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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 Toro ...
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 Southeast A ...
, 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 forma ...
, 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 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 of ...
s. 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 Toro ...
. Gord Sinclair and Rob Baker were students at
Kingston Collegiate Kingston Collegiate and Vocational Institute (KCVI) was a secondary school in Kingston, Ontario, Canada. Founded in 1792 by Reverend John Stuart based upon a grant for secondary education in the colony of Upper Canada, it moved to its location at ...
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 commercial ...
''.


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 The Horseshoe Tavern (known as ''The Horseshoe'', ''The 'Shoe'', The 'Toronto Tavern' and The 'Triple T' to Toronto locals) is a concert venue at 370 Queen Street West (northeast corner of Queen at Spadina) in downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada, and ...
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 ancho ...
. They were then signed to a long-term record deal with MCA, and recorded the EP ''
The Tragically Hip The Tragically Hip, often referred to simply as the Hip, were a Canadian rock band formed in Kingston, Ontario in 1984, consisting of vocalist Gord Downie, guitarist Paul Langlois, guitarist Rob Baker (known as Bobby Baker until 1994), bassi ...
''. The album produced two singles, "Small Town Bring-Down" and "Highway Girl". They followed up with 1989's ''
Up to Here ''Up to Here'' is the debut studio album by Canadian rock band The Tragically Hip, released in September 1989. It is one of the band's most successful albums, achieving Diamond status in Canada for sales of over a million copies, earning the ban ...
''. 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". All four of these songs found extensive rotation on
modern rock Modern rock is an umbrella term used to describe rock music that is found on college rock radio stations. Some radio stations use this term to distinguish themselves from classic rock, which is based in 1960s–1980s rock music. Radio format Mod ...
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 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 ''Saskadelphia'' is an EP by Canadian rock band The Tragically Hip, released on May 21, 2021.Jane Stevenson"The Tragically Hip's new album, Saskadelphia, 'feels like it's honouring' Gord Downie" '' Calgary Herald'', May 20, 2021. The band's firs ...
'', 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 ''Fully Completely'' is the third studio album by Canadian rock band The Tragically Hip. The album was released in October 1992 and produced by Chris Tsangarides. The album produced six singles: "Locked in the Trunk of a Car", "Fifty Mission Cap" ...
'' 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 Courage (also called bravery or valor) is the choice and willingness to confront agony, pain, danger, uncertainty, or intimidation. Valor is courage or bravery, especially in battle. Physical courage is bravery in the face of physical pain, h ...
", and "
At the Hundredth Meridian "At the Hundredth Meridian" is a song by Canadian rock band The Tragically Hip. It was released in April 1993 as the fourth single from the band's 1992 album, '' Fully Completely''. The song peaked at No. 18 on the Canadian '' RPM'' Singles chart. ...
" 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 200 ...
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 d ...
). 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 Day for night is a set of cinematic techniques used to simulate a night scene while filming in daylight. It is often employed when it is too difficult or expensive to actually shoot during nighttime. Because both film stocks and digital image s ...
'' 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 Tragically Hip album), Day for Night''. The song peaked at number 26 on t ...
" 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 ''Trouble at the Henhouse'' is the fifth studio album by Canadian rock band The Tragically Hip, released in 1996. The song "Butts Wigglin'" appeared in the 1996 film '' Kids in the Hall: Brain Candy''. Commercial and critical performance The al ...
'' followed in 1996, producing five singles starting with "
Ahead by a Century "Ahead by a Century" is a song by Canadian rock band the Tragically Hip. It was released as the lead single from the band's fifth studio album, '' Trouble at the Henhouse''. The song reached number one on Canada's singles chart, and is the band' ...
", 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 The Kids in the Hall is a Canadian sketch comedy troupe formed in 1984, consisting of comedians Dave Foley, Bruce McCulloch, Kevin McDonald, Mark McKinney and Scott Thompson. Their eponymous television show ran from 1989 to 1995, on CBC, in C ...
movie ''
Brain Candy Brain Candy may refer to: * ''Brain Candy'' (TV series), 2003 standup comedy variety TV series on BBC Three * ''Brain Candy'' (album), 2020 album by Australian duo Hockey Dad * '' Kids in the Hall: Brain Candy'', 1996 Canadian comedy film by ...
''. The live album '' Live Between Us'' was recorded on the subsequent tour at
Cobo Arena Huntington Place (formerly known as Cobo Hall, Cobo Center, and briefly as TCF Center) is a convention center in Downtown Detroit, owned by the Detroit Regional Convention Facility Authority (DRCFA) and operated by ASM Global. Located at 1 Washi ...
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 Blues is a music genre and musical form which originated in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues incorporated spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts, chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads from the Afr ...
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. Michaels currently serves a ...
'', on March 15, 1995, thanks in large part to the finagling of fellow Canadian and Kingston-area resident
Dan Aykroyd Daniel Edward Aykroyd ( ; born July 1, 1952) is a Canadian actor, comedian, producer, musician and writer. He was an original member of the "Not Ready for Prime Time Players" on ''Saturday Night Live'' (1975–1979). During his tenure on ''SNL'' ...
, 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-c ...
", won the
Juno Award for Single of the Year The Juno Award for Single of the Year has been awarded since 1974 for the best single in Canada. It has also been known as Best Single and Best Selling Single. The award goes to the artist. Best Single (1974) Best Selling Single (1975 - 1979) ...
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 Scotiabank Arena ( French: ''Aréna Scotiabank)'', formerly known as Air Canada Centre (ACC), is a multi-purposed arena located on Bay Street in the South Core district of Downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is the home of the Toronto Rap ...
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 Rome is a city in Oneida County, New York, United States, located in the Central New York, central part of the state. The population was 32,127 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Rome is one of two principal cities in the Utica–Ro ...
. 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 ''Music @ Work'' is the seventh studio album by Canadian rock band The Tragically Hip. The album was leaked via the internet six weeks before its official release in June, 2000. It won the 2001 Juno Award for Best Rock Album. Commercial perform ...
''. 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 Hugh Charles Padgham (born 15 February 1955) is an English record producer and audio engineer. He has won four Grammy Awards, for Producer of the Year and Album of the Year for 1985, Record of the Year for 1990, and Engineer of the Year for 1 ...
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 The Bahamas, 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, musici ...
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 ''Men with Brooms'' is a 2002 Canadian romantic comedy film, starring and directed by Paul Gross. Centred on the sport of curling, the offbeat comedy tells the story of a reunited curling team from a small Canadian town as they work through their ...
,'' 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 sliding ...
team from their hometown of Kingston. Three of their songs appear in the film, and they backed
Sarah Harmer Sarah Harmer (born November 12, 1970) is a Canadian singer, songwriter and environmental activist. Early life Born and raised in Burlington, Ontario, Harmer gained her first exposure to the musician's lifestyle as a teenager, when her older sis ...
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 Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II, her death in 2022. She was queen ...
. In 2003, the band recorded a cover of "Black Day in July", a song about the 1967
12th Street Riot The 1967 Detroit Riot, also known as the 12th Street Riot or Detroit Rebellion, was the bloodiest of the urban riots in the United States during the "Long, hot summer of 1967". Composed mainly of confrontations between Black residents and the De ...
in Detroit, on '' Beautiful: A Tribute to Gordon Lightfoot''.


2004–2008

''
In Between Evolution ''In Between Evolution'' is the ninth studio album by Canadian rock band The Tragically Hip. It was recorded at Studio X in Seattle and was released June 29, 2004. The album debuted at number one in Canada, selling 22,500 copies in its first wee ...
'' was released in 2004 in the No. 1 position in Canada. It has since sold over 100,000 copies. At the 92nd
Grey Cup The Grey Cup (french: Coupe Grey) is both the championship game of the Canadian Football League (CFL) and the trophy awarded to the victorious team playing in the namesake championship of professional Canadian football. The game is contested be ...
held November 21, 2004, the band provided the halftime entertainment in front of a packed house at
Frank Clair Stadium TD Place Stadium (originally Lansdowne Park and formerly Frank Clair Stadium) is an outdoor stadium in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. It is located at Lansdowne Park, on the southern edge of The Glebe neighbourhood, where Bank Street crosses the Rid ...
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 ''In Between Evolution'' is the ninth studio album by Canadian rock band The Tragically Hip. It was recorded at Studio X in Seattle and was released June 29, 2004. The album debuted at number one in Canada, selling 22,500 copies in its first wee ...
'' 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 Hurricane Katrina was a destructive Category 5 Atlantic hurricane that caused over 1,800 fatalities and $125 billion in damage in late August 2005, especially in the city of New Orleans and the surrounding areas. It was at the time the cost ...
, 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 A box set or (its original name) boxed set is a set of items (for example, a compilation of books, musical recordings, films or television programs) traditionally packaged in a box and offered for sale as a single unit. Music Artists and bands ...
, ''
Hipeponymous ''Hipeponymous'' is a limited-edition boxed set by Canadian rock band The Tragically Hip. It was released on November 1, 2005. The album has been certified Platinum in Canada. ''Hipeponymous'' contains a two-CD compilation of remastered songs ...
'', 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 ''That Night in Toronto'' is a live concert DVD featuring Canadian rock band The Tragically Hip, filmed and directed by filmmaking brothers Pierre and Francois Lamoureux. It was recorded November 26, 2004 at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto, On ...
'', 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 ''World Container'' is the tenth studio album by Canada, Canadian rock band The Tragically Hip. It was released in Canada on October 17, 2006, in two formats: as a limited edition Digipak and regular jewel case. The United States release was Mar ...
'', 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, 31 ...
. 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 George Mark Paul Stroumboulopoulos (; Greek: Γεώργιος Μάρκος Παύλος Στρουμπουλόπουλος; born August 16, 1972) is a Canadian media personality. He is one of Canada's most popular broadcasters and best known as fo ...
for a live interview at The
Bathouse Recording Studio The Bathouse Recording Studio is a recording studio located in Bath, Ontario, Canada. It is owned and operated by the Canadian rock band The Tragically Hip. Many influential albums have been recorded by artists such as The Tragically Hip, Sam Ro ...
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 A brain tumor occurs when abnormal cells form within the brain. There are two main types of tumors: malignant tumors and benign (non-cancerous) tumors. These can be further classified as primary tumors, which start within the brain, and secondar ...
. 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 Television (also known as CBC TV) is a Canadian English-language broadcast television network owned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the national public broadcaster. The network began operations on September 6, 1952. Its French-l ...
,
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 Ca ...
,
CBC Radio 2 CBC Music (formerly known as CBC FM, CBC Stereo and CBC Radio 2) is a Canadian FM radio network operated by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. It used to concentrate on classical and jazz. In 2007 and 2008, the network transitioned towards a ...
,
CBC Music CBC Music (formerly known as CBC FM, CBC Stereo and CBC Radio 2) is a Canadian FM radio network operated by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. It used to concentrate on classical and jazz. In 2007 and 2008, the network transitioned towards a ...
, and
YouTube YouTube is a global online video platform, online video sharing and social media, 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 ...
. The concert featured 30 songs and three encore sets, with the band finishing with a performance of "
Ahead by a Century "Ahead by a Century" is a song by Canadian rock band the Tragically Hip. It was released as the lead single from the band's fifth studio album, '' Trouble at the Henhouse''. The song reached number one on Canada's singles chart, and is the band' ...
". 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 ''Secret Path'' is a Canadian multimedia storytelling project including a ten-song music album and tour, a graphic novel, an animated television film, and instructional materials. Released on October 18, 2016,concept album A concept album is an album whose tracks hold a larger purpose or meaning collectively than they do individually. This is typically achieved through a single central narrative or theme, which can be instrumental, compositional, or lyrical. Som ...
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 Canada, the Indian residential school system was a network of boarding schools for Indigenous peoples. The network was funded by the Canadian government's Department of Indian Affairs and administered by Christian churches. The school sy ...
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 The Canadian Newsmaker of the Year is a title awarded by The Canadian Press (CP) annually since 1946, based on a survey of editors and broadcasters across the country on which Canadian has had the most influence on the news in a given year. Crit ...
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 ...
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, t ...
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 ''Long Time Running'' is a Canadian documentary film, directed by Jennifer Baichwal and Nicholas de Pencier. The film profiles the Canadian rock band The Tragically Hip during their Man Machine Poem Tour of 2016,2017 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 architectu ...
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 The Juno Awards of 2018, honouring Canadian music achievements, were presented in Vancouver, British Columbia during the weekend of 24–25 March 2018. The primary telecast ceremonies were held at Rogers Arena. Vancouver previously hosted the Juno ...
, his brothers Patrick and
Mike Mike may refer to: Animals * Mike (cat), cat and guardian of the British Museum * Mike the Headless Chicken, chicken that lived for 18 months after his head had been cut off * Mike (chimpanzee), a chimpanzee featured in several books and docume ...
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 ''ET Canada'' (previously referred to as ''Entertainment Tonight Canada'') is a Canadian entertainment news television series, using the same format as the American entertainment newsmagazine ''Entertainment Tonight''. ''ET Canada'' is a broadcas ...
'' 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
ans Ans or ANS or ''variation'', may refer to: Places * Ans, Belgium, a municipality in Belgium * Ans, Denmark, a village in Denmark * Angus, Scotland, UK; a council area by its Chapman code * Ainsdale railway station, England, UK (by station code ...
understand 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 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 asph ...
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 Kingston Penitentiary (known locally as KP and Kingston Pen) is a former maximum security prison located in Kingston, Ontario, Canada, between King Street West and Lake Ontario. History Constructed from 1833 to 1834, and opened on June 1, 1 ...
, 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 ...
. 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 ''Saskadelphia'' is an EP by Canadian rock band The Tragically Hip, released on May 21, 2021.Jane Stevenson"The Tragically Hip's new album, Saskadelphia, 'feels like it's honouring' Gord Downie" '' Calgary Herald'', May 20, 2021. The band's firs ...
'', 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 Juno Awards of 2021, honouring Canadian music achievements, were presented on 6 June 2021, observing the 50th anniversary of these awards. The main ceremonies were televised on CBC. The ceremony was originally scheduled to take place in Ma ...
, 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 CBC Radio is the English-language radio operations of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. The CBC operates a number of radio networks serving different audiences and programming niches, all of which (regardless of language) are outlined below ...
'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 The Humanitarian Award (formerly the Allan Waters Humanitarian Award) is awarded by the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (CARAS) to Canadian musicians who have made significant humanitarian efforts. Since 2006, it is given annually ...
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 West Hollywood is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Incorporated in 1984, it is home to the Sunset Strip. As of the 2020 United States Census, 2020 U.S. Census, its population was 35,757. It is considered one of the most ...
. In September 2022, the surviving members again reunited to perform at a
Buffy Sainte-Marie Buffy Sainte-Marie, (born Beverly Sainte-Marie, February 20, 1941) is an Indigenous Canadian-American (Piapot Cree Nation) singer-songwriter, musician, composer, visual artist, educator, pacifist, and social activist. While working in these are ...
tribute show, supporting singer-songwriter William Prince on Sainte-Marie's "
Now That the Buffalo's Gone "Now That the Buffalo's Gone" is the first song from the 1964 album ''It's My Way!'' by Canadian First Nations singer-songwriter Buffy Sainte-Marie. The song's title refers to the near-extinction of the American bison and serves as a metaphor for ...
".


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 ...
'' wrote, "The place of honor that Mr. Downie occupies in Canada's national imagination has no parallel in the United States. Imagine
Bruce Springsteen Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen (born September 23, 1949) is an American singer and songwriter. He has released 21 studio albums, most of which feature his backing band, the E Street Band. Originally from the Jersey Shore, he is an originat ...
,
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. Poss ...
combined into one sensitive, oblique poet-philosopher, and you’re getting close." According to
Nielsen BDS Broadcast Data Systems (also known as BDS or Luminate BDS), is a service that tracks radio, television and internet airplay of songs. The service, which is a unit of MRC Data, is a contributing factor to North American charts published by co-owned ...
, 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 South ...
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 Richard Vincent "Rick" Mercer (born October 17, 1969) is a Canadian comedian, television personality, political satirist, and author. He is best known for his work on the CBC Television comedy shows ''This Hour Has 22 Minutes'' and '' Rick Merc ...
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 Fil ...
in
San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Francis of Assisi, 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 List of Ca ...
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 Kevin Brereton (born February 20, 1972), better known by his stage name k-os (; "chaos"), is a Canadian alternative rapper, singer, songwriter and producer. His given name may also be cited as Kheaven, a spelling he later adopted. The alias "k ...
, and
Kevin Drew Kevin Drew (born September 9, 1976) is a Canadian musician and songwriter who, together with Brendan Canning, founded the expansive Toronto baroque-pop collective Broken Social Scene. He was also part of the lesser-known KC Accidental, which con ...
.


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 forma ...
 – 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 The Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada (SOCAN) is a Canadian performance rights organization that represents the performing rights of more than 135,000 songwriters, composers and music publishers. The organization collects ...
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 The Royal Conservatory of Music (RCM), branded as The Royal Conservatory, is a non-profit music education institution and performance venue headquartered in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It was founded in 1886 by Edward Fisher (musician), Edward ...
: *2006: Presented with an honorary fellowship May 24 at the Windsor Arms Hotel in Toronto, Ontario
Governor General's Performing Arts Awards A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political r ...
: *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 The Humanitarian Award (formerly the Allan Waters Humanitarian Award) is awarded by the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (CARAS) to Canadian musicians who have made significant humanitarian efforts. Since 2006, it is given annually ...
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 ...
*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 Toro ...
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 Rush(es) may refer to: Places United States * Rush, Colorado * Rush, Kentucky * Rush, New York * Rush City, Minnesota * Rush Creek (Kishwaukee River tributary), Illinois * Rush Creek (Marin County, California), a stream * Rush Creek (Mono Cou ...
,
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 c ...
, 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 a ...
—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 fa ...
s. *On January 1, 2017,
CBC Radio 2 CBC Music (formerly known as CBC FM, CBC Stereo and CBC Radio 2) is a Canadian FM radio network operated by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. It used to concentrate on classical and jazz. In 2007 and 2008, the network transitioned towards a ...
'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 Blue Rodeo is a Canadian country rock band formed in 1984 in Toronto, Ontario. They have released 16 full-length studio albums, four live recordings, one greatest hits album, and two video/DVDs, along with multiple solo albums, side projects, a ...
,
Sarah Harmer Sarah Harmer (born November 12, 1970) is a Canadian singer, songwriter and environmental activist. Early life Born and raised in Burlington, Ontario, Harmer gained her first exposure to the musician's lifestyle as a teenager, when her older sis ...
,
Barenaked Ladies Barenaked Ladies is a Canadian rock band formed in 1988 in Scarborough, Ontario. The band developed a following in Canada, with their self-titled 1991 cassette becoming the first independent release to be certified gold in Canada. They reach ...
, 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 Arkells is a Canadian rock band, formed in Hamilton, Ontario. In 2006, they signed with Dine Alone Records, and have since signed with Universal Records Canada and Last Gang Records. They are managed by Last Gang Management. They have released s ...
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 George Mark Paul Stroumboulopoulos (; Greek: Γεώργιος Μάρκος Παύλος Στρουμπουλόπουλος; born August 16, 1972) is a Canadian media personality. He is one of Canada's most popular broadcasters and best known as fo ...
reaffirmed that "this is not a eulogy; this is a celebration." *On January 28, 2017, the
Kingston Frontenacs The Kingston Frontenacs are a junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey League, based in Kingston, Ontario, Canada. The Frontenacs play home games at Leon's Centre, which opened in 2008. Team history predates the OHA, back to 1945, to a te ...
of the
Ontario Hockey League The Ontario Hockey League (OHL; french: Ligue de hockey de l'Ontario (LHO)) is one of the three major junior ice hockey leagues which constitute the Canadian Hockey League. The league is for players aged 16–19. There are exceptions for overag ...
played against the
Mississauga Steelheads The Mississauga Steelheads are a junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey League, based in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. The Steelheads play their games at the Paramount Fine Foods Centre in Mississauga. History The OHL originated in Missi ...
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 P ...
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 Alberta Ballet (also known as the Alberta Ballet Company) was founded by Muriel Taylor and Dr. Ruth Carse in 1958 and became a professional company in 1966. The company is a resident company of both the Northern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium in Edmo ...
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 The Tragically Hip, often referred to simply as the Hip, were a Canadian rock band formed in Kingston, Ontario in 1984, consisting of vocalist Gord Downie, guitarist Paul Langlois, guitarist Rob Baker (known as Bobby Baker until 1994), bassi ...
'' (EP) (MCA, 1987) *''
Up to Here ''Up to Here'' is the debut studio album by Canadian rock band The Tragically Hip, released in September 1989. It is one of the band's most successful albums, achieving Diamond status in Canada for sales of over a million copies, earning the ban ...
'' (MCA, 1989) *'' Road Apples'' (MCA, 1991) *''
Fully Completely ''Fully Completely'' is the third studio album by Canadian rock band The Tragically Hip. The album was released in October 1992 and produced by Chris Tsangarides. The album produced six singles: "Locked in the Trunk of a Car", "Fifty Mission Cap" ...
'' (MCA, 1992) *''
Day for Night Day for night is a set of cinematic techniques used to simulate a night scene while filming in daylight. It is often employed when it is too difficult or expensive to actually shoot during nighttime. Because both film stocks and digital image s ...
'' (MCA, 1994) *''
Trouble at the Henhouse ''Trouble at the Henhouse'' is the fifth studio album by Canadian rock band The Tragically Hip, released in 1996. The song "Butts Wigglin'" appeared in the 1996 film '' Kids in the Hall: Brain Candy''. Commercial and critical performance The al ...
'' (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 Universal is the adjective for universe. Universal may also refer to: Companies * NBCUniversal, a media and entertainment company ** Universal Animation Studios, an American Animation studio, and a subsidiary of NBCUniversal ** Universal TV, a ...
, 1998) *''
Music @ Work ''Music @ Work'' is the seventh studio album by Canadian rock band The Tragically Hip. The album was leaked via the internet six weeks before its official release in June, 2000. It won the 2001 Juno Award for Best Rock Album. Commercial perform ...
'' (Universal, 2000) *'' In Violet Light'' (Universal, 2002) *''
In Between Evolution ''In Between Evolution'' is the ninth studio album by Canadian rock band The Tragically Hip. It was recorded at Studio X in Seattle and was released June 29, 2004. The album debuted at number one in Canada, selling 22,500 copies in its first wee ...
'' (Universal, 2004) *''
World Container ''World Container'' is the tenth studio album by Canada, Canadian rock band The Tragically Hip. It was released in Canada on October 17, 2006, in two formats: as a limited edition Digipak and regular jewel case. The United States release was Mar ...
'' (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 ''Saskadelphia'' is an EP by Canadian rock band The Tragically Hip, released on May 21, 2021.Jane Stevenson"The Tragically Hip's new album, Saskadelphia, 'feels like it's honouring' Gord Downie" '' Calgary Herald'', May 20, 2021. The band's firs ...
'' (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 po ...
*
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 The following diamond-certified albums in Canada have sold at least one million units (individual CDs, tapes or LPs) as determined by Canadian Recording Industry Association, the national music recording sales certification agency. The first ...
*
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 This is a list of bands from Canada. Only bands appear here; individual musicians are listed at list of Canadian musicians. 0-9 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z See also ...


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 Computing platform, software platform used for production of Flash animation, animations, rich web applications, application software, desktop applications, mobile apps, mo ...
) {{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