Top 20 Canadian Rock Bands and Musicians

[DavedrumsTX]

So, news today about a new documentary about Triumph -- the Canadian rock band whose songs I love to sing at karaoke when there's helium available -- got me thinking about where the Mississauga power trio would rank among Canada's Best Rock Bands and Musicians.

Thankfully, Ranker.com provides the answer in the form of a crowd-sourced Top 100 based on the votes of visitors to the site. (I provided the Top 20 ... once you get past about 25, it's all Chilliwacks, Glass Tigers and Men Without Hats.)

Top Canadian Rock Bands (and musicians) based on more than 26,600 votes. The included bands receive a * if Vistalite Black has seen them perform and ** if VB has never actually heard them. I've applied a complex algorithm to account for the lower value of the Canadian dollar (currently 81 cents).

20. Loverboy*

19. Barenaked Ladies

18. Big Wreck**

17. Our Lady Peace

16. Blue Rodeo**

15. Joni Mitchell

14. Alanis Morrisette*

13. The Jeff Healey Band

12. Steppenwolf

11. Gordon Lightfoot

10. April Wine

9. Bryan Adams

8. The Tea Party*

7. The Band

6. Bachman-Turner Overdrive

5. Triumph

4. Neil Young*

3. The Guess Who

2. The Tragically Hip**

1. Rush*

The 100+ Best Canadian Rock Bands & Artists, Ranked (ranker.com)

Of course, there are omissions to this list ... possibly the worst of which is (Edit) Monster Truck is in at #81, If you ever get a chance to see the Truck, go!

Monster Truck - Don't Tell Me How To Live (Official Video) - YouTube

 

[DavedrumsTX]

Max Webster

 

[varatrodder]

I"m gonna go with Rush for #1. And Triumph for #2-20.

 

[dsop]

Metz is from Toronto.

That reminds me... Belinda Metz was great too!

 

[OttawaDrumGuy]

What? No Anvil?

I'm actually serious.

Looks like you should have been @Murat's shop a few minutes ago to meet Robb in person.

 

[DrummerJustLikeDad]

Looks like you should have been @Murat's shop a few minutes ago to meet Robb in person.

View attachment 524961

Oh that's lovely.

Even my wife has heard me talk about Murat's shop and how I wish we lived nearby so I could shop there. And that was said before knowing who his clientele were. Very cool.

 

[fredpasta]

Pat Travers ...

 

[Murat]

Oh that's lovely.

Even my wife has heard me talk about Murat's shop and how I wish we lived nearby so I could shop there. And that's before knowing his clientele. Very cool.

Thank you so much Sir ! We'll get you here one day

 

[Neilrush88]

Nickelback can be a bit cock-rocky and seem to be very polarising (although they've sold an awful lot of albums for a band so many claim to hate), but they take themselves less seriously than everybody else does.

Personally I think they're a great band who have written some very good pop/rock songs with good musicianship.

When I was teenager in the early 2000, the album Silver side up help me a lot in my growing skills as beginner drummer, almost learnt it complete. The original drummer Ryan Vikedal was great in the band and loved his Ayotte green-black fade drumset.

 

[Paistekid]

Wasn't Honeymoon Suite out of Canada?

Indeed a fine band from Niagara Falls, Ontario! AND every Canadians should know that little old band from PEI call Haywire. Their guitarist Marvin Birt is like the Canadian version of Eddie Van Halen!

 

[JBludwig]

How does the "hardest working band in Canada" not make any of these lists?

Was gonna say Helix should be right after Rush! Gimme an R O C K what’s that spell?

 

[Patrick]

Good to see David Wilcox on the full list. I saw several gobsmacking gigs with Whitey Glann on drums.

Curious that Motherlode doesn't make the list. Their song "When I Die" was a one hit wonder. But a really good one hit wonder. Goofy video, but there's the song:

 

[mebeatee]

First off....no I haven’t seen the list nor do I want to....but puleeeese....Rush, Tragically Hip, Loverboy????
Ok I admit to trying to check it out on an old iPad where that browser is out of date and then left it at that.....
I play....well we’ll see if we continue....we’re not in a hurry...in a combo that’s been around for 35 yrs and still kicks the poop out of most bands in our genre(s)....reggae/ska/funk/punk at shows and fests, and is still quite popular.....but that’s not part of this reply and of any interest here......however us and doa have been dubbed the hardest working bands out there...as well...lol. Kudos to the person who chimed in re the punk bands!!!!!
However....because folks are still rerereleasing records done 40 yrs ago (legitimately btw), and is still being bootlegged to vinyl (from Italy and Japan that I have or know of)...a badge of honour these daze in the Spotify et al mentality of accumulating music...but the real reason is that we had more girls on stage dancing with us that would be in attendance at a Rush show....
If it wasn’t for a word or two I could have bought an island somewhere but have settled on a nice small comfy house by the ocean...
So being an old fart may I present......

Loving reissue of the Young Canadians' Hawaii EP raises the question of who was Vancouver's greatest punk band

Maybe there's no answer, but there's a pretty good case to be made

www.straight.com

bt

 

[Jhouse86]

Tom Cochran. Colin James.

 

[varatrodder]

 

[Vistalite Black]

Any good Canuck bands that formed in the past 20 years? Other than Avril Lavigne…

 

[Erik]

Never heard Big Wreck? They actually wrote one of mi favourite all time songs.

That song.

Never even heard of them... Listening to Apple Musics top songs - they are great!

 

[Erik]

So, this is a Canadian band my dad was in. Good band, but never took off commercially. I really liked living in Calgary, but dad being on the road for 6-8 weeks at a time took a toll on my stepmom. Right around the time she moved back to the states the band had significant financial trouble and their assets were seized by Canadian authorities! My dad is still pissed he lost his Milestone kit.

 

[Bandit]

Never even heard of them... Listening to Apple Musics top songs - they are great!

They are great. Glad I could help.

 

[Bandit]

Rush x 20

Just 20?