‘The Guardian’ Has Revealed Its ‘Top 50 Songs Of Brisbane’ List, As Picked By You
#1 will definitely not surprise you.
Last month, The Guardian asked its readers to vote for the Song Of Brisbane — and while the list might have a few interesting inclusions, there’s absolutely no surprise at what took out top spot.
After 14,291 votes were cast across 393 songs, The Go-Betweens have reigned supreme with ‘Streets of Your Town’. In a wonderful accompanying feature, Andrew Stafford interviews the band’s members to discuss the song’s creation back in 1988, and whether it’s even about Brisbane at all.
Regardless, it’s clear The Go-Betweens are synonymous with Brisbane, dominating the top 50 list with 12 songs. Other repeat pleasures include Powerfinger with nine songs, and punk band The Saints and Regurgitator with three.
Coming in second was The Saints’ 1977 classic ‘Stranded’, sandwiched by another The Go-Betweens’ track, ‘Cattle And Cane’. In a (very) mild upset, Cub Sport‘s 2013 track ‘Come On Mess Me Up’ comes in at #4 just ahead of quintessential Brisbane band Powderfinger with ‘These Days’.
There are a couple of suspect inclusions, such as The Veronica’s ‘Untouched’ — while the song unequivocally slaps, it in no way is about Brisbane. Then again, we’d commission the shit out of a 2,000 word essay proving us wrong.
Scraping in at the end of the top 50 is ‘Time 4 Love’ by Indie-trio The Goon Sax, the list’s sole 2018 track. The band do have a strong Brisbane bloodline: guitarist Louis Forster is the son of The Go-Betweens’ Robert Forster.
Find the full list below, and read more insights on The Guardian.
The Guardian’s Top 50 Songs Of Brisbane
1. ‘Streets of Your Town’, The Go-Betweens
2. ‘Stranded’, The Saints
3. ‘Cattle And Cane’, The Go-Betweens
4. ‘Come On Mess Me Up’, Cub Sport
5. ‘These Days’, Powderfinger
6. ‘My Happiness’, Powderfinger
7. ‘The Song Formerly Known As’, Regurgitator
8. ‘Know your product’, The Saints
9. ‘Apartment’, Custard
10. ‘Queensland’, Evil Eddie
11. ‘Hi Cs’, Screamfeeder
12. ‘A Matter of Time’, Railroad Gin
13. ‘I Sucked a Lot of Cock to Get Where I Am’, Regurgitator
14. ‘Brisbane (Security City)’, The Saints
15. ‘Spring Rain’, The Go-Betweens
16. ‘Bye Bye Pride’, The Go-Betweens
17. ‘The Day You Come’, Powderfinger
18. ‘The Way I Made You Feel’, Ed Kuepper
19. ‘Pig City’, The Parameters
20. ‘The Living Kind’, Ups and Downs
21. ‘Covered in Chrome’, Violent Soho
22. ‘Task Force’, Razar
23. ‘Coming Home’, Sheppard
24. ‘Thou Shalt Not Steal’, Kev Carmody
25. ‘Kong Foo Sing’, Regurgitator
26. ‘Electrical Storm’, Ed Kuepper
27. ‘Patience Back’, Halfway
28. ‘Brisbane Blacks’, Mop and the Dropouts
28. ‘To The Moon and Back’, Savage Garden
29. ‘2004’, The Rational Academy
30. ‘Special Ones’, Katie Noonan
31. ‘Just Like Fire Would’, The Saints
32. ‘My Sister’s Friend’s Cousin From Woodridge’, Bertie Page Clinic
33. ‘Mr Somewhere’, The Apartments
34. ’77 Sunset Strip’, The Riptides
34. ‘Departures (Blue Toowong Skies)’, Bernard Fanning
35. ‘Darkside’, Kev Carmody
36. ‘Elysium Dreams’, The Roseberys
37. ‘Dreamworld’, Midnight Oil
38. ‘FIGJAM’, Butterfingers
38. ‘It’s Nice to Be Alive’, Ball Park Music
38. ‘Blue Shirt’, The Colours
39. ‘Karen’, The Go-Betweens
39. ‘Caught In The Crowd’, Kate Miller-Heidke
39. ‘Sunsets’, Powderfinger
40. ‘Affirmation’, Savage Garden
40. ‘Pick You Up’, Powderfinger
40. ‘Sich Offnen’, Not From There
41. ‘Untouched’, The Veronicas
42. ‘On the night’, Dreamkillers
42. ‘Make Time 4 Love’, The Goon Sax