Canadian classic and bestseller Big Shiny Tunes compilation completed its twentieth anniversary at the end of 2016
Canadian classic and bestseller Big Shiny Tunes compilation completed its twentieth anniversary at the end of 2016. The compilation CD featured Canadian alternative rock music from names like Pluto, Sloan, Limblifter and Moist next to American artists such as Marilyn Manson, Beck and No Doubt and became a chartbuster.
[pullquote align=”normal” cite=”- Mark Teo, author A Big Shiny Legacy “]”It sets up the idea that this compilation is about, first of all, alternative music, but that it’s also about elevating Canadian artists up with the bigger American names of the time,”[/pullquote]
The albums became a popular name and subsequently followed by many more volumes of compilations with the second Big Shiny Tunes being the most popular to date. They have a combined selling total of more than 5 million albums and have said to be the bestselling album series in Canadian history.
“It sets up the idea that this compilation is about, first of all, alternative music, but that it’s also about elevating Canadian artists up with the bigger American names of the time,” Mark Teo, author of “A Big Shiny Legacy,” which reviews and analyzes the first installment in the series said.
The second album, which was the best selling in the range, sold out like hot cakes with a million copies being bought by music lovers. It featured Third Eye Blind and Smash Mouth alongside Canadians Bran Van 300 and The Tea Party.
The compilation came at a time when it was not possible to listen to the best songs online or choose to buy CDs with the songs that were the most popular. While the first album was released in 1996 , a new edition came out every year after that until 2009. Other versions such as the Big Shiny Tunes 90s and Big Shiny Tunes 90s volume 2 were also released.
“So much has happened to our tastes and how we consume music that I don’t think a compilation would make sense today. We’re less attached to physical mediums, we don’t listen to records in the same way,” Mark Teo said, adding that playlists and best-of lists on Spotify and other streaming services are relatively easy to find now.
The compilations brought up a renewed interest in home-grown Canadian music at a time when people were turning to the U.S for their music fix.
