You’re stranded on a desert island with nothing but time, a portable listening device and a battery that mysteriously never quits. We asked prominent musicians and music lovers to name the Canadian albums they can not live without.
Adrienne Clarkson, journalist and former governor-general of Canada
Former governor general Adrienne Clarkson.Justin Tang/The Canadian Press
The Future, Leonard Cohen (1992): It has some of his most mature and rich work, particularly Anthem. Leonard knew that “There is a crack, a crack in everything. That’s how the light gets in.”
Complete Greatest Hits, Gordon Lightfoot (2002): I always loved his voice and the poetry that he wrote, which were his songs.
Handel: Best of Messiah, Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra (2014): It moves me profoundly every time I listen to it.
Alex Lifeson, guitarist, Rush and Envy of None
Musician Alex Lifeson.Richard Sibbald/Supplied
Gord’s Gold, Gordon Lightfoot (1975): Best Canadian songwriter ever.
High Class in Borrowed Shoes, Max Webster (1977): Best Canadian band ever until the Tragically Hip.
Fully Completely, the Tragically Hip (1992): Best Canadian band ever.
101 Canadian albums to listen to now
Barbara Hannigan, soprano/conductor
Soprano and conductor Barbara Hannigan.Stefan Jerrevang/Reuters
Blue, Joni Mitchell (1971): A unique creative force, continually inspiring in her entire musicianship and tenacity.
Glenn Gould Plays Bach: The English Suites, Glenn Gould (1977): I remember in 1982, hearing on the CBC Radio that Glenn Gould had passed away. I was only 11, and this was the first time I had heard this great artist’s name.
Anne Murray’s Greatest Hits, Anne Murray (1980): A fellow Nova Scotian, the subject of one of my Girl Guide projects as a child, and I am still a fan.
Beverly Glenn-Copeland, singer-songwriter
Musician Beverly Glenn Copeland.Brianna Blank/The Canadian Press
Night Ride Home, Joni Mitchell (1991): Incredible songs with Joni’s classic arrangements. Favourite: Slouching Towards Bethlehem, her adaptation of Yeats’s poem, The Second Coming.
Hymns of the 49th Parallel, k.d lang (2004): My partner, Elizabeth, and I listened to this frequently on our many drives from Ontario to New Brunswick. Our favourites are the two Jane Siberry covers and Neil Young’s prophetic After the Gold Rush.
Alex Samaras Meets Judy Garland, Alex Samaras with Madeleine Ertel and Steven Noronha (2025): Alex’s massive range, his velvet tones − if you love Judy, you will love this album.
Brandi Disterheft, jazz bassist/composer
Jazz bassist Brandi Disterheft.
Big Band Jazz, Rob McConnell & the Boss Brass (1977): Most clever arrangements, holding up the bar for all big bands worldwide.
Introducing the Laila Biali Trio, Laila Biali (2004): The track Softly as in a Morning Sunrise boasts Laila’s brilliant prowess to capture a mood and then exploit and expound on it.
Multitudes, Feist (2023): Breathtaking harmonies to inspire reflection. Love Feist’s effortless sound.
Cadence Weapon, rapper/former Edmonton Poet Laureate
Cadence Weapon.Chris Young/The Canadian Press
On the Beach, Neil Young (1977): A perfect desert island disc, it’s an album with a particularly languorous mood that feels as if you could live inside of it.
Vertex, Buck 65 (1997): It blew my mind when I was a kid with the wildness of the subject matter and the sonics, pretty much singlehandedly expanding the boundaries of what I thought was possible in hip hop.
Destroyer’s Rubies, Destroyer (2006): The record that truly swept me into the Dan Bejar cinematic universe.
Elisapie, singer-songwriter/broadcaster
Elisapie attends the 54th annual JUNO Awards.Jennifer Gauthier/Reuters
Songs of Leonard Cohen, Leonard Cohen (1967): It’s like a temple where you go to find your truth, spirit, humanity, love of life and beauty. Leonard becomes your guide, and it feels so good to be guided by him.
The Caution Horses, Cowboy Junkies (1990): Listening to the album as a teenager in Salluit, Que., it felt like Margo Timmins was whispering to me, telling me it’s going to be okay, that I’m not alone. Such an intimate, beautiful folk album − time is slow.
Creation Never Sleeps, Creation Never Dies, Willie Dunn (2021): An anthology every Canadian should listen to. A true voice, Indigenous activist, poet and filmmaker.
Justin Trudeau, Canada’s 23rd prime minister (whose picks speak for themselves)
Former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.Chris Jackson/Getty Images
Hymns of the 49th Parallel, k.d. lang (2004)
Like a Man, Adam Cohen (2011)
Funeral Sky, Reuben and the Dark (2014)
k-os, rapper/singer-songwriter
Kevin Brereton, also known as K-OS.JENNIFER ROBERTS/The Globe and Mail
Sundown, Gordon Lightfoot (1974): Lightfoot’s timbre and cadence are both canvas and paint.
The Underground Tapes, Saukrates (1999): Storytelling over a beat-maze orchestrated from a bedroom in Scarborough, Ont., and shot out into the hip hop world. It set the bar for us.
Late Show, the Beaches (2017): Rock ’n’ roll bangers based on visceral, real-life experiences. Not manufactured insta-rock.
Rob Baker, Tragically Hip guitarist
The Tragically Hip, from left, Gord Sinclair, Rob Baker, Paul Langlois and Johnny Fay.Chris Pizzello/The Canadian Press
Gord’s Gold, Gordon Lightfoot (1975): I know picking a best-of collection is a cop out, but to me this is essential.
All the World’s a Stage, Rush (1976): I saw Rush for the second time right when this album came out. One of the most unique bands anywhere, ever.
Northern Lights−Southern Cross, the Band (1975): They may be the progenitors of Americana, but they were 80 per cent Canadian. This album has a song that should be taught in every Canadian high school: Acadian Driftwood.
