After a three-day open vote, here is your Crikey-est 100* Australian Songs, an alternative to tomorrow’s triple j Hottest 100 Australian song countdown, for the older, wiser music lover.
Yes, that’s 100 with an asterisk: as our rudimentary poll offered no way to rank the incredible volume of songs that got a single vote each, I had to stop at the number of songs that we could rank. That number happens to be 65.
“Friday On My Mind” by The Easybeats was the clear winner. When voting opened we did discuss the idea of lining up an interview with the triumphant artist, but sadly after the death of drummer Snowy Fleet in February this year no members remain.
Will The Easybeats make it into the big countdown on Saturday? I expect we’ll hear a lot of overlap between Crikey and triple j’s Australian music ranking.
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Honourable mentions: Reader Dermot’s vote for “I Don’t Like It” by Pauline Pantsdown, “a dangerous and danceable” song that spoke bravely of “the nexus between crime, shopping trolleys and linguistics” made me giggle.
From the Crikey team, reporter-at-large Charlie Lewis chose “Djarimirri (Child of The Rainbow)” by Gurrumul. “It’s arrestingly beautiful, completely indifferent to genre or fashion and alive with possibility. It’s my choice for this list because it literally could have been made nowhere else in the world but here.”
Politics editor Bernard Keane’s pick, “Tuesday” by The Hummingbirds, made the list at #35. “The jangly intro, Alannah Russack’s ethereal vocals, lyrics that feel like they’re ripped straight from yesterday’s broken heart, the late Simon Holmes’ towering guitar. From a time when Sydney overflowed with amazing guitar bands producing perfect pop at your local pub.”
Politics reporter Anton Nilsson picked “Everything’s Turning to White” by Paul Kelly, a song based on a short story by Raymond Carver. “The haunting refrain, ‘There’s so much water, so close to home’ is understated and devastating. It lingers with you long after each listen.”
Finally, a special shout out to indie Melbourne-based artist Talkshow Boy, who ran a campaign on X to get his song “More Me In the Foldback” ranked in our countdown, which really legitimises the whole thing. In the biggest musical controversy since #Tay4Hottest100 in 2015, I have unilaterally deemed Talkshow Boy ineligible (but this link to their track is surely more valuable).
You can listen to the full Crikey-est 100* Australian Songs via our official Spotify playlist here.
#1 “Friday On My Mind” by The Easybeats
Shannon writes: “The Australian rock song that found a place among a global explosion, and still holds critical and commercial weight today. The song itself is the entire spirit of youth and its endless possibilities wrapped up in three minutes. That magical sweet spot when there’s money in the pocket, a world to explore and the only worry is shaking off the Monday morning comedown. The universal remedy? Keeping Friday on my mind. I’m in my mid-40s, so this song has staying power.”
Stan writes: “Seminal, timeless, influential.”
Brian writes: “As a teenager just felt like that is how it was.”
#2 “Flame Trees” by Cold Chisel
Kendall writes: “The most Australian of songs by the most Australian of bands, ‘Flame Trees’ tells the poignant tale of returning to one’s country roots to find one doesn’t fit in there any more.”
David writes: “Musically, it is a beautiful song with a lovely melody which changes gear through keys and bridge. Lyrically it is complex and thoughtful speaking to yearning and loss of innocence. A search for times past, never to be recovered. Decades later it still gives me goosebumps.”
#3 tied! “Under The Milky Way” by The Church and “Eagle Rock” by Daddy Cool
Bronwyn on “Eagle Rock”: “Less is more. A simple lick over the top of a boogie beat, unpretentious lyrics, with a lead guitar riff consisting of all of three notes. The top selling Australian song of 1971, an iconic year for rock, with an iconic and certainly pre-emptive film clip all of it’s own! Brilliant!”
WT Gator on “Under The Milky Way”: “This song makes my heart ache every time that I hear it. It has no personal connotation for me, no lived experience, but it somehow just cuts me to the core.”
#4 “Treaty” by Yothu Yindi
TW writes: “‘Treaty’ is Australia’s one great political anthem, a song from the heart of Indigenous dispossession appealing for the one act that could finally start Australia on a path to true nationhood. The tragedy is that its sentiment remains relevant.”
Bill writes: “Passionate, pumping, poetic and puncturing phony political posturing.”
#5 three-way tie! “Wide Open Road” by The Triffids, “(I’m) Stranded” by The Saints and “Beds Are Burning” by Midnight Oil
Rafe on “Wide Open Road”: “Beautiful evocation of the landscape and loss.”
Adrian on “I’m Stranded”: “Hit me like a bullet in ’76. Changed the world’s view of Aussie music.”
Robert on “Beds Are Burning”: “It’s so bloody true! Yet we can still dance like crazy to it!”
And the rest…
“It’s a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock ‘N’ Roll)” by AC/DC
“Great Southern Land” by Icehouse
“Evie” by Stevie Wright [Editors note: We made this a consolidated entry for parts 1,2 and 3.]
“Am I Ever Gonna See Your Face Again” by The Angels
“You’re the Voice” by John Farnham
“Know Your Product” by The Saints
“Khe Sanh” by Cold Chisel
“Throw Your Arms Around Me” by Hunters & Collectors
“The Real Thing” by Russell Morris
“Quasimodo’s Dream” by The Reels
“I Was Only 19” by Redgum
“Down Under” by Men at Work
“The Ship Song” by Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds
“Solid Rock” by Goanna
“Shark Fin Blues” by The Drones
“Never Tear Us Apart” by INXS
“My Pal” by God
“From Little Things Big Things Grow” by Paul Kelly, Kev Carmody and The Messengers
“Cattle and Cane” by The Go-Betweens
“Took the Children Away” by Archie Roach
“A Pub With No Beer” by Slim Dusty
“Power and the Passion” by Midnight Oil
“My Island Home” by Warumpi Band
“Man Overboard” by Do Re Mi
“Into My Arms” by Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds
“I’ll Be Gone” by Spectrum
“Holy Grail” by Hunters & Collectors
“Everlovin’ Man” by The Loved Ones
“Berlin Chair” by You Am I
“A Tale They Won’t Believe” by Weddings Parties Anything
“Tuesday” by The Hummingbirds
“Undecided” by The Masters Apprentices
“Pleasure and Pain” by Divinyls
“Shivers” by The Boys Next Door
“Reckless (Don’t Be So…)” by Australian Crawl
“Innerbloom” by Rüfüs Du Sol
“Whatareya?” by TISM
“I Am Australian” by The Seekers
“Thunderstruck” by AC/DC
“When The War Is Over” by Cold Chisel
“One Crowded Hour” by Augie March
“Sounds of Then (This is Australia)” by GANGgajang
“Clair de Lune” by Flight Facilities
“Because I Love You” by The Masters Apprentices
“Stagger Lee” by Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds
“The Loved One” by The Loved Ones
“Dumb Things” by Paul Kelly and The Messengers
“Somebody That I Used to Know” by Gotye
“Blue Sky Mine” by Midnight Oil
“Bridal Train” by The Waifs
“Streets of Your Town” The Go-Betweens
“Purple Sneakers” by You Am I
“Take a Long Line” by The Angels
“Leaps and Bounds” by Paul Kelly and The Messengers
“Turn Up Your Radio” by The Masters Apprentices
“Boys In Town” by Divinyls
“Weir” by Killing Heidi
