Print media
195-417: Music television Rock music of Canada is a wide and diverse part of the general music of Canada , beginning with American and British style rock and roll in the mid-20th century. Since then Canada has had a considerable impact on the development of the modern popular music called rock . Canada has produced many of the genre's most significant groups and performers, while contributing substantively to
390-471: A variety of regional scenes . Government support programs, such as the Canada Music Fund, assist a wide range of musicians and entrepreneurs who create, produce and market original and diverse Canadian music. The Canadian music industry is the sixth-largest in the world, producing internationally renowned composers , musicians and ensembles . Music broadcasting in the country is regulated by
585-641: A Canadian female of African descent, her popularity helped to open previously closed doors for talented women who followed. She has been declared " A person of national historic significance " by the Government of Canada . In 1964 she performed for Queen Elizabeth II , at the opening of the Confederation Centre of the Arts . Following World War II a growth phase for Canadian bands was experienced, this time among school bands. Rapid advances in
780-623: A Deadman , Protest the Hero , Default , Bedouin Soundclash , Neverending White Lights , Hedley , Tokyo Police Club , Death from Above 1979 , Age of Daze , Metric , Broken Social Scene , Monster Truck , The Sheepdogs , Walk Off the Earth , City and Colour , No Sinner , Priestess and PUP . Arguably the most successful Canadian group of the decade was Nickelback . The album Silver Side Up sold over six million copies (6× Platinum) in
975-496: A Québécois version of a French reality music competition , several new artists including Marie-Élaine Thibert , Marie-Mai , Émily Bégin and Stéphanie Lapointe became better known among francophones after participation in the reality show. Charlotte Cardin , a finalist on TVA's singing competition La Voix in 2013, went on to critical and commercial success in pop and rock in French and English Canada. Quebec has also produced
1170-561: A Teenage Werewolf". Lead singer Lux Interior 's energetic and unpredictable live shows attracted a fervent cult audience. Their " psychobilly " music influenced The Meteors and Reverend Horton Heat . In the early '80s, the Latin genre was born in Colombia by Marco T (Marco Tulio Sanchez), with The Gatos Montañeros. The Polecats , from North London, were originally called The Cult Heroes; they could not get any gigs at rockabilly clubs with
1365-428: A blend of bluegrass with rock and roll. The term "rockabilly" itself is a portmanteau of "rock" (from "rock 'n' roll") and " hillbilly ", the latter a reference to the country music (often called " hillbilly music " in the 1940s and 1950s) that contributed strongly to the style. Other important influences on rockabilly include western swing , boogie-woogie , jump blues , and electric blues . Defining features of
1560-456: A blues song on one side and a country song on the other, both sung in the same genre-blending style. Presley's Sun recordings feature his vocals and rhythm guitar, Bill Black's percussive slapped bass, and Scotty Moore on an amplified guitar. Slap bass had been a staple of both western swing and hillbilly boogie since the 1940s. Scotty Moore described his playing style as an amalgamation of techniques he had picked up from other guitarists over
1755-464: A break on July 5, 1954, Elvis started playing " That's All Right Mama ", a 1946 blues song by Arthur Crudup, and Moore and Black joined in. After several takes, Phillips had a satisfactory recording. "That's All Right" was released on July 19, 1954. Presley's version of "That's All Right Mama" melded country, a genre associated with European-American culture, and rhythm & blues, a genre associated with African-American culture . The resulting track
1950-645: A breakthrough hit for Shakin' Stevens . Also in 1980, Queen scored a number-one hit on the Billboard Hot 100 with the rockabilly-inspired single " Crazy Little Thing Called Love ". The Stray Cats were the most commercially successful of the new rockabilly artists. The band formed on Long Island in 1979 when Brian Setzer teamed up with two school chums calling themselves Lee Rocker and Slim Jim Phantom . Attracting little attention in New York, they flew to London in 1980, where they had heard that there
2145-1007: A duet with Carl Perkins, and George Harrison collaborated with Roy Orbison in the Traveling Wilburys . In 1999, McCartney released Run Devil Run , his own record of rockabilly covers. The Beatles were not the only British Invasion artists influenced by rockabilly. The Rolling Stones recorded Buddy Holly's " Not Fade Away " on an early single and later a rockabilly-style song, " Rip This Joint ", on Exile on Main St. The Who , despite being mod favorites, covered Eddie Cochran's " Summertime Blues " and Johnny Kidd and The Pirates ' Shakin' All Over on their Live at Leeds album. Even heavy guitar heroes such as Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page were influenced by rockabilly musicians. Beck recorded his own tribute album to Gene Vincent's guitarist Cliff Gallup — Crazy Legs —and Page's band, Led Zeppelin , offered to work as Elvis Presley's backing band in
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#17327876359612340-400: A fund to help emerging artists produce their videos. Canadian women at the end of the 20th century enjoyed greater international commercial success than ever before. Canadian women set a new pinnacle of success, in terms financial, critical and in their immediate and strong influence on their respective genres. They were the women and daughters who had fought for emancipation and equality
2535-543: A fund to help emerging artists produce their videos. New wave , glam rock and heavy metal had become the most popular style of rock in the mid-1980s. Acts such as Platinum Blonde , Helix , Toronto , Parachute Club , The Box , Strange Advance , Spoons , Trans-X , Rational Youth , Men Without Hats , Norman Iceberg , Images in Vogue , Headpins , Sheriff , Frozen Ghost , Teenage Head , Idle Eyes , Eight Seconds , The Northern Pikes , Brighton Rock and Martha and
2730-549: A generation before. Like Shania Twain , Alanis Morissette and most notable is French-Canadian singer, Celine Dion , who became Canada's best-selling music artist, and who, in 2004, received the Chopard Diamond award from the World Music Awards for surpassing 175 million in album sales, worldwide. The turn of the millennium was a time of incredible nationalism, at least as far as Canadian radio
2925-526: A great love of song, dance and fiddle playing. Beginning in the 1630s French and Indigenous children at Québec were taught to sing and play European instruments, like viols , violins , guitars , transverse flutes , drums, fifes and trumpets . Ecole des Ursulines and The Ursuline Convent are among North America's oldest schools and the first institutions of learning for women in North America. Both were founded in 1639 by French nun Marie of
3120-478: A life line to civilization. One of the earliest surviving publications in Canada of a song on the piano in sheet music format is "The Merry Bells of England" by J. F. Lehmann, of Bytown (later Ottawa) in 1840. It was published by John Lovell in the literary magazine Literary Garland . The Great Migration of Canada from 1815 to 1850, consisting largely of Irish , and British immigrants, broadened considerably
3315-424: A limited distribution infrastructure. Two internationally renowned bands to arise from this industry were Bachman–Turner Overdrive and Rush , both featuring acclaimed managers. Bachman–Turner Overdrive's manager, Bruce Allen , went on to produce Loverboy and eventually manage such major pop stars as Bryan Adams and Anne Murray. Randy Bachman (formerly of The Guess Who) released his new band's first album under
3510-584: A long and healthy career featuring continuing stadium tours. The Hip achieved a record for most number one debuts on the Canadian Albums Chart with a total of eight albums. They were inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame, Canada's Walk of Fame, Royal Conservatory of Music , have won over a dozen Juno Awards from more than thirty nominations, Our Lady Peace , from Toronto were one of the most successful Canadian rock groups of
3705-540: A medal struck by the Royal Canadian Mint . Canada also has many specific music awards, both for different genres and for geographic regions: Distinctive music scenes have been an integral part of the cultural landscape of Canada. With Canada being vast in size, the country throughout its history has had regional music scenes, with a wide and diverse accumulation of styles and genres from many different individual communities, such as Inuit music , music of
3900-682: A million copies. These same musicians would have two more releases in 1956, followed by another in January 1957. "Queen of Rockabilly" Wanda Jackson's first record came out in July, "I Gotta Know" on the Capitol label; followed by "Hot Dog That Made Him Mad" in November. Capitol would release nine more records by Jackson, some with songs she had written herself, before the 1950s were over. The first record by Jerry Lee Lewis , who would later be known as
4095-510: A mix of blues, country and early rockabilly. The Saturday Night Jamboree was a Memphis stage show held every Saturday night at the Goodwyn Institute Auditorium in downtown Memphis, Tennessee from 1953–1954. The Jamboree shows were sometimes broadcast live on KWEM. A number of future notables performed there, including Elvis Presley. The performers often experimented with new sounds in their dressing rooms, incorporating
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#17327876359614290-646: A name that sounded "punk", so the original drummer Chris Hawkes came up with the name "Polecats". Tim Polecat and Boz Boorer started playing together in 1976, then hooked up with Phil Bloomberg and Chris Hawkes at the end of 1977. The Polecats played rockabilly with a punk sense of anarchy and helped revive the genre for a new generation in the early 1980s. The Blasters , who emerged from the Los Angeles punk scene, included rockabilly among their roots rock influences. The song " Marie Marie ", first appearing on their 1980 debut album American Music , would later become
4485-568: A nationwide boogie craze starting in 1938, country artists like Moon Mullican , the Delmore Brothers , Tennessee Ernie Ford , Speedy West , Jimmy Bryant , and the Maddox Brothers and Rose began recording what was then known as "hillbilly boogie", which consisted of "hillbilly" vocals and instrumentation with a boogie bass line. After World War II , The Maddox Brothers and Rose were at "the leading edge of rockabilly with
4680-436: A new wave of Canadian thrash metal bands began to rise up and earned a dedicated following like Anvil , Razor , Voivod , Sacrifice , Sword , Exciter and Annihilator , Canadian metal's biggest selling artist, with sales of close to 2 million units worldwide, with industrial bands Skinny Puppy and Front Line Assembly in the mix, as well as black/death metal band Blasphemy . Canada's most successful rock artists by
4875-437: A number of significant Anglophone artists, including Arcade Fire , Patrick Watson , The Dears , Godspeed You! Black Emperor , Riverbeds , Stars , The Stills , The Unicorns , Wolf Parade , Rufus Wainwright , Sam Roberts , Paul Cargnello , We Are Wolves , Corey Hart , Corky Laing , The New Cities , Chromeo , Simple Plan and the infamous spoken-word musical career of William Shatner . Quebec artists have dominated
5070-595: A part of civil life and typically featured a dozen woodwind and brass instruments, performing at parades, festive ceremonies, minuets , country dances and balls. After the 1760s, regular concerts became a part of the cultural landscape, as well as a wide variety of dancing. Operatic excerpts began to appear, and before the end of the century Canada had its first home-grown opera. A "Concert Hall" existed in Québec by 1764 and subscription concerts by 1770, given, one may presume, by band players and skilled amateurs. Programs for
5265-822: A pioneer of rockabilly and rock and roll, came out on December 22, 1956, and featured his version of " Crazy Arms " and "End of the Road". Lewis would have big hits in 1957 with his version of " Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On ", issued in May, and " Great Balls Of Fire " on Sun. There were thousands of musicians who recorded songs in the rockabilly style, and many record companies released rockabilly records. Some enjoyed major chart success and were important influences on future rock musicians. Sun also hosted performers, such as Billy Lee Riley , Sonny Burgess , Charlie Feathers , and Warren Smith . There were also several female performers like Wanda Jackson who recorded rockabilly music long after
5460-429: A popular dance craze well into the '60s alongside dances like "The Twist" and "The Mashed Potato". The first Canadian-made and produced rock recording to achieve international popularity was "Clap Your Hands" in 1960 by a Montreal quartet , The Beaumarks . Shortly thereafter, they appeared on American Bandstand and a charity concert at Carnegie Hall . Bobby Curtola from Port Arthur, Ontario had several songs on
5655-756: A popular solo artist in soft rock . Also notable is folk rocker Gordon Lightfoot's " The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald ", a song written in commemoration of the sinking of the bulk carrier SS Edmund Fitzgerald on Lake Superior on 10 November 1975. The incident is the most famous disaster in the history of Great Lakes shipping. The single reached #2 on the Billboard pop charts in November 1976, making it Lightfoot's second most successful (in terms of chart position) single, with " Sundown " having reached number one in 1974. Another of this period's most influential and popular rock bands, Heart , resulted from
5850-740: A pressing plant (the largest of its day) in 1918 at Lachine, Quebec . Compo was originally created to serve the several American independent record companies such as Okeh Records which wanted to distribute records in Canada. The 1920s saw Canada's first radio stations, this allowed Canadian songwriters to contribute some of the most famous popular music of the early 20th century. Canada's first commercial radio station CFCF (formerly XWA) begins broadcasting regularly scheduled programming in Montreal in 1920, followed by CKAC , Canada's first French language radio station, in 1922. By 1923, there were 34 radio stations in Canada and subsequently proliferated at
6045-656: A prominent figure in Canadian blues and rock devoting his life to popularizing Canadian musicians. He formed a backing band called The Hawks , which produced some of the earliest Canadian rock stars. Among them were the members of The Band , who began touring with Bob Dylan in 1966, and then struck out on their own in 1968. As the late fifties gave way to the sixties, stars of the previous decade were still producing hits, but they were quickly losing ground as they struggled to find material that clicked with this new and energetic generation. However, " The Stroll " continued to be
Rock music of Canada - Misplaced Pages Continue
6240-702: A punk-influenced style of rockabilly, often labeled as alt-country or cowpunk . They achieved critical acclaim and a following in America but never managed a major hit. The revival was related to the " roots rock " movement, which continued through the 1980s, led by artists like James Intveld , who later toured as lead guitar for The Blasters, High Noon , the Beat Farmers , The Paladins , Forbidden Pigs , Del-Lords, Long Ryders, The Last Wild Sons, The Fabulous Thunderbirds , Los Lobos , The Fleshtones , Del Fuegos , Reverend Horton Heat and Barrence Whitfield and
6435-619: A reader poll conducted by Canadian music industry trade magazine RPM Weekly in December 1964. A similar balloting process continued until 1970 when the RPM Gold Leaf Awards , as they were then known, were changed to the Juno Awards . The Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences held the first Juno Award ceremony in 1975. This was in response to rectifying the same concerns about promotion of Canadian artists that
6630-568: A remarkable rate, and with them spread the popularity of jazz . Jazz became associated with all things modern, sophisticated, and also decadent. In 1925, the Canadian Performing Rights Society was formed to administer public performance and royalties for composers and lyricists. It became known as the Composers, Authors and Publishers Association of Canada (CAPAC). Toronto-born Murray Adaskin (1906–2002)
6825-483: A rock and roll star in his own right), although they did not record the song until 1957. The Burnettes disliked the popular music McQueen played, so they began playing smaller shows on their own, focusing on their budding rockabilly sound. The trio released " Train Kept A-Rollin' " in 1956, listed by Rolling Stone magazine as one of the top 500 rock songs of all time . Many consider this 1956 recording to be
7020-683: A rock band. Following the hard rock scene a small wave of acts emerged from all across Canada, including Moxy , A Foot in Coldwater and Triumph from Toronto, Trooper from Vancouver, and April Wine from Halifax . April Wine experienced massive success in Canada from the early-1970s to the mid-1980s, but also had some success in United States and Britain , though many music critics have felt their music has been overshadowed by more successful bands. Canadian cultural critics have noted that
7215-518: A rockabilly album titled Everybody's Rockin' . The album was not a commercial success and Young was involved in a widely publicized legal fight with Geffen Records who sued him for making a record that did not sound "like a Neil Young record". Young made no further albums in the rockabilly style. During the 1980s, a number of country music stars scored hits recording in a rockabilly style. Marty Stuart 's " Hillbilly Rock " and Hank Williams, Jr. 's " All My Rowdy Friends Are Coming Over Tonight " were
7410-527: A second Canadian-born priest, Charles-Amador Martin , is credited with the plainchant music for the Sacrae familiae felix spectaculum , in celebration of the Holy Family feast day in 1700. Historically, music was composed in Canada's colonies and settlements during the 18th century, although very few popular named works have survived or were even published. The French and Indian Wars began and left
7605-630: Is Hank Snow (1914–1999), who signed with RCA Victor in 1936 and went on to become one of America's biggest and most innovative country music superstars of the 1940s and 1950s. Snow became a regular performer at the Grand Ole Opry on WSM in Nashville and released more than 45 LPs over his lifetime. Snow was one of the inaugural inductees to the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame started in 2003. Canada during
7800-614: Is also a Companion of the Order of Canada. Folk legend Joni Mitchell is an Alberta native, and has been inducted into both the Canadian Music Hall of Fame and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Walt Grealis of Toronto started in the music business with Apex Records in 1960, the Ontario distributor for Compo Company. He later joined London Records , where he worked until February 1964, when he then established RPM weekly trade magazine . From
7995-746: Is another example of the mixing of musical genres in the first half of the 1950s. Bill Monroe is known as the Father of Bluegrass , a specific style of country music. Many of his songs were in blues form, while others took the form of folk ballads, parlor songs, or waltzes. Bluegrass was a staple of country music in the early 1950s and is often mentioned as an influence in the development of rockabilly, in part owing to its favoring of fast tempos. The Honky Tonk sound, which "tended to focus on working-class life, with frequently tragic themes of lost love, adultery, loneliness, alcoholism, and self-pity", also included songs of energetic, uptempo Hillbilly Boogie. Some of
Rock music of Canada - Misplaced Pages Continue
8190-454: Is concerned. The 1971 CRTC rules (30% Canadian content on Canadian radio) finally come into full effect and by the end of the 20th century radio stations would have to play 35% Canadian content. This led to an explosion in the 21st century of Canadian pop musicians dominating the airwaves unlike any era before. In 1996, VideoFACT launched PromoFACT, a funding program to help new artists produce electronic press kits and websites . At about
8385-567: Is frequently played over sound systems at National Hockey League (NHL) games in both Canada and the United States. At the start of the 1990s Canadian rock took a distinctive turn. Just as artists from the 1970s competed with disco, artists from the 1990s were competing with Canadian hip hop and American hip hop on the Video and Radio charts. Glam metal and arena rock had lost its position as Hip hop, alternative rock and grunge became
8580-470: Is held each year as part of Canada's main annual music industry awards, the Juno Awards . The Governor General's Performing Arts Awards for Lifetime Artistic Achievement are the foremost honours presented for excellence in the performing arts, in the categories of dance , classical music , popular music , film , and radio and television broadcasting. They were initiated in 1992 by then Governor General Ray Hnatyshyn , and winners receive $ 25,000 and
8775-405: Is more difficult to travel nationwide as well due to the vast size, creating regional communities that revolve around major music scenes in cities such as Winnipeg, Vancouver, Toronto, Montreal or Halifax, each with a handful of offshoot suburban town scenes that produce the next wave of fresh bands. Most notable is Arcade Fire , who have won numerous awards, including the 2011 Grammy for Album of
8970-726: Is on record as one of the first classically trained practicing musicians in New France, although history has recognized him more as an explorer, hydrographer and voyageur . Jolliet is said to have played the organ, harpsichord , flute, and trumpet. In 1700, under British rule at this time, an organ was installed in Notre-Dame Basilica in Montreal and military bands gave concerts on the Champ de Mars . A French-born priest, René Ménard , composed motets around 1640, and
9165-631: Is part of Universal . He later joined London Records , where he worked until February 1964, when he then established RPM weekly trade magazine . From the first issue of RPM Weekly on February 24, 1964, to its final issue on November 13, 2000, RPM was the defining charts in Canada. The popularity of US rock on the two Canadian charts led to many existing groups, especially those devoted to country music, to change styles or to incorporate some rock style hits in their repertoires. Country rock and folk rock singers such as Gordon Lightfoot , Joni Mitchell , Leonard Cohen , Denny Doherty (of The Mamas &
9360-456: Is quoted as saying "Rock and Roll? Why, man, that's the same kind of music we've been playin' since 1928!... But it's just basic rhythm and has gone by a lot of different names in my time. It's the same, whether you just follow a drum beat like in Africa or surround it with a lot of instruments. The rhythm's what's important." After blues artists like Meade Lux Lewis and Pete Johnson launched
9555-536: Is the primatial church of Canada and seat of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Quebec . It is the oldest Catholic " Episcopal see " in the New World north of Mexico and site of the first documented choir in Canada. In what was then known as New France, the first formal ball was given by Louis-Théandre Chartier de Lotbinière (1612–1688) on 4 February 1667. Louis Jolliet (1645–1700)
9750-658: The 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame , and becoming one of Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time . In 1969, drummer Corky Laing , from Montreal, joined pioneering American hard rock band Mountain . Another one of the most prominent players of the late 1960s and early 1970s rock scene was Neil Young , who was a member of the folk rock band Buffalo Springfield , before joining Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young . Young also recorded music with Crazy Horse throughout his solo career. The song " Ohio ", written by Neil Young and recorded with CSNY,
9945-671: The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission had. Canadian music changed course in the 1980s and 1990s, the changing fast-paced culture was accompanied by an explosion in youth culture . Until the mid-1960s, little attention was paid to music by Canadian daily newspapers except as news or novelty. With the introduction during the late 1970s of the " music critic ", coverage began to rival that of any other topic. Canadian publications devoted to all styles of music either exclusively or in tandem with more general editorial content directed to young readers,
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#173278763596110140-579: The Double diamond award Other female Canadian musicians have achieved international success in the highly competitive world of popular music, including Joni Mitchell, Ginette Reno , Diane Dufresne , Diana Krall , Avril Lavigne , Loreena McKennitt , Amanda Marshall , Holly Cole , Chantal Kreviazuk , Diane Tell , Jann Arden , Deborah Cox , Sarah Harmer , Susan Aglukark , Melissa Auf der Maur , Emily Haines , Kittie , Bif Naked , Nelly Furtado , Colleen Rennison and Feist . The early first decade of
10335-1158: The Félix award for Best Anglophone Artist for her English-language debut, Unison , but she refused the award as she did not view herself as an Anglophone artist. After the controversy caused by this incident, Dion has been careful not to clearly declare herself as either federalist or sovereignist . Recent Quebec performers include Richard Desjardins , Daniel Boucher , Marie-Chantal Toupin , Éric Lapointe , Vilain Pingouin , Mes Aïeux , Les Trois Accords , Kaïn , Dumas , La Chicane , Les Colocs , Cindy Daniel , Daniel Bélanger , Paul Cargnello , Laurence Jalbert , Jean Leloup , Celine Dion , Les Stups , Dan Bigras , Isabelle Boulay and more recently Cœur de pirate . Some bands, such as Les Cowboys Fringants have known success in Europe (primarily in France) while Karkwa , Vulgaires Machins and Malajube are also recognized elsewhere in Canada. In 2003, TVA began to broadcast Star Académie ,
10530-773: The Jordanaires . In 1951 a western swing bandleader named Bill Haley recorded a version of " Rocket 88 " with his group, the Saddlemen . It is considered one of the earliest recognized rockabilly recordings. It was followed by versions of " Rock the Joint " in 1952, and original works such as "Real Rock Drive" and " Crazy Man, Crazy ", the latter of which reached number 12 on the American Billboard chart in 1953. On April 12, 1954, Haley, performing with his band as Bill Haley and His Comets , recorded " Rock Around
10725-485: The Long Tall Sally EP (1964)). Long after the band broke up, the members continued to show their interest in rockabilly. In 1975, Lennon recorded an album called Rock 'n' Roll , featuring versions of rockabilly hits and a cover photo showing him in full Gene Vincent leather. About the same time, Ringo Starr had a hit with a version of Johnny Burnette's " You're Sixteen ". In the 1980s, McCartney recorded
10920-526: The Scottish traveler and artist George Heriot (1759–1839), who wrote: The whole of the Canadian inhabitants are remarkably fond of dancing, and frequently amuse themselves at all seasons with that agreeable exercise. Among the earliest musical societies were Halifax 's "New Union Singing Society" of 1809 and Québec's "Harmonic Society" of 1820. One of the first registered all-civilian musical ensembles
11115-462: The gramophone at the beginning of the 20th century allowed Canadian songwriters to broaden their potential audiences. Following quickly on the gramophone's spread came World War I . The war was the catalyst for the writing and recording of large numbers of Canadian-written popular songs, some of which achieved lasting international commercial success. The 1920s saw Canada's first radio stations, this allowed Canadian songwriters to contribute some of
11310-566: The new world . They made gourds and animal horns into rattles which were elaborately carved and painted. In woodland areas, they made horns of birchbark along with drumsticks of carved antlers and wood. Drums were generally made of carved wood and animal hides . These musical instruments provide the background for songs and dances. For many years after European settlement, First Nations and Inuit peoples were discouraged from practicing their traditional ceremonies. However, impacts varied significantly depending on such aspects as
11505-495: The war in Vietnam and the rise of feminism . This led to the Canadian government passing Canadian content legislation to help Canadian artists. On January 18, 1971, regulations came into force requiring AM radio stations to devote 30 percent of their musical selections to Canadian content. Although this was (and still is) controversial, it quite clearly contributed to the development of a nascent Canadian pop star system. With
11700-563: The "Union Harmony" in 1801. Folk music was still thriving, as recounted in the poem titled " A Canadian Boat Song ". The poem was composed by the Irish poet Thomas Moore (1779–1852) during a visit to Canada in 1804. "The Canadian Boat Song" was so popular that it was published several times over the next forty years in Boston , New York City and Philadelphia . Dancing likewise was an extremely popular form of entertainment as noted In 1807 by
11895-450: The 1930s and 1940s, two new sounds emerged. Bob Wills and his Texas Playboys were the leading proponents of Western Swing , which combined country singing and steel guitar with big band jazz influences and horn sections ; Wills's music found massive popularity. Recordings of Wills's from the mid 1940s to the early 1950s include "two beat jazz" rhythms, "jazz choruses", and guitar work that preceded early rockabilly recordings. Wills
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#173278763596112090-569: The 1950s. The Four Lads , from Toronto , were one of the first groups to capitalize on this sound and become a prominent act in the Canadian rhythm and blues scene, producing their first hit in 1952 called " Mocking Bird ". Their most famous hit was " Moments to Remember ", which first reached the Billboard magazine charts on September 3, 1955. Emerging in the mid-1950s, on near equal-footing to American popular music , Canadian popular music enjoyed considerable success at home and abroad. By 1954
12285-572: The 1960s and 1970s. German born frontman, John Kay, would later become a Canadian citizen and was the only member of Steppenwolf to be inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame and Canada's Walk of Fame . Steppenwolf is most famous for the songs " Born to Be Wild ", " Magic Carpet Ride " and " The Pusher ". "Born to be Wild" is the group's biggest hit, making it to No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1968, becoming one of
12480-485: The 1970s. However, Presley never took them up on that offer. Years later, Led Zeppelin's Page and Robert Plant recorded a tribute to the music of the 1950s called The Honeydrippers: Volume One . The 1968 Elvis "comeback" and acts such as Sha Na Na , Creedence Clearwater Revival , Don McLean , Linda Ronstadt and the Everly Brothers , the film American Graffiti , the television show Happy Days and
12675-509: The 1980s in the UK (with four number ones in the singles chart) and number two across Europe, outstripping Michael Jackson , Prince , and Bruce Springsteen . Unlike The Stray Cats, who became successful due in part to MTV, Shakin' Stevens' success was initially due to him appearing on various children's television shows in Britain. Despite his popularity in Europe, he never became a big success in
12870-508: The 1980s) finally came into full effect and by the end of the decade, radio stations would have to play 35% Canadian content. This led to an explosion of Canadian bands ruling the Canadian airwaves unlike any era before. This includes The Headstones , The Tea Party , Matthew Good Band , Moist , Sloan , The Gandharvas , Change of Heart , Skydiggers , Eric's Trip , Limblifter , Salmonblaster , supergarage, The Misunderstood, Shyne Factory , Doughboys , Crash Test Dummies , The Lowest of
13065-464: The 1980s, in particular the need to conform to the taste of a Canadian audience that has had its standards and expectations formed by constant exposure to US and British acts for the prior three decades. The popularity of Chilliwack , for example, rose dramatically after the band turned from the experimental nature of its first few LPs to a mainstream pop style consistent with the US style. The band first hit
13260-412: The 1990s; their 1997 effort Clumsy was certified Diamond in Canada and going Platinum in the U.S. which was something that a lot of the Canadian rock groups didn't do in that time. In 1996, VideoFACT launched PromoFACT, a funding program to help new artists produce electronic press kits and websites . This helped Indie rock , that would see a new dominant phase in the mid-1990s just as rock and roll
13455-424: The 21st century was dominated by post-grunge and continued to see the expansion of alternative rock, pop-punk, hard rock, and indie rock both artistically and commercially. The main musical phenomenon was the emergence of a new generation of singer songwriters that were the direct consequence of the previous generation's intellectual ambitions. The biggest factor that has contributed to the resurgence of rock music in
13650-556: The American music charts. The late 2010s and early 2020 saw the deaths of Gord Downie of The Tragically Hip and Neil Peart of Rush . Patriotic music in Canada dates back over 200 years as a distinct category from British patriotism, preceding the first legal steps to independence by over 50 years. The earliest, " The Bold Canadian ", was written in 1812. The Canadian Music Hall of Fame established in 1976 honours Canadian musicians for their lifetime achievements. The ceremony
13845-541: The Big Bopper ), the induction of Elvis Presley into the army in 1958, and a general change in American musical tastes. The style remained popular longer in England, where it attracted a fanatical following right up through the mid-1960s. Rockabilly music cultivated an attitude that assured its enduring appeal to teenagers. This was a combination of rebellion, sexuality, and freedom—a sneering expression of disdain for
14040-855: The Bride (When She Used to Rock 'n' Roll) ". The group became a popular touring act in the UK and the US, leading to respectable album sales. Edmunds also nurtured and produced many younger artists who shared his love of rockabilly, most notably the Stray Cats . Robert Gordon emerged from late 1970s CBGB punk act Tuff Darts to reinvent himself as a rockabilly revival solo artist. He recorded first with 1950s guitar legend Link Wray and later with UK studio guitar veteran Chris Spedding and found borderline mainstream success. Also festering at CBGB's punk environs were The Cramps , who combined primitive and wild rockabilly sounds with lyrics inspired by old drive-in horror movies in songs like "Human Fly" and "I Was
14235-553: The CRTC. The Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences presents Canada's music industry awards, the Juno Awards , which were first awarded in 1970. The Canadian Music Hall of Fame , established in 1976, honours Canadian musicians for their lifetime achievements. Patriotic music in Canada dates back over 200 years as a distinct category from British patriotism, preceding Canadian Confederation by over 50 years. The earliest work of patriotic music in Canada, " The Bold Canadian ",
14430-585: The Canadian edition of Sesame Street from 1989 to 1995. Henderson also acted as director of the Canadian Association of Recording Arts and Sciences ( CARAS ) and as president of the Songwriters Association of Canada ( SOCAN ). Music videos assumed a major role in the promotion of pop rock recordings in 1980s for US exposure. Videos produced many mainstream pop-rockers that saw huge success in and outside of Canada. Success in
14625-399: The Canadian music charts beginning with "Hand In Hand With You" in 1960. His biggest chart-topper came in 1962 with the song, "Fortune Teller", which was also successful internationally. In 1966, he won an RPM Gold Leaf Award (The Gold Leaf Awards, which were in effect the first Juno Awards) for being the first Canadian to have a gold album . The CHUM Chart debuted on May 27, 1957, under
14820-584: The Canadian musical culture. 1844, Samuel Nordheimer (1824–1912) opened a music store in Toronto selling pianos and soon thereafter began to publish engraved sheet music . Samuel Nordheimers store was among the first and the largest specialized music publisher in the Province of Canada . They initially had the sole right to publish copies of Alexander Muir 's " The Maple Leaf Forever " that for many years served as an unofficial Canadian national anthem. By
15015-503: The Canadian recording industry made rock a major focus of its activity. In 1971, the Canadian content law was passed ensuring Canadian artists weren't overrun by American media outlets. The Juno Awards began as a reader poll conducted by Canadian music industry trade magazine RPM Weekly in December 1964. A similar balloting process continued until 1970 when the RPM Gold Leaf Awards, as they were then known, were changed to
15210-537: The Clock " for Decca Records of New York City. When first released in May 1954, "Rock Around the Clock" made the charts for one week at number 23, and sold 75,000 copies. In 1955, it was featured in the film Blackboard Jungle , resulting in a resurgence of sales. The song hit No. 1, held that position for eight weeks, and was the number two song on the Billboard Hot 100 chart for 1955. The recording was, until
15405-891: The Decca label, and, as a member of the Teen Kings, Roy Orbison with "Ooby Dooby" on the New Mexico/Texas based Je-wel label. Holly's big hits would not be released until 1957. Janis Martin was only fifteen years old when RCA issued a record with "Will You, Willyum" and the Martin-composed "Drugstore Rock 'n' Roll", which sold over 750,000 copies. King records issued a new disk by forty-seven-year-old Moon Mullican: " Seven Nights to Rock " and "Rock 'N' Roll Mr. Bullfrog". Twenty more sides were issued by various labels including 4 Star, Blue Hen, Dot, Cold Bond, Mercury, Reject, Republic, Rodeo, and Starday. In April and May 1956,
15600-519: The Doo-wop days. Often Canadian records of this period were simply covers of pop hits, and rhythm and blues oldies. 1958 saw Canada produced its first rock and roll teen idol Paul Anka , who went to New York City where he auditioned for ABC with the song, " Diana ". This song brought Anka instant stardom and he became the first Canadian to have a number one on the US Billboard charts in
15795-566: The First World War . The war was the catalyst for the writing and recording of large numbers of Canadian-written popular songs, some of which achieved lasting international commercial success. The military during World War I produced official music such as regimental marches and songs as well as utilitarian bugle calls . The soldiers had a repertoire of their own, largely consisting of new, often ribald, lyrics to older tunes. Canada's first independent record label Compo Company built
15990-565: The Incarnation (1599–1672) alongside the laywoman Marie-Madeline de Chauvigny de la Peltrie (1603–1671) and are the first Canadian institutions to have music as part of the curriculum. The earliest written record of violins in Canada comes from the Jesuit Relation of 1645. The Jesuits additionally have the first documented organ sale, imported for their Québec chapel in 1657. Notre-Dame de Québec Cathedral , built in 1647,
16185-504: The Jime ended with the death of Vince Gordon in 2016. Shakin' Stevens was a Welsh singer who gained fame in the UK portraying Elvis in a stage play. In 1980, he took a cover of The Blasters ' "Marie Marie" into the UK Top 20. His hopped-up versions of songs like " This Ole House " and " Green Door " were giant sellers across Europe. Shakin' Stevens was the biggest selling singles artist of
16380-531: The Jukebox Keep on Playing". Perkins and Presley in particular competed as the premier rockabilly artists. In March 1956, Columbia released " Honky Tonk Man " by Johnny Horton , King put out "Seven Nights to Rock" by Moon Mullican, Mercury issued "Rockin' Daddy" by Eddie Bond , and Starday released Bill Mack 's "Fat Woman". Two young men from Texas made their record debuts in April 1956: Buddy Holly on
16575-502: The Juno Awards. The first Juno Award ceremony was held in 1975 and played a role in addressing the concern about Canadian content. This led to increased production and with the international popularity of The Guess Who and Neil Young at the end of the 1960s, opened markets outside Canada to the country's musicians. Success abroad usually ensured success in Canada. The early 1970s were a golden age for Canadian music. Many performers from
16770-484: The King/Queen has been sung in Canada since British rule and by the mid-20th century was, along with " O Canada ", one of the country's two de facto national anthems. The beginning of the 19th century Canadian musical ensembles had started forming in great numbers, writing waltzes , quadrilles , polkas and galops . The first volumes of music printed in Canada was the "Graduel romain" in 1800 followed by
16965-548: The Low , 13 Engines , Odds , I Mother Earth , Big Sugar , Glueleg , Age of Electric , Rymes with Orange , Mudgirl , Strapping Young Lad , Bif Naked , Rheostatics , The Watchmen , Moxy Früvous , Rusty , Our Lady Peace , The Philosopher Kings , Junkhouse , Wide Mouth Mason , Pure , Thrush Hermit , cub , The Killjoys , Sandbox , Treble Charger , Big Wreck , The Weakerthans , Propagandhi and The Planet Smashers . Although many of them have not been overly successful in
17160-524: The Maritimes and Canadian fiddle music . Rockabilly Rockabilly is one of the earliest styles of rock and roll music. It dates back to the early 1950s in the United States, especially the South . As a genre, it blends the sound of Western musical styles such as country with that of rhythm and blues , leading to what is considered "classic" rock and roll. Some have also described it as
17355-657: The Muffins were along for the new Canadian music video ride. Although many of them, in fact, were only "one-hit wonders". In the late 1980s, the Canadian recording industry continued to produce popular acts such as Blue Rodeo . Alternative rock also emerged as an influential genre, with independent artists such as The Tragically Hip , 54-40 , Sarah McLachlan , Spirit of the West , The Waltons , Cowboy Junkies , The Pursuit of Happiness , and The Grapes of Wrath all gaining their first widespread attention during this time. Also
17550-628: The National Billboard charts in 1956, and his "Guitar Rock" is cited as classic rockabilly. In 1953, 13-year-old Janis Martin was performing at the Old Dominion Barn Dance on WRVA out of Richmond, Virginia. Martin performed a mix of country songs for the show peppered with rhythm and blues hits in a style that has been described as "proto-rockabilly". She later stated, "the audience didn't know what to make of it. They didn't hardly allow electric instruments, and I
17745-605: The Papas ), David Clayton-Thomas (of Blood, Sweat & Tears ), Andy Kim , Zal Yanovsky (of The Lovin' Spoonful ), John Kay (of Steppenwolf ), and Ian & Sylvia found international audiences. One important example was a Winnipeg band called Chad Allan & the Expressions, which had a 1965 hit with a version of Johnny Kidd and the Pirates ' " Shakin' All Over ". They would eventually evolve into The Guess Who ,
17940-414: The Québec and Halifax concerts of the 1790s reveal orchestral and chamber music by Handel , J.C. Bach , Haydn , Mozart and Pleyel . Canada's first two operas were written, ca. 1790 and ca. 1808 by composer, poet , and playwright Joseph Quesnel (1746–1809). The instrument of favour for the lower class was the fiddle. Fiddlers were a fixture in most public drinking establishments. God Save
18135-485: The Radar , as well the Canadian edition of Time magazine. It can be difficult for an indie group to break through in Canada as there is no nationwide rock station. On the other hand, although rock bands may get some exposure from outlets such as MuchMusic and CBC Radio 3 , bands must largely rely on building an audience city by city, as each commercial radio station makes its playlist decisions independently. Similarly, it
18330-568: The Rock and Roll Trio played on Ted Mack 's TV talent show in New York City. They won all three times and guaranteed them a finalist position in the September supershow. Gene Vincent and His Blue Caps' recording of " Be-Bop-A-Lula " was released on June 2, 1956, backed by "Woman Love". Within twenty-one days it sold over two hundred thousand records, stayed at the top of national pop and country charts for twenty weeks, and sold more than
18525-534: The Savages . These bands, like the Blasters, were inspired by a full range of historic American styles: blues, country, rockabilly, R&B and New Orleans jazz. They held a strong appeal for listeners who were tired of the commercially oriented MTV-style synthpop and glam metal bands that dominated radio play during this time period, but none of these musicians became major stars. In 1983, Neil Young recorded
18720-475: The Second World War produced some patriotic songs, but they were not hits in the music industry sense. A number of Canadian singers who learned their craft in Canadian opera companies in the 1930s went on to sing in major international opera houses. Most notable from the 1940s is contralto singer Portia White (1911–1968). She achieved international fame because of her voice and stage presence. As
18915-537: The Slugs , Payola$ and Glass Tiger . As well, the era produced the country cowpunk of k.d. lang . Bryan Adams would emerge as Canada's superstar of the 80s having been awarded the Order of Canada , and the Order of British Columbia and inducted into Canada's Walk of Fame in 1998 for his contribution to popular music and his philanthropic work. Also notable is Loverboy who accumulated numerous hit songs in Canada and
19110-470: The Teddy Boy revival created curiosity about the real music of the 1950s, particularly in England, where a rockabilly revival scene began to develop from the 1970s in record collecting and clubs. The most successful early product of the scene was Dave Edmunds , who joined up with songwriter Nick Lowe to form a band called Rockpile in 1975. They had a string of minor rockabilly-style hits like " I Knew
19305-463: The Tennessee Two, consisting of Marshall Grant on bass, and Luther Perkins (no relation to Carl Perkins) on lead guitar. This song and another Cash original, " Cry! Cry! Cry! " were released in July. "Cry! Cry! Cry!" managed to crack Billboard's Top 20, peaking at No. 14. Presley's second and third singles were not as successful as his first. His fourth release, "Baby, Let's Play House",
19500-457: The Top 10 charts in Canada with 1973s "Lonesome Mary", but are perhaps best remembered for three America hit songs from the 1980s "My Girl (Gone Gone Gone)", "I Believe" and "Whatcha Gonna Do". Even though those three hits were their only popular singles in the US, the band has released over a dozen albums with 23 Canadian hit singles . Bill Henderson , the founder of the band, was musical director for
19695-641: The US. In 2005, his greatest hits album The Collection reached number four in the British albums chart, and was released as a tie-in to his appearance on ITV entertainment show Hit Me, Baby, One More Time , going on to become the winner of the series. Other notable British rockabilly bands of the 1980s included The Jets , Crazy Cavan , Matchbox , and the Rockats . Jason & the Scorchers combined heavy metal , Chuck Berry and Hank Williams to create
19890-756: The United Kingdom were called Teddy Boys because they wore long, Edwardian -style frock coats , along with tight black drainpipe trousers and brothel creeper shoes. Another group in the 1950s that were followers of rockabilly were the Ton-Up boys, who rode British motorcycles and would later be known as rockers in the early 1960s. The rockers had adopted the classic greaser look of T-shirts , jeans, and leather jackets to go with their heavily slicked pompadour haircuts. The rockers loved 1950s rock and roll artists such as Gene Vincent, and some British rockabilly fans formed bands and played their own version of
20085-553: The United States and 800,000 copies (8× Platinum) in Canada. The band has won multiple Juno Awards, an American Music Award , and a MTV Video Music Award Their hit single " How You Remind Me " reached the top on the Canadian Singles Chart and the Billboard Hot 100 at the same time, making them the second Canadian band to accomplish this, the first being The Guess Who with "American Woman" in 1970. Nickelback has also sold over 50 million albums worldwide, making them
20280-448: The United States in the late 1940s after World War II , from a combination of the rhythms of African American blues , country and gospel music . Though elements of rock and roll can be heard in Canadian country records of the 1930s–1940s, and in American blues records from the 1920s, rock and roll did not acquire its name until the 1950s. "Rock" or its forerunners electric blues ( Chicago blues ) and rhythm and blues ( Jump blues )
20475-544: The United States, making four multi-platinum albums. The band's hit singles, particularly " Lovin' Every Minute of It " and " Working for the Weekend " have become hard rock staples, and are still heard on classic rock radio stations across the US and Canada. Loverboy received five Juno Awards, Canada's highest award for music, in one year, a record that still stands today. The band would later receive an additional three Juno Awards, bringing their total to eight, which at that time
20670-556: The United States, they remain extremely popular in Canada having much more vitality than their contemporaries from other countries. The Barenaked Ladies brought a spotlight on to the Canadian indie market when their album sales began to steamroll based simply on word of mouth and their live shows. The Yellow Tape , released in 1991, became the first indie release by any band to achieve platinum status (100,000 copies) in Canada. The album Stunt became their greatest success, buoyed by " One Week ", which coincidentally spent one week at
20865-563: The Year , the 2011 Juno Award for Album of the Year , and the 2011 Brit Award for Best International Album for their third studio album, The Suburbs . In the 1960s, some French Canadians of Quebec were beginning to self-identify as Québécois (Quebecers). [See the Quiet Revolution .] The tensions between Quebec and English Canada have, at times, played out on Quebec's music scene as well. For example, in 1991, Céline Dion won
21060-518: The ability of purchasers to record and copy music from a CD to portable devices. The early 2000s saw Canadian independent artists continue to expand their audience into the United States and beyond. Mainstream Canadian artists with global recorded contracts such as Nelly Furtado , Avril Lavigne , Michael Bublé , Nickelback , Drake , The Weeknd , Shawn Mendes and Justin Bieber reached new heights in terms of international success, while dominating
21255-624: The best ones into their shows. In 1951 and 1952, brothers Johnny and Dorsey Burnette , as well as Paul Burlison , played a blend of blues, country, and rockabilly at live shows in and around the Memphis area. in 1953, they played with Doc McQueen's swing band at the Hideaway Club for a time. While there, they wrote a song called "Rock Billy Boogie", named after the Burnette brothers' sons Rocky and Billy ( Rocky Burnette later became
21450-434: The better known musicians who recorded and performed these songs are: the Delmore Brothers , the Maddox Brothers and Rose , Merle Travis , Hank Williams , Hank Snow , and Tennessee Ernie Ford. White sharecroppers' sons Carl Perkins and his brothers Jay and Clayton, along with drummer W. S. Holland , had established themselves as one of the hottest bands on the honky-tonk circuit around Jackson, Tennessee . Most of
21645-680: The charts stateside. Their third LP, Rant 'N' Rave with the Stray Cats , topped charts across the US and Europe as they sold-out shows everywhere during 1983. However, personal conflicts led the band to break up at the height of their popularity. Brian Setzer went on to solo success working in both rockabilly and swing styles, while Rocker and Phantom continued to record in bands both together and singly. The group has reconvened several times to make new records or tours and continue to attract large audiences live, although record sales have never again approached their early '80s success. The Jime entered
21840-467: The collaboration of two sisters from Seattle with a supporting band from Vancouver. Some popular francophone bands of the time included the rock group Beau Dommage from Montreal led by Michel Rivard and the progressive rock group Harmonium also of Montreal. Artists like The Kings , Prism , Crowbar , Nick Gilder , Ian Thomas , Goddo , Harlequin , Mahogany Rush , Moxy , Streetheart , Max Webster and Ironhorse saw their greatest success during
22035-470: The course of his career, which began in 1944, Montreal 's jazz virtuoso Oscar Peterson released over 200 recordings, won seven Grammy Awards , and received many other awards and honors. Oscar Peterson is considered to have been one of the greatest pianists of all time. Nova Scotia -born and raised Hank Snow who signed with RCA Victor in 1936 and went on to become one of America's most innovative country music superstars. Rock and roll arose in
22230-435: The development of rockabilly. The Memphis blues musician Junior Parker and his electric blues band, Little Junior's Blue Flames, featuring Pat Hare on the guitar, were a major influence on the rockabilly style, particularly with their songs " Love My Baby " and " Mystery Train " in 1953. Zeb Turner 's February 1953 recording of "Jersey Rock" with its mix of musical styles, lyrics about music and dancing, and guitar solo,
22425-418: The development of the gramophone , Canadian songwriters' works were published as sheet music, or in periodicals in local newspapers such as The Montreal Gazette and Toronto Empire . Most recordings purchased by Canadians in the early days of the gramophone were made by American and British performers, behind some of these international hits were Canadian songwriters. Robert Nathaniel Dett (1882–1943)
22620-577: The development of the most popular subgenres , which include pop rock , progressive rock , country rock , folk rock , hard rock , punk rock , heavy metal and indie rock . Since before Canada's emergence as a nation in 1867 , the country has produced its own composers , musicians and ensembles . From the 17th century onward, Canada has developed a music infrastructure that includes concert halls , conservatories , academies , performing arts centres , record companies , radio stations and national music video television channels. The success of
22815-504: The drummer for the Louisiana Hayride , to join him for future dates. By that time, many rockabilly bands were incorporating drums, which distinguished the sound from country music, where they were then uncommon. In the 1956 sessions shortly after Presley's move from Sun Records to RCA Victor, Presley was backed by a band that included Moore, Black, Fontana, and pianist Floyd Cramer . In 1956, Elvis also acquired vocal backup via
23010-409: The emerging new wave ruled the landscape, Canadian groups such as D.O.A. , The Viletones , The Forgotten Rebels , Rough Trade , Diodes , Teenage Head , The Demics , The Young Canadians and Subhumans emerged and continued in the 1980s with popular bands like SNFU , Dayglo Abortions and Nomeansno . Rough Trade were particularly notable for their 1980 hit " High School Confidential ", one of
23205-697: The first Canadian rock group to have a No.1 hit that reached the top on the Canadian Singles Chart and the Billboard Hot 100 at the same time, with " American Woman " in 1970. Their success paved the way for a new wave of Canadian singer-songwriters, including Stan Rogers , Murray McLauchlan , Bruce Cockburn and Willie P. Bennett . Unlike the generation before, the late sixties American and British counterculture and hippie movements had diverted rock towards psychedelic rock, heavy metal, progressive rock and many other styles, most dominated by socially and politically incisive lyrics. The music
23400-411: The first decade of the 21st century is the rise of paid digital downloads . The vast majority of songs bought on paid download sites are singles bought from full albums; songs that are bought on a song-by-song basis off artist's albums are considered sales of singles, even though they have no official single for purchase. The boom of independent music at the turn of the millennium changed the dynamics of
23595-596: The first explicitly lesbian-themed pop songs to crack the Top 40 anywhere in the world. Things changed course in the 1980s, the changing fast-paced culture was accompanied by an explosion in youth culture. Until the mid-1960s, little attention was paid to rock by Canadian daily newspapers except as news or novelty. With the introduction during the 1970s of the " rock critic ", coverage began to rival that of any other music. The 1980s saw Canada support and promote many of its own talent in pursuit of true originality. Canadian rock generally had been discouraged by market forces before
23790-438: The first intentional use of a distortion effect on a rock song, which was played by lead guitarist Paul Burlison. Elvis Presley 's first recordings took place at Sun Records, a small independent label run by record producer Sam Phillips in Memphis, Tennessee. For several years, Phillips had been recording and releasing performances by blues and country musicians in the area. He also ran a service allowing anyone to come in off
23985-412: The first issue of RPM Weekly on February 24, 1964, to its final issue on November 13, 2000, RPM was the defining charts in Canada. The American and British counterculture explosion and hippie movement had diverted music to that which was dominated by socially and American politically incisive lyrics by the late 1960s. The music was an attempt to reflect upon the events of the time – civil rights ,
24180-711: The girls. They were the daughters of the women who had fought for emancipation and equality in the 1960s. Canadian women by the end of the decade enjoyed greater international commercial success than ever before in the popular music field. As Alannah Myles, Lisa Dalbello and Lee Aaron had a decade earlier, four women in particular rose out of the 1990s, setting new pinnacles of success in terms financial, critical, and in their immediate and strong influences on their respective genres: Sarah McLachlan , Céline Dion , Alanis Morissette and Shania Twain . Alanis Morissette kicked off another revolution in Canadian music, launching an era in which Canadian women like Avril Lavigne would rule
24375-580: The inclusion of instrumental music study in formal school curricula brought about fundamental changes to the philosophy of the band movement and the type of repertoire available. The CHUM Chart debuted on May 27, 1957, under the name CHUM's Weekly Hit Parade, was in response to the fast-growing diversity of music that needed to be subdivided and categorized. The CHUM charts were the longest-running Top 40 chart in Canada ending in 1986. 1958 saw its first Canadian rock and roll teen idol Paul Anka , who went to New York City where he auditioned for ABC with
24570-452: The introduction in the mid-1970s of mainstream music on FM radio stations, where it was common practice to program extended performances, musicians were no longer limited to songs of three minutes' duration as dictated by AM stations for decades. Other notable musicians who have been one of the largest Canadian exports include the progressive rock band Rush , Triumph and Bryan Adams . In the classical world, homegrown talent Canadian Brass
24765-427: The larger US market remained the major goal of most, if not all, post-1970 Canadian rock acts; a goal in fact reached with some greater or lesser degree of consistency by several, among them Bryan Adams, Kim Mitchell former guitarist and vocalist of Max Webster , Aldo Nova , Loverboy , Saga , k.d. lang , Red Rider , Corey Hart , Alannah Myles , Lee Aaron , Tom Cochrane , Honeymoon Suite , Haywire , Doug and
24960-999: The last decade. Canada joined 50 other nations in 2008 to update its Copyright Act , and in doing so aimed to allow artists and others to seek compensation for their work, no matter how it is distributed. In 2010 Canada introduced new copyright legislation. The amended law makes hacking digital locks illegal, but enshrine into law the ability of purchasers to record and copy music from a CD to portable devices. The wide and diverse sound in 21st century rock has resulted in such acts as The Glorious Sons , Mother Mother , Arkells , Devin Townsend , Strapping Young Lad , Billy Talent , Silverstein , Thornley , Sam Roberts , Joel Plaskett , Avril Lavigne , Cleopatrick , Finger Eleven , Simple Plan , Marianas Trench , Gob , Hot Hot Heat , Immaculate Machine , The New Pornographers , Sum 41 , Evans Blue , Parabelle , Three Days Grace , The Trews , Matt Mays & El Torpedo , Alexisonfire , Theory of
25155-408: The late '70s period. Many acts have had equally vital, if less remunerative careers outside the mainstream in punk rock and its derivations, generally distinguished by a tendency to extremes of one sort or another. Whether in instrumental intensity, lyric content, or performance style Canadian pop music evolved with the times, reflecting worldwide trends. In the late 1970s, as punk rock, disco , and
25350-602: The late 1960s came to the forefront in the following years, among them The Bells and Andy Kim from Montreal, Chilliwack from Vancouver , Five Man Electrical Band from Ottawa , Lighthouse from Toronto, Wednesday from Oshawa, and The Stampeders from Calgary . With the introduction in the mid-1970s period of rock music on FM radio stations, where it was common practice to program extended performances, musicians were no longer limited to songs of three minutes' duration as dictated by AM stations. The still nascent Canadian music industry had little independent music media and
25545-434: The late 1970s and early 1980s, rockabilly enjoyed a revival. An interest in the genre endures even in the 21st century, often within musical subcultures . Rockabilly has spawned a variety of sub-styles and has influenced the development of other genres such as punk rock . There was a close relationship between blues and country music from the very earliest country recordings in the 1920s. The first nationwide country hit
25740-631: The late 1970s were a lesser era for Canadian music. Many of the acts who had defined the earlier half of the decade were no longer recording, and the new artists emerging in this era simply didn't seem to be able to capture the Canadian pop zeitgeist in the same way. Nevertheless, a number of established Canadian acts, including Rush, Bachman–Turner Overdrive, Frank Marino & Mahogany Rush, Bruce Cockburn, April Wine, Pat Travers , FM , and Neil Young, remained influential and recorded some of their most popular material of all during this period, and former "The Guess Who" lead singer Burton Cummings emerged as
25935-765: The late 1980s worked in a relatively generic, mainstream pop rock style of the day. Some from the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s, may be ascribed to more specific substyles like Colin James , David Wilcox and Jeff Healey to blues-rock (see Canadian blues ). With Stompin' Tom Connors , Great Big Sea and Ashley MacIsaac to folk rock, that saw the start for both styles, a very large following all across Canada. Most notable would be Stompin' Tom Connors who typically wrote about Canadian lore and history, some of Connors' better-known songs include Big Joe Mufferaw , The Black Donnellys , Reesor Crossing Tragedy , Sudbury Saturday Night and The Hockey Song (aka "The Good Old Hockey Game"), that
26130-412: The late 1990s, recognized by Guinness World Records as having the highest sales claim for a pop vinyl recording, with an "unaudited" claim of 25 million copies sold. Maine native and Connecticut resident Bill Flagg began using the term rockabilly for his combination of rock 'n' roll and hillbilly music as early as 1953. He cut several songs for Tetra Records in 1956 and 1957. "Go Cat Go" went into
26325-489: The long and short lists of the Polaris Music Prize . Among them, Arcade Fire , Patrick Watson , Godspeed You! Black Emperor and Karkwa have all won the award. Music of Canada Print media Music television The music of Canada reflects the diverse influences that have shaped the country . Indigenous Peoples, the Irish , British, and the French have all made unique contributions to
26520-611: The mid-1920s selling an estimated 250 million phonograph records , and were the first Canadians to have a #1 single on Billboard ' s top 100. In 1932, the first Broadcasting Act was passed by Parliament creating the Canadian Radio Broadcasting Commission . It was to both regulate all broadcasting and create a new national public radio network. 1936, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation came into existence, at
26715-463: The most famous popular music of the early 20th century. Canada has produced a number of notable international recording artists who appeared on the Billboard record sales chart called Hit Parade first published in 1936. Among them was the World War II era bandleader , Guy Lombardo , who with his brother has sold an estimated 250 million phonograph records during their lifetimes. Over
26910-507: The music industry. At about the same time, the CD (cheap to manufacture) replaced the vinyl album and cassette tapes (expensive to manufacture). Shortly thereafter, the Internet allowed musicians to directly distribute their music, thus bypassing the selection of the old-fashioned " record label ". Canada's music industry has suffered as a result of the challenging times for the better part of
27105-548: The music. The most notable of these bands was The Beatles . When John Lennon first met Paul McCartney , he was impressed that McCartney knew all the chords and the words to Eddie Cochran's " Twenty Flight Rock ". As the band became more professional and began playing in Hamburg, they took on the "Beatle" name (inspired by Buddy Holly's band The Crickets ) and they adopted the black leather look of Gene Vincent. Musically, they combined Holly's melodic songwriting sensibility with
27300-413: The musical heritage of Canada . The music has also subsequently been influenced by American culture because of the proximity between the two countries. Since French explorer Samuel de Champlain arrived in 1605 and established the first permanent French settlements at Port Royal and Québec in 1608, the country has produced its own composers , musicians and ensembles . Canadian music reflects
27495-407: The name Bachman–Turner Overdrive in spring 1973, which won two Juno Awards despite being largely ignored in the US. Their second album Bachman–Turner Overdrive II hit No. 4 in the U.S. BTO II was certified gold in eight countries. It also yielded their best-remembered and most enduring single, " Takin' Care of Business ", written by Randy Bachman. 1974's album Not Fragile went straight to
27690-429: The name "rock and roll" had become the common name of the popular music of the day. Rhythm and blues (R&B coined in 1949) was too broad a term, because R&B was a category that included most forms of race music , which generally had adult-based lyrics. The Crew-Cuts , The Diamonds and The Four Lads would emerge from this new marketing of rhythm and blues to appeal to a white audience leaving an indelible mark on
27885-466: The name CHUM's Weekly Hit Parade, to 1986, and was the longest-running Top 40 chart in Canada. During the 1960s Canadian music was regarded with indifference and Canadian recording artists were forced to turn toward the United States to establish their careers. In 1960 Walt Grealis of Toronto started in the music business with Apex Records , the Ontario distributor for Compo Company (founded in 1918), Canada's first independent record company that today
28080-602: The nature and science of sound waves. During the Great Depression in Canada , the majority of people listened to what today would be called swing (Jazz) just as country was starting its roots. The diversity in the evolution of swing dancing in Canada is reflected in its many American names, Jive , Jitterbug and Lindy . Canada's first big band star was Guy Lombardo (1902–1977), who formed his easy listening band, The Royal Canadians , with his brothers and friends. They achieved international success starting in
28275-417: The new sound of the next generation. Canadian publications devoted to Canadian rock and pop music, either exclusively or in tandem with more general editorial content directed to young readers, was expanding rapidly in the 90s. It was a decade of incredible nationalism, at least as far as English-Canadian music was concerned. The 1971 CRTC rules (25% Canadian content on Canadian radio, increased to 30 per cent in
28470-405: The number one spot on the storied Billboard Hot 100. Also notable is The Tragically Hip who signed a long-term record deal with MCA in 1987, but were largely unrecognized until 1989s Up to Here . The Hip went on to establish themselves as one of the most influential bands in Canada. They never had a major breakthrough in the United States, but their Canadian fan base alone was enough to sustain
28665-615: The only Canadian rock band to achieve this. Also very notable is Avril Lavigne, who is one of the top-selling artists releasing albums in the United States, with over 10.25 million copies certified by the Recording Industry Association of America. The end of the decade was notable for a surprising number of ambitious indie rock albums. The Canadian indie rock scene has been the focus of national and international attention in many publications, such as Spin , The New York Times Magazine , Rolling Stone , Under
28860-435: The opportunity for any class level of society to learn music. One Sweetly Solemn Thought in 1876 by Hamilton -based Robert S. Ambrose, became one of the most popular songs to ever be published in the 19th century. It fulfilled the purpose of being an appropriate song to sing in the parlors of homes that would not permit any non-sacred music to be performed on Sundays. At the same time it could be sung in dance halls or on
29055-567: The other ladies, Janis Martin, the female Elvis Jo Ann Campbell , and Alis Lesley , who also sang in the rockabilly style. Mel Kimbrough -"Slim", recorded "I Get Lonesome Too" and "Ha Ha, Hey Hey" for Glenn Records along with "Love in West Virginia" and "Country Rock Sound" for Checkmate a division of Caprice Records. Gene Summers , a Dallas native and Rockabilly Hall of Fame inductee, released his classic Jan/Jane 45s in 1958–59. He continued to record rockabilly music well into 1964 with
29250-448: The pop charts worldwide. Quebec-born singer, Celine Dion is the best-selling Canadian artist of all time, and when her 1997 album, Let's Talk About Love was released in Canada, it broke the record for the highest opening weekly sales for any album, selling 230,212 copies, a record which still stands. Alanis Morissette, along with Shania Twain, are the only Canadian artists, male or female to have sold two million units in Canada, receiving
29445-457: The population economically drained and ill-equipped to develop cultural pursuits properly. The part-time composers of this period were nonetheless often quite skilled. Traditional songs and dances, such as those of the Habitants and Métis , were transmitted orally, from generation to generation and from village to village, thus people felt no need to transcribe or publish them. Printed music
29640-584: The release of "Alabama Shake". In 2005, Summers's most popular recording, School of Rock 'n Roll , was selected by Bob Solly and Record Collector Magazine as one of the "100 Greatest Rock 'n' Roll Records". Tommy " Sleepy LaBeef " LaBeff recorded rockabilly tunes on a number of labels from 1957 through 1963. Rockabilly pioneers the Maddox Brothers and Rose continued to record for decades. However, none of these artists had any major hits and their influence would not be felt until decades later. In
29835-454: The rock and roll era. "Diana" is one of the best selling 45s in music history. He followed up with four songs that made it into the Top 20 in 1958, making him one of the biggest teen idols of the time. Most Canadians with successful recording careers in the 1950s had moved to the US, where the population level and media exposure would eclipse that of Canada. Ronnie Hawkins , an Arkansas born rockabilly singer, moved to Canada in 1958, becoming
30030-638: The rockabilly scene in 1983, when Vince Gordon formed his band. The Jime was a Danish Band. The Jime was the band of Vince Gordon, rockabilly guitarist. Not only was he the nerve of the band, Vince Gordon was the band. He composed nearly all its songs and hits. Vince Gordon also left his mark on the rockabilly scene in many ways. Expert Fred Sokolow talks about the Vince Gordon style in Rockabilly due to his composing. Vince Gordon had many different musicians in his band. The lifetime of
30225-422: The rockabilly sound included strong rhythms, boogie woogie piano riffs, vocal twangs , doo-wop acapella singing, and common use of the tape echo ; and eventually came to incorporate different instruments and vocal harmonies. Initially popularized by artists such as Carl Perkins , Elvis Presley , Johnny Burnette , Jerry Lee Lewis and others, the rockabilly style waned in the late 1950s; nonetheless, during
30420-574: The rough rock and roll sound of Vincent and Carl Perkins. When The Beatles became worldwide stars, they released versions of three different Carl Perkins songs, more than any other songwriter outside the band, except Larry Williams , who also added three songs to their discography. (Curiously, none of these three were sung by the Beatles' regular lead vocalists—"Honey Don't" (sung by Ringo) and "Everybody's Trying to be my Baby" (sung by George) from Beatles for Sale (1964) and "Matchbox" (sung by Ringo) on
30615-431: The same time, the CD (cheap to manufacture) replaced the vinyl album and cassette tape (expensive to manufacture). Shortly thereafter, the Internet allowed musicians to directly distribute their music, thus bypassing the selection of the old-fashioned " record label ". Canada's mainstream music industry has suffered as a result of the internet and the boom of independent music. The drop in annual sales between 1999,
30810-530: The slapped bass that Fred Maddox had developed". They had shifted into higher gear leaning toward a whimsical honky-tonk feel, with a heavy, manic bottom end and high volume. The Maddoxes were known for their lively, antic-filled shows, which were an influential novelty for white listeners and musicians alike. Along with country, swing and boogie influences, jump blues artists such as Wynonie Harris and Roy Brown , and electric blues acts such as Howlin' Wolf , Junior Parker , and Arthur Crudup , influenced
31005-482: The song " Diana ". This song brought Anka instant stardom as it reached number one on the US Billboard charts . "Diana" has gone on to be one of the best selling 45s in music history. US-born rockabilly pioneer Ronnie Hawkins moved to Canada in 1958, where he became a key player in the Canadian blues and rock scene. The 4th of October was declared "Ronnie Hawkins Day" by the city of Toronto when Hawkins
31200-501: The songs they played were country standards with a faster rhythm. It was here that Carl started composing his first songs. While playing, he would watch the dance floor to see what the audience preferred and adjust his compositions to suit, writing them down only when he was sure they were finished. Carl sent numerous demos to New York record companies with no success; the producers believed the Perkins' style of rhythmically-driven country
31395-551: The sounds to reflect in all directions. Studio Victor had artists from across Canada come in and record in both English and French, as well as had many different genres be recorded within their walls such as jazz, chamber music, choirs, classical music, folk and country. The factory is now home to many businesses one being the Musée des ondes Emile Berliner, a museum focused on the work of Berliner, mostly gramophones, flat disks, and later radios when his company merged with RCA, as well as
31590-565: The stage along with selections from operas and operettas . "O Canada" was originally commissioned by the Lieutenant Governor of Quebec , the Honourable Théodore Robitaille (1834–1897), for the 1880 St. Jean-Baptiste Day ceremony. Calixa Lavallée (1842–1891) wrote the music, which was a setting of a patriotic poem composed by the poet and judge Sir Adolphe-Basile Routhier (1839–1920). The text
31785-554: The street and for a modest fee, record themselves on a two-song vanity record. One young man who came to record himself as a surprise for his mother, he claimed, was Elvis Presley. Presley made enough of an impression that Phillips deputized guitarist Scotty Moore , who then enlisted bassist Bill Black , both from the Starlight Wranglers, a local western swing band, to work with the young man. The trio rehearsed dozens of songs, from traditional country to gospel. During
31980-524: The summer of 1958 Eddie Cochran had a chart-topping hit with " Summertime Blues ". Cochran's brief career included only a few more hits, such as "Sitting in the Balcony" released in early 1957, " C'mon Everybody " released in October 1958, and " Somethin' Else " released in July 1959. Then in April 1960, while touring with Gene Vincent in the UK, their taxi crashed into a concrete lamp post, killing Eddie at
32175-589: The time of Canadian Confederation (1867), songwriting had become a favored means of personal expression across the land. In a society in which most middle-class families now owned a harmonium or piano, and standard education included at least the rudiments of music, the result was often an original song. Such stirrings frequently occurred in response to noteworthy events, and few local or national excitements were allowed to pass without some musical comment. The 1870s saw several conservatories open their doors, providing their string, woodwind and brass faculty, leading to
32370-509: The time period, relative population size, relation quality, resistance, etc. In 1606–1607 Marc Lescarbot collected the earliest extant transcriptions of songs from the Americas: three songs of Henri Membertou , the sakmow (Grand Chief) of the Mi'kmaq First Nations tribe situated near Port Royal , present-day Nova Scotia . French settlers and explorers to New France brought with them
32565-557: The time, a million Canadian households had a radio. Emerging from the Great Depression on near equal-footing to American popular music , Canadian popular music continued to enjoy considerable success at home and abroad in the following years. Among them Montreal 's jazz virtuoso Oscar Peterson (1925–2007), considered to have been one of the greatest pianists of all time, releasing over 200 recordings and receiving several Grammy Awards during his lifetime. Also notable
32760-432: The top of the charts, and the single " You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet " hit No. 1 in the U.S. and No. 2 in the UK. One of the largest exports to date is Rush, that boasts 25 gold records and 14 platinum (3 multi-platinum) records, making them one of the best-selling rock bands in history by 2005. Rush currently place third behind The Beatles and The Rolling Stones for the most consecutive gold and platinum albums by
32955-440: The true realization of the Rockabilly genre. In addition to the fusion of distinct genres, Presley's recordings contain some traditional as well as new traits: "nervously up tempo" (as Peter Guralnick describes it), with slap bass, fancy guitar picking, much echo, shouts of encouragement, and vocals full of histrionics such as hiccups, stutters, and swoops from falsetto to bass and back again. In 1955, Elvis asked D.J. Fontana ,
33150-412: The workaday world of parents and authority figures. It was the first rock 'n' roll style to be performed primarily by white musicians, thus setting off a cultural revolution that is still reverberating today. "Rockabilly" deviance from social norms, however, was more symbolic than real; and eventual public professions of faith by aging rockabillies were not uncommon. The first wave of rockabilly fans in
33345-551: The world's most influential singer-songwriters during this time. Gordon Lightfoot made his first chart appearance in June 1962. Among the most notable is Neil Young who has been inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame , Canada's Walk of Fame and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice. Leonard Cohen has been inducted into both the Canadian Music Hall of Fame and the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame and
33540-422: The year that Napster 's unauthorized peer-to-peer file sharing service launched, and the end of 2004 was $ 465 million. In 2007, Canada joined the controversial Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement talks, whose outcome will have a significant impact on the Canadian music industry. In 2010 Canada introduced new copyright legislation. The amended law makes hacking digital locks illegal, but enshrine into law
33735-560: The years. Presley's unique musical style rocketed him into the spotlight, and drew masses of followers. Nobody was sure what to call Presley's music, so Elvis was described as "The Hillbilly Cat" and "King of Western Bop". Over the next year, Elvis would record four more singles for Sun. Rockabilly recorded by artists prior to Presley can be described as being in the long-standing country style of Rockabilly. Presley's recordings are described by some as quintessential rockabilly for their true union of country and R&B, which can be described as
33930-400: The young age of 21. The grim coincidence in this all was that his posthumous UK number-one hit was called " Three Steps to Heaven ". Rockabilly music enjoyed great popularity in the United States during 1956 and 1957, but radio play declined after 1960. Factors contributing to this decline are usually cited as the 1959 death of Buddy Holly in an airplane crash (along with Ritchie Valens and
34125-452: Was " Wreck of the Old 97 ", backed with "The Prisoner's Song", which also became quite popular. Jimmie Rodgers , the "first true country star", was known as the "Blue Yodeler", and most of his songs used blues-based chord progressions , although with very different instrumentation and sound from the recordings of his black contemporaries like Blind Lemon Jefferson and Bessie Smith . During
34320-853: Was a religious sect organized from Upper Canada called the Children of Peace in 1820. In 1833, a student orchestra was organized at the Séminaire de Québec the Société Ste-Cécile , as it was known, and was one of the earliest ensembles of its kind in Lower Canada . The first appearance of a piece of music in a newspaper or magazine was in the pages of the Montreal twice-weekly newspaper, La Minerve , on September 19, 1831. Many immigrants during this time lived in relative isolation and music sometimes obtained through subscriptions to newspapers and magazines, provided entertainment and
34515-702: Was a violinist, composer, conductor and teacher at the University of Saskatchewan . From 1923 to 1936 he was an orchestral and chamber musician with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra , he was later named head of music at the University of Saskatchewan. He was a composer-in-residence at the University of Saskatchewan, the first appointment of this type in Canada. The RCA Victor factory located in Montreal, Quebec housed Canada's first recording studio featuring polycylindrical walls which allowed
34710-497: Was adapted into English in 1906. For thousands of years, Canada has been inhabited by indigenous peoples from a variety of different cultures and of several major linguistic groupings . Each of the Indigenous communities had (and have) their own unique musical traditions. Chanting is widely popular, with many of its performers also using a variety of musical instruments. They used the materials at hand to make their instruments for thousands of years before Europeans immigrated to
34905-423: Was among the first Black Canadian composers during the early years of the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers . His works often appeared among the programs of William Marion Cook 's New York syncopated Orchestra. Dett himself performed at Carnegie Hall and at the Boston Symphony Hall as a pianist and choir director . Following quickly on the gramophone's spread came Canada's involvement in
35100-475: Was an active rockabilly scene. Early shows were attended by the Rolling Stones and Dave Edmunds, who quickly ushered the boys into a recording studio. The Stray Cats had three UK Top Ten singles to their credit and two bestselling albums. They returned to the US, performing on the TV show Fridays with a message flashing across the screen that they had no record deal in the States. Soon EMI picked them up, their first videos appeared on MTV, and they stormed up
35295-402: Was an attempt to reflect upon the events of the time— civil rights , the growing unrest in America over the war in Vietnam , and the rise of feminism . In many instances, the "message" within the song was simplistic or banal. Although only two of the five original members of Steppenwolf were born in Canada ( Jerry Edmonton and Goldy McJohn ), the band was among the biggest in Canadian music in
35490-430: Was denied airplay on both country radio stations and R&B stations for being "too black" and "too white", respectively. Country deejays told Phillips they would be "run out of town" for playing it. When the song was finally played by one rogue deejay, Dewey Phillips, Presley's recording created so much excitement it was described as having waged war on segregated radio stations. All of Presley's early singles featured
35685-407: Was doing some songs by black artists." In 1954, both Johnny Cash and Carl Perkins auditioned for Sam Phillips . Cash hoped to record gospel music, but Phillips was not interested. In October 1954, Carl Perkins recorded his original song " Movie Magg ", which was released in March 1955 on Phillips's all-country label Flip. Cash returned to Sun in 1955 with his song " Hey, Porter ", and his group
35880-403: Was established in Toronto in 1970. Country music remained popular in Canada in the 1970s thanks to the CBC's The Tommy Hunter show and the adult contemporary radio format which benefited the international stardom of Anne Murray . However, the more mainstream sound would hinder Stompin' Tom Connors until he would have a revival in the 1990s. Canada's first nationwide music awards began as
36075-567: Was expanding exponentially. The influence and innovations of Canadian hip hop came to the foreground in Canada, with musicians Like Maestro Fresh Wes , Snow , and the Dream Warriors , when music videos became an important marketing tool for Canadian musicians, with the debut of MuchMusic in 1984 and MusiquePlus in 1986. Now both English and French Canadian musicians had outlets to promote all forms of music through video in Canada. The networks were not just an opportunity for artists to get their videos played—the networks created VideoFACT ,
36270-434: Was first heard in the late 1940s by Canadians who were living close enough to the American border to tune into American radio station broadcasts. In 1951, Cleveland, Ohio , disc jockey Alan Freed began playing rhythm and blues music for a multi-racial audience, and is credited with first using the phrase "rock and roll" to describe the musical sound of the Doo-wop vocal groups and the rockabilly singers who emerged in
36465-430: Was in response to political events of the time and has since become an America social icon of the period. "Ohio" was written about the death of four students at Kent State University . The students were shot by Ohio National Guardsmen during an anti-war protest on the campus in May 1970. With the introduction of the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission 's (CRTC) broadcast regulations in 1970,
36660-422: Was inducted into Canada's Walk of Fame . He was also inducted into the Canadian Music Industry Hall of Fame and his pioneering contribution to rockabilly has been recognized with induction into the Rockabilly Hall of Fame . Canadian artists and Canadian ensembles were generally forced to turn toward the United States to establish healthy long lasting careers during the 1960s. Canada would produce some of
36855-465: Was most received by a single group or individual aside from Bryan Adams. Music videos became more and more important as a marketing tool for Canadian bands by the mid-1980s with the debut of MuchMusic in 1984 and MusiquePlus in 1986. Now both English and French Canadian musicians had outlets to promote their music through video in Canada. The networks were not just an opportunity for artists to get their videos played—the networks created VideoFACT ,
37050-633: Was not commercially viable. That would change in 1955 after recording the song " Blue Suede Shoes " (recorded December 19, 1955) on Sam Phillips ' Memphis-based Sun Records . Later made more famous by Elvis Presley , Perkins' original version was an early rock 'n' roll standard. In the early 1950s, there was heavy competition among Memphis area bands playing an audience-savvy mix of covers, original songs, and hillbilly flavored blues. One source mentions both local disc jockey Dewey Phillips and producer Sam Phillips as being influential. An early radio show on KWEM in West Memphis, Arkansas quickly became
37245-541: Was originally only in French, before it was translated into English from 1906 on. Leo, the Royal Cadet a light opera with music by Oscar Ferdinand Telgmann and a libretto by George Frederick Cameron was composed in Kingston, Ontario , in 1889. The work centres on Nellie's love for Leo, a cadet at the Royal Military College of Canada who becomes a hero serving during the Anglo-Zulu War in 1879. The operetta focussed on typical character types, events and concerns of Telgmann and Cameron's time and place. Prior to
37440-572: Was released in May 1955, and peaked at number five on the national Billboard Country Chart. In August, Sun released Elvis's versions of " I Forgot to Remember to Forget " and "Mystery Train". "Remember to Forget" spent a total of 39 weeks on the Billboard Country Chart, five at the number one spot. "Mystery Train", peaked at number 11. Through most of 1955, Cash, Perkins, Presley, and other Louisiana Hayride performers toured through Texas, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Louisiana and Mississippi. Sun released two more Perkins songs in October: "Gone, Gone, Gone" and "Let
37635-525: Was required, for music teachers and their pupils, who were from the privileged minority where domestic music making was considered a proof of gentility. Music publishing and printing in Europe by this time was a thriving industry, but it did not begin in Canada until the 19th century. Canadian composers were not able to focus entirely on creating new music in these years, as most made their living in other musical activities such as leading choirs, church organists and teaching. Regimental bands were musically
37830-427: Was starting to be a predominant force in the Canadian charts once again. Indie rock was never supposed to be mainstream, but this is the path it took by the end of the decade. Musically, the late 1990s saw the rock genres of the early 1990s completely grow apart rather than fuse. Each of the genres multiplied and evolved in a fashion largely independent of the others. Perhaps the most dramatic change in lifestyle affected
38025-416: Was written in 1812. The national anthem, " O Canada ", was originally commissioned by the lieutenant governor of Quebec , Théodore Robitaille , for the 1880 St. Jean-Baptiste Day ceremony and was officially adopted in 1980. Calixa Lavallée wrote the music, which was a setting of a patriotic poem composed by the poet and judge Sir Adolphe-Basile Routhier . The text was originally only in French before it
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