Broken Social Scene
A sprawling, genre-defying musical collective from Toronto whose anthemic, layered sound became the heartbeat of 2000s indie rock.
Born 1977 (age 49)·Canadian indie rock band·Birthday: October 13·Generation X
Biography
Broken Social Scene began not as a band, but as a feeling—a collaborative impulse between friends Kevin Drew and Brendan Canning in late-90s Toronto. What they built was less a fixed group and more a creative ecosystem, a rotating cast of musicians from the city's fertile scene who would gather to weave intricate, euphoric soundscapes. Their albums, particularly 'You Forgot It in People,' felt like joyous, chaotic parties where horns, strings, and multiple guitars crashed into melodies that were both intimate and stadium-sized. They launched the solo careers of artists like Feist and Metric’s Emily Haines, but always reconvened as a home base. More than their recordings, their live shows became legendary events, a celebration of community and the raw, beautiful noise that happens when talented friends make music without borders.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Broken was born in 1977, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Broken Was Born
The biggest hits of 1977
#1 Movie
Star Wars
Best Picture
Annie Hall
#1 TV Show
Happy Days
Broken's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1977Born
Star Wars premieres; Elvis dies
Gas: $0.62/galHome: $31,800Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Tonight's the Night" — Rod StewartBest Picture: Annie Hall
1982Started school
Michael Jackson releases Thriller
Gas: $1.22/galHome: $55,200Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Physical" — Olivia Newton-JohnBest Picture: Gandhi
1990Became a teenager
Hubble Space Telescope launched; Germany reunifies
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.80/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Hold On" — Wilson PhillipsBest Picture: Dances with Wolves
1993Could drive
European Union officially established
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $86,600Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"I Will Always Love You" — Whitney HoustonBest Picture: Schindler's List
1995Could vote
Oklahoma City bombing; Windows 95 released
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $96,500Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Gangsta's Paradise" — CoolioBest Picture: Braveheart
1998Turned 21
Google founded; Clinton impeachment
Gas: $1.06/galHome: $107,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Too Close" — NextBest Picture: Shakespeare in Love
2007Turned 30
iPhone released; Great Recession begins
Gas: $2.80/galHome: $172,600Min wage: $5.85/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Irreplaceable" — BeyonceBest Picture: No Country for Old Men
2017Turned 40
#MeToo movement; solar eclipse crosses the US
Gas: $2.42/galHome: $195,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Shape of You" — Ed SheeranBest Picture: The Shape of Water
2026Age 49 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Won the 2003 Juno Award for Alternative Album of the Year for their breakthrough record 'You Forgot It in People'.
- Received the Polaris Music Prize Heritage Honour in 2021 for the enduring impact of 'You Forgot It in People'.
- Headlined major festivals worldwide, including Coachella and Glastonbury, with their expansive, large-ensemble performances.
- Released the critically acclaimed self-titled album 'Broken Social Scene' in 2005, featuring the hit '7/4 (Shoreline)'.
Did You Know?
The band's name was inspired by a line from a poem by Canadian writer Lisa Robertson.
Members have included prominent figures from other Canadian indie acts like Stars, Metric, Do Make Say Think, and Apostle of Hustle.
Their 2010 album 'Forgiveness Rock Record' was produced by John McEntire of the experimental band Tortoise.
A documentary film about the band, 'This Movie Is Broken', was released in 2010.
“We're not a band, we're a scene.”
