APRA Top 100 New Zealand Songs of All Time

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The APRA Top 100 New Zealand Songs of All Time is a selection of New Zealand songs as voted in 2001 by members of the Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA). The top 30 of this selection was used to create the Nature's Best CD and the rest of the list for follow-up compilations. A similar list was made in Australia of the top 30 Australian songs.

Contents

Selection

The list was created to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA) in New Zealand in 2001. Nine hundred candidate songs were chosen for APRA members to vote on. The top 30 songs were released on the Nature's Best CD.

Commentary

Some artists feature prominently in the list. These include:

Music journalist Bruce Sergent notes that the list is highly skewed towards the 1980s and 90s to the detriment of earlier music, with notable omissions including Howard Morrison, Dinah Lee, and Ray Columbus & the Invaders. [1]

Some songs may also be claimed as both New Zealand and Australian. A list compiled by APRA at the same time of top 30 Australian songs also included Crowded House's "Don't Dream It's Over" (at number 7). [2]

Political songs on the list include commentary on the 1981 Springbok tour riots in Blam Blam Blam's "There Is No Depression in New Zealand", and nuclear testing in the French Pacific through Herbs' "French Letter" and DLT's "Chains". [3]

Top 100 list

The list of the top 100 is below.

PositionSongArtistWriter(s)Year Album Included on DVD
1"Nature" Fourmyula Wayne Mason 1969 1
2"Don't Dream It's Over" Crowded House Neil Finn 19861
3"Loyal" Dave Dobbyn Dave Dobbyn 19881Yes
4"Counting the Beat" The Swingers Phil Judd, Mark Hough, Wayne Stevens 19811Yes
5"Six Months in a Leaky Boat" Split Enz Tim Finn 19821
6"Sway" Bic Runga Bic Runga 19971Yes
7"Slice of Heaven" Dave Dobbyn with Herbs Dave Dobbyn 19861Yes
8"Victoria" Dance Exponents Jordan Luck 19821Yes
9"She Speeds" Straitjacket Fits Shayne Carter 19871
10"April Sun in Cuba" Dragon Paul Hewson, Marc Hunter 19771Yes
11"I Got You" Split Enz Neil Finn 19801Yes
12"Whaling" DD Smash Dave Dobbyn 19841Yes
13"Not Given Lightly" Chris Knox Chris Knox 19901Yes
14"Pink Frost" The Chills Martin Phillipps 19841Yes
15"Jesus I Was Evil" Darcy Clay Darcy Clay 19971
16"Weather with You" Crowded House Tim Finn and Neil Finn 19911Yes
17"Blue Smoke" Pixie Williams and the Ruru Karaitiana Quartet Ruru Karaitiana 19491
18"Dance All Around The World" [4] Blerta Corben Simpson, Geoff Murphy 19721
19"Lydia" Fur Patrol Julia Deans 20001Yes
20"Blue Lady" Hello Sailor Graham Brazier 19771Yes
21"Drive" Bic Runga Bic Runga 19961Yes
22"Chains" DLT featuring Che Fu Che Ness, Darryl Thompson, Angus McNaughton, Kevin Rangihuna19961Yes
23"Dominion Road" The Mutton Birds Don McGlashan 19921
24"Glad I'm Not A Kennedy" Shona Laing Shona Laing 19861Yes
25"I Hope I Never" Split Enz Tim Finn 19801
26"Tears" The Crocodiles Fane Flaws, Arthur Baysting 19801Yes
27"Be Mine Tonight" Th' Dudes Dave Dobbyn, Ian Morris 19781Yes
28"I See Red" Split Enz Tim Finn 19791Yes
29"Beside You" Dave Dobbyn Dave Dobbyn 19981
30"Home Again" Shihad Tom Larkin, Phil Knight, Jon Toogood 19971Yes
31"Outlook For Thursday" DD Smash Dave Dobbyn 1983 2 Yes
32"Down in Splendour" Straitjacket Fits Andrew Brough 19902
33"Better Be Home Soon" Crowded House Neil Finn 19882
34"How Bizarre" OMC Alan Jansson, Pauly Fuemana 19952Yes
35"Language" Dave Dobbyn Dave Dobbyn 19942Yes
36"Message to My Girl" Split Enz Neil Finn 19842Yes
37"Poi E" Pātea Māori Club Dalvanius Prime, Ngoi Pēwhairangi 19842
38"Stuff and Nonsense" Split Enz Tim Finn 19792
39"Venus" The Feelers James Reid 19982Yes
40"System Virtue" Emma Paki Emma Paki 19962
41"Fraction Too Much Friction" Tim Finn Tim Finn 19832Yes
42"French Letter" Herbs Tony Fonoti, Spencer Fusimalohi, Dilworth Karaka19952Yes
43"Maxine" Sharon O'Neill Sharon O'Neill 19832Yes
44"Out on the Street" Space Waltz Alistair Riddell19742
45"Slippin' Away" Max Merritt and the Meteors Max Merritt 19762
46"Violent" Stellar* Boh Runga 19992Yes
47"Why Does Love Do This To Me" The Exponents Jordan Luck 19922Yes
48"1905" Shona Laing Shona Laing 19722Yes
49"Anchor Me" The Mutton Birds Don McGlashan 19942
50"Bliss"Th' Dudes Dave Dobbyn, Ian Morris 19792Yes
51"For Today" Netherworld Dancing Toys Nick Sampson, Malcolm Black19842Yes
52"Screems From Tha Old Plantation" King Kapisi Bill Urale, Kas Futialo20002Yes
53"Cheryl Moana Marie" John Rowles Nathan Kipner, John Rowles 19702
54"Blue Day" Mi-Sex Murray Burns, Colin Bayley19852Yes
55"Glorafilia" Zed Ben Campbell, Nathan King, Adrian Palmer19992Yes
56"Good Morning Mr Rock 'n' Roll" Headband Thomas Adderley 19712
57"History Never Repeats" Split Enz Neil Finn 19812Yes
58"In The Neighbourhood" Sisters Underground Alan Jansson, Hassanah Orogbu, Brenda Makaoeafi19942Yes
59"Julia" Citizen Band Geoff Chunn 19782
60"Pacifier" Shihad Shihad 19992Yes
61"Let's Think of Something" Larry's Rebels Roger Skinner19672
62"Bursting Through" Bic Runga Bic Runga 19972Yes
63"Liberty" Greg Johnson Greg Johnson 19972Yes
64"Sweet Disorder" Strawpeople Paul Casserly, Mark Tierney, Anthony Ioasa19942Yes
65"Asian Paradise" Sharon O'Neill Sharon O'Neill 19792
66"Don't Fight It Marsha, It's Bigger Than Both of Us" Blam Blam Blam Don McGlashan 1981 3
67"Gutter Black" Hello Sailor Dave McArtney 19773Yes
68"Long Ago" Herbs Lundon, Hona 19843Yes
69"There Is No Depression in New Zealand"Blam Blam BlamRichard Von Sturmer, Don McGlashan 19813
70"You Oughta Be in Love" Dave Dobbyn Dave Dobbyn 19863Yes
71"Andrew"Fur PatrolAndrew Bain, Julia Deans, Simon Braxton, Steven Wells20003Yes
72"Billy Bold" Graham Brazier Graham Brazier 19813
73"Distant Sun" Crowded House Neil Finn 19933
74"Suddenly Strange" Bic Runga Bic Runga 19973Yes
75"Forever Tuesday Morning" The Mockers Gary Curtis, Andrew Fagan, Tim Wedde19843Yes
76"Cruise Control" Headless Chickens Chris Matthews, Michael Lawry 19913Yes
77"Pressure Man" The Feelers James Reid, Matt Thomas, Hamish Gee19983
78"Private Universe" Crowded House Neil Finn 19943
79"Room That Echoes" Peking Man Neville Hall19853Yes
80"Sensitive to a Smile" Herbs Dilworth, Karaka, Tumahai19873Yes
81"E Ipo" Prince Tui Teka Ngoi Pēwhairangi, Missy, Prince Tui Teka 19823
82"Andy" The Front Lawn Harry Sinclair, Don McGlashan 19873
83"Bitter" Shihad Shihad 19953
84"Four Seasons in One Day" Crowded House Tim Finn and Neil Finn 19913
85"Heavenly Pop Hit" The Chills Martin Phillipps 19903
86"Husband House" Sneaky Feelings Matthew Bannister 19853
87"Jumping Out A Window" Pop Mechanix Paul Mason, Andrew McLennan, Chris Moore, Kevin Emmett, Paul Scott19813
88"If I Were You" Straitjacket Fits Shayne Carter, John Collie 19933
89"I'll Say Goodbye (Even Tho I'm Blue)"Dance Exponents Jordan Luck 19833Yes
90"Maybe" Sharon O'Neill Sharon O'Neill 19813Yes
91"One Day Ahead" Eye TV Sean Sturm, Luke Casey, Michael Scott, Grant Winterburn20003Yes
92"Renegade Fighter"Zed Ben Campbell, Nathan King 20003Yes
93"Part of Me"Stellar* Boh Runga 19993Yes
94"Sierra Leone" Coconut Rough Andrew McLennan 19833Yes
95"Words" Sharon O'Neill Sharon O'Neill 19793Yes
96"Spellbound" Split Enz Tim Finn, Phil Judd 19793
97"Rust in My Car" Citizen Band Geoff Chunn 19793
98"Mercy of Love" Shona Laing Shona Laing 19923Yes
99"Can't Get Enough" Supergroove Joseph Fisher, Karl Steven19963Yes
100"Naked Flame" Dave Dobbyn Dave Dobbyn 19953

See also

References

  1. Sergent, Bruce. "APRA Top 100". Article. Retrieved 24 September 2012.
  2. "APRA 30 Top Australian Songs". Article. APRA. Archived from the original on 1 April 2014. Retrieved 24 September 2012.
  3. "Tribute to Herbs: Video". Video. TV3NZ. Retrieved 24 September 2012.
  4. "Dance All around the World: Music Video (1971)". NZ On Screen . Retrieved 5 September 2017.