From Flame Trees to Riptide: Industry Votes For triple j’s Hottest 100 Australian Songs

Music and advertising executives found the task of narrowing down their favourite Aussie songs to a top 10 "brutal," but when tasked to do it for triple j’s Hottest 100 Australian Songs, Spotify AUNZ's MD Mikaela Lancaster "got there" by focusing on acts she's seen live.

"All 10 are from artists I’ve seen live and they’ve soundtracked different eras of my life," she said.

That approach was a theme, with Mikaela's colleague Prithi Dey, head of podcasts AUNZ at Spotify, adding her shortlist was "a proper nostalgic trip down memory lane, reminding me that it's been 22 years since I landed in Australia.

"Listening to some of these tracks was like catching up with old friends and revisiting a past life rooted deep in the Aus [sic] music world that left a lasting, wonderful, impact."

Zanda Wilson, head of corporate communications at Sound Story, has also seen most of the songs on his shortlist performed live -- seven or eight times in the case of his pick for Ball Park Music, 'It's Nice to Be Alive'. He said those memories show "the power of live music during our formative years. It's also noteworthy that I discovered many of these songs at music festivals."

Amplify Music Education used the vote as an opportunity to connect as a team. Natalie Kradolfer, co-founder and managing director, said, "Each morning at Amplify Music Education, we have a team meeting. I believe that it's important to start the day with connection and purpose. Each meeting has a theme and on Tuesdays it is 'Show and Tell'.

"To get in the spirit of Triple J Hottest 100 of Australian songs, everyone in the team came to Show and Tell prepared to share their top 10. It was such a fun way to kick off the day and it was so great hearing everyone's stories as to why certain songs were on their list. Even our international team members came up with their 10."

UNIFIED Music Group CEO and founder Jadden Comerford added, "Australians love Aussie music, and our depth and diversity of talent should always be celebrated." Jadden's top 10 includes Vance Joy's 'Riptide', Tones and I's 'Dance Monkey', and Ocean Alley's 'Confidence.'

'Riptide' also appeared on Sam Snowden's voting list. DDB Melbourne's head of social and content said his top 10 also serve as "soundtracks to my life."

"'Untouched' by The Veronicas is the unofficial Australian national anthem that moves a dance floor. Vance Joy's 'Riptide' has been my running motivation since 2013, and Flume's 'The Difference' was on repeat throughout lockdown in 2020," he said.

"My all-time fave Australian song has to be Angie McMahon's 'Slow Mover'. Whenever I hear it, those evocative vocals transport me back in time to Smith St nights, unforgettable Forum Melbourne live sets and dinner parties when her beautiful voice and flawless lyrics touched people for the first time."

Bill Doig, executive producer at Mosaic Music + Sound, told LBB earlier this week, “using homegrown music is one way to sonically show that connection to the market they’re speaking to.”

It's a position shared by ARIA CEO Annabelle Herd, who admitted when she sees major campaigns aiming to capture the feel and vibe of Australia, but set to a foreign piece of music, it “feels like a bit of a miss for me.”

“Those ones are obvious, if you're not using an Australian track in your Australian campaign, you're really going to miss out on that deeper connection with local audiences."

Mikaela Lancaster - managing director AUNZ at Spotify

Prithi Dey - head of podcast AUNZ at Spotify

Jaddan Comerford - CEO and founder at UNIFIED Music Group

Sam Snowden – head of social and content at DDB Melbourne

Natalie Kradolfer - co-founder and managing director at Amplify Music Education

Zanda Wilson - head of corporate communications at Sound Story

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See Also: As Triple J Counts Down Hottest 100 Aussie Songs, Experts Say Local Music Builds Brands​