She Ain't Pretty

"She Ain't Pretty" is a single by Canadian rock band The Northern Pikes,[1] from their 1990 album Snow in June. It is the song for which the Pikes are best known.[2]

The song was written by Bryan Potvin. It describes the singer's infatuation with a physically attractive woman, and his dismay at learning that she is a horrible person—a "model from Hell". The genesis of the song was Potvin watching an episode of Rhoda where a character says "I'm not really beautiful, I just look that way."[3]

The song was the sixth-most played Cancon song in Canada of 1990.[4]

Charts

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Year-end charts

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Chart (1990) Position
Canada Top Singles (RPM)[5] 62

Critical reception

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In 1991, the song was nominated for the Juno Award for Single of the Year. Its music video, which integrated claymation and early use of morphing, and which the National Post described as "fantastic",[6] was nominated for a Juno.

References

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  1. ^ The Northern Pikes Song She Ain't Pretty, retrieved 2022-04-29
  2. ^ Spizzirri, Manuela (2003-11-14). "Northern Pikes Score New Record Deal". Chart. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved 2009-09-11.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  3. ^ Jagger, Juliette (5 February 2018). "Origin Stories––Bryan Potvin on the Northern Pikes' "She Ain't Pretty"". National Music Centre. Retrieved 11 October 2018.
  4. ^ "Top 25 Cancon Hit Tracks". RPM. Retrieved May 24, 2021.
  5. ^ "Top 100 Hit Tracks of 1990". RPM. Retrieved November 26, 2017.
  6. ^ Medley, Mark (2007-09-20). "Top 10 overlooked Canadian albums". National Post. Retrieved 2008-03-09.[permanent dead link]