not have to scroll for 10 minutes to see Sloan mentioned in this discussion. 😊
What's left to decide? 🥰
Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas to Heaven
Oh yes
Life changing
“Beautiful Midnight” by Matthew Good Band. Maybe this doesn’t fit all the criteria, but this is a great fucking album start to finish, with an actual theme (the existential crisis of being a human) and great lyrics. Also one of the most beautiful voices full stop. Maybe it didn’t get the critical acclaim it deserved, but critics are dumb. He is prickly and doesn’t placate the media which may have played into the diminishment of his legacy… I love City and Colour too….
I just became your biggest fan. I absolutely love MGB
Matthew Good Band is awesome. Matthew Good is an asshole
He used to sell tshirts at his shows that said “I hear Matthew good is a real asshole”. The “no Rico” ones are classic too
Not sure which album but born losers is my favourite song from him.I guess not being into the bullshit makes you an asshole
Yep, still is
He may be but I have a fond teenage memory of him. Our neighbors moved into the same condo as him in Vancouver and when I found out, I sent them my copy of his Black Market Surgery book and he signed it for me and seemed to be touched that someone had treasured it so much. I still have it to this day :)
Hospital Music is also a great album
Avalanche for me all the way. Every song is a banger on that album
Seconding Hospital Music!
Pretty much everything MG has released is absolute gold, the guy is criminally underrated as a musician. Too bad he's such a twat, but hot damn is he talented.
Can’t disagree, although I think I enjoyed UNDERDOGS more as an album.
The Audio of Being is the most chill, hard album. If that makes sense. I love that record.
White Light Rock And Roll Review is fucking wicked too!
Yes! I’m Aussie and lived in Vancouver in 2001/2001. Loved this album and all their other stuff too. Saw them live and all! Brings back so many great memories and vibes of that time (as you mention, the theme and angst of the album). I must also add that I really liked Sarah Harmer and her “you were here” album too. But that’s another story.
This is a stone cold Canadian classic.
Matt doesn't get the fame he deserves.
Was trying to decide between this and Underdogs. Beautiful midnight is probably the better album
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I found Joni way up there as expected, but it's sad how far down I had to scroll to find Gordon.
There's a video of Joni and Bob Dylan playing "Coyote" at Lightfoot's house. Gord is bumping around in the background looking lost. Actually, Dylan looks kinda outclassed too....
He was actually on the way out with that one. Never had a top 40 hit again. For me it’s Sundown. That defined ‘70s folk rock. I love that album cover too.
Big Wreck, either In Living Memory Of . . or Ghosts.
More US shows were announced this weekend. I’m so psyched
"Blue," surely?
Blue by Joni Mitchell is lauded as one of the greatest albums *of all-time*. Has to be the best Canadian album of all time. I would say Harvest by Neil Young at number 2
Arcade Fire's Funeral is also highly lauded. It's often #1 or 2 best album of its decade.
Not my favorite Joni album, still the right answer
Broken Social Scene - You Forgot it in People
Absolutely one of my life-defining albums. It can still immediately transport me to when I discovered it.
Reconstruction Site by The Weakerthans. God bless John K. Samson
The fact that this is the only Weakerthans album on here is nuts. This album is amazing. Left and Leaving kills me. John K Samson is a goddamned poet.
Easily could pick any of the records. John K. is top 3 Canadian songwriters of all time easily
Arcade Fire - The Suburbs Metric - Fantasies Billy Talent - Billy Talent Rush - Moving Pictures Tegan and Sara - The Con
God Shuffled His Feet. What, no love for Crash Test Dummies?
In a more just world, Whale Music by The Rheostatics would have sold millions. It's a masterpiece, and 10's across the last three criteria you list, at least, but just not known widely enough even though it has made numerous critics' top album lists.
“This is for the Rheostatics. We’re all richer for having seen them tonight.”
I still miss knowing Gord is with us.
🤝 one of - if not THE - most perfect true albums ever. It takes time before it takes hold and it really does work as an entire document (i.e. don't put a few cuts on a mixed tape...er...disc...er, playlist for someone). Likely a top 3 album of all-time for me.
Waking up the Neighbors Bryan Adams Harvest Neil Young Jagged Little Pill Alanis Morrissette Moving Pictures Rush Allied Forces Triumph 5 Days In May Blue Rodeo Surfacing Sarah MacLaughlin
Five Days in July is the album title. I mix that up all the time.
Albums that had pretty big impacts in the punk/hardcore punk scene in Canada Billy Talent - Billy Talent II Sum 41 - Chuck Propagandhi - Todays Empires, Tomorrows Ashes Counterparts - The Difference Between Hell and Home Alexisonfire - Crisis
Nomeansno-Wrong is probably one of the greatest Canadian punk albums ever.
Pup- the dream is over, would also fit well on this list I think
I was also going to post Alexisonfire but I think Watch Out! Is the album that fits this better. It's easily in the conversation for top 5 post-hardcore album of all time
5 Days in July - Blue Rodeo
Constantines - Shine A Light This band is so Underrated
Strapping Young Lad - Strapping Young Lad
Canada in the 2000s was at the top of the indie world, churning out classics left and right. That being said, Funeral by Arcade fire stands tall among even the best of the rest
"Let's Go to the Mall" - Robin Sparkles
We have a winner 🏆
“Shakespeare My Butt” by Lowest of the Low
One of the greatest indie bands to come out of Toronto in the 90's.
For pop icon status we need some Carly Rae Jepsen. I would have to pick Kiss because Call Me Maybe was the song and everywhere. But I would pick Emotion or The Loneliest Time as a personal favorite and following the other criteria you listed..
literally was coming here to say emotion. the impact this had on both pop music and gay people is immeasurable
The lack of Carly Rae in this thread has been disappointing.
Joyful Rebellion by k-os Probably not the greatest, but definitely great from start to finish.
Yeah that’s an amazing album
Our Lady Peace - Clumsy Joydrop - Metasexual
Our Lady Peace are a national treasure. I say this as an American.
Yep. We need an Our Lady Peace/Big Wreck/Texas King tour
Twice Removed or One Chord to Another by Sloan are definitely up there
Agreed. Sloan is the best Canadian band of all-time. Consistently great still to this day.
Something by Rush, imo the best band to exist ever but I am extremely biased.
Damn near anything by Rush.
Snow - Informer
SNFU - And No One Else Wanted To Play
Road apples or fully completely
Hayden - Bad As They Seem Fred Penner - The Polka Dot Pony
Since I'm not seeing it... Weakerthans left and leaving -some of most beautiful prose ever And hey Rosetta...into your lungs
Supporting Caste - Propagandhi City - Strapping Young Lad Ocean Machine - Devin Townsend
I’m American but Canada adjacent. In my opinion there’s no band as Canadian as The Tragically Hip. They’re the local bar where drinks were always cheap and you met your wife there and had your fathers wake there.
Surprised it took this long for me to find a suitable post about the Hip. They ARE Canada, to me and a lot of people.
You are hereby granted honorary Canadian citizenship!
Harvest The Suburbs Road Apples
The Band - The Band Joni - Blue, (although I prefer Hejira) Gordon Lightfoot - Sit Down Young Stranger Stan Rogers- Between the Breaks Leonard Cohen - You Want it Darker Bruce Cockburn - Humans Oscar Peterson - Night Train Glenn Gould - Goldberg Variations either one, both are great.
Had to scroll way too far for Stan Rogers. Between the Breaks is wonderful.
Talking Honkey Blues by Buck 65
Bachman Turner Overdrive Takin Care Of Business
Not Fragile is the best BTO album though
Moving Pictures by Rush. Maybe the Suburbs by Arcade Fire. Harvest by Neil Young. Watch Out! By Alexisonfire. Jagged Little Pill by Alanis Morisette. Pick any Tragically Hip album from the 90s.
Sam Roberts - we were born in a flame Blue rodeo - five days in may The rankin family - north country It depends on what part of the country you are, but my personal favourite is Matt Mays - Matt mays and el torpedo
GORD'S GOLD! Not just a greatest hits album, but an updating and re-recording of some the this country's greatest songs!
Day for Night by the Tragically Hip is the greatest rock album in Canadian music history, AFAIC. But there are more culturally important albums from Canadians. This list is going to be 90's heavy, which I consider the best decade of Canadian pop music. American Woman - The Guess Who Harvest - Neil Young 2112 - Rush Reckless - Bryan Adams Up to Here - The Tragically Hip Jagged Little Pill - Alanis Morrisette Ingénue - k.d. Lang Silver Side Up - Nickelback The Dusty Foot Philosopher - K'Naan Funeral - Arcade Fire
I doubt anyone would agree with me, but HEMI-VISION by Big Sugar. Maybe Wide Mouth Mason’s debut. And EDGES OF TWILIGHT by The Tea Party.
Songs Of Love And Hate - Leonard Cohen
Wrong by Nomeansno.
Jagged Little Pill - Alanis Morrisette
Road Apples - The Tragically Hip. 5 Days in July - Blue Rodeo Failer - Kathleen Edwards. Hi - Andrew Cash. Dear, Dear - 54-40 Melville - Rheostatics Fully Completely - Tragically Hip.
You’ve gotta have Obscura by Gorguts on this list. Not mainstream but very influential death metal album Also Glenn Gould’s Goldberg Variations And Night Train by the Oscar Peterson Trio
Alexisonfire - Crisis
Came here to say Watch Out!
Watch Out! Is far and away their best and most cohesive album.
Both albums are excellent
Gestures broadly at Alexisonfire
Neil Young - Harvest Alanis Morisette - Jagged Little Pill Drake - Nothing Was The Same Mac Demarco - Salad Days
Music from Big Pink and The Band self titled have got to be near the top of the list using that criteria.
1975 Gord's Gold - Gordon Lightfoot
No one mentioned “Ingenue” by k.d.lang, Grass and Wild Strawberries, Collectors, Niels and Joni’s later albums aren’t so Canadian seeing as they pretty much made California their home for the last 40 plus years.
Triumph- Allied forces
Into you lungs and seeds by hey Rosetta. Every record of theirs is s tier to me but those two especially are one’s I want to be buried with
I Mother Earth's "Scenery and Fish" checks a lot of those boxes, but it kind of got lost in the (admittedly fantastic) SLEW of Canadian Alt rock in the mid 90's. I personally don't even think it's their best album, but I'm pretty sure it's their highest selling. I think the band prefers more experimental drawn-out "jam session" type stuff, but *damn* can they write a catchy rock song.
I’m gonna say it, because I don’t think anyone else has…. The first two Loverboy albums.
Barenaked Ladies - Gordon (1992)
Here are some of my favorites. Matthew Good Band - Beautiful Midnight The Weakerthans - Reconstruction Site The New Pornographers - Twin Cinema Constantines - Shine a Light Greg Macpherson Band - Good Times Coming Back Again
The Best of The Guess Who Decade (Neil Young) Court and Spark
The Guess Who - Live at the Paramount !!
Come on over - Shania Twain. I still know all the words and haven't listened to it in decades
Sarah McLachlan - Fumbling towards Ecstasy, it hits most or all of these criteria well
Probably Fully Completely, but I like Phantom Power better, personally.
Phantom Power is a masterpiece. I always associate it with Pearl Jam "Yield", which came out the same year. The production sounds similar to me. Escape is at Hand for the Traveling Man might be my favorite song by them.
Jagged Little Pill by Alanis Morissette
Walkin' the Razor's Edge by Helix Helix was a wicked concert, fuck, I sold a lot of dope at that concert, I mean, they had good lyrics, like give me an R,O,C,K, and then the crowd yells "rock" really loud, now that's a fuckin' concert! Rush just don't do stuff like that, i mean, they got songs about how trees are talking to each other, about how different sides of your brain work, outer space and other bullshit.
I'm not giving anyone a fucking R!
Crisis by Alexisonfire
Beau Dommage, their self-titled first album in 1974.
Bites - Skinny Puppy.
Bob and Doug McKenzie: The Great White North Album
Our Lady Peace - Happiness... Is Not a Fish That You Can Catch
Triumph - thunder seven.
I don’t care about commercial success, what critics say or radio play etc… In my personal opinion it is Moneen: Are We Really Happy With Who We Are Right Now This album was different, original and takes me back to where I was the first time I heard it and saw it live… Or anything by Propagandhi
Probably not filling many of the requirements, but for me, I have a 30-way tie. Considering Vancouver had one of the best punk scenes in the world from 79-81: -The Modernettes, Teen City (or any of the compilation re-releases) -The Pointed Sticks, Perfect Youth -DOA, Something Better Change -Young Canadians/K-Tels, or basically anything by Art Bergmann -or just go with Vancouver Complication for the whole gamut Considering I worked at college radio in the 2000s: -The Unicorns, Who Will Cut Our Hair When We're Gone? -Death From Above 1979, You're a Woman, I'm a Machine -The New Pornographers, Twin Cinema/Mass Romantic -Wolf Parade, Apologies to Queen Mary -Hot Hot Heat, Make Up The Breakdown -Broken Social Scene, You Forgot It In People -Destroyer, Kaputt -Metric, Live It Out -Arcade Fire, Funeral -K-OS, Joyful Rebellion -Fucked Up, David Comes To Life -Joel Plaskett Emergency, Ashtray Rock -K'naan, The Dusty Foot Philosopher -Stars, Set Yourself on Fire -Tokyo Police Club, Elephant Shell/A Lesson In Crime -Malajube, Trompe-L'oeil -Born Ruffians, Red Yellow and Blue -Bend Sinister, Stories of Brothers, Tales of Lovers -Frog Eyes, Tears of the Valedictorian -Japandroids, Post-Nothing/Celebration Rock -Sunset Rubdown, Shut Up Am I Dreaming -Tegan and Sara, So Jealous
*Clayton Park* - Thrush Hermit/*Ashtray Rock* - Joel Plaskett Sloan's been well discussed here, so I'm going with their noted Halifax Pop Explosion contemporary, Joel Plaskett. I'm not sure exactly to what extent the overarching story is non-fiction, but there's definitely a beauitful continuation between *Clayton Park* and *Ashtray Rock*; with the first (released under his original band, Thrush Hermit) is this wonderfully loud and unrelenting burst of energy that seemingly tells a story of a first-time touring band, and the second explicitly telling a story of the desolation of a young band. Both are fantastic and worth listening to for anyone looking for something fresh and interesting. And those two just scratch the surface of what Plaskett is capable of as a singer-songwriter. He firmly chose to stay in Halifax when everyone else relocated to the big cities; and his music reflects the love he has for classic rock, the traditional musical heritage of Nova Scotia, and his hometown. (And that'd all before you consider that he's basically the Rick Ruben of the East Coast for all the producer credits he's amassed over the years.) He's simply one of the best of them all.
Yall need to know the Sadies and it shows. Sadies: Darker Circles
Thank you! Their own work is incredible, and then there’s everything they’ve done in collaboration with others. Darker Circles would be my pick as well. RIP Dallas.
Absolutely. I sadly never got to see them perform with Dallas, but I saw them in a tiny Brooklyn venue last year and was blown away. Darker Circles is my pick too.
Northwest passage by Stan Rodgers. The very best of Stan Rodgers if accepting best hits albums.
Voivod - The Wake Rush - Moving Pictures Chokehold - Content with Dying Triumph - Allied Forces Cursed - 3 Tragically Hip - Fully Completely Sparkmarker - Products and Accessories Black Mountain - Wilderness Heart DOA - Hardcore 81
Thank you for including DOA
Are you talking about impact on Canadian society, or the world? I think it would change the list. Cultural impact takes us to culturally important, less well-known internationally . E.g. Ian & Sylvia
Despised Icon - The Ills of Modern Man
AC Newman - Shut Down the Streets. Man, it’s such a great piece of work.
All three of the Alvvays albums are pretty great, I probably like Blue Rev the best today. Similarly, the New Pornographers have a great catalog, I think today I like Whiteout Conditions best but other days it would be one of the first four.
Jagged Little Pill by Alanis. That shaped my youth, spending hours at the snack bar of my local swimming pool listening to cigarette mom music.
This feels niche but Cowboyography by Ian Tyson deserves a mention. Canadian cowboy folk was a relatively popular sub genre and his songs were covered by the likes of Neil Young and Joni Mitchell among others.
Our Lady Peace sells out wherever they play up there. great catalog.
Crash Test Dummies - God Shuffled His Feet Alvvays - Antisocialites
Funeral by Arcade Fire
Silver Side Up
Rush already mentioned. What about Triumph and April Wine. Great rock bands that carried a torch.
Wrong - No Means No Something Better Change - D.O.A Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas to Heaven - Godspeed You! Black Emperor Kombinator - The Inbreds Teenage Head - Teenage Head Whale Music - The Rheostatics Twice Removed - Sloan Smile - Change of Heart Talks Cheap - Demics Look what the Rookie Did - Zumpano In Love with the System - Forgotten Rebels Soft Airplane - Chad Vangaalen Blue - Joni Mitchell 2112 -Rush Just a Game - Triumph Music from Big Pink - The Band Zuma - Neil Young (I don’t know I could probably keep going)
Bob and Doug McKenzies Great White North album. Now take off you hosers
Anyone else remember Steal My Sunshine by LEN? Probably the biggest one hit wonder ever. But that song was massive.
Funeral by Arcade Fire
Caribou - Up In Flames
Avril Lavigne - Under My Skin. Especially since Chantal Kreviazuk and Raine Maida played such a role in its success.
I've seen everything here except I Mother Earth. Blue Green Orange is my favorite. And similar 90s rock: Mathew Good Band Our Lady Peace Big Wreck Special shoutout to Broken Social Scene and the family: Everyone says Metric and Stars, but definitely check out Apostle of Hustle and Jason Collet. The first few albums of each have as many plays as You Forgot It In People for me. Do Make Say Think is another worth exploring
Sum•41 All killer no filler…
Misery Signals - Of Malice and the magnum heart. A metalcore blueprint for years to come Comeback Kid - Wake the dead. An all time classic hardcore record No Warning - Ill Blood. Still considered one of the top hardcore albums of all time Cursed - I-II-III IYKYK