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Top 10 Canadian Hard Rock Bands of All Time

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Canada rocks - from its landscape to its multiculturalism to its beer and music. Compiling a list of great Canadian hard rock bands of all time is a daunting assignment that will invite many criticisms and this list is not without ifs and buts. But the task is the fairly definable "hard rock" genre, meaning no metal, no punk, no screamo, no industrial and no straight-up melodic rock. So that cuts out a range of Canadian rockers: Max Webster, Alexisonfire, Headstones, Nickelback, Prism, Bachman-Turner Overdrive, Loverboy, even Anvil and Helix. It also eliminates solo acts. So with that caveat, here is Noisecreep's list of the 10 all-time best Canadian hard rock bands in no particular order.
Rush
Rush formed in 1968 in the quiet suburb of Willowdale in Toronto. More than 40 years later, singer-bassist-keyboardist Geddy Lee, guitarist Alex Lifeson and drummer Neil Peart have sold more than 40 million albums worldwide. Yeah, yeah, you're gonna argue that Rush is prog-rock, right? True, they are progressive and unlike any other band out there with its intricacies and musicianship. But at its core, the trio rocks - hard.

Essential Song: 'Tom Sawyer'
April Wine
If you only know the ballad ' Just Between You and Me,' then check out 'I Like to Rock' - the message is evident: April Wine rocks. 'Sign of the Gypsy Queen' is another... sign. The band, which went on to multi-platinum success, originally formed in 1969 in Waverly, Nova Scotia, and relocated to Montreal the next year. Fronted by Myles Goodwyn, April Wine has gone through numerous line-up changes, taking a six-year hiatus from 1986.

Essential Song: 'I Like to Rock'
I Mother Earth
This is a band that should've been bigger than they were outside Canada. With its percussive infusion and intense playing, IME's sound was like Jane's Addiction meets Santana. The one-named Edwin fronted the band for 1993's 'Dig' and 1996's 'Scenery & Fish,' albums that still stand up today. When Edwin left, less than amicably, Brian Byrne took over for another two albums. The band is sadly defunct and Edwin tends bar in a Toronto rock club.

Essential Song: 'Rain Will Fall'
Triumph
Even their logo screams "hard rock." Triumph - another brilliant Canadian trio - featured the inimitable vocals and guitar prowess of Rik Emmett and solid rhythm section of bassist Mike Levine and drummer Gil Moore. Their most enduring hit is the harmony-laden power ballad 'Lay It on the Line.' The band formed in Toronto (Mississauga to be exact) in 1975 and had multiple gold and platinum run until 1993. Their split was also contentious, but they reunited in 2008.

Essential Song: 'Lay It on the Line'
Billy Talent
One of Canada's newest and biggest rock bands, the long-time friends from Streetville, Ontario have headlined arenas across the country for the past few albums now. Billy Talent frontman Ben Kowalewicz has a vocal style and stage presence all his own and guitarist Ian D'Sa has long developed a distinct sound. They've had a tough time breaking the U.S. like most bands do, but check out the reception they get overseas in Germany at Rock am Ring. Billy Talent rocksomeness will spread.

Essential Song: 'Try Honesty'
Trooper
Man, bring back these rock 'n' roll logos! But back to the music, Vancouver's Trooper is known for such classics as 'The Boys in the Bright White Sports Car,' 'Raise a Little Hell' and 'Here for a Good Time (Not a Long Time).' Fronted by Ra McGuire, the band released its self-titled debut in 1975 which was produced by Bachman-Turner Overdrive's Randy Bachman. The press release for its first compilation, 'Hits From 10 Albums,' called Trooper "one of Canada's top 5 selling bands of all time" with no figure attached.

Essential Song: 'The Boys in the Bright White Sports Car'
Saga
This band caused a riot in Puerto Rico in 1981 when fans desperately tried to get into a sold-out show for 10,000 people. How rock 'n' roll is that? Formed just outside Toronto, in Oakville, Ontario, Saga has reportedly sold eight million albums internationally since it formed in 1977. Michael Sadler has fronted the band all this time, except for a brief break in 2008 due to personal reasons. Hits included 'Wind Him Up,' 'On the Loose' and 'The Flyer.' Check out this great footage from Germany's Rock Am Ring.

Essential Song: 'Wind Him Up'
Goddo
Goddo also inspired a riot in 1980 at Toronto's Ontario Place when its show was oversold. The band first broke up after 1981's 'Pretty Bad Boys' album, but has sporadically reunited over the years. In 2010 the original line up of singer-bassist Greg Godovitz, drummer Doug Inglis and guitarist Gino Scarpelli performed a 35th anniversary concert. Back in the day, Goddo was called "powerchord heavy metal;" today's music trade FYI called them "former bad boys of cock rock."

Essential Song: 'So Walk On'
Coney Hatch
Named after Colney Hatch Lunatic Asylum in London, England, Toronto's Coney Hatch released three studio albums in the '80s, which included such songs as 'Fantasy,' 'Hey Operator,' 'Devil's Deck' and 'First Time for Everything.' The original lineup consisted of Carl Dixon (vocals-guitar), Andy Curran (vocals-bass), Steve Shelski (guitar) and Dave Ketchum (drums). In 2008, Dixon was seriously injured in a violent car accident in Australia, but remarkably recovered. Coney Hatch performed a reunion show last August.

Essential Song: 'Devil's Deck'
Frank Marino & Mahogany Rush
Initially, it was just Mahogany Rush, which Montreal-born Frank Marino fronted, but his talent shone so brightly and made it a wiser business decision to bill the band as Frank Marino & Mahogany Rush. To this day, Marino is one of the world's most underrated guitarists. This video is proof - and that was 1979. Thirty-some years later and he's probably off the charts. Mahogany Rush broke up in the early 80s. Marino retired from the biz in 1993 but returned in 2001.

Essential Song: 'Dragonfly'

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ROCKBOY

No PROTEST THE HERO?! ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!

April 08 2012 at 12:05 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Ed Ferreira

i know people are going to laugh at me but what about loverboy the guess who, B.T.O

February 25 2012 at 12:56 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
DORK ASS MUTHA

One word.....Headpins.

I think that covers it.

October 13 2011 at 12:26 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
tullnotfit

hey man what about The Band, they were the 1st true Canadian rock band and yet no mention. Something wrong with this list!!

August 31 2011 at 10:32 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
tullnotfit

hey man what about The Band, they were the 1st true Canadian rock band and yet no mention. Something wrong with this list!!

August 31 2011 at 10:32 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
pw

So cool to see Goddo here. Most people have not heard of them but I was at Massey Hall when they opened for another unknown band at the time - Cheap Trick.
I think the hall held a few thousand people and was not half full. Guessing the year to be 1978

August 31 2011 at 12:09 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Jaimie Vernon

Saga is a Prog act (as is Rush, but at least Lifeson can find his distortion pedal); Trooper is a POP band; and Billy Talent is a punk act. So that leaves room for Moxy, Killer Dwarfs and Santers. Thank you and good night.

August 30 2011 at 10:55 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Denise Byers

Clearly a lot of people that commented didn't read the part about this list not being in any "particular order" or that certain genres such as Punk (which I would call Teenage Head and Nash the Slash -- if not New Wave) are not included in this list. While I'd argue that the definition of "hard rock" in this article is not MY definition, I can't argue that these are some of Canada's best bands! I think if Saga and Rush and April Wine are on this list then Max Webster certainly should be as well and if Trooper is considered hard rock, then I would argue that some of the bands they named in the article that they were purposely leaving out should have been included, like BTO for example. Just my opinion; I'm no musicologist!

August 30 2011 at 10:54 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Denise Byers

Clearly a lot of people that commented didn't read the part about this list not being in any "particular order" or that certain genres such as Punk (which I would call Teenage Head and Nash the Slash -- if not New Wave) are not included in this list. While I'd argue that the definition of "hard rock" in this article is not MY definition, I can't argue that these are some of Canada's best bands! I think if Saga and Rush and April Wine are on this list then Max Webster certainly should be as well and if Trooper is considered hard rock, then I would argue that some of the bands they named in the article that they were purposely leaving out should have been included, like BTO for example. Just my opinion; I'm no musicologist!

August 30 2011 at 10:53 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Denise Byers

Clearly a lot of people that commented didn't read the part about this list not being in any "particular order" or that certain genres such as Punk (which I would call Teenage Head and Nash the Slash -- if not New Wave) are not included in this list. While I'd argue that the definition of "hard rock" in this article is not MY definition, I can't argue that these are some of Canada's best bands! I think if Saga and Rush and April Wine are on this list then Max Webster certainly should be as well and if Trooper is considered hard rock, then I would argue that some of the bands they named in the article that they were purposely leaving out should have been included, like BTO for example. Just my opinion; I'm no musicologist!

August 30 2011 at 10:53 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply