# 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:** 6
**Author:** ![Saintly\_Loser](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saintly_loser/32/4045_2.png) [@Saintly\_Loser](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saintly_Loser)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2019, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-canadian-music-act-group-individual-whatever/832481/101 "2019-04-17T02:01:39Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > Great Big Sea Absolutely. I had the pleasure of seeing them a few years ago on George Street, at the George Sgtreet Festival (in the rain, of course, it being Newfoundland). One of the best shows I’ve seen in my life. And for anyone who mentioned Bachman Turner Overdrive, well, maybe, maybe not, but there’s a good chance that Randy Bachman played on a record or two of every other Canadian act mentioned in the thread. Also, Randy’s radio show on the CBC (Vinyl Tap) is incredibly cool. ---
**Author:** ![Mr\_Zox](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Mr\_Zox](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr_Zox)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2019, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-canadian-music-act-group-individual-whatever/832481/102 "2019-04-17T02:12:28Z")
Cohen, Mitchell, Young, four-fifths of The Band; some of the others are good, but those are the best. Along with Loreena McKennitt - - - I’m surprised no-one’s mentioned her before. ---
**Author:** ![LLCoolL](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/llcooll/32/3596_2.png) [@LLCoolL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LLCoolL)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2019, 8:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-canadian-music-act-group-individual-whatever/832481/103 "2019-04-17T08:35:26Z")
Based on the replies to this thread, the “voting” seems to be: 1. Rush 2. Neil Young 3. Joni Mitchell 4. Leonard Cohen That’s a pretty solid list. ---
**Author:** ![SOJA](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e274bd/32.png) [@SOJA](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SOJA)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2019, 10:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-canadian-music-act-group-individual-whatever/832481/104 "2019-04-17T10:06:13Z")
I’m ashamed to admit it, but I like Bryan Adams. ---
**Author:** ![China\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/779978/32.png) [@China\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/China_Guy)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2019, 5:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-canadian-music-act-group-individual-whatever/832481/105 "2019-04-18T05:59:07Z")
3 pages in and no mention of DOA? Sheesh ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2019, 6:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-canadian-music-act-group-individual-whatever/832481/106 "2019-04-18T06:08:00Z")
Band: Rush. Solo artist: Jane Siberry. ---
**Author:** ![HyacinthBucket](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hyacinthbucket/32/3063_2.png) [@HyacinthBucket](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HyacinthBucket)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2019, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-canadian-music-act-group-individual-whatever/832481/107 "2019-04-18T23:16:52Z")
The Shmenge Brothers. Even though they were born in Leutonia. 😃 ---
**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 19, 2019, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-canadian-music-act-group-individual-whatever/832481/108 "2019-04-19T00:38:15Z")
> [@Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](#): > > Neil Peart. > > Hey, **Leaffan** asked for the greatest Canadian whatever, and Peart is widely considered one of the best rock drummers in history. Ergo, he’s the greatest Canadian drummer yet. > [@Leaffan](#): > > I can get behind that. There’s another Canadian musician who fits in the “whatever” category, as she’s thought one of the greatest of her genre: the Cape Breton fiddler [Natalie MacMaster](http://https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natalie_MacMaster) ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2019, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-canadian-music-act-group-individual-whatever/832481/109 "2019-04-19T01:24:55Z")
> [@Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](#): > > There’s another Canadian musician who fits in the “whatever” category, as she’s thought one of the greatest of her genre: the Cape Breton fiddler [Natalie MacMaster](http://https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natalie_MacMaster) Absolutely! ---
**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 19, 2019, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-canadian-music-act-group-individual-whatever/832481/110 "2019-04-19T02:23:54Z")
Thirded. I first saw her 20+ years ago playing with the Chieftains. It was a bunch of old, sort of tired Irish men and a red headed tornado with a fiddle. She’s brilliant. ---
**Author:** ![Guest-starring\_Id](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guest-starring_id/32/21736_2.png) [@Guest-starring\_Id](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guest-starring_Id)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2019, 6:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-canadian-music-act-group-individual-whatever/832481/111 "2019-04-19T06:42:07Z")
My vote is for the bands Our Testicles Touch the Ground, and Mexican Power Authority. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Borgia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/larry_borgia/32/156_2.png) [@Larry\_Borgia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Borgia)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2019, 7:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-canadian-music-act-group-individual-whatever/832481/112 "2019-04-19T07:06:45Z")
Rush. As I guy I know who plays in metal bands said, “There’s no actual musician who doesn’t respect their talent.” ---
**Author:** ![nightshadea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/7ba0ec/32.png) [@nightshadea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nightshadea)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2019, 9:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-canadian-music-act-group-individual-whatever/832481/113 "2019-04-19T09:03:27Z")
the mckenzie brothers:p ---
**Author:** ![EmilyG](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/emilyg/32/364_2.png) [@EmilyG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EmilyG)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2019, 12:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-canadian-music-act-group-individual-whatever/832481/114 "2019-04-19T12:26:25Z")
Rather pleased nobody’s mentioned Michael Buble. I guess this is a matter of personal opinion, but I’m not so fond of his style of autotuned imitation-jazz. ---
**Author:** ![casdave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c6cbf5/32.png) [@casdave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/casdave)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2019, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-canadian-music-act-group-individual-whatever/832481/115 "2019-04-19T18:05:59Z")
Me also, I thought I was the only one who wasn’t keen on the auto-tune in his music, I thought that loose tuning and odd combinations was partly the point of jazz ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2019, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-canadian-music-act-group-individual-whatever/832481/116 "2019-04-19T18:23:46Z")
I don’t really know enough Michael Bublé, but I didn’t think he uses autotune. He’s got a nice voice, in the Tony Bennett or Frank Sinatra kinda way, no? ---
**Author:** ![mikecurtis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mikecurtis/32/3284_2.png) [@mikecurtis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mikecurtis)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2019, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-canadian-music-act-group-individual-whatever/832481/118 "2019-04-19T18:52:07Z")
[The](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wdcGeTqPNfM) [Cliks](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2QHSr2lEK4s)[!](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jW4m0wOl4-M) ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2019, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-canadian-music-act-group-individual-whatever/832481/119 "2019-04-19T19:04:19Z")
> [@Allen6276](#): > > Auto Transport is a seamless, simple way to transport a car. We’ll handle the logistics of transporting your vehicle so that you can relax. > **[vehicle transport cross country](https://www.autotransportcity.com/p/city-transport)** Reported. ---
**Author:** ![uncle\_squeegee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/b5e925/32.png) [@uncle\_squeegee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/uncle_squeegee)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2019, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-canadian-music-act-group-individual-whatever/832481/120 "2019-04-19T20:51:22Z")
> [@Ike\_Witt](#): > > There needs to be a consolidation of the choices and a proper vote. > > Not already suggested: > > Red Rider > Doug & The Slugs > Trooper > Arcade Fire > Bruce Cockburn > Anne Murray > Buffy Saint-Marie > > ETA: The New Pornographers I second Doug & the Slugs. ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2019, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-canadian-music-act-group-individual-whatever/832481/121 "2019-04-19T21:19:59Z")
For comedy, Wayne & Schuster For folk, male: Stan Rogers (light years ahead of Lightfoot), female: Joni Mitchell Jazz: Oscar Peterson [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-canadian-music-act-group-individual-whatever/832481.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-canadian-music-act-group-individual-whatever/832481.md?page=7)