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Barenaked Ladies (BNL) is a Canadian
rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wale ...
band which was formed in 1988 in the
Toronto Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...
suburb A suburb (more broadly suburban area) is an area within a metropolitan area. They are oftentimes where most of a metropolitan areas jobs are located with some being predominantly residential. They can either be denser or less densely populated ...
of
Scarborough, Ontario Scarborough (; 2021 Canadian census, 2021 Census 629,941) is a district of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is situated in the eastern part of the City of Toronto. Its borders are Victoria Park Avenue to the west, Steeles Avenue (Toronto), Steele ...
. The band developed a following in Canada, with their self-titled 1991 cassette becoming the first independent release certified gold in Canada. They had mainstream success in Canada after signing to
Reprise Records Reprise Records is an American record label founded in 1960 by Frank Sinatra. It is owned by Warner Music Group, and operates through Warner Records, one of its flagship labels. Artists currently signed to Reprise Records include Green Day, En ...
in 1992 with their debut album ''
Gordon Gordon may refer to: People * Gordon (given name), a masculine given name, including list of persons and fictional characters * Gordon (surname), the surname * Gordon (slave), escaped to a Union Army camp during the U.S. Civil War * Gordon Heuck ...
'' (with singles including "
If I Had $1000000 "If I Had $1000000" is a song by the Canadian musical group Barenaked Ladies from their album ''Gordon''. Composed by founding members Steven Page and Ed Robertson, the sing-along track has become one of the band's best-known songs, and is a li ...
" and "
Brian Wilson Brian Douglas Wilson (June 20, 1942 – June 11, 2025) was an American musician, songwriter, singer and record producer who co-founded the Beach Boys. Often Brian Wilson is a genius, called a genius for his novel approaches to pop compositio ...
"). The band's popularity eventually spread to the US with versions of "Brian Wilson" and "
The Old Apartment "The Old Apartment" is a song by the Canadian alternative rock group Barenaked Ladies. It was the band's first entry on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and first Mainstream Top 40 hit, appearing on the albums '' Born on a Pirate Ship'', '' Rock Spect ...
" from their 1996 live album, ''
Rock Spectacle ''Rock Spectacle'' is the first live album by Barenaked Ladies. It was also the first major success for the band in the United States, selling over one million copies and producing a hit single in the country in its version of "Brian Wilson." T ...
'', followed by their 1998 fourth studio album ''
Stunt A stunt is an unusual, difficult, dramatic physical feat that may require a special skill, performed for artistic purposes usually for a public audience, as on television or in theaters or cinema. Stunts are a feature of many action films. Befo ...
''. The album contained their highest-charting hit, " One Week", along with "
It's All Been Done "It's All Been Done" is a song by Canadian alternative rock group Barenaked Ladies. It was released as the second single from their fourth studio album, ''Stunt'' (1998). The song was successful in Canada, peaking at 1 on the ''RPM'' 100 Hit Tr ...
" and "
Call and Answer "Call and Answer" is a song by Canadian musical group Barenaked Ladies. It was the third single from their 1998 album ''Stunt''. For its release, the song was both remixed and edited into a radio mix that cut from the second verse to the third ...
". Their fifth album, ''
Maroon Maroon ( , ) is a brownish crimson color that takes its name from the French word , meaning chestnut. ''Marron'' is also one of the French translations for "brown". Terms describing interchangeable shades, with overlapping RGB ranges, inc ...
'' (and lead single "
Pinch Me "Pinch Me" is a song by Canadian rock band Barenaked Ladies. It was released as the first single from their fifth studio album, ''Maroon'' (2000), on August 7, 2000. The song became the band's last top-10 hit in Canada, peaking at number four on ...
"), also charted well. The band is also known for creating and performing the theme song of the American sitcom ''
The Big Bang Theory ''The Big Bang Theory'' is an American television sitcom created by Chuck Lorre and Bill Prady for CBS. It aired from September 24, 2007, to May 16, 2019, running for 12 seasons and 279 episodes. The show originally centered on five charact ...
''. The band has continued to regularly tour and record new music, having released 14 primary studio albums of original material and three themed studio albums. Initially a duo of singer-guitarists
Ed Robertson Lloyd Edward Elwyn Robertson (born October 25, 1970) is a Canadian musician, best known as the lead singer, guitarist, and songwriter of the band Barenaked Ladies. He, along with former member Steven Page, founded the group in 1988. As of Page' ...
and
Steven Page Steven Jay Page (born June 22, 1970) is a Canadian musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer. He was a founding member, lead singer, guitarist, and primary songwriter of the music group Barenaked Ladies. Page left the band in February ...
, the band grew to a quintet by 1990, adding brothers Jim and
Andy Creeggan Andrew Burnett Creeggan (born July 4, 1971) is a Canadian musician, known for being a former member of the alternative rock band Barenaked Ladies. He was also a member of the trio The Brothers Creeggan, and a solo artist having released three a ...
on bass and keyboards/congas, respectively, and drummer
Tyler Stewart Tyler Joseph Stewart (born September 21, 1967) is the drummer for the Canadian music group Barenaked Ladies. Early life Stewart was born in Toronto, but was raised in Newmarket, Ontario. He is the son of Sandra Stewart and stepson of Robert Stew ...
. Andy Creeggan left the band in 1995, and was replaced by multi-instrumentalist
Kevin Hearn Kevin Neil Hearn (born July 3, 1969) is a Canadian musician who is a member of Barenaked Ladies, and his own group, Kevin Hearn and Thin Buckle. He primarily plays keyboard (instrument), keyboards and guitars. He is also a member of Rheostatics ...
. Page left in 2009, reducing the group to a quartet. The band's style has evolved, and its music (originally acoustic) grew to encompass a mixture of pop, rock and folk. Their live performances feature comedic banter and freestyle rapping between songs. They have received a number of
Juno Awards The Juno Awards (stylized as JUNOS), or simply known as the Junos, are awards presented by the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences to recognize outstanding achievements in Canada's music industry. The Grammy Awards are the United S ...
, and have been nominated for two
Grammy Awards The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious a ...
. The group has sold over 15 million albums and singles, and was inducted into the
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 th ...
in March 2018.


History


Origins (1988–1991)

Barenaked Ladies began as a duo of Ed Robertson and Steven Page. Both attended Churchill Heights Public School and met after a
Peter Gabriel Peter Brian Gabriel (born 13 February 1950) is an English singer, songwriter, musician, and human rights activist. He came to prominence as the original frontman of the rock band Genesis. He left the band in 1975 and launched a solo career wit ...
concert; they were counsellors at Interprovincial Music Camp in
McKellar, Ontario McKellar is a township and census subdivision in Parry Sound District, Ontario, Canada. The 2021 population was 1,419. McKellar is named for Archibald McKellar (1816-1894), a member of the legislative assemblies for the province of Canada (1 ...
. Page was impressed by Robertson's harmonizing when they began playing songs together. While attending a
Bob Dylan Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan; born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Described as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture over his nearly 70-year ...
concert at
Exhibition Stadium Canadian National Exhibition Stadium (commonly known as Exhibition Stadium or CNE Stadium and nicknamed The Ex) was a multi-purpose stadium in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, on the grounds of Exhibition Place. Originally built for Canadian National ...
, they decided on the name "Barenaked Ladies." They first performed a largely-improvised set during a battle of the bands at
Nathan Phillips Square Nathan Phillips Square is an city square, urban plaza in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It forms the forecourt to Toronto City Hall, or ''New City Hall'', at the intersection of Queen Street West and Bay Street, and is named after Nathan Phillips ( ...
for the Second Harvest
food bank A food bank or food pantry is a non-profit, charitable organization that distributes food to those who have difficulty purchasing enough to avoid hunger, usually through intermediaries like food pantries and soup kitchens. Some food banks distrib ...
on 1 October 1988. "But they finally managed a first-ever rehearsal the morning of Oct. 1, 1988, about ''five hours'' before making a stage debut at a Nathan Phillips Square benefit concert." The duo opened for the Razorbacks and others, developing their improvised set to include comedy, songs, and audience interactions. Page and Robertson continued performing, and began writing songs together. Their first tape, ''
Buck Naked The Canadian alternative rock band Barenaked Ladies released five demo tapes before being signed to Reprise Records. ''Buck Naked'' ''Buck Naked'' is the Barenaked Ladies' first indie demo tape release, and featured only the original duo of Stev ...
'' (1989), was made with a four-track recorder in basements and bedrooms. They became followers of the comedy group
Corky and the Juice Pigs Corky and the Juice Pigs was a Canadian comedy musical group made up of Phil Nichol (guitar and vocals), Greg Neale (mandolin and vocals), and Seán Cullen (harmonica and vocals). Their output consisted mainly of original comedic songs, largel ...
, whom they credited with exposing them to a comedic stage presence. Page and Robertson presented the group with their tape, and were invited to open for the Juice Pigs on their national tour. Page and Robertson invited two friends from music camp, brothers
Andy Creeggan Andrew Burnett Creeggan (born July 4, 1971) is a Canadian musician, known for being a former member of the alternative rock band Barenaked Ladies. He was also a member of the trio The Brothers Creeggan, and a solo artist having released three a ...
(percussion) and
Jim Creeggan James Raymond Creeggan (born February 12, 1970) is the bassist for Canadian alternative rock band Barenaked Ladies. Early life Creeggan was born in the Toronto suburb of Scarborough, Ontario. His mother taught piano lessons to neighbourhood chi ...
(bass), to play with them at a 1989 Toronto Christmas show. With the Creeggan brothers, ''Barenaked Lunch'' (also known as ''The Pink Tape'') was released in 1990. Andy Creeggan left for a student-exchange trip to South America six months later, leaving the band without a percussionist. They met drummer
Tyler Stewart Tyler Joseph Stewart (born September 21, 1967) is the drummer for the Canadian music group Barenaked Ladies. Early life Stewart was born in Toronto, but was raised in Newmarket, Ontario. He is the son of Sandra Stewart and stepson of Robert Stew ...
in
Waterloo, Ontario Waterloo is a city in the Canadian province of Ontario. It is one of three cities in the Regional Municipality of Waterloo (formerly Waterloo County, Ontario, Waterloo County). Waterloo is situated about west-southwest of Toronto, but it is n ...
in the summer of 1990, and he joined the band. The band received attention during Andy Creeggan's absence, receiving the 1990 YTV Achievement Award for Best Band/Musical Group and squeezing into a ''
Speaker's Corner A Speakers' Corner is an area where free speech public speaking, open-air public speaking, debate, and discussion are allowed. The original and best known is in the north-east corner of Hyde Park, London, Hyde Park in London, England. Histor ...
'' video booth to perform "
Be My Yoko Ono "Be My Yoko Ono" is the debut single by Canadian band Barenaked Ladies. The song was written by Steven Page and Ed Robertson and first appeared on their 1989 demo tape, '' Buck Naked''. It was also included on their second and third tapes, '' Ba ...
". Andy Creeggan returned in early 1991, playing keyboards,
congas The conga, also known as tumbadora, is a tall, narrow, single-headed drum from Cuba. Congas are stave (wood), staved like barrels and classified into three types: quinto (drum), quinto (lead drum, highest), tres dos or tres golpes (middle), an ...
and other percussion instruments, and the band soon began their first Canadian tour.


Early Canadian success (1991–1992)

Their first commercial release was 1991's '' The Yellow Tape''. A demo tape created for
South by Southwest South by Southwest (SXSW) is an annual conglomeration of parallel film, interactive media, and music festivals and Convention (meeting), conferences organized jointly that take place in mid-March in Austin, Texas. It began in 1987 and has conti ...
, it was the first recording with all five members and was turned down by every Canadian record label. They sold copies off the stage; people began asking for the tape at local stores, and it was released commercially. Sales increased due to word of mouth and the band's live shows. Page's father, Victor, founded the independent label Page Publications to manufacture and distribute the cassette. The band received radio airplay with a live cover of
Dean Friedman Dean Friedman (born May 23, 1955) is an American singer-songwriter who plays piano, keyboard, guitar, and harmonica. Although considered a one-hit wonder in the US, he has had multiple singles chart in other territories and continues to write, ...
's "McDonald's Girl", which included a rap break incorporating lyrics from the
Beastie Boys The Beastie Boys were an American Hip-hop, hip hop and Rap rock, rap rock group formed in New York City in 1979. They were composed of Ad-Rock, Adam "Ad-Rock" Horovitz (vocals, guitar), Adam Yauch, Adam "MCA" Yauch (vocals, bass), and Mike D, ...
' " Hey Ladies". Barenaked Ladies contributed a cover of
Bruce Cockburn Bruce Douglas Cockburn ( ; born May 27, 1945) is a Canadian singer-songwriter and guitarist. His song styles range from folk to folk- and jazz-influenced rock to soundscapes accompanying spoken stories. His lyrics reflect interests in spirit ...
's " Lovers in a Dangerous Time" to the Cockburn tribute album ''
Kick at the Darkness ''Kick at the Darkness'' is a tribute album to Canadian singer-songwriter Bruce Cockburn, released in 1991. The title comes from a line in the song " Lovers in a Dangerous Time": "gotta kick at the darkness 'til it bleeds daylight". The album w ...
'' in November 1991, and it was the band's first Top 40 hit in Canada. The band was removed from the lineup of the 1991 New Year's Eve concert in
Nathan Phillips Square Nathan Phillips Square is an city square, urban plaza in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It forms the forecourt to Toronto City Hall, or ''New City Hall'', at the intersection of Queen Street West and Bay Street, and is named after Nathan Phillips ( ...
outside
Toronto City Hall The Toronto City Hall, or New City Hall, is the seat of the municipal government of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, and one of the city's most distinctive landmarks. Designed by Viljo Revell and engineered by Hannskarl Bandel, the building opened in ...
because a staffer for Mayor
June Rowlands June Rowlands (née Pendock; May 14, 1924 – December 21, 2017) was a Canadian politician who was the 60th mayor of Toronto from 1991 to 1994. She was the first woman to serve as Toronto's mayor. Rowlands also served as a city councillor and w ...
believed that its name objectified women, a decision affirmed by city councillor
Chris Korwin-Kuczynski Chris Korwin-Kuczynski (born 1953) is a former Canadian municipal politician. He served as a councillor in Toronto from 1981 to 2003, and was the city's deputy mayor for a time. He was born in Toronto, and holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in po ...
."Barenaked Ladies ban prompts new city rules". ''
Toronto Star The ''Toronto Star'' is a Canadian English-language broadsheet daily newspaper. It is owned by Toronto Star Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary of Torstar Corporation and part of Torstar's Daily News Brands (Torstar), Daily News Brands division. ...
'', February 25, 1992.
The group booked another show at
McMaster University McMaster University (McMaster or Mac) is a public research university in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. The main McMaster campus is on of land near the residential neighbourhoods of Ainslie Wood, Ontario, Ainslie Wood and Westdale, Ontario, Westd ...
. By February 1992, ''The Yellow Tape'' outsold
Michael Jackson Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Michael Jackson, one of the most culturally significan ...
's '' Dangerous'',
Genesis Genesis may refer to: Religion * Book of Genesis, the first book of the biblical scriptures of both Judaism and Christianity, describing the creation of the Earth and of humankind * Genesis creation narrative, the first several chapters of the Bo ...
' ''
We Can't Dance ''We Can't Dance'' is the fourteenth studio album by the English rock band Genesis (band), Genesis, released on 11 November 1991 by Virgin Records in the UK and a day later by Atlantic Records in the US. It is their last studio album recorded wit ...
'', and U2's ''
Achtung Baby ''Achtung Baby'' ( ) is the seventh studio album by the Irish rock music, rock band U2. It was produced by Daniel Lanois and Brian Eno, and was released on 18 November 1991 by Island Records. After criticism of their 1988 documentary film and ...
'' at some downtown Toronto record stores.
MuchMusic Much is a Canadian English language discretionary specialty channel owned by BCE Inc. through its Bell Media subsidiary that airs programming aimed at teenagers and young adults. It is headquartered at 299 Queen Street West in what was o ...
offered the band its second ''
Intimate and Interactive ''Intimate and Interactive'' is a television program which aired on the Canadian channel MuchMusic. The show was not a regularly scheduled program, but aired on average three or four times a year, and featured contemporary artists live in concert ...
'' special on 17 January and the tape was the first
indie Indie is a short form of "independence" or "independent"; it may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media *Independent media, media free of influence by government or corporate interests *Indie art, fine arts made by artists independent of commer ...
release to go
platinum Platinum is a chemical element; it has Symbol (chemistry), symbol Pt and atomic number 78. It is a density, dense, malleable, ductility, ductile, highly unreactive, precious metal, precious, silverish-white transition metal. Its name origina ...
in Canada, selling 100,000 copies. By the end of February, the
Toronto City Council Toronto City Council is the governing body of the municipal government of Toronto, Ontario. Meeting at Toronto City Hall, it comprises 25 city councillors and the mayor of Toronto. The Toronto City Council 2022–2026, current term began on Nove ...
revised its rules for event bookings at Nathan Phillips Square. The City Hall story has followed the band, with Robertson crediting it to a slow news week.


First albums (1992–1997)

Barenaked Ladies were signed to
Sire Records Sire Records (formerly Sire Records Company) is an American record label owned by Warner Music Group and distributed by Warner Records. History Beginnings The label was founded in 1966 as Sire Productions by Seymour Stein and Richard Gotteh ...
in April 1992. They performed at Toronto's Ontario Place Forum the following month, and were the quickest act to sell out the venue. The band's first full album, ''
Gordon Gordon may refer to: People * Gordon (given name), a masculine given name, including list of persons and fictional characters * Gordon (surname), the surname * Gordon (slave), escaped to a Union Army camp during the U.S. Civil War * Gordon Heuck ...
'', was released in July 1992 and was successful in Canada; by the end of August, it had been certified platinum. The album included some of the band's best-known songs, including " Enid", the first single; "
Be My Yoko Ono "Be My Yoko Ono" is the debut single by Canadian band Barenaked Ladies. The song was written by Steven Page and Ed Robertson and first appeared on their 1989 demo tape, '' Buck Naked''. It was also included on their second and third tapes, '' Ba ...
", which helped fund the album; "
If I Had $1000000 "If I Had $1000000" is a song by the Canadian musical group Barenaked Ladies from their album ''Gordon''. Composed by founding members Steven Page and Ed Robertson, the sing-along track has become one of the band's best-known songs, and is a li ...
", spawning a practice of throwing
Kraft Dinner Kraft Dinner (marketed as KD in Canada; Kraft Mac & Cheese in the United States, Australia and New Zealand; and Mac and Cheese in the United Kingdom and internationally) is a nonperishable packaged macaroni and cheese mix. It is made by Kraf ...
during live shows which the band later discouraged; and "
Brian Wilson Brian Douglas Wilson (June 20, 1942 – June 11, 2025) was an American musician, songwriter, singer and record producer who co-founded the Beach Boys. Often Brian Wilson is a genius, called a genius for his novel approaches to pop compositio ...
", named after Beach Boy
Brian Wilson Brian Douglas Wilson (June 20, 1942 – June 11, 2025) was an American musician, songwriter, singer and record producer who co-founded the Beach Boys. Often Brian Wilson is a genius, called a genius for his novel approaches to pop compositio ...
(who covered the song on a live album). A number of ''Gordon'' songs were live favourites, and had already been recorded. Although the band was doing well in Canada, US success was elusive. Their second album, '' Maybe You Should Drive'' (1994), was less popular in Canada. The band's US tour lost money, despite an appearance on ''
Late Night with Conan O'Brien ''Late Night with Conan O'Brien'' is an American television talk show broadcast by NBC. The show is the second installment of the ''Late Night (franchise), Late Night'' franchise originally established by David Letterman. Hosted by Conan O'Brie ...
''. Before the next release, Andy Creeggan decided to leave the band; he had become disillusioned with its direction, and was uncomfortable with their new fame. According to Page, Creeggan had considered leaving during rehearsals for ''Drive''; the band convinced him to stay to record that album and for its subsequent tour. Creeggan wanted to study music at
McGill University McGill University (French: Université McGill) is an English-language public research university in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Founded in 1821 by royal charter,Frost, Stanley Brice. ''McGill University, Vol. I. For the Advancement of Learning, ...
. Tyler Stewart has suggested that Creeggan had never fully accepted his replacement as a percussionist. He left when band members were tiring of one other, with Page and Robertson rarely communicating; Stewart cites Creeggan's departure as worsening the situation. Page developed alcohol abuse and depression. To reverse their fortunes, they signed with Terry McBride and
Nettwerk Nettwerk Music Group is an independent record label founded in 1984. The Vancouver-based company was created by principals Terry McBride and Mark Jowett as a record label to distribute recordings by the band Moev, but the label expanded in Ca ...
for management. The band released ''
Born on a Pirate Ship ''Born on a Pirate Ship'' is the third full-length studio album by Barenaked Ladies (BNL), featuring the songs "Shoe Box", " The Old Apartment", "When I Fall" and "Break Your Heart". "The Old Apartment" would become BNL's first US hit in 1997. ...
'' as a quartet in 1996. The album's "
Shoe Box "Shoe Box" is a song by Canada, Canadian band Barenaked Ladies, released as a single from their 1996 album, ''Born on a Pirate Ship''. It is notable for being featured on the first soundtrack to the television series ''Friends'', as well as the ...
" was included on the ''
Friends ''Friends'' is an American television sitcom created by David Crane (producer), David Crane and Marta Kauffman, which aired on NBC from September 22, 1994, to May 6, 2004, lasting List of Friends episodes, ten seasons. With an ensemble cast ...
'' soundtrack, and the
Jason Priestley Jason Bradford Priestley (born August 28, 1969) is a Canadian-American actor and television director. Priestly starred as virtuous Brandon Walsh on the television series ''Beverly Hills, 90210'' (1990–1998, 2000). His other television roles in ...
-directed video for "
The Old Apartment "The Old Apartment" is a song by the Canadian alternative rock group Barenaked Ladies. It was the band's first entry on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and first Mainstream Top 40 hit, appearing on the albums '' Born on a Pirate Ship'', '' Rock Spect ...
" received notable US airplay. Although the album had better sales than ''Maybe You Should Drive'', it did not match the success of "Gordon". Barenaked Ladies appeared on an episode of ''
Beverly Hills, 90210 ''Beverly Hills, 90210'' (often referred to as ''90210'') is an American teen drama television series created by Darren Star and produced by Aaron Spelling via his production company Spelling Television. The series ran for 10 seasons on Fo ...
'' ("Spring Breakdown") performed "The Old Apartment", "Life, In a Nutshell", and "Brian Wilson" at the Peach Pit After Dark night club. Tyler Stewart invited his friend
Kevin Hearn Kevin Neil Hearn (born July 3, 1969) is a Canadian musician who is a member of Barenaked Ladies, and his own group, Kevin Hearn and Thin Buckle. He primarily plays keyboard (instrument), keyboards and guitars. He is also a member of Rheostatics ...
to replace Andy Creeggan as a keyboardist for the tour, and Hearn joined the band full time. They had a cameo appearance in the Canadian film '' The Wrong Guy'' with
Dave Foley David Foley (born January 4, 1963) is a Canadian actor, stand-up comedian, director, producer, and writer. He is known as a co-founder of the comedy group The Kids in the Hall, who have appeared together in a number of television, stage and fil ...
in 1997, performing "Gangster Girl". Barenaked Ladies recorded two dates on their 1996 ''Born on a Pirate Ship'' tour and released ''
Rock Spectacle ''Rock Spectacle'' is the first live album by Barenaked Ladies. It was also the first major success for the band in the United States, selling over one million copies and producing a hit single in the country in its version of "Brian Wilson." T ...
'', a live album with a modest American radio hit in "Brian Wilson". The album was their first US gold record, and they saw their next one as a chance to make it big in the States.


US success (1998–2004)

''
Stunt A stunt is an unusual, difficult, dramatic physical feat that may require a special skill, performed for artistic purposes usually for a public audience, as on television or in theaters or cinema. Stunts are a feature of many action films. Befo ...
'' (1998) was the band's greatest mainstream success; its single, " One Week", spent (coincidentally) one week atop the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. ''Stunt'' reached number three on the US '' Billboard'' 200 and number nine in Canada. Kevin Hearn was diagnosed with
leukemia Leukemia ( also spelled leukaemia; pronounced ) is a group of blood cancers that usually begin in the bone marrow and produce high numbers of abnormal blood cells. These blood cells are not fully developed and are called ''blasts'' or '' ...
shortly after the album was released. He received bone marrow transplants from his brother and missed most of the ''Stunt'' tour. The band toured with friends
Chris Brown Christopher Maurice Brown (born May 5, 1989) is an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and actor. A Pop music, pop and hip-hop-influenced contemporary R&B, R&B musician who works in a variety of genres, he has been called the "Honorific nic ...
and
Greg Kurstin Gregory Allen Kurstin (born May 14, 1969) is an American record producer, multi-instrumentalist, and songwriter. He has won nine Grammy Awards, including Producer of the Year, Non-Classical in 2017 and 2018, and contributed to five songs that pe ...
filling in on keyboards until Hearn recovered enough to rejoin them on tour. The singles "
It's All Been Done "It's All Been Done" is a song by Canadian alternative rock group Barenaked Ladies. It was released as the second single from their fourth studio album, ''Stunt'' (1998). The song was successful in Canada, peaking at 1 on the ''RPM'' 100 Hit Tr ...
" (the opening theme of the animated television series ''
Baby Blues Baby Blues may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Baby Blues'' (comic strip), created and produced by Rick Kirkman and Jerry Scott * ''Baby Blues'' (1941 film), an ''Our Gang'' short * ''Baby Blues'' (2008 film), a horror film * ''Baby Blue ...
'') and "
Call and Answer "Call and Answer" is a song by Canadian musical group Barenaked Ladies. It was the third single from their 1998 album ''Stunt''. For its release, the song was both remixed and edited into a radio mix that cut from the second verse to the third ...
" (which appeared in the film ''
EdTV ''EDtv'' is a 1999 American satirical comedy film directed by Ron Howard. An adaptation of the Quebecois film '' Louis 19, King of the Airwaves (Louis 19, le roi des ondes)'' (1994), it stars Matthew McConaughey, Jenna Elfman, Woody Harrels ...
'') were modest hits. The band was asked to contribute a song ("
Get in Line "Get in Line" is a song by Canadian alternative rock group Barenaked Ladies. It was released in 1999 from the soundtrack of the TV series ''King of the Hill''. The song was released on October 11, 1999, and later appeared on the band's compilatio ...
") to the soundtrack of the
Fox Foxes are small-to-medium-sized omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull; upright, triangular ears; a pointed, slightly upturned snout; and a long, bushy tail ("brush"). Twelve species ...
animated series ''
King of the Hill ''King of the Hill'' is an American animated sitcom created by Mike Judge and Greg Daniels that initially aired on Fox Broadcasting Company, Fox from January 12, 1997, to September 13, 2009, with four more episodes airing in First-run syndicati ...
.'' Led by the single "Pinch Me", ''
Maroon Maroon ( , ) is a brownish crimson color that takes its name from the French word , meaning chestnut. ''Marron'' is also one of the French translations for "brown". Terms describing interchangeable shades, with overlapping RGB ranges, inc ...
'' (2000) reached number five on the ''Billboard'' Top 100 and topped the Canadian charts. A compilation album, '' Disc One: All Their Greatest Hits (1991–2001)'', was released in 2001. After finishing a tour on 31 December 2001 in
Rosemont, Illinois Rosemont is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States, located immediately northwest of Chicago. As of the 2020 census, the village had a population of 3,952. The village was incorporated in 1956, though it had been settled long before ...
to promote the compilation, the band decided to take a year off (with a performance at the
2002 Winter Olympics The 2002 Winter Olympics, officially the XIX Olympic Winter Games and commonly known as Salt Lake 2002 (; Gosiute dialect, Gosiute Shoshoni: ''Tit'-so-pi 2002''; ; Shoshoni language, Shoshoni: ''Soónkahni 2002''), were an international wi ...
' Medals Plaza) before returning to the studio in April 2003. '' Everything to Everyone'' was released on 21 October of that year, coinciding with the start of their Peep Show tour. The album's first single was "
Another Postcard "Another Postcard" is a 2003-released song by the Canadian rock band Barenaked Ladies. It was the band's first single from the album ''Everything to Everyone (album), Everything to Everyone'' which was released after the band took a nearly two-year ...
(Chimps)", which received some radio play. "Testing 1,2,3", the second single, had a video but no CD single; "
Celebrity Celebrity is a condition of fame and broad public recognition of a person or group due to the attention given to them by mass media. The word is also used to refer to famous individuals. A person may attain celebrity status by having great w ...
" was released in the UK with a CD single, but no video. "Maybe Katie" and an edited version of "For You", from a concert in
Glasgow Glasgow is the Cities of Scotland, most populous city in Scotland, located on the banks of the River Clyde in Strathclyde, west central Scotland. It is the List of cities in the United Kingdom, third-most-populous city in the United Kingdom ...
, were released as radio singles. The album, their weakest seller in years, fulfilled their contract with
Reprise Records Reprise Records is an American record label founded in 1960 by Frank Sinatra. It is owned by Warner Music Group, and operates through Warner Records, one of its flagship labels. Artists currently signed to Reprise Records include Green Day, En ...
. The group was independent for the first time since 1992, although they retained a distribution relationship with
Warner Bros. Records Warner Records Inc. (known as Warner Bros. Records Inc. until 2019) is an American record label. A subsidiary of Warner Music Group, it is headquartered in Los Angeles, California. It was founded on March 19, 1958, as the recorded music division ...
. On its early-2004 Everywhere For Everyone tour, the band began offering live shows and subsequent studio releases for purchase as a download or CD-R on its website.


Return to independence (2004–2008)

The band's next album was '' Barenaked for the Holidays'', released on 5 October 2004. It was their first independent record since ''The Yellow Tape'' and the first album recorded at Fresh Baked Woods, Page's recently-completed farmhouse studio. The band established the Desperation Records label for this album. They taped a January 2005 television pilot for a variety show, tentatively entitled ''Barenaked Ladies Variety Show'', which was rejected by the
Fox Foxes are small-to-medium-sized omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull; upright, triangular ears; a pointed, slightly upturned snout; and a long, bushy tail ("brush"). Twelve species ...
network. Later that year, they were asked to write music for the
Stratford Festival of Canada The Stratford Festival is a repertory theatre organization that operates from April to October in the city of Stratford, Ontario, Canada. Founded by local journalist Tom Patterson in 1952, the festival was formerly known as the Stratford Shak ...
's musical production of
Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 23 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's natio ...
's ''
As You Like It ''As You Like It'' is a pastoral Shakespearean comedy, comedy by William Shakespeare believed to have been written in 1599 and first published in the First Folio in 1623. The play's first performance is uncertain, though a performance at Wil ...
''. Page wrote most of the music (Shakespeare had provided lyrics in the play), and the band recorded it for the actors to sing over. The recording (with Page's vocals) was available on CD from the festival and on the band's website. On 2 July, they participated in the
Barrie, Ontario Barrie is a city in Central Ontario, Canada, about north of Toronto. The city is within Simcoe County and located along the shores of Kempenfelt Bay. Although it is physically in the county, Barrie is politically independent. The city is par ...
Live 8 concert. The band released '' Snacktime!'', an album of original material for children, on 6 May 2008. The album contains artwork by Hearn in its
liner notes Liner notes (also sleeve notes or album notes) are the writings found on the sleeves of LP record albums and in booklets that come inserted into the compact disc jewel case or cassette j-cards. Origin Liner notes are descended from the prog ...
, which is also available in hardcover-book form with a CD included. The album was promoted with a series of television and in-store appearances at bookstores in Toronto and the US northeast and West Coast. They cancelled appearances at several Disney Music Block Party concerts after Page's arrest for cocaine possession. Robertson crashed his single-engine plane in August, and his mother died that December.


Departure of Page (2009–2011)

On 24 February 2009, Barenaked Ladies and Steven Page announced separately that Page had left the band by "mutual agreement." The remaining members continued as a quartet; Page pursued solo projects, including theatrical opportunities. In July, it was announced that the band had left its Nettwerk management and hired the newly-merged management firm CAM 8. Robertson said about the departure of one of the band's founding members, As a quartet, Barenaked Ladies began recording a new album in May 2009 with producer
Michael Phillip Wojewoda Michael Phillip Wojewoda is a Canadian record producer and musician. He has been nominated for eight Juno Awards and has received one for Recording Engineer of the Year and one for Producer of the Year. History Wojewoda began recording bands in ...
. "You Run Away", the album's lead single, was released to Canadian radio on 8 January. '' All in Good Time'' was released on 23 March 2010 in Canada and on 30 March in the US. Barenaked Ladies announced on 6 January 2010 that the band and Raisin' Records (their label) had signed a worldwide distribution agreement with EMI Label Services. ''All in Good Time'' was generally well-received by critics. The band toured the U.S. and Canada during the summer of 2010, with an autumn leg in the United Kingdom. Asked about Page's departure, Tyler Stewart said: "We don't keep in touch, but we certainly we wish him the best, and there's good will there." In October 2010, Page said that he had no imminent plans to rejoin the band other than for a one-off performance. He added that it felt strange that the group continued to use the same name and perform the songs that he wrote and performed. Page said in August 2011 that around the time of his arrest for cocaine possession, "the band was no longer the joyous place that it once was, but it hadn't been joyous for a long time before that. It wasn't that we didn't put on good shows, we still had a great time onstage every night". He added, "But it became a place where work was just about the stress and not the end product."
TMZ ''TMZ'' is an American entertainment-focused tabloid news organization owned by Fox Corporation. It made its debut on November 8, 2005, as a collaboration between AOL and Telepictures, a division of Warner Bros., until Time Warner divested ...
uncovered court documents in September 2015 indicating that Page sued Robertson about the ''Big Bang Theory'' theme song, saying that he had been promised 20 percent of the proceeds but Robertson kept the money.


Since 2011

The band released a second greatest-hits album, '' Hits from Yesterday & the Day Before'', via
Rhino Entertainment Rhino Entertainment Company (formerly Rhino Records Inc.) is an American specialty record label and production company founded in 1978. It is currently the catalog division for Warner Music Group. Its current CEO is Mark Pinkus. History Founded ...
(a division of their former parent label,
Warner Music Group Warner Music Group Corp., commonly abbreviated as WMG, is an American Multinational corporation, multinational entertainment and record label Conglomerate (company), conglomerate headquartered in New York City. It is one of the "Record label#M ...
) on 27 September 2011. Another Rhino album, ''
Stop Us If You've Heard This One Before ''Stop Us If You've Heard This One Before'' is a compilation album by Barenaked Ladies which includes rare recordings dating between 1992 and 2003. The album was originally planned as a companion to ''Hits from Yesterday & the Day Before''; how ...
'', with previously-recorded but unreleased rarities, was planned for release later in 2011; it was released on 8 May 2012. Barenaked Ladies were commissioned to compose the score for a musical based on ''
National Lampoon's Animal House ''National Lampoon's Animal House'' is a 1978 American comedy film directed by John Landis and written by Harold Ramis, Douglas Kenney and Chris Miller. It stars John Belushi, Tim Matheson, John Vernon, Verna Bloom, Thomas Hulce, and ...
'', but were dropped from the production by mid-2013. They returned to the studio in May 2012 to record a single, "Boomerang", produced by Gavin Brown. The song was planned for release during the summer of 2012 in conjunction with the band's Last Summer On Earth tour, during which it was performed nightly. Also performed on the late-2012 Symphony Barenaked Tour, it remained unreleased. The band entertained the possibility of abandoning the album concept and releasing only singles and EPs, but recorded '' Grinning Streak'' in February and March 2013; the album was released as on 4 June of that year. They signed with Vanguard Records for the release, their first label album of originals since becoming independent after 2003's ''Everything to Everyone''. "Boomerang" was added to the new album, and was released as a single on 26 March 2013. Two other singles were released: "Odds Are" in late 2013, and "Did I Say That Out Loud?" in mid-2014. Each of the latter singles had a music video produced by
Rooster Teeth Productions Rooster Teeth Productions, LLC was an American entertainment company headquartered in Austin, Texas. Founded in 2003 by Burnie Burns, Matt Hullum, Geoff Ramsey, Jason Saldaña, Gus Sorola, and Joel Heyman, Rooster Teeth was a subsidiary of ...
. Barenaked Ladies began work on a new album in December 2014. The band's 11th studio album, '' Silverball'', was released on 2 June 2015, three days before beginning its Last Summer on Earth 2015 tour with
Violent Femmes Violent Femmes are an American folk punk band from Milwaukee, Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The band consists of founding members Gordon Gano (guitar, lead vocals) and Brian Ritchie (bass, backing vocals), joined by multi-instrumentalist Blaise Garza ( ...
and
Colin Hay Colin James Hay (born 29 June 1953) is a Scottish-Australian musician. He came to prominence as the lead vocalist and the sole continuous member of the band Men at Work, and later as a solo artist. Hay is a member of the band Ringo Starr & His ...
. The album's lead single, "
Say What You Want "Say What You Want" is a song by Scottish rock band Texas, written by band members Johnny McElhone and Sharleen Spiteri. It was the first single to be released from the group's fourth studio album, ''White on Blonde'' (1997), and released via ...
", was released on 28 April 2015. The music video for the next single, "Duct Tape Heart", included footage of the band's performance at
Red Rocks Amphitheatre Red Rocks Amphitheatre (also known colloquially as simply Red Rocks) is an open-air amphitheater in the Western United States, western United States near Morrison, Colorado, approximately southwest of Denver. It is owned and operated by the c ...
on the Last Summer On Earth 2015 tour and was released on 19 October to coincide with the start of the Canadian leg of the Silverball tour. They released their second live album, '' BNL Rocks Red Rocks'', on 20 May 2016; it was recorded at
Red Rocks Amphitheatre Red Rocks Amphitheatre (also known colloquially as simply Red Rocks) is an open-air amphitheater in the Western United States, western United States near Morrison, Colorado, approximately southwest of Denver. It is owned and operated by the c ...
on the Last Summer on Earth 2015 tour. The band's Last Summer on Earth 2016 tour, with
Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD) are an English electronic music, electronic band formed in Meols, Merseyside in 1978 by Andy McCluskey (vocals, bass guitar) and Paul Humphreys (keyboards, vocals). Regarded as pioneers of electronic musi ...
and Howard Jones, coincided with the new live album. On 23–24 October 2016, Barenaked Ladies recorded an album with
New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
a cappella group
The Persuasions The Persuasions were an American a cappella group that formed in Brooklyn, New York in 1962, singing under corner streetlights and in subway corridors. Their style combined gospel, soul, early rock, and jazz into melodic five-part harmonies. ...
and producer Gavin Brown. The album, '' Ladies and Gentlemen: Barenaked Ladies and The Persuasions'', contained new versions of Barenaked Ladies songs, one Kevin Hearn song, and one Persuasions song. It was released on 14 April 2017. The band recorded its 12th studio album, '' Fake Nudes'', in the winter of 2017. Its lead single, "Lookin' Up", and "Bringing It Home" were made available for download to those who pre-ordered the album. The album was released on 17 November 2017. On 25 March 2018, the band was inducted into the
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 th ...
at the
Juno Awards The Juno Awards (stylized as JUNOS), or simply known as the Junos, are awards presented by the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences to recognize outstanding achievements in Canada's music industry. The Grammy Awards are the United S ...
in
Vancouver Vancouver is a major city in Western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the cit ...
. They performed with former members Steven Page (who was included in the induction) and Andy Creeggan. It was Page's first performance with the band since his departure in 2009. Although he was at the ceremony, Andy Creeggan was not inducted into the Hall with the other five members. There are reportedly no plans for another reunion, but neither side has ruled it out. In the summer of 2019, Barenaked Ladies took a break from their Last Summer On Earth tours and opened for Hootie and the Blowfish on their 44-date Group Therapy Tour. On 4 October of that year,
Rhino Records A rhinoceros ( ; ; ; : rhinoceros or rhinoceroses), commonly abbreviated to rhino, is a member of any of the five extant taxon, extant species (or numerous extinct species) of odd-toed ungulates (perissodactyls) in the family (biology), famil ...
released a greatest-hits collection entitled ''Original Hits, Original Stars'' on vinyl. Robertson said on 14 January 2020 that he was working on songs for a new album, with a tour to follow supported by
Gin Blossoms Gin Blossoms is an American alternative rock band formed in 1987 in Tempe, Arizona. They rose to prominence following the 1992 release of their first major label album, '' New Miserable Experience'', and the first single released from that al ...
and
Toad the Wet Sprocket Toad the Wet Sprocket is an American alternative rock band formed in Santa Barbara, California, in 1986. The band at the time consisted of vocalist/guitarist Glen Phillips, guitarist Todd Nichols, bassist Dean Dinning, and drummer Randy Guss, ...
. The tour, scheduled to begin on 3 June in
St. Augustine, Florida St. Augustine ( ; ) is a city in and the county seat of St. Johns County, Florida, United States. Located 40 miles (64 km) south of downtown Jacksonville, the city is on the Atlantic coast of northeastern Florida. Founded in 1565 by Spani ...
and end on 23 July in Toronto, was delayed until 2021 and again until 2022 due to the
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...
. The band launched the "Barenaked Bytes"
mobile app A mobile application or app is a computer program or software application designed to run on a mobile device such as a smartphone, phone, tablet computer, tablet, or smartwatch, watch. Mobile applications often stand in contrast to desktop appli ...
in conjunction with the original tour announcement, allowing fans to gain access to ticket pre-sales, VIP packages, news, and discounts on merchandise. Their 13th studio album, '' Detour de Force'', was released on 16 July 2021. That September, Robertson said that Barenaked Ladies were working on a "secret project" with Rush bassist
Geddy Lee Geddy Lee Weinrib (; born Gary Lee Weinrib, July 29, 1953) is a Canadian musician, best known as the lead vocalist, bassist, and keyboardist for the Rock music, rock band Rush (band), Rush. Lee joined the band in September 1968 at the request o ...
.


Musical style

Barenaked Ladies' music is primarily classified as
alternative pop Alternative rock (also known as alternative music, alt-rock or simply alternative) is a category of rock music that evolved from the independent music underground of the 1970s. Alternative rock acts achieved mainstream success in the 1990s w ...
, influenced by
folk Folk or Folks may refer to: Sociology *Nation *People * Folklore ** Folk art ** Folk dance ** Folk hero ** Folk horror ** Folk music *** Folk metal *** Folk punk *** Folk rock ** Folk religion * Folk taxonomy Arts, entertainment, and media * Fo ...
and
rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wale ...
. The band, known for witty lyrics and catchy melodies, developed its
comedy rock Comedy rock is a genre of rock music that is Comedy music, comedic in nature. It is often mixed with satirical music, satire or irony.V. Bogdanov, C. Woodstra and S. T. Erlewine, ''All music guide to rock: the definitive guide to rock, pop, and ...
to suit audience demand in their early days of
opening Opening may refer to: Types of openings * Hole * A title sequence or opening credits * Grand opening of a business or other institution * Inauguration * Keynote * Opening sentence * Opening sequence * Opening statement, a beginning statemen ...
for college
comedy troupe A comedy troupe is a group of comedians and associated Employment, personnel who work together to perform comedy as entertainment. The term is often used interchangeably with comedy group, and the troupe may specialize in a specific comedic genr ...
s. The intellectual appeal of their lyrics has led to a label of
geek rock Geek rock is a musical subgenre derived from pop rock and alternative rock within the nerd music group. It is characterized by the standard instruments of rock music often combined with electronic and unusual instruments, references to geek cultu ...
by
Eric Weisbard Eric Weisbard is an American music critic known for founding the Pop Conference, which for many years was hosted annually by the Museum of Pop Culture (formerly known as the EMP Museum), and which continues with other sponsors. He also organized ...
and others.


Innovation and technology

Barenaked Ladies has often attempted to use new technology to promote themselves and their music. They were early adopters of computers for promotion when they released an "Interactive Press Kit" on a 3.5-inch
floppy disk A floppy disk or floppy diskette (casually referred to as a floppy, a diskette, or a disk) is a type of disk storage composed of a thin and flexible disk of a magnetic storage medium in a square or nearly square plastic enclosure lined with a ...
for ''Maybe You Should Drive'' in 1994, for which they received a
MuchMusic Video Award The iHeartRadio Much Music Video Awards were an annual awards show broadcast annually on Much (TV channel), Much from 1990 to 2018, and Fuse (TV channel), Fuse from 2010 to 2013 that honoured the year's best music videos. Originally debuting in ...
. They used their website to allow fans to choose between two songs ("Be My Yoko Ono" and "Alternative Girlfriend") for inclusion on their greatest-hits CD ''
Disc One Disc or disk may refer to: * Disk (mathematics), a two dimensional shape, the interior of a circle * Disk storage * Optical disc * Floppy disk Music * Disc (band), an American experimental music band * Disk (album), ''Disk'' (album), a 1995 EP by ...
''; both were ultimately included. The band participated in ''
City Sonic ''City Sonic'' is a documentary series about Toronto-based musicians and the places that influenced their music.http://radio3.cbc.ca/blogs/2009/8/Watch-This-City-Sonic-Film-Series The first five ''City Sonic'' films were previewed at Toronto's 2 ...
'', an interactive documentary series, in 2009. The series, with 20 Toronto artists, included Tyler Stewart reminiscing about the Ultrasound Showbar. The films were accompanied by an
iPhone The iPhone is a line of smartphones developed and marketed by Apple that run iOS, the company's own mobile operating system. The first-generation iPhone was announced by then–Apple CEO and co-founder Steve Jobs on January 9, 2007, at ...
application which used
Global Positioning System The Global Positioning System (GPS) is a satellite-based hyperbolic navigation system owned by the United States Space Force and operated by Mission Delta 31. It is one of the global navigation satellite systems (GNSS) that provide ge ...
(GPS) technology to unlock more videos when the user was near a specific location. In February 2013, Barenaked Ladies participated in the "first space-to-earth musical collaboration" by the band, Canadian astronaut and commander of the
International Space Station The International Space Station (ISS) is a large space station that was Assembly of the International Space Station, assembled and is maintained in low Earth orbit by a collaboration of five space agencies and their contractors: NASA (United ...
Chris Hadfield Chris Austin Hadfield (born August 29, 1959) is a Canadian retired astronaut, engineer, fighter pilot, musician, and writer. As the first Canadian to perform extravehicular activity in outer space, he has flown two Space Shuttle missions and ...
, and Canadian student choir the Wexford Gleeks. The group, Hadfield, and the choir performed "I.S.S. (Is Somebody Singing)", which was commissioned by the
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (), branded as CBC/Radio-Canada, is the Canadian Public broadcasting, public broadcaster for both radio and television. It is a Crown corporation that serves as the national public broadcaster, with its E ...
and the
Canadian Space Agency The Canadian Space Agency (CSA; ) is the national space agency of Canada, established in 1990 by the ''Canadian Space Agency Act''. The President of the Canadian Space Agency, president is Lisa Campbell (civil servant), Lisa Campbell, who took ...
.


Awards and nominations

In 1993, Barenaked Ladies were nominated for four
Juno Awards The Juno Awards (stylized as JUNOS), or simply known as the Junos, are awards presented by the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences to recognize outstanding achievements in Canada's music industry. The Grammy Awards are the United S ...
: Canadian Entertainer of the Year, Album of the Year (for ''Gordon''), Single of the Year (for "Enid"), and Group of the Year (their only win). They were nominated for Entertainer of the Year in 1994 and Group of the Year in 1995. Requires running a searches for "Barenaked Ladies" and "Ed Robertson". Additionally, the yearly summary menu shows the years each award was active. Barenaked Ladies' first
Grammy The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious a ...
nomination came in 1999 for "One Week" in the Pop Performance by a Duo or Group category but lost to
Brian Setzer Brian Robert Setzer (born April 10, 1959) is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He found widespread success in the early 1980s with the 1950s-style rockabilly group Stray Cats, and returned to the music scene in the early 1990s with ...
's "Jump, Jive an' Wail". The song, and its album ''Stunt'', brought the band three more Juno Awards that year, for Best Single, Best Pop Album, and Best Group. Robertson lost to
Bryan Adams Bryan Guy Adams (born November 5, 1959) is a British and Canadian singer-songwriter, musician, record producer, and photographer. He is estimated to have sold between 75 million and more than 100 million album, records and Single (music), si ...
in the newly revived Best Songwriter Category. The video for "One Week" was nominated for an
MTV Video Music Award The MTV Video Music Awards (commonly abbreviated as the VMAs) is an award show presented by the cable channel MTV to honor the best in the music video medium. Originally conceived as an alternative to the Grammy Awards (in the video category) ...
for Best Art Direction, but lost to "
Doo Wop (That Thing) "Doo Wop (That Thing)" is a song by American rapper and singer Lauryn Hill from her debut solo studio album, '' The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill'' (1998). It was written and produced by Hill. The song was released to radio as her solo debut and ...
" by
Lauryn Hill Lauryn Noelle Hill (born May 26, 1975) is an American musician. She is celebrated as one of the most influential musical artists of her generation. Hill is credited with breaking barriers for female rappers, contributing to the popular music, m ...
. The band was nominated for its second Grammy in 2001 for "Pinch Me" (again in the Pop Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group category), but lost to " Cousin Dupree" by
Steely Dan Steely Dan is an American rock band formed in Annandale-on-Hudson, New York, in 1971 by Walter Becker (guitars, bass, backing vocals) and Donald Fagen (keyboards, lead vocals). Originally having a traditional band lineup, Becker and Fagen cho ...
. They won three Juno Awards for ''Maroon'' (Best Pop Album), Best Album, and Best Group, bringing their total to seven. "Pinch Me" was nominated for Best Single, but lost to "
I'm Like a Bird "I'm Like a Bird" is a song by Canadian singer-songwriter Nelly Furtado. It was written by Furtado and produced by Gerald Eaton and Brian West for her debut studio album, '' Whoa, Nelly!'' (2000). Released as the album's first single on Septem ...
" by
Nelly Furtado Nelly Kim Furtado ( , ; born December 2, 1978) is a Canadian singer and songwriter. She has sold over 45 million records, including 35 million in album sales worldwide, making her one of the most successful Canadian artists. Critics have noted ...
. Page and Robertson were nominated in the Best Songwriter category for "
Pinch Me "Pinch Me" is a song by Canadian rock band Barenaked Ladies. It was released as the first single from their fifth studio album, ''Maroon'' (2000), on August 7, 2000. The song became the band's last top-10 hit in Canada, peaking at number four on ...
", "
Too Little Too Late "Too Little Too Late" is a song by American singer JoJo from her second studio album, '' The High Road'' (2006). It was written by Billy Steinberg, Josh Alexander and Ruth-Anne Cunningham, and produced by the former two with Da Family Records ...
", and " Falling for the First Time". Five more Juno nominations followed, totalling 18 (in addition to the two songwriting nominations). In 2004, they were nominated for Pop Album of the Year (for ''Everything to Everyone'') and Group of the Year. The following year, they were nominated for Music DVD of the Year for the documentary ''The Barenaked Truth''. They were nominated for Group of the Year in 2006, and received a 2009 Juno for their children's album '' Snacktime!'' , - , rowspan="2", 1998 , , rowspan="2", " One Week" , , Best Clip (Alternative/Modern Rock) , , , - , Maximum Vision Award , , , - , , , " One Week" , , Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group , , , - , , , "
Pinch Me "Pinch Me" is a song by Canadian rock band Barenaked Ladies. It was released as the first single from their fifth studio album, ''Maroon'' (2000), on August 7, 2000. The song became the band's last top-10 hit in Canada, peaking at number four on ...
" , ,
Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal The Grammy Award The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as t ...
, , , - , rowspan="4", , , Barenaked Ladies , ,
Entertainer of the Year ''Entertainer of the Year'' is the twenty-second solo studio album by American country music singer-songwriter Loretta Lynn. It was released on February 26, 1973, by MCA Records. This was Lynn's first album with MCA following Decca's consolidati ...
, , , - , Barenaked Ladies , , Group of the Year , , , - , ''
Gordon Gordon may refer to: People * Gordon (given name), a masculine given name, including list of persons and fictional characters * Gordon (surname), the surname * Gordon (slave), escaped to a Union Army camp during the U.S. Civil War * Gordon Heuck ...
'' , , Album of the Year , , , - , "Enid" , , Single of the Year , , , - , , , Barenaked Ladies , , Entertainer of the Year , , , - , , , Barenaked Ladies , , Group of the Year , , , - , rowspan="3", , , Barenaked Ladies , , Best Group , , , - , ''
Stunt A stunt is an unusual, difficult, dramatic physical feat that may require a special skill, performed for artistic purposes usually for a public audience, as on television or in theaters or cinema. Stunts are a feature of many action films. Befo ...
'' , ,
Best Pop Album The Grammy Award for Best Pop Vocal Album is an honor presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to recording artists for quality vocal pop music albums. Awards in several ...
, , , - , " One Week" , , Best Single , , , - , rowspan="4", , , Barenaked Ladies , , Best Group , , , - , rowspan="2", ''
Maroon Maroon ( , ) is a brownish crimson color that takes its name from the French word , meaning chestnut. ''Marron'' is also one of the French translations for "brown". Terms describing interchangeable shades, with overlapping RGB ranges, inc ...
'' , , Best Album , , , - , Best Pop Album , , , - , "
Pinch Me "Pinch Me" is a song by Canadian rock band Barenaked Ladies. It was released as the first single from their fifth studio album, ''Maroon'' (2000), on August 7, 2000. The song became the band's last top-10 hit in Canada, peaking at number four on ...
" , , Best Single , , , - , rowspan="2", , , Barenaked Ladies , , Group of the Year , , , - , '' Everything to Everyone'' , , Pop Album of the Year , , , - , , , ''The Barenaked Truth'' , , Music DVD of the Year , , , - , , , Barenaked Ladies , , Group of the Year , , , - , , , '' Snacktime!'' , , Children's Album of the Year , , Band members and other individuals have been nominated for four Junos for their work in connection with the band. , - , , , Marc Ramaer ("Hush Sweet Lover" by k.d. lang and "Jane" by Barenaked Ladies), , Recording Engineer of the Year , , , - , rowspan="2" , , , Ed Robertson ("One Week") , , Best Songwriter, , , - , John Rummen, Jay Blakesburg (''Stunt'') , , Best Album Design , , , - , , , Steven Page and Ed Robertson ("Pinch Me", "Too Little Too Late", "Falling for the First Time") , , Best Songwriter, , , - , , , " One Week" , , Best Art Direction (Art Director: Paul Martin) , , , - , rowspan="2", 1992 , , rowspan="2", "Lovers in a Dangerous Time" , , VideoFACT Award , , , - , People's Choice: Best Group , , , - , 1993 , , "Brian Wilson" , , People's Choice: Best Group , , , - , 1995 , , ''Maybe You Should Drive'' , , Best Canadian Band Interactive Press Kit , , , - , rowspan="3", 2001 , , "
Pinch Me "Pinch Me" is a song by Canadian rock band Barenaked Ladies. It was released as the first single from their fifth studio album, ''Maroon'' (2000), on August 7, 2000. The song became the band's last top-10 hit in Canada, peaking at number four on ...
" , , MuchMoreMusic Award , , , - , rowspan="2", "Too Little Too Late" , , People's Choice: Favourite Canadian Group , , , - , People's Choice: Favourite Video by a Canadian , , , - , 2000 , , Barenaked Ladies , , World's Best-Selling Canadian Group , ,


Beyond music

Barenaked Ladies have an authorized biography published in 2001, '' Public Stunts Private Stories'', written by friend and fellow Scarborough native Paul Myers with input from the band. In May 2006, the band and other prominent Canadian musicians formed the
Canadian Music Creators Coalition Canadian Music Creators Coalition is a group of Canadian music artists opposed to introducing legislation similar to the United States' DMCA into Canadian intellectual property law. The group was officially formed April 26, 2006. An editorial from ...
in response to plans by the Canadian government to revisit and update copyright laws. Steven Page has acted as a conduit between the CMCC and the press, urging the government to focus on the Canadian cultural scene. Page has said that the CMCC was formed in response to what he believed was the wrong direction taken by the
RIAA The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...
and major labels in suing fans for filesharing. They are proponents of environmentalism, following Page's passion for
greening Greening is the process of transforming living environments, and also artifacts such as a space, a lifestyle (sociology), lifestyle or a brand image, into a more environmentally friendly version (i.e. 'greening your home' or 'greening your office ...
; he is a board member of WWF Canada). The group began bringing an " eco-village" organized by the
Reverb In acoustics, reverberation (commonly shortened to reverb) is a persistence of sound after it is produced. It is often created when a sound is reflected on surfaces, causing multiple reflections that build up and then decay as the sound is a ...
organization on their 2004 Au Naturale tour. They have partnered with Reverb to form the "Barenaked Planet" project, the group's name for their project to "green" their touring. Efforts include ensuring that backstage materials are recycled, using
biodiesel Biodiesel is a renewable biofuel, a form of diesel fuel, derived from biological sources like vegetable oils, animal fats, or recycled greases, and consisting of long-chain fatty acid esters. It is typically made from fats. The roots of bi ...
in their tour vehicles ( B20 in December 2006), and offsetting carbon emissions with wind power. This includes band-sponsored offsets for their emissions and volunteers selling "Barenaked Planet" stickers to concertgoers, with the proceeds offsetting emissions at venues. Barenaked Ladies is the first Canadian band to receive its own ice-cream flavour, "If I Had 1,000,000 Flavours", following in the footsteps of other band-themed Ben & Jerry's flavours such as Cherry Garcia (
Jerry Garcia Jerome John Garcia (August 1, 1942 – August 9, 1995) was an American musician who was the lead guitarist and a vocalist with the rock band Grateful Dead, which he co-founded and which came to prominence during the counterculture of the 196 ...
), One Sweet Whirled and Magic Brownies (
Dave Matthews Band Dave Matthews Band (also known as DMB) is an American rock band from Charlottesville, Virginia. The band's lineup consists of Dave Matthews (lead vocals, guitar), Stefan Lessard (bass), Carter Beauford (drums), Tim Reynolds (lead guitar), R ...
) and Phish Food (
Phish Phish is an American rock band formed in Burlington, Vermont, in 1983. The band consists of guitarist Trey Anastasio, bassist Mike Gordon, drummer Jon Fishman, and keyboardist Page McConnell, all of whom perform vocals, with Anastasio being the ...
). The ice cream consisted of "chocolate and vanilla ice cream with chunks of chocolate-covered toffee, white chocolate, peanut butter cups and chocolate-covered almonds." Tyler Stewart described it as "an amalgamation of flavours ..kind of like the band in a lot of ways—a lot of different personalities, different ethnic groups, all represented and rolled into one." The band is a member of the Canadian charity Artists Against Racism, and has worked with them on awareness campaigns. They have appeared at WE Day events, encouraging young students to get involved in their communities and promote social activity through
WE Charity WE Charity (), formerly known as Free the Children (), is an international development charity and youth empowerment movement founded in 1995 by human rights advocates Marc and Craig Kielburger. The organization implemented development progra ...
's work.


Side projects

Tyler Stewart, Jim Creeggan, Kevin Hearn, and Ed Robertson have had side projects during time off from Barenaked Ladies. Stewart was part of the short-lived Don't Talk Dance, which released a self-titled album in 1995
Chris Brown Christopher Maurice Brown (born May 5, 1989) is an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and actor. A Pop music, pop and hip-hop-influenced contemporary R&B, R&B musician who works in a variety of genres, he has been called the "Honorific nic ...
(who sat in for Hearn with Barenaked Ladies during his late-1990s cancer treatment). The album's profits went to Casey House, a Canadian AIDS charity. Stewart plays occasionally with the rockabilly band Pogo Rodeo, which he joined in high school. The band reunited in the early 2010s, and has played occasional concerts. Jim Creeggan formed the alternative/jazz group the Brothers Creeggan, with brother and former Barenaked Ladies member Andy Creeggan and Ian McLauchlan (who died in 2009). The group, as a duo and a trio, recorded four albums between 1995 and 2002. It stopped performing regularly in the mid-2000s, and have only played together rarely (such as for Barenaked Ladies cruises). Andy Creeggan has several solo albums, with the most recent released in 2021. Since 1995, Kevin Hearn has released four albums as the frontman of
Kevin Hearn and Thin Buckle Kevin Hearn and Thin Buckle (originally Kevin Hearn and the Thin Buckle Band) are a Canadian band consisting of Barenaked Ladies multi-instrumentalist Kevin Hearn as the front man (typically on guitar or keyboards), bassist Chris Gartner and drum ...
and three others solo (with members of Thin Buckle and other musicians). Hearn's albums are a mix of alternative rock and jazz, with other eclectic influences.


Reception

In December 2008,
Paul McCartney Sir James Paul McCartney (born 18 June 1942) is an English singer, songwriter and musician who gained global fame with the Beatles, for whom he played bass guitar and the piano, and shared primary songwriting and lead vocal duties with John ...
was reportedly asked by a session musician which bands he enjoyed in the current music scene. His response was "Barenaked Ladies": "Their harmonies are right on. They could outsing us any day of the week. I don't think
John John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Second E ...
and myself ever had the sort of range they do." McCartney added that he would not mind recording with the band in the future. In 2018, Ontario musical historians Liam Coholan, Patrick Murphy, and Jon "The Don" Dilario said in ''Canadian Music History'': "BNL was one of the most impactful bands when it comes to discussing the development of Canadian society in the 21st century."


Band members


Current members

*
Ed Robertson Lloyd Edward Elwyn Robertson (born October 25, 1970) is a Canadian musician, best known as the lead singer, guitarist, and songwriter of the band Barenaked Ladies. He, along with former member Steven Page, founded the group in 1988. As of Page' ...
– lead and backing vocals, lead and rhythm guitars (1988–present) *
Jim Creeggan James Raymond Creeggan (born February 12, 1970) is the bassist for Canadian alternative rock band Barenaked Ladies. Early life Creeggan was born in the Toronto suburb of Scarborough, Ontario. His mother taught piano lessons to neighbourhood chi ...
– double bass, bass guitar, backing and lead vocals (1989–present) *
Tyler Stewart Tyler Joseph Stewart (born September 21, 1967) is the drummer for the Canadian music group Barenaked Ladies. Early life Stewart was born in Toronto, but was raised in Newmarket, Ontario. He is the son of Sandra Stewart and stepson of Robert Stew ...
– drums, percussion (1990–present), backing and lead vocals (2008–present) *
Kevin Hearn Kevin Neil Hearn (born July 3, 1969) is a Canadian musician who is a member of Barenaked Ladies, and his own group, Kevin Hearn and Thin Buckle. He primarily plays keyboard (instrument), keyboards and guitars. He is also a member of Rheostatics ...
– keyboards, lead and rhythm guitars, lead and backing vocals (1995–present)


Former members

*
Steven Page Steven Jay Page (born June 22, 1970) is a Canadian musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer. He was a founding member, lead singer, guitarist, and primary songwriter of the music group Barenaked Ladies. Page left the band in February ...
– lead and backing vocals, rhythm and lead guitars (1988–2009; one-off in 2018) *
Andy Creeggan Andrew Burnett Creeggan (born July 4, 1971) is a Canadian musician, known for being a former member of the alternative rock band Barenaked Ladies. He was also a member of the trio The Brothers Creeggan, and a solo artist having released three a ...
– keyboards, backing and lead vocals (1991–1995), drums (1989–1990), percussion (1989–1990, 1991–1995)


Timeline


Discography

Studio albums *'' ''Gordon'''' (1992) *'' Maybe You Should Drive'' (1994) *''
Born on a Pirate Ship ''Born on a Pirate Ship'' is the third full-length studio album by Barenaked Ladies (BNL), featuring the songs "Shoe Box", " The Old Apartment", "When I Fall" and "Break Your Heart". "The Old Apartment" would become BNL's first US hit in 1997. ...
'' (1996) *''
Stunt A stunt is an unusual, difficult, dramatic physical feat that may require a special skill, performed for artistic purposes usually for a public audience, as on television or in theaters or cinema. Stunts are a feature of many action films. Befo ...
'' (1998) *''
Maroon Maroon ( , ) is a brownish crimson color that takes its name from the French word , meaning chestnut. ''Marron'' is also one of the French translations for "brown". Terms describing interchangeable shades, with overlapping RGB ranges, inc ...
'' (2000) *'' Everything to Everyone'' (2003) *''
Barenaked Ladies Are Me ''Barenaked Ladies Are Me'' is the seventh full-length original-material studio album by Barenaked Ladies. It was their first original-material album since '' Everything to Everyone'' in 2003. It was released in September 2006 internationally. Th ...
'' (2006) *'' Barenaked Ladies Are Men'' (2007) *'' All in Good Time'' (2010) *'' Grinning Streak'' (2013) *'' Silverball'' (2015) *'' Fake Nudes'' (2017) *'' Detour de Force'' (2021) *''
In Flight In baseball, the rules state that a batted ball is considered in flight when it has not yet touched any object other than a fielder or his equipment. Such a ball can be caught by a fielder to put the batter out. Once a batted ball touches the gr ...
'' (2023)


Video releases

* ''
Barenaked in America ''Barenaked in America'' is a 1999 documentary film about the Canadian band Barenaked Ladies filmed during the 1998-1999 ''Stunt'' tour. Directed by actor Jason Priestley, the film was first shown at the Toronto International Film Festival. The ba ...
'' * ''Too Little Too Late'' * ''
Barelaked Nadies ''Barelaked Nadies'' is the second DVD release from Canadian band Barenaked Ladies, though it is the first full-length release. It is a compilation of their music videos from 1991 to 2002, with one exclusion: the video for the '' Rock Spectacle'' ...
'' * ''The Barenaked Truth'' * '' Talk to the Hand: Live in Michigan''


References


External links

* * *
Article at canadianbands.com
* {{Authority control Musical groups established in 1988 Fellows of the Royal Conservatory of Music Canadian alternative rock groups Canadian jangle pop groups Canadian buskers Sire Records artists Canadian folk rock groups Musical groups from Toronto Scarborough, Ontario Juno Award for Single of the Year winners 1988 establishments in Ontario 1990s in Canadian music Geek rock groups Canadian musical quartets Juno Award for Album of the Year winners Juno Award for Children's Album of the Year winners Juno Award for Group of the Year winners World Music Awards winners Juno Award for Pop Album of the Year winners Sibling musical groups Canadian comedy rock musical groups Canadian comedy folk musical groups Canadian Music Hall of Fame inductees