When it comes to great musicians, many countries have a few names that are considered national treasures. Canada goes above and beyond, though. The Great White North has managed to produce some of the top musical talents in the world over several generations, representing nearly every genre of music you can think of. It’s safe to say they are a hotbed of great tunes.
For your reading and listening pleasure, we’ve collected a list of the 45 best Canadian musicians of all time (not in precise order of greatness). And, to be honest, it was hard to keep it to that number.
1. The Weeknd
It’s impossible to ignore this Toronto native who has won award after award after bursting on the scene in 2009 as an anonymous YouTube artist. Since then, his persona has captured the interest of fans worldwide, and his music is unquestionably hit-worthy. Whether you call his work new wave, hip hop, or alternative R&B, you have to admit that The Weeknd is unique.
In 2020, Time magazine named him one of the most influential people in the world. His music videos are known for their striking visual effects, and he even had a Halloween Horror Nights haunted house theme at Universal Studios in 2022.
Next: The greatest rappers of all time (our ultimate list of picks)
2. Céline Dion
Are you looking for rock? Pop? Classical? Gospel? R&B? Unforgettable motion picture theme songs? Céline Dion is your artist. With over four decades of performance under her belt, it seems there is virtually nothing this powerhouse singer can’t handle. She’s known for her strong, lyrical tones and emotional expressions in every note.
Chances are you have memories of her songs from your childhood, but she isn’t one of those names who faded into the background. She has managed to stay at the forefront of mainstream music all of her adult life, releasing hit after certified hit. Her success is unmatched by most musicians who have ever lived.
Next: Most iconic & famous female singers ever
3. Leonard Cohen
Many musical blockbuster artists have a variety of artistic talents. Leonard Cohen is a prime example. Poet, novelist, and songwriter, this man was responsible for one of the most heartbreaking songs about love ever written.
Born in Quebec, he was known for his poetic examinations of human conditions that many people shy away from discussing. This was a man who knew how to get to the heart of depression, religion, and politics, and he always did it with a sense of humanity that gave his fans hope. It was all part of the magic of Cohen, and we say hallelujah for that.
4. Alanis Morissette
The album Jagged Little Pill came out in 1995, and angry teen girls everywhere couldn’t get enough of it. This was an alternative rock and pop sound that let young women embrace their feelings about personal relationships, misogyny, and religion, all during a time well before the #MeToo movement. Rolling Stone has more than once listed this album among the greatest albums of all time.
Since then, this former You Can’t Do That On Television actress has released several albums and a jukebox musical of Jagged Little Pill. She remains one of the most important musical icons of her time.
5. Gordon Lightfoot
This is one of the greatest folk singers of all time from Ontario who has been called Canada’s greatest songwriter. With a long and storied career, Gordon Lightfoot has used his twelve-string guitar and gentle voice to deliver songs that have become foundational examples of his genre.
An international multi-platinum star, this amazing artist has received sixteen Juno Awards and was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame in 1986. He once famously explained that he worked out nearly every day of the week to keep up with his regular touring gigs—which he continued all the way to his eighties until the coronavirus interrupted touring worldwide.
6. Neil Peart
Rush’s insanely talented lyricist and drummer, Neil Peart, turned rock music into an epic art form all his own. Their unmistakable sound is in large part thanks to his vision for the band. In addition to his work with the band, he was the co-author of four fantasy novels.
Peart was known for his imaginative, poetic sense of looking at the world, as expressed in his award-winning lyrics, as well as his powerful drum solos. Part of his great songwriting ability may have come from his wanderlust and his penchant for reading literature. He was open about his evolving literary interests over time and the impact that traveling had on his career and worldview.
Next: The greatest Canadian rock bands of all time
7. Geddy Lee
While we’re talking about Rush, we can’t forget the iconic voice of the band, Geddy Lee. This Ontario native is known for his high-pitched rock voice and his charisma on stage. He’s been called one of the Greatest Heavy Metal Vocalists of all time, and his award-winning performances in Rush have earned him his place in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with his bandmates Neil Peart and guitarist Alex Lifeson. Lee’s instrument of choice is the bass guitar, a perfect contrast to his unforgettable voice.
Next: Greatest guitarists of all time (our complete list)
8. Loreena McKennitt
For a magical, Celtic sound, you can’t do better than Loreena McKennitt. Sometimes compared to Enya, McKennitt’s music has a more earthy feel, with percussion and lyrics that conjure images of fairies and Arthurian legends. She took a long hiatus after the tragic death of her fiancé, but her fans were ready to welcome her back with open arms when she started touring again in 2006.
McKennitt is also known for the extensive research she does before composing new songs. She puts significant effort into doing justice to the themes and poetry she references. That effort shows in her award-winning recordings.
9. Justin Bieber
Justin Bieber released a YouTube video in 2007 that entertainment executive Scooter Braun accidentally clicked on. That was the start of his rise to fame, as Braun reached out to Bieber’s mother (the singer was still a kid at the time) to start talks about representation. Since then, this Canadian heartthrob phenomenon has released several award-winning singles and albums and has appeared in both films and internet videos.
One of his earliest hits was actually not even of his own making. When a video of a young girl sobbing about how much she loves Bieber went viral, anyone who hadn’t yet heard of the singer officially knew he was the next big thing.
10. Michael Bublé
This is the singer who made crooning cool again. With a perfect voice for jazz and easy-listening pop, Michael Bublé has hit the top of the charts and won all awards multiple times over. And there seems to be no end in sight. He even released a holiday album with great success. It might have been a risk to launch a jazzy, crooner career decades after the height of that genre’s popularity, but Bublé made it seem easy. He is a citizen of both Canada and Italy, and he’s appeared in several films and television shows.
Next: The top Christmas songs of all time (our picks)
11. Drake
You may have noticed that a fair number of Canadian musical stars were also actors before they launched their singing careers. This is a country that nourishes its artists and is known for supporting local work, so many future superstars have expressed their talent in a variety of ways. Drake is no exception.
He actually got his start on the show Degrassi: The Next Generation before he moved on to become the rap star we all know and love. He is now one of the best-selling musical artists in the world, with four Grammy Awards and a ton of other trophies to his name.
Next: The top Drake songs of all time (our picks)
12. Neil Young
It’s hard to say what Neil Young is best known for. This voice of the 1960s and 1970s found its way through the decades and continues to be a force of nature in music today. From his time in the band Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, his talent with musical instruments, his memorable songwriting, and his iconic voice have all guaranteed him a place in music history. Twice inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, he has won countless awards for his folk-rock sound.
13. Rufus Wainwright
It’s hard to place Rufus Wainwright in one musical category. Some have called his work “Baroque pop,” which is about as unique as the music he records. There’s no telling what you’re going to get with him, who has done everything from pop songs to operas to an album based on his favorite Shakespearean sonnets. Eclectic and touching, his recordings reach out to his listeners as if he’s sitting with them in the same room, having a deeply personal musical conversation.
14. deadmau5
Not every musician from Canada is a singer and songwriter. Music producer deadmau5 is an internationally famous progressive house DJ. His music has been known to get people dancing, and it’s also been used on playlists for study concentration. There’s something fascinating and meditative about his tracks that his fans can’t get enough of.
15. Sarah McLachlan
This gentle voice can calm you or break your heart, depending on the song. Sarah McLachlan founded the Lilith Fair tour to showcase other female musicians, which is only one of the many amazing things she has accomplished in her career. She’s the recipient of multiple Grammy Awards, Juno Awards, and an Honorary Doctor of Law degree. She has also opened a school of music in Vancouver as an outreach program for inner-city children.
16. Joni Mitchell
Joni Mitchell is a folk-rock icon who rose to fame in the 1960s and has continued to break hearts with her amazing music ever since. This ten-time Grammy Award winner is also a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee and multiple Juno Award winner. In 2017, NPR listed her album Blue as number 1 on a list of Greatest Albums Made by Women. She’s worked hard to maintain a strong, positive influence on women around the world, and her songs reflect a personal connection to the feminine experience.
17. Corey Hart
Why does Corey Hart wear his sunglasses at night? Maybe it’s because that song alone was enough to place him in the memories of pop music fans for life. He has gone on to release more music since the 1980s and was inducted into Canada’s Music Hall of Fame. Interesting trivia: Hart was up for the role of Marty McFly in Back To The Future. He declined because he wanted to work on music instead of acting.
18. Avril Lavigne
Avril Lavigne became known as a post-grunge voice at the height of the princess pop era. For pop music fans who wanted something less bubblegum than they were getting from other rising stars, her pop-punk sound hit the spot. Like many of her peers, she has also appeared on television shows and in films, demonstrating a wide range of talents. She has notably rejected opportunities to take photos looking sexy because she doesn’t want her music to be evaluated through her looks.
19. k.d. lang
The singer and songwriter k.d. lang has collaborated with some of the greatest musicians of our time, but she is a superstar in her own right. An early voice for openly gay artists and fans, she became known for her activism and outreach almost as much as her unforgettable songs. A multiple Grammy Award winner, multiple Juno Award winner, and multiple GLAAD Award winner, she knows how to capture a crowd.
Next: The top gay singers of all time (LGBTQ pride singers)
20. Paul Shaffer
David Letterman’s longtime band leader is an endless source of talent. From acting to comedy to music, Paul Shaffer has it all. Born in Toronto, he got his early start as a music director for theater and then a pianist for Broadway productions. This gave him the opportunity to meet actors, directors, and producers alike. Eventually, he found his way to Letterman, where he wrote and performed music for both of the talk show hosts’ shows.
21. Nelly Furtado
Nelly Furtado is both Canadian and Portuguese, and she has won a Grammy Award and a Latin Grammy for her music. This super-talented pop star first appeared in the 1990s with her unique worldbeat sound. There’s a fun mix of genres in her songs, including influences from R&B, hip hop, alternative pop, and world music. Thanks to her fearless work in songwriting and performance, Cosmopolitan magazine voted Furtado one of the “Fun and Fearless Females” for their 2002 publication.
22. Shania Twain
Shania Twain is a country pop icon who rose to fame in the 1990s. Her playful tone and danceable tunes earned their place in the history of great country music. Her songs may be rooted in a specific genre, but she is a favorite of music lovers worldwide, regardless of their genre preferences.
Though she is a Canadian native, she quickly became the sixth-best-selling female artist in the United States. She has won five Grammy Awards and a World Music Award, and that is only a small portion of the many accolades she has received in her career.
23. Bryan Adams
Bryan Adams is a superstar who really rose to fame in the 1990s with his blockbuster film soundtrack theme songs. His sound is soft rock, which is the perfect backdrop for romantic lyrics, complete with power ballads. He is one of the best-selling musicians of all time, and he’s been nominated for… basically everything. From Academy Awards to Grammy Awards, he’s been up for nearly everything in his usual categories. The wins he’s taken home include 20 Juno Awards and a Grammy.
24. Lara Fabian
Lara Fabian is another later addition to the Canadian musicscape. She moved to Quebec from Brussels in 1991. Four years later, she gained her citizenship and has ever since maintained dual citizenship with her native country. Shortly after coming to Canada, she released her album Carpe Diem and toured extensively. It was during this time that she earned enough fans to propel her career forward.
To date, she’s received several major awards and Juno nominations. Her French pop sound is a favorite among fans, and she continues to thrill audiences.
25. Régine Chassagne
Arcade Fire co-founder, Régine Chassagne became a smash-hit success with her husband, Win Butler. Their band’s genre has been called “Baroque pop,” and they’ve had songs included in feature film soundtracks. A native of Quebec, she plays a wide variety of instruments and provides vocals for the tracks, as well. She’s also a dedicated businesswoman. In 2015, she and Butler announced that they were shareholders in the online music streaming service, Tidal.
26. Win Butler
Butler isn’t a Canadian native, but he moved there in 2000 for university. It was there he met his future wife and co-founder of Arcade Fire. Suffice to say, his move to Canada was an excellent life choice for him. Since then, their band has gone on to win a Grammy Award and several Juno Awards. Those awards are only the tip of the iceberg; Arcade Fire has a massive list of trophies on its resume.
27. Henry Lau
Fans often refer to Henry Lau simply by his first name. He became a Korean music heartthrob in 2008 as a member of the group Super Junior-M. A few years later, he launched his solo career, and the rest is history. His album gained Spotify fame as the most streamed K-pop album for two years in a row. Considering the number of Korean artists he was up against, that’s an amazing accomplishment on its own. He has gone on to win a hefty number of music awards.
Next: Greatest K-Pop singers (you need to know)
28. David Foster
David Foster has a long and successful career. He is a composer and keyboardist, but perhaps his biggest fame has come from producing. Back in the 1970s, he played the keyboard for the pop group Skylark, and he went on from there to become a powerhouse in the industry. He’s dabbled in nearly every genre out there, from gospel to rock, from jazz to classical. There is no doubt at this point that Foster knows his stuff. In 1999, he won the Golden Globe Award for The Prayer.
Next: The best songs about prayer of all time
29. Nardwuar the Human Serviette
Nardwuar The Human Serviette may be a goofball, but he’s also a talented musician. Lead singer and keyboardist for The Evaporators, he has released many popular videos performing songs and conducting interviews. His genre is punk rock, but it’s his personality and off-the-wall humor that really draw fans in. He has interviewed everyone from politicians to actors, and, of course, musicians for his online show.
30. Rik Emmett
Canada has produced some excellent rock musicians, from heavy metal to soft rock, and Rik Emmett is one of the best examples. He’s the vocalist and guitarist for the band Triumph, which got its start in the 1970s and 1980s and reformed in 2007. In 1988, he launched his solo career and continued his success as a notable Canadian musician.
His voice is often compared to Geddy Lee’s, as they both have similar, iconic sounds. There’s something about the high-pitched singing voice that pairs perfectly with heavy rock and roll. It’s an unexpected sound, but once you hear it, you can’t stop listening.
31. Oscar Peterson
Let’s go way back to the 1950s when Canadian jazz phenomenon Oscar Peterson wowed fans and took home Grammy Awards like he was picking up milk on the way home. This talented composer could play piano with the best of them, and he earned the nickname “Maharaja of the keyboard” from the great Duke Ellington himself. Peterson played for literally thousands of different audiences and became known for his piano swing sound.
Because his focus was jazz, he knew the importance of improvisation, and he went on to teach this skill on the piano in Toronto. He even started a short-lived music school that couldn’t stay afloat after he left to tour. Peterson was a pillar of jazz, not only in his home country but around the world. His music has influenced generations of jazz artists ever since.
32. NAV
NAV is one of the best new rapper-singers in the game. He has worked with Drake and expanded his career to producing along the way. Nominated for five Juno Awards, he’s still considered a rising star, but his name and work are already well known. His mixtape Emergency Tsunami debuted in 2020 at number 6 on the Billboard chart in the United States.
Known for his unique style, both in fashion and music, he’s paved a path for himself to become a household name. NAV has been active in the industry since only 2014, which is a short time in comparison to many other superstars who are his peers. With that in mind, his current success is a testament to his artistry and fan following.
33. Diana Krall
Here’s another jazz musician who can’t be overlooked. Diana Krall got her start in 1993 when she released her first album and instantly demonstrated her amazing talent. She got picked up by producer Tommy LiPuma and went on to build her career from there. She has been featured on collaboration tracks with some of the greatest living musicians in her genre, and she was nominated for a Grammy Award for her third album in 1996.
You may also sometimes hear her name in connection with another musical great from across the pond: Elvis Costello. The two married in 2003 and have collaborated on works together. This has also helped spread her sound to more fans in different regions. The ultimate female crooner, Rosemary Clooney, was one of Krall’s mentors.
34. Shawn Mendes
Singer-songwriter Shawn Mendes originally started his fans talking when he uploaded covers of popular songs to Vine. Back in 2013, the platform was in some ways a precursor to apps like TikTok, and clips of his amazing singing voice went viral. He was an artist who knew how to leverage social media to get his name out to both fans and producers. That got him signed by Island Records A&R, where he went on to release his debut album.
This was all only the beginning for Mendes, whose youth and talent made him a promising folk-pop star for the future of the genre. Though he’s still young, he’s already earned three nominations for Grammy Awards, among others. Time magazine listed him as one of the most influential people in the world in 2018.
35. Paul Anka
Here’s another eclectic artist who has dominated several areas of the music industry for decades. From the theme song for The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson to My Way, Paul Anka has written some of the most memorable and important pieces of music in recent history. Some of the most popular musical performers in rock, pop, and jazz have played his songs and found their own success with those titles.
He’s also performed as an actor in several films throughout the 1950s and 1960s, and again in the 1990s. Canada is so (rightly) proud of Anka that there is a street in Ottawa named Paul Anka Drive, and the Ottawa City Council named August 26 Paul Anka Day.
36. Sebastian Bach
Sebastian Bach is a rock star who came out of the hair band era with his group called Skid Row. His feminine beauty captured the attention of fans, who also loved his powerful singing voice that contrasted the hard rock and metal sound of his genre. He left Skid Row in 1996 due to band member disagreements, but his career was far from over.
Fans were further thrilled when Bach went on to star on Broadway, landing the title role in Jekyll & Hyde, as well as Jesus in the rock opera written by Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber, Jesus Christ Superstar. These are roles that fully display the performer’s singing ability, and he was met with rave reviews.
37. Alannah Myles
If you’ve somehow missed Alannah Myles’s Black Velvet hit song about Elvis Presley, you might want to pull it up now to give it a thorough listen. It’s an unforgettable track with heart and an emotional punch that commemorates the beauty and tragedy that was wrapped up in Presley. Naturally, this song became an instant hit in 1990, shooting straight to the top of the charts, and it went on to win her a Grammy Award and a Juno Award.
Myles’ career is much more than just Black Velvet, though. She’s released several hit albums throughout the years. Her powerful, smooth voice is almost as velvety as Presley’s was, making the frequent comparisons apt.
38. Anne Murray
Anne Murray retired in 2008 after 40 years of performing. It seems this Nova Scotia native spent those decades making history every time she turned around. One notable example was the time she became the first woman to win Album of the Year at the Country Music Association Awards. She was also the first Canadian to have that honor. With 24 Juno Awards and four Grammy Awards to her name, she has had a remarkable influence on the evolution of country-pop and soft rock.
She’s in several Halls of Fame, including the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame and the Juno Hall of Fame, and Billboard listed her as one of the biggest adult contemporary artists of all time. In 2010, she carried the Olympic Flag with seven other Canadians for the opening ceremonies.
39. Rick Moranis
Rick Moranis is primarily known as a film actor from the 1980s and 1990s. Anyone who caught his performance as the hapless Seymore in Little Shop Of Horrors knows that this Canadian actor is also an amazing singer. He famously took a lengthy hiatus from his successful acting career to raise his children after his wife tragically passed away from breast cancer at the end of the 1990s.
Many people thought he had gone into early retirement, but he later explained that he needed to devote time to his family and would return to his career once his kids were grown, and he was ready to work in film again.
Little Shop of Horrors has an interesting story associated with it. The original Broadway show features a significantly different ending from what most viewers have seen. Both endings were shot with the stars, but the happier ending made the official release in theaters. It wasn’t until 2012 that a remastered version of the true ending was screened for audiences.
40. Chad Kroeger
Chad Kroeger is more than Nickelback. In addition to his work in that much-maligned band, he has also formed a band called The Suits XL and has performed in a large number of collaborations with some of the greatest musicians of our time. These include Santana, Avril Lavigne, and Josh Ramsay. In 2002, Kroeger performed with several top musicians on the Spider-Man theme song Hero, which gained widespread acclaim.
41. Howard Shore
Howard Shore’s most notable contributions to music are probably his scores for The Lord Of The Rings and The Hobbit. This Canadian composer and conductor has won three Academy Awards, three Golden Globe Awards, and four Grammy Awards.
His work has spanned several decades, and he has scored everything from films to television shows to video games. He’s worked on some of the biggest films of the modern era, helping to convey powerful emotion through his compositions. He also wrote the original opening and closing music for Saturday Night Live and the theme song for Late Night With Conan O’Brien.
42. Burton Cummings
Born in Manitoba, Burton Cummings is perhaps best known for being the band leader for The Guess Who in the 1960s and 1970s. After that, he launched his solo career and took off as a household name. There is a theater in Winnipeg named after him, and he has been inducted into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame. From popular songs to film soundtracks, Cummings has been involved in much of the recent history of music, shaping it as he goes.
A high school dropout, he received an Honorary Doctorate from Brandon University in Manitoba in 2001. The rest of The Guess Who also received honorary degrees for their accomplishments in music. He’s remained relevant throughout the years, with new albums and collaborations regularly. In 2018, he suffered a minor setback during a car accident, but he recovered well with therapy and rest.
43. Buffy Sainte-Marie
If you’ve seen the film An Officer And A Gentleman, you’ve probably fallen in love with the song Up Where We Belong by Buffy Sainte-Marie. In 1983, she won the Academy Award for this one for Best Original Song, which made her the first Indigenous person to ever take home an Oscar statuette win. That’s an amazing way to make musical history, but we’d expect nothing less from a talent like Sainte-Marie. She also won a Golden Globe for the same song.
Born in Saskatchewan, she is known for her First Nations folk music and her prolific songwriting career that has lasted for several decades. In the 1960s, she spent time in New York City’s Greenwich Village, where she often hung out with and performed alongside other musical greats of the time. Her songwriting skills made her an instant favorite in the folk genre, and she’s remained a hit with fans today.
44. Garth Hudson
Keyboard Magazine called Garth Hudson “the most brilliant organist in the rock world.” He is known for his work in The Band, a popular rock group that got inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994. An Ontario native, he is an experienced session musician and composer with jazz, folk, and country influences. He plays a variety of instruments, including the keyboard, sax, and accordion.
Hudson continues to perform in his solo career and with new projects he takes on as collaborations. Because he is a highly sought-after artist, his work appears in many places. The Canada South Blues Society gave him a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2002, but that was far from the end of his career. He’s released hits and performed live and maintained a career through personal ups and downs, as well as changes in musical trends.
45. Carly Rae Jepsen
thLast on our list, but definitely not least, is the singer and songwriter of Call Me Maybe fame, Carly Rae Jepsen. This pop-disco folk singer has made a name for herself with a unique take on bubblegum bops and other mainstream songs. She’s been described as an artist who experiments with pop music, taking it to unexpected places while still giving audiences the fun they’re looking for.
Several reviewers have dubbed her the “Queen of Pop,” and she has taken to her fame like a natural. Often performing at Pride events, Jepsen is a strong supporter of her many LGBTQ+ fans. She’s credited a variety of artists with influencing her music, from James Taylor to Madonna. Perhaps that explains her unconventional style.
Canada is a hotbed of artistic talent, and music is one of the areas to reap the benefits. Whether you’re into country or classical, jazz or pop, folk or heavy metal, the Great White North has brought us some of the most amazing singers, songwriters, composers, and performers of all time. We don’t know what’s in the water over there, but we hope they all keep drinking it.
As the Head Editor and Writer at Music Grotto, Liam helps write and edit content produced from professional music/media journalists and other contributing writers. He works closely with journalists and other staff to format and publish music content for the Music Grotto website. Liam is also the founding member of Music Grotto and is passionate in disseminating editorial content to its readers.
Liam’s lifelong love for music makes his role at Music Grotto such a rewarding one. He loves researching, writing and editing music content for Music Grotto.
Have you not heard of Mark Holmes of Platinum Blonde ?
Should be on this list more than half of this list.
How about Lenny Breau and Devin Townsend?