What are the best Canadian songs of the 1990s? Who better to ask about the tracks that defined an era than the artists who were part of the scene? Here are 11 songs chosen by 11 Canadian musicians. Feel free to share your take in the comments below. A gorgeous indie track by a band from London, Ont.
It’s a perfectly crafted gem with evocative lyrics and an amazing, vulnerable vocal delivery that felt Canadian but also didn’t. If someone would have told me they were from London, England, I wouldn’t have blinked. Great songs have that unique ability to feel unfixed.
Singer Paul Jago’s chorus lyric, “No way to know / Know how long it will last,” proved prophetic. The Gandharvas unfortunately didn’t last — they split up in 2000 — but “First Day of Spring” remains the greatest one-night stand of 1994. k.
d.‘s voice is undeniable — anyone with ears would have to agree. But within the adult-contemporary world, this song soars above the pack with its zydeco nod off the top, the Peter Buck-style guitar break midway through, and the delicate and understated vibraphone touches near the end.
“Constant Craving” is meticulously arranged, with lush but never overbearing background vocals or superfluous instrumentation. The production team showed tremendous restraint on this one in an era when to overblow things was often commonplace. Never short on emotion or conviction, the song conveys truth and honesty, which will always speak volumes to the listener and make.