RPM (magazine)

RPM

Editor	Walt Grealis
Categories	Music magazines
Frequency	Weekly
First issue	24 February 1964
Final issue — Number	13 November 2000 Volume 71, No. 27
Company	RPM
Country	Canada
Website	RPM homepage
ISSN	issues: 0315-5994 Later issues: 0033-7064 Early issues: 0315-5994 Later issues: 0033-7064

RPM was a Canadian music industry publication that featured song and album charts for Canada. The publication was founded by Walt Grealis in February 1964, supported through its existence by record label owner Stan Klees. RPM ceased publication in November 2000.

RPM stood for "Records, Promotion, Music". The magazine was reported to have variations in its title over the years such as RPM Weekly and RPM Magazine. RPM maintained several format charts including Top Singles (all genres), Adult Contemporary, Rock/Alternative and Country Tracks (aka Top Country Tracks) for country music.

The RPM Awards

The modern Juno Awards had their origins in an annual survey conducted by RPM since its founding year. Readers of the magazine were invited to mail in survey ballots to indicate their choices under various categories of people or companies.

The RPM Awards poll was transformed into a formal awards ceremony, The Gold Leaf Awards in 1970. These became the Juno Awards in following years.^[1]

1964 RPM Awards

The RPM Awards for 1964 were announced in the 28 December 1964 issue:^[2]

• Top male vocalist: Terry Black
• Top female singer: Shirley Matthews
• Most promising male vocalist: Jack London
• Most promising female vocalist: Linda Layne
• Top vocal instrumental group: The Esquires^[3]
• Top female vocal group: Girlfriends
• Top instrumental group: Wes Dakus
• Top folk group: The Courriers^[4]
• Top country male singer: Gary Buck
• Top country female singer: Pat Hervey
• Industry man of the year: Johnny Murphy of Cashbox Canada
• Top record company: Capitol Records of Canada
• Top Canadian Content record company: Capitol Records of Canada
• Top national record promoter: Paul White, Capitol Records of Canada
• Top regional record promoter: Ed Lawson, Quality Records
• Top album of the year (GMP): That Girl by Phyllis Marshall

A column on page 6 of that issue noted that the actual vote winner for Top Canadian Content record company was disqualified due to a conflict of interest involving an employee of that company who was also working for RPM. Therefore, runner-up Capitol Records was declared the category's winner.

1965 RPM Awards

The Annual RPM Awards for 1965 were announced in the 17 January 1966 issue, with more country music categories than the previous year:^[5]

• Top male vocalist: Bobby Curtola
• Top female singer: Catherine McKinnon
• Most promising male vocalist: Barry Allen
• Most promising female vocalist: Debbie Lori Kaye
• Top vocal/instrumental group: The Guess Who
• Top female vocal group: Girlfriends
• Top instrumental group: Wes Dakus
• Top folk group: Malka and Joso
• Top folk singer: Gordon Lightfoot
• Best produced single: "My Girl Sloopy", Little Caesar and the Consuls
• Best produced album: Voice of an Angel by Catherine McKinnon
• Top country male singer: Gary Buck
• Top country female singer: Dianne Leigh
• Most promising country male singer: Angus Walker
• Most promising country female singer: Sharon Strong
• Top country instrumental vocal group: Rhythm Pals
• Top country instrumentalist: Roy Penney
• Top country radio personality: Al Fisher, CFGM Toronto
• Top Canadian disc jockey: Chuck Benson, CKYL Peace River
• Top record company: Capitol Records of Canada
• Top Canadian Content record company: Capitol Records of Canada
• Top national record promoter: Paul White, Capitol Records of Canada
• Top regional record promoter: Charlie Camilleri, Quality Records

See also

Music of Canada portal

• Canadian Singles Chart

References

1. ^ Young, David (2005). "The CBC and the Juno Awards". Canadian Journal of Communication 30 (3): 343–365. http://www.cjc-online.ca/viewarticle.php?id=1005. Retrieved 2008-01-01. 
2. ^ "The RPM Awards". RPM (RPM) 2 (18): 1, 6. 28 December 1964. 
3. ^ "Esquires, The (Ottawa)". The Canadian Pop Encyclopedia. Jam!. http://jam.canoe.ca/Music/Pop_Encyclopedia/E/Esquires_Ottawa.html. Retrieved 2008-01-01. 
4. ^ "Events and Activities". National Gallery of Canada. 4 February-24 April 2005. Archived from the original on 2007-11-15. http://web.archive.org/web/20071115033403/http://www.gallery.ca/exhibitions/exhibitions/sixties/english/events/index.html. Retrieved 2008-01-01. "The Courriers were Ottawa’s answer to Peter, Paul and Mary..."  See event listing for 21 April 2005.
5. ^ "The RPM Awards". RPM (RPM) 4 (21): 1. 17 January 1966. 

External links

• RPM archive charts
• RPM (historical information)
• Library and Archives Canada: "The RPM Story"
• "The RPM Legacy"
• The Canadian Encyclopedia: RPM
• Thow, Megan (Spring 2002). "Critical Miss". Ryerson Review of Journalism. Archived from the original on 2007-09-27. http://web.archive.org/web/20070927021800/http://www.rrj.ca/issue/2002/spring/369/. Retrieved 2007-09-15.