Ian and Sylvia's 1963 hootenanny classic Four Strong Winds has been selected as the most essential Canadian pop song since the year 1900. The winnowing process, begun several months ago on CBC Radio, was flawed from the point of view of selecting actual essential songs but was useful in spurring thoughtful (and/or emotional) discussion among Canadians who care about songs. Of the top ten songs, eight could be classified in the folk genre:
'Four Strong Winds' by Ian and Sylvia
'Heart of Gold' by Neil Young
'Northwest Passage' by Stan Rogers
'Canadian Railroad Trilogy' by Gordon Lightfoot
'Both Sides Now' by Joni Mitchell
'Suzanne' by Leonard Cohen
'Big Yellow Taxi' by Joni Mitchell
'Early Morning Rain' by Gordon Lightfoot
See the complete list here:
50 Tracks