The APRA Top 100 New Zealand Songs of All Time is a selection of New Zealand songs as voted in 2001 by members of the Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA). The top 30 of this selection was used to create the Nature's Best CD and the rest of the list for follow-up compilations. A similar list was made in Australia of the top 30 Australian songs.
The list was created to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA) in New Zealand in 2001. Nine hundred candidate songs were chosen for APRA members to vote on.The top 30 songs were released on the Nature's Best CD.
Some artists feature prominently in the list. These include:
Music journalist Bruce Sergent notes that the list is highly skewed towards the 1980s and 90s to the detriment of earlier music, with notable omissions including Howard Morrison, Dinah Lee, and Ray Columbus & the Invaders.[1]
Some songs may also be claimed as both New Zealand and Australian. A list compiled by APRA at the same time of top 30 Australian songs also included Crowded House's "Don't Dream It's Over" (at number 7).[2]
Political songs on the list include commentary on the 1981 Springbok tour riots in Blam Blam Blam's "There Is No Depression in New Zealand", and nuclear testing in the French Pacific through Herbs' "French Letter" and DLT's "Chains".[3]
The list of the top 100 is below.
| Position | Song | Artist | Writer(s) | Year | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Nature" | 1969 | |||||
| 2 | "Don't Dream It's Over" | 1986 | 1 | ||||
| 3 | "Loyal" | 1988 | 1 | Yes | |||
| 4 | "Counting the Beat" | 1981 | 1 | Yes | |||
| 5 | "Six Months in a Leaky Boat" | 1982 | 1 | ||||
| 6 | "Sway" | 1997 | 1 | Yes | |||
| 7 | "Slice of Heaven" | 1986 | 1 | Yes | |||
| 8 | "Victoria" | 1982 | 1 | Yes | |||
| 9 | "She Speeds" | 1987 | 1 | ||||
| 10 | "April Sun in Cuba" | 1977 | 1 | Yes | |||
| 11 | "I Got You" | 1980 | 1 | Yes | |||
| 12 | "Whaling" | 1984 | 1 | Yes | |||
| 13 | "Not Given Lightly" | 1990 | 1 | Yes | |||
| 14 | "Pink Frost" | 1984 | 1 | Yes | |||
| 15 | "Jesus I Was Evil" | 1997 | 1 | ||||
| 16 | "Weather with You" | 1991 | 1 | Yes | |||
| 17 | "Blue Smoke" | Pixie Williams and the Ruru Karaitiana Quartet | 1949 | 1 | |||
| 18 | "Dance All Around The World"[4] | 1972 | 1 | ||||
| 19 | "Lydia" | 2000 | 1 | Yes | |||
| 20 | "Blue Lady" | 1977 | 1 | Yes | |||
| 21 | "Drive" | 1996 | 1 | Yes | |||
| 22 | "Chains" | Che Ness, Darryl Thompson, Angus McNaughton, Kevin Rangihuna | 1996 | 1 | Yes | ||
| 23 | "Dominion Road" | 1992 | 1 | ||||
| 24 | "Glad I'm Not A Kennedy" | 1986 | 1 | Yes | |||
| 25 | "I Hope I Never" | 1980 | 1 | ||||
| 26 | "Tears" | 1980 | 1 | Yes | |||
| 27 | "Be Mine Tonight" | 1978 | 1 | Yes | |||
| 28 | "I See Red" | 1979 | 1 | Yes | |||
| 29 | "Beside You" | 1998 | 1 | ||||
| 30 | "Home Again" | 1997 | 1 | Yes | |||
| 31 | "Outlook For Thursday" | 1983 | Yes | ||||
| 32 | "Down in Splendour" | 1990 | 2 | ||||
| 33 | "Better Be Home Soon" | 1988 | 2 | ||||
| 34 | "How Bizarre" | 1995 | 2 | Yes | |||
| 35 | "Language" | 1994 | 2 | Yes | |||
| 36 | "Message to My Girl" | 1984 | 2 | Yes | |||
| 37 | "Poi E" | 1984 | 2 | ||||
| 38 | "Stuff and Nonsense" | 1979 | 2 | ||||
| 39 | "Venus" | 1998 | 2 | Yes | |||
| 40 | "System Virtue" | 1996 | 2 | ||||
| 41 | "Fraction Too Much Friction" | 1983 | 2 | Yes | |||
| 42 | "French Letter" | Tony Fonoti, Spencer Fusimalohi, Dilworth Karaka | 1995 | 2 | Yes | ||
| 43 | "Maxine" | 1983 | 2 | Yes | |||
| 44 | "Out on the Street" | Alistair Riddell | 1974 | 2 | |||
| 45 | "Slippin' Away" | 1976 | 2 | ||||
| 46 | "Violent" | 1999 | 2 | Yes | |||
| 47 | "Why Does Love Do This To Me" | 1992 | 2 | Yes | |||
| 48 | "1905" | 1972 | 2 | Yes | |||
| 49 | "Anchor Me" | 1994 | 2 | ||||
| 50 | "Bliss" | Th' Dudes | 1979 | 2 | Yes | ||
| 51 | "For Today" | Nick Sampson, Malcolm Black | 1984 | 2 | Yes | ||
| 52 | "Screems From Tha Old Plantation" | Bill Urale, Kas Futialo | 2000 | 2 | Yes | ||
| 53 | "Cheryl Moana Marie" | 1970 | 2 | ||||
| 54 | "Blue Day" | Murray Burns, Colin Bayley | 1985 | 2 | Yes | ||
| 55 | "Glorafilia" | Ben Campbell, Nathan King, Adrian Palmer | 1999 | 2 | Yes | ||
| 56 | "Good Morning Mr Rock 'n' Roll" | 1971 | 2 | ||||
| 57 | "History Never Repeats" | 1981 | 2 | Yes | |||
| 58 | "In The Neighbourhood" | Alan Jansson, Hassanah Orogbu, Brenda Makaoeafi | 1994 | 2 | Yes | ||
| 59 | "Julia" | 1978 | 2 | ||||
| 60 | "Pacifier" | 1999 | 2 | Yes | |||
| 61 | "Let's Think of Something" | Roger Skinner | 1967 | 2 | |||
| 62 | "Bursting Through" | 1997 | 2 | Yes | |||
| 63 | "Liberty" | 1997 | 2 | Yes | |||
| 64 | "Sweet Disorder" | Paul Casserly, Mark Tierney, Anthony Ioasa | 1994 | 2 | Yes | ||
| 65 | "Asian Paradise" | 1979 | 2 | ||||
| 66 | "Don't Fight It Marsha, It's Bigger Than Both of Us" | 1981 | |||||
| 67 | "Gutter Black" | 1977 | 3 | Yes | |||
| 68 | "Long Ago" | 1984 | 3 | Yes | |||
| 69 | "There Is No Depression in New Zealand" | Blam Blam Blam | 1981 | 3 | |||
| 70 | "You Oughta Be in Love" | 1986 | 3 | Yes | |||
| 71 | "Andrew" | Fur Patrol | Andrew Bain, Julia Deans, Simon Braxton, Steven Wells | 2000 | 3 | Yes | |
| 72 | "Billy Bold" | 1981 | 3 | ||||
| 73 | "Distant Sun" | 1993 | 3 | ||||
| 74 | "Suddenly Strange" | 1997 | 3 | Yes | |||
| 75 | "Forever Tuesday Morning" | Gary Curtis, Andrew Fagan, Tim Wedde | 1984 | 3 | Yes | ||
| 76 | "Cruise Control" | 1991 | 3 | Yes | |||
| 77 | "Pressure Man" | James Reid, Matt Thomas, Hamish Gee | 1998 | 3 | |||
| 78 | "Private Universe" | 1994 | 3 | ||||
| 79 | "Room That Echoes" | Neville Hall | 1985 | 3 | Yes | ||
| 80 | "Sensitive to a Smile" | Dilworth, Karaka, Tumahai | 1987 | 3 | Yes | ||
| 81 | "E Ipo" | 1982 | 3 | ||||
| 82 | "Andy" | 1987 | 3 | ||||
| 83 | "Bitter" | 1995 | 3 | ||||
| 84 | "Four Seasons in One Day" | 1991 | 3 | ||||
| 85 | "Heavenly Pop Hit" | 1990 | 3 | ||||
| 86 | "Husband House" | 1985 | 3 | ||||
| 87 | "Jumping Out A Window" | Paul Mason, Andrew McLennan, Chris Moore, Kevin Emmett, Paul Scott | 1981 | 3 | |||
| 88 | "If I Were You" | 1993 | 3 | ||||
| 89 | "I'll Say Goodbye (Even Tho I'm Blue)" | Dance Exponents | 1983 | 3 | Yes | ||
| 90 | "Maybe" | 1981 | 3 | Yes | |||
| 91 | "One Day Ahead" | Sean Sturm, Luke Casey, Michael Scott, Grant Winterburn | 2000 | 3 | Yes | ||
| 92 | "Renegade Fighter" | Zed | 2000 | 3 | Yes | ||
| 93 | "Part of Me" | Stellar* | 1999 | 3 | Yes | ||
| 94 | "Sierra Leone" | 1983 | 3 | Yes | |||
| 95 | "Words" | 1979 | 3 | Yes | |||
| 96 | "Spellbound" | 1979 | 3 | ||||
| 97 | "Rust in My Car" | 1979 | 3 | ||||
| 98 | "Mercy of Love" | 1992 | 3 | Yes | |||
| 99 | "Can't Get Enough" | Joseph Fisher, Karl Steven | 1996 | 3 | Yes | ||
| 100 | "Naked Flame" | 1995 | 3 |