The Tragically Hip Top Forty Countdown: Song 25 — Ron from Red Deer
Hey, it’s jD — and this week, I got to hang out with a legend. You probably know Ron MacLean from Hockey Night in Canada, Coach’s Corner, and Olympic coverage. But here’s what you might not know: the guy is a dyed-in-the-leather Hip fan, and holy hell, he’s got the receipts.
From watching The Luxury spin at 3AM in a Buffalo bar with Sabres players, to busting out karaoke versions of Boots or Hearts using just stomps and handclaps, Ron brings the goods. This is an episode that hops the fence between pop culture and personal resonance — exactly where The Hip have always lived.
We also talk about:
- Gord as a performer and poetic force
- Day for Night as a Rosetta Stone for fans
- The time Ron introduced the band from Rio during the final Kingston concert — and the weight of trying to honour a man who defined lyrical depth.
And yes, we get into “The Wherewithal.” In detail. Because that line about the guy who’s not on TV anymore? Yeah. It hits differently when it’s Ron saying it.
🎙️ Next week: We’re headed to Winnipeg for a conversation with Colin, a die-hard Hiphead who once blew his flyer-route money on Day for Night and never looked back.
💬 Pull Quote
“Only Gord could compare a lovesick heart to a worn-in pair of cowboy boots — and make it feel universal.”
👤 About Our Guest
Ron MacLean is a broadcaster, host, and storyteller with deep Canadian roots and even deeper Hip cuts. He’s introduced royalty and rockstars, but this episode? This one’s just about the band that’s been soundtracking the lives of people coast-to-coast.
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Transcript follows below.
The Tragically Hip Top 40 Countdown
2025-05-24, 9:00 AM
The Tragically Hip Top 40 Countdown
Join jD beginning Monday, January 6th, 2025 while he counts down the top 40 songs by The
Tragically Hip as voted by you! Every week on The Tragically Hip Top 40 Countdown, jD
welcomes a new guest to discuss their TTH origin story (hipstory) and dissect,
Artist: jD
Year: 2025
Transcript
[0:00] On Friday, May 26th, Podlist 6 is coming to you from the Tragically Hip Top 40 Countdown.
Hey, it's JD here, and I am fucking pumped to be filling you in on the latest Podlist. What is a
Podlist, you ask? It's a podcast playlist. In this case, it's a playlist full of Tragica
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