1980. The year "O Canada," officially became our national anthem. Before that it was either "God Save the Queen" or Stompin' Tom Connors' "Sudbury Saturday Night." I forget which. Here's a look at a few of the song's that were almost as popular at the time.
Bonus Track: #65 - "Knee Deep in Love," Klaatu
This Toronto prog-psychedelia trio emerged in the mid 1970s, and their sound and the lack of biographical information on their album packaging initially caused some speculation that they were a front for a secretly reunited Beatles. In the U.S., they managed one Hot 100 single with a 45 that included the future Carpenters hit "Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Craft." At home they managed three Top 50 singles, not including this more conventional acoustic love ballad, which in spite of being part of their label's concerted effort to mainstream them, only reached #52. It's okay, but hardly a lost gem. I'm more interested in having a listen to their other stuff, whenever I get a chance.
49 - "Drugs in My Pocket," The Monks
There former members of the mainstream British rock band Strawbs formed a new band with a punk-pop sound. They weren'the embraced at home, but in the Dominion they scored a double-platinum album and a Top Twenty hit in the form of this tune about possessing narcotics and being unsure how or when to use them. Definitely more a parody of punk than the genuine article, but charming in its way.
46 - "Free Me," Roger Daltrey
The Who front man scored a rare solo hit with this rocker about inner turmoil from McVicar, a movie in which he starred as a real life 1960s bank robber. Not that interesting, There is more and better solo Who coming up.
45 - "Too Bad," Doug and the Slugs (CanCon!)
This Vancouver band led by Toronto-born had a few CanCon earworms in this decade, and the first and arguably best of these was this snappy, ska-tinged number about a con man who gets conned himself. I think that's it. To me, these guys were the better, Canadian version of Huey Lewis and the News, and it would be nice if in a parallel universe the two band's swapped careers. But as it stands, this is the second entry in the Official Glovehead Registry of CanConClassics.
44 - "Clones (We're All)," Alice Cooper
King Coopa's first single of the 80s just scraped into the Top 40 at home, but here it got as high as #25. Musically, it finds Alice embracing New Wave synths, and lyrically, it sees him turning from horror to science fiction as he takes on genetic engineering. I like it a lot, even though it heralded the beginning of a commercially fallow and creatively confused period for Cooper that lasted for most of the decade.
36 - "Play the Game," Queen
Their follow-up to the almost Triple Crown-winning "Crazy Little Thing Called Love" missed the U.S. Top 40 but got into the middle reaches of it here. It's a theatrical Freddie power ballad about not being afraid of romance. Another solid entry in the band's hit collection.
34 - "My Mistake," The Kingbees (CanCon!)
Formed in California by Torontonian Jamie James, this band melded rockabilly and new wave on their biggest hit, a song about romantic trial and error. Honestly, I like it better than anything the Stray Cats would put out.
32 - "Can I Come Near," Graham Shaw and the Sincere Serenaders
A Winnipeg native who was in a band with Burton Cummings in the 60s before the latter joined the Guess Who, Shaw and the band he formed in 1977 scored the biggest of his two hits with this soft rock plea to get next to someone. Decent enough for what it is.
26 - "Young and Restless," Prism (CanCon!)
This Vancouver band had their biggest run between 1978 and 1981, picking up five Top 50s at home, including a U.S. #39 in '81 with "Don't Let Him Know," Their most successful hit was rock tune about being youthful and ready for something you can't name. Okay playlist filler.
15 - "Echo Beach," Martha and the Muffins (CanCon!)
The first hit for the future M+M was this New Wave bouncer about an office clerk daydreaming about relaxing by the lakeshore. A great song that also went Top Ten in Britain. Muffintastic.
12 - "Fine State of Affairs," Burton Cummings (CanCon!)
Graham Shaw's ex-bandmate's third and last solo Top Ten was this 50s-style midtempo ballad that I think might be about the loneliness of life on the road. It's his usual competent songcraft that made him one of CanCon's cornerstones for a good quarter century or so.
Top Ten, hosers.
10 - "Tired of Toein' the Line," Rocky Burnette
The only hit for the second generation rocker from Memphis. Another terrific new wave/rockabilly hybrid.
9 - "Games Without Frontiers," Peter Gabriel
Pete's first U.K. Top Ten was Top Ten here too, but missed the Top 40 to the south of us. Big mistake, Uncle Sam, because this is a masterpiece about children playing war that was inspired by a French game show, And it has Kate Bush singing the title in a way that sounds like "She's so popular." It's gold. And an Uneasy Rider too.
8 - "Cocaine/Tulsa Time," Eric Clapton's
A double-sided live single containing two covers; the former a grinding version of J.J. Cale's ode to nose candy, the latter a take on a 1978 hit by the recently passed country legend Don Williams. Not released in Britain, only #30 in the States, but Top Five here. Canada loved itself some Slowhand. And/or coke.
7 - "Misunderstanding," Genesis
These guys had more #1s here than in Britain and America combined, and this was the first. And yes, we knew what we were doing. I think. Much worse songs have topped charts.
6 - "Shining Star," The Manhattans
A cross border Top Ten. It still shines.
5 - "Let My Love Open the Door," Pete Townshend
Pete's perfect little pop song about the power of love was a Top Ten here and in America, but didn't even reach the Top 40 in the U.S.
4 - "Boulevard," Jackson Browne
He never made the Top Five at home, but he did so for the third and final time here with this tough rocker about L.A. street kids. Appropriately gritty.
3 - "Sailing," Christopher Cross
The least rousing sea chantey ever went to #1 on both sides of the border. If you listened to this while actually sailing, you'd probably fall asleep and fall overboard.
2 - "Emotional Rescue," The Rolling Stones
Their second-best disco hit. The falsetto was a worthy experiment, but Mick was right to shelve it.
1 - "Magic," Olivia Newton-John
ONJ's fifth Canuck #1 was her Xanadu showcase. I can't listen to anything from this soundtrack anymore without being in absolute bewilderment that this movie got made.
And there it is. Back to Britain next time. See you then.
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