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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.
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I agree fully with intothenight, but add only that the Hip's success is canada is augmented by Gord's fluent use of canadiana and relateable topics in his lyrics; their music speaks to the canadian everyman. Also, can anyone tell me the Hip's target audience? (rhetorical question)
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Hey Mr. Hart, I notice you're above me; welcome aboard.
I think the Hip are big in Canada for three reasons:
1) Killer songs
2) Killer song writing
3) Killer Can-Con radio policy which let them be exposed here, as opposed to other places where they didn't have the "pop" or "look" to get played.
The music made them stars, the live shows made them our Rolling Stones.
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Dame, I totally agree with you.
In my opinion, the biggest reason the Hip aren't popular in mainstream USA is because of our sorry excuse for radio. Oh, and that abercombie fest MTV.
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Yeah, Can-Con's got it's ups and downs, but I think the Trudeau government's plan of putting Canadian artists on equal ground with their American friends over Canadian airwaves has worked relatively well.
I think all the other points are good ones too, and now that I think about it, Corby's point about Canadiana probably was a big factor in the early days... if I may:
Growing up, it was reassuring to know that not only were these guys writing music that could piss my parents off, but they also laid bare a few common connections. They were from Ontario, they liked hockey, and it was nice –and rare– to hear songs on the radio about Prime Ministers instead of Presidents or Lake Ontario instead of the Mississippi. As a kid discovering his identity, growing up in a nation often pre-occupied with doing the same, it was a refreshing beat beyond the usual.
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I think its because of their diversity. Today, I heard 3 Hip songs on the Radio (ABAC, Meridian and 3 Pistols), and you wouldn't have been able to tell they were from the same band were it not for the unique vocal stylings of a certain Gord.
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It's probably too easy and a bit of a cop-out to say "all of the above"... but I believe it is the confluence of all those reasons that have made the Hip the Canadian icons they are.
Gord's awesome lyric-writing ability and his dropping of various bits of Canadiana in those lyrics, the great music in those songs and the tightness of the band made their albums great and made them stars. But the transcendence of their live show is what truly set them apart. In fact I would defy anyone to see the Hip live and not be convinced they are uniquely gifted in rocking & rolling and kicking ASS! :thumb:
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I think it's the hot chicks in their videos.
Q: besides the woman in Bobcaygeon, have there been any females in Hip videos?
ct
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If you ask why the Hip succeeded, you have to look beyond Can Con. All kinds of Canadian bands benefited from Can Con. But what pushed the Hip over the edge? What did they have that was extra?
Easy. They created a strongly Canadian identity at a time when Canadian nationalism was on the rise, thereby making themselves the band people could relate to.
