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OK, help me out here. What exactly IS the Hip's status in the USA? Are they an obscure cult band? Or one of those bands that doesn't crack the charts but still has a respectably large fan following, is well-known to critics, etc.---in other words, a band that most musically-aware people have heard of? How many records do they sell in the US? And is their popularity growing, receding, or stable down south?
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I can count the number of times that I have heard the Hip on the radio in Connecitcut. I think that it depends on where you live in the states. I know the hip have a following in Detroit area, and I have heard them on the radio when traveling in MA or VT.
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They're DEFINITELY a cult band. They play such small clubs - and don't even sell out - that I highly doubt they get much radio airplay. They might be well known to critics, because people in high places praise new albums, but not with people. I've seen local Halifax acts sell more tickets here than the Hip do in some of those small American gigs.
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Definitely a confusing subject I'll admit; all this talk of "the Hip not offically having broken-through to American listeners" and what-not. I mean, is it factual that the Hip are bigger in Canada than the States? If so, is it because they're Canadian? Canadian artists signed onto American labels have varied levels of success. I suppose everyone in the states has heard of Nelly Furtado... but not the Hip? And surely American record labels are bigger and wealthier than Canadian record labels. It's one of those subjects I'd need more information to actually provide some sort of legitimate take on.
I admit I feel some sense of pride that the Hip are Canadian and I'm one of those bastards that feel their should be no nations. It's just I feel a "sense of connectedness" with what my country has sprung forth in terms of art and, less importantly in my view, political relations. But how can I say that I don't believe in nations and the world's population being separated and then turn and be proud of what my country has produced? This may be lond winded but it does have relevance. I mean the Hip are more known north of 49 than south. Maybe it just has to do with the type of music that is being made. The Hip have never been considered pop and that seems to be where the money is nowadays.
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The Hip are definitely an obscure cult band in the States, and they probably always will be. They certainly have a strong American fan base, mostly due to the huge amount of touring they've done over the years. As for American music critics, it seems the Hip can do no wrong. Pretty much every review I've ever read by an American critic has always been very positive. I remember during an interview in 2002, Robby mentioned that the only country where the Hip get bashed by critics was Canada.
The only song of theirs to ever crack the American charts was "Ahead by a Century", which debuted at #167 in 1996 (I can't believe I remember that), and then dropped completely off the charts a week later. If any song was going to break them in the States, ABAC was it. Strangely it didn't catch on.
I once heard that they had collectively sold approximately 200,000 albums in the U.S., but that was back in the Fully Completely days, so I'm sure that number has dwindled since then. When Fully was released, I remember it made small splash on American college radio, which helped them gain a nice cult following. If I was to guess, I'd say they probably manage to sell about 20,000 copies of each album in the States. But it might be more due to the huge population down there. Only Universal Records knows for sure.
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I am liveing in the Saint Louis area and you neaver hear of The Hip around here, I think they played here onece in 98. They play Chicago alot. I became a Hip fan well still liveing in Ottawa.
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I have a lot of friends in the States; some of them had never heard anything of the Hip's. And I know that "It's a Good Life" got a lot of radio play in the Virginias-Carolinas area, because when I sent some people in that area some songs off IVL, a surprising number of them said "Oh I've heard that, but I didn't know who did it". I think even people who don't know the band might have heard a song without realizing it.
I think the only reason they're so huge in Canada is that they MEAN so much to us. Even non-Hip-bluebloods love some songs and can sing along with them. Such brilliant artistry coming in the form of a radio-friendly package is hard to find up here. I don't know that we've ever had a truly loud rock and roll band who transcended the genre through the depth of their art. It's unique in Canada. BTO, The Guess Who, Neil Young - none of them can equal that. Neil's a legendary musician, but as a consummate songwriter? I don't think he has that kind of reputation. Gord's a true poet; that's hard to find in a band of musicians who make such truly great music.
I guess I feel that to Americans (except true Hipsters!), the Hip are just another rock band trying to make a go of it on the airwaves. The Hip don't "mean" as much to your average American. But there's no question they're bigger up here...20,000 person hockey arenas vs. 400 person clubs in the US. No question.
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Here, the Hip get ZERO airplay. College radio stations sometimes will play the first single off an album a few times, but it is extremely rare. I wouldn't even label the Hip as a "cult band", because usually a band acknowledged as such is one that most have heard of, but are unfamiliar with. Most everyone I know and meet here in Midwest U.S.A have never even heard of the Hip upon mention.
Now remember. I live in southern Ohio - this is not particularly true for urban centers near the the Great Lakes. They are much better known in cities like Cleveland, Erie, Toledo, etc., and have a somewhat substantial following in Detroit and even moreso Buffalo, from what I understand.
To my knowledge, The Hip came here (Cincinnati) only once ('96 or 97... it was the Henhouse tour) and played for a crowd that totaled about 200 people. They moved through the setlist quickly, and the show ended rather abruptly. I knew, after they hurried offstage that night, that my chances of seeing them back in Cincy was about nill, and they have yet to return.
I was floored when they landed that SNL gig....thought they might gain popularity as a result, but doesn't appear that way. If I EVER see or hear reference to the Hip here in the Midwest (without purposely seeking it out), I am always flabbergasted. No, they are hardly even a blip on this nation's radar screen.....
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Hard to believe considering they actually have a song NAMED after a place in Ohio! I would have thought "Chagrin Falls" would have been a big hit there! "Who are these guys and how do they know about Chagrin Falls?"
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Many of my bestfriends live in the US...one in Philly listens to music constantly, she's NEVER heard a Hip song played on the radio. I have to send her CD's to hear The Hip.
Another lives in Tampa...but she HAS heard of them...not on the radio, but at the Tampa Bay Lightning games...they play Hip songs pre-game and during intermission and commercial breaks. Interesting...
Kari
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But what you people have been saying that around your areas nobody has heard of the Hip, i could say the same about up here in Canada. Tons of my friends have never heard of the Hip and the few that have, don't listen to them...
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Any of my friends that know of the hip know of them because of me, or someone that lives close to the border... Buffalo, Watertown etc... I'd say within about 40 miles of the border, people know of them generally. Any further south than that, they are cult-purely word of mouth. Almost no one knows them. I'd bet even in albany a good chunk of the listers are from the north and syracuse areas.
