Canadian songs turning 20 in 2025: from Jully Black, Daniel Powter, Martha Wainwright and more
CDs were over, iPods were in, and these songs helped define 2005
Twenty years ago, Canadian music was at a pivotal apex: indie rock ruled college campuses and CBC Radio 3, hard rock swelled and swaggered across mainstream airwaves, future R&B and hip-hop legends emerged, and singer-songwriters offered up melodic confessionals and unlikely sing-along anthems with multigenerational appeal.
From career-defining hits to instant classics to forgotten gems, here's a look back at what we were all listening to in Canadian music circa 2005.
'Photograph,' Nickelback
Despite all the memes and jokes about this song ("look at this graaaph"), it went double platinum for good reason. It's undeniably well written, with the verses being just as catchy as the chorus, all while leaning heavily into nostalgia, reminiscing about first loves, old friends and simpler times. — Jesse Kinos-Goodin
'Shine a Light,' Wolf Parade
It's impossible to listen to "Shine a Light" and not be instantly transported to the place you first heard it. From the existential lyrics to Dan Boeckner's gravelly, searing vocal delivery to the slow crescendo that builds to the song's cathartic climax, it perfectly captures indie rock in 2005. — JK-G
'Everyday (Rudebwoy),' Kardinal Offishall
Before anyone ever mentioned the 6ix, there was T-Dot, with Kardinal Offishall as its undeniable global ambassador. "Everyday (Rudebwoy)" represents the best of that early Toronto sound, effortlessly blending dancehall and rap all while Kardi rides the beat with his inimitable flow. — JK-G
'Middle of Nowhere,' Hot Hot Heat
Hot Hot Heat's jubilant indie-rock track "Middle of Nowhere" from the band's second album, Elevator, is a bright, uptempo banger. Frontman Steve Bays' vocals shine on the infectious chorus: "To give you something to go on when I go off back to the middle of nowhere." Its sunny melody made it an instant smash, gaining traction with placements in Psych and One Tree Hill episodes. — Natalie Harmsen
'All Used Up,' Sloan
"All Used Up" was one of two new tracks on Sloan's 2005 compilation album, A Sides Win: Singles 1992–2005, and the track contains infectious melodies and a delightfully hook-y chorus. The pounding drumbeat, buzzing electric guitars and unabashed vocal performance make it an underrated anthem in Sloan's catalogue. — NH
'Bad Day,' Daniel Powter
It may be a one-hit-wonder, but there's no denying the ubiquitousness of Daniel Powter's chart-topper "Bad Day." From being featured in TV shows including Veronica Mars and Saturday Night Live to getting played on radio stations around the world, and receiving the cover treatment by Alvin and the Chipmunks, the pop earworm about overcoming personal strife was everywhere — and eventually earned Powter a Grammy nomination for best male pop performance. — NH
'7/4 Shoreline,' Broken Social Scene
There aren't many big, anthemic rock songs that use 7/4 time — at least not compared to the more common 4/4 time signature. Toronto collective Broken Social Scene's third studio album had an everything-but-the-kitchen-sink approach (complimentary) that transformed cacophony into indie-rock gold, including this standout single featuring impassioned vocals led by Leslie Feist, a crashing instrumental break and a subsequent fist-pumping climax where horns rise up like a triumphant banner. — Melody Lau
'Monster Hospital,' Metric
From the moment this song starts, you know you're in for a wild, raucous ride. One of Metric's earliest hits, off the band's sophomore album, Live it Out, "Monster Hospital" is pure rock adrenaline. "I fought the war/ but the war won," Emily Haines sings repeatedly, referencing Bobby Fuller's famous rendition, unafraid to reconstruct it into something darker and more visceral with every sharp, slicing guitar riff. — ML
'Sharks,' Cadence Weapon
With the Canadian hip-hop scene concentrated in Toronto in the 2000s, rappers like Edmonton's Cadence Weapon had more freedom to experiment with his sound versus sticking to a tried-and-true blueprint. Case in point "Sharks," a standout from his debut album that draws influence from grime, electronic and even video games as he challenged others to "stop biting my shit." — ML
'Let's Go,' Shawn Desman
Shawn Desman's sophomore album, Back For More, earned the Toronto R&B singer, dancer and choreographer his first Juno, and it gave us "Let's Go," a club-ready banger with an accompanying dance led by Desman himself. The opening synth riff sampled British new wave group Yazoo's song "Don't Go," and is still an undeniable earworm. — Holly Gordon
'Jaws of Life,' Wintersleep
Wintersleep's late-aughts success was a slow burn built on three excellent albums, with the Yarmouth, N.S., band's second release dropping in 2005 under the unceremonious name Untitled. "Jaws of Life" bursts from the tracklist an unpolished but gleaming gem, as Paul Murphy's unvarnished vocals meet Loel Campbell's impeccable drumming and Tim d'Eon's fuzzed-out guitar for a taste of what was to come on 2007's critically acclaimed Welcome to the Night Sky. — HG
'Escarpment Blues,' Sarah Harmer
"If they blow a hole in my backyard/ everyone is gonna run away/ and the creeks won't flow to the Great Lake below/ will the water in the wells still be OK?" Sarah Harmer laments on "Escarpment Blues," kickstarting her years-long fight to protect the Niagara Escarpment and signalling her environmental focus both within and outside of music. Off 2005's I'm a Mountain, the song would help garner Harmer a spot on the inaugural Polaris Music Prize short list, as well as three Juno nominations. — HG
'Home,' Michael Bublé
In 2005 — before the existence of his first Christmas album — Michael Bublé was mainly known for his affinity for dipping into the Great American Songbook and producing albums chock-full of standards. "Home" was Bublé's first major single that wasn't a cover, and its earnestness endeared him to an entirely new audience. Written while he was touring in Italy, missing his then fiancée, Debbie Timuss, his wistful pleading ruled the airwaves and the song went platinum in Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom. — Kelsey Adams
'Sweat of Your Brow,' Jully Black
The second single off Jully Black's debut album is an anthem to get you through gruelling times. "Sweat of Your Brow" is an upbeat vessel for some harsh truths: "Enjoy all your struggles/ and appreciate the plight/ 'cause when darkness turns to light/ everything will be all right." The jubilant horns and reggae groove give a Jamaican flare to the song — a sound that would go on to define her brand of R&B. — KA
'Old Skool Love,' Divine Brown
Divine Brown's enduring ballad still has the same sing-along value 20 years later. "Old Skool Love" finds Brown reminiscing on a past love, one whose spectre has followed her into her next relationship: "I don't want you back/ but I'll never, ever love the same way again." For anyone going through a similar situation, the dulcet tone of her voice and the rocking melody are still there to wrap you in a hug as you completely unravel. — KA
'Bloody Mother F--king Asshole,' Martha Wainwright
Martha Wainwright knows how to make a first impression. Her provocatively titled and emotionally devastating first single signalled the arrival of a stunningly vulnerable, gloriously messy icon-in-the-making. "BMFA" was, famously, inspired by Wainwright's father, famed singer-songwriter Loudon Wainwright III (father to Rufus and Lucy, ex-husband to the late Kate McGarrigle) but it's so much more than that. "I will not pretend/ I will not put on a smile/ I will not say I'm all right for you/ when all I wanted was to be good," Wainwright sings, before following it up with this one-two punch: "Oh, I wish, I wish, I wish I was born a man/ so I could learn how to stand up for myself." — Andrea Warner
'Sing Me Spanish Techno,' the New Pornographers
The joy of experimentation was part of the foundation of the New Pornographers' music in the beginning, with Dan Bejar and Neko Case periodically taking the helm as lead vocalists from primary singer-songwriter A.C. Newman. "Sing Me Spanish Techno," from the group's third album, Twin Cinema, is a vibrant ode to curiosity and creativity and the whole-hearted pleasure of keeping oneself alive and open to the lush possibilities of new sounds, rhythms and beats. — AW