Hey Mr. President, listen to this
Yes, “American Woman” made the list. So did others you’d expect, like Stompin’ Tom’s “The Hockey Song,” and some you might not, like Parachute Club’s “Rise Up.”
Canadians have chosen 49 songs for President-elect Barack Obama’s playlist that help define this country north of the 49th parallel. The list was compiled by more than 130,000 votes over two weeks by listeners of CBC’s Radio 2.
“This is a unique and diverse list that represents a wide variety of artists and songs, both historic and current,” says Denise Donlon, executive director of English radio. Tops in jazz was Oscar Peterson’s “Hymn to Freedom”; Glenn Gould’s “Goldberg Variations” was top of the classical heap; Rush’s “Closer to the Heart” was No. 1 among pop/rock, urban or country songs; and Gilles Vigneault’s “Mon pays” was the favourite francophone tune.
The complete list is below. You can also visit the Web page cbc.ca/obamasplaylist, where the songs can be bought through iTunes.
In alphabetical order, by first letter of the band or artist name:
Arcade Fire, “Rebellion (Lies)”
Barenaked Ladies, “If I Had $1,000,000”
Beau Dommage, “La complainte du phoque en Alaska”
Ben Heppner, “We’ll Gather Lilacs”
Bruce Cockburn, “Wondering Where the Lions Are”
Buffy Sainte-Marie, “Universal Soldier”
Daniel BÈlanger, “RÍver mieux”
Daniel Lanois, “Jolie Louise”
Daniel Lavoie, “J’ai quittÈ mon Óle”
Diana Krall, “Departure Bay”
Gilles Vigneault, “Mon pays”
Glenn Gould, “Goldberg Variations”
Gordon Lightfoot, “Canadian Railroad Trilogy”
Gordon Lightfoot, “Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald”
Great Big Sea, “Ordinary Day”
Harmonium, “Pour un Instant”
Ian & Sylvia, “Four Strong Winds”
James Ehnes, “Barber Violin Concerto”
Jesse Cook, “Mario Takes a Walk”
Joni Mitchell, “Both Sides Now”
Joni Mitchell, “A Case of You”
Karkwa, “Oublie pas”
k.d. lang, “Hallelujah”
Leonard Cohen, “Democracy”
Leonard Cohen, “Suzanne”
Malajube, “MontrÈal -40∞C”
Marie-Jo ThÈrio, “…vangeline”
Marjan Mozetich, “Affairs of the Heart”
Measha Brueggergosman, “I’m Going Up a Yonder”
Mes AÔeux, “DÈgÈnÈrations”
Michael BublÈ, “Home”
Moe Koffman, “Swingin’ Shepherd Blues”
Neil Young, “Rockin’ in the Free World”
Neil Young, “Helpless”
Oscar Peterson Trio, “Hymn to Freedom”
Oscar Peterson, “Place St. Henri (from Canadiana Suite)”
Parachute Club, “Rise Up”
Raymond LÈvesque, “Quand les hommes vivront d’amour”
Rush, “Closer to the Heart”
Sam Roberts, “The Canadian Dream”
Shad, “Brother (Watching)”
Stan Rogers, “Northwest Passage”
Stompin’ Tom Connors, “The Hockey Song”
The Arrogant Worms, “Canada’s Really Big”
The Guess Who, “American Woman”
The Rankin Family, “Rise Again”
The Tragically Hip, “Wheat Kings”
The Tragically Hip, “Bobcaygeon”
The Weakerthans, “One Great City!
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