# The greatest Canadian music act: group, individual, whatever. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 13, 2019, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-canadian-music-act-group-individual-whatever/832481 "2019-04-13T02:45:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2019, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-canadian-music-act-group-individual-whatever/832481/41 "2019-04-13T23:35:50Z")
I like Ronnie Hawkins. He was born in Arkansas. But has lived and worked most of his adult life in Canada. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2019, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-canadian-music-act-group-individual-whatever/832481/42 "2019-04-14T00:24:55Z")
> [@Ike\_Witt](#): > > There needs to be a consolidation of the choices and a proper vote. I’ll add a couple more nominees Ian and Sylvia Anne Murray ---
**Author:** ![TreacherousCretin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treacherouscretin/32/476_2.png) [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2019, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-canadian-music-act-group-individual-whatever/832481/43 "2019-04-14T00:35:36Z")
> [@bmoak](#): > > No love for [Glenn Gould](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CnJhq7_Er8o)? Beat me to it. **Glenn Gould** , and **Oscar Peterson**. Two of the very greatest pianists of the 20th century, one classical, one jazz. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2019, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-canadian-music-act-group-individual-whatever/832481/44 "2019-04-14T01:48:09Z")
Rush by far. If you want to ask the question who the best songwriter is then we can bring in Mitchell, Lightfoot, Young and Cohen ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2019, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-canadian-music-act-group-individual-whatever/832481/45 "2019-04-14T02:14:54Z")
Well, he’s an actor who has _played_ musicians (and actually shared the stage with Coldplay, Elvis Costello and The Who), so I’ll submit Michael J. Fox for at least an honorable mention. ---
**Author:** ![neofishboy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/neofishboy/32/444_2.png) [@neofishboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/neofishboy)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2019, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-canadian-music-act-group-individual-whatever/832481/46 "2019-04-14T02:36:28Z")
Joni Mitchell, Neil Young, and Leonard Cohen are seriously iconic all-time greats, and I have a great deal of affection for Men Without Hats. But yeah, it’s Rush. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2019, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-canadian-music-act-group-individual-whatever/832481/47 "2019-04-14T02:36:50Z")
> [@blondebear](#): > > Well, he’s an actor who has _played_ musicians (and actually shared the stage with Coldplay, Elvis Costello and The Who), so I’ll submit Michael J. Fox for at least an honorable mention. Then I have to nominate[Lorne Greene](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IBWbKJVaZhA). ---
**Author:** ![Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slow_moving_vehicle/32/291_2.png) [@Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slow_Moving_Vehicle)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2019, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-canadian-music-act-group-individual-whatever/832481/48 "2019-04-14T02:41:43Z")
Celine Dion. (I keed, I keed, of course Celine Dion isn’t Canada’s greatest musician! It’s Anne Murray.)😃 Okay, serious answer; I never have liked Joni Mitchell or Neil Young, but there is Canadian band that has been on my playlist for twenty years: Cowboy Junkies. ---
**Author:** ![scabpicker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scabpicker/32/8268_2.png) [@scabpicker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scabpicker)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2019, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-canadian-music-act-group-individual-whatever/832481/49 "2019-04-14T02:58:55Z")
Ok, I loves me some Anne Murray but it’s NOMEANSNO. Very Canadian, and strong as straight rye. ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2019, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-canadian-music-act-group-individual-whatever/832481/50 "2019-04-14T03:38:19Z")
I can’t decide. How do you compare Rush, Neil and Joni? So, while you decide, here, listen to [Bruce Cockburn doing a Gordon Lightfoot cover](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j6mgL7UPasA&list=RDj6mgL7UPasA&start_radio=1). Right after downing a shot of maple syrup, it sounds like. ---
**Author:** ![road\_lobo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d78d45/32.png) [@road\_lobo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/road_lobo)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2019, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-canadian-music-act-group-individual-whatever/832481/51 "2019-04-14T04:07:37Z")
> [@MrDibble](#): > > Skinny Puppy. +1 ---
**Author:** ![bionic\_man](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/49beb7/32.png) [@bionic\_man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bionic_man)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2019, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-canadian-music-act-group-individual-whatever/832481/52 "2019-04-14T04:30:26Z")
klatu was good people thought they were the Beatles… ---
**Author:** ![Shakester](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shakester/32/437_2.png) [@Shakester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shakester)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2019, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-canadian-music-act-group-individual-whatever/832481/53 "2019-04-14T04:40:00Z")
1. Neil Young 2. Lenny Cohen 3. Joni Mitchell ---
**Author:** ![Lamoral](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lamoral/32/16078_2.png) [@Lamoral](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamoral)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2019, 6:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-canadian-music-act-group-individual-whatever/832481/54 "2019-04-14T06:45:48Z")
Another vote for Joni Mitchell being “THE GREATEST” from Canada. There are a lot of great ones. Mitchell is without peers though. Bob Dylan and Beatles tier. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Peyote\_Coyote](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/5f8ce5/32.png) [@The\_Peyote\_Coyote](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Peyote_Coyote)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2019, 7:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-canadian-music-act-group-individual-whatever/832481/55 "2019-04-14T07:46:22Z")
Ed Bickert, the great jazz guitarist. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2019, 7:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-canadian-music-act-group-individual-whatever/832481/56 "2019-04-14T07:59:58Z")
John Rutsey. Fuck those ‘Johnny Come-Latelys’. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2019, 8:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-canadian-music-act-group-individual-whatever/832481/57 "2019-04-14T08:48:50Z")
Gordon Lightfoot is Canada’s greatest solo artist. Best band is Bachman Turner Overdrive ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2019, 12:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-canadian-music-act-group-individual-whatever/832481/58 "2019-04-14T12:40:38Z")
> [@Gatopescado](#): > > John Rutsey. Fuck those ‘Johnny Come-Latelys’. I got that, you know. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2019, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-canadian-music-act-group-individual-whatever/832481/59 "2019-04-14T12:44:06Z")
Another vote for Leonard Cohen. After that, Neil Young, then Rush. Joni Mitchell? Hasn’t been on the airwaves since the 1970s, and can’t say I’ve missed her. I see Blood Sweat & Tears mentioned upthread. Since Al Kooper was American and David Clayton-Thomas was Canadian, we’d be talking about the DC-T incarnation of BS&T. ---
**Author:** ![Hatchie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hatchie/32/3983_2.png) [@Hatchie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hatchie)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2019, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-canadian-music-act-group-individual-whatever/832481/60 "2019-04-14T22:02:26Z")
The Diodes, the Viletones, the Curse. Three Toronto bands who were punk when punk was punk! Also Teenage Head, and the Poles! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-canadian-music-act-group-individual-whatever/832481.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-canadian-music-act-group-individual-whatever/832481.md?page=4)