This is a summary of the year 2012 in the Canadian music industry.
Events February 13 – The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation launches CBC Music, a digital music service which offers streaming audio broadcasts of 40 different music genre channels, in addition to the existing CBC Radio 2 and CBC Radio 3 services, on both the Internet and iOS devices."CBC digital music service launched". CBC News, February 13, 2012. April 1 – Juno Awards of 2012 June 14 – Prelimimary longlist for the 2012 Polaris Music Prize is announced."Polaris Prize long list includes lots of Toronto bands". Toronto Star, June 14, 2012. July 17 – Shortlist for the 2012 Polaris Music Prize is announced. September 24 – Feist's album Metals is announced as the winner of the Polaris Music Prize.
Bands on hiatus Karkwa"Karkwa Plot Live Album, Announce Hiatus". Exclaim!, December 14, 2011.
Albums released
A Amos the Transparent, Goodnight My Dear, I'm Falling Apart (February 14) Amylie, Le Royaume Androgynous Mind, Nightstalker Apollo Ghosts, Landmark Marie-Pierre Arthur, Aux alentours Azari & III, Azari & III
B Baby Eagle and the Proud Mothers, Bone Soldier (March 6) Bahamas, Barchords (February 7) Del Barber, Headwaters Bidiniband, In the Rock Hall (January 24). Exclaim!, December 12, 2011. Justin Bieber, Believe Big Brave, An Understanding Between People Billy Talent, Dead Silence, September 9, 2012 The Birthday Massacre, Hide and Seek (October 9) Blue Moon Marquee, Stainless Steel Heart Boxer the Horse, French Residency Brasstronaut, Mean Sun (May 15)
C Cadence Weapon, Hope in Dirt City (May 29) Cancer Bats, Dead Set on Living Caracol, Shiver Paul Cargnello, Papa Paul Change of Heart, There You Go '82 – '97 (September 18, 2012)"Change of Heart Reveal 'There You Go '82–'97' Retrospective". Exclaim!, August 8, 2012. Tim Chaisson, The Other Side (September 25) The City Streets, White Lightning (spring) The City Streets, Sawdust & Rum (spring) Leonard Cohen, Old Ideas (January 31) Cold Specks, I Predict a Graceful Expulsion (May 21) Cookie Duster, When Flying Was Easy (June)"Brendan Canning on Cookie Duster and Life After BSS: 'I Wanted a Fresh Perspective'" . Spinner, June 26, 2012. Ève Cournoyer, Le labeur d'une fleur Rose Cousins, We Have Made a Spark Devin Cuddy, Volume One Cuff the Duke, In Our Time (April 12) Cuff the Duke, Union (October 2) Amelia Curran, Spectators (October 2)
D The Damn Truth, Dear in the Headlights Daphni, Jiaolong Diamond Rings, Free Dimensional Digawolf, Naka De Céline Dion, Sans attendre Julie Doiron, So Many Days (October 23)"Julie Doiron Announces 'So Many Days' Album". Exclaim!, September 17, 2012. Dumas, L'Heure et l'endroit Durham County Poets, Where the River Flows Dusted, Dusted
E Kathleen Edwards, Voyageur (January 17) Coral Egan, The Year He Drove Me CrazyBernard Pérusse, "Rekindling a love affair with her music and life; A new romance helped awaken Montreal singer Coral Egan's creativity after a period of self-doubt". Montreal Gazette, September 11, 2012. The Elwins, And I Thank You (February 21) Quique Escamilla, Quique Escamilla Esthero, Everything Is Expensive (October 30) Evening Hymns, Spectral Dusk
F Jeremy Fisher, Mint Juleps Front Line Assembly, AirMech (November 13) Nelly Furtado, The Spirit Indestructible (September 18)
G Gentleman Reg, Leisure Life Hannah Georgas, Hannah Georgas"Hannah Georgas Details Sophomore Album, Premieres New Track". Exclaim!, August 22, 2012. Ghostkeeper, Horse Chief! War Thief! Jenn Grant, The Beautiful Wild (September 25) Great Bloomers, Distant Fires Great Lake Swimmers, New Wild Everywhere (April 3)Great Lake Swimmers: "Easy Come Easy Go" . Exclaim!, January 9, 2012. Grey Kingdom, The Weeping Suns; Light, I'll Call Your Name Out "Darkness" Grimes, Visions (February 21) Godspeed You! Black Emperor, 'Allelujah! Don't Bend! Ascend! (October 1)
H Hot Panda, Go Outside Joshua Hyslop, Where the Mountain Meets the Valley
I Islands, A Sleep & a Forgetting (February 14)
J JBM, Stray Ashes Japandroids, Celebration Rock Carly Rae Jepsen, Curiosity Carly Rae Jepsen, Kiss July Talk, July Talk
K Kalle Mattson, Lives in Between Karkwa, Karkwa Live Peter Katz, Still Mind Still Mo Kenney, Mo Kenney Kid Koala, 12 Bit Blues, (September 18) Keith Kouna, Du plaisir et des bombes K'naan, Country, God or the Girl, (October 16) K'naan, More Beautiful Than Silence (January 31)"K'naan Recruits Nas, Nelly Furtado for 'More Beautiful Than Silence' EP". Exclaim!, January 18, 2012. Kristina Maria, Tell the World
L Zachary Lucky, Saskatchewan
M Madison Violet, The Good in Goodbye Maestro Fresh Wes, Black Tuxedo EP (September 18) Maïa, HéritageAndré Péloquin, "Maïa Davies : Retour aux sources". Voir, September 20, 2012. Mares of Thrace, The PilgrimageNatalie Zina Walschots, "Mares Of Thrace: The Pilgrimage". Exclaim!, April 23, 2012. Carolyn Mark, The Queen of Vancouver Island Masia One, Bootleg Culture (June 19) Matt Mays, Coyote Eamon McGrath, Young Canadians Loreena McKennitt, Troubadours on the Rhine Holly McNarland, Run Body Run Memoryhouse, The Slideshow Effect (February 28)"Exclaim!'s 20 Most Anticipated Canadian Albums of 2012". Exclaim!, January 3, 2012. Metric, Synthetica (June 12) METZ, METZ Millimetrik, Read Between the Rhymes Ariane Moffatt, MA Mother Mother, The Sticks
N Northern Haze, Sinaaktuq
O Mike O'Neill, Wild Lines Octoberman, Waiting in the Well Ohbijou, Metal Meets Karim Ouellet, Fox Our Lady Peace, Curve (April 3)
P Dorothea Paas, Same Sun Doug Paisley, Golden Embers Parlovr, Kook Soul Pascale Picard Band, Trauma: Chansons de la série télé Saison 3 Dany Placard, Démon vert Plants and Animals, The End of That (February 28)"Plants and Animals to release The End of That on February 28, 2012; first single Lightshow" . Hour Community, November 30, 2011. Joel Plaskett, Scrappy Happiness (March 27)"Joel Plaskett's Announces 'Scrappy Happiness' LP, Canadian Tour with Frank Turner". Exclaim!, January 6, 2012. Chad Price, In This Dream PS I Love You, Death Dreams Purity Ring, Shrines
R Radio Radio, Havre de Grace (April 17) Rah Rah, The Poet's Dead Johnny Reid, Fire It Up Rush, Clockwork Angels
S Julien Sagot, Piano mal Said the Whale, Little Mountain (March 6)"Canadian musicians to watch in 2012". Vancouver Sun, December 22, 2011. John K. Samson, Provincial (January 24)"John K. Samson Reveals Canadian Tour, Premieres New Track". Exclaim!, December 12, 2011. Saukrates, Season One (April 24) Crystal Shawanda, Just Like You Shout Out Out Out Out, Spanish Moss and Total Loss (June 19)"Shout Out Out Out Out Announce 'Spanish Moss and Total Loss' Album, Share New Single". Exclaim!, March 7, 2012. Zal Sissokho, Le Partage Skydiggers, Northern Shore (April 17)"Skydiggers 'Northern Shore' (album stream)" . Exclaim!, April 9, 2012. The Slakadeliqs, The Other Side of Tomorrow Smash Brovas, Think It's a Game? Dallas Smith, Jumped Right In - May 22 John Southworth, Failed Jingles for Bank of America and Other Corporations Rae Spoon, I Can't Keep All of Our Secrets (January 10)"Rae Spoon Talks 'I Can't Keep All of Our Secrets,' Reveals New Track and Canadian Tour". Exclaim!, November 23, 2011. Stars, The North Jeffery Straker, Vagabond – October 2 Serena Ryder, Harmony
T The Tragically Hip, Now for Plan A A Tribe Called Red, A Tribe Called Red
V Chad VanGaalen, The Green Corridor Various Artists, Have Not Been the Same – November 13"'Have Not Been the Same' Gathers Rare and Unreleased Material from Sloan, Skydiggers, the Pursuit of Happiness for Charity Comp". Exclaim!, October 10, 2012.
W Martha Wainwright, Come Home to Mama Rufus Wainwright, Out of the Game Patrick Watson, Adventures in Your Own Backyard (April 17) Wax Mannequin, No Safe Home Whitehorse, The Fate of the World Depends on This Kiss Wintersleep, Hello Hum Royal Wood, We Were Born to Glory The Wooden Sky, Every Child a Daughter, Every Moon a Sun (February 28)"The Wooden Sky Unveil New LP, North American Tour". Exclaim!, December 13, 2011. Woodpigeon, For Paolo Wool on Wolves, Measures of Progress
Y Neil Young, Americana Yukon Blonde, Tiger Talk – March 20
Z Zeus, Busting Visions
Top hits on record The lists are updated weekly through Jam! and Nielsen Soundscan.
Top 10 Canadian albums RankArtistAlbumPeakpositionSalesCertification1Celine DionSans attendre1209,0003× Platinum2Justin BieberBelieve1179,0002× Platinum3Various ArtistsStar Académie 20121156,0002× Platinum4Leonard CohenOld Ideas1132,000Platinum5Johnny ReidFire It Up280,000Platinum5Marie-MaiMiroir280,000Platinum5Serena RyderHarmony1180,000Platinum5The SheepdogsThe Sheepdogs180,000Platinum5The TenorsLead With Your Heart380,000Platinum5Various ArtistsStar Académie NoëlTBA80,000Platinum
Top 10 American albums RankArtistAlbumPeakpositionSalesCertification1Taylor SwiftRed1320,0004× Platinum2Bruno MarsUnorthodox Jukebox2240,0003× Platinum3Imagine DragonsNight Visions4240,0003× Platinum4PinkThe Truth About Love1240,0003× Platinum5Lana Del ReyBorn to Die3160,0002× Platinum6The LumineersThe Lumineers5160,0002× Platinum7Carrie UnderwoodBlown Away180,000Platinum{8Florida Georgia LineHere's to the Good Times880,000Platinum9fun.Some Nights580,000Platinum10Jack WhiteBlunderbuss180,000Platinum
Top 10 British albums RankArtistAlbumPeakpositionSalesCertification1Mumford & SonsBabel1400,0005× Platinum2One DirectionTake Me Home1240,0003× Platinum3Rod StewartMerry Christmas, Baby1240,0003× Platinum4One DirectionUp All Night1234,0003× Platinum5Ed Sheeran+5160,0002× Platinum6Led ZeppelinCelebration Day4160,0002× Platinum7MuseThe 2nd Law280,000Platinum8One DirectionUp All Night: The Live Tour160,0005× Platinum9Alt-JAn Awesome WaveTBA40,000Gold9Calvin Harris18 Months840,000Gold
Top 10 International albums RankArtistAlbumPeakpositionSalesCertification1Of Monsters and MenMy Head Is an Animal5160,0002× Platinum2RihannaUnapologetic180,000Platinum2Various Artists2012 Grammy NomineesTBA80,000Platinum4GotyeMaking Mirrors540,000Gold4Various ArtistsThe Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey – Original Motion Picture SoundtrackTBA40,000Gold4Various ArtistsRock of Ages: Original Motion Picture SoundtrackTBA40,000Gold7Nicki MinajPink Friday: Roman Reloaded117,300TBA8The CranberriesRoses63,100TBA9Various ArtistsNow! 202TBATBA10Sigur RósValtari4TBATBA
Top 10 Singles RankArtistSongAlbumPeakpositionSalesCertification1Carly Rae Jepsen"Call Me Maybe"Curiosity & Kiss1640,0008× Platinum2Imagine Dragons"Radioactive"Night Visions5560,0007× Platinum3Macklemore & Ryan Lewis"Thrift Shop"The Heist1560,0007× Platinum4Maroon 5"One More Night"Overexposed2480,0006× Platinum5Bruno Mars"Locked Out of Heaven"Unorthodox Jukebox1400,0005× Platinum6Flo Rida"Whistle"Wild Ones1400,0005× Platinum7fun."Some Nights"Some Nights4400,0005× Platinum8The Lumineers"Ho Hey"The Lumineers2400,0005× Platinum9Maroon 5 featuring Wiz Khalifa"Payphone"Overexposed1400,0005× Platinum10Mumford & Sons"I Will Wait"Babel9400,0005× Platinum
Canadian Hot 100 Year-End List