The 50 best Australian songs of the 90s
The 50 best Australian songs of the 90s
Australian music was incredible in the 1990s. Here are the 50 finest songs of that decade.
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Some classics in this list. Such a list can't exist without people pointing out who was missed, though. This reads like a top 50 of what JJJ had on high rotation. It's missing several acts that were bigger than most of the names on this list. Off the top of my head (and only in the order I think of them), there's:
- Madison Avenue - Don't Call Me Baby
- Taxiride - Get Set / Everywhere you Go
- Savage Garden - Truly Madly Deeply / Affirmation / To the Moon & Back / I Knew I loved you
- John Farnham - Chain Reaction / That's Freedom / Every Time You Cry - Plus his duets with Barnsy. Speaking of...
- Jimmy Barnes - When Something is Wrong with my Baby (with Farnsy) / Stone Cold
- Kate Cebrano - Pash (Can't count the Jesus Christ Superstar album, unfortunately)
- Tina Arena - Chains
- Wendy Matthews - The Day You Went Away / Friday's Child
- Black Sorrows - Harley and Rose / Ain't Love the Strangest Thing / The Chosen Ones / Hold On To Me
- Icehouse - Miss Divine
- Hunters & Collectors - Holy Grail (Yes, the AFL flogged it to death, but it was still huge)
- Human Nature - Tellin' Everbody / Got It Goin' On / Wishes
- Merril Bainbridge - Mouth / Under the Water
How some of these names were left off the list is beyond me. Savage Garden are one of the only Australian Bands who have managed more than a single hit in the US charts. Farnsy and Barnsy are Australian staples. Even with some of the acts they did get right, I'd have picked different songs.
In the making of this list, I learned that Torn by Natalie Imbruglia and The Horses by Daryl Braithwaite are covers and don't count. Also, an honorable mention to The Waifs and John Butler Trio who were pretty popular around the Perth pub scene of the 90s, but didn't really crack the national consciousness until 2000 or later. This shocked me, I'm normally behind the trends, but I liked these bands before they were charting. Does that make me a hipster?
Madison Avenue - Don’t Call Me Baby
I had no idea this was Australian! Now you've mentioned it, though, there's a noticeable lack of hard 'r' in some lines (for reference: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L-mRcnF5tSc).
Some classics in this list. Such a list can’t exist without people pointing out who was missed, though. This reads like a top 50 of what JJJ had on high rotation. It’s missing several acts that were bigger than most of the names on this list.
Agreed - and thanks for making your list of things it omitted - but the list was compiled by a poll of Double J staff, so it was always going to be biased towards deep-cuts, and it's a good thing to bring lesser-known and forgotten music to attention (so long as people don't take the list to be authoritative).
I'm all about showcasing local talent. I love most of the bands in the list. But don't call it the "best Australian songs of the 90s" if you're going to leave out so many of the best songs of the 90s.
I loved Ratcat, but I'd have selected That ain't bad. Frente's Accidentally Kelly Street and Custard with Funky again to really introduce a new generation to their music (because Dave's voice is really recognisable to the kids in this track).
But don’t call it the “best Australian songs of the 90s” if you’re going to leave out so many of the best songs of the 90s.
Yeah, the title is intentional click-bait/engagement-bait
Criminal there isnt a single savage garden song in there! I'd also like a nod to Killing Heidi.
Yes! We're going to end up with a definitive 90s Aussie music play list, and I'm all on board with it!
I was looking for a vast majority of these and was disappointed. Like, one of the blurbs was about how the dude saw the band play the song once at a festival in the 90s?
What about Oh Ah... Just A Little Bit - Gina G? That was 1996! She was in Eurovision! How is that not on there 😭
Jonny Diesel was doing OK too, with 3 consecutive ARIA Best Male Artist in the 90s.
I had Solid State Rhyme playing for a bit and still quote some Chill Pill when things get hectic:
Push until we make it break
Sometimes I think we all should take
A chill pill