I know these are very different bands, but I’ve always been skeptical. I know the whole world listens to Bryan Adams, Drake, and Rush. I know the Great Lakes listen to Gordon Lightfoot and the Hip. But have are the bands I mentioned on my question big to me solely because I’m Canadian or are they as big in the States? Thanks!

EDIT: For reference, Loverboy sings “Working for the Weekend” and “Turn Me Loose”, Billy Talent sings “Rusted From the Rain” and Viking Death March, and The Glorious Sons sing “Sawed-off Shotgun” and “Everything is Alright”

50 comments

  5. I’ll listen to what ever sounds good. My Spotify playlist looks like a United Nations potluck

  6. I will personally always leap to defend BNL, the most celebrated Canadian alt rock band of the mid-90s.

  7. Of those three, I only know Loverboy.

    I do know some other Canadian bands that I’ve listened to- was it just those particular three that you’re interested in?

  11. I’ve heard Loverboy songs play quite often on classic rock and soft rock stations. Several other Canadian bands have been fairly popular in the US as well, such as Simple Plan, Sum 41, and Arcade Fire. The byword for bad bands, Nickelback, was present on radio a lot too. As someone who likes classic rock, Rush is not the only Canadian band I came to like; there was also The Guess Who, Bachman Turner Overdrive, Steppenwolf, and Triumph.

    If I consider solo artists, then The Weeknd, Avril Lavigne, Alanis Morissette, Carly Rae Jepsen, Shania Twain, and Celine Dion were some of the artists who became big in the US.

  12. Guess Who, Loverboy, Heart, Chilliwack, Triumph, Barenaked Ladies, Steppenwolf, Cowboy Junkies, The Band. Gordon Lightfoot sure, and Bryan Adams since he was in the Babys.

    I’ve never heard of Billy Talent or Glorious Sons.

  13. No, but I listen to the Brains, the Hellbound Hepcats/Alex Brown and the Hepcats, DOA (specifically [Jello Biafra (American) and DOA (Canadian)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yLZLUnLQq3E)) – I specify this last part because Jello was the singer for Dead Kennedys and now Jello Biafra and the Guantanamo School of Medicine

  14. How is Cowboy Junkies not on your list, is what I want to know.

    Fuckin *Loverboy* and not Cowboy Junkies? Really?

    Listen to their cover of *Sweet Jane* and say three Hail Marys.

  16. I remember Bryan Adams and Loverboy from, uh… the 80s?

    The rest I haven’t heard of.

  19. I listen to a whole lot of Unleash the Archers. And that [Northwest Passage](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XRD3vrSLPaw) cover is very Canadian (and great!).

    Their last two albums have been excellent, and while they weren’t playing huge rooms – so it’s perhaps not *that* remarkable, most of the shows on their last US tour were sold out in advance.

    ——–

    Think I saw the Glorious Sons open up for the Struts once? I recall them being decent but I also get them mixed up with Rival Sons sometimes. Should probably go back and look at their work again.

  22. I’m not a fan of these guys only because I can’t get past the lead singer’s voice; but they are all three tremendously talented musicians. Rush is a solid band from Canada.

  23. Loverboy is widely known in the US. The other two aren’t. Plenty of acts get very popular in Canada without making a splash in the US. The opposite isn’t usually true.

  24. Sure we do. Sometimes, you don’t even know a band is Canadian. Or you think they are. Shoot – I thought the Indigo Girls were Canadian, but no.

    One of the first bands I got into was Triumph (Rik Emmett) and they had a sort of weird following in the US. They weren’t super huge but had patches of regional popularity. I liked a lot of Sarah Mclaclan’s earlier songs.

    Loverboy was on the school bus radio so yeah, that is burned into my brain. Not my favorite but yeah. Never heard of the other two you mentioned.

    Of course there is Celine, Melissa Etheridge and Shania.

    A bit more recently, I liked some songs from Arcade Fire.

  27. Hard Core Logo was pretty good, I don’t think I’ve seen the sequel though. The band who took the name was pretty good too.

    Never heard of GS and Loverboy is a one hit wonder as far as I know, so I know the song.

  28. I regularly listen to Arcade Fire, Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Alvvays, Mac Demarco, Women, and others.

    Tons of great artists from Canada.

  30. I first heard Billy Talent on Sirius Satellite Radio when I lived in SoCal back in 2006/2007. The song was Fallen Leaves. I really like the song, but its the only song I’ve heard from them since.

  31. I don’t think I know any of those bands except for the song Working for the Weekend

  32. I’ve heard of Billy Talent (listened to a few songs) and Loverboy.
    Alexisonfire is my most listened to Canadian band. Dallas (one of the members) also sings in City And Colour.

  33. Of those three, I’ve only heard of Billy Talent.

    But I have listened to Doug and the Slugs.

  35. Glorious Sons was possibly the best (unknown to us) opener we ever saw/heard at a show. That was in 2019, I think. They are also the first show we saw live after the shutdowns. At that point they were the headliner, albiet at a smaller venue. S.O.S is played fairly often on multiple stations. First time we saw them, there was a couple next to us who only came for them and had traveled over 3hrs from another state. I don’t think they are necessarily popular, but they have a solid following in the States. If it matters, husband and I are in our mid 40s, and our son is 21. We listen to most genres and lean towards artists who put on great live shows.

  39. Colter Wall is getting mentioned a lot around country fans. I’ve only listened to a couple of songs so far but I like what I hear.

    Edit: I realize I got off-topic, sorry. I didn’t know the names of the bands you mentioned, but I recognized the Loverboy songs.

  40. I’d never heard of any of those, but I do like Metric. Drove 5 hours to see them in concert in Germany a few months ago.

  42. Billy talent is decent. Also The Dirty Nil, The Planet Smashers, The Real McKenzies, Sum 41, etc.

  46. I’ve always liked The Tragically Hip. The Letterkenny soundtrack introduced me to a lot of great Canadian musicians as well.

  47. I was a “scene kid”. Billy Talent was in regular rotation, they’re newer stuff is pretty decent too

  50. Nope there’s been a nation-wide ban on Canadian bands since 1972. This, no Americans listen to any Canadian bands ever.

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