The group met while at Kingston Collegiate Vocational Institute (KCVI) and all attended Queen's University in Kingston. They started as a cover band playing Rolling Stones and Doors covers, and were first represented by a local Kingston agent named Bernie Dobson.

They were signed by MCA in 1987 when Bruce Dickinson saw them perform live at the Horseshoe Tavern in Toronto, Ontario. Later that year they released the EP The Tragically Hip, though they were largely unrecognized until 1989's Up To Here. Up To Here established them as one of the best and most influential bands in Canada. In 1992, they created the Another Roadside Attraction festival, which tours Canada to promote small, unknown bands.

The band is immensely popular in Canada. They have never found great success in the United States, but have never specifically sought it. When touring in Canada they typically play to sold-out arenas; when touring in the United States they will play smaller venues and clubs. Performances abroad are usually attended by Canadian expatriates. In Europe, the Hip have their greatest following in the Netherlands.

The band permit recordings of their performances, so an active trading community thrives. The tone and content of much of their music is a paean to the Canadian experience and touches on such themes as small-town life, geography, and hockey.

The Tragically Hip received a star on the Canadian Walk of Fame in 2002, and they were inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame at the 2005 Juno Awards. They have performed at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, and played a three-song set at the worldwide broadcast Live 8 benefit concert on July 2nd, 2005 to help make poverty history for the poor African nations.

On April 7th, 2009, the band's twelfth album We Are The Same was being released in North America, and it immediately rose to Number 1 on the Canadian charts. The album features twelve diverse new recordings produced by Bob Rock who had produced 2007's World Container and is perhaps best known for his work with Metallica, Aerosmith, Bon Jovi, The Offspring, and Simple Plan. The new album features songs that range from "levity and light to melancholy and anger" according to the band's website. Recorded primarily at The Bathouse Studio, the first single is "Love Is A First", which features the ironical addictive hook, 'love is a curse'.

The Tragically Hip, often referred to simply as The Hip, is a Canadian rock band from Kingston, Ontario, consisting of Gordon Downie (lead vocals and guitar), Paul Langlois (guitar), Rob Baker (guitar, known as Bobby Baker until 1994), Gord Sinclair (bass) and Johnny Fay (drums). Since their formation in 1983 they have released 12 studio albums, 2 live albums, and 46 singles. They have received numerous Canadian Music awards, including 14 Juno Awards.