Australians love a jingle. Whether it’s “What a feeling, Toyota” or “Happy little Vegemites,” jingles possess an element of nostalgia that Aussies seem to be drawn to. Sometimes, we’ve gotten them to the top end of the charts.
That doesn’t happen by default. On occasion, a jingle goes beyond the radio or television and really takes over. Here are ten of them that hit the Australian Pop Charts.
Duke of Earl
The 1988 advertisement for Decore shampoo and conditioner utilised everyday people to sing a little ditty based on the obscure Duke of Earl tune by American singer-songwriter Gene Chandler.
Created by the agency Magnus Nankervis & Curl, the catchy, upbeat jingle was backed by a $5.1 million campaign by Reckitt & Colman. The advertising campaign nearly doubled Decore’s market share within just three months.
Following the success of the campaign, Armando Hurley released a cover of Duke of Earl via EMI Records. It reached the top 20 of Australia’s national singles chart and was included in the compilation album, Mega Commercials.
Get Your Juices Going
Get Your Juices Going by Starburst – named after the confectionery brand of the same name – went beyond its advertising confines and, in 2002, peaked at #28 on the ARIA Singles Chart.
Mars Australia and its advertising agency, D’Arcy, created the fictional pop group. Copywriters wrote the catchy tune’s lyrics, focusing on the flavours of Starburst chews: peach, apple, cherry, melon, strawberry, and banana. What’s your favourite flavour?
C’mon Aussie C’mon
Iconic Australian cricket anthem C’mon Aussie C’mon was written as a 60-second jingle, penned by Allan Johnston, Alan Morris and creative staff at the advertising agency, Mojo, in 1978.
Eulogising players including Dennis Lillee, the Chappell brothers Ian and Greg and Rod Marsh, the jingle was performed by Mojo singers – including Allan Johnston and other agency and recording studio personnel – and topped the Australian singles chart for two weeks in February 1979.
Shannon Noll re-recorded the track in 2004, and Commonwealth Bank reprised it ahead of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2020 in 2019.
Care for Kids
Care for Kids, the jingle written by composer Peter Best for the International Year of the Child in 1979, is still remembered by Aussies today.
The track was produced for children worldwide and recorded by kids on Albert Productions.
I’d Like to Teach the World to Sing (In Perfect Harmony)
I’d Like to Teach the World to Sing (In Perfect Harmony) – originally known as True Love and Apple Pie – was written by British songwriters Roger Cook and Roger Greenaway and performed by Susan Shirley, released in 1971.
Later used for a Coca-Cola advertisement sung by British pop group The New Seekers, that version peaked at #7 on Australia’s Kent Music Report.
Axel F
Revisited by Swedish CGI character Crazy Frog, the 2005 rendition of Axel F – a techno cover of the eponymous song composed for the Eddie Murphy film, Beverly Hills Cop – caught the attention of families across Australia.
The song, which was accompanied by a ringtone and animated music video, peaked at #1 on the ARIA Singles Chart and the Australian Dance Charts.
Love You Brisbane
The jingle Love You Brisbane, a promotional music video for BTQ7 – Channel 7 – shot to the top of the local Brisbane charts upon its release in the 1980s.
It was the theme tune for BTQ7, written by Brisbane ‘jingle-maker’ Laurence Stone, performed by Kim Durant, and released as an official single in 1983.
