– SL, PUP’s sophomore album, The Dream Is Over, is an unrelenting thrash of punk rock ‘n’ roll, and “DVP”—named after Toronto’s Don Valley Parkway—is one of its most blistering moments. 29 on the Billboard Hot 100 and has been featured in various films, TV shows, and video games over the years. Levon Helm once again took lead vocals on this Robbie Robertson-written song. Regardless, there’s no denying the beauty of “Storm,” which is effectively a movement comprised of four individual songs off their sprawling 2000 masterpiece Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas to Heaven. – SL, From their 1973 album Bachman–Turner Overdrive II, Randy Bachman and Co. secured what stands as one their biggest hits with “Takin’ Care of Business.” Originally titled “White Collar Worker,” “Takin’ Care of Business” was once slated to be performed by The Guess Who before Bachman and Burton Cummings pulled the plug over worries it was too similar to The Beatles’ “Paperback Writer.” – SL, BTO landed their first and only No. “It’s got a big drum beat,” Newman told Pitchfork in a 2001 interview. – PM, “Dynamite Walls” starts with a pastoral, almost hypnotic vibe that conjures that feeling of escaping the city for nature, built on a dreamy chord progression and Hayden Desser’s lethargic vocal delivery. That was the theory behind that song. Joni Mitchell provides some backing vocals from backstage in the same performance. “Grace Too” immediately calls to memory Gord Downie’s trademark theatrical performance style. Still, many fans widely consider “The Time is Here,” the record’s penultimate track as their finest work. Another cut from The Band’s second album, “The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down” is a classic in the sense that it’s often in the discussion among the greatest rock songs of all-time. Lang, and Rufus Wainwright, and appearances in films and shows over the years have kept the song relevant. Even more than the amped-up distortion, it’s Dallas Green’s crystal clear clean vocals against George Pettit’s wild, guttural yells that provides the tune’s heavy tension. – MW, If you gotta dance, there are much worse songs to get your groove on to than “Goodnight Goodnight,” which encapsulates the bouncy indie rock vibe that was so prominent in the mid-’00s. – MW, “I’m Like a Bird” was Nelly Furtado’s breakout hit off her debut album Woah, Nelly!. Funeral begins with one of the most Canadian lyrics ever: “And if the snow buries my, my neighbourhood” on “Tunnels.” The song follows a pair of young lovers who meet in their town square and imagine their shared future together as adults. Sainte-Marie has said the song is about accepting responsibility for war and the archaic way of thinking that causes conflict. The melodic six-string lines sparkle all the way throughout, diving in and out of left-of-the-dial pop that bounces along with jangly tambourine. It hit No. – SL, One of Mitchell’s best known songs, “Both Sides, Now” has been featured in films like, . Good luck getting this one out of your head. Hooks like this don’t come along very often. Harmer’s distinct vocals and expert songcraft made her the rightful it-girl of late 90s Canadian alt-folk. He was named by the Time Magazine in 2018 as one of the 100 most influential people in the world. Anger is the central emotion at hand for a tune that lambastes consumerism with biting lines like, “Do you miss your La-Z-Boy? It was later recorded by Anne Murray for her 1972 record Talk It Over in the Morning. Farmer's Song - … The Tragically Hip – Bobcaygeon Arguably one of the most Canadian songs out there, Bobcaygeonis filled with references to Canuck locales. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the U.S. You can hear an early version of it, before the song was ever recorded in studio, on Live at Massey Hall 1971. It’s a banger. You were loosening my grip on Bobby Orr”? – MW, The jaunty toe-tapper “Mushaboom” was the song that introduced many people to Feist. – SL, “Sundown,” the title track from Lightfoot’s tenth album, hit No. Now when you listen to this song you’ll think about them and feel nice and warm. It’s been unavoidable on Canadian radio since the moment it was released. The Top Ten. – SL, in 2005, it felt like something no one had heard before—a lethally vibrant crash of jagged, anthemic indie rock, all sinew and sweat. – SL, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan-born rock band The Sheepdogs won the Juno Award for Single of the Year in 2012 for “I Don’t Know” a single from their third studio record. Her debut record Let Go was a mashup of highly polished pop stylings and Lavigne’s cultivated skater girl aesthetic. – SL, Paul Anka’s 1957 hit “Diana” hit No. “American Woman” inspired cover versions by Krokus, Butthole Surfers, and Lenny Kravitz. “Stamp” proves how much energy can be generated from three people playing their hearts out. – PM, A moderate hit on both sides of the border, Kim Mitchell struck gold with “Patio Lanterns,” which was initially a single and later released on his 1986 album Shakin’ Like a Human Being. “Apparitions” is one of his most stunning recorded performances, as he rises high above its dramatic, grungy guitar to deliver grand choruses that address isolation and loneliness. – SL, Arguably Mitchell’s most popular song, thanks in large part to covers over the years courtesy of Amy Grant, Counting Crows, and others, “Big Yellow Taxi” first appeared on her 1970 album Ladies of the Canyon. – SL, This seekin’ and yearnin’ song has a low down and beat vibe to it that conjures visions of a drifter goin’ down the road. The song was famously covered by the Barenaked Ladies on a 1991 Cockburn tribute album. This dreamy folk tune, elevated by a serene piano, is a melancholy trip that sounds a little happier than it actually is. Download as PDF and watch all the videos of the chart. “I’m Like a Bird” also won the Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance, making Furtado the last Canadian woman to win in that category since. The best of K-Os right here. Emily Haines walks a tightrope between vulnerable and powerful as she summons courage in an atmosphere of anxiety, singing, “can you hear my heart beating like a hammer?” – MW, The best song from Canada’s first successful female emcee, Michie Mee easily deserves a spot on this list. – SL, This instrumental number is probably best known for its use as the theme song from the iconic Canadian sketch show Kids In The Hall. Big drum beat, female vocals, people just dig it.” – SL, The New Pornographers’ third record arrived in August of 2005 and would later be shortlisted for the inaugural Polaris Music Prize in 2006. Do you miss your TV? Their sad jam single, “Any Sense of Time,” off of 1994’s Kombinator earned the band a nomination for a MuchMusic Video Award for Best Alternative Video. Her song “A Case of You” is believed to be one of many songs about her breakup with English singer-songwriter Graham Nash. That’s what Joel Plaskett did with Three in 2009. Pretty much all you have to know about the song is that that environment is where it’s most perfect. The song was inspired by Cohen’s friendship with Suzanne Verdal, a former partner of artist and sculptor Armand Vaillancourt. Another song from Moving Pictures, "Red Barchetta", is often ranked as being within the Top 5 best Rush songs. The Grammy-winning song was originally sung by Joe Crocker and Jennifer Warnes, though Buffy Sainte-Marie often performs it. Emily Haines’ star vocal turn here is one of Social Scene’s most distinctive moments, rising gently over a weeping violin, calling out, “park that car, drop that phone, sleep on the floor, dream about me.” – MW, Few anthems are as askew and cryptic as “Cause=Time,” blending a coiled first half built on driving rhythms and wispy guitar lines with a second half that explodes abruptly out of its confines. – MW, Released as the second single off their 1983 record Rhythm of Youth, once “The Safety Dance” gained some momentum domestically it went on to climb the charts all over the world. Cohen’s version entered the Billboard Hot 100 for the first time following his death in November of 2016. “It’s got a big drum beat,” Newman told Pitchfork in a 2001 interview. – PM, Showcasing his ability to straight up rhyme, “Superstarr, Pt. Canadian pop singer Shawn Mendes is known for catchy and soulful folk-pop songs. 5547. Here’s 12 of the most Canadian things, in both music and life, about a man who left the country but never abandoned his northern origins. Frontman John K. Samson wrote “A Plea For a Cat Named Virtue” in the voice of a depressed cat, which is rather awesome. 1 spot two weeks later, where it would ironically spend one week as the No. “Man I Feel Like A Woman” is the first track on the hit album and reached the top-ten in six countries, top 20 in Canada, and number 23 on the US Billboard Hot 100 upon its release. “Through & Through & Through” is one of its choicest cuts, buoyed by honking horns and the beauty backup vocals of Ana Egge and Rose Cousins, with Plaskett playing the call-and-response game with his two guests. View Charts Legend. It was later recorded by Anne Murray for her 1972 record Talk It Over in the Morning. – MW, It’s not like you’ve never heard of a double record. The White Stripes didn’t even put synths on theirs. Anka even recorded an Italian version of the song a year after its initial release, with lyrics written by Mario Panzeri. It`s been playing in hockey rinks across North America ever since. Such sad phenomena in 1967 precipitated a movement in the music industry to establish CanCon/MAPL regulations … – MW, Arcade Fire is known for its big, booming songs, and “Wake Up” may still be the heaviest they’ve ever written. – MW, When Halifax was briefly viewed as the next Seattle, Joel Plaskett-fronted outfit Thrush Hermit were at the forefront with the likes of Sloan. It’s a nuanced rock tune, employing some heavy pop sensibilities inside a dark, guitar-driven sound that features the band’s signature harmonies. – SL, With an irresistible, bass-heavy drive and a Strokes-esque groove, “Your English Is Good” is a party from start to finish. Mushaboom also happens to be Feist’s pet name for her pubic hair: the word likely comes from the Mi’kmaq word moosaboon-elagwaak, which means, “pile of hair.” – MW, Bryan Adams lent some backing vocals to Glass Tiger for the first single off their 1986 debut record The Thin Red Line. – MW, When Wolf Parade unleashed this song on Apologies to the Queen Mary in 2005, it felt like something no one had heard before—a lethally vibrant crash of jagged, anthemic indie rock, all sinew and sweat. – SL, “Coax Me” happens to be the first single from what is considered one of the greatest Canadian albums of all time, Twice Removed. To sum up this song in one word: Iconic. – PM, Written by Robbie Robertson and lead vocals sung by drummer Levon Helm, this single from The Band’s self-titled second studio album peaked at No. There is a dangerous amount of crunch on the guitars here, as Young invokes the name of legendary Sex Pistols mouthpiece Johnny Rotten. Comedian Will Ferrell even performed the song on Conan in 2013. – MW, Hayden burst on the scene with this track in 1995 and it was a revelation to many disenfranchised 90s kids who were coming down from the bombastic-ness of grunge. 1 on the Billboard 200 album chart. “From the Back of the Film,” the opening cut from their 1999 record, is commonly still performed by Plaskett to this day while touring his solo work. Black Emperor are hardly a conventional outfit. – MW, “I Feel It All” rambles along with a bouncy, ramshackle acoustic guitar, melodic piano, and a shuffling tambourine, as Leslie Feist admits she’ll be the one who’ll break her own heart in her rich and raspy voice. – Scott Lewis, To sum up this song in one word: Iconic. That’s it, thanks for voting, sharing, and continuing to carry on the debate! Album: Apply Pressure. – MW, You’d be hard-pressed to find a millennial Canadian who didn’t hear this song in high school and feel like someone had dove inside their chest and figured out how to make everything they felt into blissful music. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100. 25 on Canadian charts. Stitches, Treat You Better, There's Nothing Holding Me Back, In My Blood, If I Can't Have You and Senorita are some of his popular and chartbuster songs. – SL, As Dan Boeckner’s first big project outside of Wolf Parade, Handsome Furs—a duo with his now ex-wife Alexei Perry—conjured the indie rock heroes’ same frenetic energy along with a bigger electronic bite. It was originally written for the 1982 film An Officer and a Gentleman. – SL, April Wine have released upwards of 20 albums since bursting onto the scene in the early 1970s. – PM, At their storytelling best, “Nautical Disaster” is suspenseful and exciting with a tense musical buildup that complements the The Tragically Hip’s lyrical genius. – SL, Originally a poem and first recorded as a song by Judy Collins, Cohen later released “Suzanne” as the lead single off his 1967 record Songs of Leonard Cohen. – SL, Toronto hip hop pioneers Dream Warriors sampled Quincy Jones’ “Soul Bossa Nova” on their 1991 hit “My Definition of a Boombastic Jazz Style.” The single captured a Juno Award for Rap Recording of the Year in 1992. The … – SL, Written as a nod to the sinking of the bulk carrier SS Edmund Fitzgerald on Lake Superior on November 10, 1975, Lightfoot’s “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald” has been heralded as the folk singer’s greatest work by none other than the man himself. 25 on the Billboard Hot 100. – PM, With close to 100 million views on YouTube, this is one of the most popular songs in Canadian hip-hop history and it stands up today as a beyond solid track. Billboard hit with this 1989 banger, spitting bars with boundless energy and agility over samples from The Mohawks, James Brown, Doug E. Fresh and Slick Rick, and Public Enemy. Most surprising of all was that on July 1, Canada’s 100th anniversary, for the first time in chart history, not a single Canadian song was in the Top 40. 1970’s biggest hit in Canada was Simon and Garfunkel’s “Bridge Over Troubled Water”. After analysis of the Top 10 Canadian music albums of all time, it looks like Celine Dion may, in fact, be the Queen of Canada. – MW, Have you ever been to a hockey game? The write-ups accompanying the songs were not in all cases written by the people who selected them. – SL, Steven Page takes on mental health issues in this dark, beautiful number that ranks high in BNL’s impressive discography. Rockin' in the Free World - Neil Young. – SL, Inuk throat singer Tanya Tagaq has played an integral role in awareness to the consistent mistreatment of the Indigenous population. 1 on the MuchMusic Countdown in November of 2004. “Nighttime/Anytime (It’s Alright)” is a jagged rager that starts at 11, goes for the throat, and then suddenly lets up halfway through. That’s how magical this song is. What is not too love? Swelling chorus’ married with heartbreaking lyrics made it impossible for us to not develop a serious case of ‘the feels’. Video via YouTube. And for good reason! Therefore, That was the theory behind that song. – PM, With this folksy stomp, Halifax’s Wintersleep had a bona fide hit. Find someone to slow dance with and throw it on. It also delivered us one of CanRock’s best-ever lines: “it’s not the band I hate, it’s their fans.” – MW, The ramshackle, DIY energy of “Deeper Than Beauty” recalls Sloan’s East Coast roots, with a jangly, repetitive guitar and simple beat providing pretty much all of the music. – SL, is widely regarded as one of the best albums ever. 1 single. – SL, The sixth single from her third studio album, Come On Over, Shania Twain’s “That Don’t Impress Me Much” found a home in the top 10 in 15 different countries. It’d be tough to overstate the pioneering influence Maestro Fresh Wes had with this tune, which manages to remain a timeless-sounding classic almost 30 years later. Stitches, Treat You Better, There's Nothing Holding Me Back, In My Blood, If I Can't Have You and Senorita are some of his popular and chartbuster songs.