Great Big Sea

Blending Newfoundland folk traditions with spirited barroom rock, Great Big Sea established themselves as the premier musical export of their home island. Formed in 1993 in St. John’s, they toured relentlessly from the get-go, gaining a reputation as a crack live act in pubs around Canada on the strength of their first two records—a 1993 self-titled album, composed mostly of traditionals like “I’se the B’y”, and 1995’s Up, which featured the breakneck cover of Slade’s “Run Runaway”. But 1997’s Play proved their breakthrough, bringing the kitchen party to the masses on tracks like “Ordinary Day” and wake staple “The Night Pat Murphy Died”. From their debut to their final record, 2010’s Safe Upon the Shore, every one of the band’s studio albums went gold or platinum in Canada, cementing a legacy as one of the East Coast’s most enduring acts.