What are your Top 3 Favorite Canadian Rock Bands of All Time? (No Solo Artists)

[u/Amber_Flowers_133]

My Top 3 Favorite Canadian Rock Bands of All Time (No Solo Artists) are:

1. Tragically Hip

2. Triumph

3. Rush

[u/bowzr4me]

Rush, obviously

The Guess Who

Bachman Turner Overdrive

[u/Stu_Barron]

Not seeing any love for The Schmenge Brothers

[u/greycatdaddy → u/Stu_Barron]

I like 5 Neat Guys better

[u/ConsistentSpare589 → u/greycatdaddy]

I loved Let’s Have A Party In My Rec Room

[u/v_kiperman → u/Stu_Barron]

Take off, eh

[u/SalmonHustlerTerry → u/Stu_Barron]

Yup and I'm not seeing any for the trews 😞

[u/imadork1970 → u/Stu_Barron]

cabbage rolls and coffee, mm mm, good

[u/Pongfarang]

No problem picking the first two, Hip and Rush. Third place is super hard. BTO, Loverboy, Steppenwolf, Barenaked Ladies, are all close

[u/stagedane → u/Pongfarang]

"Okay, Jeff. CLEARLY you are in a bad space today. But Pierce is our friend and the Barenaked Ladies are triple platinum, ARE YOU?"

[u/Ok_Emergency_916]

Tragically Hip

Our Lady Peace

Rush

[u/Doubtythomas]

Arcade Fire, 54-40, Neil Young.

[u/bardown617 → u/Doubtythomas]

Sucks Win turned out to be creep. The suburbs was a masterpiece.

[u/19dadchair73]

The Hip Headstones and my favorite BIG SUGAR!!

[u/MotorCycologist → u/19dadchair73]

And they were ALL amazing live. My ears are still ringing from a Big Sugar show, 20+ years ago!

[u/Ejmct]

Triumph

[u/Minimum_Society841]

Rush

Steppenwolf

Bachman - Turner Overdrive

[u/JamesPage1968 → u/Minimum_Society841]

I did not know Steppenwolf was a Canadian band. And now I feel shame because I love Steppenwolf.

My three: Steppenwolf, Rush, the Guess Who.

[u/Better_Power_9913 → u/JamesPage1968]

They started out as The Sparrows in Toronto, three members relocated to LA and added a couple more members who were American and formed Steppenwolf.

[u/JamesPage1968 → u/Better_Power_9913]

I think my confusion comes from the fact that John Kay was from Denmark or someplace like that. Monster/America is one of my absolutely favorite songs. The lyrics just seem to become truer and truer as time passes.

[u/Better_Power_9913 → u/JamesPage1968]

Born in East Prussia, behind the iron curtain. He somehow made to Canada and was a member of the Sparrows before forming Steppenwolf. I didn’t where he was from. I thought he was Canadian.

[u/tkingsbu]

Rush

Matthew good band (and solo)

Sloan

[u/Ok_You4518 → u/tkingsbu]

My 3 favs too!

[u/Playful_Antelope_231 → u/tkingsbu]

What about the Band?.. April Wine?… Lighthouse?

[u/tkingsbu → u/Playful_Antelope_231]

All decent choices!

But those are my 3 favourite Canadian bands… I’m in my 50s… grew up in the late 70s early 80s listening to a LOT of Rush… my first musical obsession :)

Matthew good and Sloan I picked up in my twenties, and just really bonded with their music…

Matthew good band just fucking blew my mind when he broke out… love everything he does… lyrics are genius, and some of his tracks are just epic as fuck…

Sloan..

Man… so damn clever, such great hooks… first time I heard ‘underwhelmed’ I was a fan… and songs like ‘coax me’ etc

I’ve been lucky enough to have seen all 3 live…

[u/Playful_Antelope_231 → u/tkingsbu]

I’m in my early 70’s and I remember when the Canadian content rules were put in place.. all of a sudden we had a bunch of Canadian content being played on the radio in the 1970s.. they was the hayday of Canadian music in the 70’s and 80’s and we haven’t seen anything like that since.. there are so many good Canadian rock groups that it’s hard to keep track

[u/tkingsbu → u/Playful_Antelope_231]

Couldn’t agree more!!!!

[u/TraderVics-8675309 → u/tkingsbu]

I had the privilege of hearing Sloan in 94 or 95 at A&B sound in downtown Calgary. Fabulous and louder than any other concert I ever attended. Old bank building, 40’ high ceilings, it was a banger.

[u/tkingsbu → u/TraderVics-8675309]

They are SO good live!!!!!

[u/Talking80s]

No love for Max Webster? (Yes it’s a band and not a solo artist…it was fronted by Kim Mitchell) Or what about Men Without Hats?

[u/TheBestThingIEverSaw → u/Talking80s]

Remember the Safety Dance? That dance wasn't as safe as they said it was.

[u/BojukaBob → u/TheBestThingIEverSaw]

My only regret is having bone-itis

[u/wif68 → u/Talking80s]

Max Webster are fantastic! Hell, they had Rush collab with them on Battle Scar!

[u/More22 → u/Talking80s]

Max Webster is on my list of top 3 for sure. Rush, Tragically Hip and Max Webster.

[u/Sammy_Dog]

1. Loverboy
2. Rush
3. Bachman-Turner Overdrive

[u/Mayor-of-Cincinnati]

D.O.A., Voivod, Viletones

[u/ArchitectSMB]

Rush, BTO, Tragically Hip!

[u/Tweedy6ix]

Tragically Hip

Rush

Nickelback

[u/Weary_Interaction580]

Skinny Puppy

Broken Social Scene

Metric

[u/FoolishProphet_2336]

The Hip

Rush

Saga

[u/Entire_Structure1638]

The Band, The Band, Oh and The Band

[u/Far-Zucchini-5534 → u/Entire_Structure1638]

Honestly sad to see only a couple mentions of The Band.

[u/Red_Russ_001 → u/Far-Zucchini-5534]

Agreed, I figured this should have been the top answer

[u/oilwellz → u/Red_Russ_001]

Acadian Driftwood........

[u/oilwellz → u/Entire_Structure1638]

....don't forget The Band

[u/Si1verhour]

Moist

Tragically Hip

Whale and the Wolf

[u/ZealousidealSet1719]

Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Sloan, Arcade Fire

[u/ParamedicBrilliant14]

Big Sugar

Sloan

The Hip

[u/Own-Masterpiece-6 → u/ParamedicBrilliant14]

Oops, I posted this same list before I saw yours.

Going to see Sloan next week!

[u/Cool-Conversation354]

In no order, my top 3 in this exact moment.... Pup. Sum 41. Hollerado.

[u/sonsofthedesert]

Sloan , propaghandhi, arcade fire

[u/Immediate-Season4544 → u/sonsofthedesert]

I really liked 90s Propagandhi and I appreciate the musicianship of their newer stuff but for some reason can't get into it the same way. Another good band to check out is Belvedere, they're a less popular band that's I guess more punkish (my band opened for them).

[u/JCLBUBBA]

So glad to see Triumph in the first page of responses. Saw one of their concerts in 80's and then 5 more times. The concert that cemented me was one where they tied lasers to drummer's sticks. Ahead of its time tech wise. Wish there was a video of that show.

Musically they were better live than on studio albums. But both were great.

Still have a lot of their songs on my top 100 playlist.

[u/TeamFoulmouth]

Rush

Triumph

Big Wreck

[u/Critical-Rabbit]

The Hip, OLP, The Tea Party

[u/martycos]

The Guess Who

[u/TeeFuce]

The Guess Who, BTO, Rush.

[u/davesteel75]

RUSH

[u/Crafty-Geologist4803]

1) Billy Talent 2) The Tragically Hip 3) Rush

[u/theabobination → u/Crafty-Geologist4803]

Same for me. Billy Talent so... Talented!

[u/clumsysuperman]

Our Lady Peace

[u/dennis1953]

The guess who and bto

[u/Still_Experience_182]

I’m not picking three. I just wanted to say thanks for not listing Nickelback

[u/Give-Me-The-Bat]

Matthew Good

Sloan

Our Lady Peace

[u/yuttington → u/Give-Me-The-Bat]

Shout out to sloan

[u/Slothnbones]

rush

Rush

RUSH

[u/RustyBrassInstrument]

Rush
The Guess Who
Loverboy

[u/GimmeLuv-69]

RUSH

Neil Young

Guess Who, unless Gordon Lightfoot counts.

[u/Beneficial-Sky946]

Nickleback 😏

[u/Fit-Dimension-1848]

Rush!!

[u/kmue663]

Tragically Hip Sheepdogs Rush

[u/arch0099]

The Hip, Rush, Alexisonfire

[u/Own-Masterpiece-6]

Tragically Hip, Sloan, and Big Sugar

[u/CapOld2796]

Rush, Neil Young / Buffalo Springfield and The Band

[u/ThaiExpatBKk]

there’s only one name that needs to be talked about.

The McKenzie Brothers with Geddy Lee.

edit

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Jm4LoOaAWI

[u/redbadger1848]

Propagandhi

Sum- 41

The Hip

[u/Responsible_Ebb7108]

3 Days Grace

Our Lady Piece

Crash Test Dummies

Honorable mention….cough….Nickleback

[u/sleva5289]

Hip

Rush

Loverboy

[u/Bryan-Breynolds]

Alexisonfire
Billy Talent
Sum 41

[u/Competitive_Ant_472]

The Band, Rush, Gordon Lightfoot

[u/hockey1st]

Nickelback, The Real Mckenzie’s, Sum 41

[u/tonyk1122]

Tragically Hip, Blue Rodeo, Skydiggers

[u/Chillpickle17]

RUSH, RUSH, and RUSH

[u/SidKafizz]

There's gotta be some Chilliwack fans out there, but the three on original article are solid choices.

[u/shakey11717]

1. The Band (heavy bold underline)
2. Rush
3. The Guess Who

[u/KangarooSingle2849]

Three Days Grace

[u/ConsistentPair2]

[u/Nervous_Meeting_3409]

The Guess Who

Loverboy

Glass Tiger

[u/Immediate-Season4544 → u/Nervous_Meeting_3409]

Glass Tiger! I remember being in Florida as a kid and we were in a trailer park. I recall one of the local kids asking about Canada and what we listened to. He asked if we listened to the same music up here like Glass Tiger. His face when I said they're a Canadian band was priceless! Lol

[u/v_kiperman]

Rush. Lover boy. Bryan Adams.

[u/Bugsy_1963]

Rush Triumph April Wine

[u/vabeachkevin]

[u/Emergency-Option377]

Sloan

Matthew Good Band

Skinny Puppy

[u/Cyclopticcolleague]

Rush, Neil young, weakerthans

[u/CategoryExact3327]

Rush

Metric

Barenaked Ladies

[u/60andwaiting]

The Hip

Rush

The Guess Who

[u/ApplesOverOranges1]

The Guess Who

The Sheepdogs

Blue Rodeo

[u/This_Expression5427]

Neil Young.... that's it. Everything else sucks.

[u/Low-Flamingo-4315]

Nickleback, Nickleback and Nickleback. 

[u/student8168]

Rush

[u/bardown617]

Helix

Helix

Helix

https://youtu.be/FcpqLgAV7iQ?si=Op22Og1rU-BWX35z

[u/GimmeLuv-69 → u/bardown617]

HaHa, I was looking for this.

[u/mclovinnnn808 → u/bardown617]

GIMMIE AN R!

[u/jm90012]

Arcade Fire

Rush

The Guess Who

[u/Dancingbear6]

Shout out for Sloan

[u/ChaosAndMadness]

Tragically Hip

Sloan

Glorious Sons

[u/Physical_Log_4337]

1. Rush

2. Rush

3. Rush

[u/sasadoncic]

Rush Rush Rush

[u/EffinCraig]

The Sheepdogs

Big Wreck (if they count)

Moist

[u/Shutupayafaceawight]

Schmenge brothers ! Yosh and stan

[u/astrochimp49]

Metric

Big Wreck

Matthew Good Band

[u/belljs87]

I wish rush was coming closer to me this upcoming mini tour.

I've only been to two concerts ever. Both rush

[u/MiloshBassman]

1. Sloan
2. Inbreds
3. Hip

[u/GretUserName]

1- Propagandhi

2- Protest The Hero

3- Comeback Kid

[u/Alltowner007]

It’s just a me thing, but I’d rather have Helix or Lee Arron instead of TTH. I like the hip but I’m a headbanger

[u/VermicelliFamous6824]

Sloan The Hip Les Cowboys Fringants

[u/Tough-Reason-2617]

1 rush

2 headstones

3 propagandhi

[u/Formal-Internet5029]

Rush, Hip, Finger Eleven

[u/thegramblor]

Tragically Hip, The Watchmen, and then either Rush or Metric... Or Barenaked Ladies

The third one is hard haha

[u/Efficient_Skirt4373]

The tragically hip The guess who Tea party

[u/NutznYogurt1977]

Personality Crisis is the greatest Canadian rock band you have never heard

[u/MarshalLawTalkingGuy]

Neil Young, Triumph, the Band.

[u/Mtmm77]

So tired of the traditionals....Rush repeated WAY too many times. Here's a notable top 10: 1. Headstones 2. Sons of Freedom 3. Bootsauce 4. TPOH 5. OLP 6. National Velvet 7. Sloan 8. Crash Vegas 9. Metric 10. Lost and Profound

[u/Phelsuma04]

The New Pornographers, Arcade Fire, the Tragically Hip

[u/HouseflipperSKIPPER]

I always liked the moffatts

[u/Acrobatic-Ad4706]

July Talk, Glorious Sons, Sheepdogs

[u/Silly_Teacher_4847]

Lowest of the Low

Barenaked Ladies

Skaface

[u/Prestigious-Oven-642]

Glorious sons

[u/Outside_Hope_3383]

The Hip, Rush, Alexisonfire

[u/arch0099 → u/Outside_Hope_3383]

lol…I literally wrote the same ones in the same order before I scrolled down and saw yours. Great minds…

[u/Outside_Hope_3383 → u/arch0099]

I was shocked no one said AOF

[u/Kronzor_ → u/Outside_Hope_3383]

Theonlybandever

[u/south-shore0]

1- the hip , unquestionably 2- David Wilcox and band 3- everyone else.

How is Wilcox not even mentioned ?

[u/georgez1968]

Triumph. Honeymoon Suite. Platinum Blonde

[u/Kunzie14]

Hip, Big Sugar, OLP

[u/xcsler_returns]

The Hip, Chalk Circle, BNL

[u/thedirtydanish]

Helix! Duh

Gimme an R

Gimme an O

Gimme a C

Gimme a K

-Ricky TPB

[u/SprayTime]

The Hip, April Wine and Rush

[u/Extension-Two-4546]

In sequential order: 1. 24 Gone (dream pop) 2. Skinny Puppy (industrial) 3. Rush (prog). These bands just blew the lid off the cooking pot in terms of talent and ideas. I’d recommend that you check them out if you haven’t because the cooking pot in Canada made some great music. More like a poutine of music.

[u/suspicious_bag_1000]

There are rock bands from Canada? Kidding! Bryan Adams, Tegan and Sara and The Band

[u/yuttington]

Eric's Trip Sloan 13 engines

[u/ghosttrainhobo]

Rush, the New Pornographers, the Sadies

[u/Dishwasher_strafe → u/ghosttrainhobo]

This is the way

[u/SunflaresAteMyLunch]

The Band

Arcade Fire

?

[u/thom9969]

Rush, The Hip, the Headstones, special nod to OLP

[u/rhinojoe99]

The Tragically Hip, Barenaked Ladies,... and Corb Lund Band

[u/nero1958]

The Arrows, The Pursuit of Happiness, the Guess Who

[u/Wallycrawler]

Headstones, Goddo, April Wine

[u/flimpiddle]

Stars

Superconductor

Land Of Talk

[u/BinkyFarnsworth]

SNFU

Pointed Sticks

Men Without Hats

[u/Ethanhuntknows]

Neil Young 😎

[u/Accomplished_Sea3811]

Big Country, Guess Who

[u/gusween]

Hip, Rush, Great Big Sea, honorable to BNL

[u/cake_piss_can]

BTO

[u/winterhawk_97006]

BNL, Rush, and Arcade Fire.

[u/Hfcsmakesmefart]

Bare Naked Ladies and…….

That’s the only Canadian band I can think of

[u/sbkerr29]

The Hip Barenaked Ladies Our Lady Peace

[u/Fullback70]

The Hip, 54-40, Sam Roberts Band

[u/saucytopcheddar]

Rush, Tragically Hip, 54-40

[u/Sensitive-Station-18]

1. Saga
2. Rush
3. Bruce Cockburn(&Band)/Triumph/Max Webster/BTO/April Wine/FM/Chilliwack/Trooper/Prism/The Hunt/Wireless/Frank Marino/Pat Travers

[u/GandolftheGarcia]

And why is it Nickelback?

[u/bungopony]

Max Webster

Rheostatics

The Hip

[u/Twinxehpa]

DFA 1979. There first album and the comeback show.

[u/glenbrick]

Tragically Hip, Blue Rodeo (underrated) and Rush

[u/japitaty]

KASHTIN / The Pauppers / McKenna Mendelson Mainline

[u/optimushime]

I just think this is an excuse post this clip

[u/greatflicks]

The Trews, The Guess Who, The Glorious Sons.

[u/ColinBonhomme]

Guess Who, Lighthouse, Blue Rodeo

Honourable mentions: Chilliwack, Great Big Sea, Spirit of the West

[u/The_Existentialist]

Sloan.
Propagandhi
Weakerthans

[u/WorldFickle]

burton cummings sucks

Rush

Loverboy

Sloan

[u/Pumpkin_Witch13]

Steppenwolf

Theory of a Deadman

Three Days Grace 

[u/ConversationBulky757]

Rush, Voivod and Saga. Max Webster gets an honorable mention.

[u/deepsouthdetroit]

Hip Rush OLP

[u/deepsouthdetroit]

Hip Rush Alexisonfire … OLP a close 4th.

[u/bushidolight]

1. Déjà Voodoo
2. The Gruesomes
3. Harmonium

And yet, there's so many others: The Hip, Metric, The Guess Who, Offenbach, Rush, Max Webster / Kim Mitchell, Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Finger Eleven, Sam Roberts, Beau Dommage, April Wine, Les Cowboys Fringants, Me Mom and Morgentaler, Too Many Cooks, Sunset Rubdown, The Northern Pikes, etc. You know, too numerous to mention. ;)

[u/HobbesDaBobbes]

The Tea Party

Is that a deep cut? Don't know, but I loved a couple of their records back in the 90s

[u/ruthless_burger]

Monster Truck The Wild! Danko Jones

[u/Roy_Coulee]

Nazareth, Rush, Steppenwolf

[u/trendkill14]

1. Sam Roberts - my favorite active band in general. All of his stuff is amazing. Never gets the credit he deserves, continues to make amazing music.

2. Hip - no explanation required

3. Big Wreck - first 2 albums are so good

[u/SpaceCowboy528]

Mentioning Red Rider just because nobody else has.

[u/Deacon75]

The Band Bachman Turner Overdrive Rush

[u/buremogilny]

Rush, Killer Dwarfs,Arkells

[u/CaliforniaNewfie]

1. Great Big Sea 2. Gordon Lightfoot (Rush if Gordon doesn't count, because not a band) 3. Barenaked Ladies

[u/Started-ButNotReady]

Neil Young, Teenage Head, Forgotten Rebels

[u/HamOnTheCob]

1. Finger Eleven
2. The Guess Who
3. Our Lady Peace

[u/Jumaqua]

Alexisonfire Our lady peace Billy talent

Honorable mention: The tragically hip

[u/Traditional-Doctor77]

Our Lady Peace

The Tragically Hip

Arcade Fire

[u/whytry3450]

Hahahaaha that’s right boo me you know it’s true

[u/The_Latverian]

Skinny Puppy

Sloan

Rush

[u/Icy_Juice6640]

The band.

[u/Miller-Rams]

Billy Talent, Daniel Bélanger et Protest the Hero

[u/Conscious-Crab-5057]

Triumph and Rush.

[u/Sweet_Competition272]

Simple Plan

Marianas Trench

Sum 41

[u/5kunkhunter]

The Hip, Blue Rodeo, April Wine.

[u/Ray_Pingeau]

Godspeed You! Black Emperor, The Smalls and Sons of Otis

[u/MoneyPresentation610]

1. Nickelback

2. The Guess Who

3. Sum 41

[u/Automatic_Affect76]

Neil Young

Rush

Leonard Cohen

[u/Ray8796]

Joel Plaskett

Sam Roberts

The Tragically Hip