Latest news with #Cancon
Global News
18-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Global News
We could soon end up with a new definition of Canadian content for music. Here's why
A long overdue CRTC review of the Canadian content rules has begun. The outcome will affect music, radio, and both audio and video streaming. Radio, for example, is working under many regulations that have been in place since 1971. There have been a few tweaks along the way, but no Cancon review has been done in the age of streaming. It's time for a serious update. Cancon has been both helpful and controversial, and it's instructive to know a little of its history. Before 1970, there wasn't much of a music industry in Canada compared with many other countries. We had almost zero music infrastructure. Most record labels were branch-plant operations of foreign labels, while domestic companies were small and struggling. We didn't have much in the way of recording studios, producers, promoters or managers. Globally speaking, we were a musical backwater. Any Canadian artist who wanted to make it big knew they had to leave. Neil Young, Joni Mitchell, Paul Anka, Leonard Cohen and other promising stars bolted for the United States. Story continues below advertisement But things had started to change within the culture. In 1965, we got our own flag, shrugging off an important part of British colonialism. Then came Expo 67 in Montreal, which had the interesting effect of raising our pride when it came to our culture. There were more discussions about what it meant to be Canadian. One point of agreement was that for a distinct Canadian identity to exist, Canadians needed to be able to tell their stories to each other. One way to do that is through music. And if Canada was to ever produce its own Beatles, much work needed to be done. After much lobbying, the Canadian content rules for radio went into effect on Jan. 18, 1971. The original demands was that 30 per cent of all music on the radio had to be of Canadian origin (more on that in a moment). Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy First, this was a cultural strategy that gave mandatory exposure for Canadian artists who made the grade. Second, this was an industrial strategy designed to create a domestic infrastructure of record labels, recording studios, promoters, venues, managers, national booking agencies — all those things that you need to support music on a nationwide scale. The radio's needs created a demand. A new market was born. Radio hated the new rules because initially, a lot of the music it was forced to play was objectively substandard compared with international releases. But over the next decade, we caught up. By the time the '90s arrived, Canada had a robust domestic music scene and was exporting far more material to the rest of the world than a country of our population had a right to. Things were so good that Cancon levels for radio were boosted to 35 per cent. Some new radio stations promised 40 per cent. Story continues below advertisement Then the internet arrived. Traditional terrestrial radio stations were now in competition with the whole world, especially after streaming arrived in the late aughts. (TV, which also has its own Cancon rules, also faced increasing competition from American cable channels and streamers.) Yet the rules from 1971 remained unchanged. There was a big push for reform in 2005, but all the suggestions put forward by the radio industry were either watered down or dismissed entirely. Meanwhile, the entertainment and media landscape continued to rapidly evolve. There have been attempts to alter the status quo, most notably with the Online Streaming Act, otherwise known as Bill C-11, which wants streamers to pony up five per cent investment into Canadian culture once they do $25 million worth of business in the country. The streamers and major labels are vehemently against this. Meanwhile, Canadian radio continues to pump millions into Canadian talent development and promotion. 0:31 Liberals' online streaming Bill C-11 set to become law after passing final vote in the Senate A starting point for these new hearings is modifying the bureaucratic definition of Cancon. As it stands, we use the MAPL system, which assigns a point to a song if (a) the music was written by a Canadian, (b) the artist is Canadian and (c) the lyrics are written by a Canadian. Story continues below advertisement The 'P' in this system is problematic. It does not stand for 'producer' like you'd expect. Instead, involves a convoluted issue involving a live recording made in Canada and then broadcast to the world. There are many of us in the industry (including me) who want 'P' to be converted to producer. Given the role a producer plays in the making of music, they deserve credit. Canada also has produced many, many superstar producers, including Bob Ezerin (Pink Floyd, Kiss, Alice Cooper), Bob Rock (Metallica, Aerosmith, Bon Jovi), Garth Richardson (Rage Against the Machine, Chevelle, Rise Against) and Gavin Brown (Three Days Grace, Billy Talent, Mother Mother). Shouldn't their contributions be recognized as a part of a song's Canadianness? I think so. What else could be changed? What about giving extra credit to radio stations that go out on a limb by playing new, unfamiliar artists? Another option is to give classic rock and classic hits stations a break on their Cancon load. After all, they're not making old music anymore, so to hit that 35 per cent quota, their playlists are filled with burned-out songs by the Guess Who, BTO, Rush, Neil Young and so on. Bill C-11 needs to be examined carefully so that terrestrial radio isn't alone when it comes to financial support of Canadian music. The outcome of this new two-week set of hearings got off to a rocky start last Tuesday when Netflix, Paramount and Apple all decided not to appear at the last minute. Music Canada, the lobby group for the major labels, is also on record as opposing much of what's in Bill C-11. Story continues below advertisement If you'd like to view the hearings, which will continue for the rest of the month, you can watch them online.
CBC
25-02-2025
- Entertainment
- CBC
Famous in Canada: hit songs that only we will remember
Social Sharing Written by journalist, essayist and cartoonist Gabrielle Drolet, and Mac Cameron, producer and co-host of the Big in Canada podcast. If you grew up in Canada with friends outside of the country, there's an uncanny experience you've likely lived through: that of mentioning a famous song or musician, only to realize no one knows what you're talking about. It could be a song that feels like a cultural touchstone, something that played on the radio constantly during your teenage years and was blasted over supermarket speakers. But while it felt like a hit, it was only famous in Canada. It turns out there's a lot of music that's Canada Famous, mainly because of content regulations put into place in 1971, a.k.a. Cancon, which required radio and music TV stations to play at least 30 per cent Canadian content. More than 50 years later, today's Cancon regulations still shape what we hear on the radio. But while Cancon requirements can be successful in elevating Canadian artists at home, a song's success on national airwaves doesn't mean it'll reach widespread listenership outside of the country. Here are 15 songs that climbed the Canadian charts to become national hits, but never broke through to international audiences in the same way. 'Crabbuckit,' k-os Released in 2004 by rapper and singer k-os, "Crabbuckit" is quintessentially Canadian. Its lyrics, which are about the desire to impede others' success in order to propel yourself forward, feature references to Toronto's Yonge Street and the Tragically Hip. Nelly Furtado even has a cameo in the music video. This Canadianness — plus the fact that "Crabbuckit" is very catchy — likely contributed to the song's national success: it peaked at No. 23 on the Canadian Singles chart, and No. 3 on the Canada Contemporary Hit Radio chart. The video also hit No. 1 on the MuchMusic countdown for two weeks. It turns out the song only found an audience in one other country, though: it reached No. 90 on the German Singles chart, but was otherwise a uniquely Canadian success. — Gabrielle Drolet 'California,' Wave For many Canadians, California can seem like the promised land — far from the frigid winters and relative anonymity of life farther north. This may explain why Canadians are the best at writing songs about the Golden State: On " California," Joni Mitchell dreams of returning; on " California," Grimes leaves feeling sad and bad; on " Drinking in L.A.," Bran Van 3000 wonders what the hell are they doing there. And on "California," Niagara Falls duo Wave dreams of sipping on tequila night after night. Had the boys in Wave ever been to California when they wrote the 18th most-played song on Canadian radio in 2001? It doesn't really matter, because the song didn't make it on any American charts. — Mac Cameron 'When I'm Up (I Can't Get Down),' Great Big Sea "When I'm Up (I Can't Get Down)" is originally a 1993 song by an English folk group called Oysterband — but it wasn't made famous until 1997, when Newfoundland and Labrador's Great Big Sea released a cover of it as the lead single to its third studio album. Despite the song's international origins, it's now recognized as an East Coast classic: the folky, upbeat tune peaked at No. 6 on the Canadian RPM Singles chart, making it Great Big Sea's best-charting single. The song never charted outside of the country. — GD 'Sucks to Be You,' Prozzäk Wielding a fake British accent and cartoon avatars, Prozzäk was kind of a joke. The project began as a way for Philosopher Kings bandmates Jay Levine and James McCollum to learn to work together after a fight. There was no intention of performing live, or any expectation of mainstream success. But then, " Sucks to Be You" climbed to No. 1 on the Much Countdown, the duo was nominated for multiple Junos in 2000, booked a cross-country arena tour, and Hot Show, Prozzäk's debut album, went multi-platinum, selling more than 600,000 copies — making it the 59th best-selling Canadian album ever. Cancon can sometimes be accused of trend chasing, but in this case, Prozzäk might have been setting the trend: noted cartoon band Gorillaz released its debut single "Clint Eastwood" — featuring a real British accent — in 2001, years after Prozzäk had not one, but two hit albums under its belt, even though neither really found success outside of Canada. — MC 'Fallout,' Marianas Trench Pop-punk band Marianas Trench has found an audience outside Canada over recent years, but has been a household name in its home country for more than a decade — which is especially clear when looking at the success of the band's early singles. Released in 2011 ahead of Marianas Trench's third studio album, "Fallout" was a massive hit in Canada: its music video received five MuchMusic Award nominations, and climbed multiple national charts, beating out hits including Adele's "Rolling in the Deep" and Rihanna's "Diamonds" on Billboard's Canadian Hot 100 for 2012. Though it didn't chart in any other countries, "Fallout" is certified triple platinum in Canada. — GD 'What I Wouldn't Do,' Serena Ryder This 2012 single was one of singer-songwriter Serena Ryder's first forays out of the folk music she'd built her brand on and into pop — it's the kind of catchy song that easily gets stuck in your head, and was made for radio play. "What I Wouldn't Do" found moderate success in the United States, peaking at No. 24 on the US Adult Alternative charts, but it was ubiquitous on Canadian radio stations and reached No. 8 on the Canada Hot 100, and No. 5 on the Canada Adult Contemporary charts. — GD 'A Criminal Mind,' Gowan To the wider world, Scottish-born Canadian Lawrence Gowan is now the lead singer of American rock band Styx. But when Styx plays in Canada — which it does fairly often — there is a song in the setlist that doesn't get played for American audiences: "A Criminal Mind," which is certified platinum in Canada but didn't chart at all elsewhere. It's one of several big hits from Gowan's 1985 album, Strange Animal, and peaked at No. 5 on the Canadian RPM chart, buoyed by its bizarre, semi-animated and " ground-breaking" Juno Award-winning music video. Gowan has better tunes, but having our very own "Thriller" or "Sledgehammer" video was enough to cement "A Criminal Mind" as a Canadian classic rock staple. — MC 'Whoa Is Me,' Down With Webster "Whoa Is Me" is a single from Down With Webster's second independent release, the band's 2009 EP, Time to Win, Vol. I., which is what first found them commercial success. "Whoa Is Me" is certified double platinum in Canada, and the song peaked at No. 13 on the Canada Hot 100. Though the single didn't chart internationally, its home success landed it on the national year-end Billboard chart for 2010, where it beat out tracks including "Naturally" by Selena Gomez and "Can't Be Tamed" by Miley Cyrus. — GD 'Hell,' Tegan and Sara "Hell" is the lead single from Sainthood, the sixth studio album by pop duo Tegan and Sara. The two sisters had been making music since the late '90s, but firmly established themselves as Canadian musicians to watch with the success of their 2007 album, The Con. Riding on that success, "Hell" was an indie-rock hit: it was Tegan and Sara's first song to chart on the Canada Hot 100, where it reached No. 56, and it made it to No. 20 on the Billboard Canadian Rock chart. Despite that mark of success at home, it didn't chart anywhere else. — GD 'Save Your Scissors,' City and Colour "Save Your Scissors" is the first single from City and Colour's 2005 debut record, Sometimes, and saw City and Colour — the pen name for St. Catharines-based singer-songwriter Dallas Green — reach solo success almost immediately. "Save Your Scissors" peaked at No. 18 on the Canada Adult Contemporary Billboard charts, and No. 9 on the Canada Rock Top 30, but never charted elsewhere. The quiet acoustic song, on which Green sings and plays guitar without accompaniment, was a strong start to what's become a successful solo career. — GD 'Fuel Injected,' Swollen Members Before Drake, Canada's most famous rapper internationally was probably either Ed Robertson of the Barenaked Ladies or Snow, depending on your definition of rap. But in the early 2000s, one independent Vancouver rap group managed to break into Canada's mainstream, despite being named after — well, nevermind. "Fuel Injected" mixed West Coast underground flavour, a repurposed Giorgio Moroder sample, hardcore esthetics and an undeniable Moka Only hook, making Swollen Members the best-selling Canadian hip-hop artists ever (at least for a while). The video for "Fuel Injected" won four MuchMusic Video Awards in 2002 — tied for the most wins in one night ever — and it helped Swollen Members win three Junos in a row for rap recording of the year. — MC 'I Believe,' Nikki Yanofsky When Canada hosted the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver, the country pulled out all the stops — including the release of an official promotional song. Co-written by Grammy-nominated composer Stephan Moccio (who's worked with the likes of Céline Dion and Miley Cyrus) and performed by Montreal-based jazz singer Nikki Yanofsky, the song spent four weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Canadian Hot 100 chart, and was Canada's No. 33 single of the year overall. It never charted elsewhere. — GD 'Patio Lanterns,' Kim Mitchell Kim Mitchell's "Patio Lanterns" is not exclusively a Canadian success — the 1986 song performed well on the US Billboard Top Rock charts, peaking at No. 36 — but it was never a classic anywhere but here. The song peaked at No. 12 on the Canadian Singles chart and was one of the top 100 singles of the year in Canada, beating out tracks including "You Give Love a Bad Name" by Bon Jovi. It's a staple for hot summer nights and has become such a cultural mainstay that, in 2021, Mitchell joked with the CBC that he sometimes gets sick of it himself. — GD 'Barrett's Privateers,' Stan Rogers Sea shanties as we know them — traditional folk songs that sailors sang on ships — date back to the 16th century, but Canadian musician Stan Rogers was enamored with them throughout his career in the 1970s. Rogers' music often told stories of sailors in the Maritimes, with "Barrett's Privateers" being his most famous example. Though it was never a radio hit, the 1976 modern sea shanty has become a staple throughout the country and especially in the Maritimes, where it's a classic drinking song and an unofficial anthem. So while this might not be a Cancon radio hit, it feels wrong to discuss music famous in Canada without mentioning Stan Rogers. — GD 'When the Night Feels My Song,' Bedouin Soundclash The opening acoustic guitar chords of "When the Night Feels My Song" have a similar effect on Canadians as the opening chords of "Back in Black" or "Smells Like Teen Spirit." In those first few smacks you can already hear the entire song, and you can see years of your life flash before your eyes. "When the Night Feels My Song" hit No. 1 on the Much Countdown, was the CBC Kids' Canada theme song for years and is the ninth most-played song on Canadian radio ever. When it was released in 2004, Bedouin Soundclash had punk credibility at the height of Canadian punk's popularity — but the reggae-ska sound from Jay Malinowski and Eon Sinclair also fit nicely alongside Jack Johnson and all the other acoustic guitar guys of the era. While "When the Night Feels My Song" did find minor success across the pond when it had a U.K. release in 2005, nothing compared to its juggernaut status in Canada. — MC
Buzz Feed
29-01-2025
- Entertainment
- Buzz Feed
Name These Super-Famous Canadians
As a Canadian, I can confidently say we're a very talented bunch – from music, to movies, and everything in between. But can you actually identify a famous Canadian just by their photo? Here's what you gotta do: take a look at the photo of a famous Canadian and then see if you can suss out what their name is. Simple enough, right? Let's go! First up, let's start a little bit easier. This might be Canada's biggest rap export – who is he? A little bit of a hint with this one – he's best know for holding a stick: Who is this lady? And what about her? How about this man? Don't blink or you might miss this famous Canadian: Can you name this über-famous Canadian director? Can you guess who this famous female is? This one is juuuuuuuust for my Toronto Raptors fans: This man might be high on the list of people you don't know: This man also might be high on your list of unknowns – but he's probably like waaaaaaaaaay up there: How about this stylish woman? Do you know who this is? C'mon, you gotta: And her? This man had a big career, but who is he? Name him: What about this performer? Can you guess who she is? You're 100% gonna know who she is, right? He may be no longer with us, but his talent and fame lives on. Who is he? This man was also gone way too soon, who is he? And finally – there's no way you don't know who he is: Who did I miss? Let me know in the comments, cause I know you will. Oh, and don't forget to follow BuzzFeed Canada on Instagram and TikTok for more Cancon! 🇨🇦
