Arkells and Portugal. The Man’s ‘Money’ Reaps the Rewards on Billboard Canada Modern Rock Airplay Chart
The groovy track arrives at No. 26. Plus, CanRock band Finger Eleven are striking a chord, scoring a second entry on Mainstream Rock with “The Mountain.”
Arkells' music is paying dividends on the charts.
“Money,” the Hamilton, Ontario group’s collaborative track with the Oregon rock band Portugal. The Man arrives at No. 26 on the Billboard Canada Modern Rock Airplay chart, dated Jan. 24.
The song is a groovy track that explores the most universally complicated relationship everyone has with money and its universal grip on society. Those fears are packaged within an alt-pop banger — powered by shimmering synths and punchy drums — that distract you from the heady themes.
“I want my money, want my freedom, want somebody in charge / I want somebody to blame when it all falls apart,” Arkells frontman Max Kerman sings on the track.
Kerman explained on the song’s meaning: “The pull of money is hard to escape. It’s tangled up in vanity, competition, ego and dreams of the future — but it’s a godless place to live,” he says.
“There are so many invisible forces that guide us, and we're trying to keep money from sitting too high on the list. We felt like the song was almost there when we realized John from Portugal. The Man — our favourite American with a streak of rebellion — was exactly the voice to bring it home.”
The radio success of “Money” follows Kerman’s guest column for Billboard Canada last month, in which he made a resolution for 2026 focusing on the importance of human connection in the music industry.
The track is expected to be featured on Arkells’ forthcoming album, set to be released this year.
“Money” marks Portugal. The Man’s second entry on the Modern Rock chart, following “Tanana,” which rises 26-24, reaching a new all-time peak.
Over on Mainstream Rock, Finger Eleven is debuting another song on the chart.
The CanRock band’s “The Mountain” enters the ranking, hitting No. 35.
Last year, the Ontario rockers, who first made their mark in the '90s, released Last Night on Earth, their first album in over a decade. Lead single, “Adrenaline,” scored the No. 3 spot on Billboard Canada’s year-end 2025 Modern Rock Airplay chart, cementing their ability to stretch their decades-long impact.
Leaning into the group’s quintessential hard rock sound, “The Mountain” rides musical peaks and valleys, blending heavy, head-bangable sections with melodic, powerful vocals about a quest for meaning. Despite its four-minute runtime, it sounds like a sonically large song that’s condensed, with moments of intensity and grand soundscapes.
“The setting is a fantastical one. At its core, it’s a song about trying to find the music,” explains lead singer Scott Anderson in a statement. “The ultimate search is you’re finally at the end of it. When I step back it’s talking about our own journey, but it’s dressed up in a different way. It’s the idea of just trying to find one more cool idea, and hoping it’s not the last one.”
“The Mountain” joins “Blue Sky Mystery,” the group’s collaboration with fellow rock band Filter, currently sitting at No. 8.
This week, there’s a string of debuts on the Canada Country Airplay chart. The Reklaws and Dean Brody team up for their second collaboration, “Hometown Heroes,” which arrives at No. 46. B.C.-based singer Teigen Gayse’s “The Best Part” enters at No. 51, followed by Shawn Desman & Dallas Smith’s collab, “One Good Life” at No. 52. Saskatchewan-based country rocker Evan Baxter secures No. 58 with “Those Days.”
On All-Format, Jade LeMac’s “Running Home” secures spot No. 46, following its additions to Hot AC and CHR/Top 40.
At the top, Taylor Swift’s “The Fate of Ophelia” holds down the No. 1 spot on All-Format, AC and Hot AC. Meanwhile, on CHR/Top 40, the pop hitmaker is dethroned by newcomer Olivia Dean, whose hit “Man I Need” rises to the No. 1 spot.
Megan Maroney secures the Country top spot for a second week with “6 Months Later.” Aerosmith & YUNGBLUD’s “My Only Angel” maintains the pair’s winning streak on Mainstream Rock, but Three Days Grace climbs 4-2 with "Kill Me Fast," potentially on the way to securing another No. 1 on the chart. On Modern Rock, Boy Golden’s “Suffer” secures a 10th week at No. 1.
