The music of New Zealand has been influenced by a number of traditions, including Māori music, the music introduced by European settlers during the nineteenth century, and a variety of styles imported during the twentieth century, including blues, jazz, country, rock and roll, reggae, and hip hop, with many of these genres given a unique New Zealand interpretation.
Briolette Kah Bic Runga, recording as Bic Runga, is a New Zealand singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist pop artist. Her first three studio albums debuted at number one on the New Zealand Top 40 Album charts. Runga has also found success internationally in Australia, Ireland and the United Kingdom with her 1997 song "Sway".
Sir David Joseph Dobbyn is a New Zealand musician, singer–songwriter and record producer. In his early career he was a member of the rock group Th' Dudes and was the main creative force in pop band DD Smash. Since then he has released the majority of his recordings as a solo performer.
Herbs are a New Zealand reggae group founded in 1979 and led by singer-guitarist Dilworth Karaka, the only constant member. Since its foundation Herbs has been multi-ethnic in membership and featured Samoans, Tongans, Cook Islanders, New Zealand Europeans and Maori members. The 11th inductees into the New Zealand Music Hall of Fame, were once described as "New Zealand's most soulful, heartfelt and consistent contemporary musical voice". It has been said their debut EP What's Be Happen? "set a standard for Pacific reggae which has arguably never been surpassed".
The following lists events that happened during 1987 in New Zealand.
Footrot Flats: The Dog's Tail Tale is the soundtrack to the New Zealand animated film, Footrot Flats: The Dog's Tale. In February 1987, the album spent two weeks in the top five of the New Zealand albums chart.
Listen: The Very Best Of is a greatest hits album released in 2002 by New Zealand reggae group, Herbs. The album reached number one on the New Zealand music charts.
Footrot Flats: The Dog's Tale is a 1986 New Zealand animated comedy film based on cartoonist Murray Ball's comic strip Footrot Flats about a New Zealand farmer and his border collie sheepdog. The film was written by Ball and Tom Scott, directed by Ball, and produced by John Barnett and Pat Cox, with music by Dave Dobbyn. The voice cast includes leading New Zealand actors John Clarke, Peter Rowley, Rawiri Paratene, Fiona Samuel and Billy T. James. It was New Zealand's first feature-length animated film. The film was released in November 1986 in New Zealand by Kerridge-Odeon, and opened in Australia on 9 April 1987. Footrot Flats: The Dog's Tale grossed $2,500,000 at the New Zealand box office . In Australia, it grossed $4,317,000 which is equivalent to $11 million in 2016.
"Sailing Away" is a 1986 single by a supergroup of New Zealand singers and personalities, to promote New Zealand yacht KZ 7 in the 1987 America's Cup. It spent nine weeks at #1 in the single chart, the longest run of a New Zealand single until 2009. While the song is conceptually similar to the many charity supergroup singles released in the mid 1980s, "Sailing Away" has its origins as a television advertisement and was not a charity record.
Loyal is a 1988 album by New Zealand singer-songwriter Dave Dobbyn. After the Footrot Flats album, Loyal moved him further away from the pub rock of DD Smash and into contemporary pop rock. The album "confronts love, loyalty and the power of personal politics." The album reached number 9 on the New Zealand music charts.
"Loyal" is a single by New Zealand singer/songwriter Dave Dobbyn, released in 1988 from the album of the same name. The song reached number 19 on the New Zealand charts and has since become a cult song for the nation.
Beside You: 30 Years of Hits is a 2009 greatest hits album by New Zealand singer-songwriter Dave Dobbyn. The album debuted at number 4 on the New Zealand Music Charts.
"You Oughta Be In Love" is a single by New Zealand singer/songwriter Dave Dobbyn, released in 1986 on the soundtrack of the animated motion picture, Footrot Flats: The Dog's Tail Tale. The single charted at No. 2 in New Zealand.
"Sensitive to a Smile" is a single from the New Zealand reggae band Herbs from the Sensitive to a Smile album. The single reached #9 in the New Zealand chart.
"Woke Up Late" is a song by New Zealand band Drax Project, originally released in November 2017. It reached number 15 on the New Zealand Singles Chart and was included on their 2018 EP Noon.
"Soaked" is a song by New Zealand musician Benee. It was released as a single on 14 September 2018 as the lead single from Benee's debut extended play Fire on Marzz. The song was released on Spotify, received airplay on New Zealand radio, and reached number 58 on the Triple J Hottest 100, 2018.
Maimoa is a New Zealand musical group. Formed from current and former presenters from the Māori Television show Pūkana, the group debuted in 2016 with the single "Maimoatia", which was released to celebrate Te Wiki o te Reo Māori. Since their debut, the group has continued to release pop singles sung in te reo Māori, including "Wairua" (2017), a viral hit produced by members of the New Zealand band Sons of Zion.
"Matemateāone" is a song by New Zealand musician Stan Walker. A bilingual ballad sung primarily in Māori language, the song was released as a single a week before Walker's first album sung in Māori, Te Arohanui. A love ballad, the song's music video celebrates his marriage to his partner Lou Tyson.
Coterie is a four-member Australian-New Zealand band. Formed from four brothers who were born in New Zealand and grew up in Perth, Western Australia, the band received recognition for the 2021 single "Cool It Down", which was a hit in New Zealand.
"West Coast Drive" is a song by Australian-New Zealand band Coterie, released as a single in September 2022. The song references West Coast Drive in Perth.
