Over the past decade, the National Film & Sound Archive has been collecting and preserving the tunes in our nation's history that it deems culturally, historically or aesthetically significant for its Sounds Of Australia initiative, with this year's class featuring some truly iconic pieces that will set hearts of all ages aflutter.
Several celebrated Aussie artists make this year's cut, including INXS (Don't Change, 1982), Kasey Chambers (Not Pretty Enough, 2001) and John Paul Young (the Vanda & Young-penned Love Is In The Air, 1977).
Also among the entrants for 2017 are the utterly legendary Play School theme — originally written in 1966 by Richard Connolly and Rosemary Milne, and performed by a variety of artists over the ensuing five decades — and enduring Louie The Fly jingle, created in 1962 for Mortein by Bryce Courtenay, with lyrics and music by James Joseph White, performed by actor/comedian Ross Higgins.
The new additions follow last year's crop of acts — which included the likes of Midnight Oil, GANGgajang, The Wiggles, Christine Anu and the Skippy theme — into the halls of immortality, a collection that now numbers more than 125 historic songs written between 1897 and 2003.
See this year's full cabal below, or head to the NFSA website to see the complete Sounds Of Australia list.
Sounds Of Australia — 2017
INXS — Don't Change (1982)
Kasey Chambers — Not Pretty Enough (2001)
John Paul Young — Love Is In The Air (1977)
Ross Higgins — Louie The Fly Mortein jingle (1962)
Various Artists — Play School theme (There's A Bear In There) (1966)
Kuckles — Brand New Day (Milliya Rumarra) (1981)
Len Maurice — Our Don Bradman (1930)
Frank Ifield — I Remember You (1962)
Australia's Amateur Hour With Chad Morgan (1952)
Marie Narelle — Sweet Spirit Hear My Prayer (1910)
Australia's Amateur Hour With The Reading Sisters (1957)
