Obama's List: 49 from North of the 49th

CBC Radio-2 is sponsoring a special promotion for President-Elect Obama's inauguration where they will compile and present him with a playlist featuring 49 songs by Canadian recording artists (chosen by their listeners) that define our nation. Canadians are invited to vote for their picks on-line. Details here:

In response, I have begun to compile my own list of 49 selections that I consider representative of Canada. My preliminary playlist (subject to revision) is set out below, sorted in rough chronology from earliest recording to latest.

Caveats: I have limited most artists (with the exception of a few that were especially influential) to a single selection. I also tried to make balanced selections that were representative of all decades in Canadian recorded pop music and most genres. My list consists of entirely of English language songs (tho I recognize that Canada is an officially bilingual country, I am not sure Obama is fluent en Francais)

Steve's (prelim) list of 49 from north of the 49th

Guy Lombardo Auld Lang Syne
The Diamonds Little Darlin'
The Four Lads Moments to Remember
The Crew Cuts Sh-Boom
Paul Anka Diana
Oscar Peterson Trio Night Train
Steppenwolf Born to Be Wild
Blood Sweat and Tears Spinning Wheel
Neil Young Heart of Gold
Neil Young Old Man
Joni Mitchell Help Me
Leonard Cohen Suzanne
Leonard Cohen Hallelujah
Ian and Sylvia Four Strong Winds
The Band Up on Cripple Creek
Gordon Lightfoot Canadian Railroad Trilogy
Gordon Lightfoot Sundown
Anne Murray Snowbird
Anne Murray You Needed Me
Guess Who These Eyes
Guess Who American Woman
Andy Kim Rock Me Gently
BTO Takin' Care of Business
Heart Dreamboat Annie
Burton Cummings Stand Tall
Dan Hill Sometimes When We Touch
Trooper Raise a Little Hell
Kim Mitchell Go for Soda
Rush Closer to the Heart
Gino Vannelli I Just Wanna Stop
Bryan Adams Everything I do (I do it for you)
Tom Cochrane Life is a Highway
Barenaked Ladies One Week
Celine Dion My Heart Will Go On
kd lang Constant Craving
Shania Twain From this Moment
Alanis Morissette You Oughta Know
Jann Arden Insensitive
Cowboy Junkies Misguided Angel
Blue Rodeo Try
Alannah Myles Black Velvet
The Tragically Hip New Orleans is Sinking
Sarah McLaughlin Angel
Great Big Sea Ordinary Day
Nelly Furtado I'm Like a Bird
Avril Lavigne Complicated
Michael Buble Home
Amanda Marshall Everybody's Got a Story
Nickelback Photograph