by Michelle Greysen

Created on: February 09, 2010

Canada has a strong hold in the world of rock n roll. Current hot groups and a rich history of classic great home grown influences make rock a vibrant spot to be in the Canadian music scene.

Continuously touring and topping today’s charts worldwide are greats such as Nickelback,  Sum41, Our Lady Peace and Hedley. Nickelback, on their sixth album and Dark Horse Tour, are award winning rockers out of small town Alberta, and the ultimate garage band gone wild breaking on the scene in the late 1990’s and never looking back with the fame of topping both American and Canadian charts at the same time.

Sum41, the globally touring success from Ajax, Ontario hit the scene loud and rebellious in 1996 and by 1999 had an international record deal and their first album No Killer No Filler certifying platinum on both Canada and the U.S. Our Lady Peace out of Toronto in the early 1990’s are Juno award winning rock band released their seventh album, Burn Burn in 2009 and are touring and working on their eighth release with a fan base and reviews that have compared them to the likes of The Beatles and Led Zeppelin.

The most contemporary on the scene, Hedley the Vancouver based band stemming from front man Jacob Hoggard’s fame of being a Canadian Idol contestant, are a self-confessed group of  “ … four buddies who like to have fun and make music”, are cross country touring, making records and are who to watch in the rock scene in Canada.

Blue Rodeo, the all time favorite Canadian country-rock band with a start on Canada’s Walk of Fame, have just released a new album and are out on The Things We Left Behind Tour after twenty-five strong years on the rock charts both home and afar and launching huge separate careers for both the founders Jim Cuddy and Greg Keelor. For The Tragically Hip of Ontario formed in 1983 and are still going strong as Canadian Hall of Famer’s with endless awards and accolades and fans around the world.

Many greats still chart-grabbing are solo headliner Canadian rockers with sell out touring bands are the world famous likes as Bryan Adams, Tom Cochrane, Avril Levigne, Alanis Morissette, Amanda Marshall , John Mayer, Nelly Furtado and the list goes on and on.

History of great rock bands in Canada brought it big with the likes of Glass Tiger who topped the charts twenty years ago and still play dates today when the whole band can make it, and BTO Bachman-Turner Overdrive of Winnipeg sent the 70’s Canadian rock scene on its feet and Takin’ Care of Business with over 20 million album sales worldwide while celebrating the huge career of Randy Bachman.  Also on the list of historic greats with huge fan bases still today are the likes of The Guess Who, Trooper, Prism, Rush with star influences from a great like Neil Young always a Canadian favorite no matter who he teams up with.

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