ARIA Chart Upset As Frog Croaks Beat Global Superstars

Australian Frog Calls by Songs Of Disappearance has leapt on top of Jimmy Barnes, Harry Styles, Michael Bublé and more popular artists on the ARIA Top 50 Albums Chart.

The album features ribbits, croaks, bonks, and chirps and debuted at #3 on this week's chart, getting ever so close to toppling Taylor Swift from her #2 position. Paul Kelly tops the chart with his Christmas Train record.

In a leap of faith, the Bowerbird Collective, Australian Museum and Australia’s amphibians teamed up to unleash an album of native frog sounds to spread awareness of FrogID week.

Aussies were encouraged to download the free FrogID app and record the frogs around us "to monitor frog distributions over time, helping us to understand how frogs and their ecosystems are responding to a changing planet." The album also brings sad news: one in six Australian native frog species are currently threatened, with four already extinct. 

Just like its bird calls counterpart, Australian Bird Calls, which was released last year and peaked at #2 on the ARIA Albums Chart, Australian Frog Calls has become a cultural phenomenon, receiving media coverage from the likes of the BBC, Sky News, and Australian Geographic as we anxiously waited to see if frogs could topple Swift's Midnights.

Dr Jodi Rowley, Senior Research Scientist and Curator of Amphibian & Reptile Conservation Biology at the Australian Museum and UNSW, is thrilled about the project landing at #3 and commented, “It’s so exciting that Australia has gotten behind this album, giving Australia’s unique and imperilled frogs a voice.

“It’s a real indication of just how much Australia cares about our frogs and also how beautiful, captivating and fascinating frog calls really are!

“Australia’s frogs have given Taylor Swift a run for her money, and it’s beyond exciting to see Australia’s frogs and their amazing calls in the spotlight!”

Songs Of Disappearance: Australian Frog Calls contains over 50 ribbiting frog calls and features recordings made by FrogIDapp users from across the country, including the sadly extinct Gastric Brooding Frog (Rheobatrachus silus), once found in tropical Queensland.

The album is a tribute to Australian frogs. Songs Of Disappearance: Australian Frog Calls is available as a digital download or physical CD, which features a 16-page booklet of photography and liner notes. 

Proceeds from the album's sales will go towards the Australian Museum's national FrogID project, helping it continue to make giant leaps in frog research and conservation through public recordings.

Kermit to helping the native wildlife and listen to Songs Of Disappearance: Australian Frog Calls here.

Read The Music's review of the album, where we ribbited away.