# Do Americans Know These Ubiquitous Canadian Pop Musicians? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 24, 2005, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-americans-know-these-ubiquitous-canadian-pop-musicians/337051 "2005-12-24T04:11:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2005, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-americans-know-these-ubiquitous-canadian-pop-musicians/337051/1 "2005-12-24T04:11:53Z")
I am always surprised at the Canadian bands/artists that citizens of the United States do and don’t know, and I’m curious as to just which bands are actually well-known in the U.S. To this end, I have created what I consider an exhaustive list of Canadian rock/pop bands/artists that most Canadians between 25-65 who listen to rock music will know, and I’m interested in finding out which of these artists people living in the U.S. know. Anybody want to play? (It’s a loooong list, but we all have time off now :).) 54-40 A Foot In Coldwater Alanis Morissette Alannah Myles Aldo Nova Amanda Marshall April Wine Avril Lavigne Bachman Turner Overdrive The Band Barenaked Ladies Barney Bentall Blood, Sweat & Tears Blue Rodeo Bruce Cockburn Bryan Adams Burton Cummings Celine Dion Chalk Circle Chilliwack Colin James Corey Hart Cowboy Junkies Crash Test Dummies Dan Hill David Wilcox Doucette Doug & The Slugs Five Man Electrical Band Gino Vannelli Glass Tiger Gordon Lightfoot Gowan Great Big Sea Guess Who Harlequin Haywire Helix Honeymoon Suite Jann Arden Jeff Healey Joni Mitchell k. d. lang Kim Mitchell Klaatu Lee Aaron Lighthouse Loverboy Luba Martha & The Muffins Max Webster Men Without Hats Neil Young Nelly Furtado Nick Gilder The Nylons The Original Caste Parachute Club Paul Anka Paul Janz Payola$ Platinum Blonde Prism The Pursuit of Happiness Red Rider Rough Trade Rush Sarah McLachlan Sass Jordan Shania Twain Snow Spoons The Stampeders Tom Cochrane Toronto Tragically Hip Triumph Trooper ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2005, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-americans-know-these-ubiquitous-canadian-pop-musicians/337051/2 "2005-12-24T04:19:00Z")
Probably two-thirds of them, and I don’t listen to all that much pop or country anyway. The others may be beneficiaries of Canadian radio’s MAPL points system? I hope you’re not surprised. The North American entertainment industry is pretty well consolidated across the border, as I’m sure you know - it seems like more TV shows are shot in Vancouver than Hollywood, for instance. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2005, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-americans-know-these-ubiquitous-canadian-pop-musicians/337051/3 "2005-12-24T04:19:08Z")
Roughly, I have heard of probably half of those bands and heard their works, and own or once owned about a dozen of the bands’ works. I suspect many Americans would be surprised at which of those bands were Canadian and not American/British/Australian. (For instance, I assumed Men Without Hats were British or Australian.) ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2005, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-americans-know-these-ubiquitous-canadian-pop-musicians/337051/4 "2005-12-24T04:20:30Z")
Upon re-reading the list, I think I’m closer to two-thirds on which bands I recognize and have heard before. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2005, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-americans-know-these-ubiquitous-canadian-pop-musicians/337051/5 "2005-12-24T04:26:05Z")
Because of the video for “Safety Dance”, I automatically assumed Men Without Hats was British. ---
**Author:** ![Lisa-go-Blind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7c8e57/32.png) [@Lisa-go-Blind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lisa-go-Blind)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2005, 4:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-americans-know-these-ubiquitous-canadian-pop-musicians/337051/6 "2005-12-24T04:29:13Z")
OK, I’m 20, so I’m a bit young for your sample set. However, I consider myself to be fairly knowledgeable about music. I’ve broken up the artists listed into a few categories: **Musicians Even Most Non-Music People Know** Alanis Morissette Avril Lavigne Barenaked Ladies Celine Dion Joni Mitchell k. d. lang Neil Young Paul Anka Shania Twain **Musicians Who Are Known By Slightly More-Than-Casual Listeners (Or People Of A "Certain Age"** Bachman Turner Overdrive The Band Blood, Sweat & Tears Bryan Adams Crash Test Dummies (though they were a one-hit wonder here, they were one of the more memorable ones) Gordon Lightfoot Guess Who Loverboy Men Without Hats (see comment about Crash Test Dummies) Nelly Furtado Rush Sarah McLachlan **Musicians Known By More Serious Listeners or Trivia Buffs** Alannah Myles Bruce Cockburn Corey Hart Cowboy Junkies Jann Arden (wasn’t she at Lillith Fair?) Klaatu Martha & The Muffins Nick Gilder Snow Tom Cochrane Tragically Hip The rest I either haven’t heard of or wasn’t sure where to group them. ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2005, 4:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-americans-know-these-ubiquitous-canadian-pop-musicians/337051/7 "2005-12-24T04:42:04Z")
> [@featherlou](#): > > A Foot In Coldwater > Aldo Nova > Barney Bentall > Chalk Circle > Dan Hill > David Wilcox > Doucette > Gino Vannelli > Harlequin > Luba > Martha & The Muffins > Max Webster > Nick Gilder > The Original Caste > Payola$ > Red Rider > Spoons > Toronto > Triumph I’m Canadian (from NF, live about an hour outside TO now), and I’ve never heard of anyone that I’ve listed here (except Luba and I only know of them from seeing the odd T-Shirt). Randomly: My ex (from New York) is a big Great Big Sea fan. Another ex (from Michigan) likes them well enough, too. The NY girl is also fond of the Arrogant Worms. (Although I own a lot of the blame for the latter…) A friend from Indiana got the joke when I made a reference to Kim Mitchell a while back (quoting Might as Well Go For a Soda when she said she was going to do so). That was a moderate shock. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2005, 4:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-americans-know-these-ubiquitous-canadian-pop-musicians/337051/8 "2005-12-24T04:42:12Z")
I’ve heard of, and maybe a few songs by: Alanis Morissette, Avril Lavigne, Bachman Turner Overdrive, The Band, Blood, Sweat & Tears, Bryan Adams, Celine Dion, Corey Hart, Cowboy Junkies, Crash Test Dummies, Gordon Lightfoot, Guess Who, Joni Mitchell, k. d. lang, Loverboy, Men Without Hats, Neil Young, Nelly Furtado, The Nylons, Paul Anka, Rush, Sarah McLachlan, Shania Twain, Tragically Hip I’m definitely a fan of Barenaked Ladies. I haven’t heard anything by David Wilcox, but I do have a song that’s about David Wilcox. Is this the Klaatu that did _Sir Bodsworth Rugglesby III_. I’m told that song is very different from anything else they ever did, but I like it. And what kind of list is this without Moxy Früvous? ---
**Author:** ![Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hey_It_s_That_Guy)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2005, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-americans-know-these-ubiquitous-canadian-pop-musicians/337051/9 "2005-12-24T04:47:19Z")
Yeah, you didn’t even list my two favorite Canadian bands: Moxy Fruvous and the New Pornographers! And where the hell is another great musical Canadian, William Shatner? ---
**Author:** ![Nic2004](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/4491bb/32.png) [@Nic2004](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nic2004)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2005, 4:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-americans-know-these-ubiquitous-canadian-pop-musicians/337051/10 "2005-12-24T04:51:53Z")
> [@Lisa-go-Blind](#): > > OK, I’m 20, so I’m a bit young for your sample set. However, I consider myself to be fairly knowledgeable about music. I’ve broken up the artists listed into a few categories: > > **Musicians Even Most Non-Music People Know** > Alanis Morissette > Avril Lavigne > Barenaked Ladies > Celine Dion > Joni Mitchell > k. d. lang > Neil Young > Paul Anka > Shania Twain > > **Musicians Who Are Known By Slightly More-Than-Casual Listeners (Or People Of A "Certain Age"** > Bachman Turner Overdrive > The Band > Blood, Sweat & Tears > Bryan Adams > Crash Test Dummies (though they were a one-hit wonder here, they were one of the more memorable ones) > Gordon Lightfoot > Guess Who > Loverboy > Men Without Hats (see comment about Crash Test Dummies) > Nelly Furtado > Rush > Sarah McLachlan > **Musicians Known By More Serious Listeners or Trivia Buffs** > Alannah Myles > Bruce Cockburn > Corey Hart > Cowboy Junkies > Jann Arden (wasn’t she at Lillith Fair?) > Klaatu > Martha & The Muffins > Nick Gilder > Snow > Tom Cochrane > Tragically Hip > > The rest I either haven’t heard of or wasn’t sure where to group them. I am either familure or _very_ familure with those in the first and second groups. And I am **“Certain Age”** and in the southern part of the US. ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2005, 5:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-americans-know-these-ubiquitous-canadian-pop-musicians/337051/11 "2005-12-24T05:20:14Z")
Canadians are more familiar with Canadian artists because of the “can-con” rules: the government mandates that a certain percentage of radio airplay be devoted to Canadian artists. Guess how much? 3%? 10%? Try _35%._ American audiences would be a heck of a lot more familiar with Canadian artists if we had to devote 35% of our radio airtime to them. In any case, the OP’s list is missing some extremely important artists: Jane Siberry, Holly Cole, and Mary Margaret O’Hara, just of the top of my head. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2005, 5:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-americans-know-these-ubiquitous-canadian-pop-musicians/337051/12 "2005-12-24T05:38:12Z")
> [@Big Bad Voodoo Lou](#): > > Yeah, you didn’t even list my two favorite Canadian bands: Moxy Fruvous and the New Pornographers! And where the hell is another great musical Canadian, William Shatner? We actually joked about putting William Shatner on the list. 😃 Moxy Fruvous and the New Pornographers aren’t even close to ubiquitous here. Jim and I know them (being audiophiles), but your average Joe Shmoe wouldn’t have a clue. **lissener** , your three artists are arguably important Canadian artists, but again, far from ubiquitous. Any Canadian who wasn’t watching “Friday Night Videos” in the 80’s wouldn’t have a clue who Jane Siberry was, and Holly Cole and Mary Margaret O’Hara are much more specialty acts. And I fully support CanCon - Canadian artists would be lost in a sea of American music if not for it. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2005, 5:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-americans-know-these-ubiquitous-canadian-pop-musicians/337051/13 "2005-12-24T05:47:36Z")
I have stuff by some of them as well as: The Killer Dwarfs - haven’t listened to them for years. The Nylons Ron Sexsmith - every album I think. Who can resist a guy that Elvis Costello raves about. Surprisingly he is a fairly regular visitor to Australia. ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2005, 5:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-americans-know-these-ubiquitous-canadian-pop-musicians/337051/14 "2005-12-24T05:52:12Z")
Alanis Morissette Alannah Myles Avril Lavigne Bachman Turner Overdrive Barenaked Ladies Bryan Adams Celine Dion Cowboy Junkies Crash Test Dummies Glass Tiger Gordon Lightfoot Guess Who Jeff Healey Joni Mitchell k. d. lang Lighthouse Loverboy Men Without Hats Neil Young Nelly Furtado Rush Sarah McLachlan Shania Twain Tom Cochrane Tragically Hip ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2005, 6:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-americans-know-these-ubiquitous-canadian-pop-musicians/337051/15 "2005-12-24T06:01:04Z")
> [@featherlou](#): > > Any Canadian who wasn’t watching “Friday Night Videos” in the 80’s wouldn’t have a clue who Jane Siberry was,… How did I forget Jane Siberry in my first post? I was not Canadian, or watching _Friday Night Videos_ in the 80’s, but I have a couple of her CDs and they’re excellent. Going back a few years, there was Cub, from Vancouver. And are Shadowy Men on a Shadowy Planet Canadian? ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2005, 6:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-americans-know-these-ubiquitous-canadian-pop-musicians/337051/16 "2005-12-24T06:14:15Z")
> [@lissener](#): > > Canadians are more familiar with Canadian artists because of the “can-con” rules: the government mandates that a certain percentage of radio airplay be devoted to Canadian artists. Actually, the artist doesn’t even have to be Canadian. If the work was written by a Canadian, for instance, it’s technically “Cancon” even if the artist is from somewhere else. If Green Day were to record a punk cover of the Barenaked Ladies’ “Grade Nine,” that would be Cancon, as both the music and lyrics were written by Canadians. ---
**Author:** ![Rushgeekgirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rushgeekgirl/32/3715_2.png) [@Rushgeekgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rushgeekgirl)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2005, 6:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-americans-know-these-ubiquitous-canadian-pop-musicians/337051/17 "2005-12-24T06:18:15Z")
I’ve heard of most of them, but there’s one in particular that I’m quite fond of. Can you guess which one? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Nic2004](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/4491bb/32.png) [@Nic2004](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nic2004)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2005, 6:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-americans-know-these-ubiquitous-canadian-pop-musicians/337051/18 "2005-12-24T06:21:45Z")
> [@Rushgeekgirl](#): > > I’ve heard of most of them, but there’s one in particular that I’m quite fond of. > Can you guess which one? 😉 k. d. lang? ---
**Author:** ![Nic2004](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/4491bb/32.png) [@Nic2004](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nic2004)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2005, 6:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-americans-know-these-ubiquitous-canadian-pop-musicians/337051/19 "2005-12-24T06:22:52Z")
> [@Nic2004](#): > > k. d. lang? I kid. 2112 was one of my favorites ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2005, 6:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-americans-know-these-ubiquitous-canadian-pop-musicians/337051/20 "2005-12-24T06:31:59Z")
> [@Mr. Blue Sky](#): > > Because of the video for “Safety Dance”, I automatically assumed Men Without Hats was British. That dance wasn’t as safe as everyone said. I’m Canadian. I recognize maybe one name in eight. I guess I’m not cool. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-americans-know-these-ubiquitous-canadian-pop-musicians/337051.md?page=2)