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What this list is—and how to use it
The Tragically Hip formed in Kingston, Ontario, in 1984 and released their first album in 1987. Concord’s artist profile lists thirteen studio albums, a catalog large enough that a ten-song guide is best treated as a starting route rather than a complete portrait.
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These are Rolling Stone’s choices, hosted as a playlist on Apple Music. “Essential” here means an editorial introduction, not an agreed-upon ranking of the band’s best work. The songs are presented in playlist order, which offers a way to hear the selections without implying that one is objectively superior to another.
The 10 songs, in playlist order
- “Highway Girl” — The Tragically Hip EP. The list begins with an early release, before the band’s first full-length album.
- “New Orleans Is Sinking” — Up to Here.
- “Fiddler’s Green” — Road Apples.
- “Fifty-Mission Cap” — Fully Completely. Apple Music’s broader essentials guide connects the song to the story of the Toronto Maple Leafs.
- “Wheat Kings” — Fully Completely. Apple Music describes it as drawing on the story of wrongly convicted prisoners in Winnipeg.
- “Grace, Too” — Day for Night.
- “Ahead By a Century” — Trouble at the Henhouse.
- “Bobcaygeon” — Phantom Power. Apple Music connects the song to a small Ontario town.
- “Twist My Arm” — Road Apples.
- “Machine” — Man Machine Poem. Gord Downie described that album in 2016 as being about “Memory, transformation, and truth.”
The geographical and historical associations above are Apple Music’s editorial descriptions, not a claim that each song has only one interpretation. Taken together, the album credits show the selection reaching across the catalog rather than concentrating on one period.
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Which Tragically Hip essentials list should you choose?
| Selection | Who chose it | Size | Best use |
|---|---|---|---|
| “The Tragically Hip: 10 Essential Songs” | Rolling Stone | 10 songs | A quick introduction through a compact editorial selection. |
| Apple Music essentials playlist | Apple Music | 25 songs | A broader platform-curated overview; it includes descriptions of several songs’ Canadian subjects. |
| Yer Favourites | Fan-selected | Greatest-hits compilation; a track count is not stated in the cited label announcement. | A collection centered on fan favorites, rather than the same selection as Rolling Stone’s playlist. |
Universal Music Canada described Yer Favourites as fan-selected. In an April 6, 2023 announcement, the label said it had reached 14-times Platinum and more than half a billion global streams; those are label-reported milestones from 2023, not independently verified current totals. The label also announced a vinyl edition for June 2, 2023. Its existence makes the compilation a related physical listening option, but it should not be confused with this ten-song list.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Where to start listening
For a short sampler, play the Rolling Stone ten in order: it moves from an early EP through albums released across the band’s career. To hear more than this editorial selection, Apple Music’s 25-song essentials playlist is the broader of the two playlist options. For a fan-selected greatest-hits collection in a physical format, look for Yer Favourites; current retailer stock and pricing are not established here.
Quick Recap
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