''RPM'' ( and later ) was a Canadian music-industry publication that featured song and album charts for Canada. The publication was founded by

Walt Grealis Walt is a masculine given name, generally a short form of Walter, and occasionally a surname. Notable people with the name include: People Given name * Walt Arfons (1916-2013), American drag racer and competition land speed record racer * Walt Bel ...

in February 1964, supported through its existence by record label owner Stan Klees. ''RPM'' ceased publication in November 2000. ''RPM'' stood for "Records, Promotion, Music". The magazine's title varied over the years, including ''RPM Weekly'' and ''RPM Magazine''.

Canadian music charts

''RPM'' maintained several format charts, including Top Singles (all genres), Adult Contemporary, Dance, Urban, Rock/Alternative and Country Tracks (or Top Country Tracks) for country music. On 21 March 1966, ''RPM'' expanded its Top Singles chart from 40 positions to 100. On 6 December 1980, the main chart became a top-50 chart and remained this way until 4 August 1984, whereupon it reverted to a top-100 singles chart. For the first several weeks of its existence, the magazine did not compile a national chart, but simply printed the current airplay lists of several major-market top-40 stations. A national chart was introduced in the 22 June 1964 issue, and the first national number-one single was "

Chapel of Love "Chapel of Love" is a song written by Jeff Barry, Ellie Greenwich and Phil Spector, and made famous by The Dixie Cups in 1964, spending three weeks at number one on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100.Whitburn, Joel (2009). ''Top Pop Singles 1955-2008'' ...

" by the Dixie Cups. Prior to the introduction of ''RPM's'' national chart, the

CHUM Chart The CHUM Chart was a ranking of top 30 (and, until August 1968, the top 50) songs on Toronto, Ontario radio station CHUM AM, from 1957 to 1986, and was the longest-running Top 40 chart in the world produced by an individual radio station. On Janua ...

issued by

Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most pop ...

radio station

CHUM Chum may refer to: Broadcasting * CHUM Limited, a defunct Canadian media company * CHUM Radio, now Bell Media Radio, a Canadian radio broadcasting company * CHUM (AM), a Toronto radio station * CHUM-FM, a Toronto radio station * CHUM Chart, a C ...

was considered the ''de facto'' national chart. The final number-one single in the magazine's chart was "

Music Music is generally defined as the The arts, art of arranging sound to create some combination of Musical form, form, harmony, melody, rhythm or otherwise Musical expression, expressive content. Exact definition of music, definitions of mu ...

" by Madonna.

The RPM Awards

The modern

Juno Award 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 o ...

s had their origins in an annual survey conducted by ''RPM'' since its founding year. Readers of the magazine were invited to mail in survey ballots to indicate their choices under various categories of people or companies. The ''RPM'' Awards poll was transformed into a formal awards ceremony, the Gold Leaf Awards, in 1970. These became the Juno Awards in following years.

1964 ''RPM'' Awards

The ''RPM'' Awards for 1964 were announced in the 28 December 1964 issue: * Top male vocalist:

Terry Black Terry Black (February 3, 1949 – June 28, 2009) was a Canadian pop singer and teen idol, born in Vancouver, British Columbia. Career Black's debut U.S. single, "Unless You Care", was released in 1964, when Black was 15. The song was wr ...

* Top female singer: Shirley Matthews * Most promising male vocalist:

Jack London John Griffith Chaney (January 12, 1876 – November 22, 1916), better known as Jack London, was an American novelist, journalist and activist. A pioneer of commercial fiction and American magazines, he was one of the first American authors to ...

* Most promising female vocalist: Linda Layne * Top vocal instrumental group: The Esquires * Top female vocal group: The Girlfriends * Top instrumental group: Wes Dakus & The Rebels * Top folk group: The Courriers * Top country male singer: Gary Buck * Top country female singer: Pat Hervey * Industry man of the year: Johnny Murphy of Cashbox Canada * Top record company: Capitol Records of Canada * Top Canadian Content record company: Capitol Records of Canada * Top national record promoter: Paul White, Capitol Records of Canada * Top regional record promoter: Ed Lawson,

Quality Records Quality Records was a Canadian entertainment company which released music albums in Canada on behalf of American record labels. They also released recordings by Canadian artists. The company operated between 1950 and 1985 with offices in Toron ...

* Top album of the year (GMP): ''That Girl'' by Phyllis Marshall A column on page 6 of that issue noted that the actual vote winner for Top Canadian Content record company was disqualified due to a conflict of interest involving an employee of that company who was also working for ''RPM''. Therefore, runner-up Capitol Records was declared the category's winner.

1965 ''RPM'' Awards

The Annual ''RPM'' Awards for 1965 were announced in the 17 January 1966 issue, with more country music categories than the previous year: * Top male vocalist:

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* Top female singer: Catherine McKinnon * Most promising male vocalist: Barry Allen * Most promising female vocalist: Debbie Lori Kaye * Top vocal/instrumental group:

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 ...

* Top female vocal group: Girlfriends * Top instrumental group: Wes Dakus and the Rebels * Top folk group: Malka and Joso * Top folk singer:

Gordon Lightfoot Gordon Meredith Lightfoot Jr. (born November 17, 1938) is a Canadian singer-songwriter and guitarist who achieved international success in folk, folk-rock, and country music. He is credited with helping to define the folk-pop sound of the 19 ...

* Best produced single: "

My Girl Sloopy "Hang On Sloopy" (originally "My Girl Sloopy") is a 1964 song written by Wes Farrell and Bert Berns. Rhythm and blues vocal group the Vibrations were the first to record the tune in 1964. Atlantic Records released it as a single, which reache ...

Little Caesar and the Consuls Little Caesar and the Consuls is a Canadian rock band, originally active in Toronto from 1961 to 1971. The earliest tangible evidence of a group by that name is in the February 23, 1961, issue of the Weston, Ontario, ''Times & Guide'', which me ...

* Best produced album: ''Voice of an Angel'' by Catherine McKinnon * Top country male singer: Gary Buck * Top country female singer: Dianne Leigh * Most promising country male singer: Angus Walker * Most promising country female singer: Sharon Strong * Top country instrumental vocal group: Rhythm Pals * Top country instrumentalist: Roy Penney * Top country radio personality: Al Fisher, CFGM Toronto * Top Canadian disc jockey: Chuck Benson, CKYL

Peace River The Peace River (french: links=no, rivière de la Paix) is a river in Canada that originates in the Rocky Mountains of northern British Columbia and flows to the northeast through northern Alberta. The Peace River joins the Athabasca River ...

* Top record company: Capitol Records of Canada * Top Canadian Content record company: Capitol Records of Canada * Top national record promoter: Paul White, Capitol Records of Canada * Top regional record promoter: Charlie Camilleri,

1966'' RPM'' Awards

The winners were: * Top male vocalist: Barry Allen * Top female singer: Catherine McKinnon * Most promising male vocalist: Jimmy Dybold * Most promising female vocalist: Lynda Lane * Top vocal/instrumental group: Staccatos * Top female vocal group: Allan Sisters * Top folk group: 3's a Crowd * Top folk singer:

* Best produced single: "Let's Run Away", Staccatos * Top country male singer: Gary Buck * Top country female singer: Dianne Leigh * Most promising country male singer: Johnny Burke * Most promising country female singer: Debbie Lori Kaye * Top country instrumental vocal group: Mercey Brothers * Top country instrumentalist: Roy Penney * Top country radio personality: Ted Daigle * Top country radio station: CFGM * Top record company: Capitol Records of Canada * Top Canadian Content record company:

Red Leaf Records Red Leaf Records was founded in January 1965 by independent Canadian record producers Duff Roman and Danny Mostoway ( Roman Records), Art Snider and David Pears (Chateau, Canatal, ACT) and Stan Klees Stan Klees (born 29 April 1932 at Toronto, On ...

* Top national record promoter: Paul White, Capitol Records of Canada * Top regional record promoter: Al Nair * Top Canadian music industry man of the year: Stan Klees

References

External links

Browse RPM issues 1964-2000

RPM archive charts

RPM (historical information)

The Canadian Encyclopedia: ''RPM''
* {{Authority control, state=expanded Magazines established in 1964 Magazines disestablished in 2000 Music magazines published in Canada Canadian record charts Defunct magazines published in Canada Magazines published in Toronto 1964 establishments in Ontario 2000 disestablishments in Ontario Weekly magazines published in Canada Canadian music history 20th century in Ontario