Ah, Canada – the Great snowy north, the home of spirit bears, mist-strewn cedar rainforests, and endless kilometers of highway.
Canada is the unsung hero of the rock canon, eclipsed at every turn by its neighbor and England, its distant relative across the pond.
Canada is hailed as a great treasure trove of wilderness experiences and quaint, disarmingly jovial people – but compelling, disruptive, generation-defining beats? Surely not.
Wrong, oh so wrong. The Canucks have a lot going for them when it comes to their musical outlay: they have soul, vigor, energy, and an unbridled generosity of spirit.
From folk to skater punk to prairie twang, Canadians bring a precocious eloquence to music that ultimately enriches us all.
Here’s our list of the best Canadian rock bands of all time.
1. Neil Young & Crazy Horse
All hail – Neil Young is the patron saint of the counter-culture, the father, son, and holy ghost of the folk canon.
His influence quite literally haunts the prairies, bar rooms, and community festivals of latter-day folk, infusing it with his patent blend of political poetry and biting insight.
Young embodied the lone wolf ethos and the myth of the frontier, but he also played well with others, whether it be with the iconic quartet Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, or with his own group Crazy Horse, a band that made light work of complex guitar riffs.
While I would certainly hope any card-carrying music lover would already be a fan, for newcomers there is no better place to start than with his albums After the Goldrush, Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere, and Americana.
2. Rush
I can’t speak about Rush, I can only rhapsodize.
Their music elevates my spirit, and my imagination, and keeps my inner curiosity piqued and challenged.
No other band has captured their disparate, campy interests – from aliens to comics to medieval high fantasy to biting social commentary – with such rousing, dynamic melodies.
Seriously, sometimes I think you would need a Ph.D. to render chords and synthesize instrumental arrangements the way Lifeson, Peart, and Lee did.
They were early adopters of synth and futuristic effects while never deviating from the experimental, open-hearted core of prog-rock.
If you want a truly Canadian experience watch the Trailer Park Boys episode featuring the real band members – it doesn’t get more northern than that.
3. Tom Cochrane and Red Rider
Where to start with Northern Manitoba folk-rock guru Tom Cochrane?
His expansive, swaggering, generous brand of rock has always given me the impression that he is something of a Canadian Bruce Springsteen.
His hard-hitting, punchy guitars and rousing vocal melodies are custom-made for the open road, the abandoned highway-side motel, and the sun setting beyond the suburban houses.
His songs leave the impact of a mysterious Polaroid found abandoned in a small town – a fragment of a wider narrative, a call of the wild to live with more authenticity and vision.
4. The Tragically Hip
Canada’s original enfant terribles of the alternative rock scene, Tragically Hip brought a dizzyingly creative verve and an eclectic and sardonic approach to songwriting that shook contemporary radio out of its stupor.
Formed in 1983, they blended an elusive, inviting folk twang with spoken-word style metaphoric asides to great effect.
Perfect Gord Downey’s tragic passing, his nonplussed, unbothered voice touched the restless hearts of slacker-dreamers the world over.
5. Sum 41
Canada’s answer to Green Day, Sum 41 embodied all of the tendencies we have come to associate with turn-of-the-century pop punk: petulance, cheek, and sardonic temper tantrums.
Sum 41 made skate pop playful with raunchy melodies, bulletproof riffs, and lightning-fast tempos that demanded your full attention.
Ontario’s finest, Sum 41 reached epic highs of teen popularity in the heady and chaotic days of Y2K but their music feels fresh and resonant today and will get any collection of disaffected millennials hopping on couches.
Before you think they’re all banter and good times, listen to their ballad “With You”, one of the sappiest best hits of the genre.
6. Cowboy Junkies
Folk rock and alternative country met their match with the low-key, down-to-earth nineties sensations Cowboy Junkies.
Founded by the three Timmins siblings of Toronto, they began to make waves and receive critical acclaim with their 1988 album The Trinity Session.
They have since released sixteen studio albums, all of which are heavy on soothing, introspective beats and dreamy, earthy vocals.
Indeed, Margo Timmins has one of the most serene, raw, poignant voices in alternative and brings to mind a countrified Chrissie Hynde.
Listen to “Blue Moon Revisited” and feel the wonder.
7. The Band
The Band brought a musingly beautiful, wistful magic to sixties folk, and they represented the softer, more pensive side of the protest generation.
They were soulful, casting a pearlescent light with their tender chords and lush vocal arrangements.
They are oft-forgotten by mainstream dwellers but they have a hallowed, fiercely protected space in the minds of folk-roots lovers, and empathetic dreamers, everywhere.
Bring back The Band, I say, a band that brought pacifism, introspection, and sensitivity to the creative fore.
8. The Guess Who
Manitoba classic rockers The Guess Who were born out of the eclectic tempest of the Summer of Love generation and they spoke a language of hard, pure, progressive rock.
Without a doubt, you know their seventies anthems “American Woman” and “No Time” but challenge yourself to listen to their entire canon; it’s vital, trippy, and packed with a refreshing guileless.
If you’re a seventies obsessive then I implore you to listen to their epic, vital 1970 album American Woman.
9. Saga
If you’ve grown bored of music, tired of mainstream culture, and don’t believe you can be surprised by anything new anymore, then I implore you to listen to the strange, utterly captivating Saga anthem “On the Loose”.
Convinced that a heady brew of brazen creativity and innovative possibility is indeed alive?
Good.
That’s the impact Saga, formed in 1977 in Ontario, has on most who are lucky enough to discover their albums in the secondhand bin.
It’s kind of like a cosmic, retro eighties power pinball to the head or like a free ticket to a space opera.
Unapologetically campy and kitsch to their hair metal core, Saga is the explosive, deeply entertaining experience you need.
10. Arcade Fire
Arcade Fire is the heart, soul, and impetus of the noughties baroque indie pop movement that blossomed so abruptly and intriguingly as millennials came of age.
Their music is theatrical, experimental, and charmingly offbeat, shedding the weight of alternative rock conventions and embracing a delightful new sound.
They are renowned for their complexly-crafted, multi-instrumental arrangements that expand the scope of indie and rock traditions.
The heartening piano on “Song on the Beach” shows a more reflective side of their ethos, while the anthemic, peppy hit “Everything Now” demonstrates their capacity for unbridled zest.
11. Blue Rodeo
If you appreciate early country music, and the legacy it has left on rock, folk, and the popular imagination then you know roots icons Blue Rodeo.
A band with a heart and spirit as big as a prairie sky, their music gripped the heartstrings and played ‘em like a harp.
Their songs were poignant, intimate, and sometimes viscerally tender, but always paired with melodies to die for and timing that was unmatched.
You could draw a comparison with The Eagles if you felt so inclined – listen to “Lost Together”, “Bad Timing” and “Hasn’t Hit Me Yet” and get ready for a weep.
12. Nickelback
You were waiting for it, weren’t you? The most hated band of all time, the musical equivalent of Nicholas Cage, the punchline of every joke, and yet…
I know as well as you do that you listen to Nickelback behind closed doors and that you love their histrionic, audacious, chauvinistic husky anthems.
Nickelback is nothing if not shameless, and they may be one of the least academically or poetically motivated bands of the 21st century.
What you see is what you get, and beyond Chad Kroeger’s whisky-guzzling vocals, what might that be?
A rollicking, brazen, sophomoric good time, with no pretensions to high taste.
13. Bachman-Turner-Overdrive
A staple seventies rock band with an unlikely name, you know them best from the stutter song – or, er – “You Aint Seen Nothing Yet”.
But that’s not the only gem in their canon and you’re missing out if you’ve never heard the gruff, zippy hit “Roll on Down the Highway” or the saucy macho anthem “Takin’ Care of Business”.
They encapsulated the open road ethos and invigorating vocal range of the time, producing music that was ideal for a summer concert or a crusty rural bar.
While many Canadian talents don’t resonate past the border, BTO had international radio reach and became a household name for classic rock lovers the world over.
14. April Wine
April Wine had the arena sounds and the unruly hair of any verified seventies rock group, but they also possessed an earnestness and a disaffinity for drama that reflected their small-town roots.
Their rock was of the hard, unvarnished variety and hit a chord with all lovers of classic, road trip rock on both sides of the border.
Wild and unruly anthems like “Sign of the Gypsy Queen” have a cult following to this day while peppy ditties like “You Could Have Been a Lady” ingratiated them with classic rock radio station jockeys everywhere.
If you want a taste of Canada’s Journey though, give their power balled “Just Between You and Me” a spin.
15. Metric
Preternaturally cool and effortlessly cutting edge, Metric is an electro-alternative band that never diminishes itself by pandering to the mainstream or striving for cheap attention.
Born out of the garage rock indie revival of the noughties, they seamlessly blended upscale melodies with downtown lyrics to create a tonic blend that was confronting and fresh.
Their music envelops you with the impact of throbbing strobe lights and moody disco ball reflections.
It is artistic, high-culture, and unceasingly entrancing.
16. Steppenwolf
I know what you’re thinking: there is no way Steppenwolf are Canucks – how did I not know that?
Steppenwolf is largely ignored in our harried world but they were sixties counterculture sensations and they embodied the free-wheeling, iconoclastic current of the times with anthems like “Born to be Wild” and “Magic Carpet Ride.”
Tune in and tune out in a major way with their sensually disaffected vocals and raunchy instrumentals.
17. Barenaked Ladies
You know them from their punchy, comedic gems like “One Week” and “If I Had a Million Dollars” but they have a whole catalog that is well worth perusal.
Their songs are often crass but always infectious and potent with humor, wit, and joie de vivre.
They have few peers, pioneering a cheerful and irreverent style that is hard to plagiarize or reference.
They are notorious for ridiculous and unscripted live shows where comedy and light humor share center stage with their musical output.
18. Simple Plan
For all you music connoisseurs out there, turn away now, this entry might not be for you.
Quebec-bred Simple Plan is corny, cheesy, and juvenile fun from any angle you approach it.
Their sound veers closer to the pop side of pop-punk and they brilliantly captured the currents of misunderstood and self-indulgent youth with their brand of whiney yet cheerful anthems.
You might get booted out of the skate park if you blast their tunes but appearances aside we can all admit that their melodies demand to be sung out and their guitar riffs are pure, unstuffy bliss.
19. Trooper
“We’re Here For a Good Time” is the staple corny anthem for when you want to irritate your pessimistic non-Canadian inlaws.
Trooper has a low profile in the annals of classic rock but they were a power band with attitude, confidence, and a healthy dose of ebullience.
Not for those who take themselves too seriously, Trooper made music for people who savored positive energy, loud jukeboxes, and games of pool in rural bars.
20. The New Pornographers
A sleepy, downtempo indie band perfect for cabin sessions or moody solitude walks, The New Pornographers encapsulated the moody Pacific climate of their provenance.
They nailed the kitschy, poetry-slam ethos of the indie movement, but they had a decidedly pared-down and grassroots approach.
Serene vocals, modest yet assured guitars, and melodies of an uncommon beauty make The New Pornographers less of a band and more of a musical and cultural collective.
Next time it rains go throw on “Challengers” and the “Bleeding Heart Show”.
21. Honeymoon Suite
The eighties band for those who live and breathe the decade, Honeymoon Suite crafted some deep, killer rhythms and some power ballad choruses that would make Def Leppard and crew proud.
“New Girl Now” has sick drum beats, audacious garage guitar, and a white-hot eighties chorus that will get you ready for a seedy karaoke session.
And if that’s not good enough for you, their atmospheric, sensual anthem “Feel it Again” is without a doubt one of the best love song belters of the entire decade.
22. Three Days Grace
Three Days Grace strode into town in the late nineties with a college misfit/slacker swagger energy that made them a darling of the moody late-nineties mainstream rock scene.
The twangy guitar chords and melodramatic vocals in “I Hate Everything About You” are pure, self-indulgent bliss.
Subtlety and modesty were not in the playbook for these Ontario rockers and their songs demand high volume and a healthy dose of attitude and defiance on the part of the crowd.
Their aggressive pacing and moody lyrics were almost so forceful and misunderstood that they are almost kind of cheesy – and therein lies the magic.
23. Billy Talent
Stroppy teen melodrama had a big moment up north and emo swept through every high school in the nation not long after the turn of the century.
Billy Talent enthralled the nobody-gets-me set with a scenester aesthetic, petulant rage, and unbridled, frenzied vocals.
Their tantrums were catchy as heck, though, and radio hits like “Red Flag” made them a staple of alt-rock stations the world over and spoke to the alienation of everyone who felt excluded by the mainstream dominant culture.
24. The Tea Party
Strange, overtly gothic, and overwrought to the degree of being high camp, The Tea Party held no punches.
Their music is histrionic and operatic and unflinchingly seductive – the kind of tunes you’d expect to hear in the faded grandeur of a Victorian-era cemetery.
The spooky, witchy themes are embraced all the way and put to epic, tortured effect in songs like “Correspondences”, “Temptation”, and “Heaven Coming Down”.
If it doesn’t make you want to go cast a spell under a full moon with some eyeliner on, then check your hearing.
25. Skinny Puppy
For all you industrial and early electro lovers out there, I am not neglecting you.
I present Vancouver-based Skinny Puppy.
Formed in the tectonic early eighties, they pioneered an industrial, mechanically-potent blend of rock, that incorporated the blossoming grammar of synth and electronic into their strange blend.
You may be surprised to find out that they have released thirteen studio albums in their time, and that their legacy is felt in every droning, hypnotic beat of nu-metal bands like Nine Inch Nails and Korn.
26. Hot Hot Heat
Hopelessly hipster and trendy beyond words, Hot Hot Heat was the quirky and eclectic Canadian answer to the indie explosion post-2000.
Their saucy sound combined unexpected vocal flourishes, hints of electro, and zingy guitars and was made for the slightly off-kilter, cooler-than-thou pub.
Their legacy is often eclipsed by peers like The Killers and The Strokes but they cultivated a loyal fan base with their punchy insouciance, and deserve a reevaluation.
The songs “Bandages” and “Middle of Nowhere” are as exuberant and rousing as ever.
27. Loverboy
Raunchy, impolite, and debauched, Loverboy tried everything except, well, being sophisticated.
Tastefully tasteless, they were flamboyant fun with none of the nasty side effects and personified the jubilant energy of the eighties.
Their corny dance floor hits like “Turn Me Loose”, “Working for the Weekend”, and “The Kid is Hot Tonite” struck a chord then and now, and made waves far beyond Loverboy’s prairie hometown of Calgary.
This is the kind of music that makes one long for glow-in-the-dark bowling, mullets, and pet rock fever.
28. Triumph
Seventies darlings Triumph has unfortunately receded into ancient history for most casual rock lovers, but any true hard rock fans will be well-acquainted.
Indeed, they were well-regarded during the halcyon days of rock, winning “Group of the Year” nominations at the Juno Awards in 1979, 1985, 1986, and 1987 – nice.
The power trio experimented with progressive and heavy metal and once described themselves in perhaps the most curious way possible: as a cross between The Who and Emerson, Lake, & Palmer.
29. Chilliwack
You might have heard of the Vancouver suburb named Chilliwack but have you heard of the seventies hard rock band of the same name?
Sigh, you’re in for a groovy, zingy, Deep Purple-esque rock n’ roll treat with a distinctive West Coast generosity and untamed edge.
“Fly At Night” is one of the underappreciated gems of the entire seventies rock canon, and that only sounds dramatic until you’ve given the record a spin for yourself.
30. Our Lady Peace
Remember Our Lady Peace?
Part and parcel of any good nineties-noughties adolescence their alternative sounds were heavy-hitting, with a radio-friendly dose of post-grunge and some unexpectedly artistic, poetic themes and references.
Although they are not usually top of mind during nineties rock retrospectives, the Toronto natives sold over five million albums during their careers.
I still find stroppy solace in their teen angst hits like “Clumsy” and the made-for-teen-movies “Somewhere Out There”.
Canadian Rock Bands – Final Thoughts
Canada is not just a barren wilderness with a coterie of menacing animals and intimidating winter temperatures.
It is a veritable treasure trove of creatively vigorous, unrepentant, and unruly bands that have shaped every genre known to music.
They have sassy punk, atmospheric blues, theatrical alternative rock, and melodic hair metal.
Go have a warm drink and settle into an evening listening to Canada’s top bands. Have a good one, eh!
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