Though plenty of bars, nightclubs and radio stations play Aussie music, it seems like Aussie music from the 1990s gets overlooked. Though there are notable exceptions like Silverchair and Savage Garden, this still doesn’t account for the rest of that decade. Is the Australian music industry so embarrassed by their ‘90s output that they deny the decade ever happened? It’s not like these songs failed to chart; quite a few of them were in the Top 10 or even #1!
1. ‘Jackie’ by Joanne
Peaking at #3 in 1999, this dance hit is about a girl obsessed with a fella named Jackie she met and hooked up with him and can’t get him off her mind. With dance beats that just scream ’90s, many think this song is “tack, tack, tacky”.
2. ‘Ooh Aah… Just A Little Bit’ by Gina G
Another pop/dance song about a girl who can’t get enough of a guy’s schlong, Gina G recorded this eurodance song in Britain, which was their entry to the 1996 Eurovision contest and was #5 in Oz. Bet she goes “ooh aah, just a little bit” when a guy’s about to hit her Gina G spot!
3. ‘Mysterious Girl’ by Peter Andre
Having peaked at #8 in Oz, this pop/reggae song epitomises cheesy ’90s love songs that many people roll their eyes at. However, since the music video below has had 14.4 million views on YouTube, this 1995 hit is clearly the least forgotten out of this selection and a lot of people secretly like it.
4. ‘Love You Right’ by Euphoria
This tacky 1992 dance track that hit #1 was originally made for the soapie E Street. Then cast member Simon Baker in it as one of the topless guys singing and dancing around a microphone. BTW, it’s actually the brunette’s voice you’re hearing, but they got the blonde to lip synch it because she was hotter (seriously!)
5. ‘Don’t Call Me Baby’ by Madison Avenue
Reaching #2 in the 1999 ARIA charts, this dance/house hit about a broad who doesn’t take crap from men who just want to use them for sex was a both a girl power anthem and a track that went off in nightclubs. Never has a woman objected to being considered an object more blatantly than in this song.
6. ‘Polyester Girl’ by Regurgitator
This 1997 hit is pretty catchy and could easily be remixed into a fast paced dance song at clubs. The song mocks trophy girlfriends for their “perfection”, but the tune is so mesmerising that you don’t notice.
7. ‘Take It From Me’ by Girlfriend
A #1 hit in 1993, Girlfriend could be considered to be an Aussie version of the Spice Girls that were around before the Spice Girls! You gotta love what these girls wear; couldn’t stop laughing, especially at all the clothes with flowers on them to make them look girly.
8. ‘Don’t Go Now’ by Ratcat
Unlike most of the other songs listed, ‘Don’t Go Now’ is a great song! It’s catchy, has a great guitar riff, and upbeat without being cringe worthy and genuinely puts you in a happy mood. This deserved to be #1 back in 1991. I can just imagine this song being popular at live music venues when bands cover it; a real shame it’s not heard more often.
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