# The Top 25 Canadian Songwriters



## Steadfastly (Nov 14, 2008)

Well, this is a little better than the top 100 Canadian Songs but there are still some odd selections.I think Hank Snow should have made the list. Others on the list are in the wrong spots, IMHO.

25 best Canadian songwriters ever


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## zontar (Oct 25, 2007)

Well, it is subjective, but my list would include at least these names that were missing-Moe Berg & Dolores Claman.


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## Steadfastly (Nov 14, 2008)

Never heard of either of those two but I am terrible with names of actors and musicians. I usually don't pay attention.


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## 4345567 (Jun 26, 2008)

__________


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## Merlin (Feb 23, 2009)

Hint: Dolores Claman wrote Canada's Second National Anthem.


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## Tarbender (Apr 7, 2006)

Not my taste but respected songwriter Paul Anka?


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## Steadfastly (Nov 14, 2008)

Merlin said:


> Hint: Dolores Claman wrote Canada's Second National Anthem.


Uh, that is why I do not recognize the name. I didn't know there was more than one national anthem. I am completely neutral when it comes to nationalism as that is one of the greatest dividers of people on our globe.


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## ronmac (Sep 22, 2006)

Who comes up with this stuff?!!

No Ian Tyson?
No Bob Snider?
No French Canadians?

Did Shad do a poll?


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## Steadfastly (Nov 14, 2008)

ronmac said:


> Who comes up with this stuff?!!
> 
> *No Ian Tyson?*
> No Bob Snider?
> ...


I forgot about Ian Tyson. He definitely should be there and no doubt some French writers, too.


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## Merlin (Feb 23, 2009)

Steadfastly said:


> Uh, that is why I do not recognize the name. I didn't know there was more than one national anthem. I am completely neutral when it comes to nationalism as that is one of the greatest dividers of people on our globe.


Canada's "Second" National Anthem - The Hockey Night In Canada Theme


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

Whoever drew up that list can't be more than 25 or 26. I mean, Tegan and Sara but no Robert Charlebois? If you've heard the first 15 seconds of any of their songs, you've pretty much heard the whole song. Charlebois' songs are like CFL games: you can be 30 seconds from the end of the song and still not be able to predict where it's gonna end up. The chansonnier tradition in Quebec has given us an endless lineup of terrific artists who can create powerful lyrics to go with equally moving song structures and melodies.

The other conspicuous thing about the list is that the assembler appears to confuse performing and songwriting. Yes, there are people who are terrific performers AND songwriters, and there are great songwriters who perform but lack a strong stage presence (e.g., Ron Sexsmith, John K. Samson), but there are also plenty of folks working in Nashville or L.A. or Vancouver who don't perform themselves but write well-known songs for other people. Ronmac mentioned Bob Snider. Snider is not particularly well-known outside of folk-festival and musician circles, but within those circles he is VERY highly respected as a songwriter.


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## Kerry Brown (Mar 31, 2014)

mhammer said:


> Whoever drew up that list can't be more than 25 or 26..


I was thinking the same thing. Stuff like this is designed to generate ad clicks. It has nothing to do with a well researched history of songwriting in Canada. It is all about lets pick a few big names and generate some clicks from a certain demographic.


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## Electraglide (Jan 24, 2010)

Merlin said:


> Hint: Dolores Claman wrote Canada's Second National Anthem.


I thought Alexander Muir wrote the second national anthem?


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## wayne_h (Oct 28, 2009)

No Gene Maclellan (Snowbird, Put your hand in the hand, etc) or Wade Hemsworth (log drivers waltz, black fly song, etc )?


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## Merlin (Feb 23, 2009)

Electraglide said:


> I thought Alexander Muir wrote the second national anthem?


Anthems and nationalistic songs of Canada - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


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## Electraglide (Jan 24, 2010)

Merlin said:


> Anthems and nationalistic songs of Canada - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


Nah....if you're going for nationalistic songs, anything by Gordon Lightfoot or Stan Rogers is better. We used to sing O Canada, God Save the Queen and The Maple Leaf Forever in school. I don't recall singing a theme song for hockey. But she did write what some might consider a popular song....do they play it in the states when they show the hockey games?


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## Merlin (Feb 23, 2009)

Electraglide said:


> Nah....if you're going for nationalistic songs, anything by Gordon Lightfoot or Stan Rogers is better. We used to sing O Canada, God Save the Queen and The Maple Leaf Forever in school. I don't recall singing a theme song for hockey. But she did write what some might consider a popular song....do they play it in the states when they show the hockey games?


I've played that tune on shows with orchestras, big bands, community bands - you name it. The audience recognition and appreciation is immediate and intense.


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## ronmac (Sep 22, 2006)

Kerry nailed it. It's click bait, pure and simple.


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## Electraglide (Jan 24, 2010)

Merlin said:


> I've played that tune on shows with orchestras, big bands, community bands - you name it. The audience recognition and appreciation is immediate and intense.


I'll have to youtube it 'cause I don't recall it. I also don't recall seeing more than 3 or 4 hockey games on t.v. in the last 20 years or so.


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## leftysg (Mar 29, 2008)

Would Barenaked Ladies, Sloan and Rush tunes not be more deserving than half of these offerings?


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## vadsy (Dec 2, 2010)

Not enough Carly Rae Jepsen


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## LanceT (Mar 7, 2014)

vadsy said:


> Not enough Carly Rae Jepsen


Call her maybe?


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## vadsy (Dec 2, 2010)

That would be crazy


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## zontar (Oct 25, 2007)

vadsy said:


> That would be crazy


Man, I hate that I get that joke...


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## zontar (Oct 25, 2007)

Steadfastly said:


> Never heard of either of those two but I am terrible with names of actors and musicians. I usually don't pay attention.


Moe Berg was the main force behind the Pursuit of Happiness and he wrote some brilliant pop/rock songs with catchy tunes and clever lyrics.
They weren't all winners, and their first album is easily my favorite, with each album after that slowly declining, but I'd still put Moe Berg on the list.


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## Steadfastly (Nov 14, 2008)

Thanks for the post. I never heard of those either but I am busy and don't research a lot of music outside of the mainstream.


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## butterknucket (Feb 5, 2006)

Several of those artists are far too young to be on that list, IMHO. 

To be on a list like that, you need to have a body of work that's stood the test to time, and several of them haven't been around very long.


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## Xelebes (Mar 9, 2015)

Merlin said:


> Hint: Dolores Claman wrote Canada's Second National Anthem.


No, that is Alexander Muir.


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## Xelebes (Mar 9, 2015)

My list of top 25 songwriters (lyricists):

Stompin' Tom Connors
Luc Plamondon
Stephane Venne
Gilles Vigneault
Robert Charlebois

Sarah Maclachlan
Mary Travers
Ruth Lowe
Paul Brunelle
Gordon Lightfoot

Jean-Francois Pauze
Ovila Legare
Muriel Milliard
Ian Tyson
Murray Maclachlan

Gene McLellan
Jean-Pierre Ferland
Joni Mitchell
Leonard Cohen
Robert Leger

Gerry Boulet
Neil Young
Stan Rogers
Soldat Lebrun
Serge Richard

I would not include Ron Sexsmith. I have yet to hear anyone perform his songs that I enjoy. Everyone I hear singing his songs try to copy his singing down to the smallest tic, completely missing the point that Ron Sexsmith is a worse singer than Tom Waits. Maybe there is something amiss there in the writing department.


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## 4345567 (Jun 26, 2008)

__________


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## Xelebes (Mar 9, 2015)

I wanted to include Greg Hambleton but I couldn't make him fit.


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## Adcandour (Apr 21, 2013)

What about the natives' or franco-canadian tunes from the 1800s? 

My point is that we all know these lists are ridiculous. We should ban them. 

The only legit thing said in this thread is the Carly shout-out.


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## 4345567 (Jun 26, 2008)

__________


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## zontar (Oct 25, 2007)

Steadfastly said:


> Thanks for the post. I never heard of those either but I am busy and don't research a lot of music outside of the mainstream.


TPOH was certainly well known back in the day.
Especially the second version of I'm an Adult Now (Although I prefer the original video)


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## limelight65 (Jun 2, 2014)

No one mentions Ian Thomas in any of this ? surprising


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

nkjanssen said:


> OK, here's my list of 25, in no particular order...
> 
> Patrick Watson
> Ron (not Ronnie) Hawkins
> ...


Decent list, some nice additions and appropriate deletions. Still not any French content, but forgivable, I suppose.
But (and not a diss), like many such lists, there is a mélange of rationales for inclusion. In some instances, it may be for sheer volume of song output. In others, it may be for memorability or likability of output. In others it may be consistency of output. In still others, there may be that confusion I mentioned earlier between the performer and the songwriter.

Surprised no one has mentioned the late Ron Hynes yet.


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