The lost hits
- "Someone Who's Cool" — the Odds — got some rotation, deserved more.
- "I Go Blind" — 54-40 — the original before the Hootie version: the deserved-bigger paradox.
- "Echo Beach" — Martha and the Muffins — big in Canada, deserved the world.
- "Nova Heart" — the Spoons — the deep cut that deserved mainstream rotation.
- "Blown Wide Open" — Big Wreck — the album track that radio passed on.
- "Nautical Disaster" — the Hip — the deep cut that deserved single status.
- "Mushaboom" — Feist — the pre-"1234" single that deserved the "1234" treatment.
The near-miss's meaning
The meaning: the charts measure the market, not the quality — the great lost hits find their audiences eventually, retroactively, cultishly. The songs that should have been bigger become the fans' secret canon — the code that separates the collectors from the casual. The secret canon holds. The collectors know. The songs wait patiently for their rediscovery.
Frequently asked questions
What Canadian songs deserved to be bigger?
“I Go Blind,” “Echo Beach,” and “Blown Wide Open” — the great lost hits of the canon.
Why do great songs miss the charts?
The charts measure the market, not the quality — the lost hits find their audiences eventually.
Where do lost hits live now?
The fans' secret canon — the code that separates the collectors from the casual.