For Canada I'd say The Tragically Hip.
I'm not sure such a thing is possible now that fewer people listen to music from specifically Canadian sources. It used to be: commercial radio and music television, and both had strict Canadian content regulations.
I think there's still a chance for artists to be well known locally, but it would probably be based on where they play shows, and maybe social media.
I had no idea they weren't internationally renowned, but I grew up listening to 89x so I guess it would make sense that I knew of them despite being American.
Canada (or at least Ontario): The Barenaked Ladies.
I recently learned Americans consider them a One Hit Wonder for "One Week", but I could probably name like 9 hits just based off the radio, I never bought any of their albums or anything.
Oh wow, it was actually nine! I swear I didn't go back and edit that, and also that I didn't look up a list online. There may even be others I forgot. That was just from me trying to remember songs or music videos of theirs!
From my perspecive as a USian, I'd disagree. I remember Million Dollars was also a huge hit in the US and they toured a ton internationally, even before One Week. They played every major venue in the US (see Rock Spectacle, which was a live album that was also a hit in the US). I'd call them a pretty big act internationaly.
For Canada, I'd pick Bruce Cockburn (who wrote Lovers in a Dangerous Time), the Cowboy Junkies, Fred Eaglesmith, the Tragically Hip, or maybe Great Big Sea. Most of them have never had a proper international presence.
Dutch guy here,
We have some, but in my opinion: Racoon They aren't my style, but this is in my opinion a beautiful song. And this song single handedly changed them from a one-hit wonder, into one of the biggest bands in my country. The guitar part is notoriously hard, and the singer might be one of the best in our pop charts.
I'm American.
Kiuas never made it in America, and it was... By design.
If you felt like Iron Maiden needed an updated Finnish interpretation, you're in luck.
Blue Scholars and Common Market were such a huge presence in Seattle if you were in your 20s in the around 2005-2010. Both bands had DJ/producer Sabzi and he was just straight fire, with talented intelligent MCs flowing over the beats, MC Geologic in Blue Scholars and MC RA Scion in Common Market. Both sounds were diametrically opposed to the shallow vapid hip hop that was popular at the time, and I had thought it was inevitable that they were going to break out big and put Seattle on the map for something other than grunge.
Another Canadian. I met a couple of Americans who had never heard of Matthew Good. I guess he was only big in Canada. I hear he's an asshole, though.
Canadian radio laws force a certain percentage of airplay go to Canadian artists. This thread just proves that it's doing it's job! I lived 15 minutes away from the boarder back in high-school and Canadian radio was a blessing compared to what was on the dial locally.
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I would like to introduce you all to Dizzy Mizz Lizzy
Seriously, sprinkle them in your Spotify routine and shop around if you like them at first glance. They're a bit grunge, a bit alternative, but with a very distinct flavor.
Tim Christensen, the front man, is a creative genius, who adds a very unique sound to everything he touches. He also has some solo stuff that is absolutely worth checking out.
In my opinion, there is nothing quite like it, and if the timing had been better, Dizzy could've been one of the biggest bands in the world.
They have some heavier stuff, some lighter stuff, some funky rhythms, lots of genius guitar playing (I think all Danish guitarists are partially inspired by Tim C). All of it born from a completely unconditional love for music, which absolutely shines through.
Do give it a listen. If you like music, I guarantee you won't be disappointed.
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