It’s easy to see why the Halifax-bred band won single of the year. “Rest of My Life,” off Action Pact, was all over the radio and MuchMusic in 2003. This quintessential Sloan track features an addictive hook-laden melody and one of the best shout-outs to the Great White North ever used in a pop single. “It says ‘Canada’ in the song which some people like and some people think is manipulative,” says Chris Murphy, who wrote it. “It has a catchy chorus. My songs didn’t seem to have choruses for years. I just figured that out and they’ll have them from now on.” The boys from Sloan remain popular with Halifax readers despite the fact they moved to Toronto years ago. “If we beat some crappy bands, it’s because your readers are cool,” Murphy jokes. “If we beat Joel Plaskett or Matt Mays, maybe they’re uncool. We’re still cool, though. Rest assured.”
Runner-up (tie): Sam Roberts, “Where Have All the Good People Gone?” and Nickelback, “Someday”
