Best Canadian Song Search
Top 100 Canadian Songs: The Definitive List
Published July 1, 2007 @ 07:17 in Best Canadian Song Search, Lists, Music, O Canada
It's been quite the journey. We kicked off our quest to assemble the greatest Canadian songs in the history of the world back on May 15 and here we are, a month and a half later.
It's unlikely everyone will agree with all 100 choices, many great songs were left on the cutting room floor. This wasn't easy, but I tried to remain objective and take all suggestions to heart. As always, I'd love to read your comments, so don't be shy. Without further ado, here are the top 100 Canadian songs listed in order.
And happy Canada Day, eh?
- The Tragically Hip - New Orleans Is Sinking
- Neil Young - Helpless
- The Band - The Weight
- Joni Mitchell - Big Yellow Taxi
- Gordon Lightfoot - Canadian Railroad Trilogy
- Stan Rogers - Northwest Passage
- Sloan - Underwhelmed
- The Guess Who - American Woman
- Leonard Cohen - Suzanne
- Neil Young - Heart of Gold
- Blue Rodeo - Try
- Leonard Cohen - Hallelujah
- The Tragically Hip - Courage
- Barenaked Ladies - Brian Wilson
- Cowboy Junkies - Misguided Angel
- Arcade Fire - Wake Up
- Gordon Lightfoot - Early Morning Rain
- Neil Young - Rockin' In The Free World
- Rush - The Spirit of Radio
- The Guess Who - Share the Land
- Blue Rodeo - Lost Together
- Death From Above 1979 - Romantic Rights
- Our Lady Peace - Naveed
- Arcade Fire - Rebellion (Lies)
- Blue Rodeo - Diamond Mine
- Bruce Cockburn - Lovers in a Dangerous Time
- Gordon Lightfoot - If You Could Read My Mind
- Five Man Electical Band - Signs
- Bachman Turner Overdrive - Takin' Care Of Business
- Gordon Lightfoot - Sundown
- The Guess Who - These Eyes
- Blood, Sweat and Tears - Spinning Wheel
- Hayden - Bad As They Seem
- Neil Young - Cinnamon Girl
- Ian and Sylvia - Four Strong Winds
- Joni Mitchell - Woodstock
- Rush - Closer to the Heart
- Joni Mitchell - Both Sides, Now
- Our Lady Peace - 4am
- Maestro Fresh-Wes - Let Your Backbone Slide
- k.d. lang - Constant Craving
- The Tragically Hip - Bobcaygeon
- Neil Young - Old Man
- Dream Warriors - My Definition of a Boombastic Jazz Style
- Sarah Harmer - Silver Road
- Jeff Healey - Angel Eyes
- The New Pornographers - Mass Romantic
- I Mother Earth - So Gently We Go
- Our Lady Peace - Clumsy
- Joni Mitchell - The Circle Game
- The Pursuit of Happiness - I'm An Adult Now
- The Lowest of the Low - Henry Needs A New Pair of Shoes
- Ashley MacIsaac - Sleepy Maggie
- Robbie Robertson - Somewhere Down the Crazy River
- Tom Cochrane - Big League
- Rush - Tom Sawyer
- Moist - Push
- Billy Talent - Nothing To Lose
- Rusty - Wake Me
- The Northern Pikes - Teenland
- Sarah Harmer - Basement Apartment
- Sarah McLachlan - Hold On
- The Tragically Hip - Wheat Kings
- Sloan - Coax Me
- Spirit of the West - Home For A Rest
- Steppenwolf - Born To Be Wild
- Crash Test Dummies - Superman's Song
- Stars - Ageless Beauty
- The Tragically Hip - Ahead By A Century
- The Demics - New York City
- Barenaked Ladies - If I Had $1,000,000
- 54-40 - I Go Blind
- Bryan Adams - Summer of '69
- The New Pornographers - Use It
- The Watchmen - All Uncovered
- Treble Charger - Red
- Sam Roberts - Brother Down
- Randy Bachman - Prairie Town
- Sarah McLachlan - Angel
- Tom Cochrane - Boy Inside The Man
- Alanis Morissette - You Oughta Know
- Skydiggers - I Will Give You Everything
- Men Without Hats - Safety Dance
- Rough Trade - High School Confidential
- Hot Hot Heat - Bandages
- Corey Hart - Sunglasses at Night
- Loverboy - Working For The Weekend
- Metric - Combat Baby
- Rusty - Misogyny
- k-os - Heaven Only Knows
- Tokyo Police Club - Nature Of The Experiment
- Stars - Your Ex-Lover Is Dead
- Rheostatics - Record Body Count
- Odds - Heterosexual Man
- The Gandharvas - The First Day of Spring
- The Diodes - Tired of Waking Up Tired
- Feist - Mushaboom
- Gowan - A Criminal Mind
- Grapes Of Wrath - All The Things I Wasn't
- Max Webster - A Million Vacations
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Speak Out On Operation CanCon Excellence
Published June 28, 2007 @ 10:41 in Best Canadian Song Search
Don't forget, drop your two cents here before I publish the definitive one hundred Canadian songs in the history of the world.
If you don't speak up, I'll speak for you and throw loads of Organized Rhyme, Dream Warriors, Kish and Maestro in the mix. Consider yourselves warned.

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The Potential Unranked Top 100
Published June 25, 2007 @ 22:11 in Best Canadian Song Search
It started with a quest. I was to come up with a definitive list of the 100 best Canadian tunes. Over the past month I've dumped CanCon classics which you can read here and now I've pruned those songs down to 100.
Guys and gals, I need you now more than ever. Tell me if there's a tune on this list that doesn't belong or if I've missed a sure thing. On Canada Day, I'll post the definitive list in order. You'll want to cancel your long weekend plans for this one, it's a biggie.
- 54-40 - I Go Blind
- Alanis Morissette - You Oughta Know
- Alexisonfire - This Could Be Anywhere In The World
- Arcade Fire - Wake Up
- Arcade Fire - Rebellion (Lies)
- Ashley MacIsaac - Sleepy Maggie
- Barenaked Ladies - Brian Wilson
- Billy Talent - Nothing To Lose
- Blue Rodeo - Try
- Blue Rodeo - Diamond Mine
- Blue Rodeo - Lost Together
- Bachman Turner Overdrive - Takin' Care Of Business
- The Band - The Weight
- Blood, Sweat and Tears - Spinning Wheel
- Bruce Cockburn - Lovers in a Dangerous Time
- Bryan Adams - Summer of '69
- Corey Hart - Sunglasses at Night
- Cowboy Junkies - Misguided Angel
- Crash Test Dummies - Superman's Song
- Death From Above 1979 - Romantic Rights
- Dream Warriors - My Definition of a Boombastic Jazz Style
- Feist - Mushaboom
- Five Man Electical Band - Signs
- The Gandharvas - The First Day of Spring
- Glass Tiger - Don't Forget Me (When I'm Gone)
- Gordon Lightfoot - Early Morning Rain
- Gordon Lightfoot - Canadian Railroad Trilogy
- Gordon Lightfoot - If You Could Read My Mind
- Gordon Lightfoot - Sundown
- Gowan - A Criminal Mind
- Great Big Sea - Ordinary Day
- The Guess Who - American Woman
- The Guess Who - Share the Land
- The Guess Who - These Eyes
- Hayden - Bad As They Seem
- Hot Hot Heat - Bandages
- I Mother Earth - So Gently We Go
- Ian and Sylvia - Four Strong Winds
- Jeff Healey - Angel Eyes
- Joni Mitchell - Big Yellow Taxi
- Joni Mitchell - Woodstock
- Joni Mitchell - Both Sides, Now
- Joni Mitchell - The Circle Game
- k-os - Heaven Only Knows
- k.d. lang - Constant Craving
- Leonard Cohen - Suzanne
- Leonard Cohen - Hallelujah
- The Lowest of the Low - Henry Needs A New Pair of Shoes
- Maestro Fresh-Wes - Let Your Backbone Slide
- Men Without Hats - Safety Dance
- Metric - Combat Baby
- Moist - Push
- Neil Young - Cinnamon Girl
- Neil Young - Helpless
- Neil Young - Old Man
- Neil Young - Heart of Gold
- Neil Young - Rockin' In The Free World
- The New Pornographers - Mass Romantic
- The New Pornographers - Use It
- Northern Lights - Tears Are Not Enough
- The Northern Pikes - Teenland
- Odds - Heterosexual Man
- Our Lady Peace - 4am
- Our Lady Peace - Naveed
- Our Lady Peace - Clumsy
- The Pursuit of Happiness - I'm An Adult Now
- Rascalz, Checkmate, Kardinal Offishall, Thrust and Choclair - Northern Touch
- Rheostatics - Record Body Count
- Robbie Robertson - Showdown At Big Sky
- Rough Trade - High School Confidential
- Rush - Closer to the Heart
- Rush - The Spirit of Radio
- Rush - Tom Sawyer
- Rusty - Wake Me
- Rusty - Misogyny
- Sam Roberts - Brother Down
- Sarah Harmer - Basement Apartment
- Sarah Harmer - Silver Road
- Sarah McLachlan - Hold On
- Sarah McLachlan - Angel
- Skydiggers - I Will Give You Everything
- Sloan - Underwhelmed
- Sloan - Coax Me
- Sloan - The Good In Everyone
- Spirit of the West - Home For A Rest
- Stan Rogers - Northwest Passage
- Stars - Ageless Beauty
- Stars - Your Ex-Lover Is Dead
- Steppenwolf - Born To Be Wild
- Stompin' Tom Conners - Hockey Song
- Tokyo Police Club - Nature Of The Experiment
- Tom Cochrane - Boy Inside The Man
- Tom Cochrane - Big League
- The Tragically Hip - New Orleans Is Sinking
- The Tragically Hip - Bobcaygeon
- The Tragically Hip - Wheat Kings
- The Tragically Hip - Ahead By A Century
- The Tragically Hip - Courage
- Treble Charger - Red
- The Watchmen - All Uncovered
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CanCon Song Dump #17
Published June 22, 2007 @ 20:03 in Best Canadian Song Search
My quest to come up with a definitive list of the 100 best Canadian tunes is down to the last dump. On Monday I'll throw down a solid shortlist and you peeps can leave your top ten in the comments.
Here's the seventeenth dump of Canadian gems.
- The Waltons - The Naked Rain
- The Watchmen - All Uncovered
- The Watchmen - Stereo
- The Weakerthans - The Reasons
- Wolf Parade - I'll Believe In Anything
- Barenaked Ladies - If I Had $100000000
- Blue Rodeo - Lost Together
- Barney Bentall - Something to Live For
- Anne Murray - Danny's Song
- The Band - Up On Cripple Creek
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CanCon Song Dump #16
Published June 20, 2007 @ 19:52 in Best Canadian Song Search
My quest to come up with a definitive list of the 100 best Canadian tunes is going all the way with Stephanie Kaye.
Here's the sixteenth dump of Canadian gems.
- Tom Cochrane - Boy Inside The Man
- Tom Cochrane - Big League
- Tom Cochrane - Victory Day
- The Tragically Hip - New Orleans Is Sinking
- The Tragically Hip - Bobcaygeon
- The Tragically Hip - Wheat Kings
- The Tragically Hip - Ahead By A Century
- The Tragically Hip - Courage
- Treble Charger - Red
- Trooper - Raise A Little Hell
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5 Comments
CanCon Song Dump #15
Published June 18, 2007 @ 18:12 in Best Canadian Song Search
My quest to come up with a definitive list of the 100 best Canadian tunes is juiced to get loose. This is the final week of song dumps. On Monday I'll throw down the shortlist so we can discuss this like mature adults..
Here's the fifteenth dump of Canadian gems.
- Stars - Ageless Beauty
- Stars - Your Ex-Lover Is Dead
- Steppenwolf - Born To Be Wild
- Steppenwolf - Magic Carpet Ride
- Stompin' Tom Conners - Hockey Song
- Swollen Members - Fuel Injected
- Tal Bachman - She's So High
- The Tea Party - The River
- Three Days Grace - I Hate Everything About You
- Tokyo Police Club - Nature Of The Experiment
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CanCon Song Dump #14
Published June 15, 2007 @ 20:22 in Best Canadian Song Search
My quest to come up with a definitive list of the 100 best Canadian tunes of all time is winding down. The final list will be unveiled on July 1.
Here's the fourteenth dump of Canadian gems.
- Skydiggers - I Will Give You Everything
- Sloan - Underwhelmed
- Sloan - Coax Me
- Sloan - The Good In Everyone
- Sloan - Everything You've Done Wrong
- Snow - Informer
- Spirit of the West - Home For A Rest
- The Spoons - Nova Heart
- Stagerred Crossing - Furher Again
- Stan Rogers - Northwest Passage
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CanCon Song Dump #13
Published June 13, 2007 @ 21:15 in Best Canadian Song Search
My quest to come up with a definitive list of the 100 best Canadian tunes of all-time is as effective as a gang sweep in Toronto that puts 60 suspects in custody, seizes $1 million worth of street drugs and scores of weapons.
Here's the thirteenth dump of Canadian gems.
- Saga - On The Loose
- The Salads - Get Loose
- Sam Roberts - Brother Down
- Sam Roberts - Where Have All The Good People Gone
- Sarah Harmer - Basement Apartment
- Sarah Harmer - Silver Road
- Sarah McLachlan - Hold On
- Sarah McLachlan - Into The Fire
- Sarah McLachlan - Angel
- Skid Row - I Remember You
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CanCon Song Dump #12
Published June 11, 2007 @ 21:45 in Best Canadian Song Search
My quest to come up with a definitive list of the 100 best Canadian tunes of all-time is into the R's and heading full steam into the S's.
Here's the twelfth dump of Canadian gems.
- Rheostatics - Record Body Count
- Rheostatics - Claire
- Robbie Robertson - Showdown At Big Sky
- Rough Trade - High School Confidential
- Rush - Closer to the Heart
- Rush - Fly By Night
- Rush - The Spirit of Radio
- Rush - Tom Sawyer
- Rusty - Wake Me
- Rusty - Misogyny
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CanCon Song Dump #11
Published June 8, 2007 @ 20:50 in Best Canadian Song Search
My quest to come up with a definitive list of the 100 best Canadian tunes of all-time is powerful enough to make Paris Hilton cry.
Here's the eleventh dump of Canadian gems. Make me proud.
- Odds - Heterosexual Man
- Our Lady Peace - 4am
- Our Lady Peace - Naveed
- Our Lady Peace - Clumsy
- Payolas - Eyes of a Stranger
- Platinum Blonde - Crying Over You
- The Pursuit of Happiness - I'm An Adult Now
- The Pursuit of Happiness - She's So Young
- Randy Bachman - Prairie Town
- BTO - You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet
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CanCon Song Dump #10
Published June 6, 2007 @ 21:20 in Best Canadian Song Search
My quest to come up with a definitive list of the 100 best Canadian tunes of all-time is soaring higher than our dollar.
Here's the tenth dump of Canadian gems. Take no prisoners.
- Neil Young - Heart of Gold
- Neil Young - Rockin' In The Free World
- Nelly Furtado - I'm Like A Bird
- Neverending White Lights - The Grace
- The New Pornographers - Mass Romantic
- The New Pornographers - Use It
- Nickelback - How You Remind Me
- Northern Lights - Tears Are Not Enough
- The Northern Pikes - Teenland
- Odds - Someone Who's Cool
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CanCon Song Dump #9
Published June 4, 2007 @ 17:59 in Best Canadian Song Search
My quest to come up with a definitive list of the 100 best Canadian tunes of all-time has the momentum of a Phil Leotardo led assault on our favourite New Jersey crime family.
Here's the ninth dump of Canadian gems. Take no prisoners.
- Maestro Fresh-Wes - Let Your Backbone Slide
- Mashmakhan - As Years Go By
- Matthew Good Band - Apparitions
- Men Without Hats - Safety Dance
- Metric - Combat Baby
- Moist - Push
- Moxy Fruvous - King of Spain
- Neil Young - Cinnamon Girl
- Neil Young - Helpless
- Neil Young - Old Man
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9 Comments
CanCon Song Dump #8
Published June 1, 2007 @ 21:04 in Best Canadian Song Search
My quest to come up with a definitive list of the 100 best Canadian tunes of all-time is bigger than Jesus. You know Jesus Delgado, right? He's a Red Sox pitching prospect. This is even bigger than him.
Here's the eighth dump of Canadian gems. Take no prisoners.
- Lee Aaron - Watcha Do To My Body
- Len - Steal My Sunshine
- Leonard Cohen - Suzanne
- Leonard Cohen - Bird on a Wire
- Leonard Cohen - Hallelujah
- Lighthouse - One Fine Morning
- Lighthouse - Sunny Days
- Loverboy - Turn Me Loose
- The Lowest of the Low - Bleed A Little While Tonight
- The Lowest of the Low - Henry Needs A New Pair of Shoes
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CanCon Song Dump #7
Published May 30, 2007 @ 21:26 in Best Canadian Song Search
My quest to come up with a definitive list of the 100 best Canadian tunes of all-time is creating more buzz in NYC than A-Rod and his Brass Rail babe. I've never been inside the Brass Rail (it's true, I swear) but I watched her glowing lights from my balcony for two years in my early 20s.
Here's the seventh dump of Canadian gems. Be relentless!
- Joni Mitchell - Big Yellow Taxi
- Joni Mitchell - Help, Me
- Joni Mitchell - Woodstock
- Joni Mitchell - Both Sides, Now
- Joni Mitchell - The Circle Game
- k-os - Heaven Only Knows
- k-os - Man I Used To Be
- k.d. lang - Constant Craving
- Kim Mitchell - Patio Lanterns
- Kim Mitchell - Go For Soda
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CanCon Song Dump #6
Published May 28, 2007 @ 17:33 in Best Canadian Song Search
My quest to come up with a definitive list of the 100 best Canadian tunes of all-time is the most exciting thing to happen to this country since GaƩtan Boucher won silver at the Lake Placid Olympic games in 1980. I'll be dumping ten tracks every Monday, Wednesday and Thursday and then we'll see where we're at before the final list appears on July 1st.
Here's the sixth dump of Canadian gems.
- The Headstones - Unsound
- hHead - Happy
- Holly McNarland - Numb
- Hot Hot Heat - Bandages
- Honeymoon Suite - New Girl Now
- I Mother Earth - So Gently We Go
- Ian and Sylvia - Four Strong Winds
- Jann Arden - Could I Be Your Girl
- Jann Arden - Insensitive
- Jeff Healey - Angel Eyes
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CanCon Song Dump #5
Published May 25, 2007 @ 19:52 in Best Canadian Song Search
My quest to come up with a definitive list of the 100 best Canadian tunes of all-time is rolling right along, gathering steam as it bowls over everything in its path. Today I'm tackling a couple of greats in Gordon Lightfoot and The Guess Who.
Here's the fifth dump of Canadian gems.
- Glass Tiger - Don't Forget Me (When I'm Gone)
- Gordon Lightfoot - Early Morning Rain
- Gordon Lightfoot - Canadian Railroad Trilogy
- Gordon Lightfoot - If You Could Read My Mind
- Gordon Lightfoot - Sundown
- Gowan - A Criminal Mind
- Great Big Sea - Ordinary Day
- The Guess Who - American Woman
- The Guess Who - Share the Land
- The Guess Who - These Eyes
- The Guess Who - No Time
- Hayden - Bad As They Seem
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2 Comments
CanCon Song Dump #4
Published May 23, 2007 @ 20:31 in Best Canadian Song Search
I'll bet you're pretty damn excited about my quest to come up with a definitive list of the 100 best Canadian tunes of all-time. There's more right here.
Here's the fourth dump of Canadian gems. Comment away my CanCon brothers and sisters.
- Crowbar - Oh What A Feeling
- Custom - Hey Mister
- The Dears - Lost in the Plot
- Death From Above 1979 - Romantic Rights
- Doug and the Slugs - Too Bad
- Dream Warriors - My Definition of a Boombastic Jazz Style
- Econoline Crush - You Don't Know What It's Like
- Elliot Brood - The Bridge
- Feist - Mushaboom
- Five Man Electical Band - Signs
- The Gandharvas - The First Day of Spring
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CanCon Song Dump #3
Published May 17, 2007 @ 20:38 in Best Canadian Song Search
You've no doubt heard about my quest to come up with a definitive list of the 100 best Canadian tunes of all-time. There's more right here. Let's get down to business, shall we?
Here's the third dump of ten Canadian gems.
- Bruce Cockburn - Lovers in a Dangerous Time
- Bryan Adams - Summer of '69
- Change of Heart - Herstory
- Chantal Kreviazuk - Surrounded
- Chilliwack - Fly At Night
- Rascalz, Checkmate, Kardinal Offishall, Thrust and Choclair - Northern Touch
- City and Colour - Comin' Home
- Colin James - Why'd You Lie
- Corey Hart - Sunglasses at Night
- Cowboy Junkies - Misguided Angel
- Crash Test Dummies - Superman's Song
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CanCon Song Dump #2
Published May 16, 2007 @ 19:34 in Best Canadian Song Search
In case you're new to the party, I'm on a quest to come up with a definitive list of the 100 best Canadian tunes of all-time. To make our lives easier, I've created a new category to collect these entries.
I've also made another minor adjustment. I'm now pulling ten songs each day from my collection sorted by artist. I had to revisit the "A's" just to make sure I didn't miss any diamonds in the rough. As always, comments are desired.
Here's the second dump of ten Canadian gems.
- The Age of Electric - Remote Control
- Alexisonfire - The Could Be Anywhere In The World
- Anne Murray - Snowbird
- April Wine - You Could Have Been A Lady
- Bachman Turner Overdrive - Takin' Care Of Business
- The Band - The Weight
- Bif Naked - Chotee
- Big Wreck - That Song
- Blood, Sweat and Tears - Spinning Wheel
- Broken Social Scene - Cause=Time
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CanCon Song Dump #1
Published May 15, 2007 @ 21:50 in Best Canadian Song Search, Music
I'm on a quest to come up with a definitive list of the 100 best Canadian tunes of all-time. Every couple of days I'm dumping ten great Canadian songs and inviting you to suggest Canadian classics in the comments.
On July 1, I'll unveil the top 100. Here's the first dump of ten Canadian gems.
- 54-40 - I Go Blind
- Alanis Morissette - You Oughta Know
- Alannah Myles - Black Velvet
- Arcade Fire - Wake Up
- Ashley MacIsaac - Sleepy Maggie
- Barenaked Ladies - Brian Wilson
- Billy Talent - Nothing To Lose
- Blue Rodeo - Try
- Blue Rodeo - Diamond Mine
- Bran Van 3000 - Drinking in L.A.
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A Canadian Quest
Published May 15, 2007 @ 21:23 in Best Canadian Song Search, Music, O Canada
It all started with an email from Jim.
Canada Day is coming up fast. I have never heard of a radio station collecting votes for the best Canadian songs of all time. And of course most of them would be restricted by their own formats (e.g. The Edge doesn't play BTO or Neil Young; Q107 can't play Billy Talent or Sam Roberts). So I got to thinking that your blog might be a good place to collect people's votes for the top 100 Canadian songs of all time.
I put together my own top ten list here, if this inspires others to make their own.
- New Orleans is Sinking - the Hip
- Heart of Gold - Neil Young
- Nothing to Lose - Billy Talent
- American Woman - The Guess Who
- Takin' Care of Business - BTO
- Nautical Disaster - the Hip
- Hasn't Hit me Yet - Blue Rodeo
- Old Man - Neil Young
- 4 am - Our Lady Peace
- Tom Sawyer- Rush
Jim
Jim, I now know why God placed me on this earth. I'm supposed to put together the definitive list of the best 100 Canadian tunes. I once wrote about my Ten Canadian Tracks, but this is different. This is the top 100 Canadian tunes of all-time.
Here's how we'll do this. Every couple of days I'll post ten great Canadian tracks in no particular order. Your job is to leave songs you think belong on the list in the comments of these entries, starting with this one. By July 1, I'll have a nice list of 100 to unveil.
It's nice to have a purpose in life.
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