Indigenous music For thousands of years, Canada has been inhabited by
indigenous peoples from a variety of
different cultures and of
several major linguistic groupings. Each of the Indigenous communities had (and have) their own unique musical traditions.
Chanting is widely popular, with many of its performers also using a variety of musical instruments. They used the materials at hand to make their instruments for thousands of years before Europeans immigrated to the
New World. In woodland areas, they made horns of
birchbark along with
drumsticks of carved
antlers and wood.
Drums were generally made of carved wood and
animal hides. These musical instruments provide the background for songs and dances. However, impacts varied significantly depending on such aspects as the time period, relative population size, relation quality, resistance, etc. In 1606–1607
Marc Lescarbot collected the earliest extant transcriptions of songs from the Americas: three songs of
Henri Membertou, the
sakmow (Grand Chief) of the
Mi'kmaq First Nations tribe situated near
Port Royal, present-day
Nova Scotia.
17th century – sculpture at the
Quebec Parliament French settlers and explorers to
New France brought with them a great love of song, dance and fiddle playing. Beginning in the 1630s French and Indigenous children at
Québec were taught to sing and play European instruments, like
viols,
violins,
guitars,
transverse flutes, drums,
fifes and
trumpets. Both were founded in 1639 by French
nun Marie of the Incarnation (1599–1672) alongside the laywoman
Marie-Madeline de Chauvigny de la Peltrie (1603–1671) and are the first Canadian institutions to have music as part of the curriculum. The earliest written record of
violins in Canada comes from the
Jesuit Relation of 1645. The Jesuits additionally have the first documented organ sale, imported for their Québec chapel in 1657. In what was then known as New France, the first formal ball was given by
Louis-Théandre Chartier de Lotbinière (1612–1688) on 4 February 1667.
Louis Jolliet (1645–1700) is on record as one of the first classically trained practicing musicians in New France, although history has recognized him more as an explorer,
hydrographer and
voyageur. Jolliet is said to have played the organ,
harpsichord, flute, and trumpet.
18th century (1746–1809) Historically, music was composed in
Canada's colonies and settlements during the 18th century, although very few popular named works have survived or were even published. Printed music was required, for music teachers and their pupils, who were from the privileged minority where domestic music making was considered a proof of gentility. Music publishing and printing in Europe by this time was a thriving industry, but it did not begin in Canada until the 19th century.
Canadian composers were not able to focus entirely on creating new music in these years, as most made their living in other musical activities such as leading choirs,
church organists and teaching.
Regimental bands were musically a part of civil life and typically featured a dozen woodwind and brass instruments, performing at parades, festive ceremonies,
minuets, country dances and balls. After the 1760s, regular concerts became a part of the cultural landscape, as well as a wide variety of dancing. Operatic excerpts began to appear, and before the end of the century Canada had its first home-grown opera. Programs for the Québec and
Halifax concerts of the 1790s reveal orchestral and chamber music by
Handel,
J.C. Bach,
Haydn,
Mozart and
Pleyel. The instrument of favour for the
lower class was the fiddle.
Fiddlers were a fixture in most public drinking establishments.
God Save the King/Queen has been sung in Canada
since British rule and by the mid-20th century was, along with "
O Canada", one of the country's two
de facto national anthems.
19th century The beginning of the 19th century Canadian musical ensembles had started forming in great numbers, writing
waltzes,
quadrilles,
polkas and
galops. The first volumes of music printed in Canada was the "Graduel romain" in 1800 followed by the "Union Harmony" in 1801. "The Canadian Boat Song" was so popular that it was published several times over the next forty years in
Boston,
New York City and
Philadelphia. In 1833, a student
orchestra was organized at the
Séminaire de Québec the Société Ste-Cécile, as it was known, and was one of the earliest ensembles of its kind in
Lower Canada. Many immigrants during this time lived in relative isolation and music sometimes obtained through subscriptions to newspapers and magazines, provided entertainment and a life line to civilization. It was published by John Lovell in the literary magazine
Literary Garland. (1830–1906) The
Great Migration of Canada from 1815 to 1850, consisting largely of
Irish, and
British immigrants, broadened considerably the Canadian musical culture. 1844,
Samuel Nordheimer (1824–1912) opened a music store in
Toronto selling pianos and soon thereafter began to publish engraved
sheet music. They initially had the sole right to publish copies of
Alexander Muir's "
The Maple Leaf Forever" that for many years served as an unofficial Canadian national anthem. By the time of
Canadian Confederation (1867), songwriting had become a favored means of personal expression across the land. In a society in which most middle-class families now owned a harmonium or piano, and standard education included at least the rudiments of music, the result was often an original song. Such stirrings frequently occurred in response to noteworthy events, and few local or national excitements were allowed to pass without some musical comment. The 1870s saw several conservatories open their doors, providing their string, woodwind and brass faculty, leading to the opportunity for any class level of society to learn music.
One Sweetly Solemn Thought in 1876 by
Hamilton-based Robert S. Ambrose, became one of the most popular songs to ever be published in the 19th century. (1842–1891) "O Canada" was originally commissioned by the
Lieutenant Governor of Quebec, the Honourable
Théodore Robitaille (1834–1897), for the 1880
St. Jean-Baptiste Day ceremony.
Calixa Lavallée (1842–1891) wrote the music, which was a setting of a patriotic poem composed by the poet and judge Sir
Adolphe-Basile Routhier (1839–1920). The text was originally only in French, before it was translated into English from 1906 on.
20th century 1900–1929 (1882–1943) Prior to the development of the
gramophone, Canadian songwriters' works were published as sheet music, or in
periodicals in local
newspapers such as
The Montreal Gazette and
Toronto Empire. Most recordings purchased by
Canadians in the early days of the gramophone were made by American and British performers, behind some of these international hits were Canadian songwriters.
Robert Nathaniel Dett (1882–1943) was among the first
Black Canadian composers during the early years of the
American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers. His works often appeared among the programs of
William Marion Cook's New York syncopated Orchestra. Dett himself performed at
Carnegie Hall and at the
Boston Symphony Hall as a pianist and
choir director. Following quickly on the gramophone's spread came
Canada's involvement in the First World War. The war was the catalyst for the writing and recording of large numbers of Canadian-written popular songs, some of which achieved lasting international commercial success. The military during World War I produced official music such as
regimental marches and songs as well as utilitarian
bugle calls. The soldiers had a repertoire of their own, largely consisting of new, often ribald, lyrics to older tunes. (1906–2002) Canada's first independent record label
Compo Company built a pressing plant (the largest of its day) in 1918 at
Lachine, Quebec. Compo was originally created to serve the several American independent record companies such as
Okeh Records which wanted to distribute records in Canada. The 1920s saw Canada's first radio stations, this allowed Canadian songwriters to contribute some of the most famous popular music of the early 20th century. Canada's first commercial radio station
CFCF (formerly XWA) begins broadcasting regularly scheduled programming in Montreal in 1920, followed by
CKAC, Canada's first French language radio station, in 1922. By 1923, there were 34
radio stations in Canada In 1925,
the Canadian Performing Rights Society was formed to administer public performance and
royalties for composers and lyricists. It became known as the
Composers, Authors and Publishers Association of Canada (CAPAC). He was a
composer-in-residence at the University of Saskatchewan, the first appointment of this type in Canada. The RCA Victor factory located in Montreal, Quebec housed Canada's first recording studio featuring polycylindrical walls which allowed the sounds to reflect in all directions. Studio Victor had artists from across Canada come in and record in both English and French, as well as had many different genres be recorded within their walls such as jazz, chamber music, choirs, classical music, folk and country. The factory is now home to many businesses one being the Musée des ondes Emile Berliner, a museum focused on the work of Berliner, mostly gramophones, flat disks, and later radios when his company merged with RCA, as well as the nature and science of sound waves.
1930–1959 (1902–1977)During the
Great Depression in Canada, the majority of people listened to what today would be called
swing (Jazz) just as
country was starting its roots. The diversity in the evolution of swing dancing in Canada is reflected in its many American names,
Jive,
Jitterbug and
Lindy. Canada's first big band star was
Guy Lombardo (1902–1977), who formed his
easy listening band,
The Royal Canadians, with his brothers and friends. They achieved international success starting in the mid-1920s selling an estimated 250 million
phonograph records, and were the first Canadians to have a #1 single on
Billboards top 100. In 1932, the first
Broadcasting Act was passed by Parliament creating the
Canadian Radio Broadcasting Commission. It was to both regulate all broadcasting and create a new national public radio network. Among them
Montreal's jazz
virtuoso Oscar Peterson (1925–2007), considered to have been one of the greatest
pianists of all time, releasing over 200 recordings and receiving several
Grammy Awards during his lifetime. Also notable are
country music stars Wilf Carter (1904-1996) and
Hank Snow (1914–1999). Carter, from Nova Scotia, started out singing in the 1920s hosting a radio show in Alberta by 1930 before moving to America where he hosted another radio show scoring several hits. Snow, also from Nova Scotia, signed with
RCA Victor in 1936 and went on to become one of America's biggest and most innovative
country music superstars of the 1940s and 1950s. Snow became a regular performer at the
Grand Ole Opry on
WSM in
Nashville and released more than 45
LPs over his lifetime. Snow was one of the inaugural inductees to the
Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame started in 2003. Most notable from the 1940s is
contralto singer
Portia White (1911–1968). She achieved international fame because of her voice and stage presence. In 1964 she performed for
Queen Elizabeth II, at the opening of the
Confederation Centre of the Arts. , 2007 Following
World War II a growth phase for Canadian bands was experienced, this time among school bands. Rapid advances in the inclusion of instrumental music study in formal school curricula brought about fundamental changes to the philosophy of the band movement and the type of repertoire available. The CHUM charts were the longest-running Top 40 chart in Canada ending in 1986. The 1950s would see Pop vocal and Doo Wop groups the
Four Lads,
Crew-Cuts and
Diamonds score several hits internationally becoming the first Canadian groups to do so in the Rock and Roll era. The
Crew-Cuts would become famous with their covers of
Doo Wop hits like "
Sh-Boom" and "
Earth Angel" while the Diamonds would do the same with "
Little Darlin", "
Why Do Fools Fall In Love", "
Silhouettes" and '"
The Stroll". These records would be hits in America, Europe and Australia. 1958 saw its first
Canadian rock and roll teen idol Paul Anka, who went to
New York City where he auditioned for
ABC with the song "
Diana". This song brought Anka instant stardom as it reached number one on the
US Billboard charts. "Diana" has gone on to be one of the best selling
45s in music history. US-born
rockabilly pioneer
Ronnie Hawkins moved to Canada in 1958, where he became a key player in the
Canadian blues and rock scene. The 4th of October was declared "Ronnie Hawkins Day" by the city of
Toronto when Hawkins was inducted into
Canada's Walk of Fame. He was also inducted into the
Canadian Music Industry Hall of Fame and his pioneering contribution to rockabilly has been recognized with induction into the
Rockabilly Hall of Fame. The first Canadian Rock band (as opposed to a vocal group like the Crew-Cuts and Diamonds) to score an international hit were the
Beau-Marks with "Clap Your Hands" in 1960 which would make the charts in Canada, Australia and America and would get them invited the
Ed Sullivan Show being the first Canadian band to do so.
1960–1999 , 2009
Canadian artists and
Canadian ensembles were generally forced to turn toward the United States to establish healthy long lasting careers during the 1960s. Canada would produce some of the world's most influential singer-songwriters during this time.
Gordon Lightfoot made his first chart appearance in June 1962. Among the most notable is
Neil Young who has been inducted into the
Canadian Music Hall of Fame, Canada's Walk of Fame and the
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice.
Leonard Cohen has been inducted into both the Canadian Music Hall of Fame and the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame and is also a Companion of the Order of Canada. Folk legend
Joni Mitchell is an
Alberta native, and has been inducted into both the Canadian Music Hall of Fame and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Other important Canadian Rock artists who would have significant international success in the 60's were the
Guess Who,
Steppenwolf and
The Band along with members of
Buffalo Springfield, the
Lovin' Spoonful and the
Mamas & the Papas. In Jazz pianist and arranger
Gil Evans would be notable for his collaborations with
Miles Davis on a series of classic albums and trumpeter
Maynard Ferguson for his work with
Stan Kenton.
Walt Grealis of Toronto started in the music business with
Apex Records in 1960, the Ontario distributor for Compo Company. He later joined
London Records, where he worked until February 1964, when he then established
RPM weekly trade magazine. From the first issue of
RPM Weekly on February 24, 1964, to its final issue on November 13, 2000,
RPM was the defining charts in Canada. The American and British
counterculture explosion and
hippie movement had diverted music to that which was dominated by socially and American politically incisive lyrics by the late 1960s. The music was an attempt to reflect upon the events of the time –
civil rights, the
war in Vietnam and the rise of
feminism. This led to the Canadian government passing
Canadian content legislation to help Canadian artists. On January 18, 1971, regulations came into force requiring AM radio stations to devote 30 percent of their musical selections to Canadian content. Although this was (and still is) controversial, it quite clearly contributed to the development of a nascent Canadian pop star system. With the introduction in the mid-1970s of mainstream music on FM radio stations, where it was common practice to program extended performances, musicians were no longer limited to songs of three minutes' duration as dictated by AM stations for decades. In the classical world, homegrown talent
Canadian Brass was established in Toronto in 1970. Country music remained popular in Canada in the 1970s thanks to the CBC's
The Tommy Hunter show and the
adult contemporary radio format which benefited the international stardom of
Anne Murray. However, the more mainstream sound would hinder
Stompin' Tom Connors until he would have a revival in the 1990s. Canada's first nationwide music awards began as a reader poll conducted by Canadian music industry trade magazine
RPM Weekly in December 1964. This was in response to rectifying the same concerns about promotion of Canadian artists that the
Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission had., 2009 Canadian music changed course in the 1980s and 1990s, the changing fast-paced culture was accompanied by an explosion in
youth culture. Until the mid-1960s, little attention was paid to music by Canadian daily
newspapers except as news or novelty. With the introduction during the late 1970s of the "
music critic", coverage began to rival that of any other topic.
Canadian publications devoted to all styles of music either exclusively or in tandem with more general editorial content directed to young readers, was expanding exponentially. The influence and innovations of
Canadian hip hop came to the foreground in Canada, with musicians Like
Maestro Fresh Wes,
Snow, and the
Dream Warriors, when
music videos became an important marketing tool for Canadian musicians, with the debut of
MuchMusic in 1984 and
MusiquePlus in 1986. Now both English and French Canadian musicians had outlets to promote all forms of music through video in Canada. The networks were not just an opportunity for artists to get their videos played—the networks created
VideoFACT, a fund to help emerging artists
produce their videos. Canadian women at the end of the 20th century enjoyed greater international commercial success than ever before. Canadian women set a new pinnacle of success, in terms financial, critical and in their immediate and strong influence on their respective genres. They were the women and daughters who had fought for
emancipation and equality a generation before. and who, in 2004, received the
Chopard Diamond Award from the
World Music Awards for surpassing 175 million in album sales, worldwide.
21st century in February 2011 The turn of the millennium was a time of incredible nationalism, at least as far as
Canadian radio is concerned. The 1971
CRTC rules (30% Canadian content on Canadian radio) This led to an explosion in the 21st century of Canadian pop musicians dominating the airwaves unlike any era before. In 1996,
VideoFACT launched PromoFACT, a funding program to help new artists produce electronic press kits and
websites. At about the same time, the
CD (cheap to manufacture) replaced the
vinyl album and
cassette tape (expensive to manufacture). Shortly thereafter, the
Internet allowed musicians to directly distribute their music, thus bypassing the selection of the old-fashioned "
record label". Canada's mainstream music industry has suffered as a result of the internet and the boom of independent music. The drop in annual sales between 1999, the year that
Napster's unauthorized
peer-to-peer file sharing service launched, and the end of 2004 was $465 million. performing at the
Summer Sixteen Tour in Toronto in 2016 In 2007, Canada joined the controversial
Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement talks, whose outcome could potentially have a significant impact on the Canadian music industry. In 2010 Canada introduced new copyright legislation. in 2021 The early 2000s saw Canadian independent artists continue to expand their audience into the United States and beyond. Mainstream Canadian artists with global recorded contracts such as
Nelly Furtado,
Avril Lavigne,
Michael Bublé,
Nickelback,
Drake,
The Weeknd,
Shawn Mendes and
Justin Bieber reached new heights in terms of international success, while dominating the American music charts. The late 2010s and early 2020 saw the deaths of
Gord Downie of
The Tragically Hip and
Neil Peart of
Rush. ==Anthems==