The Tragically Hip best-song bracket hits quarterfinals after 120 days of voting
Elite Eight matchups narrow the field with surprises: top seed Bobcaygeon is out, and "New Orleans is Sinking" didn't make the cut.
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The Tragically Hip best-song bracket has entered its final stretch after four months of voting. The Elite Eight—seven matchups plus a third-place contest—is down to these eight tracks: Nautical Disaster, Grace Too, At the Hundredth Meridian, Blow at High Dough, Wheat Kings, Courage (For Hugh MacLennan), Ahead By A Century, and Fiddler's Green.
Today's opening quarterfinal pits #16 seed Nautical Disaster against #9 seed Grace, Too, with new matchups running daily this week.
The bracket has already thrown up surprises. No. 1 seed Bobcaygeon—a fan favourite and the band's most famous single—was eliminated earlier in voting. The classic "New Orleans is Sinking" didn't make the Elite Eight at all. Even band favourite "Springtime in Vienna" bowed out before reaching the final eight.
The bracket began with all songs from Canada's most beloved band, as the Edmonton Journal framed them, and fans have had four months to listen, debate, and cast votes. The results have defied expectation in places, suggesting the pool of voters has deeper cuts in mind than the obvious radio hits.
New matchups run daily this week. Voting is open at the bracket page.
By the numbers
How long has voting been running?
The bracket has been open for four months, or 120 days as of Monday, September 21, 2026.
How many songs made the Elite Eight?
Eight tracks advanced to the Elite Eight: Nautical Disaster, Grace Too, At the Hundredth Meridian, Blow at High Dough, Wheat Kings, Courage (For Hugh MacLennan), Ahead By A Century, and Fiddler's Green.
