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Is Australian music at risk of extinction? Here’s what the data tells us
EntertainmentMusicMusic News•June 7, 2026 at 9:00 PMNational

Is Australian music at risk of extinction? Here’s what the data tells us

By Josh Nicholas and Michael Sun•The Guardian Music

Forty years of Aria chart history shows big changes to our listening habits – and local artists have a huge fight aheadAria music quiz: how well do you know the Australian charts?Want to get more charts in your inbox every fortnight? Sign up for The Crunch hereThe music that charts in Australia has changed considerably over the past couple of decades – rock is out, country is in and old tracks are new again.But some trends remain – like the slow decline in the Australian appetite for Australian music, from as much as 30% of the annual chart in the early 1990s to low single digits. Continue reading...

Forty years of Aria chart history shows big changes to our listening habits – and local artists have a huge fight ahead

The music that charts in Australia has changed considerably over the past couple of decades – rock is out, country is in and old tracks are new again.

But some trends remain – likethe slow decline in the Australian appetite for Australian music, from as much as 30% of the annual chart in the early 1990s to low single digits.

Continue reading...