The National Indigenous Music Chart for 2018 has been revealed, uncovering the top 20 biggest Indigenous songs of the year.
A project of the National Indigenous Music Awards, the charts were founded in November this year, creating a weekly list of Australia’s most heard Indigenous tracks which has quickly been embraced by the industry. Using data supplied by Australia’s most widely used music airplay tracker Radio Monitor, covering commercial, community, ABC, triple j and digital radio, the chart has quickly become a respected resource for media, industry and the general public to keep across what is hot in the growing Australian First Nations music scene.
This year, the crown for the most played Indigenous track of the year goes to Jessica Mauboy with her Eurovision hit ‘We Got Love’. Jess also appears twice more towards the upper reaches of the chart, proving her enduring popularity with the Australian public.
The crown for most appearances in this year’s top 20 list goes to Busby Marou with four entries, including their current chart topper ‘Sound of Summer‘. It has also been a huge year for Baker Boy and Tia Gostelow, with three entries each, Baker Boy coming off the back of his wins at this year’s National Indigenous Music Awards and Tia Gostelow for three tracks from her Australian Music Prize longlisted triple j Feature Album ‘Thick Skin’. The list also includes Thelma Plum, A.B. Original, Alice Skye, Yothu Yindi, Mojo Juju and Dan Sultan.
Proving the breadth of talent and genre in Indigenous music this year, banging on the door just outside the top 20 are regulars to the National Indigenous Music Charts including Tasman Keith, Kuren, Gurrumul, Troy Cassar-Daley, Oetha and Ziggy Ramo. With Gurrumul taking home four ARIA Awards for his groundbreaking posthumous release ‘Djarimirri (Child of the Rainbow) and Jessica Mauboy representing Australia at Eurovision and many more achievements, 2018 has been a watershed year for Australian Indigenous music across the globe.
The National Indigenous Music Awards congratulates all First Nations musicians, whether they have been nominated for awards, entered the chart, released songs or albums this year, or simply been out there on the road plying their craft live.
Both the art and community of Australian Indigenous musicians are strong and we look forward to being a part of that strength again in 2019.
The final weekly National Indigenous Music Chart will be released this Friday and will return on January 11.
NATIONAL INDIGENOUS MUSIC CHART – 2018
1. We Got Love – Jessica Mauboy
2. Fallin’ – Jessica Mauboy
3. Mr La Di Da Di – Baker Boy
4. Then I Met You – Jessica Mauboy
5. Clumsy Love – Thelma Plum
6. Sleep On It – Busby Marou feat. Nat Dunn
7. Black Magic – Baker Boy feat. Dallas Woods
8. Got Your Back – Busby Marou
9. Best Part of Me – Busby Marou
10. Blaccout – A.B. Original
11. Marryuna – Baker Boy
12. Strangers – Tia Gostelow feat. Lanks
13. Walk Away – Xavier Rudd
14. Phone Me – Tia Gostelow
15. Sound of Summer – Busby Marou
16. Hunger – Tia Gostelow
17. Friends With Feelings – Alice Skye
18. Treaty – Yothu Yindi
19. Native Tongue – Mojo Juju
20. Reaction – Dan Sultan
