[intothenight]

I've kinda put some thought to this and think that the reason the Hip are so popular is because of Gord. Not his persona, but his general lyrical ability. The band writes some pretty great musical hooks, but I truly think that what sets the Hip apart from the rest of the music out there is Gordie's distinct voice and lyrics.

Despite said musical hooks, the band still uses the two guitar, bass, drums and singer format, which I find is getting pretty tired (the format not the hip's style). I believe few bands can still pull this format off today and keep their music relevant and interesting. The Hip do it, and the reason is because the lyrics don't allow the music to just blend in with all the other crap that is out there today.