Australian music fans have delivered another brutal message to local artists in 2025, with streaming figures revealing that only one genuinely new Australian song cracked the Top 10 most streamed Australian tracks of the year.
Kevin Parker’s Tame Impala offering, Dracula, claimed ninth place on the list, recorded in his home state of Western Australia. Beyond that, Australians relied heavily on nostalgia and international collaborations, leaving homegrown talent largely sidelined.
Shockingly, two tracks from 2024 made the Top 10. At number three, Sonny Fodera’s Somedays, featuring Ireland’s Jazzy and the UK’s D.O.D, was counted as Australian due to Fodera’s nationality, despite being recorded in London. Similarly, Royel Otis’s cover of The Cranberries’ Linger, recorded at SIRIUSXM Studios in New York, also featured in the Top 10.
Even older releases dominated the charts. The most streamed Australian song of 2025 was Vance Joy’s Riptide, now 12 years old. Crowded House’s Don’t Dream It’s Over, 39 years past its original release, was the second most streamed. AC/DC’s 25-year-old anthem Thunderstruck, Gotye and Kimbra’s 14-year-old Somebody That I Used To Know, and 2008 hits by The Temper Trap (Sweet Disposition) and Empire Of The Sun (Walking On A Dream) also made the Top 10, leaving very little space for contemporary Australian acts.
Even rising stars like The Kid Laroi were represented by older American-produced material. Nights Like This, recorded in Los Angeles in 2023, came in at number four. Only Tame Impala’s Dracula qualified as a truly new domestic release for the year.
Once again, ARIA’s approach to charting has been called into question. Critics argue that the formula, which heavily weighs streaming including playlists curated outside Australia, systematically sidelines local music. While radio remains strong for Australian content, with 13 songs appearing on the current airplay chart, ARIA charts continue to reflect international tastes over homegrown talent. Notable recent radio airplay hits include Guy Sebastian’s Get It Done and The Temper Trap’s new track Giving Up Air.
This is another example of how Australian music is consistently undermined in its own country. ARIA charts should reflect the current scene, not decades of back catalogue or international playlists.
The top 10 streamed Australian songs of 2025 in Australia illustrates the problem clearly:
1 Riptide – Vance Joy (2013)
2 Don’t Dream It’s Over – Crowded House (1986)
3 Somedays – Sonny Fodera, D.O.D & Jazzy (2024)
4 Nights Like This – The Kid Laroi (2023)
5 Sweet Disposition – The Temper Trap (2008)
6 Walking On A Dream – Empire Of The Sun (2008)
7 Thunderstruck – AC/DC (1990)
8 Somebody That I Used To Know – Gotye & Kimbra (2011)
9 Dracula – Tame Impala (2025)
10 Linger (SiriusXM Session) – Royel Otis (2024)
The dominance of legacy Australian music highlights a troubling pattern: fans streaming old favourites while new domestic releases struggle to gain traction, even when Australian artists remain prolific. The disconnect between ARIA charts and actual domestic output threatens to devalue the country’s contemporary music scene and the artists driving it forward.
Unless ARIA addresses the imbalance, Australians may continue to overlook new local music, leaving decades of classic hits as the country’s primary cultural export on streaming platforms.
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