Maple Men

Gentlemen of Canadian rock and pop, take a bow — these Essentials are dedicated to you. For you are the native-born grandfathers, pioneers and heroes of timeless music: you've inspired your fellow countrymen and you've spread your talents around the globe. Let's kick off in fine style with the Groover from Vancouver ("Summer of '69") and the Thinking Man's Rocker ("Life Is a Highway"). Head to Next Steps, where you'll find Robbie Robertson rubbing shoulders with Daniel Lanois.

The big guns of Canadian rock dominate the mid-section of our tribute to male musical excellence — Robbie Robertson was born in Toronto (1943) of Jewish and Mohawk descent before making his name with the Band. "Somewhere Down the Crazy River" appeared on his self-titled solo debut in 1987, which was coproduced with Daniel Lanois, represented in his own right here with "Where Will I Be." In Deep Cuts, we've stashed the wild men of Canadian rock.

Some of our greatest men of rock have made a trademark of their eccentricity, not least among them Nash the Slash ("Dead Man's Curve") who took his moniker from a villainous butler in the Laurel and Hardy movie Do Detectives Think? — well, it sounds better than Jeff Plewman, doesn't it. Fiddlin' firebrand Ashley MacIsaac also belongs among the looser cannons of this selection — although he's relatively restrained alongside Dallas Smith on "Mull of Kintyre."

It's only after you gather together the preeminent men of Canadian music in one place — as we have here under the Maple Men banner — that the sheer diversity of their output truly hits home. Stick your pin into this list at random, and you're just as likely to come up with the crossover hip-hop of K-OS ("Sunday Morning") as to find the landmark folk of Gordon Lightfoot ("The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald") or the francophonic rock of Éric Lapointe ("N'importe quoi"). Pride should not be considered a sin in the context of these stunning Essentials, which form the cornerstones of our musical heritage. Maple men, we salute you.