Barenaked Ladies

Barenaked Ladies are responsible for some of the most indelible pop songs of the ’90s and 2000s, courtesy of lyrics that alternate between deeply quirky and heart-crushingly sentimental. The Canadian band’s biggest global hit, 1998’s motormouthed “One Week”, even bridges these two sides: underneath whimsical, hip-hop-influenced wordplay, the single is actually about a romantic couple in a fight. Schoolmates Ed Robertson and Steven Page formed Barenaked Ladies in 1988, with others joining shortly thereafter; they released several demo tapes (including The Yellow Tape, the first DIY cassette to go platinum in Canada) and earning their first Canadian hit single with a cover of Bruce Cockburn’s “Lovers In a Dangerous Time”. Their 1992 major-label debut, Gordon, hewed toward an acoustic-leaning folk-rock sound, led by fan favourites “Brian Wilson” and “If I Had $1,000,000”. (It soon became a ritual of adoration for fans to hurl pasta onstage at the band during the latter song’s reference to boxed macaroni and cheese.) Although the U.S. was slower to embrace Barenaked Ladies, the group made inroads thanks to their charismatic live show and 1996’s dark alternative-rock single “The Old Apartment”. However, they became full-fledged mainstream pop stars with the 1998 release of Stunt, which featured the aforementioned “One Week”, the jangly, retro power-pop gem “It’s All Been Done” and the gentle ballad “Call and Answer”. Maroon, containing the rollicking “Pinch Me”, followed two years later. Barenaked Ladies spent the next few decades touring and recording, weathering shifts such as Page’s 2009 departure from the band while maintaining their spirit of creative adventure. In 2020, the band teamed up with Michael Bublé and Sofía Reyes for the uplifting single “Gotta Be Patient”.