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The Tragically Hip, often referred to simply as the Hip, were a Canadian rock band formed in
Kingston, Ontario Kingston is a city in Ontario, Canada. It is located on the north-eastern end of Lake Ontario, at the beginning of the St. Lawrence River and at the mouth of the Cataraqui River (south end of the Rideau Canal). The city is midway between To ...
in
1984 Events January * January 1 – The Bornean Sultanate of Brunei gains full independence from the United Kingdom, having become a British protectorate in 1888. * January 7 – Brunei becomes the sixth member of the Association of Southeas ...
, consisting of vocalist
Gord Downie Gordon Edgar Downie (February 6, 1964 – October 17, 2017) was a Canadian rock singer-songwriter, musician, writer and activist. He was the singer and lyricist for the Canadian rock band The Tragically Hip, which he fronted from its form ...
, guitarist Paul Langlois, guitarist Rob Baker (known as Bobby Baker until 1994), bassist Gord Sinclair, and drummer Johnny Fay. They released 13 studio albums, one live album, one EP, and over 50 singles over a 33-year career. Nine of their albums have reached No. 1 on the Canadian charts. They have received numerous Canadian music awards, including 17 Juno Awards. Between 1996 and 2016, the Tragically Hip were the best-selling Canadian band in Canada and the fourth best-selling Canadian artist overall in Canada. Following Downie's diagnosis with terminal brain cancer in 2015, the band undertook a tour of Canada in support of their thirteenth album ''
Man Machine Poem ''Man Machine Poem'' is the thirteenth studio album by Canadian rock band the Tragically Hip, and the last album to be released before the death of lead singer Gord Downie, as well as their last to be composed of new material. It was released on J ...
''. The tour's final concert, which would ultimately be the band's last show, was held at the
Rogers K-Rock Centre Leon's Centre (formerly K-Rock Centre, and Rogers K-Rock Centre) is an indoor arena in downtown Kingston, Ontario. Opened in 2008, it is the home of the Kingston Frontenacs of the Ontario Hockey League. History The arena was designed by Brisbin ...
in Kingston on August 20, 2016, and broadcast globally by the
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (french: Société Radio-Canada), branded as CBC/Radio-Canada, is a Canadian public broadcaster for both radio and television. It is a federal Crown corporation that receives funding from the government. ...
as a cross-platform television, radio and internet streaming special. After Downie died on October 17, 2017, the band announced in July 2018 that they would no longer perform under the name. The surviving members have, however, continued to pursue other musical projects, and have begun releasing compilation albums of previously unreleased songs from the band's archives.


History


Early history (1984–1991)

The Tragically Hip formed in 1984 in
Kingston, Ontario Kingston is a city in Ontario, Canada. It is located on the north-eastern end of Lake Ontario, at the beginning of the St. Lawrence River and at the mouth of the Cataraqui River (south end of the Rideau Canal). The city is midway between To ...
. Gord Sinclair and Rob Baker were students at Kingston Collegiate and had performed together at the KCVI Variety Show as the Rodents. Baker and Sinclair joined with Downie and Fay in 1984 and began playing gigs around Kingston with some memorable stints at Clark Hall Pub and Alfie's, student bars on Queen's University campus. Guitarist Paul Langlois joined in 1986; saxophonist Davis Manning left that same year. They took their name from a skit in the
Michael Nesmith Robert Michael Nesmith or Mike Nesmith, (December 30, 1942 – December 10, 2021) was an American musician, songwriter, and actor. He was best known as a member of the pop rock band the Monkees and co-star of the TV series ''The Monkees'' (1966� ...
movie ''
Elephant Parts ''Elephant Parts'' is a collection of comedy sketches and music videos made in 1981 by Michael Nesmith, formerly of the Monkees. Nesmith produced the video through his company Pacific Arts. ''Elephant Parts'' is one hour long with parody commerci ...
''.


First album

By the mid-1980s, they performed in small music venues across Ontario until being seen by then- MCA Vice President Bruce Dickinson at the Horseshoe Tavern in
Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the anch ...
. They were then signed to a long-term record deal with MCA, and recorded the EP '' The Tragically Hip''. The album produced two singles, "Small Town Bring-Down" and "Highway Girl". They followed up with 1989's '' Up to Here''. This album produced four singles, "
Blow at High Dough "Blow at High Dough" is a song by Canadian rock band The Tragically Hip, released in April 1989 as the lead single from their first full-length studio album, ''Up to Here''. It reached on the '' RPM'' CANCON chart, and was the opening theme song ...
", "
New Orleans Is Sinking "New Orleans Is Sinking" is a song by Canadian rock band The Tragically Hip. It was released in November 1989 as the second single from the band's first full-length studio album, ''Up to Here''. The song reached number-one on the '' RPM'' Canadian ...
", "Boots or Hearts", and "
38 Years Old "38 Years Old" is a song by Canadian rock band The Tragically Hip. It was released in April 1990 as the fourth single from the band's first full-length studio album, ''Up to Here''. The song peaked at No. 41 on the Canadian '' RPM'' singles chart ...
". All four of these songs found extensive rotation on modern rock radio play lists in Canada.


Second Album: Road Apples

'' Road Apples'' followed in 1991, producing three singles ("
Little Bones "Little Bones" is a song by The Tragically Hip. The song was released as the lead single from the band's second studio album, ''Road Apples (album), Road Apples'', on which it appears as the opening track. The song was very successful in Canada, p ...
", "
Twist My Arm "Twist My Arm" is the third single from The Tragically Hip's second full-length studio album, '' Road Apples''. The single's B-side is a live version of the song "Highway Girl" from the band's debut EP, in which Gord Downie tells the story of a s ...
", and "
Three Pistols "Three Pistols" is a song by The Tragically Hip. The song was released as the second single from the band's second studio album, '' Road Apples''. The song reached No. 1 on the '' RPM'' CANCON (Canadian Content) chart. The title of the song refe ...
") and reaching No. 1 on Canadian record charts. During the Road Apples tour, Downie became recognized for ranting and telling fictional stories during songs such as "Highway Girl" and "New Orleans Is Sinking". Road Apples was planned to be a double album but was rejected by Universal. The
2008 Universal Studios fire On June 1, 2008, a fire broke out on the backlot of Universal Studios Hollywood, an American film studio and theme park in the San Fernando Valley area of Los Angeles County, California. The fire began when a worker used a blowtorch to warm asp ...
resulted in the destruction of the masters for the second album. The six unreleased songs were rediscovered in another collection in 2020. In 2021 they were released as an EP titled '' Saskadelphia'', which had been the working title for ''Road Apples.'' The sound on these first two full-length albums is sometimes characterized as "blues-tinged", although there is definite acoustic punctuation throughout both discs. Although the band failed to achieve significant international success with these first two albums, their sales and dominance of modern rock radio in Canada gave them license to subsequently explore their sound.


1992–1997

The Hip released another album, '' Fully Completely'' in 1992, which produced the singles "
Locked in the Trunk of a Car "Locked in the Trunk of a Car" is a song by Canadian rock band The Tragically Hip. It was released in October 1992 as the lead single from their third studio album, ''Fully Completely''. The song peaked at No. 11 on Canada's '' RPM'' Singles Chart ...
", " Courage", and " At the Hundredth Meridian" and three others. The sound on this album displayed less of a blues influence than previous albums. The Hip created and headlined the first
Another Roadside Attraction ''Another Roadside Attraction'' is the first novel by Tom Robbins, published in 1971 * The year 1971 had three partial solar eclipses ( February 25, July 22 and August 20) and two total lunar eclipses ( February 10, and August 6). The worl ...
tour at this time, both to act as a vehicle for their touring, and to promote other Canadian acts (as well as non-Canadians
Ziggy Marley David Nesta "Ziggy" Marley (born 17 October 1968) is a Jamaican singer, songwriter, musician, actor and philanthropist. He is the son of reggae icon Bob Marley and Rita Marley. He led the family band Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers until 20 ...
and
Pere Ubu Pere Ubu is an American rock group formed in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1975. The band had a variety of long-term and recurring band members, with singer David Thomas being the only member staying throughout the band's lifetime. They released their ...
). Many songs from ''Day For Night'' were first performed prior to their release during the 1993 Another Roadside Attraction Tour. "Nautical Disaster" was played frequently in the middle of "New Orleans Is Sinking", an early version of "Thugs" was tested, and Downie sang lyrics from many other ''Day For Night'' songs, such as "Grace, Too", "Scared", and "Emergency", during this tour. '' Day for Night'' was then released in 1994, producing six singles, including "
Nautical Disaster "Nautical Disaster" is a song by Canadian rock band The Tragically Hip. It was released in February 1995 as the third single from the band's 1994 album, ''Day for Night''. The song peaked at number 26 on the Canadian '' RPM'' Singles chart. The so ...
" and "
Grace, Too "Grace, Too" is a song by Canadian rock band The Tragically Hip. It was released in September 1994 as the lead single from their fourth studio album, ''Day for Night''. The song peaked at number 11 on the '' RPM'' Canadian Singles chart. Live per ...
". '' Trouble at the Henhouse'' followed in 1996, producing five singles starting with " Ahead by a Century", which reached number one on the ''RPM'' Canadian singles chart on 24 June and became their most successful single in their home country. "Butts Wigglin", the fifth single from ''Henhouse'', also appeared on the soundtrack to the Kids in the Hall movie '' Brain Candy''. The live album '' Live Between Us'' was recorded on the subsequent tour at Cobo Arena in
Detroit, Michigan Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at ...
. The band developed a unique sound and ethos, leaving behind its earlier blues influence. Downie's vocal style changed while the band experimented with song structures and chord progressions. Songs explored the themes of Canadian geography and history, water and land, all motifs that became heavily associated with the Hip. While ''Fully Completely'' began an exploration of deeper themes, many critics consider ''Day for Night'' to be the Hip's artistry most fully realized. The sound here is typically called "enigmatic" and "dark", while critic MacKenzie Wilson praises "the poignancy of Downie's minimalism." On the follow-up tour for this album, the band made its only appearance on ''
Saturday Night Live ''Saturday Night Live'' (often abbreviated to ''SNL'') is an American late-night live television sketch comedy and variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC and Peacock (streaming service), Peacock. ...
'', on March 15, 1995, thanks in large part to the finagling of fellow Canadian and Kingston-area resident Dan Aykroyd, who appeared on the show just to introduce them. Aykroyd, who is a fan of the band, had personally lobbied ''SNL'' showrunner
Lorne Michaels Lorne Michaels (born Lorne David Lipowitz; November 17, 1944) is a Canadian-American producer, screenwriter, and comedian. He is best known for creating and producing ''Saturday Night Live'' (1975–1980, 1985–present) and producing the '' La ...
to book them as a musical guest. The band's performance on the show was one of their highest profile media appearances in the United States. In July 1996, the Hip headlined
Edenfest Edenfest was 3-day concert that took place July 12–14, 1996 at Mosport Park, in Bowmanville, Ontario, Canada. The concert sold over 70,000 tickets total for the 3 day event and was attended by another estimated 20,000 people who walked into th ...
. The three-day concert took place at Mosport Park, in Bowmanville, Ontario, Canada, just a few months after the LP ''Trouble at the Henhouse'' was released. The concert sold over 70,000 tickets total and was attended by an estimated 20,000 additional people who gained access to the concert site after the outside security broke down.


1998–2003

In 1998, the band released their sixth full-length album, ''
Phantom Power Phantom power, in the context of professional audio equipment, is DC electric power transmitted through microphone cables to operate microphones that contain active electronic circuitry. It is best known as a convenient power source for con ...
'', which produced five singles. It won the 1999 Juno Awards for
Best Rock Album The Grammy Award for Best Rock Album is an award presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to recording artists for quality albums in the rock music genre. Honors in sev ...
and Best Album Design. A single from the album, "
Bobcaygeon Bobcaygeon is a community on the Trent–Severn Waterway in the City of Kawartha Lakes, east-central Ontario, Canada. Bobcaygeon was incorporated as a village in 1876, and became known as the "Hub of the Kawarthas". Its recorded name ''bob- ...
", won the Juno Award for Single of the Year in 2000. The album has been certified platinum three times over in Canada. In February 1999, the Hip played the very first concert at the brand new Air Canada Centre in Toronto, Ontario. In July 1999, the band was part of the lineup for the
Woodstock '99 Woodstock '99 (also called Woodstock 1999) was a music festival held from July 22 to July 25, 1999, in Rome, New York. After Woodstock '94, it was the second large-scale music festival that attempted to emulate the original 1969 Woodstock fe ...
festival in Rome, New York. On the second day of three, they were the first band to take the stage. They were followed by Kid Rock. 2000 saw the release of '' Music @ Work''. It won the 2001 Juno Award for
Best Rock Album The Grammy Award for Best Rock Album is an award presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to recording artists for quality albums in the rock music genre. Honors in sev ...
. The album featured back-up vocals from
Julie Doiron Julie Doiron (born June 28, 1972) is a Canadian singer-songwriter of Acadian heritage. She has been the bass guitarist and co-vocalist for the Canadian indie rock band Eric's Trip since its formation in 1990. She has released ten solo albums, beg ...
on a number of tracks, and reached No. 1 on the Canadian Billboard Charts. In 2002, '' In Violet Light,'' recorded by Hugh Padgham and
Terry Manning Terry Manning is an American photographer, composer, singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer, audio engineer, and visual artist. In a career spanning more than 50 years, he has worked with Led Zeppelin, Iron Maiden, Bryan Adams, ...
at
Compass Point Studios Compass Point Studios was a music recording studio in the Bahamas, founded in 1977 by Chris Blackwell, the owner of Island Records. The concept of the studio was of a recording facility supported by in-house sets of artists, musicians, producer ...
in the Bahamas was released, along with three singles from the album. It became certified platinum in Canada. Later that year, the Hip made a cameo appearance in the
Paul Gross Paul Michael Gross OC (born April 30, 1959) is a Canadian actor, director, writer, producer, and musician born in Calgary, Alberta. Gross is known for his lead role as Constable Benton Fraser in the popular Canadian television series ''Due So ...
film '' Men with Brooms,'' playing a
curling Curling is a sport in which players slide stones on a sheet of ice toward a target area which is segmented into four concentric circles. It is related to bowls, boules, and shuffleboard. Two teams, each with four players, take turns slidi ...
team from their hometown of Kingston. Three of their songs appear in the film, and they backed Sarah Harmer on a fourth, the soundtrack's lead single, "Silver Roads". On October 10, 2002, the Tragically Hip performed two songs, "It's a Good Life If You Don't Weaken" and "Poets", as part of a command performance for Queen Elizabeth II. In 2003, the band recorded a cover of "Black Day in July", a song about the 1967 12th Street Riot in Detroit, on '' Beautiful: A Tribute to Gordon Lightfoot''.


2004–2008

'' In Between Evolution'' was released in 2004 in the No. 1 position in Canada. It has since sold over 100,000 copies. At the 92nd Grey Cup held November 21, 2004, the band provided the halftime entertainment in front of a packed house at Frank Clair Stadium in Ottawa. In 2004, in episode 15 ("Rock On"), season 2 of Canadian comedy TV series ''
Corner Gas ''Corner Gas'' is a Canadian television sitcom created by Brent Butt. The series ran for six seasons from 2004 to 2009. Re-runs still air on CTV, CTV2, CTV Comedy Channel, Much, MTV, E! and are streaming on Crave and Amazon Prime. The seri ...
'', the Tragically Hip gave a cameo appearance as an unnamed local band rehearsing in Brent's garage. They play a rough version of the song ''It Can't Be Nashville Every Night'' from their '' In Between Evolution'' album until interrupted and asked to leave by Brent, Wanda, and Hank. As they disappointedly go, Wanda demands that Gord Sinclair and Rob Baker leave behind their amplifiers. In October 2005, several radio stations temporarily stopped playing "
New Orleans Is Sinking "New Orleans Is Sinking" is a song by Canadian rock band The Tragically Hip. It was released in November 1989 as the second single from the band's first full-length studio album, ''Up to Here''. The song reached number-one on the '' RPM'' Canadian ...
", out of sensitivity to the victims of Hurricane Katrina, which had devastated the city in early September of that year. However, it received considerable pirate radio and relief site play and gained some notoriety and praise in New Orleans due to its attitudinal proximity to the city's culture. On November 1, 2005, the Hip released a double CD, double DVD box set, '' Hipeponymous'', including all of their singles and music videos to date, a backstage documentary called "Macroscopic", an animated Hip-scored short film entitled "The Right Whale", two brand new songs ("No Threat" and "The New Maybe"), a full-length concert from November 2004 '' That Night in Toronto'', and a 2-CD greatest hits collection ''
Yer Favourites ''Yer Favourites'' is a two-disc compilation album by the Tragically Hip. The tracks for ''Yer Favourites'' were selected by the band's fans on its website and were remastered. The compilation includes a total of seven songs from ''Fully Complet ...
'' (selected on-line by 150,000 fans). On November 8, 2005, ''Yer Favourites'' and ''That Night in Toronto'' were released individually. In 2006, another studio album, entitled '' World Container'', was released, being notably produced by
Bob Rock Robert Jens Rock (born April 19, 1954) is a Canadian record producer, sound engineer and musician, best known for producing rock bands and music artists such as Metallica, Mötley Crüe, Bon Jovi, Aerosmith, The Tragically Hip, the Cult, ...
. It produced four singles, and reached the No. 1 spot on the Canadian rock music charts. The band toured concert dates in major Canadian cities, and then as an opening act for
the Who The Who are an English rock band formed in London in 1964. Their classic lineup consisted of lead singer Roger Daltrey, guitarist and singer Pete Townshend, bass guitarist and singer John Entwistle, and drummer Keith Moon. They are considered ...
on several US dates. A tour of Eastern Canada, Europe, and select cities in the United States occurred late in the year. On February 23, 2008, the Hip returned to their hometown of Kingston, Ontario, where they were the first live act to perform at the new K-Rock Centre.


2009–2015

In 2009, the band again worked with producer Bob Rock, and '' We Are the Same'' was released in North America on April 7, 2009. It produced three singles. To promote ''We Are the Same'', the band invited The Hour's George Stroumboulopoulos for a live interview at The Bathouse Recording Studio in Bath, Ontario (where most of the album was recorded), and they played seven new songs as well as unique versions of five other songs. The interview and performance were broadcast live in more than eighty theatres across Canada. On January 22, 2010, the band performed "Fiddler's Green" at the "Canada for Haiti" telethon to aid earthquake victims in that country. This was broadcast nationally on all three of Canada's main networks ( CBC,
Global Global means of or referring to a globe and may also refer to: Entertainment * ''Global'' (Paul van Dyk album), 2003 * ''Global'' (Bunji Garlin album), 2007 * ''Global'' (Humanoid album), 1989 * ''Global'' (Todd Rundgren album), 2015 * Bruno ...
, and CTV). Single " At Transformation" was released in May 2012 ahead of the band's twelfth studio album, ''
Now for Plan A ''Now For Plan A'' is the twelfth studio album by Canadian rock band, The Tragically Hip. At a length of 39:18, it is the band's shortest album. The album's first single, "At Transformation", was released on May 18, 2012. The album's second single ...
.'' A second single, "Streets Ahead" came out in August that year, and the album followed in October. The Tragically Hip re-entered their studio in July 2014 to begin work on a new album. The following October, ''Fully Completely'' was re-released as a remastered deluxe edition, including two bonus tracks, a vinyl edition and a recording of a live show. To celebrate and promote the re-release, the band toured Canada and the United States from January to October 2015.


2016–2017: Downie's diagnosis, summer tour, and death

In December 2015, Downie was diagnosed with terminal brain cancer. The band announced his diagnosis on May 24, 2016. The band also announced that, despite his condition, they would tour that summer. The Hip's thirteenth album, ''
Man Machine Poem ''Man Machine Poem'' is the thirteenth studio album by Canadian rock band the Tragically Hip, and the last album to be released before the death of lead singer Gord Downie, as well as their last to be composed of new material. It was released on J ...
'', was released on June 17, 2016. The album featured songs such as "In a World Possessed by the Human Mind", "In Sarnia", and "Machine". The final concert of the Man Machine Poem tour was held at the
Rogers K-Rock Centre Leon's Centre (formerly K-Rock Centre, and Rogers K-Rock Centre) is an indoor arena in downtown Kingston, Ontario. Opened in 2008, it is the home of the Kingston Frontenacs of the Ontario Hockey League. History The arena was designed by Brisbin ...
in the band's hometown of Kingston on August 20, 2016. The concert was aired by the
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (french: Société Radio-Canada), branded as CBC/Radio-Canada, is a Canadian public broadcaster for both radio and television. It is a federal Crown corporation that receives funding from the government. ...
as a live cross-platform broadcast on CBC Television,
CBC Radio One CBC Radio One is the English-language news and information radio network of the publicly owned Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. It is commercial-free and offers local and national programming. It is available on AM and FM to 98 percent of C ...
, CBC Radio 2, CBC Music, and
YouTube YouTube is a global online video sharing and social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by Google, and is the second mo ...
. The concert featured 30 songs and three encore sets, with the band finishing with a performance of " Ahead by a Century". The CBC's broadcast and live streaming of the concert, uninterrupted by advertisements, was watched by 11.7 million people (roughly one-third of the Canadian population). On October 13, 2016, Downie gave an interview, his first since his cancer diagnosis, to the CBC's
Peter Mansbridge Peter Mansbridge (born July 6, 1948) is a British-born Canadian retired news anchor. From 1988 to 2017, he was chief correspondent for CBC News and anchor of '' The National,'' CBC Television's flagship nightly newscast. He was also host of CB ...
, in which he reported experiencing memory loss. Downie also told Mansbridge that he was working with the Tragically Hip on new studio material, and that the band have up to four albums worth of unreleased material in the vaults. Downie released his fifth solo album, '' Secret Path'' on October 18, 2016. The album is a concept album about Chanie Wenjack, a
First Nations First Nations or first peoples may refer to: * Indigenous peoples, for ethnic groups who are the earliest known inhabitants of an area. Indigenous groups *First Nations is commonly used to describe some Indigenous groups including: **First Natio ...
boy who escaped from a Canadian Indian residential school in 1966 and died while attempting to make the 600 km walk back to his home. On December 22, 2016, Downie was selected as
The Canadian Press The Canadian Press (CP; french: La Presse canadienne, ) is a Canadian national news agency headquartered in Toronto, Ontario. Established in 1917 as a vehicle for the time's Canadian newspapers to exchange news and information, The Canadian Pre ...
' Canadian Newsmaker of the Year and was the first entertainer ever selected for the title. On June 15, 2017, all five members of the Tragically Hip were announced as recipients of the
Order of Canada The Order of Canada (french: Ordre du Canada; abbreviated as OC) is a Canadian state order and the second-highest honour for merit in the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, after the Order of Merit. To coincide with the cen ...
by
Governor General of Canada The governor general of Canada (french: gouverneure générale du Canada) is the federal viceregal representative of the . The is head of state of Canada and the 14 other Commonwealth realms, but resides in oldest and most populous realm, ...
David Johnston David Lloyd Johnston (born June 28, 1941) is a Canadian academic, author, and statesman who served from 2010 to 2017 as Governor General of Canada, the 28th since Canadian Confederation. He is the commissioner of the Leaders' Debates Commis ...
. Downie received his honour on June 19; the other four members of the band were invested on November 17. The band and the tour are the subjects of
Jennifer Baichwal Jennifer Baichwal is a Canadian documentary filmmaker, writer and producer. Biography Baichwal was born in Montreal, Quebec and raised in Victoria, British Columbia.
and
Nicholas de Pencier Nicholas de Pencier is a Canadian cinematographer and filmmaker. The spouse and professional partner of filmmaker Jennifer Baichwal in Mercury Films, he is the cinematographer and producer on most of her films as well as codirector of the films ' ...
's documentary film '' Long Time Running'', which premiered at the
2017 Toronto International Film Festival The 42nd annual Toronto International Film Festival was held from 7 to 17 September 2017. There were fourteen programmes, with the Vanguard and City to City programmes both being retired from previous years, with the total number of films down b ...
. It was slated to have its television premiere in November 2017 on CTV, but following Downie's death the network moved the broadcast up to October 20. Gord Downie died on October 17, 2017. His death was widely mourned throughout Canada. Prime Minister
Justin Trudeau Justin Pierre James Trudeau ( , ; born December 25, 1971) is a Canadian politician who is the 23rd and current prime minister of Canada. He has served as the prime minister of Canada since 2015 and as the leader of the Liberal Party since 2 ...
, who is a fan of the Tragically Hip, released a tribute statement on his official website the morning after Downie's death. Later in the day, he held a press conference at
Parliament Hill Parliament Hill (french: Colline du Parlement, colloquially known as The Hill, is an area of Crown land on the southern banks of the Ottawa River in downtown Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Its Gothic revival suite of buildings, and their archit ...
at which he eulogized Downie as "Our buddy Gord, who loved this country with everything he had—and not just loved it in a nebulous, 'Oh, I love Canada' way. He loved every hidden corner, every story, every aspect of this country that he celebrated his whole life." Following Downie's death, many of the band's albums climbed the ''Billboard'' Canadian Albums chart, which is compiled by Neilsen Music. In the week ending October 19, 2017 (the day following the announcement of Downie's death), ''
Yer Favourites ''Yer Favourites'' is a two-disc compilation album by the Tragically Hip. The tracks for ''Yer Favourites'' were selected by the band's fans on its website and were remastered. The compilation includes a total of seven songs from ''Fully Complet ...
'' rose to No. 2 in the chart, with another 10 albums moving to the Top 200. Streaming also increased 700 percent, and many of the Tragically Hip's top hits remained on the Spotify Canadian Viral 50 as of October 23, 2017.


2018–present: Activity following Downie's death

Before his death, Downie indicated in interviews that the band had unreleased material that may still be issued as one or more new albums; when accepting Downie's posthumous awards at the Juno Awards of 2018, his brothers Patrick and Mike also stated that more unreleased music is likely to be issued in the future. '' A National Celebration'', a concert film of the Tragically Hip's final concert, was released on DVD and Blu-ray on December 8, 2017. In July 2018, guitarist Rob Baker told '' Entertainment Tonight Canada'' that the Tragically Hip were no longer active as a touring or recording entity following Downie's death. He stated "When I say The Tragically Hip doesn't exist as a performing unit anymore because a key member is gone, I think ansunderstand that. We wouldn't be The Hip without Gord ..The Hip has played their last note." Baker also revealed that Downie had encouraged the group to audition replacement vocalists, but the other members did not seriously consider the idea. With the
legalization of marijuana The legality of cannabis for medical and recreational use varies by country, in terms of its possession, distribution, and cultivation, and (in regards to medical) how it can be consumed and what medical conditions it can be used for. These ...
in Canada, the remaining band members became investment partners in Newstrike, a cannabis company which has named several of its products after Tragically Hip songs. In a July 2018 interview with the ''
Toronto Sun The ''Toronto Sun'' is an English-language tabloid format, tabloid newspaper published daily in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The newspaper is one of several ''Sun'' tabloids published by Postmedia Network. The newspaper's offices is located at Pos ...
'', Baker confirmed that at least three albums' worth of unreleased material was recorded with Downie before his death, but stated that the band had yet to decide how it would be released. On October 11, 2018, six days before the first anniversary of Downie's death, Fay and Baker joined Choir! Choir! Choir! at Yonge-Dundas Square for a live performance of the Tragically Hip's "
Grace, Too "Grace, Too" is a song by Canadian rock band The Tragically Hip. It was released in September 1994 as the lead single from their fourth studio album, ''Day for Night''. The song peaked at number 11 on the '' RPM'' Canadian Singles chart. Live per ...
". On October 17, 2018, one year after Downie's death, a previously unreleased studio recording of the song "Wait So Long" was played on
CIKR-FM CIKR-FM is a Canadian radio station, broadcasting at 105.7 FM in Kingston, Ontario owned by Rogers Sports & Media. The station broadcasts an active rock format branded as ''K-Rock 105.7''. History The station was originally owned by K-Rock 105 ...
, a radio station in the band's hometown of Kingston. The Tragically Hip was among hundreds of artists whose material was reported to have been destroyed in the 2008 Universal fire but it later emerged that the band's master tapes had been transferred back to Canada in 2001, and had escaped the fire. On September 14, 2019, Langlois, Sinclair and Baker performed a set at Rockin' the Big House, a benefit concert on the grounds of the former Kingston Penitentiary, with guest vocalists
Hugh Dillon Hugh Dillon (born May 31, 1963) is a Canadian singer and actor who is the lead vocalist of rock band Headstones. He is also a film and television actor; his notable roles include Mike Sweeney in '' Durham County,'' Ed Lane in '' Flashpoint'' an ...
and
Tom Cochrane Thomas William Cochrane ( ; born May 14, 1953) is a Canadian musician best known as the frontman for the rock band Red Rider and for his work as a solo singer-songwriter. Cochrane has won eight Juno Awards. He is a member of the Canadian Music H ...
. In January 2020, Sinclair announced that his own debut album as a solo artist, ''Taxi Dancers'', would be released on February 28. In June 2020, the band and manager Jake Gold announced that they were undertaking an "archaeological dig" to select music and memorabilia from the band's archives for future release. In early 2021, Rob Baker released a new album with his side band project, Stripper's Union. The band released '' Saskadelphia'', an EP comprising five previously unreleased and recently found ''Road Apples'' outtakes and a live track (as the original version has yet to be found). ''Road Apples'' was planned to be a double album, but was rejected by the label. Many songs were presumed to be destroyed in the Universal fire in 2008, but the masters were found and transferred to new recordings in 2019. ''Saskadelphia'' was released on May 21, 2021. At the Juno Awards of 2021, the surviving members of the Tragically Hip performed their 2002 single "It's a Good Life If You Don't Weaken" with Feist on lead vocals, which marked the band's first televised performance since Downie's death. In a promotional interview on CBC Radio's '' Q'' before the ceremony, the band stated that they agreed to perform specifically because Feist had been proposed as the vocalist, with Langlois stating that "OK, so that's not going to be some guy trying to sing like Gord or some guy trying not to sing like Gord. It was a 'no' until Feist came up." The band also received the Juno Humanitarian Award at the ceremony for their history of philanthropic work in Canada. On June 24, 2022, the band released '' Live at the Roxy'', a live recording of their May 3, 1991 concert at the Roxy Theatre in West Hollywood, California. In September 2022, the surviving members again reunited to perform at a Buffy Sainte-Marie tribute show, supporting singer-songwriter William Prince on Sainte-Marie's " Now That the Buffalo's Gone".


Legacy and influence

The Tragically Hip's music is extremely popular in their native Canada, and Downie's songwriting has been praised for frequently touching upon uniquely Canadian subjects not otherwise covered by mainstream rock groups. In ''
The National Post The ''National Post'' is a Canadian English-language broadsheet newspaper available in several cities in central and western Canada. The paper is the flagship publication of Postmedia Network and is published Mondays through Saturdays, with Mo ...
'', Dave Kaufman wrote "Although Downie sings of Canada, his songs are by no means patriotic, or no more than in the way that we're all influenced by where we're from. The band have never been so obvious as to drape themselves in a Canadian flag, but instead, they evoke that shared experience of what it's meant for many of us to grow up in Canada." The band was a member of the Canadian charity Artists Against Racism and worked with them on radio PSAs. After Downie's death in 2017, Simon Vozick-Levinson of ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...
'' wrote, "The place of honor that Mr. Downie occupies in Canada's national imagination has no parallel in the United States. Imagine Bruce Springsteen,
Bob Dylan Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan, born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Often regarded as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture during a career sp ...
and
Michael Stipe John Michael Stipe (; born January 4, 1960) is an American singer-songwriter and artist, best known as the lead singer and lyricist of alternative rock band R.E.M. He is known for his vocal quality, poetic lyrics and unique stage presence. Pos ...
combined into one sensitive, oblique poet-philosopher, and you’re getting close." According to Nielsen BDS, the Tragically Hip were the fourth best-selling Canadian musical artist in Canada between 1996 and 2016. In that same period of time, "Ahead by a Century" was listed as the 67th most played song on Canadian radio across all formats, while 18 of their songs appeared in a list of the Top 150 most played songs on Canadian rock radio. Reflecting on the band's popularity in Canada, Rachel Sklar of '' Vox'' wrote, "There is a generation of Canadians who, if they went to university, they saw the Hip." Despite their high popularity in Canada, the group was never able to cross over into the American rock music scene apart from a small, devoted fan-base centered in border cities like
Buffalo, New York Buffalo is the second-largest city in the U.S. state of New York (behind only New York City) and the seat of Erie County. It is at the eastern end of Lake Erie, at the head of the Niagara River, and is across the Canadian border from Sou ...
and
Detroit, Michigan Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at ...
. The band notched four entries on the ''Billboard'' Mainstream Rock Tracks singles chart in the US; their highest-charting song on the chart being "
Courage (for Hugh MacLennan) "Courage (for Hugh MacLennan)" is a song by Canadian rock band The Tragically Hip. It was released in February 1993 as the third single from their 1992 album ''Fully Completely''. The song's bracketed title references author Hugh MacLennan, beca ...
", which reached No. 16 in 1993. Downie once complained that the band's lack of crossover to the American rock music market had been overexamined, stating " nterviewersalways ask us about our success or lack of success in the States, which I find absurd. While that is a story of the band, there are so many other stories." Comedian Rick Mercer remarked that much of the band's American fanbase was composed of Canadians living in the United States, and recalled an experience seeing them perform at
The Fillmore The Fillmore is a historic music venue in San Francisco, California. Built in 1912 and originally named the Majestic Hall, it became the Fillmore Auditorium in 1954. It is in Western Addition, on the edge of the Fillmore District and Upper Fillm ...
in
San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish for " Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the fourth most populous in California and 17th ...
where the venue was filled with Canadian fans; He wrote, "This was the curse of being the Hip, they would go to Fillmore, a famous venue, and they would sell out in five minutes. But, no Americans could get in. By the time they were like, 'What's this happening in this sold-out show with this insane band,' you couldn't get in because every Canadian filled up the space." Numerous tribute and cover bands to the Tragically Hip have actively performed across Canada both before and after the band's dissolution. The band's music also provides the score for a full length contemporary ballet, Jean Grand-Maitre's ''All of Us.'' The band were named as an influence by several Canadian musicians and bands across multiple genres, including Dallas Green, k-os, and Kevin Drew.


Members

*
Gord Downie Gordon Edgar Downie (February 6, 1964 – October 17, 2017) was a Canadian rock singer-songwriter, musician, writer and activist. He was the singer and lyricist for the Canadian rock band The Tragically Hip, which he fronted from its form ...
 – lead vocals, guitar (1984–2017; deceased) * Rob Baker – guitar (1984–2017) * Paul Langlois – guitar, backup vocals (1986–2017) * Gord Sinclair – bass, backup vocals (1984–2017) * Johnny Fay – drums, percussion (1984–2017) * Davis Manning – saxophone (1984–1986)


Awards and honours

SOCAN Awards *1997: National Achievement Award
Canada's Walk of Fame Canada's Walk of Fame (french: link=no, Allée des célébrités canadiennes) in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, is a walk of fame that acknowledges the achievements and accomplishments of Canadians who have excelled in their respective fields. It is a ...
: *2002: Inducted in Toronto, Ontario
Canadian Music Hall of Fame The Canadian Music Hall of Fame was established in 1978 by the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (CARAS) to honour Canadian musicians for their lifetime achievements in music. The award presentation is held each year as part of the ...
: *2005: Inducted at the Juno Awards in Winnipeg, Manitoba Royal Conservatory of Music: *2006: Presented with an honorary fellowship May 24 at the Windsor Arms Hotel in Toronto, Ontario Governor General's Performing Arts Awards: *2008: Presented the National Arts Centre Award in Ottawa, Ontario
Juno Awards The Juno Awards, more popularly known as the JUNOS, are awards presented annually to Canadian musical artists and bands to acknowledge their artistic and technical achievements in all aspects of music. New members of the Canadian Music Hall of ...
*1990: Most Promising Group of the Year *1991: Canadian Entertainer of the Year *1993: Canadian Entertainer of the Year *1995: Entertainer of the Year *1995: Group of the Year *1997: Group of the Year *1997: Album of the Year (''Trouble at the Henhouse''), *1997: North Star Rock Album of the Year (''Trouble at the Henhouse'') *1999: Best Rock Album (''Phantom Power'') *1999: Best Album Design (''Phantom Power'') *2000: Best Single ("Bobcaygeon") *2001: Best Rock Album (''Music at Work'') *2006: CD/DVD Artwork Design of the Year (''Hipeponymous'') *2006: Music DVD of the Year (''Hipeponymous'') *2017: Rock Album of the Year (''Man Machine Poem'') *2017: Group of the Year *2021: Juno Humanitarian Award
Order of Canada The Order of Canada (french: Ordre du Canada; abbreviated as OC) is a Canadian state order and the second-highest honour for merit in the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, after the Order of Merit. To coincide with the cen ...
*2017: Appointed to the Order of Canada Homages: *In 2012, the city of
Kingston, Ontario Kingston is a city in Ontario, Canada. It is located on the north-eastern end of Lake Ontario, at the beginning of the St. Lawrence River and at the mouth of the Cataraqui River (south end of the Rideau Canal). The city is midway between To ...
renamed a prominent portion of Barrack Street, in front of the K-Rock Centre, to "The Tragically Hip Way". *In 2013, the Tragically Hip were one of four bands—alongside Rush,
the Guess Who The Guess Who are a Canadian rock band formed in Winnipeg, Manitoba, in 1965. The band originated in 1962 and achieved an international hit single with a cover of " Shakin' All Over" in 1965 under the name Chad Allan and the Expressions. After ...
, and
Beau Dommage Beau Dommage was a rock band from Montreal, Quebec, who achieved success in Quebec and France in the 1970s. The group's style included rich vocal harmonies and elements borrowed from folk and country music. History Beau Dommage started in 1972 ...
—honoured by
Canada Post Canada Post Corporation (french: Société canadienne des postes), trading as Canada Post (french: Postes Canada), is a Crown corporation that functions as the primary postal operator in Canada. Originally known as Royal Mail Canada (the opera ...
in a series of
postage stamp A postage stamp is a small piece of paper issued by a post office, postal administration, or other authorized vendors to customers who pay postage (the cost involved in moving, insuring, or registering mail), who then affix the stamp to the f ...
s. *On January 1, 2017, CBC Radio 2's ''
The Strombo Show ''The Strombo Show'' is a Canadian radio show hosted by George Stroumboulopoulos, which has aired since 2005."Stroumboulopoulos just can't stopoulopoulos; New CBC Radio Show". ''National Post'', November 7, 2009. The show originated on Standard B ...
'' aired a special episode titled ''The Hip 30'', which consisted of Canadian musicians performing live covers of the band's songs and sharing their thoughts on the band's impact on Canadian culture."George Stroumboulopoulos’s love letter to the Tragically Hip"
''
The Globe and Mail ''The Globe and Mail'' is a Canadian newspaper printed in five cities in western and central Canada. With a weekly readership of approximately 2 million in 2015, it is Canada's most widely read newspaper on weekdays and Saturdays, although it ...
'', December 29, 2016.
Participating artists included Blue Rodeo, Sarah Harmer, Barenaked Ladies, Donovan Woods,
Stars A star is an astronomical object comprising a luminous spheroid of plasma held together by its gravity. The nearest star to Earth is the Sun. Many other stars are visible to the naked eye at night, but their immense distances from Earth ma ...
, Arkells and
Rheostatics Rheostatics are a Canadian indie rock band. They were formed in 1978, and actively performed from 1980 until disbanding in 2007. After a number of reunion performances at special events, Rheostatics reformed in late 2016, introducing new songs a ...
. The episode was already planned as a tribute to the band's 30th anniversary before Downie's cancer diagnosis was announced; several times during the show, host George Stroumboulopoulos reaffirmed that "this is not a eulogy; this is a celebration." *On January 28, 2017, the Kingston Frontenacs of the Ontario Hockey League played against the Mississauga Steelheads in a special theme night game, in which the Frontenacs wore specially designed Tragically Hip sweaters."The Tragically Hip sell out arena again"
. ''
Peterborough Examiner ''The Peterborough Examiner'' is a newspaper that services Peterborough, Ontario and area. The paper started circulation in 1847, and is currently owned by Torstar and operated by its Metroland division. Between 1942 and 1955, it was edited by Can ...
'', January 25, 2017.
The band participated in the pregame show, in which the band members were presented with their own sweaters. *On February 2, 2017, the
City of Kingston The City of Kingston is a local government area in Victoria, Australia in the south-eastern suburbs of Melbourne, its northern boundary lying approximately 15 km from the Melbourne city centre along the north-eastern shorelines of Port Ph ...
unveiled a commemorative stone in
Springer Market Square Kingston City Hall is the seat of local government in Kingston, Ontario, Canada. Occupying a full city block facing Lake Ontario in Kingston's downtown, the city hall is a prominent building constructed in the Neoclassical architecture, Neoclassi ...
with Rob Baker and Paul Langlois, recognizing the last concert of the Man Machine Poem tour. Lyrics "Everybody was in it from miles around..." from Blow at High Dough were selected in an online poll with over 11,000 votes cast. *On May 2, 2018, Alberta Ballet premiered ''All of Us,'' a full-length contemporary ballet featuring the music of the Tragically Hip. Discussions about the project began in early 2016 and had the support of all five band members. The ballet has since been performed in Calgary and Edmonton where Rob Baker attended in both cities on behalf of the band. In 2019 will tour to multiple Canadian cities.


Discography

*'' The Tragically Hip'' (EP) (MCA, 1987) *'' Up to Here'' (MCA, 1989) *'' Road Apples'' (MCA, 1991) *'' Fully Completely'' (MCA, 1992) *'' Day for Night'' (MCA, 1994) *'' Trouble at the Henhouse'' (MCA, 1996) *''
Phantom Power Phantom power, in the context of professional audio equipment, is DC electric power transmitted through microphone cables to operate microphones that contain active electronic circuitry. It is best known as a convenient power source for con ...
'' ( Universal, 1998) *'' Music @ Work'' (Universal, 2000) *'' In Violet Light'' (Universal, 2002) *'' In Between Evolution'' (Universal, 2004) *'' World Container'' (Universal, 2006) *'' We Are the Same'' (Universal, 2009) *''
Now for Plan A ''Now For Plan A'' is the twelfth studio album by Canadian rock band, The Tragically Hip. At a length of 39:18, it is the band's shortest album. The album's first single, "At Transformation", was released on May 18, 2012. The album's second single ...
'' (Universal, 2012) *''
Man Machine Poem ''Man Machine Poem'' is the thirteenth studio album by Canadian rock band the Tragically Hip, and the last album to be released before the death of lead singer Gord Downie, as well as their last to be composed of new material. It was released on J ...
'' (Universal, 2016) *'' Saskadelphia'' (EP) (Universal, 2021)


See also

*
Canadian rock Rock music of Canada is a wide and diverse part of the general music of Canada, beginning with American and British style rock and roll in the mid-20th century. Since then Canada has had a considerable impact on the development of the modern ...
*
Music of Canada The music of Canada reflects the diverse influences that have shaped the country. Indigenous Peoples, the Irish, British, and the French have all made unique contributions to the musical heritage of Canada. The music has also subsequently been ...
* List of ''Saturday Night Live'' hosts and musical guests * List of diamond-certified albums in Canada *
List of Canadian musicians This is a list of Canadian musicians. Only notable individuals appear here; bands are listed at List of bands from Canada. 0-9 *347aidan - rapper A * Lee Aaron – jazz and rock singer-songwriter, also known as "Metal Queen" *Abdominal – hi ...
* List of bands from Canada


References


External links

*
CanConRox entry
*
Watch the National Film Board of Canada short documentary ''Family Band''
produced for the
Governor General's Performing Arts Awards for Lifetime Artistic Achievement The Governor General's Awards are a collection of annual awards presented by the Governor General of Canada, recognizing distinction in numerous academic, artistic, and social fields. The first award was conceived and inaugurated in 1937 by the ...
(Requires
Adobe Flash Adobe Flash (formerly Macromedia Flash and FutureSplash) is a multimedia software platform used for production of animations, rich web applications, desktop applications, mobile apps, mobile games, and embedded web browser video players. Fla ...
) {{DEFAULTSORT:Tragically Hip, The Musical groups established in 1984 Musical groups disestablished in 2017 Musical groups from Kingston, Ontario Canadian alternative rock groups Fellows of the Royal Conservatory of Music Canadian Music Hall of Fame inductees Zoë Records artists 1983 establishments in Ontario 2017 disestablishments in Ontario Governor General's Performing Arts Award winners Members of the Order of Canada Juno Award for Single of the Year winners Juno Award for Album of the Year winners Juno Award for Breakthrough Group of the Year winners Juno Award for Rock Album of the Year winners Juno Award for Group of the Year winners