CMB’S GREAT CANADIAN SONGS
Of the thousands of Canadian songs we have listened to over the years, our favourites are listed below. As we do not want to weary the reader with a list as tall as the CN Tower, we add selections from only the cream of the crop. We exclude cover songs and allow only one entry per artist. We include songs of any language, of any genre, and all recordings, not just hit singles. From time to time we will induct a new entry to the list and update the ranking. Below is a list of our ATF (i.e. all-time favourite) tunes by Canadian artists with links to articles we have written in dedication to and with information and trivia about each song. Those wishing to explore the diverse treasures of the vast ocean of Canadian music can use this as a place to start.
LINKS TO ARTICLES
“Crying Out Loud for Love” by The Box (1987)
“One More Colour” by Jane Siberry (1985)
“Push” by Moist (1994)
“Steal My Sunshine” by Len (1999)
“Let’s Play” by Kristina Maria (2011)
“Sing” by Theo Tams (2008)
“These Eyes” by The Guess Who (1969)
“Far Too Frail” by Skinny Puppy (1984)
“A Criminal Mind” by Gowan (1985)
“I Was a Fool” by The Boomtang Boys (1999)
“Heavenly Blue” by Burton Cummings (1980)
“Flesh under Skin” by National Velvet (1988)
“Tokyo” by Bruce Cockburn (1980)
“Hot Child in the City” by Nick Gilder (1978)
“Philadelphia” by Neil Young (1994)
“I’m Like a Bird” by Nelly Furtado (2000)
“Je n’ai que mon âme” by Natasha St-Pier (2001)
“Song in My Head” by M+M (1985)
“La Corrida” by Mitsou (1988)
“At the Feet of the Moon” by The Parachute Club (1984)
“3 Dressed Up As a 9” by Trooper (1979)
“Living On Video” by Trans X (1983)
“Rock Machine” by Copyright (2001)
“I Want You Back” by Sherry Kean (1984)
“Overworked and Underpaid” by Randy Bachman (1992)
“For Germans” by Images in Vogue (1983)
“Believe in You” by Amanda Marshall (1999)
“Phasors on Stun” by FM (1977)
“Never Surrender” by Corey Hart (1985)
“Yeah, Whatever” by Moev (1988)
“I Really Love You” by Ian Thomas (1978)
“Jukfuk” by Sally Yeh (1987)
“Subdivisions” by Rush (1982)
“Passion” by Zappacosta (1984)
“Saviour” by Lights (2009)
“Aria” by Delerium (2000)
“(Everything I Do) I Do It For You” by Bryan Adams (1991)
“Angel” by Sarah McLachlan (1997)
“Nova Heart” by The Spoons (1982)
“Eyes of a Stranger” by The Payola$ (1982)
“The Safety Dance” by Men Without Hats (1982)
“Worlds Away” by Strange Advance (1982)
“Baby Ran” by 54-40 (1986)
“Tonight Is a Wonderful Time to Fall in Love” by April Wine (1975)
“Just Walk Away” by Celine Dion (1993)
“You Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet” by Bachman-Turner Overdrive (1974)
“My Girl (Gone, Gone, Gone)” by Chilliwack (1981)
“Ghosts of You” by Chantal Kreviazuk (2006)
“Thank U” by Alanis Morissette (1998)
“My Happy Ending” by Avril Lavigne (2004)
“Someday” by Glass Tiger (1986)
“Falling Forward” by Frederick (2008)
“When I’m With You” by Sheriff (1983)
“Put Me On” by Diamond Rings (2012)
“Break My Heart” by Victoria Duffield (2012)
“Don’t Let It Go to Your Head” by Fefe Dobson (2005)
“Clone” by Metric (2012)
“Call Me Maybe” by Carly Rae Jepsen (2011)
“Love Struck” by Stonebolt (1978)
“Missing You” by Candi and the Backbeat (1989)
Newest Inductees
“Vacances de 87” by Le Couleur (2013)
“I Was a Fool” by Tegan and Sara (2013)
“Cover Me” by Jonas & The Massive Attraction (2013)
“All For You” by Lexi Strate (2013)
“Whatever It Takes” by Ron Sexsmith (2004)
| RANK | TITLE | ARTIST | YEAR |
| 65 | Crying Out Loud for Love | The Box | 1987 |
| 64 | One More Colour | Jane Siberry | 1985 |
| 63 | Push | Moist | 1994 |
| 62 | Whatever It Takes | Ron Sexsmith | 2004 |
| 61 | Steal My Sunshine | Len | 1999 |
| 60 | Someday | Glass Tiger | 1986 |
| 59 | Falling Forward | Frederick | 2008 |
| 58 | Let’s Play | Kristina Maria | 2011 |
| 57 | Sing | Theo Tams | 2008 |
| 56 | These Eyes | Guess Who | 1969 |
| 55 | Far Too Frail | Skinny Puppy | 1984 |
| 54 | A Criminal Mind | Gowan | 1985 |
| 53 | I Was a Fool | Boomtang Boys | 1999 |
| 52 | When I’m With You | Sheriff | 1983 |
| 51 | Vacances de 87 | Le Couleur | 2013 |
| 50 | Heavenly Blue | Burton Cummings | 1980 |
| 49 | Flesh Under Skin | National Velvet | 1988 |
| 48 | Tokyo | Bruce Cockburn | 1980 |
| 47 | I Was a Fool | Tegan and Sara | 2013 |
| 46 | Put Me On | Diamond Rings | 2012 |
| 45 | Hot Child in the City | Nick Gilder | 1978 |
| 44 | Philadelphia | Neil Young | 1994 |
| 43 | I’m Like a Bird | Nelly Furtado | 2000 |
| 42 | Cover Me | Jonas & The Massive Attraction | 2013 |
| 41 | Break My Heart | Victoria Duffield | 2012 |
| 40 | Je n’ai que mon âme | Natasha St-Pier | 2001 |
| 39 | Song in My Head | M+M | 1985 |
| 38 | La Corrida | Mitsou | 1988 |
| 37 | At the Feet of the Moon | Parachute Club | 1984 |
| 36 | Don’t Let It Go to Your Head | Fefe Dobson | 2005 |
| 35 | Clone | Metric | 2012 |
| 34 | 3 Dressed Up as a 9 | Trooper | 1979 |
| 33 | Living on Video | Trans-X | 1983 |
| 32 | Rock Machine | Copyright | 2001 |
| 31 | Call Me Maybe | Carly Rae Jepsen | 2011 |
| 30 | I Want You Back | Sherry Kean | 1984 |
| 29 | Overworked and Underpaid | Randy Bachman | 1992 |
| 28 | For Germans | Images in Vogue | 1983 |
| 27 | Believe in You | Amanda Marshall | 1999 |
| 26 | Love Struck | Stonebolt | 1978 |
| 25 | Phasors on Stun | FM | 1977 |
| 24 | Never Surrender | Corey Hart | 1985 |
| 23 | Yeah, Whatever | Moev | 1988 |
| 22 | I Really Love You | Ian Thomas | 1978 |
| 21 | Jukfuk | Sally Yeh | 1987 |
| 20 | Missing You | Candi | 1988 |
| 19 | Subdivisions | Rush | 1982 |
| 18 | All For You | Lexi Strate | 2013 |
| 17 | Passion | Zappacosta | 1984 |
| 16 | Saviour | LIGHTS | 2009 |
| 15 | Aria | Delerium | 2000 |
| 14 | (Everything I Do) I Do It For You | Bryan Adams | 1991 |
| 13 | Angel | Sarah McLachlan | 1997 |
| 12 | Nova Heart | The Spoons | 1982 |
| 11 | Eyes of a Stranger | The Payola$ | 1982 |
| 10 | The Safety Dance | Men Without Hats | 1982 |
| 9 | Worlds Away | Strange Advance | 1982 |
| 8 | Baby Ran | 54-40 | 1986 |
| 7 | Tonight is a Wonderful Time… | April Wine | 1975 |
| 6 | Just Walk Away | Celine Dion | 1993 |
| 5 | You Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet | Bachman-Turner Overdrive | 1974 |
| 4 | My Girl (Gone, Gone, Gone) | Chilliwack | 1981 |
| 3 | Ghosts of You | Chantal Kreviazuk | 2006 |
| 2 | Thank U | Alanis Morissette | 1998 |
| 1 | My Happy Ending | Avril Lavigne | 2004 |
Provisions
• Only one song per artist
• No cover songs
• All songs are from the rock ‘n roll era that began in the 1950s
• Songs can be performed in any language
• All songs were considered, not just hit singles
