What Is It About Canadian Musicians?

Arcade Fire are lighting it up.
Last weekend the Montreal indie-rockers latest offering, The Suburbs, debuted at the number one position on the British album charts. This week saw the band knock-off Eminem’s album Recovery from the top slot on Canadian and American charts.
Chart-topping Canucks are nothing new. We have known for a long time that our musical talent pool runs deep and wide.
Per capita, the Great White North has produced some of the greatest musicians of all-time. We claim Oscar Peterson, Neil Young, Alanis Morissette, The Band, Joni Mitchell, Rush, Paul Anka, Céline Dion, BTO, The Guess Who, Leonard Cohen, Shania Twain, and myriad of others as our own. Not to mention the recent south-of-the-border successes of Nickelback, Michael Bublé, the Bieber Fever pandemic, and Drake. If you’re still in doubt, just take a listen to any album on the Polaris Music Prize Long and Short lists.
What is it about Canada that allows us to consistently develop, nurture, and generate such amazing artists and musicians? Is it the cold weather? Maple syrup fuelled creativity? An openness and diversity, both culturally and geographically, that allows our artists to explore new realms of inspiration?
Whatever it is, it seems to be working.