(Playing:  New Orleans Is Sinking — The Tragically Hip. Wild in the Streets — Helix.  Wendy Under the Stars — Odds)

I’m sitting at the computer writing some risk assessments for work.  Bringing a file or two up-to-date.  I’m also writing a new Blog entry and listening to some tunes.  I’m multi-tasking.

(Playing: Somewhere Down The Crazy River — Robbie Robertson)

I’m back at home and listening to Canadian music.  For all you non-Canadians, there isn’t really a whole lot to choose from, but certainly, there is some great music.  We all know the greatest exports from Canada are Neil Young, Joni Mitchell, The Guess Who, Rush and The Band.  But we also have Odds, Tragically Hip, Alanis Morrisette, Colin James, Arcade Fire, Sloan, Red Rider… and so many more.  Lots of great music, history and memories.

(Playing:  This Flight Tonight — Nazareth.   So She’s Leaving – The Trews.  Song Instead of a Kiss — Alannah Myles)

For the past few weeks, I’ve been anticipating the release of the definitive list of the Top 100 Canadian Songs, that will be published in a book by author and music nerd Bob Mersereau.  Bob polled about 800 musicians, music executives, managers, promoters, retailers, music fans (and of course, journalists) to compile his book, The Top 100 Canadian Singles.

Here is Bob Mersereau’s Top 10:

1. The Guess Who — American Woman (y)
2. Neil Young — Heart Of Gold (y)
3. The Band — The Weight (y)
4. Bryan Adams — Summer of ’69 (y)
5. Leonard Cohen — Hallelujah (y)
6. Steppenwolf — Born to Be Wild (y)
7. Gordon Lightfoot — If You Could Read My Mind (n)
8. Bachman Turner Overdrive — Takin’ Care Of Business (y)
9. Ian and Sylvia — Four Strong Winds (y)
10. Anne Murray — Snowbird (n)

(Playing:  Subdivisions — Rush)

Here is my Top 10 list (and where they fit in Bob M’s list)

1.  Needle & The Damage Done — Neil Young (73… far, far too low.  Shame.)
2.  Up Where We Belong — Buffy Ste. Marie (didn’t make his list)
3.  The Weight — The Band  (3… perfect assessment, Bob)
4.  You Learn — Alanis Morrisette  (didn’t make his list)
5.  New Orleans is Sinking  —  The Tragically Hip  (14…  not bad, should be higher)

(Playing:  Turn Me Loose — Loverboy.  White Hot — Red Rider.  Roller — April Wine.  Rock Star — Nickelback.  Black Black Heart — David Usher.  What Does It Take? — Honeymoon Suite.  Suzanne — Leonard Cohen.  Sunny Days — Lighthouse. Into the Mystic — Colin James.  One Thing — Finger Eleven.  Mama, Let Him Play — Doucette

6.  Limelight — Rush (didn’t make his list)
7.  Underwhelmed — Sloan  (20… once again, kinda low)
8.  No Time — The Guess Who  (91…  way too low)
9.  Wheat Kings — The Tragically Hip (87…  way too low)
10.  The Kings —This Beat Goes on/Switchin’ To Glide  (72… at least it made his list)

Here is the rest of Bob M’s list of the Top 100 Canadian Singles (and whether or not it is in my I-Tunes/I-pod):

11. Joni Mitchell — Big Yellow Taxi/Woodstock (y)
12. Rush — Tom Sawyer (y)
13. Blue Rodeo — Try (y)
14. Tragically Hip — New Orleans Is Sinking (y)
15. Gordon Lightfoot — The Wreck Of The Edmund Fitzgerald (n)
16. Leonard Cohen — Suzanne (y)
17. Tom Cochrane — Life Is A Highway  (y)
18. Guess Who — These Eyes (y)
19. Gordon Lightfoot — Sundown (n)
20. Sloan — Underwhelmed (y)
21. The Band — Up On Cripple Creek/The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down (y)
22. Maestro Fresh Wes — Let Your Backbone Slide (y)
23. The Diodes — Tired of Waking Up Tired (n)
25. Rush — The Spirit of Radio (y)
25. Crowbar — Oh What A Feeling (n)
26. Rough Trade — High School Confidential (n)
27. Martha and the Muffins — Echo Beach (n)
28. Stampeders — Sweet City Woman (y)
29. Arcade Fire — Wake Up (y)
30. Barenaked Ladies — If I Had $1,000,000 (y)
31. Robert Charlebois — Lindberg (n)
32. The Pursuit Of Happiness — I’m an Adult Now (y)
33. Ugly Ducklings — Nothin’ (n)
34. Sloan — Coax Me (y)
35. Rush — Closer To The Heart (y)
36. Teenage Head — Picture My Face (n)
37. Guess Who — Shakin’ All Over (n)
38. Five Man Electrical Band — Signs (y)
39. Blue Rodeo — Lost Together (y)
40. Ron Hynes — Sonny’s Dream (n)
41. Men Without Hats — The Safety Dance (n)
42. Rheostatics — Claire (n)
43. Lighthouse — One Fine Morning (n)
44. A Foot In Coldwater — (Make Me Do) Anything You Want (y)
45. Corey Hart — Sunglasses At Night (y)
46. Loverboy — Working For The Weekend (y)
47. Trooper — Raise A Little Hell (y)
48. Parachute Club — Rise Up (n)
49. Alannah Myles — Black Velvet (y)
50. Terry Jacks — Seasons In The Sun (n)
51. Malajube — Montreal —40C (n)
52. Neil Young — Cinnamon Girl (y)
53. Alanis Morissette — You Oughta Know (y)
54. Feist — 1234 (n)
55. Arcade Fire — Rebellion (Lies) (y)
56. k.d. lang — Constant Craving (n)
57. Neil Young — Rockin’ In The Free World (y)
58. Michel Pagliaro — Lovin’ You Ain’t Easy (n)
59. Bruce Cockburn — Lovers In A Dangerous Time (n)
60. Tragically Hip — Bobcaygeon (y)
61. Joni Mitchell — A Case of You/California (n)
62. The Demics — New York City (n)
63. Bryan Adams — (Everything I Do) I Do It For You (y)
64. Tragically Hip — Ahead By A Century (y)
65. Blue Rodeo — Five Days In May (y)
66. Hank Snow — I’m Moving On (n)
67. Harmonium — Pour un instant (n)
68. Steppenwolf — Magic Carpet Ride (n)
69. Sloan — Money City Maniacs (y)
70. Celine Dion — My Heart Will Go On (y)
71. k—os — Crabbuckit (n)
72. The Kings —This Beat Goes on/Switchin’ To Glide (y)
73. Neil Young — Old Man/Needle and the Damage Done (y)
74. Jean Leloup — 1990 (n)
75. Payola$ — Eyes Of A Stranger (n)
76. Blue Rodeo — Hasn’t Hit Me Yet (y)
77. Bachman Turner Overdrive — You Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet (y)
78. Bruce Cockburn — Wondering Where The Lions Are (n)
79. April Wine — You Could Have Been A Lady (y)
80. Teenage Head — Let’s Shake/Somethin’ On My Mind (y)
81. Joni Mitchell — Help Me (n)
82. Trooper — We’re Here For A Good Time (y)
83. Lighthouse — Sunny Days (n)
84. Jean—Pierre Ferland — Le petit roi (n)
85. Bryan Adams — Cuts Like A Knife (y)
86. Stompin’ Tom Connors — The Hockey Song (n)
87. Tragically Hip — Wheat Kings (y)
88. Gilles Vigneault — Mon pays (n)
89. Spirit of The West — Home For A Rest (n)
90. New Pornographers — Letter From An Occupant (n)
91. Guess Who — No Time (y)
92. Mashmakhan — As The Years Go By (n)
93. Neil Young — Hey Hey My My (y)
94. Paul Anka — Diana (n)
95. Daniel Lanois — The Maker (n)
96. The Spoons — Nova Heart (n)
97. Beau Dommage — La complainte du phoque en Alaska (n)
98. Ron Sexsmith — Secret Heart (n)
99. Bryan Adams — Run To You (y)
100. Wintersleep — Weighty Ghost (n)

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